Waiting for the snow to melt is like watching paint dry. I just cant get to the mountains fast enough, so this year, I decided to go while there was still snow. This is not something that I typically do, and that is mainly for safety reasons. There are so many more hazards for winter and spring hiking such as; snow and ice, and ever-changing temperatures which can lead to slushy conditions and you need layering options. But this year was the time to tackle those challenges head on.
I have discovered that hiking in spring conditions is actually pretty fun! Having crampons and carrying heavier packs adds a whole new element to hiking that I have never experienced before. My first hike with snow was the Noon, Jennings and Sandwich Mountain loop in Waterville Valley, NH. The base of the mountain offered typical conditions with some mud but mostly dry trail. There were a few blowdowns, but that just made for fun scrambling over trees.
Once we got to about 2500' of elevation is where the snow started to appear. There is a really steep section coming up the trail where pictures cant do the elevation gain justice. Covering the rocks was not only snow but thick layers of ice. Here is where I started to get nervous and threw on my crampons for the first time, and boy did I feel invincible after that! From this point to the lookouts on Noon Peak, the trail couldn't decide what it wanted to be. It went from the icy incline to perfectly dry and warm conditions on the lookout back to packed monorail from the lookout to the true peak of Noon.
For the rest of the hike we were met with snowy trails with slightly packed monorail and only post-holed twice into some puddles. The intersection up to Jennings was the first time we were met with difficult slippery snow conditions. I never thought I would say that I preferred walking on ice! The views were absolutely gorgeous from the summit, I will definitely have to go back in warmer weather to see that view again !
Sandwich Mountain was nothing to write home about. We did it because it is the tallest of the 52 with a view. Maybe at one time the trees were not so tall. The view was great but after the ledges of Noon and the lookout on Jennings, Sandwich just could not compete.
Overall I would recommend this hike to anyone looking for an intermediate hike with some fun elevation and fantastic views! I would also recommend hiking in snowy/ icy conditions if you have been considering it. It is not as bad as you think with the proper gear! Next purchase will be snow shoes!
コメント