Tag Archives: winter

Winter Hike: Washington 2021

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This winter hike up Mount Washington was almost cancelled because of the forecast, but we lucked out with a nice window of weather on the morning of President’s Day. The trails were perfectly packed and there was very little ice, but I was still very glad for my new crampons and ice ax while going up and down the Lion’s Head winter route. The weather on the summit was very mild and my group of four shared it with a group of skiers that came up the cog railway.

ROUTE

  • Parked at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center of Route 16, Jackson, NH
  • Hiked up Tuckerman Ravine Trail to intersection with Fire Road
  • Turned right on Fire Road to intersection with Lion’s Head Trail (Winter Route)
  • Turned left on Lion’s Head Trail (Winter Route) to intersection with Tuckerman Ravine Trail
  • Turned right on Tuckerman Ravine Trail to summit of Mount Washington
  • Same route back to parking lot

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 15 February 2021
Distance: 7.9 miles
Moving Time: 03:27:03
Pace: 26:14/mile
Elevation Gain: 4606′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Hike: Duck Pond Mountain

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On a beautifully cold February day, John, Jeff, Richard and I snowshoed up to Nancy Pond so we could bushwhack to another New Hampshire 200 Highest peak, the viewless Duck Pond Mountain. A few inches of powder over a packed trail made for good traction, and the bushwhack to Duck Pond was a little thick but otherwise easy. The highlight of the day was the perfect sun halo, and snowshoeing over the frozen Norcross Pond to the view of the Bonds across the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

ROUTE

  • Parked Nancy Pond Trail parking off Route 302 in Hart’s Location, NH
  • Snowshoed Nancy Pond Trail to Nancy Pond
  • Bushwhack to summit of Duck Pond Mountain and back
  • Bushwhack across Nancy Pond and Norcross Pond and back
  • Snowshoed down Nancy Pond Trail back to car

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 13 February 2021
Distance: 9.2 miles
Moving Time: 04:20:15
Pace: 28:25/mile
Elevation Gain: 2785′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Trail Run: Pleasant Mountain

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Work gave us the afternoon off, so John, Michael and I did a quick trail run to the top of Pleasant via Ledges Trail. It was a beautiful day and the trails were packed like a sidewalk.

ROUTE

  • Parked at Ledges Trail parking lot on Mountain Road, Denmark, ME
  • Run up Ledges Trail to summit and back

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 12 February 2021
Distance: 3.5 miles
Moving Time: 0:55:15
Pace: 15:49/mile
Elevation Gain: 1650′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Hike: Doublehead

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It was February already and I hadn’t yet gone for a hike. I was getting stir-crazy, so Lindsay convinced me to get to the mountains for my health. I chose to do the Doubleheads as they were the closest New Hampshire 200 Highest peaks I hadn’t done. I got up at 4am and to the trailhead just before sunrise. I was unsure if it was kosher to hike up the ski trail, but there was a sign explaining trail manners for doing so. If I wasn’t redlining, or first person up the mountain, then the best trail up Doublehead was Old Path. But, there was a packed trail from people skinning up and I hardly left a mark. After the ski trail the remaining trails were unbroken, which was specially fun floating down New Path. I added some extra vert by redlining Old Path before heading to South Doublehead.

ROUTE

  • Parked at Doublehead Ski Trail parking off Dundee Road, Jackson, NH
  • Snowshoe up Doublehead Ski Trail to summit of North Doublehead
  • Turn right on Old Path to intersection with New Path
  • Turn right on Old Path to intersection with Doublehead Ski Trail and return to previous intersection
  • Turn right on New Path to Summit of South Doublehead and continue to intersection with South Doublehead View Spur
  • Turn left on South Doublehead View Spur to view and return to intersection
  • Turn left on New Path and follow to Dundee Road
  • Turn right on Dundee Road and follow back to parking

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 06 February 2021
Distance: 5.0 miles
Moving Time: 02:32:19
Pace: 30:35/mile
Elevation Gain: 2746′

Tracing White Mountains Trails:
Doublehead Ski Trail
Old Path
New Path
South Doublehead View Sput

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Hike: Howe, Shelburne Moriah, Moriah

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Jeff, John, Michael and I planned on taking a day off to hike Mount Washington on the second day of winter. The forecast showed Mount Washington in the clouds all day with gusty winds from the Northwest, and a some snow and increased winds in the afternoon. So we switched up our plans and did Mount Moriah via a Howe Peak bushwhack and over Shelburne Moriah Mountain. The weather and views weren’t great but I knocked off a New Hampshire 200 Highest, two trails red-lined, a new section of the AT, and got Mount Moriah for my December Grid and New Hampshire Winter 4000 Footer list.

ROUTE

  • Left vehicle at Rattle River Trail parking off Route 2 in Shelburne, NH
  • Parked at Shelburne Trail North parking off Conner Road in Shelburne, NH
  • Hiked up Shelburne Trail to intersection with Kenduskeag Trail
  • Bushwhacked east to Howe Peak and back
  • Turned right on Kenduskeag Trail over Shelburne Moriah Mountain to intersection with Carter-Moriah Trail
  • Turned right on Carter-Moriah Trail to Moriah spur trail
  • Turned left on Moriah spur trail and climbed to Mount Moriah summit and back
  • Turned right on Carter-Moriah Trail back to intersection with Kenduskeag Trail
  • Turned left on Kenduskeag Trail and returned to intersection with Rattle River Trail
  • Turned left on Rattle River Trail and hiked down to parking lot

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 22 December 2020
Distance: 14.8 miles
Moving Time: 07:18
Pace: 29:33/mile
Elevation Gain: 4019′

Tracing White Mountains Trails:
Kenduskeag Trail
Rattle River Trail

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Hike: Peaked

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Lindsay and I went on our first winter hike together at Peaked Mountain. This mountain is normally great reward for little effort, but it was a warm and rainy day down low and overcast and snowing up above, so we missed the views.

ROUTE

  • Parked at Green Hills Preserve / Pudding Pond parking on Thompson Road in North Conway, NH
  • Hiked up Pudding Pond Access Road to intersection with Side Hill
  • Left on Side Hill to intersection with Black Cap Connector
  • Left on Black Cap Connector to intersection with Peaked Mountain Trail
  • Right on Peaked Mountain Trail to summit and back to intersection with Peaked Mountain – Middle Mountain Connector
  • Left on Peaked Mountain – Middle Mountain Connector to intersection with Middle Mountain Trail
  • Right on Middle Mountain Trail to intersection with Side Hill
  • Left on Side Hill to intersection with Pudding Pond Access Road
  • Right on Pudding Pond Access Road back to car

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 04 January 2020
Distance: 3.7 miles
Moving Time: 01:42:56
Pace: 27:50/mile
Elevation Gain: 1167′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Hike: Whiteface & Passaconaway

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Winter hike Whiteface and Passaconaway

In early 2017 my friend Michael and hike snowshoed a loop of Mount Whiteface and Mount Passaconaway. I was grabbing them for my Grid and Winter New Hampshire 4000 Footers lists, and he was getting them for his New Hampshire 4000 Footers list.

Map of hike

ROUTE

  • Parked at Ferncroft Parking of Ferncroft Road
  • Walked down Ferncroft Road to Blueberry Ledge Trail
  • Snowshoed up Blueberry Ledge Trail to intersection with Rollins Trail
  • Continued up Rollins Trail to Mount Whiteface summit and along the ridge to Dicey’s Mill Trail
  • Turned left at Dicey’s Mill Trail and hiked up to Passaconaway summit and to Walden Trail
  • Turned right on Walden Trail and down to Wonalancet Ridge Trail
  • Turned right on Wonalancet Ridge Trail to Hibbard Mountain and Mount Wonalancet, and then down to Old Mast Road
  • Turned right on Old Mast Road and returned to Ferncroft parking

STATS

Date Hiked: 04 February 2017
Elevation Gain: 4500′
Distance: 11.0 miles
Book Time: 7:45

Tracing White Mountains Trails:
Blueberry Ledge Trail
Wonalancet Range Trail
Wonalancet Short Cut

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com