Presidential Traverse - First Week in April

[RangerPhil]

Hi Folks,

My girlfriend and I are kicking around the idea of attempting a 3 or 4 day Presidential Traverse. We have plenty of time and aren't in a rush. Has anybody completed this trek in late March or early April? Can anybody offer any advice? We have a winter mountaineering setup, will bring most of it minus the technical gear. What gear did you find necessary? What was nice to have but not absolutely necessary? I'm asking specifically about clothing. Anybody up in New Hampshire done any of the Presidentials recently?

Any and all input welcome.

Thanks

RangerPhil

[4eyedbuzzard]

You'll definitely want ice axe, crampons, rope, poles, etc., and if it's anything like lower elevations today - snowshoes. We had close to 3 feet in some areas. Mt W got less, but we are in prime spring snowstorm season. Clothing? Yeah, you'll need warm clothes. Avg lows probably around 10F, avg highs 20'sF, winds at avg 40 mph w/gusts to 70, avg wind chill prob -10 to 0F during the day on a nicer day (currently it's -53F) - but you absolutely need to be prepared if it gets colder than avg. Possible snowfalls up to 2 feet or more in 24 hr period. Rain, freezing rain, freezing fog, frogs and locusts are also possibilities. What could it do? record low -38F in March, record high 60F in April. Wind? Yeah, you guessed it, 231 mph (April 1934). You just never know what you're going to get week to week this time of year. You likely know all the warnings/stories - it can get really dicey up there. You must plan around the weather and always be prepared to bail out and turn back or get off the ridge if the weather turns bad. Some recent trail reports here http://www.vftt.org/forums/forumdisp...-New-Hampshire also keep an eye on http://www.mountwashington.org/ and the higher summits report http://www.mountwashington.org/weath...t_forecast.php

EDIT: You really need to do this during a 4 day fair weather window and be flexible as to dates. Keep an eye on forecasts and be ready to go when the opportunity presents itself.

[peakbagger]

Read this over

http://www.chauvinguides.com/presitr...presiguide.htm

Especially the escape routes and whiteout navigations plans.

Unless you have a lot of flexibility string together 4 good days is poor. This time of year the weather pattern tends to be three days.

Realistically Mar April on the ridgeline is still winter conditions and can be until early May.

[Slo-go'en]

We got nailed big time with this last storm. At least 2 feet. Avalanch danger is going to be high for some time. It's going to stay cold, so this snow isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. And who knows, we might get another big storm between now and then. I think it's likely that we will.

For clothes, you'd best still be ready to deal with sub zero wind chills, have goggles, face mask, gortex suit, plastic boots double boots with crampons and show shoes - the whole winter alpine set up. Early April it can either be really nice up there or really brutal. Or most likely a little of both.

[rafe]

Somebody just posted this link on vftt.org:

http://forecast.weather.gov/product....&highlight=off

It's snowfall totals from the National Weather Service for Maine and New Hampshire.

[Feral Bill]

I'd add a bundle of bamboo wands with a bit of orange flagging on each. set them up so you can find your way back to the tent from the bathroom area or for side trips. Visibility can be essentially zero for many hours. Of course you could get glorious sunshine and mild conditions. Don't count on it.

[Slo-go'en]

Rummers are starting about another "whopper" of a storm to hit here next Thursday! The ravines are really starting to fill up with snow and if this keeps up, there'll be sking in Tucks until June!

[Slo-go'en]

Oh and if you do do this hike, go south to north i.e., start at Crawford Notch. Going north puts the prevaling westerly winds more or less at your back and it's a lot easier to hike with the wind then against it. It will still try to blow you off course some, but not as bad as going the other way.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Oh and if you do do this hike, go south to north i.e., start at Crawford Notch. Going north puts the prevaling westerly winds more or less at your back and it's a lot easier to hike with the wind then against it. It will still try to blow you off course some, but not as bad as going the other way.

+1 Easier on the eyes as well (wind and sun).

[peakbagger]

I beg to differ, most folks go North to South. The nasty winds are usually North Northwest. Hiking from Madison there is some limited protection from the major winds. Gulfside runs to the east of Jefferson and usually when you get the full exposure south of Jefferson, the wind is at you side or slightly at your back. From there on you are basically screwed if the winds are high until you get to Lake of the Clouds.

[Slo-go'en]

It's definately easier to go over Adams and Madison from the south. Your protected going around the east side of Jefferson, just look out for the snow drifts which can be dangerous. There is the potentual to trigger an avalanch crossing the top of those, or just slide into the Great Gully with not much to stop you for about 2000 feet. Edmands Col is a friggen wind tunnel. The Col is often crossed on hands and knees since you can't stand up. I'm less familer with south of Jefferson, but it's pretty exposed all the way to Washington.

I only lived at Gray Knob for 9 months, so I sort of know which way the wind blows up there (it blows a lot)

[T.S.Kobzol]

Pick a good weather window. Pack winter sleeping gear, crampons, snowshoes, ski goggles, headlamps plus spare batteries, 250feet of paracord, ice axe against yettis or to help you over some ice in case you had to take escape route down. Go north to south.

Sent from my vivid imagination and delusions of grandeur

[Sarcasm the elf]

I just got back from bagging Mt. Madison via valley way trail and then staying at Valley way campsite last night. It is still very much winter in the whites. Yesterday we lucked out with temperatures in the twenties (f) and clear skies earlier in the day. The temperatures dropped substantially overnight and it was -11*(f) when I got out of my tent this morning. There were multiple feet of snow on the ground (sorry I cant be more exact) and there were a few spots we saw just off trail that looked as though they were likely spruce traps) Valley Way trail was broken, yesterday most people were using snowshoes, but a few were postholing, this morning most people were walking since the temperature drop made the trail more solid.

[Slo-go'en]

I just got back from bagging Mt. Madison via valley way trail and then staying at Valley way campsite last night.

Looked like a pretty good crowd up there judging by the number of cars in the parking lot and at Lowe's store, as it has been most of this winter. Lots of snow tends to bring people out.

I went for a couple miles of snowshoeing on the Randolph side of the valley, until it started snowing in the late afternoon. I imagine the trail was pretty solid this morning. You don't want to walk off the packed trail near tree line or you can find youself in a spruce trap up to your eyes! It takes some serious work to claw your way up and out of one of those!

It must have been pretty windy up there too when the front started to move in.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I just got back from bagging Mt. Madison via valley way trail and then staying at Valley way campsite last night. It is still very much winter in the whites. Yesterday we lucked out with temperatures in the twenties (f) and clear skies earlier in the day. The temperatures dropped substantially overnight and it was -11*(f) when I got out of my tent this morning. There were multiple feet of snow on the ground (sorry I cant be more exact) and there were a few spots we saw just off trail that looked as though they were likely spruce traps) Valley Way trail was broken, yesterday most people were using snowshoes, but a few were postholing, this morning most people were walking since the temperature drop made the trail more solid.

Forgot to mention, we had -20f sleeping bags, a mountaineering tent, snowshoes, ice axes, crampons, and microspikes. Everything except the crampons got used getting to Mt. Madison, but the crampons would have been absolutely necessary if we had pushed in farther south down the presidentials.

Here is yesterday's Mt. Washington summit conditions board from the Pinkham Notch visitor center. (Sorry that it's sideways, photos uploaded from my phone always rotate for some reason)

[Sarcasm the elf]

Looked like a pretty good crowd up there judging by the number of cars in the parking lot and at Lowe's store, as it has been most of this winter. Lots of snow tends to bring people out.

There certainly were a good number of people on the trail. When we summited Madison, there were about ten people hiking between the hut and the top, and valley way campsite had at least four or five different parties of people camped out, a few of which appeared to be college kids on spring break (which I wish I had thought of back when I was in college)

[speedbump]

I have done this section, several times. You can freeze in summer, get hot in winter, hit bugs, fog, ice, snow at any time of year.
Be prepared for everything. That hike is the one time I thought for sure I would die of hypothermia, in July. Do not underestimate the Whites.

[peakbagger]

The snow pack is currently quite deep but the long range for 1st week April looks like a bit of warm up. Snow conditions could be interesting.

[Slo-go'en]

The snow pack is currently quite deep but the long range for 1st week April looks like a bit of warm up. Snow conditions could be interesting.

Doesn't look to be warming up that much - not enough to make much difference up high. There is a LOT of snow up there right now. Might be more after this latest storm moves through, though it does look like we'll just get a dusting out of it. Post holeing will be a serious problem if it does warm up and avalanch danger will be extrem near the edges of the ravines.

[imscotty]

I received this email today from the 'Mount Washington Observatory' if you would like some current stats...

Dear Scott, As I write this email it’s -9°F at the summit with winds around 60mph. Needless to say, spring has not sprung on Mount Washington. We have received 55" of snow so far in March (10" above average for the month), putting us almost 50" above average for the winter season (December 1 through today). With an average 35.6" of snow falling on Mount Washington in April, it’s safe to say that we won’t be hanging up our skis any time soon. Coastal areas will receive even more snow on Wednesday, but relief is on the way later this week when temperatures will rise above freezing on the summit, and into the 50s at lower elevations. What’s our extended forecast? Great spring skiing! Cara Rudio Director of Advancement