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Moxie00
10-27-2005, 17:55
:cool: Any northbounders still out there are in for a treat. Every year there are a few straglers that arive at Baxter as late as November hoping to climb Katahdin. Well Millinocket recieved 15 inches of snow last night. No one has been to the summit of Katahdin to measure but the summit of Sugarloaf, over 100 miles south got 40 inches. I would say the baby is closed for the winter, even to those that walk in to climb. Mount Washington has well over 60 inches as of tonight so I guess it's safe to say winter has come to the north country.

The Solemates
10-27-2005, 18:33
awesome. time for a walk! (and some skiing!)

Ender
10-27-2005, 19:01
That is awesome. I gotta move further north...
:cool:

hikerjohnd
10-27-2005, 19:52
My air conditioning just popped on... I gotta get out of the south!

The Scribe
10-27-2005, 20:17
was supposed to go camping in the Bigelow Preserve this weekend, right about where the trail goes around the southern tip of Flagstaff Lake near Long Falls Dam Road. The snow gave just about everyone involved cold feet (pun intended).

CynJ
10-27-2005, 20:55
excellent! :D I love winter- time to bust out the camera and go hunt down some dead trees.....:banana

attroll
10-28-2005, 00:20
My snowmobiles are all tuned up and ready to go. Let is snow. Bring it on.

smokymtnsteve
10-28-2005, 00:27
had our first snow here on aug 31..right now we have over 6 inches on the ground,,,

already had the snowmobile cranked up too!

we are expecting temps below 0 F this weekend!

RedneckRye
10-28-2005, 00:31
Since I'm not ready for snow yet and rather enjoy fall, I relocated my trip this weekend from eastern WV (where the snow has arrived) over to Mammoth Cave NP in western KY. Forecast is calling for 60 and sunny, prpbably my last chance for those conditions.

DMA, 2000
10-29-2005, 00:09
Moxie, my wife and I ended our work week by sitting outside on the balcony and relaxing with a nice glass of scotch. We finally went inside, because we were feeling a bit chilly. Here in Long Beach, it is in the low 60s tonight!

Blister
11-02-2005, 12:57
There are still some hikers out there although they are starting to dwindle. Two flip floppers just quit finally getting to Hanover a week ago, they couldn't deal with the cold and the weight of the winter gear. To be out in New England as the season turns takes a hearty soul. You must know what you are doing and be comfortable doing it. For me snow is not an obstacle, I welcome it and all its beauty. I know Squeaky is somewhere in New Hampshire still heading south and Hellkat is headed North probablly hitting Maine soon.

Wolf - 23000
11-02-2005, 14:43
All these hikers who love to play in the snow but when I winter hiked in New England</ST1:pl everyone seems to want to say inside and watch the pretty snow flakes.

Wolf

weary
11-02-2005, 14:56
:cool: Any northbounders still out there are in for a treat. Every year there are a few straglers that arive at Baxter as late as November hoping to climb Katahdin. Well Millinocket recieved 15 inches of snow last night. No one has been to the summit of Katahdin to measure but the summit of Sugarloaf, over 100 miles south got 40 inches. I would say the baby is closed for the winter, even to those that walk in to climb. Mount Washington has well over 60 inches as of tonight so I guess it's safe to say winter has come to the north country.
Maine is a big state with varied climates. Midcoast Maine has been basking in 60 degree temperatures for the past couple of days after a lengthy period of heavy rain (snow in the mountains as Moxie points out.)

We're still harvesting hardy root crops, broccoli and such stuff from the garden.

Weary

Squeaky 2
11-03-2005, 18:48
Heard from Squeaky today, he is camping below Mt. Washington ready to climb it early tomorrow (Friday) morning and heading on down to Hanover. Weather awful windy at present but mean't to be brightening up. I do hope so, but Squeaky changing tactics when he gets to Hanover and doing some trail running and changing all his gear too Super Light Weight to enable him to get some good miles in.
Still hoping to be down December and finish the Triple Crown this year.

His Mum Stef:jump :jump

Sly
11-03-2005, 19:08
I do hope so, but Squeaky changing tactics when he gets to Hanover and doing some trail running and changing all his gear too Super Light Weight to enable him to get some good miles in.

I hope his super light weight gear allows to stay warm when it's below freezing as it will be most nights.

Moxie00
11-03-2005, 23:59
A good friend is lucky to be alive today. He was hiking a side trail to the AT along the Carabesset River near Sugarkoaf Mountain, He had planned to hike Old Spec that day but heavy snow drove him back. He told no one where he was going or even that he was hiking and his wife was out of town. He slipped on some ice and fell into the river which was at flood stage due to all the rain and snow Maine recieved this past week, His foot got trapped between rocks and his boot was pulled off. He was washed downstream head first and his shirt filled with water forcing his head under. He tore his shirt off, He lost one boot, his shirt and jacket and his glasses before he got washed into an eddy and made it to shore. It was the first day of daylight savings time and darkness was approaching. There was major injury to the foot that had been trapped so he couldn't walk and crawled on his hands and knees, Hypothermia and frostbite set in and he crawled the wrong way up the trail before he realized his mistake and started crawling in the direction of the trail head and the road a few miles away, Durring the night his mind played games with him and he thought his wife was with him and she had gone for a sleeping bag, His wife came home and had no idea he was even hiking and thought he might have gone to visit friends or relatives. At first light the next morning he crawled out onto route 27 and was able to flag down a car and they called an ambulance. His wife got a call at 7:15 from the hospital in Farmington. Thanks to fast treatment he will keep all his toes and will recover but hiis hiking season is over for this year and he will walk with crutches for now and spend alot of time in hot baths. This thread is Let it Snow but the motto is now that winter is here especially, never hike without telling someone where you will be and whenever possible use the buddy system. Russ is a member of my hiking club and a damn goog hiker but on this day this otherwise intellegent man did a super stupid thing and is lucky to be alive to tell the story.

Squeaky 2
11-04-2005, 05:16
I hope his super light weight gear allows to stay warm when it's below freezing as it will be most nights.

I forgot to mention the Light Gear is only the Rucksack, Sleeping Mat, Waterproofs , Poncho etc, the rest he has he proper warm clothing and the best sleeping bag and everything essential that he needs to survive. Squeaky will take no risks on his health in any way. I hear from him very regularly and always know in my mind where he is and if I don't hear from him then I know where to start looking.
He plans to do some trail running and keep the pack light with 2/3 days of food as the towns are close on the AT not like the PCT and CDT.
Stef

Jaybird
11-04-2005, 06:20
:cool: Any northbounders still out there are in for a treat. Every year there are a few straglers that arive at Baxter as late as November hoping to climb Katahdin........ETC><ETC><ETC><........




Hope they dont have their hopes too high...to climb Mt. K in November or December! hehehehehehehe. The Park authorities wont let 'em on the mtn!....last i heard.

TJ aka Teej
11-04-2005, 11:17
Moxie: Glad he's OK. Good lesson that just one slip on the ice can change a nice walk into an emergency.
Squeaky 2: The towns are closer, but lots of services close or cut back. Even PO window hours change, and won't go to Holiday hours of operation until after Thanksgiving.
Jaybird: Squeaky's soboing the AT, so no worries there. There are nobos still hitting Baxter though.

icemanat95
11-04-2005, 11:40
For the most part I no longer hike alone for that very reason. I like to have someone around who I can trust to watch my back. Winter conditions are fun, but not to be ventured without a buddy and proper gear with the training to back it up.

I was on Mt. Monadnock two days ago (wednesday the 2nd) and you could see the snow covered Prezzies from there. Over 78 inches of snow up there in October and November is looking to stay consistent with that. Avalanche conditions on most of the range are about where they would normally be in Mid-January. So be careful out there.

I think a buddy of mine ran into the two flip-floppers Blister Sister was talking about, up at Grey Knob cabin. He'll be happy to hear they are OK.

billdnc
11-04-2005, 12:10
It's amazing to think that at this moment Squeeky is trudging up Mt. Washington with its 60 inches of snow. At least the weather has improved. The temp is up to 30 degrees and the wind is only about 30 mph down from teens and 20's and 90 mph gusts the last few days. I wonder if he considered skiis for this part of his trip. He could definitely make up some time on the downhills. He definitely has a chance to finish and I wish him good weather and trail conditions!

Squeaky 2
11-04-2005, 19:27
It's amazing to think that at this moment Squeeky is trudging up Mt. Washington with its 60 inches of snow. At least the weather has improved. The temp is up to 30 degrees and the wind is only about 30 mph down from teens and 20's and 90 mph gusts the last few days. I wonder if he considered skiis for this part of his trip. He could definitely make up some time on the downhills. He definitely has a chance to finish and I wish him good weather and trail conditions!

I did not actually realise the severeness of the weather, this from his mum. Squeaky spoke to his dad on Thursday evening and actually explained the force of a 90mph wind and when you breath in and how you cannot breath back out again, I do now under stand why he took cover for a few days, call me stupid or whatever but in England we do not experience such winds only once in every 10 or 15 years so I am not up on all the weather you guys experience in USA but now I understand. I am saying why???? are you not out hiking,,, now I understand, and I do know that Squeaky will look after his health before any such record, but I do know in my heart he will give it his best shot ever.

Stef

icemanat95
11-07-2005, 13:47
I did not actually realise the severeness of the weather, this from his mum. Squeaky spoke to his dad on Thursday evening and actually explained the force of a 90mph wind and when you breath in and how you cannot breath back out again, I do now under stand why he took cover for a few days, call me stupid or whatever but in England we do not experience such winds only once in every 10 or 15 years so I am not up on all the weather you guys experience in USA but now I understand. I am saying why???? are you not out hiking,,, now I understand, and I do know that Squeaky will look after his health before any such record, but I do know in my heart he will give it his best shot ever.

Stef

Mt Washington experiences winds in that range very, very frequently. The highest recorded sustained windspeed on Earth was recorded on the summit of Mt. Washington (about 238 MPH) Every once in a while the wind kicks up hard and literally tears up the slates on the Observatory deck and flings them around. The Windows of the building are made of thick Lexan plates.

I've been up there in 90 mph conditions and it's tough to walk. A gust can grab your pack and turn you around. You literally have to crawl some of the time. I had my goggles ripped off by the wind one time and the super-chilled air flash froze the weat in my eyelashes, freezing my eyes shut. That's some nasty weather, and is why the Presidentials are considered a solid training ground for Alaskan mountaineering expeditions.

Avalanche danger is high.

But all is manageable if you are careful.

kevinm
11-08-2005, 17:52
I love winter too. Hence my email even has the word snowshoe in it. My favorite thing to do is to drive to Maine and Vermont in the winter.
By the way, I know this is a different thread, but for Christmas I would like new snowshoes please.:)

smokymtnsteve
11-08-2005, 18:24
warm here today..were +1 F first time we have been above 0 F in about a week,