Winter in the whites. Gear/tactics advice!

[fastfoxengineering]

Planning on going up some 4,000 footers this winter in the white mtns. Starting with some shorter mountain hikes for practice. I have lived in New England my whole life and the majority of my hiking is done in the white mtns. I mainly do three season hiking but have been up and have hiked in the mtns when there was snow in the spring. I've postholed more than i'd like to admit.

Aside from a climb up tuckermans in the dead of winter, I want to climb some of the other more moderate hikes. Layafette, twins, zealand for example.

My question is really gear. I know how to prepare when it comes to clothes. Layers and such. I have enough proper winter clothing to do some hiking. I do not own mountaineering boots and will be hiking in regular merril hiking boots.

When it comes to traction, will snowshoes and katahoola microspikes be sufficient? I also am going to put a set of snow baskets on my trekking poles.

Do I need crampons for regular on trail hikes up there?

[rickb]

Do I need crampons for regular on trail hikes up there?

Are you familiar with:

http://www.vftt.org

When it comes to deciding if snowshoes are needed, or what kind of traction is a good idea on any specific trail, they can be a great resource.

[Sarcasm the elf]

If it is sub-zero outside, do not hike in your regular hiking boots. Go to North Conway and stop into International Mountain Equipment http://www.ime-usa.com or to East Mountain Sports and rent a pair of insulated boots, tell them what your trip plan is and they should tell you whether you need real mountaineering boots or just insulated hiking boots. You can also rent any other equipment you may need.

You probably already know this, but layers, layers, layers. Hike wearing just enough to keep you warm without sweating and immediately put on your puffy jacket each time you stop. If you don't own a puffy jacket then you can rent one as well.

I will let the locals jump in with more specific information since I have only been up there a couple of times in winter. The one thing I can say for sure is that the weather and temperature sure can change fast, the last time I was up there it dropped from 35* to -15* in a few hours. For current information on trails and conditions I would recommend stopping in at the Pinkham notch visitor's center before you go to your intended trailhead http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/pinkham they should be able to help out with any questions.

[Venchka]

Be prepared. Be safe. The White Mountains don't play.

http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,229,0,1,books.html

Wayne



Sent from somewhere around here.

[peakbagger]

I have my winter 4 k list done long ago and am out most weekends in winter if the weather if reasonable. Regular hiking boots are effectively going to stop you "dead in your tracks". You need winter boots for winter hiking, summer or fall boots wont work and frostbite is a possibility. It you plan on multiday trips and want to go out despite the weather conditions, double plastic boots will keep your feet warm. The trade off is that they are quite uncomfortable and reduce your daily mileage. The far better alternative is to buy a mid range winter boot like a Columbia Bugaboo boots. Labonville's in Gorham NH has a nice selection of winter boots. The trick to climbing winter 4Ks is to start slow and pick which days to go. Many folks run microspikes instead of crampons, I find I use microspikes, 95% of the time but for the longer more exposed hikes I carry and occasionally use Grivel G10 crampons. prefer Hillsounds microspikes compared to Kahtolas. When you buy the boots bring your extra heavy socks and make sure you have enough toe space for toe warmers.

Many folks want to skip the small summits and jump right to the big boys. You might get lucky but until you get your clothing and equipment system down you aren't ready. Start with the "peek a boo" summits like Pierce, Field, Tom, Willey. then stretch out your distances and length of time on the trail to summits like Carter Dome, the Twins and Garfield. Realize that in winter a good forecast the night before is just the start of a plan. Many folks plan a trip a night or two before and ignore the forecast in the AM. Weather conditions can change rapidly overnight and many folks get in trouble that way. If you don't find yourself canceling or moving a winter hike on occasion you are probably pushing it and we may read about you in the papers.

Get your navigation skills down. Some trails drift in in hours, what can be well beaten trench at one point can disappear quickly in blowing snow. Blazes and signs may be buried.

Dealing with water in the winter is also something you need to gain experience with. Forget Camelbacks or hydration systems. They might work but when they inevitably freeze up you are screwed. Skip the learning experience and carry nalgene bottles in insulated containers and fill them up in the AM with hot water.

Layering is important, if you are warm at the trailhead you probably have too much gear on. Unfortunately once you get hiking you will warm up quick but you cool down quicker so you need plenty of layers you can add on. Gear for your hands is also a challenge, you need a pair of super warm mittens for when your hands get cold but you will probably be hiking with liner gloves and fleece mitts. Not a lot of folk find insulated ski glove usefull. Make sure whatever you wear has room for hand warmers.

Buy a larger pack or substitute an overnight pack for a winter daypack. Generally a summer day pack is too small. Rig the pack so you can easily attach and detach your snowshoes. They should go on and off quickly with gloves on. Ragged Mountain gear in Bartlett has all sorts of pack hardware in the basement so you can rig on extra straps.

There are several Meetup.com groups that hike the whites in winter. Some leaders are quite skilled, some are learning but going with a group is a plus unless you get in over your head.

[Another Kevin]

The White Mountains and the Adirondacks aren't too different. Check out what AMC Winter Mountaineering School requires. That's a pretty good overview of what you need to be safe in the Northeast high peaks in winter.

http://winterschool.org/WMS%20Student%20Handbook.pdf

Yes, the Northeast high peaks are that deadly.

You don't need plastic mountaineering boots on any of them, (and in fact, I don't own a pair because I only bag one or two peaks in a winter) but virtually all experienced winter hikers invest in a pair sooner or later. You do need insulated boots. Sorel Caribou seem to be what all us cheapskates get. They must have removable felt liners so that you can try to field-dry them in a pinch. Whatever boots you get must be compatible with your snowshoe and crampon bindings. You also need a vapor barrier on your feet or you'll be standing in a puddle. I'm a cheapskate, so what I use is thin nylon or polyester dress socks, then doubled plastic bags (bread bags or newspaper bags), then my regular wool hiking socks.

You don't need climbing crampons for these routes. But you do need something more aggressive than microspikes sometimes. I have been on a climb where the folks in microspikes couldn't gain purchase on one nasty bit of ice. We had some minimal climbing gear with us, so we were able to rig a hand line and let the microspikers put on a harness, tie a Prusik in a piece of utility cord, and pull themselves over the bad spot. Those of us with crampons and axes just continued to cruise on up. I don't recall even needing to front-point.

What most cheapskates gravitate to is either Black Diamond Contact Strap or Grivel G12. DO NOT get aluminium crampons. They don't hold up to the hard ice and mixed routes that we get here.

On any route where you need crampons, you need an ice axe. A general mountaineering axe is what you want, not ice tools for climbing. Black Diamond Raven is popular. Length is a subject of controversy. My instructor recommended one that comes at or a little above your ankle bone when you hold it comfortably piolet en canne. (If you don't know what that phrase means, you need ice axe training. ADK, AMC, GMC, and a couple of the chain outfitters offer lessons.)

Ascent snowshoes are a major plus. Heel lifts and aggressive crampons really help on the fall-line trails that we have here in the East. On my last winter trip, a couple of the guys in the group paused on this ledge to switch from conventional tubular-frame snowshoes to crampons. I was still feeling secure on my Black Diamond Lightning ones, so I just left them on and they took to the 'snowcrete' on the exposed ridge just fine. The guys with conventional snowshoes did fine, though. They just switched to crampons sooner than I did.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xvyzSzc_Hhw/VJimHOfA0TI/AAAAAAAAloI/su5ms3mrDBw/s500-no/DSC_3880.JPG

Incidentally, that was a day of perfect weather as far as a Northeast winter goes. 18°F at the summit, and whiteout no worse than you see in the picture. (In summer, that spot has a terrific view.)

Also, by the way, that 65L pack was for a day trip. It's been four years since someone's died of hypothermia atop that particular mountain, but I didn't want to be the next one. Elf is right about layers. In that picture, I'm wearing baselayer, fleece, wind jacket and pants. I was getting a little warm, so I took off my mittens (you can see them dangling on idiot cords), my tuque and my balaclava. I had another set of fleeces and a puffy at the top of the pack. And a tarp and a sleeping bag at the bottom, because in those conditions a turned ankle can easily mean an overnight stay - and without adequate insulation, an overnight stay means death. That's what happened four years ago.

[rafe]

I wear Sorrels. I always carry crampons microspikes and snowshoes (MSR Evo Ascent.)

I usually wear my Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack. Inside it is a space blanket or maybe my lightest sleeping bag, extras of many items, eg. gloves, hat, outer layer, etc.

[Another Kevin]

Oh, an afterthought about boots, since you asked specifically about them. If you don't have hard-shell mountaineering boots, but are wearing pac boots or GI Mickey Mouse boots, carry a rubber patch kit. There are two classes of winter hikers: those who have put a crampon point or ice axe spike through a rubber boot, and those who haven't yet. A hole in a boot that lets snow in is a recipe for disaster.

Wear gaiters, too. It is otherwise 100% guaranteed that you will catch a front point in your trouser leg at some time during your trip.

Don't ask me how I learnt either of these pieces of advice. :o

[Another Kevin]

Be prepared. Be safe. The White Mountains don't play.

http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,229,0,1,books.html


Also: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/279163.Not_Without_Peril

[rafe]

This is a very popular crampon for winter peakbaggers in the White Mountains:

http://hillsound.com/hillsound-product/trail-crampon-pro/

Do NOT rely on the insulating power of a single down puffy jacket. Not while hiking, in any case. If you wear it during strenuous hiking, your sweat will condense within the jacket, the down will compress, and within a an hour or two at the most it will be a soggy mess and will have lost most of its insulating power. As others have said, it's all about layers. Use the puffy for camp or for breaks.

[fastfoxengineering]

I will only be planning day hikes when there's a good forecast. Kinda like how I embrace rain on a backpacking trip but for a day hike if rains in the forecast ill prob stay home.

I have a 45L pack.

For clothing I have:

Smartwool midweight leggings
EMS nylon hiking pants
Cabelas Rain Pants
thick smartwool trekking socks
regular cushion darn tough hiking socks
lightweight synthetic long sleeve baselayer
EMS polartec fleece hoody
Montbell Exlight down hoody
burton ski jacket
capilene 4 beanie
merino beanie
I have wool glove liners but need shell gloves, any suggestions?
ski goggles

I have more fleece layers and such at home. Any input?

Thanks guys

[Slo-go'en]

While you might be able to get away with a Thinsulite insulated boot and microspikes, I would not bet my life on them. Unfortunately, a pair of plastic double boots and step in crampons will set you back 500 to 600 bucks. But you can rent them or save a little by buying used. For crampons, I prefer 8 points. 4 points in the toe, 4 points in the heel with a flexible band connecting them in the middle. This allows you to walk on mixed rock and ice or wind packed snow much easier then 12 pointers, which are designed for ice climbing.



You will need snowshoes to get to tree line. Ones with heel risers are nice when you hit the really steep part of the trail before breaking out above the trees. Even if a trail is well packed, you should use snowshoes to keep from chewing it up and it makes it much easier.

[Slo-go'en]

You will also need a face mask. When your walking into a 50 mph wind with a -100 wind chill, you can't have any exposed skin. Nice clear days are also the coldest and windiest. It's a rare winter day when the winds aren't howling up there. Even when it's blistering cold, don't over dress. If you sweat too much, once you stop to catch your breath you will chill down very quickly. A Gortex shell is the best. It really works in winter conditions to disperse sweat into the cold, dry air around you. Have the down jacket in the pack to put on if you stop for more then a couple of minutes.

Don't forget knee high gaiters either. You definitely need mitten shells. Stop by Ragged Mountain in North Conway for a good selection of suitable winter gear.

[Feral Bill]

[QUOTE=Another Kevin;2009238]The White Mountains and the Adirondacks aren't too different. Check out what AMC Winter Mountaineering School requires. That's a pretty good overview of what you need to be safe in the Northeast high peaks in winter.

http://winterschool.org/WMS%20Student%20Handbook.pdf

Yes, the Northeast high peaks are that deadly.

Better yet, take the class. I did, decades ago, and I may still be here as a result. And yes, as Kevin says, crampon points love pants legs.

[fastfoxengineering]

That's an excellent resource. Thank you!

I have a twenty dollar gift card to EMS. I think I'm going to put that towards two wide mouth nalgenes and two of those EMS nalgene coozies.

Keep the suggestions coming guys, I appreciate it.

I have a ton of winter gear I have used for snowboarding and most of it applies here. Baselayer, socks, midlayers, etc. I have nice goggles and a nice face mask.

I dont want to drop a ton of money on gear, however, I'm willing to spend where appropriate and safety is obviously number one.

[rafe]

You ask about gear but I'd like to comment on a non-gear issue. I suggest that you not hike alone in the winter.

Maybe that's just me. I have no issues hiking or backpacking alone in summer. But if it's more than a trivial walk in the park, I almost never hike alone in winter. So many more things can go wrong, and there are far fewer people to come to your aid. People can and do die in the White Mountains every winter. Please be careful out there.

It's not that difficult to find hiking partners -- use meetup.com, or just lurk on VFTT (Views From The Top), where folks often suggest or announce meetups, usually with a few days advance notice...

[fastfoxengineering]

You ask about gear but I'd like to comment on a non-gear issue. I suggest that you not hike alone in the winter.

Maybe that's just me. I have no issues hiking or backpacking alone in summer. But if it's more than a trivial walk in the park, I almost never hike alone in winter. So many more things can go wrong, and there are far fewer people to come to your aid. People can and do die in the White Mountains every winter. Please be careful out there.

It's not that difficult to find hiking partners -- use meetup.com, or just lurk on VFTT (Views From The Top), where folks often suggest or announce meetups, usually with a few days advance notice...

Safety is paramount. I will not hike alone.

[Just Bill]

Yer in fine hands here...
Only thing to add- a shakedown trip is probably in order before you go fer any peaks. Preferably one of the short weekends or dayhikes you're familiar with.
Find a spot you can poke yourself just past treeline and scoot down easily just in case. As Kevin said, planned or not, every hike there is an overnighter.
I'd try a winter solo of Long's peak before I tried anything in the whites... serious place there.

[peakbagger]

BTW, I have a pair of plastic boots, I have not used them in 5 years and have been up on the high summits numerous times since then with my New Balance winter boots (not currently in stock). I have very wide feet (13 EEEE) so getting pair that fits is a PITA. Getting wide plastic boots is basically impossible, the outfitter just recommend going up a size or two which causes other issues.

If the weather is cold enough for plastic boots I stay home.

[bigcranky]

I hesitate to chime in here, since my winter hiking experience is limited to the Southern mountains (though I do have a fair amount of it), but you need a better hat. Something that covers your neck all the way around, and is windproof and warm. A hood is nice but can restrict head movement and vision. A fleece or wool beanie is not close to enough.

[Slo-go'en]

I hesitate to chime in here, since my winter hiking experience is limited to the Southern mountains (though I do have a fair amount of it), but you need a better hat. Something that covers your neck all the way around, and is windproof and warm. A hood is nice but can restrict head movement and vision. A fleece or wool beanie is not close to enough.

I have a gortex balaclava for when it was really bad up high.

[peakbagger]

I carry a lightweight balaclava year round along with liner gloves (they have been to the summit of springer). Minimal weight and volume for the major payback. If I dont need the balaclava I roll it up and it becomes my hat. For potentially nasty winter weather conditions I also have a heavier weight fleece balaclava but rarely use it.

A major caution is that if you are at the point where you need a heavyweight balaclava you need googles and they are problematical as unless you have everything adjusted, just right the goggles will rapidly freeze up and you will be blind. In my opinion goggle and issues with glasses are one of the biggest issues in nasty conditions and once they start they are hard to correct in the field. There is no way to simulate it, you just need to get out in gnarly conditions and see how everything works.

[Another Kevin]

I carry a lightweight balaclava year round along with liner gloves (they have been to the summit of springer). Minimal weight and volume for the major payback. If I dont need the balaclava I roll it up and it becomes my hat. For potentially nasty winter weather conditions I also have a heavier weight fleece balaclava but rarely use it.

A major caution is that if you are at the point where you need a heavyweight balaclava you need googles and they are problematical as unless you have everything adjusted, just right the goggles will rapidly freeze up and you will be blind. In my opinion goggle and issues with glasses are one of the biggest issues in nasty conditions and once they start they are hard to correct in the field. There is no way to simulate it, you just need to get out in gnarly conditions and see how everything works.

Eyeglasses in deep winter are a problem without a good solution. I can't wear contacts, and even if I could, contacts are impossible to care for in the field in those conditions. You're entirely right about either your goggles freezing up or your eyeglasses freezing up under them.

In my youth, I wore a wolf hood (tunnel hood, Shore hood, whatever you call it), which can make going without goggles (but with eyeglasses) bearable down to -20 °F or so. I also had a shapka-ushanka (Russian trooper hat), of either fisher or sable. (I don't know which - believe it or not, this turned up in a thrift store!) With the bill folded out, this served mostly the same purpose. Either one constrains your vision a lot, because you're squinting out through a narrow opening, and in any case, all my fur stuff deteriorated in the 1980s when I was living in Arizona and didn't need it. Silverfish got into it. I hadn't put any of it in cold storage.

Now I use facemask and goggles. I do the best I can with liberal applications of Cat Crap and use a Neoprene mask arranged so that my exhaled air mostly vents away from the goggles, but it's not really satisfactory. Has anyone tried one of these (http://www.rei.com/product/791255/talus-coldavenger-pro-face-mask)?

The only goggles I've found that accommodate my glasses (I have a broad face) are US Army land ops goggles. The drawback is that they don't have insulated glass - they're only single glazed - but at least I can wear them. I have all three sets of lenses - clear, yellow, and gray.

[Dogwood]

Three season hiking even in the White Mts is not equivalent to winter peakbagging in those same New England mountains. I may be poo pooed for suggesting this but I'd overwhelming generally advise going with others who are more experienced than you at first, especially in the most strenuous and possibly dangerous winter conditions, building up NOT ONLY your winter gear/kit, but knowledge and skillset.

[Another Kevin]

Three season hiking even in the White Mts is not equivalent to winter peakbagging in those same New England mountains. I may be poo pooed for suggesting this but I'd overwhelming generally advise going with others who are more experienced than you at first, especially in the most strenuous and possibly dangerous winter conditions, building up NOT ONLY your winter gear/kit, but knowledge and skillset.

Not pooh-poohed at all! That's why several of us mentioned that ADK, AMC, GMC, and others offer winter mountaineering classes. This is stuff that you can't just wade into on your own. Likewise, winter peakbagging in the Great Smokies is also not the same. That's more like a bad snowstorm in the shoulder season in New England.

ADK Winter Mountaineering School is a strenuous, even a severe program, but that's because the instructors understand how deadly the alpine region is and want to make damned sure that you're prepared before they turn you loose. I haven't done it, but I've heard the stories. At my age, I doubt I'll ever be able to get back into physical condition to handle the ADK program.

When I got lessons in this stuff from DOC many years ago, it was also strenuous, even severe. I hated my ice axe instructor. "OK, now climb up again, fall down again, this time face up, and arrest again." Over and over until all the students were begging for mercy. "But the mountains will have no mercy with you. Again." But that's how I can get away with, nowadays, doing only a few practice arrests at the start of the season. He got the techique into my muscle memory long ago, and the body doesn't forget.

Thanks for calling me out on the point, because I broke a general rule of mine and mentioned specific winter gear. Ordinarily when it comes to things like crampons, axe, and snowshoes, I'll say, "Let your instructor recommend what you need to get. You have an instructor, right? You don't? Oh dear, you need one.."

[Dogwood]

I'm just throwing my hat in the ring with all the folks who suggested the winter/coldest weather mountaineering courses. Lots of sage advice from many on this thread, umm especially about catching a crampon tine or ice axe in your pants or boot. Of course, I've only heard of, ahh umm, others doing such ridiculous things. :D

[Feral Bill]

BTW, I have a pair of plastic boots, I have not used them in 5 years and have been up on the high summits numerous times since then with my New Balance winter boots (not currently in stock). I have very wide feet (13 EEEE) so getting pair that fits is a PITA. Getting wide plastic boots is basically impossible, the outfitter just recommend going up a size or two which causes other issues.

If the weather is cold enough for plastic boots I stay home. A possible solution is the military Mickey Mouse Boots, AKA Bunny Boots, They can be had, with enough searching, in almost any size. They are heavy and clunky, but the best thing available for extreme winter conditions. Not expensive, either.

[LoneStranger]

I won't say I follow all the good advice given in this thread, but I'm certainly not going to argue with any of it. One thing I'd add is to suggest a thermos bottle rather than just standard water bottles. A good one will hold boiled water at high temp for many hours allowing you to have a hot beverage in a sheltered spot. Great way to get the body temp back up if you've been exposed to the wind for a while, but you don't have to mess with a stove. They also are great for keeping some water from freezing if you are overnighting in really cold temps.

[Another Kevin]

I won't say I follow all the good advice given in this thread, but I'm certainly not going to argue with any of it. One thing I'd add is to suggest a thermos bottle rather than just standard water bottles. A good one will hold boiled water at high temp for many hours allowing you to have a hot beverage in a sheltered spot. Great way to get the body temp back up if you've been exposed to the wind for a while, but you don't have to mess with a stove. They also are great for keeping some water from freezing if you are overnighting in really cold temps.

I often use the "hiker thermos" - a Nalgene in a Reflectix cozy. Seal the cozy with foil flue tape, not duct tape. Duct tape won't stand up to the repeated thermal cycle.

[MamaBear]

A few things to add, might have been covered, but I've done the winter 48 in NH as well and have done some of those peaks quite a few times.

You've got the right idea about the clothing, layer, delayer as needed. You'll find out that everyone hikes a different temperature. Some will be wearing multiple layers and others just a baselayer. Do what works for you. Don't be afraid to get those layers off and don't sweat in them. A dry layer is a good layer!

I didn't see gaiters on your list, and Slo'goen mentioned them. They will help protect your lower legs/boots from the snow and a bit from the cold. Main thing here is the moisture, as snowshoeing can kick up snow and breaking trail can be even worse.

Get a neck gaiter, neck warmer, whatever. Your heat will mainly be lost through your head, neck and wrists. It is a cheap item and easy to take on/off to adjust your warmth level. I have one by Turtlefur that is a treasured piece of equipment. Earbands are nice to have too, you can wear them alone to protect the ears, yet vent heat from the head or in combination with a hat for extra warmth for the ears.

Another +1 on insulated boots. I don't have double plastics, and have only worn them for a mountaineering class when we were ice climbing and practicing self-arrests.

One thing that has not been mentioned about the Whites in particular, is that some forest roads that access trailheads are closed in the winter. There is no hard and fast date for when they close, it is more about the weather and the road conditions. For example, Haystack Rd. to the North Twin Trail head is closed in the winter. There are others, too, Mt. Clinton Rd., Sawyer River Rd., Gale River (both ends), Zealand Rd., etc., etc. To find out about road closures, visit: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/whitemountain/home/?cid=stelprdb5183538&width=full (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/whitemountain/home/?cid=stelprdb5183538&width=full) . Usually, there is a thread on VFTT, too (link in a post above). You can also visit New England Trail Conditions (http://www.newenglandtrailcondtions.com) which is helpful to find out road/trail conditions if something has been posted recently.

Weather, of course is a huge factor here. The Mount Washington Observatory publishes the higher summits forecast every morning, usually around 5a, or they did, need to make sure that is still the schedule. NOAA has a recreational forecast here (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=REC&node=KGYX), just refresh the page for the current forecast.
Also, Mountain-forecast (http://www.mountain-forecast.com) is good to consult. I like to consult all three, plus the regular NOAA site. Sometimes they don't all exactly agree, but you get a good idea of what is going to happen based on reading all of them.

Hope that helps and have a safe and fun winter!

[rafe]

Trailheads may also be inaccessible (ie., plowed in) during winter.

[peakbagger]

The majority of the trailheads are plowed or there is a nearby alternative. One thing that can be a problem is that during and immediately after a snow storm the trail heads are not plowed as hey are secondary priority. Folks will park on the side of the road and if they are on the pavement they can be ticketed and towed. The hike has a choice, go elsewhere or start shoveling. The reason they do this is if cars are blocking the trailhead before its plowed, its darn close to impossible to get it plowed with cars in the way. You are far better waiting a day, the plowing will be done and the trails will be packed down.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Trailheads may also be inaccessible (ie., plowed in) during winter.

Haha! You should have seen me the time that I had to get my Mazda6 sedan that had non-winter tires into the unplowed parking lot on Mass Rte 23 in Monterey in January when there was 12-18" of snow in the ground. I resorted to waiting until there was no traffic, backing up across both lanes of traffic and hitting the gas so that I rammed the snow with some speed. It took me about 6 attempts before I flattened out enough snow to get far enough in to where the parking lot leveled off and I could safely park my car.

[rafe]

Don't know if the situation has changed... many years ago a friend and I planned a winter hike up the Rattle River trail -- the AT trailhead on Rte. 2 a couple miles east of Gorham. We had to make new plans because it was plowed in. There is a NH State facility a mile or so further east on Rte. 2; we could have parked there, but didn't look forward to walking that distance at night, with six-foot high snowbanks on either side.

[psyculman]

If I have to wear traction, I always wear an ice climbing helmet. Even with two hiking poles, ice bulges are dangerous, I have fallen when fitgue and down hill strain result in diminished balance and coordination.