Its stupid season in the Whites

[peakbagger]

After several years of late onset of winter to the whites, we actually are having what was a previously normal winter with an established snow pack in the woods and record low temps on occasion in November. The snow has mostly been fed by coastal storm systems and with a warming ocean it means Mass and southern NH is getting rain while the mountains get the snow. There is already 1 to 2 feet of snow at higher elevations and its fairly dense stuff. Folks are driving up with fall hiking gear and getting into trouble. There was one rescue on Saturday of an under equipped day hiker who got lost on the summit of Lafayette on Friday and ended up over near Garfield Pond sometimes in the early hours of Saturday. He didn't have traction or snowshoes but ended up wading through drifts. The reports are sketchy but he did appear to make a good decisions by digging in for few hours overnight before finally making a cell phone call that he was in over his head (probably both literally in spots as well as figuratively. His itinerary was over on the Franconia Notch side so things may have been far different if his cell phone didnt work as I expect that approach would have been been a secondary search target. So the net result is he got a potentially expensive snowmachine ride out of the woods (unless he bought a hike safe card and even then lack of gear may have drifted over into the reckless category)

Reading many trail reports from the weekend, plenty of folks out there doing the same, no snowshoes, no traction and cotton clothing all seemed to be popular. I expect it will continue as there is 10 to 16 inches of snow predicted by Tuesday which will be rain down south so the lemmings will continue to make the journey north with inadequate gear. No such things as fast and light when there is a snow pack.

I was out on Saturday over in the Mahoosucs area and we wore snowshoes from the edge of the road for the rest of the day. We were breaking trail and at best we made 1 mile per hour. There is zero crust at this point so climbing snow shoes dont have much flotation.

[Slo-go'en]

And just like I said, it always rains here on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and sure it enough it did again this year. What a sloppy mess we have now. Although it might have been more like freezing rain up high.

[Puddlefish]

This is the first year where I'm actually attempting winter hiking. After that foot of fresh snow, using snowshoes, a friend and I made a perfect packed trail up Kearsage, and got half way down before we ran into a group of eight hikers who just trashed the trail into a narrow gully... at which point we had to stop, and switch to microspikes.

Lesson learned for me about winter hiking. Never assume some idiots won't come along and destroy the trail, making it more dangerous for me.

[lonehiker]

Guess they should have asked you how they were supposed to hike...

[Slo-go'en]

Guess they should have asked you how they were supposed to hike...

No, they should have known better or turned around when the snow was over their ankles.

[T.S.Kobzol]

yeah. I woke up on Sunday morning to rain. The optimist in me thought if I go into the mountains and up I will eventually run into snowing instead of rain. So I decided to Fat Bike the same path I skied with a pulk on Friday and Saturday. I figured I broke the trail already... but unfortunately the warmer weather made the snow soft and it was getting worse as I kept biking up and the snow got deeper. So I turned around 2 miles into Sawyer Road.

At least I tried. To the optimists - no it did not start snowing, to the pesimists - it was still worth doing. :-)





And just like I said, it always rains here on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and sure it enough it did again this year. What a sloppy mess we have now. Although it might have been more like freezing rain up high.

[lonehiker]

No, they should have known better or turned around when the snow was over their ankles.

Snowshoes are required when the snow is over your ankles? Damn, been doing that wrong for quite some time. I'm wondering if the 8 idiots thought that the two using snowshoes were idiots for using snowshoes when they weren't, obviously, really necessary...

[egilbe]

Tell that to the poor fool who had to be rescued in the Pemi. There is a reason for snowshoes.

[Puddlefish]

Snowshoes are required when the snow is over your ankles? Damn, been doing that wrong for quite some time. I'm wondering if the 8 idiots thought that the two using snowshoes were idiots for using snowshoes when they weren't, obviously, really necessary...

Were you there that day? Why don't you tell us specifically about the conditions that you encountered that day, in that location, that made it not "obviously, really necessary" for snowshoes. What did you think of the footware choices of the eight guys? How did they fare on the top half of the trail over the rockier stretches, because I'm a bit curious.

[sethd513]

We were going to camp Friday night but we got to the site very early and my wife was slightly under the weather. I wasn’t gonna make her bivy so we made a day hike out of Madison. We had plastic double boots, my bag was 33 lbs and hers 28. Long heavy overkill day for a day hike but I couldn’t stand on Madison the wind was constantly so hard. It’s no joke up there and i love it. Can’t wait to go back. Better safe then sorry. I use to have an huge fear of the whites. I still do. But make a plan and stick to it. Plans have bail outs. Plans also have proper attire. Plan for the worse? I’d never day hike out there without a bivy and quilt any time of the year. It’s irresponsible but that’s my opinion.


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[lonehiker]

Tell that to the poor fool who had to be rescued in the Pemi. There is a reason for snowshoes.

Yes, there is a time for snowshoes. Didn't say otherwise. And yes it is a tragedy that someone messed up Puddlefish's pretty snowshoe tracks and made his hike so treacherous that he had to use microspikes.

I snowshoe fairly extensively (more than most, not as much as others) but don't even give it a thought as I pass, or am passed, by someone doing something different than I am. I've yet to hike a trail, used by fat tire bikes or hikers with microspikes or Moose, that I haven't been able to navigate in my snowshoes. Guess you could find some scenario where this could happen but I've yet to encounter it.

Will leave it to the self-proclaimed HYOHers to add further comment about this travesty.

[peakbagger]

There was a high profile death near Mt Madison a few years back by a person who decided to do a fast and light winter above treeline hike with no snowshoes.
https://www.outdoors.org/articles/appalachia-journal-blog/too-cold-the-death-of-kate-matrosova

There was also an AT section hiker who had to be rescued from Mt Madison four weeks ago who got trapped in drifts without snowshoes.

https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news/local/hiker-rescued-in-presidential-range-after-early-season-snowstorm/article_b46af6f0-d886-11e8-bce4-f33af02e768e.html


They attribute the first hikers death to hypothermia and bad decisions. I believe based on personal experience from multiple hikes was that the start of her trouble was encountering unexpected deep snow in a stretch of trail that tends to collect it. Even with snowshoes its a tough stretch as the trail is quite steep, without them its basically swimming in snow. The author of the book about the attempted rescue just skips over this and claims the trail was packed down a few days before but personal experience is it will fill up with snow blown in from an adjacent ravine even when there is no snow.

If folks want to hike without snowshoes in the whites and are willing and mentally alert enough to turn around great. Unfortunately they usually arent thinking clearly due to the onset of hypothermia and press on regardless. BTW, in the Adirondacks the choice is skis or snowshoes or a ticket. The rangers can and do enforce the rule.

[egilbe]

https://youtu.be/RYivAQbYfoQ

[T.S.Kobzol]

:-) My favorite :-)

[sethd513]

There was a high profile death near Mt Madison a few years back by a person who decided to do a fast and light above treeline hike with no snowshoes.

https://www.outdoors.org/articles/appalachia-journal-blog/too-cold-the-death-of-kate-matrosova

They attribute her death to hypothermia and bad decisions. I believe based on personal experience from multiple hikes was that the start of her trouble was encountering unexpected deep snow in a stretch of trail that tends to collect it. Even with snowshoes its a tough stretch as the trail is quite steep, without them its basically swimming in snow. The author of the book about the attempted rescue just skips over this and claims the trail was packed down a few days before but personal experience is it will fill up with snow blown in from an adjacent ravine even when there is no snow.

Yah. My tracks were practically gone on the way back down. I climb it in crampons and carried my snowshoes. It was annoying but who cares. It was awesome. What’s the point of fast and light if you can’t tell your story. I pack my food to the snack at the hour. I’m better about packing less In winter but I pack what I need and the best I have. In summer It’s so light It’s different. I actually brought a lantern last time took the dog to isolation and the batteries were dead. Yes that was stupid but I had a fully charged headlamp.


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[HandyRandy]

https://youtu.be/RYivAQbYfoQ

Wow, shots fired! lol [emoji38] Funny video!

[Puddlefish]

Yes, there is a time for snowshoes. Didn't say otherwise. And yes it is a tragedy that someone messed up Puddlefish's pretty snowshoe tracks and made his hike so treacherous that he had to use microspikes.

I snowshoe fairly extensively (more than most, not as much as others) but don't even give it a thought as I pass, or am passed, by someone doing something different than I am. I've yet to hike a trail, used by fat tire bikes or hikers with microspikes or Moose, that I haven't been able to navigate in my snowshoes. Guess you could find some scenario where this could happen but I've yet to encounter it.

Will leave it to the self-proclaimed HYOHers to add further comment about this travesty.


Scroll up. I admitted that I'm new to winter hiking, and that I learned a lesson. I've been on snowshoes a total of maybe 10 miles, there was zero way I was going to able to walk in a newly formed V shaped rut with snowshoes on without snapping my ankles. It wasn't about ruining my pretty tracks. Don't be fatuous Jeffrey.

[Feral Bill]

In the Adirondacks it used to be (probably still is) the rule that you don't posthole on snowshoe tracks. Much the same, you don't snow shoe over ski tracks. It's not a matter of hiking your own hike to do so. It is a matter of compromising someone else's hike. No different, really, than yielding right of way to horses while hiking, or bikers giving way to people on foot. These are standards that enable us all to share the wilds.

[nsherry61]

. . . If folks want to hike without snowshoes in the whites and are willing and mentally alert enough to turn around great. Unfortunately they usually arent thinking clearly due to the onset of hypothermia and press on regardless. . .
Say what? Having snowshoes somehow provides one with common sense? You can die not turning around when you should have while wearing snowshoes just as easily as you can die not turning around when you should without snowshoes. I think this thread is not about common sense, it's about common courtesy.

[lonehiker]

In the Adirondacks it used to be (probably still is) the rule that you don't posthole on snowshoe tracks. Much the same, you don't snow shoe over ski tracks. It's not a matter of hiking your own hike to do so. It is a matter of compromising someone else's hike. No different, really, than yielding right of way to horses while hiking, or bikers giving way to people on foot. These are standards that enable us all to share the wilds.

This is a poor analogy. Both are hiking why should one's choice of equipment, or lack of, take priority over another? If you come upon "single" use trails i.e. groomed ski trails then of course you hike to the side. But in this case that doesn't appear to be the case. The poster was simply butt hurt that a group hiking "trashed" his "perfect packed trail". Not my words but his. As to the success of this group of 8 idiots; I personally don't care if they made it 100 yards further or 4 miles further. The point is that they have as much right to hike up the trail as anyone else regardless of what equipment they are using.

[egilbe]

So, does the analagy of someone splashing mud all over your freshly waxed and detailed car work for you? Or someone driving on the wrong side of the road, causing accidents OK? Afterall , they are minding their own business. How about the guy who shovels all his snow out of his driveway into the street? Or the person who doesn't hold the door for the person following? We have names for people like that. They are ********. Are you really going to defend people being ********?

[peakbagger]

I tend to be somewhat charitable about barebooters. IMHO, the folks who tend to screw up tracks tend to be newbys who are clueless. Eventually they figure out that using snow shoes cuts the amount of effort required to hike.

[Dogwood]

No, they should have known better or turned around when the snow was over their ankles.



I'm not getting that either. I'll hike in snow depths deeper than my ankles without skis or snowshoes. I'm not trying to be contentious. Perhaps you can elaborate in context of why that statement was made?

[Dogwood]

I tend to be somewhat charitable about barebooters. IMHO, the folks who tend to screw up tracks tend to be newbys who are clueless. Eventually they figure out that using snow shoes cuts the amount of effort required to hike.
Perhaps, some(most?) already know that but for whatever reasons still intentionally decide to go snowshoeless. In short, going snowshoeless might not mean the decision is callow.

[HandyRandy]

If only there were some way to fix stupid once and for all…

[Hatchet_1697]

Awesome!


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[rickb]

Whats the proper way to hike on hard packed trails (or the monorail) in the Whites?

Seems like a lot of people wear snowshoes (small ones, very small ones) when they are hardly needed. Fashion statement?

when they are needs, they are — of course.

[egilbe]

Whats the proper way to hike on hard packed trails (or the monorail) in the Whites?

Seems like a lot of people wear snowshoes (small ones, very small ones) when they are hardly needed. Fashion statement?

when they are needs, they are — of course.

Spikes or snowshoes. Doesn't matter when the trail is packed down. It's when the trail is soft is when the damage is done.

[nsherry61]

Spikes or snowshoes. Doesn't matter when the trail is packed down. It's when the trail is soft is when the damage is done.
Yes, but what about when it's mostly hard but one in ten steps breaks through? Or what if it's one in 5 or one in 25? What if it starts off packed out at the trailhead (like it often is) so you don't bring snowshoes and then, as you get further along, the trail gets softer? Do you stop and turn around? What if it starts getting softer three miles in? What if it's only soft in spots for a few 10s or yards every so often as it can be at times?

Life in the outdoors is so complex! I think I'd better stay home and watch TV.

[tflaris]

https://youtu.be/RYivAQbYfoQ

LMAO


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[Slo-go'en]

This early in the season, to shoe or to bareboot is a tough decision. Once there's a couple, three feet of snow, it's a no brainer.

This is the sloppy time of year where there isn't enough snow low down to really require snowshoes but that changes as you get higher up. You hit new conditions at about 3800 feet. That's about where it's been cold enough to snow all the time. Plus the snow has been on the wet side, with a lot of freeze - thaw cycles lately.

Popular trails do get packed down rather quickly and the first ones up after a storm really should go up with snowshoes ready. Once the trial is broken out and packed down at least a little, the barebooters can come along and chop it up.

But even on packed trail, snowshoes reduces the amount of effort needed over barebooting by a significant amount. And you don't need very big snowshoes around here. And since there are a lot of post holer's on the trail, having snowshoes keeps you out of the holes. If your also barebooting, having to hike in other peoples post holes is a real pain.

In any event, after this latest storm clears Friday, the weekenders best have snowshoes. It just started snowing again a little while ago and there is already an inch of new snow and it's going to keep snowing until Thursday!

[Old Hillwalker]

Trail width is also a factor in whether or not you can avoid postholes. Except for the days long ago in which "bridle paths" or "carriage paths" were extant in the White Mountains, our trails were not designed to be wide enough for pack animals as most western trails were. Just sayin.

[peakbagger]

One PITA is that the width of the newer climbing snowshoes have reduced over the years. I have a perfectly good pair of Tubbs Katahdins that are semi retired as they are about an inch wider than the newer snowshoes resulting in snow shoe tracks that tend to be skinny for my Tubbs. The net result is my Tubbs dont fit in the established track so I catch the lip on either side the inner edge of the snowshoes overlap or rub. I finally had to join the crowd and switch to skinnier snowshoes.

MSRs do offer extension tails for their Denalis to increase the surface area somewhat but I find they screw up the balance. Small snowshoes are better than no shoes in powder but if you are planning on breaking trail in powder the bigger shoes are better. If I am roaming the woods and not climbing steel slopes in powder I run an old pair of Army Surplus magnesium snowshoes https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military-surplus-magnesium-snowshoes-with-bindings-new?a=771260&pm2d=CSE-SPG-15-SZLA&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=shopzilla&utm_campaign=CI . They have far more surface area and width then a climbing snowshoe and much better for breaking trail. Note to anyone looking at the Army shoes is that the binding is pretty well useless and probably the reason why they went to surplus. I got an Iverson binding for mine and its night and day. They also are not good on icy uphill slopes like what is occasionally found on packed down hiking trails. There used to be strap on climbing claws that strapped onto wooden snowhoes but I expect the only place you may see them are in an antique shop.

The NH F&G staff and many of the S&R volunteers use extra long Sherpa snowshoes for rescues. They have been out of production for many years but they last a long time and they pop up on ebay frequently although the long versions are lot tougher to find. There is company in canada that still sells a clone for folks like trappers, forestry crews and oil service workers. https://www.irlsupplies.com/0/product.htm?pid=97581&cat=5846. They are truly impressive in deep powder or snow with layers of light crust.

One thing to be careful is that in addition to modern climbing snowshoes there are recreational snowshoes. They look the same from a distance but the rec shoes dont have a rotary binding and dont work well on slopes. There are different variations on the rotary binding but the key is if you grab onto the binding and hold it level, the entire snowshoe deck should pivot and hang vertical. There will be a claw under the toe section of the binding that hangs out below the showshoe deck. If the snowshoe is put on correctly the pivot will be under the ball of the foot and the toes will be on top of the claw. If on an icy slope the claws can be kicked into the ice. If you try that with rec snowshoe with a fixed binding its far less effective. Some folks dont understand this and let their foot sit too far back in the binding. If put in correctly its very impressive how steep a slope can be climbed.

[egilbe]

Yes, but what about when it's mostly hard but one in ten steps breaks through? Or what if it's one in 5 or one in 25? What if it starts off packed out at the trailhead (like it often is) so you don't bring snowshoes and then, as you get further along, the trail gets softer? Do you stop and turn around? What if it starts getting softer three miles in? What if it's only soft in spots for a few 10s or yards every so often as it can be at times?

Life in the outdoors is so complex! I think I'd better stay home and watch TV.
If you posthole, put the snowshoes on. If you are climbing in the mountains, you will need them.

[peakbagger]

Last nights snow made snowshoes not optional for most folks as my years is getting up to the 2' range, I expect heading up high the snow pack is going to be waist deep in the typical drifting spots.

[Slo-go'en]

We're getting buried! It will be a while before I can even get down my driveway again. This is seriously wet and heavy snow and a lot of it.

[peakbagger]

Yup, Its nasty stuff, it packs down and nothing will move it. My snowblower was right on the edge of clogging. I went out in my woods to knock the snow of some branches that overhang my cable and its waist deep. I am at 1400 feet so expect the trails up the summits are beyond barebooting. I hope no one got caught in the woods without them.

[Slo-go'en]

I should have used snowshoes to get down my driveway :) It's gonna take a while to dig out of this and it's not going to stop for a while.

There's the start of a trail in this picture. Can you find it? Better keep the hood up on your jacket if going up a trail or your going to have a lot of snow down the back of your neck!
44158

[full conditions]

I should have used snowshoes to get down my driveway :) It's gonna take a while to dig out of this and it's not going to stop for a while.

There's the start of a trail in this picture. Can you find it? Better keep the hood up on your jacket if going up a trail or your going to have a lot of snow down the back of your neck!
44158
Holy smokes. I keep forgetting that we don't really get winter down here - there's a dusting of snow in the high country of the park this morning and they nearly cancelled school.

[Slo-go'en]

I do live in a town known for it's especially excessive amounts of snow.

[egilbe]

Excessive? It's just right

[peakbagger]

I do live in a town known for it's especially excessive amounts of snow.

Highest ground snow load in NH where people live. About 2.5 times the snow load in the rest of the state,

[Old Hillwalker]

My house here in Maine is supposedly in the 100 inch snow belt. Hasn't been that way for a number of years now, but maybe this winter.....

[Speakeasy TN]

Incoming message from Tennessee.........it's down to 40 degrees and we're dying!

[Venchka]

Incoming message from Tennessee.........it's down to 40 degrees and we're dying!
A heat wave! Check conditions in Watauga County, NC. The windchill and ice closed school today. Make up day Saturday. This is not the first weather day this year.
The forecast for the rest of the week looks worse.
Wayne

[John B]

Incoming message from Tennessee.........it's down to 40 degrees and we're dying!

It's Stupid Season here in Kentucky, too, with rain showers and temps plunging into the upper 30s today, and Georgia idiots up here venturing out without a light jacket or umbrella, much less rain shoes.

[CalebJ]

Rain shoes?

[HandyRandy]

+ 20 C The Greeks get on their sweaters (if they can find).
+ 15 C The Hawaiians turn on the heat (if they have).
+ 10 C The Americans shake with cold. The Russians plant cucumbers in kitchen gardens.
+ 5 C You can see your breathing. Italian cars don’t start.
+ 2 C The Norwegians go to the beach. The Russians roll down car windows.
0 C The water freezes solid in the USA. The water gets denser in Russia.
- 5 C French cars don’t start.
- 10 C You plan to spend your holiday in Maldives.
- 15 C Your cat sleeps in your bed. The Norwegians get on their sweaters.
- 18 C Householders in New York turn on the heat. The Russians go on a picnic for the last time in the season.
- 20 C American cars don’t start. People in Alaska put on T-shirts.
- 25 C German cars don’t start. The Hawaiians have died out.
- 30 C The politicians talk about homeless people. Your cat sleeps in your pajamas.
- 35 C It’s too cold to think. Japan cars don’t start.
- 40 C You’re planning two-week bath. Swedish cars don’t start.
- 42 C The European public transport doesn’t function. The Russians eat ice cream in the street.
- 45 C The Greeks have died out. The politicians start doing something for homeless people actually.
- 50 C Eyelids freeze together while you blink. People in Alaska close ventilator window in the bathroom
- 60 C White bears move to the South.
- 70 C The Hell has frozen.
- 75 C The Finnish special mission units evacuate Santa Claus from Lapland. The Russians get on their caps with ear flaps (“ushankas”).
- 80 C The lawyers put their hands into their own pockets.
- 114 C Alcohol has frozen. The Russians are in the blues.
- 273 C Absolute zero, atomic motion stops.
- 295 C 90% population of the Earth has died out. The Russian football team is the champion of the world…

[Slo-go'en]

No snowshoes: snowshoes:
44160 44161

[John B]

Rain shoes?

Indeed. They're both functional and stylish.

44162

[CalebJ]

Well that's... different.

[Dogwood]

+ 20 C The Greeks get on their sweaters (if they can find).
+ 15 C The Hawaiians turn on the heat (if they have).
+ 10 C The Americans shake with cold. The Russians plant cucumbers in kitchen gardens.
+ 5 C You can see your breathing. Italian cars don’t start.
+ 2 C The Norwegians go to the beach. The Russians roll down car windows.
0 C The water freezes solid in the USA. The water gets denser in Russia.
- 5 C French cars don’t start.
- 10 C You plan to spend your holiday in Maldives.
- 15 C Your cat sleeps in your bed. The Norwegians get on their sweaters.
- 18 C Householders in New York turn on the heat. The Russians go on a picnic for the last time in the season.
- 20 C American cars don’t start. People in Alaska put on T-shirts.
- 25 C German cars don’t start. The Hawaiians have died out.
- 30 C The politicians talk about homeless people. Your cat sleeps in your pajamas.
- 35 C It’s too cold to think. Japan cars don’t start.
- 40 C You’re planning two-week bath. Swedish cars don’t start.
- 42 C The European public transport doesn’t function. The Russians eat ice cream in the street.
- 45 C The Greeks have died out. The politicians start doing something for homeless people actually.
- 50 C Eyelids freeze together while you blink. People in Alaska close ventilator window in the bathroom
- 60 C White bears move to the South.
- 70 C The Hell has frozen.
- 75 C The Finnish special mission units evacuate Santa Claus from Lapland. The Russians get on their caps with ear flaps (“ushankas”).
- 80 C The lawyers put their hands into their own pockets.
- 114 C Alcohol has frozen. The Russians are in the blues.
- 273 C Absolute zero, atomic motion stops.
- 295 C 90% population of the Earth has died out. The Russian football team is the champion of the world…
he he he.....


Hawaiians also lived/live/traveled in the mountains, high peaks at that. Moku and smaller land grants called ahupua'a by the King stretched from the tops of mountains to the sea. The largest population of Hawaiians living outside of HI is in Alaska. Hawaiians are more adaptable than often thought.

[Dogwood]

Indeed. They're both functional and stylish.

44162


Well that's... different.

Overboots or galoshes.

[CalebJ]

Well yes, I understand that concept. Not something I would ever seriously consider for trail use, however.

[Feral Bill]

Overboots or galoshes.
I expect a very large percentage of the group wouldn't know galoshes of they tripped over them.

[Venchka]

I expect a very large percentage of the group wouldn't know galoshes of they tripped over them.
I don’t have any now to trip over. But my galoshes were always put where we wouldn’t trip over them.
Meanwhile, down along the Blue Ridge Mountains and Parkway in North Carolina there are single digit temperatures, double digit wind speed and negative double digit wind chill.
I’m not saying that New England isn’t having winter early. But y’all aren’t getting all of the winter weather so far.
Be warm. Be safe.
Wayne

[Slo-go'en]

It's shaping up to be a brutal winter.

[Astro]

It's shaping up to be a brutal winter.

Was last year considered a milder one for NH and the Whites?

[Old Hillwalker]

Winter of 2017-2018 was fairly normal here in Western Maine. Here are pictures of my house here at 1300 feet in Western Maine. I had to shovel my roof three times last winter and will be getting metal roofing this coming spring to attempt for a roof loading solution.

44163441644416544166

[illabelle]

Winter of 2017-2018 was fairly normal here in Western Maine. Here are pictures of my house here at 1300 feet in Western Maine. I had to shovel my roof three times last winter and will be getting metal roofing this coming spring to attempt for a roof loading solution.

44163441644416544166
Something about your story doesn't make sense. It snows in purgatory??? :-?
:)

[Puddlefish]

It's shaping up to be a brutal winter.

Just got electricity back after a 46 hour outage, caused by another ten inches of snow. Nearly two and a half feet in the last two weeks. I'm snow raking the roof today, before the snow and rain arrives on the weekend, what joy!

[Slo-go'en]

Was last year considered a milder one for NH and the Whites?

Actually, it was a strange winter. We got a bit of snow early on, then it melted and then it got brutally cold around mid December, so much so my water supply froze up for 3 weeks until we had a massive January thaw. Then it was a real mild February, so mild it seems that winter had ended. Then in March it snowed non-stop for weeks.

[Slo-go'en]

Just got electricity back after a 46 hour outage, caused by another ten inches of snow. Nearly two and a half feet in the last two weeks. I'm snow raking the roof today, before the snow and rain arrives on the weekend, what joy!

Yeah, I need to get on my roof and clean it off too. Got between 2 and 4 feet up there. At least it stopped snowing here for the moment. Got a couple more inches overnight from flurries. Looks like it's still snowing about 2500 feet. It will probably do that for another day.

I sure the heck don't want to be the one who has to break trail after all this.

[Old Hillwalker]

Yah, hell freezes over up here every winter. heh heh

[Astro]

Actually, it was a strange winter. We got a bit of snow early on, then it melted and then it got brutally cold around mid December, so much so my water supply froze up for 3 weeks until we had a massive January thaw. Then it was a real mild February, so mild it seems that winter had ended. Then in March it snowed non-stop for weeks.

Thanks, reason I asked was that when I went from Glencliff to Garfield in early June this past summer I did not see much mud or any snow so thought it might have been milder. On the other hand didn't see any black files, so it was actually colder. Just trying to set expectations for Summer 2019, while I know in the back of my mind I need to be prepared for anything.

[coach lou]

The only thing you should expect is that you will be in New England:D

[Astro]

The only thing you should expect is that you will be in New England:D
Yeah, I am sure there will be great views, but with some effort in exchange. :)

[peakbagger]

Forecast is for some warm days cold nights followed by a bit of rain. That's going to really lock in the crust and make the woods great for navigating. Once the snow pack sets up all the annoying underbrush pretty well disappears.

[Slo-go'en]

I think we got enough snow now to smooth out the trails. The only problem with crusty snow is punching threw it. Snowshoes mitigate the problem, but not entirely. I'm up to my knees in snow walking around the cottage trying to rake the snow off the roof. It's gonna be real fun on crusty snow.

[Slo-go'en]

Last weekend after the big snow, a hiker showed up at Lowes Store (the gas station in Randolph, not the home improvement place) to hike up Lowes path to the Gray Knob cabin. An hour or so later, he came back to the store and complained that no one had gone up before him to packed down the trail. Did he have snowshoes? No, why would he need snowshoes?

[peakbagger]

No doubt given the forecast for the weekend that plenty of folks with inadequate gear will be heading up.

[Puddlefish]

I think we got enough snow now to smooth out the trails. The only problem with crusty snow is punching threw it. Snowshoes mitigate the problem, but not entirely. I'm up to my knees in snow walking around the cottage trying to rake the snow off the roof. It's gonna be real fun on crusty snow.

South of the Whites, we got two weeks of snow, followed by two days of slush, followed by two days of cold and sun. The local trails are currently a footstep patterned ice obstacle course. The prints range from 2 to 6 inches deep. The edge of the trail is the standard crunchy crust snow, but only a foot deep.

But, it's gorgeous out there, the rivers and falls are full, and that bright low sun was shining through the trees. A lot of big trees had come down across the trail, but some kind soul with a chainsaw already cleared away the worst of them.

[Slo-go'en]

Today was the first day in a LONG time which we had blue sky and some strange bright light in the sky. What's that called again?

So, I went for a walk. Definitely crusty snow over 1-2 feet of dense snow. But not crusty enough to walk on barebooted and not punch through 3-6" more often then not. A well traveled trail like the Valley Way was chopped up for the first 1/4 mile, then smoothed out as everyone broke down and put on the snowshoes or turned around. Currently it's well groomed for microspikes.

Looks like it would have been a nice day to be above tree line. There were three cars in the Appalachia parking lot, so at least a few were up there. Clouds are starting to move in from the west, might get some snow showers tomorrow evening into Friday.

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[GankenBerry]

random weather is a bit worrying.