A recipe for a downright nasty weekend

peakbagger · Feb 13, 2015

Start with a rotten forecast, high winds low temps, extended snow, add in a long holiday weekend leading into a holiday week that encourages folks to travel long distances for planned hikes, stir it all up and this is they type of weekend where folks get in trouble. When I needed to wear a facemask to walk out to my mailbox and clear off the solar panels this AM, and its the warmest part of the day I know its time to find some other activities for the weekend.

Unfortunately, the folks who tend to get in trouble don't tend to be VFTT folks so I guess we get to sit back and read the reports

TJsName · Feb 13, 2015

This give me a chance to work on my 48 over 48 - summit each peak with sustains winds over 48mph. It's all the rage - most people are blown away by it.

Brambor · Feb 13, 2015

Saturday XC at Jackson XC. Start skiing early and watch the incoming storm to start driving home, hopefully, ahead of the tougher driving conditions that are soon to follow.

carla · Feb 13, 2015

Me too, going up to Waterville, thinking to head back (to snowy Boston/Cambridge) mid-day. Will be freezing!!!!

jniehof · Feb 13, 2015

Avy conditions in Tucks are already hitting Considerable and more snow + wind loading is probably not going to improve matters, either.

hikerbrian · Feb 13, 2015

Yeah, we scrapped our annual President's Day weekend Presidential traverse this year. Above treeline is not a place I'll want to be spending any considerable amount of time for the next few days... XC skiing is a good idea. I think I'll take my kids snowshoeing locally and then bask in the warmth of my wood stove while occasionally glancing at the Mt. Washington observatory summit conditions and giggling quietly to myself.

peakbagger · Feb 13, 2015

This weather is bummer, the snow conditions are the best in years and looking out the window the summits are in clear blue sky (but cold and windy). My house is oriented so that Pine Mountain in Gorham unfortunately blocks the sun in the AM for a couple of hours in early winter, once it makes it high enough to clear the mountain my mornings are sunnier and my mood for winter hiking increases. Usually these last 4 or 5 weekends of winter is when I have generally had my best winter hikes.

Driver8 · Feb 13, 2015

TJsName said:
This give me a chance to work on my 48 over 48 - summit each peak with sustains winds over 48mph. It's all the rage - most people are blown away by it.

I'm working on the opposite list - 48 windless White summits. I've got about 6 so far, starting with Washington - the fact that it was calm when I first summited it is what inspired the list.

Remix · Feb 13, 2015

peakbagger said:
Start with a rotten forecast, high winds low temps, extended snow, add in a long holiday weekend leading into a holiday week that encourages folks to travel long distances for planned hikes, stir it all up and this is they type of weekend where folks get in trouble. When I needed to wear a facemask to walk out to my mailbox and clear off the solar panels this AM, and its the warmest part of the day I know its time to find some other activities for the weekend.

Unfortunately, the folks who tend to get in trouble don't tend to be VFTT folks so I guess we get to sit back and read the reports

I'm packing extra layers--all of them-- mittens and extra gloves, and the usual stove for a day hike somewhere in the Pemi on Saturday and skiing somewhere on the Kanc on Sunday. I added loop grommets on the gaitors in my snow pants after last week's experience. Im a little concerned about my insulated boots so I will be using vbl socks. I'm willing to turn around earlier.

Using Lincoln as a reference, its supposed to be -7 @ 6am Sat, quickly warming to 11, down to -1 at night, 12 all day on Sunday with the snow. Last I saw they were saying 6 inches--and it should be a dry fluffy snow.

TJsName · Feb 13, 2015

Driver8 said:
I'm working on the opposite list - 48 windless White summits. I've got about 6 so far, starting with Washington - the fact that it was calm when I first summited it is what inspired the list.

I've got a few of those under my belt too. Sadly, they tend to coincide with HOT weather.

Driver8 · Feb 13, 2015

TJsName said:
I've got a few of those under my belt too. Sadly, they tend to coincide with HOT weather.

I love a strong dome of high pressure. Makes bad weather results very unlikely. My list, so far, is: Washington, Flume, Pierce, Liberty, the Hancocks and Osceola. I have a feeling that Lafayette and Lincoln will be the hardest to catch without wind, having gotten Big W.

Raven · Feb 14, 2015

-7 this morning in Dover at 6:30 AM according to two different thermometers.

This is a weekend to pay a little extra attention to exposed skin with these temps and weather, especially young skin!

No hiking for me, but maybe some snowshoeing in the back yard with my daughter. There's more snow here than in the north country for the first time I can recall.

Mike P. · Feb 14, 2015

Our town does not get much snowshoe use but I've been keeping the 1.5 mile trail packed out. The wind yesterday filled in the snowshoe gully bit still easy to follow. Will get out there today before it starts. The local guy thinks Eastern CT may get more than the national guys. Looks like Coastal Maine is in the cross-hairs this weekend.

richard · Feb 14, 2015

I very much enjoy hiking in the Winter, but not under these painful conditions. I`ll just have to wait. I am getting anxious though.

jrbren · Feb 14, 2015

TJsName said:
I've got a few of those under my belt too. Sadly, they tend to coincide with HOT weather.

Did you kill at least 48 bugs on each summit ?

Anyone climbing Mt MIT this winter ?
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...RO/story.html?p1=Article_Trending_Most_Viewed

This is an indoor weekend for me. Maybe a snow shoe walk for an hour or so in one of the woodlots next to the Wachusett snow field. We'll see.

Hopefully people stay safe who are heading to the mountains.

Amicus · Feb 14, 2015

Taken from the Sunset Beach Trail, part of the King Pine XC network, a few hours ago:

That's looking across Purity Lake to the Pitch Pine and Pine Brule downhill trails - both Double Diamonds and short steep fun. XC conditions were excellent - cold temps and light snow but not much wind.

bikehikeskifish · Feb 14, 2015

Got 5 miles in at the local conservation area. Found about 2+ miles of unbroken, or single-pass broken trails

Tim

Chip · Feb 14, 2015

I refused to don traction or rope up shoveling the roof this morning...but I prolly should've done both.

sardog1 · Feb 14, 2015

With the frequent large dumps and my boredom at doing anything twice in a row, I've been unable to keep any of my half dozen local ski routes broken out. Not much good for technique, but my quads are starting to show some definition ...

Raven · Feb 15, 2015

Chip said:
I refused to don traction or rope up shoveling the roof this morning...but I prolly should've done both.

At this point I've taken to climbing to the peak of the roof, taking a seat, and sliding off in my own version of "in-town glissading." It ends with a short airborne flight into a huge pile of snow.

Between my roof and two of the neighbors across the street, I've been getting some new VFTT in Dover. They are pretty much white.

A recipe for a downright nasty weekend

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