Scouter Bill
New member
We planned to camp in the Ammonoosuc Ravine two nights and summit Mount Washington on Sunday. Valley and summit temperatures had been very cold for days (summit wind chills had been nearly -70F), so our group of four was glad for the recent warmup. Saturday, we hiked 1.4 miles from the Base Road parking lot to Gem Pool where we camped. The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail was packed and the going easy. The evening was comfortable with temperatures above zero and no wind. I used a -20F bag, as per this forum’s recommendation, and was toasty warm. Overnight, though, the winds began to howl, blowing with such force to awaken one.
Besides planning to summit, we (all being Philly natives, although one had since retreated to Baston) all wanted to watch THE (NFC Championship) GAME at 1500. Consequently, we arose before 0500 to the same retarding winds (presumably about 30 mph in the Ravine). We cooked inside and I spilled a pot of soup. Our breakfast, breakdown, and departure proceeded slowly (nearly three hours) and we decided to forego a second night in the Ravine. We carried only necessities in our summit packs, leaving our camping gear behind.
Plenty of fresh snow had fallen overnight and continued falling. The unusual easterly wind loaded the Ravine with snow. One climbed in crampons and the others using snowshoes through a foot or more of powder facing 45 mph winds that gusted to 65 (presumably), knocking each of us over at least once. It was tough going. We could not see the footpath, but Eric’s extensive experience on this trail kept us on course despite a couple inadvertent detours though the krumholtz. A couple of us were sure that we were ascending Monroe until we finally reached the cairn near the trail head.
Passing some slob’s poo near the entrance, we arrived around 1100 at Lakes of the Clouds Hut after several hours climbing. We hunkered down in the dungeon, cooking noodles and refreshing ourselves for an hour. We evaluated the conditions (not too cold, high winds blowing snow that reduced visibility to about 10 meters), our performance (slow due to our least experienced member - me), and our goal of seeing THE GAME. (The mountain is there every day; the Iggles may never play for another Championship in our lifetimes.) We decided we couldn’t both summit and see all of THE GAME and, furthermore, we’d had enough of Agiocochook for the day.
We descended through deeper powder, albeit with the wind pushing us along, occasionally finding ourselves buried waist-deep despite snowshoes. The fresh, deep powder allowed for brief standing or crouching glissades and a few fast seated glissades, all with snow shoes. We passed an Appie group of four (including B the Hiker Brian - http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27500) ascending toward the summit of Monroe.
The greatest challenge getting out was, loaded with heavy packs, losing footing in the many places where the Trail is cut into the side of the Ravine just above the stream. The deep, fresh powder just fell away. I slid down many times and had trouble returning upright and finding good purchase on the trail. We got the fabians just after 1500. After a depressing first half, our aspirations through the second rose continually like climbers on the march only to be dashed in the end, turned back by forces exceeding our strength.
Although I’ve been on the east side and summit in winter several times prior, this was my first trip tenting on the slope, on the Ammo in winter, and using snowshoes with a backpack or on a good pitch. I found the deep fresh powder challenging, falling many times, and once getting buried so deep I had to dig out. It was my best day yet on the mountain despite forgoing the summit.
Besides planning to summit, we (all being Philly natives, although one had since retreated to Baston) all wanted to watch THE (NFC Championship) GAME at 1500. Consequently, we arose before 0500 to the same retarding winds (presumably about 30 mph in the Ravine). We cooked inside and I spilled a pot of soup. Our breakfast, breakdown, and departure proceeded slowly (nearly three hours) and we decided to forego a second night in the Ravine. We carried only necessities in our summit packs, leaving our camping gear behind.
Plenty of fresh snow had fallen overnight and continued falling. The unusual easterly wind loaded the Ravine with snow. One climbed in crampons and the others using snowshoes through a foot or more of powder facing 45 mph winds that gusted to 65 (presumably), knocking each of us over at least once. It was tough going. We could not see the footpath, but Eric’s extensive experience on this trail kept us on course despite a couple inadvertent detours though the krumholtz. A couple of us were sure that we were ascending Monroe until we finally reached the cairn near the trail head.
Passing some slob’s poo near the entrance, we arrived around 1100 at Lakes of the Clouds Hut after several hours climbing. We hunkered down in the dungeon, cooking noodles and refreshing ourselves for an hour. We evaluated the conditions (not too cold, high winds blowing snow that reduced visibility to about 10 meters), our performance (slow due to our least experienced member - me), and our goal of seeing THE GAME. (The mountain is there every day; the Iggles may never play for another Championship in our lifetimes.) We decided we couldn’t both summit and see all of THE GAME and, furthermore, we’d had enough of Agiocochook for the day.
We descended through deeper powder, albeit with the wind pushing us along, occasionally finding ourselves buried waist-deep despite snowshoes. The fresh, deep powder allowed for brief standing or crouching glissades and a few fast seated glissades, all with snow shoes. We passed an Appie group of four (including B the Hiker Brian - http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27500) ascending toward the summit of Monroe.
The greatest challenge getting out was, loaded with heavy packs, losing footing in the many places where the Trail is cut into the side of the Ravine just above the stream. The deep, fresh powder just fell away. I slid down many times and had trouble returning upright and finding good purchase on the trail. We got the fabians just after 1500. After a depressing first half, our aspirations through the second rose continually like climbers on the march only to be dashed in the end, turned back by forces exceeding our strength.
Although I’ve been on the east side and summit in winter several times prior, this was my first trip tenting on the slope, on the Ammo in winter, and using snowshoes with a backpack or on a good pitch. I found the deep fresh powder challenging, falling many times, and once getting buried so deep I had to dig out. It was my best day yet on the mountain despite forgoing the summit.
