Best seasons for the "Whites"??

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jjo

jjo

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The Tetons in pic.. live in MidWest
Living now in Illinois (used to live in Mass), I only get to the "whites" now a couple times a year. My hiking excursions are somewhat limited due my age (6th decade) and these sometimes troubling knees.Yes, I have poles and do the exercises :) So i want to optimize my times in the Whites. What do you guys think are the best time/seasons to hike in the whites and why?? Pls exclude Winter (used to be my favorite)as its not practical w the knee condition. Thanks.
Maybe this would be a good poll?!
 
i usually avoid spring as it's muddy. summer is my favorite since there is a minimum of gear to tote around. i like goin' light! of course in fall ya get the colors. dude! anytime is good though. it's like barbecue--even bad 'cue is better than none at all! :)

have fun. :)
 
Autumn is best, after Labor Day and before the peepers.
 
With winter out of the discussion, I'd have agree with Daniel Doan (1914–1993), author of 50 Hikes in the White Mountains and 50 More Hikes in New Hampshire, the September is the best month, although I'd extend it into mid-October. Crowds are non-existent along with the bugs, the colors are beautiful, it's cooler & dryer (except of the occasional hurricane/tropical storm) and the vistas are sharper.

Much like what Pilgrim said.
 
The best thing about hiking in the whites is that there is something to look forward to each season.

Spring, with runoff= waterfalls everywhere!
Summer, I love a quick dip in the streams and hiking with the fly rod.
Fall, still my favorite, especially those crisp bluebirds with foliage.

Need seasons, need change!
 
I agree with the thought that every season brings its own unique merits that should be savored. I try to appreciate the season I am in. Having said that....when Winter hiking season passes, I am always the saddest. I love the way the woods open up in Winter. You can see the tracks of animals on the snow and follow their story. Last week we traveld behind the tracks of a very large moose for over i/2 hour...he did a better job of route finding than we did. Views that aren't there in the Summer become possible The beauty of the woods as well as the summits knock your socks off in the Winter. There is a quiteness to the woods and certainly fewer people. When you do run into people there is more of an immediate comraderie .Once the snow pack is established, I prefer Winter footing (I would rather travel on snow or ice than a wet muddy trail). I also find Winter travel much easier on my feet and knees. There is the variety of using various traction devices along the trail. There is also the challenge of not knowing what trail conditions you will encounter along the way. I enjoy the logistics and the often more challenging route finding in Winter. The only down side of Winter hiking is pack weight. The extra weight is far out weighed by all of the positives.
 
Rols said:
...The only down side of Winter hiking is pack weight. The extra weight is far out weighed by all of the positives.
Click to expand...


I would add another downside to winter. That being the challenge of winter camping with it's (very) long nights in the tent and cold transitions (between hiking/sweating to setting up camp/cooking and cooling down).
Winter hikes seem to favor the day hikers and not the overnight or extended backpackers. Sure, you can do extended trips in winter, it's just much more of a challenge.
I prefer fall with it's cooler temps and quieter (compared to summer) trails for extended trips.

Chas.
 
Late Summer - Early Fall

I also recommend September after Labor Day (mon.-fri.) and October (excluding Columbus Day weekend). Nice weather, no mosquitos, fall colors, and a lot less crowded.
 
Rols said:
I agree with the thought that every season brings its own unique merits that should be savored. I try to appreciate the season I am in. Having said that....when Winter hiking season passes, I am always the saddest. I love the way the woods open up in Winter. You can see the tracks of animals on the snow and follow their story. Last week we traveld behind the tracks of a very large moose for over i/2 hour...he did a better job of route finding than we did. Views that aren't there in the Summer become possible The beauty of the woods as well as the summits knock your socks off in the Winter. There is a quiteness to the woods and certainly fewer people. When you do run into people there is more of an immediate comraderie .Once the snow pack is established, I prefer Winter footing (I would rather travel on snow or ice than a wet muddy trail). I also find Winter travel much easier on my feet and knees. There is the variety of using various traction devices along the trail. There is also the challenge of not knowing what trail conditions you will encounter along the way. I enjoy the logistics and the often more challenging route finding in Winter. The only down side of Winter hiking is pack weight. The extra weight is far out weighed by all of the positives.
Click to expand...

Very well said.. I agree on all counts. I love the solitude, quiet and sense of beauty and isolation of the winter. It is (was) my favorite time to hike. Time and a gimpy knee has forced me to become more of a fair weather hiker. Good thoughts.
I used to live BTW in Shrewsbury Mass and have climbed Mt Wachusett more times than I can remember. Then we moved to N. Andover and a job change later took us to the midwest.
 
w7xman said:
The best thing about hiking in the whites is that there is something to look forward to each season.

Spring, with runoff= waterfalls everywhere!
Summer, I love a quick dip in the streams and hiking with the fly rod.
Fall, still my favorite, especially those crisp bluebirds with foliage.

Need seasons, need change!
Click to expand...

Fully agree. Thats why I miss it so much living in Midwest
 
"Spring"

What about April? Rotted undermined snow, high water, rain, super slick ice, it is awesome. :D
 
LATE SUMMER - late July into August... Why? Because it's too damn COLD :eek: up there every other time, the blackflies are done by then & the blueberries are bursting n ripe!!! And, if by chance ya do git a reeel hot day, then you just choose a shady stream side jaunt!!! Plus, post-hike beer & ice cream (see other thread) ALWAYS tastes bettah when it's nice n warm... :D
 
Sounds like many (most) of you like winter. But Fall is the golden period between Labor day and Mid October. Wanted to be sure as I only can get there a few times a year but the WHITES are my altime favorite place to be. Yes even compared to the Tetons and the Mts of the west.
IMHO. [B]Thanks[/B] for your good thought!! I'll use when I plan.
 
roadtripper said:
weekdays during the first 3 weeks of September....

no crowds, no bugs, no snow, no mud, doesn't seem to rain much, and the weather is usually still quite warm....
Click to expand...

What he said. That being said, I have run into measurable snow and ice as early as September 19 :)
 
man - they are all good and bad -
:D
you can get nice and bad days in each of the seasons up there. some of my best days have been in the winter/spring with temps around 20, sun blarring and no wind.


nice warm summer/ days are great too - crisp fall days are great.

any day it ain't raining or minus 30 with 140 mph winds is a good one!
 
I have had amazing success every year in September. Clear skies, comfortable temps, no real bug issues, etc. If you told me I could only hike in 1 month a year, it would be September
 
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