Planning an Overnight in April

I am planning a three day backpack trip up in the WM the last week in April. I am trying to decide now where to go and in looking over my options, it all keeps coming down to weather and gear.

At what point do most people (barring specific weather warnings otherwise) stop carrying a full set of winter gear? I know the weather this time of year is hard to predict and the April in general is a pretty up and down unpredictable month, but would still welcome peoples thoughts.

Based on what people say and the weather over the next couple weeks, I will be deciding on where to go - southern whites or perhaps even a trip along the m-m trail in MA.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Also, the reason I am asking all of this is that while I have done a relatively lot of hiking and a fair bit of backpacking, I have generally been a summer/fall kind of hiker.

dundare said:

At what point do most people (barring specific weather warnings otherwise) stop carrying a full set of winter gear?

Click to expand...

Not until after April. It's snowing today.

-dave-

Well, I for one don't have one set of "full winter gear" that I always pack in winter. It depends on where I'm going, what the forecast is, what the snow conditions are in the area I will be visiting, etc. I have traveled on bare ground in the mountains in April and hiked on a couple of feet of snowpack in May. It depends.

Use common sense.

April Overnight

Personally, I think it is always safer to carry something and not need it then to leave it at home and get into a "situation".

Once a well meaning(?) friend who lives upstate NY told me that the snow had all melted in the Catskill mountains. I was a newbie, and as recommended I left my snowshoes home. Sure enough, there wasn't a speck of snow- that is until I got above 2500 feet. I was postholing up to my groin in wet snow. It was the most miserable trip of my life! (well the f******g coleman stove didn't work either and I couldn't make water or hot food) I went home the next day with my tail between my legs.

M-M conditions

The M-M trail stretches that I've been on recently (Norwottuck, Mt Tom, Mt Grace, Shutesbury/Leverett/Wendell) have been almost bare of snow. Some remains of drifts left, but those will be gone soon if they aren't already. The weather would definitely be milder in MA.

dundare said:

I am planning a three day backpack trip up in the WM the last week in April. I am trying to decide now where to go and in looking over my options, it all keeps coming down to weather and gear.

Based on what people say and the weather over the next couple weeks, I will be deciding on where to go - southern whites or perhaps even a trip along the m-m trail in MA.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Click to expand...

I'm planning hking the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Sunday afternoon through Wednesday. It falls between Mass and the Whites weather-wise.

As someone else said, it isn't so much bring or don't bring winter gear, it's what gear do you bring. Now that the time is closer and I can get a better weather report, I'm bringing:

No snowshoes/crampons/gaiters/facemask/etc
polypro underwear to sleep in
wind pants, poly shirt to wear
fleece for pack (wear during stops & on Monadnock)
rain gear (because of forecast, otherwise windbreaker)
baseball cap to wear, watch cap to sleep in
silk glove liners, polypro gloves
tent (rather than tarp)
first aid kit, cooking gear, food, etc
I'm torn between bringing 20 and 45 degree bag. Low temps look to be in 30's, so I'll probably go with 45 bag, wearing socks and polypro to bed with a nalgene bottle of hot water for my feet. And a thin thermorest. And some chemical heat packs "in case."

Frosty