Beginner Winter Hiking in the Whites

Wife and I have decided to give winter hiking a go. I've been wanting to do it for years but she was intimidated by it. She finally mentioned it on her own the other day so I'm all in. We have done some snowshoeing but nothing with real elevation gain. What are people's suggestions for a good 1st winter hike that won't freak the little lady out but will give us a good idea as to what's involved physically and equipment-wise. I was initially thinking Welch-Dickey but not sure if there is a better choice.

If you had your sights on Welch-Dickey and don't want to freak out the Mrs., maybe try just going up Dickey. Welch side is steeper and in a couple spots may be intimidating for a beginner with ice and snow. Same goes for inbetween the two peaks. The trail up Dickey is all nice grades for snowshoeing.

If you want a 4K, Hale, Tom, Field, Cannon, Jackson, or Pierce. The latter 2 are just slightly above tree line, and there may be some freak factor, but on a nice day, they are awesome.

If you're looking to gain experience and not check marks I'd recommend starting with lower elevation shorter hikes like Mt. Major, Belknap, Kearsarge or Cardigan. Once you become more experienced go for something longer and higher like Chocorura or Smarts. Once you are comfortable with your ability level and preparedness continue into the 4K's

I would suggest a hike to Lonesome Lake where you get some elevation gain and the shelter of the hut for lunch. A hike to Carter Notch Hut would also be a nice option. I would stay away from the rocky/ledgy type winter hikes at first if your wife might be intimated. There are a couple of hikes from the Crawford Notch area she might enjoy such as Mt. Willard and Mt. Avalon.

Not the Whites, but Monadnock will provide you with a great experience. Steeps, flats, woods, lots of trails above treeline. A little of everything. Main trails get broken out and packed down nicely very quickly, so if you find the snowshoeing difficult or uncomfortable you can switch to light traction and no one is going to blast you out for not wearing snowshoes. We almost always have folks on the mountain ready for rescues and we can reach you in very short time should the need arise. I would suggest you consider a descent pair of mountaineering snowshoes if you don't already own them. Many of the cheaper brands are okay for a trek through the woods but are just not made for the conditions you will encounter in the mountains and they will require a lot more work. Over the years I have introduced many friends to winter hiking. After their initial response, 'are you nuts', once they tried it they were hooked. Takes a little time and experimentation to determine what equipment works best for you but well worth the effort. Without a doubt, winter hiking is the best. Enjoy!!!

RollingRock said:

I would suggest a hike to Lonesome Lake where you get some elevation gain and the shelter of the hut for lunch. A hike to Carter Notch Hut would also be a nice option. I would stay away from the rocky/ledgy type winter hikes at first if your wife might be intimated. There are a couple of hikes from the Crawford Notch area she might enjoy such as Mt. Willard and Mt. Avalon.

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If Rolling Rock hadn't beaten me to it, these four would have been my suggestions.

For the Monadnock region, also consider the Pack Monadnocks. South has the road which is a good warmup for trying out winter gear (Pun Intended) and also has a shelter on the summit. I cut my winter teeth on North Pack. Those peaks have the added benefit of a trip into EMS/Peterborough before or after.

I think Mt Pierce is a great recommendation. There is no boring road walk due to closed gates and the distance to the summit is pretty modest. Trail is relatively easy and very popular so people will likely be around if you run into issues but it is definitely exposed to "big boy" weather at the top so you can get a real good idea of what winter can be like away from the trees. Mt. Tom/Field/Willey is another good area with fairly comfortable grades and some varied terrain to practice.

Just started winter hiking myself last year. First mountain I did was Mt Hale in January. You have to walk the road to reach trail, which provides approx 2 miles of good snow shoe practice without worrying about toppling into the trees or worse. (You probably won't need snow shoes most days on the road unless there was fresh snow but it's good practice either way to get used to how they pivot, grip, get used to not stepping on the other shoe, etc, etc). The trail itself is pretty comfortable too but has some steeper areas, some side hill and other minor "challenges" to get the hang of it and get an idea of the physical exertion involved. Pretty well sheltered hike until actual summit. Summit is lacking in views though. Trees have gotten taller over the years. If you don't want to go all the way up to Mt Hale Trail you can take the Sugarloaf Trail after the first bridge and go to Middle Sugarloaf, which is a short but completely bald summit with great views and some scrub and boulders for temporary shelter if weather is too severe. A little care will be needed on parts of this trail but it is only 1.3 miles off road to summit. Good microcosm of a winter hike in a small package.

As far as the gear there are tons of great posts on VFTT. I scoured the forum for info over past year and many seasoned experts have chimed in with excellent recommendations on gear and advice. More than happy to answer any questions you have if you need a relative newcomers viewpoint.

Quint said:

Wife and I have decided to give winter hiking a go. I've been wanting to do it for years but she was intimidated by it. She finally mentioned it on her own the other day so I'm all in. We have done some snowshoeing but nothing with real elevation gain. What are people's suggestions for a good 1st winter hike that won't freak the little lady out but will give us a good idea as to what's involved physically and equipment-wise. I was initially thinking Welch-Dickey but not sure if there is a better choice.

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Let me also add, you should prepare your legs for the added weight of snowshoes. I walk on a treadmill with ankle weights this time of year. I met a woman last winter who was in agony because she was wearing snowshoes for the first time, and they were killing her legs. Even though she was in decent shape, she was not ready for snowshoes.

South Pack is a great beginner winter peak, partially because if you get a little tired going up, you can always walk down the auto road, which is almost always packed out quickly after storms. If you want her to keep hiking with you in winter, I wouldn't overdo it on the 1st hike. Just my $.02 worth.

Everyone's jumping in with the favorite 4K, but, let's be honest, there's no such thing as an "easy" winter 4K, there's just less hard. There's plenty of fine, high-reward winter hiking that doesn't require huge elevation gains. I think Tecumseh was my first "winter" 4K because it was touted as "easy", and it was only my own bull-headedness that let me finish. And if I remember, it wasn't until the 2nd time up that I actually got to the peak. And the view was a total let-down.

Mt Pemigewasset/Indian Head is a fine little peak. Nice view. I saw Dickey mentioned, too. Lonesome Lake is an excellent idea. There's also Artist's Bluff (the final pitch on Bald Mountain might be rough, I haven't done it with ice). If the goal is to get the wife out a 2nd time, you don't want to turn it into a testosterone test.

I always recommend Pierce via the Crawford Path. It's reasonable distance and grade, usually very well packed, and is covered until the very end. Once you pop out, you have some great views.

Pierce is one of the few where it's difficult to imagine needing crampons, so if you are gear-poor/limited or just getting started, you stand a high chance of success with just snowshoes (or maybe even just microspikes when broken out, although the very top is subject to drifting in...) Where it might be wind-scoured or icy, it's not at all steep.

Tim

Tom Rankin said:

I met a woman last winter who was in agony because she was wearing snowshoes for the first time, and they were killing her legs. Even though she was in decent shape, she was not ready for snowshoes.

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Don't you think most of that is people thinking they need some special technique or stance with snowshoes and then trying to figure that out ?
Unless the shoes are grossly oversized or it's deep/fresh snow, you pretty much just walk.

I like the idea of having a hut available, like the suggestion of Lonesome Lake. That was my wife and niece's first winter hike a few years ago.

Hip abductors, adductors and flexors will often stand up and get noticed the first time each year one goes out in snowshoes

Tim

I got my wife to try it out last year for real. Her 1st experience was a couple of years ago going up to Arethusa Falls. This was enough to let her know that she loved be in the woods in the winter, and could stay warm enough. I got her some snowshoes last Xmas, and she though we were just going to be do flat stuff, not actually going up mountains - 'What do I need a calf saver for??'. I took her up Chocorua on New Years Eve via Champney Falls and she had a blast! I think the real lure of winter hiking isn't the views from the top, but the whole experience of being in a winter wonderland, so I would advocate taking her anywhere that isn't really steep and is generally tracked out. For that, I would suggest looking at trip reports to see what trails have been well packed and go from there.

Don't forget the poles! If you get to an icy area, they will help with your wife's confidence.

I like Indian Head from the Flume parking lot. If you get down and aren't ready to go home, you can always do the Flume loop.

Snowshoeing has given me a whole new outlook on the winter months. Let it snow!

Have fun.

I am always a fan of Mt Willard in Crawford Notch, its very well grades, get broken out quickly after a snow storm and the views at the end are worth it.

Welcome to winter hiking. This has been a great site for me over the past ten years for winter hiking advice, trail conditions etc. Lots of great suggestions already, would avoid Welch until you have a few trips under your belt. Crawford is a great 1/2 day option with exceptional views, usually well packed out. I would echo idea to start small, Willard, Arathusta great first trips, go to breakfast (let it warm up a little)enjoy the day ! also consider Hedgehog or Potash for an early trip, Pierce definitely a great 1st 4,000, good luck and have fun!

Consider Morgan and Percival in the Squam Range. It is an easy day trip, probably will be broken out, some nice views of the lakes to the south and inviting peaks to the north, and a couple short novice challenges on which to gain confidence and experience for those peaks to the north. I think it's about a 5 mile loop.