Recent content by rocket21

I've found it to be quite peaceful before Memorial Day and after fall foliage (particularly when Park Loop Road closes for the season). I find it easy to put together long, substantial hikes that have length and cumulative vertical comparable to standard moderate to long 4K hikes. Outside of...

I'm not aware of the Beehive being closed. It's always been open when I've been there, regardless of the season.

Even a pair of Dion running snowshoes could have made a huge difference. The ones I sometimes use (I prefer a larger snowshoe on high peaks) weigh 2.3 pounds and provide flotation. From the true summit of Guyot, it's downhill to the Zealand col, then roughly three uphill pushes to get to that...

It's rare that we have a crust to support bareboots off-trail. It can only take a couple of inches of snow and a little bit of wind to completely obscure an existing packed footbed. Said hypothetical crust can make it even more laborious barebooting off a packed footbed. Snowshoes are...

I don't agree with this. I've broken out the stretch between Guyot and Zealand (in both directions, during times in which the Zealand summit sign is at or below the snowpack) with standard Tubbs Flex Alps snowshoes. It is a workout, but completely doable. The stretch of trail from Guyot to...

I haven't read the book, but it was known a few days in advance that the day in question would be too dangerous to do anything up high. I remember bushwhacking in the southern Belknaps that day and thinking even that was on the edge. It was one of those days that we only get every half decade...

It's a similar story with some other northeast NWS locations. For instance, in Albany, New York, the 1900-1959 average was 48.9 inches, while the 1960-2022 average was 61.8 inches. https://www.weather.gov/media/aly/Climate/ALY_Seasonal_Snowfall_Totals.pdf

Please read my post again.

10 inches and counting near Plymouth, New Hampshire.

It is interesting to see our expectations of snowfall. I came across a story in the Burlington Free Press from 1955, which stated the average annual snowfall for that city was 60 inches. It is now, depending on the source, 72 to 86 inches, depending on the source. That's a massive increase...

Yes indeed. There are a lot of trails up north that should be left alone right now. It only takes a few footsteps to destroy steps/waterbars/etc., as well as kill off moss and vegetation in these conditions.

...and to finish the comparison, Microspikes would be stabbing the handle end of the fork. Mountain snowshoes win almost every time.

A good mountain snowshoe is a safer option than crampons (unless of course it's crampon-mandatory blue ice), since they can provide similar (if not better) traction (longer span of points) while reducing the risk of spiral leg fractures. And of course the fact that crampons (and Microspikes)...

I strongly disagree with this statement. When full frozen snow/ice pack take hold, mountain snowshoes provide superior traction to Microspikes in almost every scenario. Take a look at a Microspike and then take a look at a Tubbs Flex Alp. It's not even close.

I think the answer is that there are certain conditions in which trails should be avoided (i.e. shoulder seasons). I've found Microspikes to work nicely on soft ice and hard pack, as well as low angle ice. They are not a substitute for snowshoes or crampons.