Navigating Above Treeline In Winter

[TJsName]

When we go into the outdoors,especially ruthless places, we are in an organic place. In winter and above treeline, it becomes especially important that we conduct ourselves in the appropriate organic fashion. That means being in touch with the land at all times, and keeping your body in sync with the earth, which means planning your routes wholesomely, so your settled in before dark, and avoiding night hiking as much as possible. Doing that puts you and your mind on"nature's schedule" and helps you to naturally manifest decisions that don't go against the grain and get into trouble.

I don't mean to belittle, but this is an appeal to nature. I think I can see what you are getting at, but I might be 'bending the map' to make it work.

Anyway, I absolutely love hiking at night - even in the winter, but especially in the summer when the days are hot and the nights are warm. This does bring about some extra risks, but they can be mitigated with the proper preparation (knowing the route, the weather, and how to use your equipment, and when to turn around). One of my best hikes was doing Boott Spur and descending in the dark in a snowstorm. Perhaps this wasn't organic or wholesome, but it was buckets o' fun and it was done with safety as the top priority.

 

[DayTrip]

John H Swanson provided some really good advice. It comes from experience, reading the signs of what's a trail, even when it's covered with snow, and what's not the trail.

My word of advice to add is to not be afraid to turn back when you think you might be getting into a situation that is beyond your experience and current abilities. It will be there next time, and you will have more experience then.

I'm never afraid to turn around and call it a day. As a solo hiker I'm pretty conservative and very thoroughly prepared.

I got a sense of the "feel of the trail" last week on FRT near Liberty. There was quite a bit of drifted powder on the trail so track was not very obvious- until you stepped off of it and sunk in up to your waist. I would imagine it won't always be so straightforward.

 

[TJsName]

I'm never afraid to turn around and call it a day. As a solo hiker I'm pretty conservative and very thoroughly prepared.

I got a sense of the "feel of the trail" last week on FRT near Liberty. There was quite a bit of drifted powder on the trail so track was not very obvious- until you stepped off of it and sunk in up to your waist. I would imagine it won't always be so straightforward.

It's amazing how hard it can be to make that call. I'm wondering if it's is more or less difficult when you are with a group vs. solo. I don't have much experience solo (and I've only had to outright turn around (vs. skip sections) a few times). Once because of losing light and deep wet snow (and a 4 hour snowball fight up FWT), and twice because of thunderstorms. In all of those cases it was an easy call.

 

[StaggerLee21]

I don't mean to belittle, but this is an appeal to nature. I think I can see what you are getting at, but I might be 'bending the map' to make it work.

Anyway, I absolutely love hiking at night - even in the winter, but especially in the summer when the days are hot and the nights are warm. This does bring about some extra risks, but they can be mitigated with the proper preparation (knowing the route, the weather, and how to use your equipment, and when to turn around). One of my best hikes was doing Boott Spur and descending in the dark in a snowstorm. Perhaps this wasn't organic or wholesome, but it was buckets o' fun and it was done with safety as the top priority.

Night hiking under a full moon or full bodied moon with snow on the ground can be very enjoyable and is certainly a time that the body wants to be up more readily. night hiking on the way in or out from a trip to make time constraints is something I have done but mostly on the way in, because waking up already up high or in beautiful places alters the start of a day dramatically for the better and makes the trip more effective. Night hiking in summer is the very best way to have a bear encounter of the worst variety where they get startled at last minute after you take them by surprise from downwind(which also means downsound and down smell) or if they were lured by your smell. Bears are more predatory at night and very active. I ran into a mountain lion on Crawford Path at night who came at me downhill at about 15 miles an hour. He followed me halfway back to the car, which is where I decided to go!! So, needless to say I don't really night hike much. My friends and I have had similar experiences with bears at night. It can be very peaceful at night. If there is anyone who understands how trees take on majestic silhouettes at night it's me. I will often do small night hikes after eating to see the stars or a ledgeview near the campsite. other than that though, it's a matter of choice. I can tell you though that I think being someone who has lived in the mountains, the alluring excitement factor that drives one to venture at night is perhaps diminished when the mountains are an everyday occurrence, no different than eating dinner. That dowst make them any less appreciated though. The same could be true for someone who usually never takes trips shorter than 4 days where you can't afford to do zombie routine many nights In a row. All that said, I'm much more likely to do short night hikes from an already setup camp, the car or at a state park. The idea that I endorse or subscribe to some extreme of never doing it is not consistent with the organic advice I proposed. but having internalized those wholesome routines first creates a natural and highly lucid benchmark inside oneself to flex the rules from time to time, at the right time and in the right way.....auspiciously and without a snag. It may seem very piecemeal but that's the problem. These days alot of people have very unhealthy work schedules and demands and get very neurotic. Sometimes people get stressed out and invest time and energy and even money in seeing a counselor alone or as couples, and the first thing a professional always does is point out where people are neglecting sacrosanct activity and a wholesome schedule. Usually there's little for them to work on with a client when a more healthy and anchoring routine is re-established. There's a reason for these things I say both very simple and also deeper ones which I won't espouse. Just briefly, I will say that one small component of it is the regulation of the pineal gland with light and dark athe right time. I know what it's like to thirst for adventure and want to venture out at night but I personally choose to restrain that fire and re-direct it for the next day or other things like helping people. It's also helpful if you happen to be someone who needs to be sharp when your cracking apart the secrets of the universe in your tent bound meditation sessions lol
So, enough off topic for me here.

 

[David Metsky]

Paragraphs are your friends.

 

[Raven]

So I'm wondering specifically how people are planning these trips and navigating these hikes above tree line. You can't simply count on it being sunny the whole time so you can see where you are at all times and the winds appear to obliterate even the freshest tracks of previous hikers so you're pretty much on your own the entire time.

1) Do you sketch out the hike on a map with compass bearings, etc? What if you get off your waypoints or pre-planned locations?
2) Are you only taking routes you have done many, many, many times before so you are extremely familiar with them?

I own and know how to use a compass and GPS but I've never really gone out on a hike following a list of bearings. Not something you really need following posted trails.

My season ending goal is to do a "starter" above tree line experience like Pierce-Eisenhower or Madison

I hike in the Northern Presidentials more frequently than other areas of the WMNF. I mostly hike solo. If going above treeline and it's anything but clear, I have a compass in my chest pocket or on a lanyard around my neck. Before I leave the trees, I take a compass bearing on my route and on the return bearing as well. Sometimes, I will do this ahead of time near the warmth of a woodstove with map and compass and keep the bearings on a paper in my pocket with trail distance notes, etc. I memorize the escape route bearing.

I do routes I am unfamiliar with as well as routes I have done multiple times. I treat them fairly equally since even though I may have hiked a route numerous times, it is never under the same conditions, so I try to treat it as a new experience.

I hike frequently and have no issues turning back which I have done several times on Washington, Adams, Madison, Jefferson, Monroe, and even a few times on Mount Nancy, among others. I stay within my comfort zone, which is of course different for everyone.

Mount Madison is a good goal for an above treeline hike if you have a good day. This mountain can be deceptive. The route up Valley Way to the hut is sheltered and easier than other ascents. The hike from the hut up Osgood Trail is fully exposed but is often protected from the winds until near the summit ridge. However, I have also been up there when winds were literally clearing my tracks within seconds and erasing any sign that I had been there. At any given time, there were only 5-6 prints behind me as they quickly filled in and visibility was low. On the "right" day, this can be one of the most dangerous mountains in the Whites. On a clear, nice day, it's a stunning hike that seems modest for its effort considering its elevation.

 

[DayTrip]

Mount Madison is a good goal for an above treeline hike if you have a good day. This mountain can be deceptive. The route up Valley Way to the hut is sheltered and easier than other ascents. The hike from the hut up Osgood Trail is fully exposed but is often protected from the winds until near the summit ridge. However, I have also been up there when winds were literally clearing my tracks within seconds and erasing any sign that I had been there. At any given time, there were only 5-6 prints behind me as they quickly filled in and visibility was low. On the "right" day, this can be one of the most dangerous mountains in the Whites. On a clear, nice day, it's a stunning hike that seems modest for its effort considering its elevation.

This is one of my all time favorite mountains in the Whites, and the Osgood approach my favorite route. But for my first winter attempt I am going to take the relative safety of the Valley Way route so that I only have to contend with the short section approaching the hut and the 1/2 mile or so of the cone. Figure it is a good combination of elevation, above tree line exposure to pretty extreme weather yet not to far away from tree line.

Is that steep ascent away from the hut dangerously icy or does snow fill it in? That was my biggest fear for this one. That first 0.2-0.3 miles leaving the hut is pretty steep and facing into the prevailing winds. I was curious what that part of trail gets like in winter, particularly on the descent. Any observations on that?

 

[peakbagger]

The hike from the hut to top of Madison is rarely dangerously icy but it can be. The snow frequently is blown off the boulders which act as good steps. Once the trail shifts over the ridge to the south side, the wind can pick up quite a bit and the boulders turns into smaller rocks until you finally hit the ridgecrest for a short distance. Usually the biggest limiting factor is the wind. It can be t- shirt weather at the hut and full winter gear on the climb to the summit and the walk back is straight into the wind where goggles are mandatory and those with glasses can have a real hard time. Some folks like to dump their packs at the hut and head to the summit but in my opinion its tempting fate. Basically if the wind significantly picks up when you switch over to the south it isnt going to get any better until you are back from the summit and heading down

 

[DayTrip]

Some folks like to dump their packs at the hut and head to the summit but in my opinion its tempting fate.

I'm a solo hiker so I NEVER drop my pack or anything in my possession. Thanks for that info.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I barebooted from the hut to Madison and all the way up Adams and back to the hut a few weeks ago. If the wind is north west, which it often is, then it will be at your back on the way up and in your face on the way down, BUT you can often sit on the south east side of the summit just below the top and enjoy comfort and a phenomenal view On this day, the wind was south and it didn't hit me until the trail cuts around the southeast side of the summit.

I think most of the times I have been up Madison in winter, it's been barebootable. It alternates between bare rock and snow. Adams fills in a little bit more, in my experience.

Your experience may differ, of course.

Tim

 

[blacknblue]

Descending from Madison Hut on the Valley Way can be a daunting routefinding challenge in the wrong conditions, especially a stiff north wind kicking up loose snow.

I have found that finding the "gateway" back to the below-treeline trail is the most anxious part of traveling above treeline. I'm generally pretty comfortable above the trees (though I'm cautious with weather), but finding that gateway in deteriorating conditions is tricky, and getting stuck above the trees or floundering through spruce trap hell is dangerous.

Descending Valley Way, Ammo, Randolph Path from Edmonds Col, Spur Trail, and Lafayette have all been hairy for me at times. It doesn't take long for anxiety/panic to well up. Fortunately, I'm still around to write posts like these.

 

[peakbagger]

Ultimately, you gotta pick your days in the winter and be willing to turn around if the weather deteriorates. Today is a good example, sometimes the sun is out, other times its snowing heavily, Not bad for a touch and go summit just out of the trees but as one of our members discovered, even the trail off Jackson can disappear in a heartbeat. Took me three tries to get Adams the first winter round, twice I made it to Mad hut and the wind or snow was too risky so I went home. My third time around I summited and could have worn a t- shirt in winter and got a sun burn. I ddidnt count them unless I had a reasonable view from the top.