Also on this trip

Trails Used

Webster-Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop, Monroe Loop, Gulfside, Jewell Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

No snow/ice on the trails all day (there were a bunch of people who drove up the auto road and then hiked down to a chute on Clay into the Great Gulf and they said it was great. Mitzpah hut was open and had water and the usual items for sale. Nobody was around. Sherman Adams cafeteria on Washington was open (kitchen was not open) but you could get water and snacks and sweatshirts, etc. Things I saw today: A glider using the thermals over Monroe. A guy doing a Presi traverse looking for tape as the sole of his shoe was coming off. (he was trucking) A guy trying to do a triple Presi in 24 hours. (Appalachia-Crawford-Appalachia-Crawford). Yikes! Mt. Clinton Rd and Jefferson Notch rd still closed.

Parking

Parked at Cog ($10/person/day). There is a credit card machine in the hiker lot. Rode bike to Jackson TH.

Water Crossings

Nothing remotely challenging

Wildlife

None.

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lion Head Trail, Tuckerman Ravine Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

No spikes needed anymore for Lionhead trail. The two steep odd-angled snow fields just below treeline can be traversed without traction, just use caution. These should even get easier to cross as the week progresses with the warm temps. Above treeline is bare ground, except for three snowfields below the Keyhole. The first two are low-angled and easy to walk right over, the third is steep but can be avoided by rock hopping along the edge. Nice morning on the Rockpile, good views, minimal wind, and quiet trails.

Parking

Plenty of parking at PNVC

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Ammonoosuc Ravine, Monroe Loop, Crawford Path, Cog, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Capps Ridge, Road walk, Boundary

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Conditions are wet but manageable. Still some monorails on the upper part of Ammo, but otherwise clear of ice and snow. Lots of running water on every trail. Capps Ridge was in better shape than expected and Boundary trail was a mossy mile of fun. Overall, wet but manageable conditions. Minimal ice or snow other than a small stretch on Ammo.

Parking

Ammo lot was wide open at 7am but nearly full at 2pm

Water Crossings

Two crossings required some finesse. First on the Ammo reroute where a few branches have been placed in a helpful spot. Then again on Boundary where you can choose which log to scoot across.

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Gorgeous day with mostly dry conditions; microspikes only needed a handful of times

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Ammonoosoc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Mt Monroe Loop

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

In and out hike. Parked in the FS parking lot. Muddy areas to the reroute - firm base - OK to walk through. Mostly dry trail to Gem pool and beyond to the waterfall area then off and on monorail to Lake of the Clouds Hut. I wore microspikes on the monorails both up and down. Spikes totally optional. The Monroe Loop was mostly dry trail. Crawford Path had newly formed breakable ice in places- easily avoidable. Overall Crawford Path was in great shape. Windy and cold.

Parking

Parked in the FS parking lot. With the Amo reroute it may be shorter than Cog Parking. $5.00 fee no cars at 7:15 5 cars at 3:15

Water Crossings

Rock hops

Wildlife

None

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine Trail

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Boott Spur Trail, Davis Path, Lawn Cut-Off, Lion Head Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Went up Boott Spur/Davis Path/Lawn Cut-Off, then down Lion Head Trail. Started around 10am and returned around 7:15pm. A light shirt and pants was fine up until Harvard Rock, then layered on a fleece pullover, raincoat, winter hat, gloves, and neck coverage for the rest of the day. Clear skies until around noon, then poor visibility the rest of the day with light snow on the ascent and freezing rain on the descent. Sunglasses were useful but not essential. Strong winds made for a brief summit visit, just as well for the group that had arrived via the Cog. Rocks were wet but generally not slippery. Lion Head Trail has some long stretches of wet and slippery snow for which traction is not very useful; fortunately, slips and slides were fairly slow and caught by rocks/trees. Great views and experience despite the changes in weather. Knees were extremely sore by the end of Lion Head Trail. Wet conditions left our "waterproof" footwear and gloves saturated and soggy -- extra gloves, hat, and socks are recommended.

Parking

Plenty of parking at Joe Dodge Lodge

Water Crossings

Some rock hopping, especially towards the top of Lion Head Trail where the trail was ~90% submerged.

Wildlife

None

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Jewell, Crawford connector, Crawford, Monroe Loop, Franklin Loop, Eisenhower Loop, Mitzpah Springs cut-off

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

TLDR - Spikes are preferable, barebooting is possible Details. About ~4500' on Jewell we put on spikes because of pooled ice running down the trail and filling in the level spots/between rocks. With the overnight snowfall and ongoing flurries covering the icy patches so you couldn't see them until you gracefully slipped across those spots, it was just easier to keep 'em on. Same on the way down from Washington summit to the Lake of the Clouds hut, patches of ice here and there made the traction worth-it. Its possible to bare-boot it as a group passed by us on their ascent with just trail runners. Same approach up Monroe, Franklin, Eisenhower and over to Pierce. The only real monorail was the last 1/10 of a mile on Crawford Path just below the Pierce intersection after leaving Ike. That was mostly solid, still 5-6' high in most places and starting to collapse here and there. Same small hidden patches of ice and snow all the way to Mitzpah Hut. The hut was open, but no caretaker around at that time so we didn't spent any time inside. That was the last time we took the spikes off for the easy (muddy) trip down the Mitzpah Springs Cut-off and Crawford Path to the Highland Center. So in summary - spring hiking conditions.

Parking

Cog Hikers lot digital iron ranger walks you thru the parking pass, only saw 1x other car there on either the start and finish. Mt Clinton Rd is still closed, so still need a lengthier car-spot or other ride

Wildlife

Thankfully the bug spray and bear spray stayed in the pack pocket the entire time

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine Trail

Trails Used

Ammonoosuc Ravine up, Jewell Trail down

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Spring hike on Mt Washington. Snowy conditions with limited views. Group included a father, teenage son, and two friends led by Redline Guide Debra McCown. Completed the classic loop route on Northeast's highest peak.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Cog, Crawford Path, Davis Path, Tuckerman Crossover, Crawford, Mt Monroe Loop, Crawford, Mt. Franklin, Crawford, Mt. Eisenhower Loop, Crawford, Webster Cliff, Crawford

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Never hiked up Cog before. Interesting, and most direct, way to get to top of Washington. All trails were relatively clear of any snow until base of Eisenhower loop. The little snow that you will find is easy to navigate around or solid enough to step on without slipping. From Monroe side of Eisenhower to Monroe in the trees is a mixed bag of stable monorail, raised monorail that is quickly deteriorating but still makes you tight rope walk as there is no other way to get around and sections of 6+ feet of snow that was walkable today. Crawford Path from junction of Webster Cliff trail, on way to Crawford Notch, is a mix of western trails (ones that are paved with ice), stable monorail, and deteriorating snow pack. The section near the outlook with th bench close to the junction of Crawford Path and Webster Cliff is interesting as it is 5-6 feet in places and is slanted. Bring the rock spikes for Crawford path for the next couple of weeks if you plan to hike to Pierce or Eisenhower. Rain will do some work tomorrow to help out with the lower ice/snow paths but will still be needed for higher up. Don’t ever miss the chance to take in the sites from Mount Franklin!

Water Crossings

Nothing to be concerned about today. Tomorrow, maybe.

Wildlife

Minimal. One was consumed by mistake. Extra protein.

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lion Head Trail, Tuckerman Ravine Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Dirty snow and ice show up after the Huntington Ravine junction on TRT, which can be barebooted or rock spiked. Lion Head trail is 75% clear of snow. There are three snowfield sections, the steepest one is right before reaching treeline (avalanche terrain zone in winter), it was not a problem yesterday, as it was very warm out, and we were able to spike it up following a boot pack. The other two snowfields are just past the Alpine Garden Trail junction up to the Keyhole. Again, since it was warm, the snow was soft, making for easy going. If it is below freezing, these three snowfields would get a little spicy. Tuckerman Ravine Trail up to the summit is bare ground. Nice afternoon on the Rockpile. Entertaining looking down into the Bowl and over to the Eastern snowfield watching the skiers whoop it up!

Trails Used

Cog route, Nelson Crag Trail, Gulfside, Jewell Trail

Notes

We bare-booted car-to-car. As reported by others, Cog route had snow patches above Jacob's Ladder and a more consistent, light snow cover above 5000', all pedestrian with the sun softening things. Gulfside also had stretches of shallow spring snow. Descending Jewell above timberline provided its usual joy with occasional shallow snow patches. Once in the woods, a narrow monorail made things a bit tedious until about 3700' but snow cover lessened, then disappeared below 3000' or so. Beautiful day of hiking with Chris on expected trail conditions, with light winds and ample sunshine. An A-10 buzzed us on the way up. We saw one hiker all day but many skiers, all of whom had driven up the open auto road. Oh, and a couple of nice tourists highly traumatized by their drive up.

Parking

Lots of open spaces at the Cog station lot, $10/head, payment by credit card.

Water Crossings

None on this route.

Wildlife

Flying but not biting yet.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Monroe Loop, Crawford Path, Cog Path

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Flat ice, intermittent low monorail, and bare ground until about 3,700.’ At the spur trail above Gem Pool (that goes over to the top of the waterfall) began consistent ice and ice flows warranting traction. About 4,200 it changed to various levels of monorails and white ice until about 4/10ths below the hut. From there to Monroe and over to Washington was spring snow, white ice, and bare rocks. Enough rocks that you could avoid most of the snow by hopping from one to the next. About 4/10ths below Washington was an extended section of snow (~2/10ths of a mile), but again, you could rock hop. There were a few patches of flat snow and two side hill icy sections descending beside the Cog but most could be avoided. No scary side ice or no-fall zones. The majority was bare ground beside the Cog.

Parking

$10 via new machine that takes cards. I had cash ready, but there were no envelopes in the iron ranger.

Water Crossings

Easy peasy at Gem Pool, rock hop.

Wildlife

None

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Ammo Ravine -> Jewel Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Trail conditions were pretty good and ammo ravine was pretty popular today, all great people. would recommend micro spikes even though i think i only wore them for ~20 min overall, definitely doable without them. super warm weather for late april, didn’t wear a shirt until after washington summit. small section of the crawford path by mt monroe was difficult/dangerous in the snow, otherwise beautiful and easy day!!

Parking

parking was easy

Water Crossings

rock hopping at worst, very easy

Wildlife

none

Trails Used

Cog Railway route to Lake of the Clouds Hut

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Started at 7:30 AM from Cog parking lot. Minor snow drifts from wind in some sections. Snowshoes could have been used briefly but would not have been necessary for most of route. Excellent weather with nearly 100% sun exposure caused severe sunburns on some hikers due to snow reflection - face protection recommended. Almost no wind. Flawless spring conditions.

Parking

Electronic payment kiosk added for parking permits

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine, Right Gully, Left Gully

Trail Conditions

Notes

Spring day skiing in Tuckerman Ravine with amazing weather. Guide provided instruction on crampon use, ice axe use, self-arrest skills, and transitioning from crampons to skis. Skier descended both Right and Left Gullies.

Trails Used

Cog, Crawford Path

Trail Conditions

Notes

Started this hike at about 730 from the Cog parking lot. They have added an electronic payment kiosk for parking permits. We did not carry snow shoes. Sections of the route that we took (up the cog, down to Lake of the Clouds Hut, & back up) could have benefited from use of snowshoes, but you would have had to take them off after 5 minutes. These were areas where wind had created minor snow drifts from whatever fell during the week. The day was rare in that we had almost 100% sun exposure. Some of us were burned badly as a result of the sun reflecting off of the snow (wearing hats but no face protection). By the end of the day I had a headache from the sun myself. All in all a flawless spring day with almost no wind though... https://youtu.be/9T7ZzNYWIM8 (summit)

Parking

paid

Water Crossings

n/a

Wildlife

not yet

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Ammonoosuc Ravine, Crawford Path, Gulfside Trail, Jewell

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

The steep part of Ammonoosuc Ravine trail has sections of icy monorail and ice flows, microspikes extremely useful. Above the hut is a mixture of soft snow with some drifts, soft ice and bare rock. I wore microspikes over Washington until the Jewell trail intersection where it got pretty rocky but that was mostly because they were already on. I would not say they were necessary. I did not wear them for Jefferson or the descent of the Jewell trail. The Jewell trail just below tree line has an monorail that can mostly be avoided and it peters out pretty quickly.

Parking

A most a quarter full

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine, Hermit Lake Shelters

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Two-day guided educational adventure in spring. Day one: training in Tuckerman Ravine bowl with overnight stay at Hermit Lake Shelters. Day two: planned snow gully climb (Hillman's Highway or Left Gully) was not completed due to participant fatigue. Team was led by Redline Guide Debra McCown. Participant described as teenage guest who found the overnight hike with pack more challenging than expected despite prior hiking experience.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Crawford

Notes

Started around 2 AM for sunrise on Madison, hiked the ridge crossing multiple peaks. Perfect temperature, clear skies with cloud formations. Hiker wore shorts and t-shirt, resulting in significant sunburn. Noted sloppy spring season conditions expected to improve.

Notes

Two young hikers (ages 17 and 18) were rescued from the summit of Mt. Washington after one experienced significant leg pain during harsh weather conditions with high winds and precipitation. Conservation Officers located them with assistance from Mt. Washington State Park employees and transported them safely down the mountain by vehicle.

Trails Used

Right Gully, Tuckerman Ravine

Trail Conditions

Notes

Ski descent in Tuckerman Ravine. Guest returned 18 years after first visit as a teenager. Climbed Right Gully (Left Gully had a conga line). Visibility changed from excellent to poor during transition from climbing to skiing. Spring snow conditions were good. Continuous ski descent to ravine floor. Guided by Redline Guide Will Murphy.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Cog, Ammo

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Perfect evening hike with sunset views. Water crossings encountered on Ammo. Descended via the Cog Railway trail. Reporter is working on completing a grid (8 peaks remaining). Hiking with 9-year-old Scarlett who is at 424/576 of her grid.

Water Crossings

Tricky water crossings navigated on Ammo climb

Trails Used

West to East traverse via Cog Railway path and Lobster Claw

Equipment

Notes

Winter mountaineering training program. Original plan to climb Lobster Claw or similar gully was changed due to Tuckerman Inferno ski race using those gullies. Instead, guided group traversed Mt Washington from west to east, summiting via path along the Cog Railway and planning to descend via Lobster Claw after the ski race concluded. Decent weather overall with wind present. Rime ice and spindrift observed.

Parking

Car drop for west to east traverse

Trails Used

SLH (Sherburne Lake Head), Lion's Head

Trail Conditions

Notes

Hiker completed ascent and descent via SLH and both Lion's Head trails. Required ice axe for arrest on avalanche section. Both Lion's Head trails reported as effectively closed due to conditions. Post title indicates hike date as 4/10 (April 10) but specific year not provided. Hiker noted difficulty with spring conditions requiring frequent equipment changes between boots, cleats, and crampons.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Cog Railway, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Trinity Heights, Crawford Path, Mt. Monroe Loop, Mt. Eisenhower Loop, Webster-Jackson Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Barebooted most of the way up the Cog until the just before the Jacobs Ladder section. Upon meeting Gulfside, there was a section of hard ice that was sketchy at first, and softening up fast when returning. Over to Jefferson was mostly icy trail with rocks poking through and rime ice on the boulders that was melting fast in the sun. I barebooted from around the Jewell Junction to Jefferson and stayed that way until the sketchy side hill spot before meeting Great Gulf on the way up to Washington. There’s enough exposed rock to just rock hop around all the ice, just pay careful attention your foot placement. I honestly barebooted 95% of my above treeline travel today, but I like to walk on the wild side, rather than destroy my spikes in one day. Everyone I passed had spikes on. Spikes were useful for the descent down Washington in places, when coverage was more consistent, and the climb up Monroe. I took them off at Monroe and kept them off until the climb up Pierce, save for maybe a couple brief soots. Firm monorail in the scrub sections, and grippy frozen granular. You could bring snowshoes for here, but you won’t want to use them, the monorail is too narrow. From the hut to Jackson was an absolute highway. I did use spikes here, and was able to make easy work of the ledgy flow ice spot. Jackson summit and ledges were bare. I took spikes off when the snow became inconsistent at the Webster-Jackson split. From there, any remaining snow/ice was avoidable or low consequence enough that it could be bare booted. Beautiful day, where the heck was everyone? I only saw about a dozen people and had every summit but Pierce to myself.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Cog Railway, Crawford Path, Mt. Monroe Loop, Mt. Eisenhower Loop

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

TLDR: Spikes on and off all day. Snowshoes not needed today, but still plenty of snow between Ike and Pierce that might need shoes when melty. Details: No to low winds all day :). Ascent by the Cog was a mix of bare ground, then ice and snow patches. Jacob's Ladder stretch was fine ascending in spikes, but I might have wanted more serious traction if descending. All along the ridge was a combo of ice patches, rock, puddles... repeat. If all that water freezes hard again, it will be very icy in patches. Still lots of snow between Ike and Pierce. The monorail was holding up, but it will be messy when it gets soft. Coming down from Pierce was still super firm and great for spikes. Gorgeous day out there!

Parking

Crawford Path lot nearly empty. Note: There is some kind of logging activity on Mt. Clinton Rd past the road closure. A hiker reported about 60 trees across the road. Not a good time for a road walk!

Water Crossings

Nothing to see here.

Trails Used

Ammonoosuc ravine

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Microspikes to start the trail with patches of packed ice in the middle of the trail. Water crossings are passable with some rock hopping. Trail is covered with a sheet of slippery ice at higher elevator, we switched to crampons and ice axe. Strong wind gusts (90mph) above tree line. We took a break in the basement of Lake of the Clouds Hut and turned back. We followed the old Ammonoosuc ravine trail from the start, attempted to look for the new trail but couldn't find it. On our way back, AllTrails led us to the new trail which is not well marked at all, with a lot of switch backs and a down tree blocking the trail.

Water Crossings

Rock hopping

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Tuckerman/Lions Head Branch, Boott Spur Ridge

Trail Conditions

Notes

Warm conditions in the 50s F. Summit winds 40-60mph per observatory. Trails were slushy and messy with hard sheet ice in places. Crampons needed for ascent until above treeline. Boott Spur provided excellent views of Tuckerman's Ravine and Lion's Head Trail.

Trails Used

Boott Spur, Lawn Cutoff, Boott Spur Link, Tuckerman Ravine Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Guided hike led by Redline Guide Debra McCown. Several inches of fresh snow fell the night before. Spring conditions encountered above treeline with snowdrifts, ice, dry rock, and old monorail visible. Weather was sunny with blue sky, barely any wind, and warm enough for sun hoodie. Slow tedious descent off ridge.

Trail Conditions

Notes

Winter conditions returned to the area. Decent amount of snow fell Tuesday. Alpenglow observed on Northern Presidentials.

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine

Trail Conditions

Notes

Two-day Mt Washington winter program led by Redline Guide Debra McCown. Day one plan was modified due to forecast - Saturday had good weather above treeline while Sunday had wind and mixed precipitation. Group hiked to Tuckerman Ravine for training session instead of summit attempt. Guest practiced crampon and ice axe skills on soft snow in springtime conditions. Watched skiers in the gullies and on the headwall. Day two classroom instruction on winter and rope skills due to poor weather.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Cog, Crawford Path, Mount Eisenshower Loop, Webster Cliff Trail, Webster Jackson Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

After climbing up the Cog in snowshoes, it is boney or fully open enough from 5,500’ on up to bareboot all the way across the summit of Washington. Between Washington and Monroe, crampons were definitely good to have on. I went with full crampons (Grivel G10s) this time of year given the hardness of the ice. You can get by with micros, but the actual purchase of crampons helps a lot. There are many fully open sections on southfacing trails, but plenty of ice and still a significant snowfield. The northeast side on Monroe is still very snowy and steep, but bare on top. We took off crampons after the summit of Monroe and barebooted all the way to the northeast side of Eisenhower. There are a few sections of deep snow amongst the trees, but it’s not that bad and has a firm monrail. The summit cone of Eisenhower is totally bare. Once back in the trees on the south side of Eisenhower there is still plenty of deep sections of snow. Snowshoes are still very helpful here and make moving a lot easier. Except for the summit of Pierce, it was snowshoes all the way to Jackson. For the most part the summit of Jackson is completely free of snow and ice, but as soon as you are back in the trees on Webster-Jackson, crampons are very necessary and we kept them on until we could see the road in Crawford Notch. It was definitely good to get these done while there is a decent amount of snow and monorail left, but things are going to get very messy soon!

Parking

First and last car in Crawford that day

Water Crossings

Things are melting quickly, but still crossable

Wildlife

Starting to emerge at Lakes of the Clouds :-(

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Base Station Road, cog rail, Gulfside Trail, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop Trail, Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

All sorts of conditions out there. I parked at Ammo and walked up the road to the cog. I bare booted to the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder. Spikes would have been reasonable once above Waumbek station as the snow is consistent from there. I wore crampons past Jacob’s Ladder. While it would have been doable with spikes, it was a bit icy, and I felt more secure with crampons on the short no fall section. At the top of Jacob’s Ladder, the snow and ice all but disappear, and I bare booted to the summit of Washington and then down to Lakes. Spikes on for the rest of the hike from there. There’s still a good bit of snow on the north facing slope of Monroe, but it’s soft enough that spikes work instead of crampons. Ammo Ravine is a mess. The upper portion is postholed to s**t, but it’s also too bumpy and too rocky to use snowshoes on. It’s mostly supportive if you stay on the straight and narrow but won’t be for long. The steep portion above Gem Pool is getting pretty icy. I was OK in spikes here but think crampons will make sense this week as it cools. Below Gem Pool, it’s an increasingly receding monorail, always stable though. You probably want to bring all the traction things on Ammo for the next few days until the warm up gets going. Great day on Washy. Felt more like June in the Cascades than April in the Whites.

Parking

No issues

Water Crossings

All are open. Currently easy to cross.

Wildlife

None yet

Trails Used

Hillman's Highway, Tuckerman Ravine, Lobster Claw

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Fog below 5000ft with 50-150ft visibility during ascent. Above 5200ft had pristine clear skies with 360-degree views and 100 mile visibility. Wind 0 mph, temperature 30°F. Summit was nearly empty except for one person via Cog Railway. Fog returned on descent with whiteout conditions at ravine floor. Downclimbed Lobster Claw carefully for about 20 minutes.

Parking

Started from Pinkham Notch

Trails Used

Winter Lion Head

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Winter Lion Head is completely out for the season. Bottom half is a sheet of ice with dirt. Section above Wilcox Step is nearly impossible to downclimb - no good kicks possible even with ice axes. High avalanche danger. Extreme exposure and serious fall risk with potential 70 foot slide into Wilcox. Whiteout conditions during descent made route finding difficult.

Trails Used

Lion Head Winter Route

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Firsthand guided trip report on Lion Head Winter Route. Dirt showing at Pinkham Notch, route getting thin. Thin and icy conditions lower down, solid snow on summit after recent storms. Late 9am start. Bluebird conditions on summit with wind and frigid temps. Rime ice on summit sign. Snowpack solid enough to take direct snowfield route to summit. Descent via usual route following cairns to Split Rock. Route may soon be out for season without more snow.

Trails Used

Red Line Trail to Hermit Lakes Shelters

Trail Conditions

Notes

85-year-old hiker reached Hermit Lakes Shelters and continued toward Tuckerman Ravine Cirque. Guide Chase Hall noted consistent, non-stop pace. Trip ended due to increased sliding fall risks near the cabin. Previous visit reached only the second bridge.

Trails Used

Huntington Ravine via Central Gully

Notes

Rain began around 9-10am. Wind persisted throughout the day.

Trails Used

Tuckerman ravine, Huntington ravine rd, lion head

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Trail heading to lion head was fine, hard packed, used spikes until Lion head. The route has ice but there was a lot of exposed rock in the wilcox crux. Other sections have snow and ice. We successfully used ice axe to ascend but it was spicy. Above treeline kept crampons on to summit and for the return until after lion head trail. Take thoughtful steps, above treeline. No snowshoe needed due to temps. Heading down from summit was slower than I expected. Tricky sink holes etc.

Trails Used

Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lion Head Winter Route

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Winter lions head in fine condition. Ice base covered with well bonded well packed snow. Crampons are the move, micro spikes are a bit underpowered for the steep ice. We used double axe technique to climb up and on the way down rappelled the steeper stretches. It's certainly possible to down climb, we passed maybe a dozen doing just that. Funny how much more snow there was than mid week, when the steeps were bare ice.

Parking

2/3 full at 8am

Water Crossings

Brooks just starting to appear under snow bridges down low, still frozen up higher