Hiking in November

[Gazelle37]

Hi - I'm thinking of hiking Mt. Washington sometime between November 7 and December 1. Where/how can I find out how to prepare...rules of the mountain, etc?

[afmrintern]

I haven't hiked in winter in a number of years, but it is important to remember:

Hiking in November and December is already the heart of winter on Mount Washington. Winds hit hurricane force 2 out of 3 days during these months, and visibility is reduced by both fog and blowing snow...mountaineering and orienteering skills, as well as a carefully planned escape route is essential. There is also no shelter at the top in winter!

Here's the link for hiking in the winter...
http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/winter.php

And the normal weather...
http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/normals.php

Good luck, don't be afraid to turn back, and good luck and have fun on you hike!

Two more links I found
http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/hiking.php
http://www.mountwashington.org/about.../surviving.php

[Gazelle37]

Thanks for the quick reply and passing the information along.

I welcome any other experiences or advice.

[nevis_highwire]

Not to be a pessimist, but this is one of the worst times to climb Mount Washington. In the valleys it is still fall, but the summit is deeply into winter by then, at least in terms of temperatures and winds. Snow is a major problem. There should be snow, but probably not enough. The scree is not covered by snow and postholing can be very bad. There also tends be a lot of water ice this time of year.

Peope climb Mount Washington this time of year, but its not ideal. The mountain is in a transitional stage and the skills needed probably exceed that of a mid-winter climb.

[Gazelle37]

Great. Thanks for the input. That is helpful.

[nevis_highwire]

Or it could be warm and sunny with little to no snow.