Want to climb Mt. Washington, info needed

[BlueDog]

Mosquitoes? For the past two StP years I've yet to see a mosquito. Not saying they aren't there but if you hadn't said anything it would have never crossed my mind that they were there. Plus the weather is great! Lots of us camp for the weekend, the big dinner, the people... simply the best day to hike the mountain!

[Rich]

Sounds like a long, cold drive. Except for the hike to Tuckermans, you could've done everything else online. What did you think of Tucks?

[Brad]

Glad to hear you got up and down safely. What would you do differently to stay warmer and not "get wet"?

[TrishandAlex]

Hey, congratulations on what I think was a very successful hike!

Always gotta have the attitude that every hike teaches you something. Even if you don't make the summit, you've learnt something about the trail, the mountain, yourself, and/or your gear. As long as you come back safe and sound, it's all good.

[krummholz]

What you've described says it all about people trying to climb George when they're coming from a long distance. It's really tough when you're trying to luck out with the right weather. Living in eastern Mass.. I wait for what I describe as the "crossbars of the giant H" to be over Mt. Washington (in other words, the big H for the high pressure system).

[Brad]

Trying to time it from NC as I do can be tough. But, most times I have found an acceptable or even a very good day if I have some level of flexibility with my schedule.

[MelNino]

Thanks for getting back to us with the trip report


One of these years I will attempt in winter, I need to soak up these reports and get more experience before I go

[Bill O]

Sounds like a productive trip. I'd consider it a success.

Where are you coming from in NJ? It shouldn't take 10 hours unless you live in southern NJ, or if you have to stop a lot.

[b1029384756]

BlueDog: Might be your blood type or whatever reason you're just someone they don't bother much, they seem to love sucking down my blood like it's strawberry shooters. The only thing I like to do outside in the warm weather is swim (well, I do that in the cold weather too), so it's pretty much winter only for me.

Rich: The drive was okay, I was in a T-shirt the entire time and was comfortable most of the time. What could I have done online? Check the weather? I did, but it turned worse when I was on my way there, and I stayed in the area a few days hoping to wait it out. Tucks was alright, I got there a bit late to see too many skiers.

Brad: Well, as I said, I wasn't dressed correctly. I wasn't expecting to climb at all that day, so I was wearing a T-shirt, regular boxers and cotton pants, regular cotton socks, ECWCS parka and pants, but just the shells, no liners, had my gloves (EMS Altitude) and balaclava, and white mickey mouse boots. Since I was already there, I didn't think it'd matter so much since I wasn't going far. My feet stayed very warm even in sweat soaked socks, though, so I definitely recommend those boots to anyone. Next time I'd be dressed more appropriately so I wouldn't freeze, but as far as sweating goes, there's not much I can do about that.

Bill O: Where did you get the information that it takes less time? If you're looking at Mapquest or Google maps, they assume ideal conditions, which rarely happen. Traffic over the GWB and through New York can be a nightmare at times. I'm from Trenton, which is more or less the center in the state. I only stopped 2 times on the way up and 3 on the way back (food, gas, bathroom breaks) and not for very long, 10-30 minutes each time. You can figure on 9 hours if you haul ass and have food for the ride or just not eat the whole way. My truck is also a little sluggish, so while I can maintain 80-85 mph on flat ground, doing that on the hills of Vermont is impossible.

To all: I know you guys consider the trip a success, but it's not that, at least not to me, and I'll need to return when I have the time and money to rectify that. I don't consider it a complete waste since I did have some fun but I didn't accomplish what I set out to do. I'll have to hope for better luck with the weather, but if I don't manage to do it this winter, I'll definitely be back next one to finish what I started. The logistics will be much easier already having the equipment (well, I'd love to get crampons to fit my boots, but that'd probably require a custom fabricated extension bar) and supplies, so I'm hoping it'll be soon. I'm trying to quit smoking now (broke down and smoked one today but that's better than the 15 I usually did), so maybe it'll be an easier climb next time as well.

[JimS]

To all: I know you guys consider the trip a success, but it's not that, at least not to me, and I'll need to return when I have the time and money to rectify that. I don't consider it a complete waste since I did have some fun but I didn't accomplish what I set out to do. I'll have to hope for better luck with the weather, but if I don't manage to do it this winter, I'll definitely be back next one to finish what I started. The logistics will be much easier already having the equipment (well, I'd love to get crampons to fit my boots, but that'd probably require a custom fabricated extension bar) and supplies, so I'm hoping it'll be soon. I'm trying to quit smoking now (broke down and smoked one today but that's better than the 15 I usually did), so maybe it'll be an easier climb next time as well.

Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory. --Ed Visteurs