February 10th saw me returning to the White Mountains for another winter hike. The target this time was Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume, the two southernmost peaks on Franconia Ridge. The forecast called for temperatures in the upper 20's with winds gusting up to 25 mph with worsening conditions in the late afternoon. My hiking companions were Chris, Greg and Tom.
We started at the Basin parking area and walked down the bike path to the beginning of the Liberty Spring Trail. Even though it had snowed the night before, the snow wasn't deep and the snowshoes stayed on the pack.
As soon as the trail started upward, I realized that I had overdressed. I was sweating badly even after removing most of the layers I was wearing. Everyone else was sweating, too.
Eventually, Chris and I pushed on ahead. Greg and Tom had decided before we even left the car that they weren't going to hike to Mt. Flume. They would hike to Mt. Liberty and wait for us at the Liberty Spring tentsite while Chris and I hiked to Mt. Flume.
As the trail became steeper, we decided to put on our snowshoes, mostly for better traction. As an added benefit, the slope was perfect for using the Televator heel lifter on my MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes. This amazing device makes it seem like you are walking up stairs.
With the extra weight of the snowshoes and the increased steepness, I was sweating even more. My shirt was soaked and so was my hair. I put on a hat to control the sweat and to make sure I was staying warm enough. At the same time, my legs were getting tired. I began to think that it wasn't a good idea to continue on to Mt. Flume. We talked about it a bit and agreed to turn around after reaching the Mt. Liberty summit.
Near the summit, we paused to put on some warmer clothes. The wind was blowing at a good clip and visibility was low because of all the snow blowing around. Properly clothed, we climbed the last little bit to the summit.
The descent was very quick and it wasn't long before we reached Greg and Tom, who were just wrapping up a picnic-style lunch. We continued the descent while the snow started to fall more steadily.
At one point, we stopped to shed a layer and have a bite to eat. Just before we started off again, the winds kicked up and we were instantly in blizzard conditions. I've never seen the weather change so fast. The winds were blowing hard and snow was blowing everywhere. It continued this way for the rest of the hike.
We didn't make it to Mt. Flume, but it was still a great hike. Until you've been in the mountains in the winter, you can't imagine the beauty that surrounds you.
We started at the Basin parking area and walked down the bike path to the beginning of the Liberty Spring Trail. Even though it had snowed the night before, the snow wasn't deep and the snowshoes stayed on the pack.
As soon as the trail started upward, I realized that I had overdressed. I was sweating badly even after removing most of the layers I was wearing. Everyone else was sweating, too.
Eventually, Chris and I pushed on ahead. Greg and Tom had decided before we even left the car that they weren't going to hike to Mt. Flume. They would hike to Mt. Liberty and wait for us at the Liberty Spring tentsite while Chris and I hiked to Mt. Flume.
As the trail became steeper, we decided to put on our snowshoes, mostly for better traction. As an added benefit, the slope was perfect for using the Televator heel lifter on my MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes. This amazing device makes it seem like you are walking up stairs.With the extra weight of the snowshoes and the increased steepness, I was sweating even more. My shirt was soaked and so was my hair. I put on a hat to control the sweat and to make sure I was staying warm enough. At the same time, my legs were getting tired. I began to think that it wasn't a good idea to continue on to Mt. Flume. We talked about it a bit and agreed to turn around after reaching the Mt. Liberty summit.
Near the summit, we paused to put on some warmer clothes. The wind was blowing at a good clip and visibility was low because of all the snow blowing around. Properly clothed, we climbed the last little bit to the summit.
The descent was very quick and it wasn't long before we reached Greg and Tom, who were just wrapping up a picnic-style lunch. We continued the descent while the snow started to fall more steadily.
At one point, we stopped to shed a layer and have a bite to eat. Just before we started off again, the winds kicked up and we were instantly in blizzard conditions. I've never seen the weather change so fast. The winds were blowing hard and snow was blowing everywhere. It continued this way for the rest of the hike.
We didn't make it to Mt. Flume, but it was still a great hike. Until you've been in the mountains in the winter, you can't imagine the beauty that surrounds you.
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