Fresh Powder in the Presidential Range

Hey guys! Happy Spring, I guess?! I didn't realize how busy this past month would be, what with work and trip planning (and alright, road tripping to play in the snow every moment I could). I think the thing that surprises people the most about the Northeast are how prolonged our seasons are! Winter around here starts in late October/ early November and then just stays put until April. In fact, the first day of the month was spent hiking up a mountain with over a foot of fresh snow on the trail! But more on that trip later.

I wanted to share with you guys some photos from our hike up Mount Madison last month. Not only was it my first time hiking one of the Presidentials, but it was my first time hiking one in WINTER. Just figured I'd go all out, ya know? While I've hiked some of the smaller peaks in the White Mountains, and have definitely done my fair share of Winter hikes back in the Adks, nothing quite compared to this. My friends and I started up around 3am, thinking we'd have more than enough time to be at the summit for sunrise. What we didn't count on was having to break trail of the fresh powder the entire way up. There were moments when my snowshoes wouldn't catch and I had to crawl up! But all the effort aside, the views up top more than made up for it. Above treeline, we were met with the first light of the day, and watched as the valleys below were bathed in pink and gold. The final leg was by far the most grueling for me, both physically and mentally. It was definitely one of those moments where I had to just push through my fear and exhaustion. And honestly, I'm so happy I did. Seeing the camouflaged hut that my friend had told me about was the goal of the hike, and I can't express the feelings that came over me when I first laid eyes on it! The cherry on top was of course seeing Mt. Washington covered in a blanket of snow. After a quick rest, we were all ready for the climb down, where pancakes and coffee were calling our names. That fresh powder helped rather than hindered our process on the descent. I'm pretty sure I half hiked, half slid down that mountain! I don't know if it was because we were all so tired, or if it really was just that funny, but I have never laughed as hard as I did on that hike down. Anyway, I now can't wait to get back there for summer hikes. And by the time I get back from the Northwest, it will be just about that time! So soon, guys! 

xo

J.