Gridding Out Mount Washington

Summits: Mount Washington (6,288')

Trail route: Up and down beside the cog railway

Trail conditions: Several inches of fresh soft snow 

Weather: Overcast to start then undercast with sun through high clouds, cool temps with light winds

Total miles: 6

Total time:  6:00

The forecast was indicating a favorable weather window for hiking above treeline. This looked like a good opportunity to hike Mount Washington. I would be gridding out this summit today meaning I will have hiked this mountain in every month of the year.

I was getting a later than usual start based on the weather forecast that called for diminishing winds throughout the day. I arrived at the hiker parking lot to find several vehicles already there. I met fellow hiker and gridder Andrea, she was hiking Mount Jefferson today. 

I decided to leave the snowshoes behind but brought microspikes and trail crampons for traction. I started my hike in microspikes. I passed by Marshfield Station as visitors were arriving to ride the cog train up to Waumbek Station which is less than halfway up the mountain.

I crossed the bridge over the Ammonoosuc River and started the upward climb to the summit. The first cog train passed me and was at Waumbek Station when I got there. Only a few visitors were on this first train. I took a brief break and swapped microspikes for trail crampons. There was several inches of loose, unconsolidated snow and I was breaking trail from here to up past Jacob's Ladder. 

I really could've used snowshoes from Waumbek Station past Jacob's Ladder if nothing more than for the televators to help with calf fatigue. It still would've been tough with sliding loose snow and loose rocks under the snow. I was seeing a lot of hikers above treeline on different trails. The sun had an amazing halo around it and at one point I saw rare sun dogs on either side of the halo.

Up on top of Mount Washington I had the summit sign to myself where there is usually a long line of tourists in the warmer months. After a short break for a few photos I started my descent. Other hikers had followed my tracks down beside the cog so it was a little more packed than it was coming up.

Down at Waumbek Station there were two trains that had arrived with lots of visitors. I made my way through the crowd and continued down to Marshfield Station. I arrived back at the hiker parking lot and this hike was done.

A winter hike to Mount Washington can be quite daunting with extreme weather and tough trail conditions. Good winter days are rare but today was ideal to be above treeline and it was nice gridding out Mount Washington!

Enjoy the photos and video! 

Arriving at Marshfield Station

Clouds clearing

Ammonoosuc River

Heading up beside the cog railway

Train going up to Waumbek Station

Between the overcast and undercast

Sun coming up

Arriving at Waumbek Station

Sun rising over Mount Monroe

Hiking above the overcast

Overcast is now undercast

Another look back at the undercast

Sun through the trail trestle

Arriving at Jacob's Ladder

Looking over the next ridge to the undercast beyond

Hikers on Mount Clay

Halo around the sun first appears

Hikers on the Jewel Trail

Sun halo with sun dogs

Cog tracks coming up out of the undercast

Rime ice on cairn

Sun halo with sun dogs

On the summit of Mount Washington

Rime ice covers everything on the summit

Activity on the summit

Southern view

Wildcat Ski Area

A sea of undercast

Northern Presidential summits

Cog tracks descend into the undercast

Clouds lapping against the southern Presidential summits

Sun halo

Marshfield Station coming into view as clouds clear

Back at Waumbek Station with a crowd of visitors

Southern Presis

Sun provides the star on the Christmas tree

Made it past the crowd

Arriving back at Marshfield Station

A look back up at where my hike took me today

Arriving back at the hiker parking lot

Having Fun in the Great Outdoors!