| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Tuckerman Ravine Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 19, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
no problem |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None of note |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The snowcat always tears up and softens the trail so depending on what time it comes down, your experience may differ on the ascent or descent. When the base is frozen like today the 'cat tracks are not as much of a factor that hinders traction. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This is my first post this winter! This hike marks the 4th time I've gone up Tuckerman into The Bowl this week and the 29th this winter and the hiking never gets old! Just yesterday, things were getting a bit mushy but today was totally different as temps dropped like a rock and the trail firmed up and even froze solid again in many places. The snow was still falling when I started up in the afternoon but it was a useless fluff that offered no support. So I carried my snowshoes on my pack & went up in microspikes, changed into crampons at Hermit Lake Shelter and went up to the base of the headwall. I descended all the way in crampons and then did another half-lap up to Huntington Jct and back down for good measure. I had planned to break out the upper part of Raymond Path but lost interest due to conditions. With blessings (or apologies as the case may be) I am including a fresh summary perspective of an 'event' from my successful attempt at the Single Season Solo Winter NH 48 last winter:
Greetings fellow hikers! As a few of you may know, last year I completed the Single Season Winter New Hampshire 48 at age 60, solo, with no car spot, no running and no butt sliding. In other words, the 'hard' way. Today marks the one-year anniversary of me emerging from the woods after spending an unplanned night there after having to bail down the super-steep ravine between Burt Ravine and the Jewell trail in heavy fog and zero visibility.
It still stands as the high point of last year's season-long odyssey! Like many hikers with 30+ years of winter hiking experience I am always cognizant of the inherent dangers involved, especially as a solo hiker. But the true test is how a person reacts when a 'typical' winter jaunt on very familiar trails starts to unfold not quite according to plan. I'll save the blow-by-blow description for another time & place because this is not intended to be a case analysis of the 'methods & end game' which helped me emerge safely the next morning,
No, I have always been and will always be a solo hiker because I am in control of my own destiny. Besides, I just like the peace and solitude. I am in peak fitness (for my age), I trust my gear, I am intimately familiar with the trails, I check the weather before each hike and monitor changing conditions like a hawk, I never go out in adverse conditions, I KNOW when to turn around and am not ashamed to do so and I trust my ability to react to any situation that may present itself. Quite frankly, such a situation presented itself one year ago today and I am a much more fulfilled hiker because of it.
At no time during my 'detour' was there any sense of panic. There were many obstacles (both physical and mental) that presented themselves as events unfolded. Thick fog, invisible cairns, the 50 degree slope of the ravine I descended for over a mile, hip-deep snow as I exited the ravine to snowshoe bushwhack through the woods, having to traverse seven steep avalanche gullies as I made my way towards the Cog station. Then came nightfall but I had 2 headlamps with me. Finally at around 9 PM I stopped and called my wife to tell her I was spending a night in the woods. You can imagine her sense of dread! I simply told her it would all be OK and then texted her every 90 minutes or so.
For the next 8 1/2 hours I didn't stop moving. I kept my snowshoes on and paced 20 or 30 yards in the tracks I had made. Every 45 minutes I would hike 200 yards just to make sure my feet were OK. I had turned my headlamp off well before I called my wife. What ensued after that is one of the greatest things I have ever experienced! It was a cloudy night with no light sources of any kind. Yet after about an hour I attained true 'night vision' and was able to look deep into the woods as if it were daytime. But the almost surreal glow provided a calming, zen-like experience. If there was a time in my life when I attained true peace, that was most certainly it. But I had to stay awake for 4 1/2 more hours so I snapped myself out it just as quickly!
As dawn's first light broke, I planned my next moves. I backtracked about 1/10 mile and then I saw moose tracks in a vaguely open area. They were heading slightly downhill so I followed them. After all, have you ever known a moose to fall off a cliff? The skinny corridor opened up gradually and I realized I was on the Jewell Spur! In another 15 minutes I heard the snowplow clearing the Cog Railway parking lot and after crossing the frozen river I cried and hugged the large breed dog that greeted me as I headed towards my car. I had spent the night less than half a mile from my car.
I was relatively unscathed from the hike that netted me the summits of Monroe & Washington, peaks #43 & 44 in my quest for the SSWNH48. I suffered some toe trauma that kept me from hiking for the next 17 days. I was going crazy because I feared I would fall short of my goal and the end of winter was fast approaching! On March 8th I went up the Jewell on a beautiful day and nabbed Jefferson for #45. A few days later on March 13th I bagged Zealand, Bond and West Bond in an epic 26.5 mile out-and-back from the Zealand side to complete the Single-Season Solo Winter NH 48. There was 3-5" of fresh snow on the trail. I kept my snowshoes on the whole time and completed the round trip in EXACTLY 12 hours. That day I was propelled forward by something far greater than my own ability and desire. Akin to my night in the woods, it was a partial out-of-body experience!
I had COVID to thank for all the free time I could devote to hiking last winter. This year, I am once again on the road a lot for business and have already lost 31 days of winter to traveling. Even though I still do about 50 miles of winter hiking a week wherever I am, I have not summitted ONE SINGLE winter 48 this year. I have no desire to because the magic of last year simply can NOT be duplicated so I remain fit until the passion for true adventure engulfs my senses once again!
Happy trails to all and please, greet everyone you meet on the trail with enthusiasm and kindness. If we can't enjoy and revel in each other's shared experiences, what's the point of getting off the couch? Thanks to all I met on my quest last year, especially to the group on West Bond that gave me the salt tablets and Tylenol which made the 12+ mile return hike possible!
Anybody can email me directly to share their own experiences or even to meet up for a hike. Just because I love to hike solo doesn't imply that I'm an anti-social hermit!
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 | Name: |
Bob H |
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 | E-Mail: |
hynoskyb@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-02-20 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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