After the week we had and a promising trip report from a few days prior we decided to try to climb Mt Washington from the west. We turned onto the Mount Clinton road off 302 above the notch to find the sign "road not maintained for winter travel." But the gate was buried in a deep snow-bank and the road itself was passable. They really discourage winter travel through here; it’s maintained by the Cog itself. Part way up the road there is even a groomed cross country trail taking up half the road. Fortunately we didn’t run into anybody going the other way or somebody would’ve had to back up!
We drove to the Cog station to see if it was OK to park there but nobody was there so we headed to the Ammo trailhead and found about enough space to park 4 vehicles. What a difference from summer when often this parking lot would be full of cars.
It was just partly cloudy but we could both see the high summit of Washington was obscured by fast driven clouds. Monroe was in the clear and so I thought we should be able to at least bag that. The AR trail was loosely packed at the start and we both put on snowshoes. We saw one set of boot prints ahead of us and evidence of some deep post holing. We had bright sunshine for the easy grades to the junction where the trail from base station joins. The trail from there was hard pack but we both kept our snowshoes on. Gem pool was completely frozen over, a different spot than the place which in summer invites you to stay and sit on the rocks.
My snowshoes bit well enough into the steeper trail above that, the snow was still well consolidated and I took off a bit ahead of Steve. Soon enough though I was struggling. I pulled out my ice axe and it helped some but the crampons on my snowshoes were not deep or sharp enough to give good purchase. At a couple of points I was on my hands and knees. My fleece pants began to get iced up and since I had no long underwear underneath, my legs were getting cold. Whine, whine, whine, yeah I know.
Steve’s Atlas snowshoes were better suited for the steep rough trail and somewhere at the top of the gorge I decided to stop and put on crampons because my Tubbs were doing so poorly. I was somewhat discouraged at that point. I’d been doing so well and suddenly was at a dead stop. He passed me while I put on crampons and a layer of lined nylon pants. Soon enough I was off with my 6 point crampons biting in better. I had brought the 12 pointers but they take so long to put on!
I caught up with him 15 minutes later at the point where the sign points to the left. Here we found two hikers who were descending. They said it was “spring-time” down here in the ravine, "you'll find out!" One of them said. They'd turned back at the hut I believe. We continued up and now could see rocks sticking their black heads above the snow and ice.
At about 1/2 mile below the hut you could start to feel the wind and hear it roaring overhead. Another hiker came down; he'd attempted Monroe but turned back after being forced to his knees on the summit cone. He said, "The wind gets stronger the higher you go!" I recognized him as the guy we saw who started up at the base station. This trail gets you a little higher and cuts off close to a mile of hiking.
That wind was blowing about 10-20mph now but at our back. He was right, the winds got worse. We saw the hut and climbed up to the lee side. Snow had filled in over the roof on that side facing Monroe. We still hadn't felt the full fury of it. I watched a hiker come across Crawford about 200 yards away, by now the summit of Monroe was under cloud. I put face protection on and ventured out into the wind for a few paces while Steve put on his 12 point crampons.
I'd estimate a good steady wind of 40mph and gusts higher. I went back to the hut and about then the hiker arrived from Crawford. He said he'd gone up Edmunds to Eisenhower and then come across to Monroe. I asked him if he though it was feasible to go up Monroe. He said he had, also been up Eisenhower but the winds were pretty light when he’d been up there in the early morning. The peaks to the north had sheltered him until he got to the summit of Monroe. His plan was to go back the same way but he decided to retreat via Ammonusuc and walk back on the road. Not a bad idea………. the conditions were deteriorating. He headed down the AR after I pointed the way.
The weather seemed to lift a little and I could now see the summit of Monroe again. Steve wasn't sure, he'd forgotten face protection. But I pulled a balaclava from my pack and with the summit in view he agreed to go for it. The wind was off our right shoulders as we went across the short section of Crawford to Monroe loop.
We started up the path which was mostly rock and ice. You could literally see the wind as it blew finely sifted grains of snow across Crawford Path. The trail was lined on either side with rocks and was easy to follow. We'd walk four steps and then a gust would practically blow you over, you'd stop and grab a rock and then move on.
About half way to the summit Steve turned around. His eyes were pretty big. "Let's turn back!!" He had to shout over the wind which was whistling eerily through the rocks by then. I asked him if he would wait for me in the lee of the hut. He nodded and headed down.
The summit was probably 1/3 of a mile away if that. I went on and the trail turned somewhat so the wind was at my back. That wasn't so bad but when it switch-backed around to the other side I was knocked down to my knees by a gust. I got up and struggled on another few feet and was knocked down again. I looked up and saw the summit, it got steeper. My spirits sank as thoughts of being blown off the side of the rocky peak entered my thoughts. I moved on a little further, got knocked down twice and decided it wasn't going to happen today.
It was a hard decision but being alone made it easier. I was probably 200 yards literally from the summit. Checking a map later confirmed my elevation was over 5,280 feet, just 100 feet vertically below the summit. The trail ahead was pretty steep (much steeper than the other side of the loop trail.) I would later call the little crag I made it to the “NE Monroe spur peak.” Not official of course but I felt better anyway!
Going back to the hut seemed much easier with the wind almost in my face; you could bend into it and stay on your feet. My camera froze as I tried to take a picture of the spot on Crawford of the hut. You could still see the wind in the form of the snow it drove. I met up with Steve back at the hut. He said it took allot of guts to go as far as I did. He’d watched me from the safety of the hut.
We quickly turned and headed down the Ravine. As we descended the winds grew less and less. I would say crampons down at least the first part of the ravine were essential; they bit well into the ice. Most footprints were erased by the wind but we found our way easily enough. Soon enough we were ready to shed a layer as the dwarf trees here and the ridge blocked most of the wind. The clouds had now engulfed the ridge overhead and were black and ominous. We saw two hikers ascending and told them of the conditions up there. They ended up turning back below the hut and passed me just above Gem pool. They were sledding down and having a blast. Steve and I stopped below the pool and had our lunch. By now the sunshine was sending long shadows across the glistening snow. We had a nice leisurely hike out; temps had warmed into the 30's by then. On the drive out I noticed the gate on the Mt Clinton road had been dug out of the snow. No summit on this day but a great hike and good experience. I will always think of this hike as an adventure. Few ever go through conditions like that. It was really nice to have a well known escape route on a day like this.
Lessons learned? When the wind blows you down for the fourth time turn back!!