Imagine you're standing on top of a mountain, looking down at a sea of clouds blanketing the valleys below. Called a cloud inversion or undercast, it's a rare enough weather phenomenon that you're willing to blow off work to climb a mountain to experience it.
I'm not sure what prompted me to read the Mt Washington Observatory Higher Summits Forecast on Monday afternoon, but when I read that undercast was forecast for the next day, I quickly recruited a partner to climb Mt Madison to experience it. Madison is the fifth highest mountain on the White Mountain 4000 footer list at 5376′. While the forecast called for mild climbing conditions, I'm not too keen on climbing a Northern Presidential peak solo in winter. Too much can go wrong, and if it does, ain't no one going to climb 4 miles with 4000′ of elevation gain for a while to help you.
I'd never hiked with BK prior to climbing Madison, but we both belong to a tight-knit group of hikers in the White Mountains and I'd been following his trips this winter on Facebook. We met at the Appalachia Trailhead that morning and proved to be well matched in pace and temperament. He's primarily a backpacker like me and gets out frequently for trips to the far reaches of the National Forest. The great thing about backpacking in the Whites is that you can go anytime and anywhere you want. They're no permits and just a few simple regulations.
While the north side of the Presidential Range is densely crisscrossed with trails, there are only a few routes up the ridge connecting Madison, Adams, and Jefferson. For this hike, we chose the Valley Way Trail which climbs 4.3 miles with 4050′ of elevation gain to the summit of Madison. It's also one of the few trails broken out in winter and one of the best protected with 3.8 miles of tree and vegetation cover.
We climbed up to treeline in microspikes on loose granular snow. Temperatures were in the low 20's most of the day with 10-15 mph winds above treeline. We stopped for a short snack at the Madison Springs Hut which is a nice wind break, even though it's closed in winter. Then we climbed the Osgood Trail to the Madison summit admiring nearby Mt Adams and its sub-peak John Quincy Adams as we climbed. From the summit of Madison, we could make out Mt Washington, also surrounded by undercast, on the other side of the Great Gulf.
It took us a few hours to hike down from the summit, but we were pretty elated by our summit experience and the miles flew by on a long hike back down. We hiked back down to the hut and put on crampons for better traction on the steep descent.
March is the best time to climb the Presidentials, mainly because the weather starts to moderate as winter wanes. While the snow can linger above treeline into June, and even July in the shade, longer days and abundant sunshine make the climbs far less arduous. Undercast is a treat though. Well worth the detour if you get a chance to experience it.
Recommended Guidebooks and Maps:
- Appalachian Mountain Club White Mountain Guide, 30th ed.
- AMC White Mountain National Forest Map Set
- White Mountains Map: New Hampshire and Maine
Written 2018.
Disclosure: SectionHiker.com receives affiliate compensation from retailers that sell the products we recommend or link to if you make a purchase through them. When reviewing products, we test each thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. Our reputation for honesty is important to us, which is why we only review products that we've tested hands-on. Our mission is to help people, which is why we encourage readers to comment, ask questions, and share their experiences on our posts. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.The post Undercast on Mt Madison in March appeared first on Section Hikers Backpacking Blog.
from Section Hikers Backpacking Blog http://ift.tt/2I64hgu
No comments:
Post a Comment