Mt. Washington, NH, 3/24/02

[Lftgly]

Had to check it out, since the reports from the USFS on Monday morning sounded like the Sherburne was almost done for the year. A week of snow had made a difference, but it could be gone by next weekend if the warm weather returns. So we braved a less-than perfect weather report, and hiked up Sunday. Partly to mostly sunny in the valleys, in the 30s, often means in-the-clouds on the Rock Pile. Today was no exception. There were a few flakes in the air at Pinkham, under partly sunny skies. We hit the trail at 10:15, and it never stopped snowing. <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/1550.jpg" ALT="PW snow-eating grin"> <BR> <BR>Av report was Considerable, except on the Little Headwall. Would've checked out the Lions Head slopes between Right Gully and Right2-Right3, but the wind chill as we approached the Connection Cache was not something we had prepared for. Visibility was a couple hundred feet, with blowing snow, 30 MPH winds. It was mid-winter conditions. Knowing it would get worse by the Cache, and sometimes (but not always) gets more sheltered above in the floor of the ravine, we decided to hunker down there behind a good rock and change into downhill boots and gear. <BR> <BR>The first turns in the Connection were hard wind-pack, but on the leeward side it was a foot or more of soft powder. Skiers and riders ahead of us had already taken advantage of all the fresh on the Little Headwall, so we took the line through the trees towards Lower Snowfields, where a good 18" of powder hadn't been touched. It was definitely worth the hike (and almost worth hiking up again). <BR> <BR>The Sherburne had good cover, though pretty thoroughly tracked from Friday and Saturday. There was an occasional taste left on the sides. No sign of the thin cover and ice flows mentioned in last weekend's report. No sign of the USFS snowcat, so I think they retired it for the season. The Sherborne will last another week, anyway; maybe more if it stays cold and the snow continues.