Winter Hiking 2017 Begins with the Tripyramids!

Trip Details
Date: January 13^th, 2017 (Friday the 13^th)
Total Distance: 9.9 mi (via Trimble Outdoors Navigator Pro on iPhone 4S)
Total Time: 5 hours 7 minutes
Total Elevation: 3300 ft gained
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BishopX and I got a late start on winter hiking this year. This winter has brought us some decent levels of snowfall, but in the seacoast area at least it has typically brought unseasonably warm temperatures a few days later. About a week before our first winter hike the White Mountains got some decent snow, but just the day before Friday the 13^th temperatures were just around the freezing mark on Mt. Washington. This meant the lower elevation mountains were above freezing, but temperatures them dropped below freezing that evening and would continue to drop into the weekend. We decided to start our winter hiking with the Tripyramids due to the falling temperatures as the day went on the extreme winds that on Mt. Washington were averaging almost 70 mph for the day.

After arriving at the non-existent parking area for the Pine Bend Brook Trailhead, I walked in a few feet to see how the monorail survived. It was decent, but the refrozen crust was easy to break through. So, we put the snowshoes on and worn them car-to-car. The monorail was in similar shape up to and past the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Once you arrive at the brook valley and the steep section of the trail the aftermath of the warmer temperatures is much more evident. This is a great butt sliding part so the trail was rather smooth, but with the warm temperatures it had melted enough that when it refroze it turned into smooth ice. This ended up as one of the steeper winter hikes we have done so far. This would continue up to the junction with the Scaur Ridge Trail.

It really did not feel like there was that much snow, but it is at least a couple feet deep.

As we gained the wooded ridge, the trail conditions deteriorated.

The trail looked a lot less used once we passed this junction. The wind continually fills in the monorail so at parts it looked as if no tail was present. Snowshoes were a huge help as the two groups behind us who were just using spikes were adding numerous post holes. On the steep sections we ran into the same smooth ice that was present prior to the ridge. Eventually we made it to the junction just below the summit and to the summit.

North Tripyramid summit

Looking north toward the Presidentials.

Looking northeast into the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Looking east into the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

Mt. Passaconaway

Mt. Chocorua

The trail conditions were just as bad between the the peaks.

No visible use of Sabbaday Brook Trail. Guess people do not like to do the loop in the winter.

BishopX on the Middle Tripyramid summit. He is sporting his new Chernobyl backpack from Cold Cold World.

Mt. Passaconaway and Mt. Whiteface

View towards Waterville Valley.

Waterville Valley Resort

The way down was a whole kind of new adventure for us. We knew this trail provided great opportunities for butt sliding. Due to the smooth ice, angle of the steep trail, and hard refrozen ground we got beat up and at least twice it got dangerous. My rear end was bruised and chaffed. Stay in control as best you can or choose to walk down carefully. Walking down was not that much easier as the angle was severe and the ground was slick so the snowshoes were slipping.

We made it down safe and sound, though, and after the long walk out over numerous brooks that were flowing freely we arrived back at the cars.

This time around the GPS was only off by about a quarter of a mile. Just a few months before the service goes offline permanently it becomes more accurate...interesting twist...