Winter Summit #43
I feel sorry for anyone who was doing anything anywhere else yesterday. Lead Dog (and his Special Friend) and I summitted Washington at about 12:30pm. “This is a Himalayan day”, remarked L.D., and no one argued with him. The sun and thin air and clear blue sky made us giddy. The urban mountaineer training paid dividends in speed and endurance.
Mt. W often reports the coldest wind chill in the lower 48, and so it was yesterday while we were on top: temperature of 2F, wind 55mph, wind chill –30. Earlier in the day, the wind had been close to 100mph (wind chill –49). We had a rare stroke of perfect timing on this oh-so-ornery mountain. 55mph is enough to make communication, walking in a straight line, and gear adjustments very challenging, but it’s just a pleasant breeze compared to 100mph.
On the descent the winds abated some (and a location in Colorado took over the wind chill lead, temporarily). I drove back to the Smallish City with a big bag of freedom fries and a light soul.
On the way up (the structures are from the weather station atop)
Other climbers coming down from Mt. Munroe, Washington's smaller neighbor
Amusing sign on the door of Lakes of the Clouds hut (closed for winter)
Lead Dog and Special Friend on the snow fields below the summit.
Mt. W often reports the coldest wind chill in the lower 48, and so it was yesterday while we were on top: temperature of 2F, wind 55mph, wind chill –30. Earlier in the day, the wind had been close to 100mph (wind chill –49). We had a rare stroke of perfect timing on this oh-so-ornery mountain. 55mph is enough to make communication, walking in a straight line, and gear adjustments very challenging, but it’s just a pleasant breeze compared to 100mph.
On the descent the winds abated some (and a location in Colorado took over the wind chill lead, temporarily). I drove back to the Smallish City with a big bag of freedom fries and a light soul.
On the way up (the structures are from the weather station atop)
Other climbers coming down from Mt. Munroe, Washington's smaller neighbor
Amusing sign on the door of Lakes of the Clouds hut (closed for winter)
Lead Dog and Special Friend on the snow fields below the summit.
posted by Turbo at 10:00 AM
3 Comments:
ooh, that would be me you're feeling sorry for: i was helping boytuesday move furniture. this time last year, we were in baxter. i hear 5"-10" of ice has paved the tote road with more ice on the path between roaring brook and basin pond, but NO SNOW from basin pond to chimney pond and similarly poor conditions at CP.
Oh, moving sounds like just as much. Wait-- no, it doesn't. Sorry.
You know, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I have yet to get to Katahdin. If you and/or boytuesday ever go up & want company, let me know!
but doesn't it though? moving beds, bureaus, & couches is most certainly as much fun as being on top of mt. washington.
actually, the only "fun" thing about it was cutting a hole in the floor/ceiling. a necessary element in our plan to relocate the queen-sized mattress from the first to the second floor (lest you think us excessive, we did attempt the traditional method of moving the bed, but it refused to fit up either the front staircase or the back staircase). now there is a good size hole in ceiling in the back of the house. i am lobbying boytuesday to put in a climbing wall.
ps. you'd be welcome anytime on trips to katahdin or elsewhere (even if you went to a certain school in new hampshire).
Post a Comment
<< Home