Trial posting.

Mt. Adams, NH February 4-5, 2012

Summit of Mt Adams, February 05, 2012 around noon.

A little help from my friend Jimmy!

Sunday morning was beautiful and clear. Hiked up Spurr to the summit of Adams.

At the hut preparing to play Madness.

We advanced about halfway to Thunderstorm Junction before the low visibility, darkness and blowing snowmade it unwise to continue.

Spurr trail as the sun was setting. It was cold, near zeros with brisk wind, low ceiling and blowing snow.

We decided to make a try for sunset on the peak of Adams. Spurr Trail was unbroken with 4 - 12 inches of snow that had fallen over the previous few days.

At the Quay, just yards from Grey Knob.

Heavily laden packs . Temps in the low 20's.

Ted and John on Lowe's Path to Grey Knob Hut on the way to Mt Adams.
Guess which one of us has an Atomic Fireball in his mouth...

Viseo of John traversing a snow field on Spurr Path to the summit of Adams

Matthew, Henry and Ted o the Welsh-Dickey Loop, near Waterville Valley, NH.

Ignore the dates. We were there in Fbruary, 2008. Also the chronology is reversed - the end of the hike is first, the walk up is last. Go figure! I cant.

Glissade from the summit

Mobile phone video of me taking a glissade on the path from the summit back to Grey Knob

Ted laid out all the good hiking pics so I'll take a moment to add a little bit about this crazy winter camping thing and hut life. Ted and Jon got me into this crazy gig and I haven't been the same since. I even ventured out on a solo night hike once and stayed at the log cabin just to test the winter gear out. And I too once found it hard to understand why one would hike into zero degree weather with negative wind chill and then feel cozy about staying in a 35 degree hut. All I can say is it only takes one visit to the unspoiled hills in winter and you are hooked. As for the temperatures and wind - its all relative. Once inside
the hut it borders on balmy. Well not quite but there is a definite comfort level. And yes, you bundle up as can be seen in the pics but it is comfortable and various libations and hot liquids make so you can't even tell it is only 38 degrees. Time is passed eating, drinking, playing scrabble, eating and drinking some more, planning the hike, talking about old hikes, asking the hut mistress about where she's been, asking the other hikers if they summited that day, telling tall tales, challenging the scrabble vocabularical choices, comparing route choices, feeling
young again, wondering if the morning will be clear or stormy - you get the picture. You're in the club and that is all that matters.
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? We're just eating some cheese, drinking some wine" Oddball - Kelly's Heroes

Pictured above: 1. settling in after hiking
2. getting scrabulous in the evening
3. drinking some tea, eating some cheese and pepperoni, digging how beautiful it is up here

Can't wait to do it again.
Big Johnny Moose

The rime ice on the trees at the blowdown justbefore the Quay

That's Jonathan hiking; good view of my finger in the lower part of the frame.

Lowes Path - view in the trees