Skiing Mount Washington

Today was just about perfect. I woke at 5:30 having only slept a few hours, picked up Drew, Greg and Jeff, and headed north. Three hours of driving, and one obligatory stop at Einstein’s later, we were at the Cog Railway base and faced with a crowded parking lot. Seems like other people noticed the recent snowfall and nice weather. No worries, there’s plenty of room on the mountain for everyone.

We ascended the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail, which I hadn’t climbed since I was 12. It’s steeper than I remember, but one of the more direct routes to the summit on the west side. I wasn’t in peak physical condition, thanks to my lack of sleep and thesis belly, but I made it eventually. 3.8 miles, 3700 feet and three hours later, we were at the summit with skis on. Triumphant pictures were taken, and lunch was consumed in the protective windscreen of the oldest building on the summit. We skied the back towards Lakes of the Clouds, harvesting the fresh corn that had softened in the afternoon sun. I stopped to take a nap while the other guys climbed back up for extra laps.

Video of Greg and Drew

With clouds appearing and shadows starting to creep across our exit path, we decided to pack it in around 3:30. We traversed to Lakes of the Clouds, skiing across the lake surface and down Monroe Brook. We didn’t find the steepest entrance, but the ride was still great. The lower surface was littered with debris from previous avalanches, and I was glad we were here late in the season, when the snow is already condensed. We passed the Nadya Peek memorial brook, where she fell in on this trip last year and noted her absence with a long discussion on PID controls. Got to the car around 5 exhausted, smelly and happy. Three more hours of driving and I was back home, where I collapsed in bed to sleep like the dead. The sign of a day well spent.