I had to reread this after the mention of his “bladder.”
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You’re going to have a blast man! If you don’t have trekking poles they’d be a nice addition too, make sure they have snow baskets on them. There’s a few shops in Lincoln (few miles south of the hike) that you can probably rent gear from. You’ll have cell service in some spots during the hike, and should have it at the top of the ridge line there. I’d be hesitant to rely on it though.
You’ll get plenty of great hiking in on that trail before it gets to a point where you enter the danger zone, unless it’s just a brutal day weather wise. Generally there’s a pretty significant change once you enter the alpine zone and you can make your decision then.
Last suggestion is to make use of some kind of check-in system. Could be as simple as a phone call or using the front desk at a hotel if you’re staying at one. Always good to have someone expecting to hear from you at some point, so they can alert rescue if you go MIA.
@jshaving Lol! Didn’t even realize the double entendre.
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Great thread! Really jealous of some of the varied scenery you guys have over in the US.
We are an outdoors family, always out in nature and camping in our camper. The long hikes are not possible as often now having a 4 year old in tow but we have lots of great woodlands nearby to explore.
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If you’re not used to recreating in the Backcountry during winter, I would highly suggest bailing if the weather is at all bad or could turn bad. Snow camping kinda sucks and is rarely worth it imo, and there isn’t much room for mistakes like the other 3 seasons.
Then again, what are the stats on this hike? How remote? How exposed? In avalanche terrain?
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Not camping. 9 mile with 4200ft of elevation gain. Only a short section that’s super sketchy. Shouldn’t have any avalanche issues.
Great trail. Some of the best views you’ll find out East. I don’t fuck around with mountain hiking in the winter. Don’t underestimate the dangers especially above tree line.
It seems like you’re squared away with gear so as long as you keep your head on straight you should be fine.
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Trying to figure out what pants I’ll need for snow hiking. If I get water proof do I still need gators? I’m so lost on pants. I’ve got a Patagonia water proof jacket I’ll use with layers under it. No idea what to do about legs.
Regular hiking pants with a wool base layer and gators?
Regular hiking pants with a water resistant finish with wool base layer and gators?
Water proof hiking pants with wool base layer and no gators?
Water proof hiking pants with wool base layer AND gators!?
I’d go option A with the addition of some rain/wind pants. They pack down small and are quick to slip on over more breathable layers when you need to lock in the warmth.
Also keep an eye on New Hampshire 4,000 Footers - Peakbagging Lists - NewEnglandTrailConditions.com - NewEnglandTrailConditions.com
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Sounds like a potentially great hike! However, as others have noted, winter is a whole different animal than all the other seasons. A pleasantly chilly hike can suddenly turn deadly.
Without knowing your gear, it’s hard to advise you about pants. Of the choices, I like options D or A with @mr.v3lv3t 's addition. Wool base layer is a given, gators are always good to have available in potentially wet conditions, and blocking the wind is a necessity.
Are you wearing insulated boots or regular hikers? I’d advise a pair of wool liner socks with a thicker wool hiking sock on top and a backup pair in your pack. Good all on the ski goggles; snow blindness is real. What’s your hand protection system - mittens, gloves, base layer…?
Bring food - lots. You’ll burn a lot of energy moving in snow and staying warm. I also second Mr. Velvet’s recommendation to bring an insulated bottle, just in case. I’d fill it with hot water right before you leave so it stays liquid longer. Have plenty of fire-building methods with you, too.
Finally, have fun and don’t be afraid to call an audible should the conditions make hiking too dangerous!
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I’m so excited that you’ll be in my neck of the woods! (“My neck” comprising a 300 mi. radius around me.)
I agree that an essential component are shell pants. You’ll need to stay dry. I typically do leggings or heavy weight long johns (just got some new ones, LOVE THEM) under the rain/wind shells, but my husband smushes pants on under his. So for him base layer > pants > shell, and strip down as needed. As for gators, I’d probably bring them, but I’m a big baby.
And you have insulated boots?
You’re going to have so much fun!
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Thanks for all the replies!
I don’t have insulated hiking boots. I’ll be in these
I’ve got some thick wool hiking socks, I think they are Fitz brand. I e got other nice brand name socks but these are thicker than the others
I always have so much food on me lol. Zero need to worry about that.
I’ll also have a backava (idk how to spell it) and some ski goggles.
Ok, so I’ll do a wool base layer with some water/wind proof pants and have the gators with me.
As for gloves, I haven’t bought any yet but my hands don’t do well in the cold. I’ll be buying some very expensive gloves, or at least ones that say they’ll work better than anything else. They will also be water proof.
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Also, found a place close to where we are staying that rents micro spikes and crampons so we’ll be renting those there.
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If you have a thin pair of fleece/non-wool pants that would work as a middle layer, I’d bring them, too. What does your upper body clothing system consist of?
I hear you about hands, mine get cold easily, too. Mittens are always warmer than gloves, albeit more cumbersome me to use. However, for non-technical outings, mittens have worked well for me. I’ve had success with a two-layer system but haven’t found thin wool mittens to go under my Goretex outer mitts. Granted, I haven’t looked for a half decade.
I’m gonna attempt to find a short sleeve wool shirt or some other type of cold weather moisture wicking shirt for a base layer. Then I’ll have a Sherpa pull over that is incredibly warm. On top of that I’ll have a Patagonia rain jacket with a high collar and hood. I’ve already tried to rain jacket on over the Sherpa and it fits and covers all the material well. I’ll also have another thin Patagonia pull over in my bag should the Sherpa be too warm, it’s crazy how warm that thing is.
I’m gonna go with regular finger gloves as I value the extra dexterity. I’ve found some pretty warm gloves, just gotta make a decision. I’ll also have a pair of very thin wind proof gloves in my bag should I need a little extra. I used them under my dirt bike gloves for racing in the winter and they work well.
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Also I realized I went hiking a couple weeks ago and never posted here so it doesn’t count.
Did 15 or so miles 2600ft or so elevation gain. Last few miles done with headlamps which always makes me happy.
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FWIW I, along with many others, prefer synthetic base layers for high output activities in the winter. They will pull moisture off your body WAAAY better than wool. The trade of is they will stink and be slightly less warm. I’d rather be a little funky at the end of the day than have to deal with soggy base layers the whole day.
Outerwear choice entirly depends on the weather. The heavier and less breathable your clothing, the harder you are making it on yourself so understand that tradeoff. Start from the trailhead cold, you will heat up quick and be warm in 5 minutes. I love vests- keep your core warm but you can dump heat easy and I never over heat in them.
Bring a headlamp. Bring a foam pad for sitting on (cheap folding backpacking ones are ideal for winter day trips).
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How do you like the new backpack and boots after using them more?
You should be able to find lots of good options for base layer shirts, both wool and synthetic.
One item that concerns me is your balaclava - how thick/warm is it? Paired with your shell coat’s good, it’ll be pretty warm, but I always err on the air of caution (admittedly, to some people’s annoyance. Right up until they’re asking me to borrow something they didn’t think they’d need that I happened to bring along 
)
The boots are ok. I still don’t think they are broken in. Granted, I started with the most grippy and flimsy trail shoes on the market, so I may never be happy lol
I like the back pack better than the osprey for sure. But I don’t think I’m done with trying new ones out lol. I wanna give mystery ranch a try at some point. I also want to start back packing when we get some better weather so I’ll be getting a larger bag to accommodate all my bougie needs.
This is the hood I’m getting. Because, just look at it.
https://phunkshunwear.com/product/mistral-double-ballerclava-cottoncandy/
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@TriednTrue How did your hike go?
I just read about this and it made me think of this thread.
Wait…where was @wanna_be going again?