Thursday, July 1, 2010

quick mountain update

In my quest to shape up to hike Mt. Washington this summer, we have been getting up into some much higher altitudes. Our last one, summiting Mt. Eisenhower, allowed us to view the surroundings at ~4,700 ft. Mt. Washington is over 6,000 ft.

Alpine conditions can change on a dime and hikers need to be uber-prepared for any weather, regardless of season. The Mt. Washington Observatory offers camera shots so you can see if it's cloudy or clear, and they also give a detailed weather forecast for the current day and the next for the higher elevations (including some of the presidentials).

So we will be hiking Mt. Monroe in two days, hopefully hopping over to Lakes of the Clouds, and perhaps Mt. Washington, depending on how far it is and how we (and our dogs) feel. I just checked the weather on the top of the mountain. Keep in mind, down here, it's in the high 70s to low 80s. On Mt. Washington, on July 1st, it's just above freezing. Tonight the high peaks are likely to get ice. Not just frost, but actual ICE. IN JULY.

....seriously?!

No comments: