Suppose hypothetically you only have one weekend this summer to hit the WMNF, and suppose hypothetically the weather that weekend is looking rainy and foggy. Continue supposing (hypothetically) that you are feeling like you might as well bag some of the peaks that offer less excitement in terms of views, but maybe more excitement in the actual climb. Which peaks would you do?
Posted Jun 12, 2023, 9:47 PM UTC
Owls Head, beware of water crossings in heavy rain
Zealand & Hale
Galehead
Waumbek
Cabot
Just hiked Mt. hale a couple weeks ago in bad weather, didn't miss much of a view
Zealand has no view from the summit but Zeacliff is possibly the best view I’ve had in the whites
Every time we had ever been to Zeacliff it ended up raining. Until July 22, 2013. We were headed to Guyot for the famous sunrise, so we found ourselves sitting on Zeacliff at 1 AM. It was illuminated by a huge full moon, one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. Prema (my daughter and hiking partner) turned to me and said, "This is the first time we've ever gotten a view from here!"
Finished the 48 in the evening. West Bond for the famous sunset. And we got fogged in! Priceless!
I saw the question and the first thing i thought of was Owls Head via the slide trail
Waumbek will always love you, regardless of the weather.
Waumbek is what I did. My first bad weather hike. Ez and still cool Enough
Hale. Just Hale. Stupid rockpile.
The Hancocks would be good candidates.
Did Tom field Wiley one drizzly Wednesday myself
This post needs more hypotheses.
Hancocks would be my first choice, Hale if you want to do it on its own, Cabot, Tom/Wiley/Field but you miss the views from Avalon. I wouldn't do Owls Head personally bc of how slick the slide will be and the water crossings might be a bit tough.
At least Cabot has someplace dry to stop near the top, too.
The weather makes the memories.
Waumbek, Hale, Tecumseh. Just be careful on the slippery rocks.
Hale and waumbek are safe and you don’t miss out on much viewing. The hancocks. Willey, field, and Tom isn’t a bad option. Don’t do owls head in bad weather. You are isolated, there’s crossings if you don’t bush whack that may be high. Not really safe, plus I enjoyed it on a nice day. You get some views of the backside of Franconia ridge that are awesome and rare to see. But, like someone said. You learn a lot hiking in bad weather. Just don’t put yourself at too much risk. So avoid the long ones, ledgy ones (wildcats, Jefferson), isolated hikes, and the high ones. Anything else is fair game of you don’t mind missing a view and are prepared and cautious!
The wooded summits like hale, hancocks, carters, tripyrmids, whiteface passaconaway etc
the slides on the tripyramids would be hairy in bad weather imo
There’s many different routes to the tripyramids that don’t involve the slides.
Agreed. The north slide when it’s wet would terrify me. Definitely a dry weather hike.
I myself have turned back from the north slide when it wasn't even raining, just wet. Might've been different if I'd chosen Pine Bend Brook Trail that day, but I wasn't that smart.
Waumbeck, Tom & Field, and Hale would be my suggestions. I have done the first three in the foggy rain and they were all great hikes in those conditions!
Hale 100%
Tecumseh - very little views and a hallway of a trail - then you can walk down the service roads on Waterville Valley if the trail is soggy
waumbek, Tecumseh, osceola
Webster hall and then … Cabot
Mt Washington
Galehead isn’t a bad choice either.
Whiteface has some slick ledges too. Wouldn’t do that one.
You go to the Woodstock Inn and Brewery and have 4,000 foot IPA. It’s actually very simple
If I finish 48 do I get a fancy patch?
No but I got this nifty stomach pump here
They have nice bathrooms
The wildcat inn has wonderful owners and employees along with a good restaurant/bar.