Saturday, January 20
Summits: Moosilauke
Start/Finish: Moosilauke Ravine Lodge winter parking
Miles: 8.54
Elevation gain/loss: 3550′
With an early 5:45 am start, I was the first one out on a very cold morning. The trail was well packed, though the powder had been blown around by wind overnight, leaving knee-deep drifts across the trail higher up. The trees were heavy with snow and ice, but there was space for me between them. Above the treeline, it was a bit windy but not back for Moosilauke. It was -5 actual and around -30 windchill. I quickly tagged the summit and headed back down. I felt very comfortable in my layers, despite picking a lighter set-up than I’ve used in the past, trying to cut down on my sweating. I ran into the next hikers of the day close to the bottom of the climb, maybe a mile from the lodge. It was a great hike with fast conditions given the circumstances.
Transcending Mountains 