Presidential Range

The sketchy mix of hard, icy surfaces and poorly bonded, and likely reactive, wind slabs remain a problem in most avalanche terrain. If venturing into steep terrain, bring an ice axe and crampons (not just microspikes; see incident report below) in addition to your beacon, shovel and probe. Natural avalanches aren’t likely today, but human-triggered avalanches are possible with slabs 1-2’ thick in isolated areas. A hard ice crust exists at all elevations but is impenetrable with boots in steep terrain at middle and upper elevations. Moderate avalanche danger exists at middle and upper elevations that have received recent snowfall and wind loading. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully.

The Winter Lion Head Route is the most direct route to climb to the summit from Pinkham Notch. The Tuckerman Ravine trail through the Bowl, and the Lion Head Summer Trail are much more exposed and pass through avalanche terrain.

Traveling in the mountains today will continue to be challenging due to a thinly covered, breakable crust at lower elevations and a dense, hard, icy surface in steeper areas more exposed to the wind. The new snowfall overnight and yesterday will not improve skiing conditions much, and in fact it will only serve to mask the knife hardness ice crust beneath. The new snow has refreshed lower elevation ski trails quite a bit but the icy layer dominates conditions in steeper terrain in Tuckerman Ravine. 

 

A summit hiker was reported missing to USFS personnel at 11pm last night when they failed to return from a summit hike via Boott Spur or one of the Lion Head Trails. Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrollers found him in Tuckerman Ravine below Right Gully at approximately 3 am. The subject of the search had taken a long sliding fall down Right Gully after taking a wrong turn off the Lion Head Trail. The climber had plenty of hiking and snow climbing experience but inexplicably chose to leave his crampons and ice axe behind. The microspikes he wore on his mountaineering boots did not provide adequate traction during his descent. He sustained non-life threatening injuries during the fall. A team of 6 Mountain Rescue Service and four Androscoggin Valley SAR personnel assisted AMC and USFS staff in delivering the patient to Pinkham Notch, arriving at 5:30am.

 

Information on all US avalanche fatalities can be found here with details and accident reports appearing as they are submitted to the CAIC.  An interview with Simon Trautman of the National Avalanche Center on the recent cluster of fatal avalanche accidents can be found here. 

 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to submit all the observations of snow and avalanche conditions, both inside and outside our avalanche forecast area. Please keep them coming. 

 

Your avalanche, snowpack, or weather observations are extremely valuable to the forecasters at MWAC. Help create a more accurate avalanche forecast by submitting your observations here. 

 

Listen to the weekly MWAC Outreach Podcast provided by Ski The Whites. Discussions include snowpack information, weekend outlook, and general avalanche related info. 

 

Thursday, February 25 @ 7PM - Barriers to Cognition and Perception with Blake Keogh  - A Free Zoom Webinar.

 

The Harvard Cabin is open for camping only with no entry allowed inside the cabin. There is no access to the breezeway at HoJos.

Please Remember:

• Safe travel in avalanche terrain requires training and experience. This forecast is just one tool to help you make your own decisions in avalanche terrain. You control your own risk by choosing where, when, and how you travel.
• Avalanche danger may change when actual weather differs from the higher summits forecast.

For more information contact the US Forest Service Snow Rangers, AMC visitor services staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, or the caretakers at Hermit Lake Shelters or seasonally at the Harvard Cabin (generally December 1 through March 31). The Mount Washington Ski Patrol is also available on spring weekends.