Happy Holidays from the White Mountains!




With the recent storm this weekend everything here at Pinkham Notch is glazed in ice! This morning I was able to go out and hike to some of my favorite destinations here at Pinkham. I first went to Lost Pond, which has great views of Mount Washington (picture above). This trail is one of the easiest and most delightful trails in the area, it crosses a wetland created by beaver dams and follows the Ellis River south 1/2 mile to the pond, it is a great place to also spot tracks of area wildlife.
I then decided to hike up to Square Ledge (picture to the left), which is also on the same trail system as Lost Pond. This also a 1/2 mile hike, with a little more elevation gain and a short rock scramble before the top of the ledge. I thankfully had my microspikes with me as all of the rocks were glazed in ice. We did have some brief moments of clouds today, but the summit was able to been seen; it was a 120 mile view day!



As you can see most of the trees were covered in ice, which made for beautiful scenery. Since it was so nice outside I then decided to hike up to Lila's Ledge (picture to the right and below) which has great views looking into the valley, west to Wildcat Mountain and east to Mt. Washington. This trail starts on the Old Jackson Road and can also be done as a 2 mile loop. This loop has lots of ups and downs in elevation as it goes through George's Gorge but the hike is worth the reward!


With the cold temperatures we are expecting to have over the next couple of days, expect there to still be some icy conditions on the trails. Light traction devices and even snowshoes are helpful for safe and enjoyable hiking. If you are visiting and staying at Joe Dodge Lodge you can demo these traction devices for free. As always you can check AMC Conditions for the latest report from the snow stakes and/or call us here at Pinkham to see what we're seeing out our windows and for the best trail advice we can give you!   
The AMC also offers clinics and group trips for ice climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, winter mountaineering and avalanche classes. All of our programs for the '13/'14 season can be found on our Activities and Events Page.  
For any general questions, conditions information, or trail advice, please feel free to contact us here at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center front desk.  We are available by phone at (603) 466-2721 every day from 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM or by email at amcpinkhaminfo@outdoors.org. To make reservations at AMC Lodges and Huts, please call (603)466-2727 available Monday through Saturday 9am-5pm. We also offer ski and stay packages at our Joe Dodge Lodge and the Highland Center. 
 

Happy holidays to you and yours!

Danielle J.
Backcountry Information Specialist
AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
(603) 466-8116
amcpinkhaminfo@outdoors.org


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