The plan was to summit Mt. Adams. For those of you not familiar with the area this peak is just north of Mt. Washington, one of the most dangerous mountains around during the winter. The weather is unpredictable and the winds consistently hit record speeds of 100+ mph.
The first day we hiked up to the Grey Knob RMC cabin in rain. There were some icy sections on the trail so we strapped on the crampons to get some practice before the summit bid in the morning.
When we arrived at the cabin we were informed by the caretaker that she wasn’t planning on lighting the wood burning stove that night because the temp in the cabin had not yet dropped below freezing. It was 33 degrees inside. So we went to sleep chilled, slightly damp, and tired. We awoke the next morning to a depressing yet not unexpected weather report. Wind speeds on Mt. Adams were reaching 70-90 mph, the air temp was -3 degrees, and 4 inches of snow had fallen over night. Our summit plans were flushed. We did however venture out in the wind and cold to explore the area surrounding the hut and of course play in the snow.
The hike out was spectacular. All downhill, about 1 degree air temp, and all the additional snow made everything look like a fairytale land. Our experience was relatively tame compared to the hardcore mountaineers and alpine climbers that brave sub zero temps, breakneck winds, and all while sleeping outside and climbing! Something to aspire to!
Good for you two for your aspirations. I’m sure it is beautiful in any case.