High Peaks, Thanksgiving

[rmfedorov]

I plan to go to the High Peaks region on Wednesday for a few days. I planned on climbing mt. Marcy in a group of experienced mointaineers and something easier (Avalanche Lake?) with a group of beginners. Do you think crampons will be useful? Absolutely necessary?

What about snowshoes? I have heard that they are mandatory if there are enough snow. Will it be mandatory on Thanksgiving?

I will appreciate any information. As a matter of fact I have never been to Adirondacks before (well, I have a lot of winter mountaineering experience from some other parts of the world).

Roman

[Tuchov]

Crampons are a definite must! I don't think theres any snow up there right now, but I'm sure theres tons of ice. The radar over here shows its been raining up there almost every other day, and I'm sure above 3000 feet its below freezing. Last time I went hiking in November the high peaks were iced over.

Try Views from the top to read up on trip reports and see how it is. I doubt theres any snow on the trails, and just ice on the summits.

[adkdremn]

Roman-
Keep an eye on the weather and check here and www.viewsfromthetop.com
for trip reports in the area. With all the rain the region has received recently and now the cold temps forecasted it's good bet you'll need crampons. In the ADK's the saying is be prepared for anything. The weather can change in a heartbeat! Snowshoes, probablly not. The regulation is they are mandatory if there is 8 inches of snow.
Don't know if you saw it, but in the Event Planning section there is a good weather link for the Lake Placid area that is pretty accurate.
Enjoy your trip and we hope you'll post a trip report on you return!
Just curious, where is your other winter mountaineering experience from?

[rmfedorov]

Thank you very much for replies.

Just curious, where is your other winter mountaineering experience from?

Well, some minor trips in New Hampshire, Catskills, Massachusetts. I circumnavigated mt. Whitney in March (and climbed it). I climbed Narodnaya in March (this is in sub-polar Ural). And, as a matter of fact, summer mountaineering in Caucasia is somewhat similar to winters in New England.