A sunny day meant that my next appointment with the summit of Mount Washington had finally arrived! My previous two visits to the weather station were marred by clouds at the top. This time, I would not be denied.
This report is divided into two parts, as the "Mount Washington" trail page only describes the ascent to the Owl Hike viewpoint, 2 miles from the TH. The name originates from a time when "night owls" liked to use the start of the Mt Washington trail as an evening hike, ending at a natural rock bench with a view of Rattlesnake Mountain. The second part describes the ascent beyond the Owl Hike viewpoint.
Part I:
We arrived at the Homestead TH parking lot at 10 am. The parking area had been partially cleared, and there was no difficulty parking. There were wisps of clouds high above the mountains, but it was a very gusty day at all elevation levels.
Snow was present throughout the hike, starting with the spur trail from the parking lot to the Iron Horse trail. Snow at the start was a few inches deep, though the trail was bare in places. Snow became thicker throughout, with complete coverage starting before or at the Owl Hike spot. We did not require traction devices, but poles were helpful. Blowdowns during the first mile of hiking were significant, forcing us to climb under or over under many occasions.
At the Owl Hike spot, the clear day provided excellent views of Rattlesnake and its three ledges. On the return leg, from the Iron Horse Trail we could see the moon rising above West Defiance Ridge.
For the ascent to the summit, read Part II: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2012-02-05.3171689679/
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