Completely exhausted, I collapsed behind a small outcrop of rocks hoping to find refuge from seventy mile per hour winds.  Now that I had stopped moving, my body temperature was rapidly dropping as I unhooked my backpack to search for my camera.  When I finally found it, the camera had frozen and refused to turn on. The wind ripped off my hat and my 30lb pack threatened to follow before I could grab it and pin it down. I just wanted one damn picture to prove I made the summit of Mount Washington in the winter!

For New Englanders, Mount Washington has an almost mythical reputation.  Washington’s summit is the tallest point between several major storm tracks.  As a result, the weather is erratic and extremely dangerous.  Often described as the worst weather in the world, Mount Washington is considered a Tundra climate that occasionally warms to sub-arctic.  Wind speeds exceed hurricane force an average of 110 days per year.  On April 12th 1934 the highest wind speed ever recorded by man was recorded at the summit of Mount Washington (a staggering 231MPH). 

If the erratic weather isn’t enough to warrant Washington’s mythical reputation, there have also been 135 recorded deaths in the Presidential range since 1849.  These deaths occurred for a variety of reasons including avalanche, hypothermia, heart attacks, or simply taking one wrong step.  Amateurs and experienced Mountaineers alike have fallen victim to this mighty Mountain. 

Despite its horrid reputation Mount Washington is no stranger to tourists.  Hikers swarm to bag the peak in every season.  The Cog Railway runs from North Conway through the White Mountains and eventually to the summit.  There is also an auto road that allows access to cars. People brave enough to drive up Washington proudly flaunt bumper stickers that declare “This car climbed Mount Washington.” 

I’m almost embarrassed to say I had never been to the summit of Mount Washington.  I spend a lot of time hiking in the White Mountains, but Mount Washington always scared me. I didn’t want to do it alone and I rarely have opportunities to go with others.  I also felt like taking a train or car to the summit was cheating. I wanted to reach the summit through the power of my own two legs and the idea of doing it in the winter, during Washington’s most violent weather, seemed appropriate.  However I’m far from an experienced Mountaineer and reaching the summit of Washington in February requires skills that I just don’t have. 

In January, while googling articles about two hikers who survived an 800 foot avalanche in Tuckerman Ravine, I stumbled across an ad for the EMS climbing School.  It was one of those situations where I had to spontaneously sign up for the trip or else I would allow myself time to think and ultimately wouldn't do it. I have found allowing myself to think things through is never a good idea! 

Getting Started:

I left my house at 3:30AM and quickly shot up to North Conway.  My adrenaline and the lack of traffic got me to the EMS climbing School by 5:45AM, a full hour and fifteen minutes before check in.

After an hour of scanning radio stations and repacking my pack, I saw a few others file into the Climbing school so I followed suit.

There would be three other climbers besides myself and the guide. I first met Matt and Tom, who had rented a car and driven 8+ hours from Philadelphia for this class.  They were both accomplished hikers having completed the JMT and several hundred miles on the AT however, like me, they had little Mountaineering experience.

We were joined by John who had a bit more climbing experience. He had climbed Mount Rainer a few years ago and this year had taken to climbing several of the Whites smaller peaks with Microspikes.

Our guide, Jeremy, had summated Washington 75 times.  He quickly got us outfitted with technical gear including an ice axe, crampons and microspikes, and then we were off to Pinkham Notch to begin our ascent.

Tuckerman Ravine Trail.

From the Pinkham Notch parking lot we took The Tuckerman Ravine trail 1.7 miles to the Lions Head Trail.  Tuckerman Ravine Trail is a turn of the century logging road that was converted into a hiking trail.  The incline is gradual and the trail is wide enough to, well, drive logging trucks down. 

We were all pretty anxious to get on the trail and we sped along as Jeremy gave us advice about layering our clothing in anticipation of what was to come.  We made short work of The Tuckerman Ravine trail and reached the turn off to Lions head where the real climbing began.

We quickly changed from Microspikes to Crampons and unleashed our ice axes as Jeremy spent about 10 minutes reviewing Crampon techniques and proper use of the Ice Axe. On a side note, I don’t think I ever felt more badass in my life than when I was carrying that Ice ax and realizing I would actually have reason to use it.

Lions Head Trail: 

 The Lions Head Trail is a far cry from the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. The trail travels through the woods for about a mile before it breaks tree line. From there you have another steep and difficult half mile before you hit “Lions Head”, a rocky outcrop that looks like a Lion’s Head.

John took the lead through the beginning of the Lion’s Head Trail with Jeremy in back shouting instructions as we reached different types of terrain.  We soon reached a “shoot” which would be the steepest section we would encounter the entire day.  A “shoot” was a near vertical climb that required very careful footing. In the summer, I imagine this was nothing more than a difficult rock scramble, but in the winter with the snow covering foot holds and very little to grab onto, it made for a very dangerous endeavor.  I was the second to the top of the shoot and I stood by watching Matt and Tom climb up. All I could think is, “How the hell are we going to get down this?” 

We broke Tree Line in what I felt was really good time.  The wind picked up immediately and we marched on to Lions head where we could take quick refuge from the wind and decide if we could continue.

 As we sat at Lion’s head, ate and changed into our colder weather gear the news from descending hikers was bleak.  Every person we talked to was turning around due to strong winds and extreme cold. 

We decided to gear up, push forward and reassess as we went.  Before we left Lions Head, Jeremy felt it was necessary to have a very real conversation with me. He noticed my pace had slowed during the last quarter mile. My body was running low on energy and I knew I was slowing down the group. For the safety of me and the group Jeremy needed to know if I could physically complete the climb, keeping in mind the hardest part was still in front of us.

I’m a slow hiker to begin with, but there was no hiding that this trail was kicking my ass.  Still, we sat less than a mile from the summit and I knew I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I got this close and failed for reasons other than the weather.  Not to mention we were all in this together.  If one person stops we all have to stop.  The other guys in the group had a lot of time and money invested into this and if we failed to reach the summit, it had to be because of dangerous weather and not because I couldn’t push on.  I ensured Jeremy I was able to go and we started the final push to the summit of Mount Washington.

The Alpine Garden:

From this point forward every inch of our bodies had to be covered in order to prevent frost bite. With 70 MPH winds and a high of 0 degrees, we anticipated wind-chills of 50 below.  Jeremy didn’t pull any punches about his intentions. If the wind was as strong as the other hikers reported, we were going back down the Mountain.  Right as we left the safety of Lions Head Mount Washington’s erratic weather shifted once again. The wind we had felt since reaching tree line had shifted to the other side of the Mountain.  Suddenly the air was calm and the only thing that would prevent us from reaching the summit was our own will power.

I took the lead position and we began our push.  I wish I could tell you I took the lead because I was the most experienced or had the best technique, but truthfully I was the slowest and it was important we stayed together. 

After about a half mile the trail began to rapidly ascend. We could see the top of Washington right in front of us, but there was no way to get there without going up! Each step became more challenging than the last.  My ski goggles fogged over, then froze solid making them impossible to see through.  So much for buying second hand ski equipment to try to save a few dollars… They had advised us to bring two pairs and I was happy I did.

We reached a sign that announced we were 0.4 miles to the summit. It’s amazing how short of a distance four tenths of a mile feels like when you’re driving or even walking down the road.  As I looked at the summit above, those four tenths of a mile might as well have been a hundred miles.

With each step I grew more exhausted and started playing games in my head to try to get me through the last push. “If you take 10 steps, you’ll cover 20 feet, if you cover 20 feet 110 times you’ll be at the summit” the logic wasn’t even rational, but it was the type of game I needed to play to keep myself moving forward. 

Before I knew it my Crampons were clanking against the pavement of the Auto road. It’s surreal to work so hard to reach one of nature’s most unique creations only to see buildings and pavement.  Still, I knew this was here going into the hike and it didn’t deter from the moment at all.

The others raced past me to the summit sign as I walked at an agonizing pace.  The wind had regained its full force and it was truly like nothing I had ever experienced before.  It battered my beaten body around like a boat crashing against waves in a storm.  I couldn’t get over how hard it was to do something as simple as walk in a straight line.

I’m proud to say I got my picture at the summit that day and I earned it. 

After the photo we all changed into warmer clothing, ate, drank quickly and began our rapid descent down the mountain. 

The descent was slow and we burned through day light quickly.  The most difficult section was the “shoot” below tree line.  Jeremy took out his rope and we repelled off the mini ledge with our crampons digging into whatever snow covered foot holds we could find. 

We ended up night hiking through the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, but it was so wide open we didn’t need head lamps.

As far as I’m concerned the class was worth its weight in gold.  I plan to take another Mountaineering Course with EMS next year and I would like to do the same Mount Washington ascent again. I would make a few changes to my gear and how I prepare for the hike, but it was a truly exhilarating experience.  Jeremy was a great group leader. He was a good teacher, patient and joked around with us.  At the same time, he was deliberate and clear about what was in our best interest.

I’ve done a lot of hiking around the United States and it’s difficult to compare one location to another. They are all unique and special for their own reasons. I can say without hesitation this was the hardest hike of my life and something I will fondly look back on.

Some more pics from the hike:

It's not unusual in the winter to see a group of friends building up a suburban snow ramp to test their luck off the slopes. I am sure there are countless YouTube videos of skiers and snowboarders grinding on handrails and catching a little air on some homemade jumps. Although those have been cool, in today's age they are not nearly that impressive. People are always been one up'd online and unfortunately its hard to come off as anything but mediocre doing this. 

Well two years ago JP Auclair changed that trend when a teaser video from Sherpas Cinemas snowboard flick "All.I.Can" was released. This redefined urban skiing and for good reason. 

The movie was a huge hit for Sherpas Cinemas and this teaser going viral probably didn't help anything. Well recently I had another urban skiing video brought to my attention. While it comes off as the type of video I spoke of at the beginning of this post, its so much more. 

Derelict Detroit serves as the perfect playground for this crew. This comes off as nothing but creative, and it is far from unimpressive. Take a look for yourself and you might just think of Detroit in a new light from now on. 

Because Mother Nature can be a pain. Because civilization can be a pain.

FNO Takes you to the state of: Correction, FNO takes you to the country of New Zealand.

Where are you (park, forest, etc.)-  Brewster Track Haast Pass, in Mt Aspiring National Park

Nearest town (s)- Makarora, Haast, Wanaka

How long is this hike- We did it as an overnight, but it can be combined with other areas to make it longer or done in a day.

Miles- It was only 2.7km, but it was steep—like straight up and down steep.

On your toughness scale (1 easiest, 10 toughest)-I’d give it a 5. It was really short, but steep, so it wasn’t exhausting, but very slow moving.

Tell us about it.

This tramp was the last activity of a 5 day trip to the West Coast of New Zealand.  We hadn’t seen the sun yet, so we were thrilled when it was bright blue skies the morning of the tramp and got to the trailhead and began in our T-shirts.  The trail started with a knee-deep river crossing, so my feet were wet from the beginning, but I was still hot.  However, the trail goes up to a hut at 1400m and the previous night, they had gotten fresh snow!  While this was exciting, it also meant that all the snow from the tree tops were melting and it literally felt like it was pouring rain on us for the entire time until we reached treeline.  Oh well, at least is was warm.  Once we got to treeline, the views were unreal.  We were surrounded by snow-capped peaks in every direction, including Mt Brewster—the tallest peak in Haast Pass—and Mt Armstrong, which we hoped to climb the next morning.  The snow was knee deep, but we didn’t care since our feet were wet anyway and it was warm and sunny!  New Zealand has a really good backcountry hut system, so we finally got to our hut after only 2.5 hours and played around in the snow a bit, admiring the views, and relaxed in the hut.  After watching the sunset and eating our spaghetti, we got into our sleeping bags.  The sunset was incredible and I’d imagine the stars were too, but this hut didn’t have a wood stove like many do, so we weren’t willing to leave our bags to check stars.

Now the 6am alarm came early and it was cold, but perfectly clear skies.  We were hoping to attempt to summit Mt Armstrong at 2175m.  Our bags were comforting, but we both agreed we’d be kicking ourselves if we didn’t give it a go.  Unsure what the conditions would be like, we set off into the snow, hoping to summit before the sun softened the snow too much.  The moving was slow through the snow, but we were moving nonetheless, and then decided to scramble up the rocks to the top.  It was a little sketchy as the rocks were icy, but we made it—to a false summit.  So, after a little more walking and a little more climbing, we were nearly there!  Just one last incline to the summit and the sun was just starting to peer over the mountains!  Unfortunately, though, this last incline was a sheet of ice and without crampons or an ice-axe, we weren’t able to make it to the top, so we agreed, reluctantly, to stop about 500 feet short of the peak.  The views here were still unbelievable and all we had now was a walk back down, which admittedly included sections of sliding as well!  After lunch in the hut, it was back down to the car and home!

See any wildlife? Again, there isn’t much wildlife in New Zealand, but we did see Kea—the world’s only mountain parrot and it has a beautiful green body and red wings.

Would you recommend? (Yes or no) 10, It was amazing, but be aware, that it is steep and your joints hurt after coming down.

Tell us a little about yourself: I’m the self-appointed Chief of International Marketing for Father Nature Outdoors!  Besides that, I’m a college student studying abroad in New Zealand and have had the fortunate opportunity to do many tramps around this beautiful country.  I’ve also snowmachined through parts of Alaska, hiked and snorkeled in Hawaii, backpacked along the Continental Divide Trail, rafted part of the Colorado River, and biked the C&O canal trail.  I love being outdoors!

A few days after the holidays and all sorts of great winter videos are gaining popularity. With some free time home on break, being outside to enjoy the snow sounds like the perfect thing do. However being outside in the snow can also lead to some unpredicatable situations. Most of the blame in these situations can't really be attributed to the cameraman(woman)- they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So enjoy some up-close wildlife and be happy that your winter adventures haven't turned out this way, yet.

Given how many times you can count this man say "eh", chances are its in Canada. On a wintery trek he found himself face to face with a coyote who wont stop coming after him, and biting him.

He probably should've gone about it another way. For example, this guy has got it figured out.

The same defense technique probably doesn't work with larger animals though and it probably isn't easy to do it with skis, so my only advice for this guy is.. good luck.

That pretty popular video came out last week. I've dealt with plenty of moose, but given this situation there's not too much you can do. Wrong place, wrong time.

Father Nature himself would find some challenges in the previous videos. We all know by now that Mother Nature can be a pain. But there's a difference between dealing with nature and provoking nature. So finally enjoy these children getting way too close to a bison.

Father Nature commends the exceptional parenting of the kids in this video. Just a one ton bison chasing my kid in circles. Another day at Yellowstone..

That's probably enough fun videos for now. I hope your holidays were a tad more peaceful than that.

-Father Nature Outdoors
 Because Mother Nature can be a pain.

After writing posts ranging from winged humans to unicorns it seemed about time I put a little spotlight on the progress of this here enterprise: Father Nature Outdoors. In the past month a lot has happened over here and I am pretty excited to share the updates.

In the past year since the founding of FNO we have been attempting to create the perfect hybrid sleeping system. We've been in contact with manufacturers both in the US and overseas in attempts to try and get our product created. We have seen and been sent a variety of materials ranging from sleeping bags to sleeping pads to stuff sacks, and we finally have nearly the perfect combination of the three. The storage space under my bed, or lack thereof is evidence of all these materials we have tested. 

It started with the first hand-sewn design in the fall of 2011. Then the product evolved into what is now the FNO Hybrid Sleeping Bag. After about ten solid attempts, we have finally found a quality manufacturer who created a prototype that is 95% perfect. We solved the final 5% and now have exactly what we wanted. What does this mean?

Small sales. Soon were going to start selling the first generation of FNO Hybrid Sleeping Bags here at Fathernatureoutdoors.com. Come January 1st we will officially become Father Nature Outdoors LLC and become a real part of the outdoor industry. 

It's been a fun ride here as we have got this company chugging along, so we appreciate the help and support we have received so far. Stay tuned for more pictures and videos soon to be uploaded to the website here. We   have a pretty awesome following so thanks for all the shares. We'll give you plenty more to show off soon.

Happy Holidays from Father Nature Outdoors! Because Mother Nature can be a pain.

P.S. Just in case you were yearning for a white Christmas, this video will make you start wishing just that much harder.