THE WHITES 2022 – LIVE FREE OR DIE BABY

OVERVIEW

***Please read this trip description in full before joining the waitlist, and answer the questions in a detailed manner. Order waitlist is joined will not impact chances of getting on***

Since I joined the ODC, I’ve always wanted to take a group of sendy shredders back to my home turf, and perhaps the most underrated natural area on the East Coast: the White Mountains. Winter in the whites is horrendously cold and windy, but it offers access to the biggest alpine terrain on the East coast. Sprawling alpine bowls with 1000+ vertical foot couloirs, many over 50 degrees sustained, make it a playground for backcountry skiers/snowboarders, mountaineers, ice climbers, and others looking to appreciate the frozen beauty of it all. Joseph and I could not be more stoked to show you around.

When I say it’s horrendously cold and windy, it really can get despicably cold and windy. The story I always tell is during a cold spell, me and some buddies we’re hiding from the wind above the treeline and getting some chill glade laps in. We ran into a big group of people in full high-altitude mountaineering gear and stopped to chat. They told us they were making an attempt at Denali that spring, and they were training for extreme-cold expeditioning by spending 2 nights on Mount Washington. That night, not only was the Mt Washington summit colder than the Denali summit, it was the coldest known place on the face of the earth.

If you’re still at all interested in going on this trip: sick. While the above level of extreme cold does occur in the whites, it is not the norm. Rather, it’s the result of the jet stream shifting to pump arctic air at the whites, which happens two or three times a year. We should be prepared to still adventure if we get extreme cold, but we’re more likely looking at daytime averages of -10 to 30°F, with the windchill generally being -40 to 20°F.

Also, we will most certainly not be camping. I am inviting y’all to come stay in my grandparents’ lake house in Wolfeboro, NH. The heat generally can keep the house above 50, which is quite cozy with a fire going a good quilt. Because we’re staying in a house that belongs to my grandparents, I expect those who come to be on their best behavior. We’ll definitely be enjoying some beverages and having a good time, but not getting rowdy since it’s my grandparent’s place and we’ll be doing strenuous activities in the day.

Activities will depart daily from this lovely abode. Some days, we might all go somewhere together. I was thinking a group Chocorua hike would be a lovely plan for day 1, or go skiing at the local resort (Gunstock). Otherwise, we will generally be split into a group that wants to do mountaineering stuff in alpine terrain, and a group that wants to hike/whatever wintery activities you guys can think of. Here are the requirements for each group –

Mountaineering crew:
This group will be split into two subgroups – people who want to do backcountry ski mountaineering and people who just want to learn about mountaineering. Skiers will climb couloirs (w/ crampons/axe) and descend them, led by Max. Mountaineering clinic participants will climb couloirs and maybe follow that up by gaining a summit, and then walk down on hiking trails, led by Joseph. These activities are somewhat gear intensive (for good, life-saving reasons), so please read carefully.
Backcountry skiers:
– Skis/boots/skins/poles if you plan on skiing (can be rented at Ski the Whites, $60/day)
– Avalanche gear – beacon/shovel/probe (also can be rented, $50/day)
– Sharps – ice axe/crampons (gear room)
– Helmet/goggles or glasses (idk just find a ski helmet, some people backcountry ski in climbing helmets but that makes me ~uncomfortable~)
Mountaineering clinic:
– Mountaineering boots – must be crampon compatible (very limited selection in gear room, also if you’re in the market for hiking boots you can get them with a slots for crampons and a hard toe)
– Sharps – ixe axe/crampons (gear room)
– Helmet/goggles or glasses (I’d feel most comfortable in a ski helmet but people do this in climbing helmets)

Hike/various winter activity crew:
This group will go out and explore the beautiful white mountains via hiking, snowshoeing, or whatever else you guys are interested in. New Hampshire has magical hiking in the winter, with plenty of alpine terrain thats available without passing through avalanch risk areas. Because Joseph and I will both be mountaineering some days, this crew will need some interested trip leaders. I can suggest super cool activities and help with logistics planning the evenings before trips, but someone needs to take charge of making sure these trips run smoothly. For this group, required gear depends on what you guys want to do:
– Maybe snowshoes (available in the gear room)
– Maybe skis for the local resort

We will provide
– A warm(ish) house
– Communal meals
– Fantastic winter vibes

You should bring (on top of the gear listed by activity above)
– Very warm layers that can pack down into a bag – puff jacket/shell/snow pants are necessities
– Winter gloves (if you don’t have any you can get good ones for like $25 at the hardware store in town)
– Various athletic fleeces
– Long underwear
– Microspikes (gear room)
– Daypack (gear room)
– Headlamp (gear room)
– Trail snacks
– Comfy clothes for post-adventure chillin

Timeline:
12/15 10pm: Depart cville, rotating drivers and sleep-shifts
12/16 10am: Arrive in Wolfeboro, NH, unpack and do a chill midday trip (Chocorua?)
12/17 – 12/20: Various sendy winter activities ensue
12/21 5pm: finish cleaning and depart for various destinations, my car will be going back to Boston, I imagine the other car will drive back down to Virginia potentially dropping people off on the way

Estimated trip fee: $153/person (likely some of this will be redistributed at the end)
Gas fee: $83, mileage breakdown –
– My car: 650 miles to NH, average 80 miles/day for 5 days for trips, 100 miles back to MA, sums to 1150 miles, assume 25 mpg so approx 50 gal or $200 of gas, subtract $150 for ODC reimbursement, final: $50
– Other car: 650 miles to NH, average 80 miles/day for 5 days for trips, 650 miles back to VA, sums to 1800 miles, assume 20 mpg so approx 90 gal or $360 of gas, subtract $150 for ODC reimbursement, final: $110
– Funds will go towards reimbursing drivers’ full 50% tip, $100 for my car and $180 for other car, club puts $20 to each so total remaining is $240
– Total gas cost: $500 or $83/person
Food and beverage: $50
– Communal 3 meals/day for 12/16-12/20 plus 12/21 breakfast, stops on the highway for commute will not be covered
A bit of a buffer, in case something goes wrong: $20

Waitlist preference
– Drivers get priority off the waitlist (1 car needed), your car must have an AWD or 4WD drivetrain and handle reasonably well in the snow. Gas will be reimbursed up to $150 + $20 tip by the club, the additional cost of gas plus full 50% tip will come from trip funds.
– Those looking for exposure to backcountry skiing and mountaineering skills will be given priority off the waitlist, because this is my only chance to teach those skills (not much mountaineering terrain in VA). This entails willingness to travel in avalanche terrain. For those that are familiar with avalanche risks in the context of the Western US, risks in New Hampshire are much more subdued, but can still be deadly. I plan on teaching about avalanche risk evaluation and rescue. This also requires gear (beacon, shovel, probe). If you don’t already have the required gear, indicate whether you’re willing to rent ($50/day for avy kit, $60/day for backcountry skis/snowboard (if you want to be on skis)) or buy a setup if you’re hooked (the same shop has incredible deals).