Cross Training in the Mountains of New Hampshire

I have to admit that my running has been a bit inconsistent the past few weeks. I have been taking some time off to go on a couple of Scout outings with Troop 100. First was Nantucket and last weekend, I went backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with the goal of getting the Scouts to the summit of Mt. Washington. If we succeeded, I would have made the summit of the highest peaks in three states in New England.

When we were driving up to Pinkham Notch to hike into our shelter for the night on Friday, one of the Scouts asked me why they call them the White Mountains. I didn’t know the answer. I have heard that they were called the White Mountains because the look totally white in winter. But, I wasn’t sure if that was true. So, I decided to look it up on Wikipedia (my source for all information now) and found this explanation:

There has been much discussion of the origin of the name "White Mountains". This name and similar ones such as "White Hills" or "Wine Hills" are found in literature from colonial times. According to tradition, the mountains were first sighted from shipboard off the coast near the Piscataqua estuary. The highest peaks would often be snow-capped. An alternate theory is that the mica-laden granite of the summits looked "white" to observers.

We reached Pinkham Notch with plenty of time and daylight to hike the 2.4 miles up to Hermit Lake Shelters where we would sleep for the night before waking up early to hike the 2.0 miles up to the summit of Mt. Washington. I told the Scouts we were doing it the right way – on our feet. A lot of people visit the summit by taking the Mt. Washington Auto Road or Cog Railway. I just don’t think you get the same satisfaction summiting that way.

We didn’t tell the Scouts much about the trail up to Hermit Lake Shelters. There was a reason for this. The first 2.4 miles, to the Hermit Lake shelters, is a relatively wide path. However, it is a typical White Mountain trail full of rocks and roots. That is the good news. The reality is that we were going to climb about 1,800 feet in those 2.4 miles. The White Mountain Guide describes this section well, noting " ... its moderate but relentless climb ...". We made it in under 2 hours which is not bad considering we were carrying full packs weighing around 30 lbs.

After a good nights sleep, we got up at 6:00 am to head out. We had decided to take the Tuckerman’s Ravine Trail to the summit. We were going to have a trail breakfast after we had been hiking for about an hour. We knew we had to go about 2 miles to the summit and would be climbing another 2,413 feet. We wanted to make the summit by 11:00 am to ensure we would not get caught in the predicted storm which would arrive around 3:00 pm.

I won’t bore you with the details of the hike. We did take our backpacks with us leaving behind only our sleeping gear. The morning was beautiful and it looked like we were going to have an unusually clear day at the peak. After about 2 hours and 45 minutes, we reached the top of Mt. Washington. We were greeted with clear skies and a temperature of about 40 degrees…in July. We stayed at the summit for about 2 hours hanging out at the lodge and taking in the views before heading back down to camp.

For those who are unfamiliar with Mt. Washington, it is one of the peaks in the Presidential Range located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The most notable summits of the range are named for prominent Americans, either public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries or Presidents. Mt. Washington is the highest peak at 6,288 ft and is the tallest peak in New Hampshire.

Mount Washington is also known as the “Home of the world's worst weather". Severe storms, including snow, can happen at any time of the year. The combination of severe winds, cold and wetness can exhaust even the strongest hiker. As a Scout leader, we know to never continue upwards in deteriorating weather in the Whites, as conditions can get worse quickly at higher elevations. Even when we are hiking with adults only, we watch the sky and weather very closely so we are not caught in an unsafe situation.

I looked at last weekend as a cross training exercise for my running. The hike would be a strenuous climb for those who are not in good shape. But, a runner like me can withstand the strain and summit with no problem, weather permitting. The distance by most trails is relatively short at around 4 miles +/-. This seems very short considering many of my long runs. But on any of the trails you choose, you will gain roughly 4,000 feet of elevation, which is a lot. To quote the White Mountain Guide:

To a person unused to mountain trails or in less than excellent physical condition, this unrelenting uphill grind can be grueling and intensely discouraging. If you are not an experienced hiker or a trained athlete, you will almost certainly enjoy the ascent of Mount Washington a great deal more if you build up to it with easier climbs in areas with less exposure to potentially severe weather.

It was a great weekend. I now can say I have been on the highest peaks in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Next, I will have to go up into Vermont and try to summit the highest peak there -- Mt. Mansfield at 4,393 ft. I can honestly say, I didn’t feel bad about missing my weekend runs because I had a rare day on the summit of Mt. Washington where we could see for miles.

Here are my training totals:

July 5 – 10.10 miles (1:25:51, 8:29 pace)
July 6 – 6.20 miles (52:02, 8:23 pace)
July 7 – 3.50 miles (27:50, 7:57 pace) – Speedwork, 2 – 1 mi repeats @ 6:57 per mile
July 9 – 7.10 miles (57:38, 8:07 pace) – Tempo
July 10 – 6.10 miles (51:33, 7:41 pace)
July 13 – 6.00 miles (51:42, 8:37 pace)
July 14 – 3.10 miles (22:56, 7:24 pace) – 5K Speedwork
July 16 – 7.20 miles (56:58, 7:54 pace) – Tempo
July 17 – 6.10 miles (52:00, 8:31 pace)
July 18 – 9.00 miles (1:16:22, 8:29 pace)

Total Miles: 58.20 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,145.20 miles