Ritzhikes

Where: Mt. Washington When: June 27, 1992 With: Solo I wanted to climb Mt. Washington, so I looked in the White Mountain guidebook to see what routes were available. The book said the Huntington Ravine trail was the most difficult trail in the White Mountains, so that settled it. If I was going to climb the highest mountain in the Northeast, I was going to take the hardest route! The main reason for the difficulty rating was the exposure. The route was very strenuous, to be sure, but it was the open, unprotected climbing near the top of the ravine that earned it its rating. I got an early start and drove straight to the mountain, up 93 to the Kancamagus Highway and then cutting over on Bear Notch road to avoid North Conway. The weather at the base was warm and sunny, and there were a fair number of people and cars there. I packed up my daypack, checked out the Pinkham Lodge facility, and then headed up the trail. Given the popularity of the route and the area, it was no surpris...