White Mountain Safety Resources

I get a lot of questions about hiking in the White Mountains now that I live in Franconia, NH. While I am a novice to these mountains myself, I wanted to use today’s #optoutside momentum, in lieu of Black Friday marketing, to gather resources specific to the region from those who do have expertise.

With terrain that ranges from beginner to full-on technical, and views that will take your breath away, it is no wonder that the Whites draw visitors from around the globe year after year. Getting to know these mountains, and learning to venture out into them on my own, has been one of the most rewarding and confidence-building things I’ve done in years.

But one of the best things about the Whites is also one of the most dangerous: easy to get to from across the Northeast, and with trailheads to challenging terrain located all along 93, the Whites make the wilderness accessible, and this can be deceptive. Some days, it only takes an hour or two of climbing to go from a pleasant parking lot to near arctic conditions, at surprising times of year, too.

Because of their location at the confluence of many continental weather patterns, the weather in the Whites can turn on a dime. Some of the fiercest conditions on earth have been recorded on their peaks. Every year, our volunteer search and rescue teams make an average of 180 rescues, which is a mission every other day. And every year, the mountains claim at least one life.

It has been a sad week in Franconia, as we grapple with the death of 19-year-old hiker Emily Sotelo in Franconia Notch. Emily was only several peaks shy of completing all 48 of NH’s 4000 footers, and planned to finish the challenge this week. Instead, she was found dead from exposure on her 20th birthday as she attempted to summit Lafayette, Haystack and Mt. Flume in one day. Unfortunately, she was very underdressed and underequipped to handle the severe winter conditions she encountered (0 degrees at the summit, 40-60 MPH winds, wind chill of -30F).

I am in awe of Emily’s ambition, bravery, and love of the outdoors, and I would love to see more young women safely sending solo 4k summits (I have not worked up the courage or expertise for this myself, yet!), as well as marginalized communities that have historically been excluded from mountaineering.

Please help me share the resources listed below so that we can all keep educating ourselves on how to get outside and safely enjoy the Whites!

WHITE MOUNTAIN SAFETY RESOURCES:

All Trails is a great place to research the terrain and difficulty of hikes, find trail heads, and connect with other hikers for information. With a paid subscription, you can print out physical maps and download trail maps to your phone, which generally work with the phone’s GPS while hiking.

NOTE: do not depend solely on your phone for navigation, light, or rescue calls. Always pack a physical map, a compass, a reliable headlamp and extra batteries, and be prepared to rescue yourself in the event that you cannot reach SAR or they cannot get to you fast enough. There are many places in the whites with no cell phone service, and freezing temperatures slow or stop the chemical reactions that phone batteries rely on for power.

The Appalachian Mountain Club beginners guide to the Whites is another great place to start.

If you don’t have what you need to stay warm/cool dry/safe comfy on your adventures, Franconia Basecamp is a new outdoor clothing and equipment consignment store in town that will get you kitted out at wallet-friendly prices.

HikeSafe is a joint safety initiative by the NH Fish & Game department and the White Mountain National Forest. Adhering to their Hiker Responsibility Code helps ensure your safety, the safety of wilderness first responders, and the wellbeing of the environment.

The hikeSafe card is $25 annually. All proceeds go to NH’s search and rescue fund, and cardholders are exempt from SAR costs in the event that they need to be rescued.

The Mount Washington Observatory provides the best weather insights for the region, in particular their daily Higher Summits forecast.

It is extremely important to check summit forecasts, as read-outs provided by typical weather apps (such as Apple Weather) only provide base conditions.

The Redline Guiding Mountain Safety Resources is a wealth of further reading and links.

The USDA forest service’s White Mountain Winter Safety primer provides a good overview of winter hiking preparedness for the region.

And their White Mountain Summer Safety tips are worth reading too. It should be noted that summits have seen snow and below freezing temperatures even in midsummer.

AFAR has assembled a great list of resources for LGBTQ hikers + campers that address things like safety, empowerment and further educational opportunities.

The American Hiking Society’s resources on understanding and confronting racism in the outdoors provides some essential reading for making the outdoors a safe and inclusive space for all.

And check out this list of resources, info + opportunities for BIPOC adventurers, compiled by Eugene Young Pak for Melanin Basecamp.

Additional hikeSafe information for hiking with Kids + Dogs is a must for hikers with little ones and four footeds.

Know your limits, pack for the unexpected, and always be prepared to rescue yourselves. The destination is the parking lot, not the summit.

Rest In Peace, Emily.

All images by Caroline Goddard.