Mt Washington this weekend what to expect

Hello everyone, I am planning a trip this weekend to Mt Washington to do the Northeast Ridge of the Pinnacle...I have never been up there before this time of year and just curious what to expect and more importantly what footwear to bring. Is there any real need for winter boots?

Also any other advice for being up there this time of year would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

I was up on Jefferson this past weekend and didn't see any snow on Washington. I wore my standard day hiking trail runners. No need for anything more. I'd definately bring warm layers and gloves.

Last time I climbed Pinnacle I carried my train runners in a pack and climbed in rock shoes. I'd do the same next weekend.

Perfect that is what I was thinking, appreciate the second opinion

Hey Adam!
It's been cold here at night ( in the low to mid-30's) and has been colder on the summits. There say be ice, but nothing has accumulated on the summits as of yet. I would definitely bring a parka of some sort and a good hat and extra layers. Also, remember that it starts getting dark up here around 5:00... So the standard headlamp, extra food and water is a must too. That is a wonderful classic climb and you are going to have a blast. Get and early start, set a reasonable turn around time and stick to it and you will be fine.

Peace

Ditto the early start. There is nothing to lose by getting an even earlier start than that.

If you arrive late, the walk in to Hermit Lake for camping is super easy - this would set you up for a shorter summit day. If you top out early and the weather is nice, consider returning via the Boot Spur - this lets you get a full tour of the mountain.

Yea that was my other question...at the moment its looking like we wont make it into camp until very late. Is Hermit Lake the best option?

I was on washington this past weekend. The weather was beautiful and while it was warm in the valley it was cool on the ridge and the heavy wind on the exposed sections made it downright cold-- hats, gloves, fleece, and shell cold. No ice or snow to be seen though.

As long as you don't leave Pinkham too late you should be fine. There are really only 2 or 3 pitches of true technical climbing (depending on how you climb it). The crux is probably the hike down for which I would definitely recommend good hiking shoes.

I'm not sure camping at Hermit Lake would save that much time (as you would still have to hike over to Huntington's).

Good luck!

Jim