Alright, I need to do something exciting over winter break, or I'm going to loose it. I have a lot of time, anything up to two weeks is cool. Anywhere between VT/NH and north of NC is an easy drive for me. I'm thinking about going up North and doing something winter oriented. I have all the camping gear and winter camping know-how that I need. I'm also looking into buying a pair of snowshoes. I want to go packpacking somewhere and maybe bag a few peaks. What's a good area for this? I know this is general as hell, but I'm really open to anything. I don't know how to ice-climb and don't have any experience on terrain where I may be in need of a slef arrest. Other than that I'm very fit and able to cover a good deal of terrain in a week and can withstand any weather I may face. Also, are people still rock climbing down around Seneca or the NRG during late December? Maybe I'll do to two road trips...

go up to adirondaks and climb mt marcy...you only need snowshoes..and wintercamping know how
if i were you, i'd learn how to ice climb

I second the marcy comment. I'm basically in the same boat as you and my plan is to hike into Marcy Dam w/ about a week's worth of gear and make it my basecamp for peak bagging in the area.

One thought though. You might want crampons. I hiked up there during late winter last year w/ just snowshoes and basically couldn't go above tree line cuz it was all ice (the bulletproof kind).

1) marcy
2) presidentials traverse in North Conway
3) screw it, drive to southern utah, enjoy. I mean you have two weeks...

the presidential traverse is a serious undertaking...

I second that - very demanding

...and the record time is under 10 hours for a winter jaunt.

while the record is obviously rather fast, there is little need for technical climbing skill, and if you are fit, you can do it in a looong day, as long as you are prepared to bail if things get crappy.

Personally, I don't understand how or why anybody takes three days to walk 18 miles.

Remind me, crackhead.....what's the total elevation change on that little 18 mile jaunt ?

two words - Hugh Herr

Thanks for all the advice everybody, I'll look into those; and also start posting in the climbing gear section as to which crampons/ice axes etc. I'm going to need. Mt. Marcy looks promising, thats very close to me. And I just got off the phone with my friend who lives in Boston, she said she'd be interested in going up to the Pres.s. Getting psyched up already! Maybe even enough to get me through fall semester.