Alright, since this thread has gone all to shit to the usual bickering, I figure I may as well start slinging. Why would I do it in more than one day? Because I want to spend more than one day outside. Doing a bunch of day hikes is a hell of a way to get used to camping in winter conditions. Maybe I should have stated that I already do have a fair deal of experience winter camping in the new england area, and mountaineering experience (three season). Now I want to combine the two. Driving someplace warm isn't what I'm looking for. As of now I have a couple people lined up and it looks like we're going to be headin to the presidentials. Maybe I'll see some of you out there.

Dear GPC,

Oh, don't worry too much about the yipping and whining from the rabble... it's what we do best.

If you do decide on a Prezzy traverse, you'll have fun... I thought the hardest part was the Jefferson area, that seemed to me to be the windiest part of the range. You can drop down below tree line there to camp.

Some more unsolicited advice...

If things get a lttle too "exciting" there is a "rat hole" bivy under the Lake of the Clouds hut.

If the approach trails up (Lowe's, Airline) and the descent (Websters) down are tracked out, you might not need snow shoes. Both ends are popular with day hikers so it's a good bet they will be, but you never can tell. Hint, go after a holiday...

Have fun.

Bring a lot of high fat, high calore food... Try to find water, melting snow takes a long time when your cold.

Don't do any thing too stupid...if that little voice in the back of you head asks, "Is this a good idea?" It probably isn't.

Have fun.

Remember most (but not all) of the people who get into trouble up there are doing really stupid things.... like crashing their plane, getting lost or looking for some other boneheads who got lost.... so do everyone a favor....avoid being a bonehead.

good luck, and let us know how it turns out....

ed

ps, I still don't see why anyone would chose Gorham, NH over Spain...

Edgy gives good advice, e.g., going after a holiday so the trails are beaten down.

I strongly recommend going up to one of the cabins in the northern part of the range and daytripping Madison and Adams from there. Then do an alpine start and sail over the rest of the range in a day; it's a serious mountaineering project worthy of serious mountaineering tactics. Tank up on hot liquids before you leave and carry a thermos.

If you have the luxury of time, hang out at Gray Knob in order to pick your day. Many winters have successions of little storms every three or so days, with two-day settled periods in between. Get in position during marginal weather and do the traverse in good weather. Bailing out to the east may be fewer miles to civilization but potentially a lot of loose snow and avalanche danger. Stay close together and frequently check one another's faces for frostnip.

And as Edgy says, if you have to wonder whether something is a good idea or not, you already know the answer.

that reminds me, on the day when tico, merlin and I got turned back by 90mph winds, we had to break trail all the way from the groomed snowcat trail to treeline -- in thigh to waist deep snow! Arduous, to say the least. Next day, a sufficient number of people had made it to treeline behind us (nobody summited that day!) so the trail was pretty well beaten down when Tico and I cranked it out.

As for someone's suggestion about Tennessee, T-Wall is a fantastic winter cragging destination (it's too hot there in the summer), and Sunset Park is probably still good as well. Both offer stellar moderate and hard climbing.

Exactly, if you want experience in fast light weight peak bagging do it in a day, if you want to get the most out of being above tree line and harden your skills, stay out for a few.One of te best camp site s I ever had was in a snow field in Edmunds col. Dug a plaform just wide enough for the tent, could sit at tents edge with my feet dangling over a nice slope.Great sunrise at 5000 feet. Better than the one down in North Cornhole.

Sunset Park very cold in winter. Not like the motherland.