Center Headwall -> Snowfields -> Hiking Trail - 11/11/25

By Spencer Ralston

Tyler and I started walking from the Pinkham parking lot, where bare ground stretched out around us. At 2,700 feet of uphill we were finally able to start skinning, making our way toward Tuckerman Ravine.

We decided to pick our way up the snowfields on Center Headwall, but the ice was delaminated, and every time we punched through, running water was waiting below. We therefore don't recommend an ascend of the Open Book/Center Headwall area. 

From there, we worked our way up to the summit of Mount Washington as the winds steadily increased. We tagged the summit and enjoyed two laps on the Snowfields. The overnight snow had bonded well to the top layer, giving us fun turns all the way down.

We managed to connect the Snowfields all the way to the top of the Lip area. Spotting a narrow passage, we continued down toward the floor of the Ravine. We picked our way carefully along the summer hiking trail, keeping skis on all the way to the base. It was thin and exposed, but we kept things conservative given the terrain. 

We eventually met up with friends at Hermit Lake and “skied” out the Sherburne—which was mostly a walk. Hopefully this new snow fills in the bare spots!