The White Mountains attract experienced recreationists to test their mettle against the blustery mountain peaks. The experience is unparalleled, if you're properly equipped -- the Whites are never more untrammeled or peaceful than after a heavy winter's snowfall, and few other times are available to enjoy the crystalline views from atop the region's highest peaks without sharing the experience with dozens of others.
Guided day hikes to the top of Mount Washington are offered throughout the winter and are suitable for people in reasonable shape with some hiking experience -- no winter mountaineering experience is needed. Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School (tel. 603/356-5433; www.emsclimb.com) will outfit you with crampons and ice axe and teach you their use on the lower slopes of the mountain. Many of the excursions fail to make the summit because of deteriorating weather conditions, but the experience of even being on the shoulders of wind-driven Mount Washington is memorable nonetheless. Think of it as a low-cost trip to the Arctic.
Two of the AMC huts (Zealand Falls and Carter Notch) are kept open during the winter for a modest overnight fee. Meals aren't served, but hikers need only bring food; the use of gas stoves and kitchenware is included in the rates. Heat is provided by a woodstove at night in the common room (though not in the bunkrooms, so bring a heavy-duty sleeping bag); during the day, you're free to explore these magnificent, snowy regions. Both huts require long ski or snowshoe hikes to reach them, though Zealand Falls is the less demanding of the two. Contact the AMC for more information (tel. 603/466-2727; www.amc-nh.org).
