Top 5 Reasons People Die on Mt Washington

1-Avalanches. OK, you don't have to worry about this
since it's generally just small patches of snow lingering
into July and accumulating snow has become less
common in the summer months. Ravines can still
appear unexpectedly so if you've gotten off the trail in
deteriorating conditions the best strategy is to circle the
mountain, staying at the same level until you run into
either the auto road or the railroad tracks which you can
then follow either up or down.

2-Wind. It's the first thing you should look for in the
weather report. Remember that you're out in the open
where 70 mph winds can knock you off your feet and
interfere with your vision making it easy to get off the
trail. You'll learn for yourself what it means to 'hike
sideways'.

3-Terrain. The northern Presidentials are so rocky
that it is frighteningly easy to get off the trail and
lose track of where you are. On most of the AT, the
treadway is visible, here it's not unless you're on top of it.

4-Visibility. If there's one cloud in the whole state of
New Hampshire, it's probably on Mt Washington.
Most of the time that doesn't matter and can even
help you stay focused on the trail. It can be a real
problem if you've gotten off the trail and are trying
to find your way back.

5-Storms. The cool part is that you can see them
coming. Unfortunately that doesn't make them go
away and there's not much to protect you from whatever
nature decides to dish out up there should something
come rolling in. Keep an eye out so you can get to a hut,
building or below treeline before things get ugly.