Winter Hiking has changed the way I view winter here in the north east. Just a couple years ago October would roll in and my depression would set in. Soon I’d be scraping my cars windshield and shoveling my driveway with a grimace on my face. While I still dread shoveling and scraping, the winter season has also brought me my favorite hobby… Winter hiking! You receive a mixture of reactions when you tell people that you’re going to venture out on a sub zero day to climb to the top of a 5000 foot peak that would expose you to a windchill plummeting to 20 below zero. People are either fascinated or confused why you would ever want to torture yourself like this. I’ve had a lot of 3 Season hikers ask me about my winter hiking experiences. How to get started? What do I wear? What do I bring? How do you stay warm? etc… I’m hoping to answer some of these questions in the following. It’s important to remember that just because this system works for me… it may not work for your. The gear and advice I have is only my opinion and what I’ve determined works best for me and my needs. It’s also important to remember that I mainly hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and other areas in the North East. Terrain, climate and location all play in a roll in what kind of gear you’ll need to carry.So lets get started.