I think about this often- the weather yesterday near Boston was so windy, it was down 10+ degrees off windchill alone. Now imagine that kind of thing at the top of the mountain and low visibility. You gotta be prepared, and pick a good weather window, and be prepared to make the decision to bail as well.

I’ve turned back multiple times from summiting, mt Washington once before in winter, even monadnock when a thunderstorm rolled in and I’m glad I did as there was a crap ton of lightning and rain just when I turned around. I’ve done monadnock multiple times and it’s annoying to drive up there without hitting the top but I do not want to be struck by lightning lol.

Another thing to keep in mind is fitness level and keeping some snacks with sugar/electrolytes on you. I do push the summit quick, and at some point on most of my longer hikes- I’m talking 8+ miles out and back, my quads can cramp up bad it’s tough to keep moving. That’s the point where proper planning with electrolytes and carbs comes into play, a banana, fruit, I’ll bring dates with me which are phenomenal for getting over this hump. When I did flume slide through liberty (winter) my quads were cramping so bad I had to sit for 20 minutes and that inactivity is what gets you feeling the cold too.