proteanwanderer_zznzkw

368 posts

Trip Report: Mt Major

Happy Halloween Hiking!  Mt Major, Alton, NH. Halloween, 2018-10-31. (Wednesday) Via Brook Trail, Mt Major Trail.. Approx 3.7 miles, 2 hours.  42 dF. Overcast. Negligible wind.  For the money, you can’t do a lot better than this. While I hesitate to “choose favorite children” so to speak, this one’s a good one. Short, sweet, and fine views of Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains beyond. Hit the trail sometime in mid-afternoon […]

Trip report: Welch-Dickey

Legendary views from legendary ledges! Welch Mountain, 2,605 ft; Dickey Mountain, 2,734 feet. Thornton/Waterville Valley, NH. 2018-10-25. Via Welch-Dickey Loop Trail. Approx. 4.4 miles.  29 degrees, light breeze. Cloudy with a descending ceiling. Occasional light glaze of ice on the trail. It’s a classic. An easy loop that’s admired by so many. And when you’re in the thick of it, you know why. There’s nothing hard about this 4 mile […]

Trip Report: Mt Cardigan, Firescrew Mountain

Two with a view! Mt Cardigan, 3,155 ft; Firescrew Mountain, 3,040 feet. Cardigan State Park, Alexandria, NH. 2018-10-18. Via Manning Trail, Mowglis Trail, Clark Trail, Cathedral Forest (Holt-Clark Cutoff) Trail, Holt Trail. Approx. 5 miles.  Trailhead: 1400. Firescrew Summit: 1540. Cardigan Summit: 1600. Car: 1745.  Sunny, approx 20 MPH winds at summit, with moderate clouds. Essentially limitless visibility. A light dusting of snow, and in the shady bits, some light […]

Trip Report: Mt Liberty, and Mt Flume

A perfect day for two! Mt Liberty and Mt Flume, Lincoln, NH. 2018-10-10. (Wednesday) Via Whitehouse Trail, Liberty Springs Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail. Approx 8.7 miles. 60 dF +/- at the trailhead, 70 at the summit. Clouds giving way to partial sunshine. Wind at summit was 2-4 knots. Just enough to keep the humidity in abeyance. Trailhead: 0900; Liberty Summit: 1145; Flume Summit: 1300; Liberty Summit redux: 1400;  back at […]

Trip Report: North Brother Mountain

Tetra? No, Solo! North Brother Mountain, Millinocket, Maine. 2018-09-27. 4,150 feet. Via Marston Trail. Trailhead: 1030. Mt Coe trail junction: 1245. Summit: 1340. Car: 1700. Sunny, light breeze (approx 5 MPH), with occasional clouds. Essentially limitless visibility.  It was an audacious plan, and it would have worked, too… if it wasn’t for those meddling kids! OK, so if I’d gotten out of bed an hour earlier, maybe. I’d hoped to […]

Gear Review: Granite Gear Lutsen 35 Backpack

OK, so it’s not “new” per se. I’ve had it for several months now — at least since Owl’s Head…  To say it’s been doing yeoman’s duty is an understatement. To say it’s not said “boo” to me in all these miles is similar. Packs are highly personal pieces of gear. Let’s get that out of the way. That being said, while humans come in different shapes and sizes, everyone […]

Trip Report: Bigelow Mountain Peaks

Avery Peak, 4,090 feet. West Peak, 4,145. South Horn, 3,805. North Horn, 3,820 feet. 65 dF at trailhead, 75 dF at summit. Sunny skies and 80 miles visibility. Negligible breezes at summits. Via the Fire Warden’s trail, Appalachian trail, and Horn’s Pond trail. Also the North Horn spur trail.  Trailhead: 0915. Col: 1200. Avery Peak: 1215. West Peak: 1300. South Horn: 1445. North Horn: 1455. Car: 1800. Approximately 13.5 miles. […]

Trip Report: Sugarloaf and Spaulding Mountain

On the AT again! Sugarloaf Mountain, 4,250 feet. Spaulding Mountain, 4,010 feet. Kingfield, Franklin County, Maine. (AKA Carrabassett Valley.) 75 dF at trailhead, about 70 dF at the summits. Cloudy/overcast skies with at times 40 miles visibility. Very light intermittent breezes through the trees — approximately 5 MPH. 30 MPH wind out of the north on Sugarloaf summit. Via the Appalachian Trail. Car: 0930. Trailhead: 0915. Sugarloaf summit: 1245. Spaulding […]