First of the month, unexpected weather! Mt Washington and Mt Monroe. 2018-06-02 (Saturday.) Via the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail, Crawford Path, Mt Monroe Loop trail.. Approx 10 miles. Washington: 6288 feet, Monroe: 5372 feet. 65 dF at trailhead, 48 at MW Observatory (approx 14:30). Winds in the 20-25 MPH range, gusting to approx 40 MPH. Cloudy, becoming sunny in the afternoon with 80 mile visibility. Trailhead: 1220. Lakes of the Clouds hut: […]
The 48
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Last of the month, an unexpected trifecta! Mt Hale, Mt Zealand, Mt Guyot, Mt Bond. 2018-05-31 (Thursday.) Via the Hale Brook Trail, Lend-A-Hand Trail, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, Zealand Trail. Approx 22 miles. Hale: 4054, Zealand: 4260, Guyot: 4580, Bond: 4698 feet. 72-84 dF throughout the day. Winds in the 20-25 MPH range on Guyot and Bond, moderated on the other summits by tree cover. Sunny throughout the day, turning to […]
An unexpected pleasure. Mt Carrigain, Livermore, NH. 2018-28-05. (Monday) Via Signal Ridge trail. Approx 10 miles roundtrip on trail, plus 4 miles roundtrip traversing Sawyer River Road. 8 hours. 55 dF in the morning, with negligible winds. 65 by afternoon. Cloudy, with sunny breaks by late afternoon. The mountain has a well deserved place as the final hike of many quests to bag the 48. I have little personal experience […]
Long. Slow. Oddly, interesting! Owl’s Head Mountain, Lincoln, NH. 2018-17-05. (Thursday) Via Lincoln Brook Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Owl’s Head Path, bushwhacks. Approx 18 miles. 50 dF +/- at the trailhead, 60 dF at summit, 70 dF +/- back at the car, with negligible winds. Overcast becoming mostly sunny by afternoon. Trailhead: 0740; Summit; 1420; back at car: 1900. (11.3 hours.) In retrospect, I’m confused as to why this one […]
I Hiked Ike! Mt Eisenhower, Bretton Woods, NH. Cinco de Mayo, 2018-05-05. (Saturday) Via Edmands Path, Mt Eisenhower Loop. Approx 6 miles. 50 dF +/- at the trailhead, 45 dF at summit, with 20-25 MPH winds gusting to 35. Partly sunny becoming mostly sunny by afternoon. Trailhead: 0950; Summit; 1340; back at car: 1550. (6 hours.) It was, in fact, a great day to be outside. The Higher Summits Forecast […]
Troika! (And the first of the Presidentials.) Mt Webster, Mt Jackson, Mt Pierce, Crawford Notch, NH. May Day, 2018-05-01. (Tuesday) Via Webster-Jackson trail, Webster Branch, Webster Ridge trail, Crawford Path. Approx 9.4 miles. 38 dF +/- at the trailhead, 45 dF at Mt Jackson summit, with 10-12 MPH winds. Heavy, wet fog. A brief parting of the clouds at mid afternoon, then mainly cloudy for the rest of the trip. […]
A trifecta of summits Mt Tom, Mt Field, Mt Willey, Crawford Notch, NH. 2018-04-28. (Saturday) Via Mt Willard Trail, Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Willey Range Trail, Kedron Flume Trail. Approx 8.4 miles. 50 dF +/- at the trailhead, 58 dF at Mt Field summit, with negligible winds. Mix of clouds and sun. Trailhead: 1015; Mt Tom Summit: 1240; Mt Field Summit: 1410; Mt Willey Summit; 1530; back at car: 1930. […]
A beautiful day of incongruities. Mt Galehead, Bethlehem, NH. 2018-04-24. (Tuesday) Via Gale River trail, the Garfield Ridge trail, and the Frost trail, plus Gale River Loop road. Approx 13.4 miles. 60 dF +/- at the trailhead, 65 dF at the summit, with negligible winds. Mix of clouds and sun. Gale River Loop Road: 0910; Trailhead: 0945; Galehead Hut: 1300; Summit: 1330; back at car: 1700. (Approx. 7 hours.) This […]
A pretty peak, on a pretty day. Mt Garfield, Franconia, NH. 2018-04-21. (Saturday) Via Garfield trail, and the Garfield Ridge trail. Approx 12.5 miles. 40 dF +/- at the trailhead, 45 dF at the summit, with approx 10-15 MPH winds. Mix of clouds and sun. Trailhead: 0945; Summit: 1310; back at car: 1630. (6.75 hours.) As I started down from the summit, it struck me that I’d have been really […]
Isolated. Except it isn’t, really. But it is. Mt Isolation, Pinkham’s Grant, NH. 2018-04-12. (Thursday) Via Rocky Branch trail, Isolation trail, and Davis Path. Approx 14.5 miles. 35 dF +/- at the trailhead, 46 dF at the summit, with negligible winds. Partly cloudy becoming outright cloudy. Trailhead: 0830; Summit: 1410; back at car: 1730. (9 hours.) Second time was the charm. Last time I attempted Isolation, I was rebuffed, but […]
Mt Isolation, Sargent’s Purchase, NH 2018-04-09. For what is just barely a four thousand-footer, this was unexpectedly interesting. First, for not having made the summit, I’m remarkably sanguine. Anger, disappointment, frustration… those are the last things on my mind right now. They were the last things on my mind when I turned around. Probably the biggest thing on my mind was what a great day I was having, just tramping […]
The trail is long. And straight. And level. Until it isn’t. Then it is again. Bondcliff, Lincoln, NH. 2018-04-05. (Thursday) Via Lincoln Woods trail, Wilderness trail, and Bondcliff trail. Approx 18 miles. 20 dF +/- at the trailhead, low teens at the summit, with 4-8 MPH winds gusting to 20-30. One gust hit 41 MPH. 30 dF back at car. Unbridled sunshine for most of the day, with patchy clouds […]