Thursday, March 1, 2012
Utah!
I'm going to Utah this summer so stay tuned for many many new miles and pictures from the land of Mormons and Canyons!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Mt. Tecumseh
This past weekend I headed up to New Hampshire with my buddy Mike to knock a 4000 footer off my list. For those of you who don't know, New Hampshire has 48 mountains who's elevation is above 4000 feet, and it's a sought after accomplishment to hike all of them. I by no means am racing to complete this list, but it's nice to bag a few of these peaks once and a wile and who knows maybe someday I will complete the list.
I got to talking with my friend Mike about doing one of them in the winter to see how it was, weather wise, and we decided on Mt. Tecumseh which ranks in at number 48 on the list, just making it with a elevation of 4003 feet. Mt. Tecumseh is part of the Waterville Valley Ski Area and has multiple well maintained trails leading up the mountain. Due to it's location there is plenty of parking in the ski area parking lots providing easy access to the main trail head of Mt. Tecumseh trail. We headed out onto the trail at about noon and had a pretty steady pace most of the way up, until about the last mile which was moderately steep, and since the trail was complete snow, a pretty good challenge. The landscape was staggering due to the amount of snow and ice covering everything, even more so due to the moderate winter this year which I'm used to. After walking on a narrow trail through frozen wilderness we reached the summit which had slightly obstructed views due to it's location below tree line, which was probably for the best since I'm sure we would have froze to death had it been above treeline. After a short break, the cold set in and we headed back down the mountain. The Sosman trail hadn't been traveled on since the last snowfall so we decided to go down the same way we came up; on the Mt. Tecumseh trail. Since the trail was completely snowy and steep, it was a perfect opportunity to slide down most of it, and believe me I did. It took roughly 3 hours to climb the mountain and only 45 minutes to race down it, and we were back at our car by a little after 4 pm. This was a great hike and exactly what I needed after a long and pretty terrible week. I will no longer hesitate hiking in the winter now as this was a great and very different experience than what I'm used to.
Mileage: 5 miles
I got to talking with my friend Mike about doing one of them in the winter to see how it was, weather wise, and we decided on Mt. Tecumseh which ranks in at number 48 on the list, just making it with a elevation of 4003 feet. Mt. Tecumseh is part of the Waterville Valley Ski Area and has multiple well maintained trails leading up the mountain. Due to it's location there is plenty of parking in the ski area parking lots providing easy access to the main trail head of Mt. Tecumseh trail. We headed out onto the trail at about noon and had a pretty steady pace most of the way up, until about the last mile which was moderately steep, and since the trail was complete snow, a pretty good challenge. The landscape was staggering due to the amount of snow and ice covering everything, even more so due to the moderate winter this year which I'm used to. After walking on a narrow trail through frozen wilderness we reached the summit which had slightly obstructed views due to it's location below tree line, which was probably for the best since I'm sure we would have froze to death had it been above treeline. After a short break, the cold set in and we headed back down the mountain. The Sosman trail hadn't been traveled on since the last snowfall so we decided to go down the same way we came up; on the Mt. Tecumseh trail. Since the trail was completely snowy and steep, it was a perfect opportunity to slide down most of it, and believe me I did. It took roughly 3 hours to climb the mountain and only 45 minutes to race down it, and we were back at our car by a little after 4 pm. This was a great hike and exactly what I needed after a long and pretty terrible week. I will no longer hesitate hiking in the winter now as this was a great and very different experience than what I'm used to.
Mileage: 5 miles
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| The hike down. |
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| A view on the way up. |
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| Frozen forest. |
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| Frost. |
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| Snow terrorist. |
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| Icicles. |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Plum Island
I went on a short hike this weekend on Plum Island with a couple of my friends before we headed over to a super bowl party in Gloucester. Plum island in a long narrow island located in Newburyport and is part of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It's known mostly for the multiple species of birds who call the island home throughout different times of the year. During the winter months Snowy Owls migrate here from the North in search of a "warmer" climate. This is why we originally decided to go hiking on the island, but as we would find out we had no luck spotting any.
They charge a $5 entrance fee per car or $2 per bike that's used to fund the repairs and work to the refuge. There are multiple parking areas, plenty of boardwalks through the marshes and to the beaches to allow for easy and protected access for all. From what I could gather there isn't much of a connected hiking system within the park, unless you hike the road that winds the 7 miles through it, but there are plenty of short hikes to sections of the park. It was quite busy for winter and for Superbowl Sunday so I can only imagine it gets pretty crowded in the summer.
We did a few of the side hikes through a marsh, on the beach which was freezing, and across dunes that looked pretty great, almost like something you would see in Arizona or New Mexico. There were a few towers you could climb to get a view of the park and bird watch, but unfortunately we didn't see much only swans and geese, no snowy owls anywhere. It was a cool place and I'd love to come back in the summertime to hike again and see the difference between seasons.
Mileage: 2 Miles
They charge a $5 entrance fee per car or $2 per bike that's used to fund the repairs and work to the refuge. There are multiple parking areas, plenty of boardwalks through the marshes and to the beaches to allow for easy and protected access for all. From what I could gather there isn't much of a connected hiking system within the park, unless you hike the road that winds the 7 miles through it, but there are plenty of short hikes to sections of the park. It was quite busy for winter and for Superbowl Sunday so I can only imagine it gets pretty crowded in the summer.
We did a few of the side hikes through a marsh, on the beach which was freezing, and across dunes that looked pretty great, almost like something you would see in Arizona or New Mexico. There were a few towers you could climb to get a view of the park and bird watch, but unfortunately we didn't see much only swans and geese, no snowy owls anywhere. It was a cool place and I'd love to come back in the summertime to hike again and see the difference between seasons.
Mileage: 2 Miles
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| Leaves frozen in a stream. |
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| Walkway to one of the beaches. |
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| 70's Mike |
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| Beaver Dam. |
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| Mike snapping a photo |
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| Trail though the marsh. |
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| The trail through backwards stationary binoculars. |
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Kancamagus highway and Sabbaday Falls
So this past weekend I suckered two of my buddies into taking a road trip to the White Mountains for a much needed hangout session. I will say it wasn't the easiest time I've had convincing people to come with me since they are both seasoned veterans of being suckered into one of my crazy plans. I've gotten pretty good over the years at convincing people to come along with me on hikes, road trips, etc. by using one simple tactic; play on their weakness. For Mark it's the prospect of good food and the chance to see me get hurt, for Chris it's the promise of bars and nightlife.....and the prospect of seeing me get hurt. I will say that all ball busting aside they were good sports about the whole thing. And I hope to the best of my ability, that I delivered on my end of the bargain, and since I slammed my hand in my car door, Mark's eyes lit up at the sight of not one but two giantly awesome meals, and Chris took 100s of pictures on his iPhone, I can safely say I think I did.
The first day of the trip we went tubing at Loon Mountain and had dinner at The Woodstock Inn and Brewery, which if you haven't been I suggest you check it out if your in the area of Woodstock, NH especially the Brewery section of its namesake. They have a good selection of beers brewed in house, with an awesome food menu to back it up. After dinner the plan was to stay out till the bar closed and take a taxi back to the hotel but we ate too much and are old so we got drunk by 11 and went back and passed out. There may or may not have been spiders in the hotel.
So on to the point of the story, the real reason I'm writing this entry, which must be because some sort of hiking was involved. Now as with every one of my trips there is a "See the thing is....." moment, which is the time after ive buttered everyone up that I inform them there will be some sort of unmentioned side trip. And this time was no exception. We drove down the Kancamagus highway and hiked through the snow to a frozen version of Sabbaday Falls, which literally is the easiest hike in the world and I can't believe there was any complaining. The Kancamagus highway itself is a highway that cuts through the remote center section of the White Mountains National Forest and connects Lincoln with Conway, NH. It's a pretty awesome scenic drive with a lot of view points, waterfalls and trail-heads. I've been to the falls in the summer and it's pretty nice, but I had never done it in the winter. Since it was winter there wasn't really anyone else hiking it, and since the waterfall was partially frozen it was a whole new experience. All and all it was a great trip with some close friends and even though I added only a mile to the boots, it was a great hike and a good change from normally only hiking in the White Mountains during the summer. Thanks to those that came with, always a good time.
Mileage: 1 Mile
The first day of the trip we went tubing at Loon Mountain and had dinner at The Woodstock Inn and Brewery, which if you haven't been I suggest you check it out if your in the area of Woodstock, NH especially the Brewery section of its namesake. They have a good selection of beers brewed in house, with an awesome food menu to back it up. After dinner the plan was to stay out till the bar closed and take a taxi back to the hotel but we ate too much and are old so we got drunk by 11 and went back and passed out. There may or may not have been spiders in the hotel.
So on to the point of the story, the real reason I'm writing this entry, which must be because some sort of hiking was involved. Now as with every one of my trips there is a "See the thing is....." moment, which is the time after ive buttered everyone up that I inform them there will be some sort of unmentioned side trip. And this time was no exception. We drove down the Kancamagus highway and hiked through the snow to a frozen version of Sabbaday Falls, which literally is the easiest hike in the world and I can't believe there was any complaining. The Kancamagus highway itself is a highway that cuts through the remote center section of the White Mountains National Forest and connects Lincoln with Conway, NH. It's a pretty awesome scenic drive with a lot of view points, waterfalls and trail-heads. I've been to the falls in the summer and it's pretty nice, but I had never done it in the winter. Since it was winter there wasn't really anyone else hiking it, and since the waterfall was partially frozen it was a whole new experience. All and all it was a great trip with some close friends and even though I added only a mile to the boots, it was a great hike and a good change from normally only hiking in the White Mountains during the summer. Thanks to those that came with, always a good time.
Mileage: 1 Mile
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| The Trail. |
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| Sabbaday Falls - Winter. |
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| First person Tubing. |
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| Hiking back to the car. |
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| Wide-eyed wonder. The barnyard burger. |
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| The Gang. |
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| Sabbaday Falls - Summer. |
Monday, January 23, 2012
One Hundred Miles in 2012
It is my plan to hike at least 100 miles this year and I intend to stick to this. Mark my words: One hundred miles this year. Now who can I sucker into coming with me....
Middlesex Fells Reservation
I took advantage of the snow storm this past Saturday and went on a short adventure with Nicole to Middlesex Fells Reservation in Winchester, MA. It was only about a 7 minute drive from my apartment in Woburn, and instead of being scared of the snow we decided to brave the weather and go on a short hike there. Neither of us have proper winter clothing so we looked like two well layered rodeo clowns walking thought the woods, but that's besides the point.
From what I could gather there are plenty of hiking trails available in the park, and a good amount of parking at the trail head we went to. We started off hiking on the Willow Spring path and continued for a bit onto Wanapinaquin Rd. There is plenty of information on the park at the Friends of Middlesex Fells Reservation website and also Google maps has all of the major trails outlined.
It was a nice hike through the snowy woods on a trail that followed the coast of one on the lakes located in the reservation. Nicole lost her phone during a furious jumping session, but by blind luck she found in buried in the snow on the way back, which was one of the most epic finds in recent history. We saw plenty of people cross country skiing and hiking through the woods while out on the trek and all and all it was a fun hike and I plan on going back a few more times to check out some of the other trails available and I would recommend anyone else in the area to do so also. For a park that is located 10 miles from the center of Boston it has a very remote feeling with plenty of space to explore without running into many other people, which is otherwise quite impossible in this area. I took my new GoPro along and snapped a few pictures.
Mileage: 2 Miles
From what I could gather there are plenty of hiking trails available in the park, and a good amount of parking at the trail head we went to. We started off hiking on the Willow Spring path and continued for a bit onto Wanapinaquin Rd. There is plenty of information on the park at the Friends of Middlesex Fells Reservation website and also Google maps has all of the major trails outlined.
It was a nice hike through the snowy woods on a trail that followed the coast of one on the lakes located in the reservation. Nicole lost her phone during a furious jumping session, but by blind luck she found in buried in the snow on the way back, which was one of the most epic finds in recent history. We saw plenty of people cross country skiing and hiking through the woods while out on the trek and all and all it was a fun hike and I plan on going back a few more times to check out some of the other trails available and I would recommend anyone else in the area to do so also. For a park that is located 10 miles from the center of Boston it has a very remote feeling with plenty of space to explore without running into many other people, which is otherwise quite impossible in this area. I took my new GoPro along and snapped a few pictures.
Mileage: 2 Miles
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| Yeah..yeah. |
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| Complete Nerd. |
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| Hiking. |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Pico Mountain
It's been forever since my last update due mostly to the fact that I've been busy with moving and starting a new job and all that fun stuff, also it isn't as much fun hiking in the winter.
So yeah new job and new living area lets talk about that, and since I'm not the best writer I'll sum it up in a list of pro's and con's.
Pro's: I get to live alot closer to some very close friends now which is great, I'm back in Mass so I never had to switch over my license cause I was way to lazy to do that, I get paid more at my new job and I don't have to deal with the handful of unfathomably stupid people I worked with, also I'm close to Boston which i guess is cool but I'm pretty indifferent about it.
Cons: Rhode Island was sweet, I'm going to miss having a kick ass city, the beach, and some fun hiking spots all within 20 mins of my apartment. I'm also gonna miss the good people I worked with and all of the good aspects about my last job. I now have to work with radiation which as you can imagine isn't that awesome or fun unless you like making your chance of cancer increase, annnnd I'm guessing you don't.
OK enough of the updates, back to the purpose of this blog: hiking. So right before moving and starting the new job I rented a cabin in Killington, Vermont with a couple of friends for the weekend. It was a great time filled with a shit load of food and plenty of hickish activities including sling shot hunting and tree tipping, which is a must if you've never done it. I was excited to go back to Killington because I had hiked there years before when I was a freshman in college with a couple of my friends and it was a blast. That trip was the first real hike I had done that wasn't a scout hosted event and the first over night hike I had done in awhile, and in a lot of ways it's why I got back into hiking as a hobby.
So anyways, we finally started the hike after an hour debate whether or not we could finish before sundown, because of course you can't expect a group of 8 hungover people to be ready to hike a mountain at even close to a reasonable time. But we did amazingly decide to hike it and took the same trail up I had done five years prior which is a section of the Appalachian Trail. It was a pretty cold hike since it was late October in Vermont but for the most part nobody complained too much and we got to the top rather quickly. The top of the mountain is part of the Pico Mountain ski area so there was a slope and ski lifts, along with a warming hut which I had insisted would be open and allow us warm up since it had been last time. I was wrong. After eating a lunch in the freezing cold it was more than time to hike down the mountain, and we decided this would be done by running down the ski slop to the bottom instead of taking the trail back. Completely awesome idea. After somehow evading broken legs or peaced out friends, except for Mark who obviously did fall, It was a pretty successful trip down.
At the bottom we hiked through the Ghost town of an off season ski resort, and along the road back to the cars. All and all it was a good hike.
Mileage: 5 Miles
So yeah new job and new living area lets talk about that, and since I'm not the best writer I'll sum it up in a list of pro's and con's.
Pro's: I get to live alot closer to some very close friends now which is great, I'm back in Mass so I never had to switch over my license cause I was way to lazy to do that, I get paid more at my new job and I don't have to deal with the handful of unfathomably stupid people I worked with, also I'm close to Boston which i guess is cool but I'm pretty indifferent about it.
Cons: Rhode Island was sweet, I'm going to miss having a kick ass city, the beach, and some fun hiking spots all within 20 mins of my apartment. I'm also gonna miss the good people I worked with and all of the good aspects about my last job. I now have to work with radiation which as you can imagine isn't that awesome or fun unless you like making your chance of cancer increase, annnnd I'm guessing you don't.
OK enough of the updates, back to the purpose of this blog: hiking. So right before moving and starting the new job I rented a cabin in Killington, Vermont with a couple of friends for the weekend. It was a great time filled with a shit load of food and plenty of hickish activities including sling shot hunting and tree tipping, which is a must if you've never done it. I was excited to go back to Killington because I had hiked there years before when I was a freshman in college with a couple of my friends and it was a blast. That trip was the first real hike I had done that wasn't a scout hosted event and the first over night hike I had done in awhile, and in a lot of ways it's why I got back into hiking as a hobby.
So anyways, we finally started the hike after an hour debate whether or not we could finish before sundown, because of course you can't expect a group of 8 hungover people to be ready to hike a mountain at even close to a reasonable time. But we did amazingly decide to hike it and took the same trail up I had done five years prior which is a section of the Appalachian Trail. It was a pretty cold hike since it was late October in Vermont but for the most part nobody complained too much and we got to the top rather quickly. The top of the mountain is part of the Pico Mountain ski area so there was a slope and ski lifts, along with a warming hut which I had insisted would be open and allow us warm up since it had been last time. I was wrong. After eating a lunch in the freezing cold it was more than time to hike down the mountain, and we decided this would be done by running down the ski slop to the bottom instead of taking the trail back. Completely awesome idea. After somehow evading broken legs or peaced out friends, except for Mark who obviously did fall, It was a pretty successful trip down.
At the bottom we hiked through the Ghost town of an off season ski resort, and along the road back to the cars. All and all it was a good hike.
Mileage: 5 Miles
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| The group at the summit |
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| Happy about frolicking |
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| Sasquatch Mark |
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| Hiking down |
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| Buds |
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| From my original hike 5 years ago, Ski chair at sunrise |
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