Northbound hikers on the Appalachian Trail reach the Kennebec River at mile 2037.6 (as of 2015.) This is the widest unbridged water crossing on the trail, 70 yards wide, with a swift and powerful current. As a result of upstream damn releases, …
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The Sawyer River Trail and Sawyer Pond Loop Hike – An Attempt at Least
The Sawyer River and Sawyer Pond Trails are in a low-lying area of the White Mountains bordered to the north by Mt Carrigan, to the west by Mt Huntington, to the south by the Sandwich Range and Wilderness, and to the east …
Read More »Return to Big Attitash Mountain
I am hiking all 1400+ miles listed in the White Mountain Guide, (kind of like Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail), although I’m not in any rush to finish them. Quite the opposite, since I have no idea what I’ll hike when I …
Read More »Mt Washington: Nelson Crag and the Alpine Garden
“I want a spectacular hike,” I told my friends Lisa and Ken, two strong hikers that I became good friends with last year. I hadn’t seen them for a few months and this was going to be a reunion hike for us. …
Read More »Cold River Camp in Evans Notch
Cold River Camp is a rustic, family style camp run by the Appalachian Mountain Club in the Evans Notch on the border between New Hampshire and Maine. It’s unique among the AMC lodging facilities because it’s managed entirely by volunteers, although there is paid …
Read More »Flat Mountain Pond Backpack
My friend Kris and I did a one-night backpacking trip to Flat Mountain Pond, in the Sandwich Range on the south side of the White Mountains. Located between Sandwich Dome and the Sleepers (mountains named after Kate Sleeper), we camped at the site …
Read More »Dry River Trail Backpack and Oakes Gulf (Attempt)
The Dry River Trail runs 9.6 miles from Crawford Notch, near Frankenstein Cliffs to the Lakes of the Clouds, a set of alpine tarns about 1100 feet below the summit of Mt Washington. I attempted to hike it end-to-end but had to turn back …
Read More »TGO Challenge Tips for Yanks and Non-Residents
Lessons Learned If the thought of hiking across Scotland in the TGO Challenge appeals to you, here are a few lessons learned for first timers such as Americans and non-UK residents. People who walk in Scotland regularly know all this, but if …
Read More »Hikers’ Stories from the Appalachian Trail
What do all of these hikers have in common? Beside hiking the AT, we all contributed chapters to a new book published by Stackpole, called Hiker’s Stories from the Appalachian Trail. Amanda “Veggie” Redpath Amanda, Jarrod “Hansel” and Becca “Gretel” Schlenker Bruce …
Read More »The View from Stinson Mountain
Located just outside Rumney, near Plymouth, New Hampshire, Stinson Mountain (2900′) is way off the beaten track as far as White Mountain peaks go and finding the trail head is an adventure all by itself. Once I left pavement and headed down …
Read More »Mount Parker and the Mt Stanton Trail
The Doberman started barking when I rounded the corner and I hoped his owner was nearby. When he charged my legs, I stuck my hiking pole in his face and he backed off. That’s the first time I’ve felt seriously threatened by an …
Read More »8 Things I’ve Learned by Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail
Hiking the Appalachian Trail, bit by bit, or section hiking, has taught me many lessons. Here are of few of the most important ones I’ve learned over the years. 1. The people make the Appalachian Trail. While the hiking and scenery along …
Read More »AT Section Hike: Rockfish Gap to Front Royal, including Shenandoah National Park
Gen dropped me off in Rockfish Gap at the bottom of the access trail to Shenandoah National Park (SNP) and I started hiking up the train to the self-registration kiosk, about a mile away. This section of trail was about 110 miles …
Read More »AT Section Hike: Rt 60 (Buena Vista, Virginia) to Rockfish Gap
Anyone who says the Virginia doesn’t have rocks is a liar. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that the stretch of trail from Rt 60 (outside Buena Vista, VA) to Rockfish Gap (outside of Waynesboro) was really in New Hampshire. Gary, …
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