My friends Claudine, Marlene and I co-led an Appalachian Mountain Club hike up Mount Moosilauke (4802′) on Saturday, the westernmost 400o footer in the White Mountain 48. Climbing this peak has a special significance for me because it’s the first 4,000 footer …
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A Presidential Solstice
On Sunday, I co-led a mega-hike called a Presidential Traverse for the Appalachian Mountain Club. This is a very long one-day hike, on or close to the summer solstice for maximum daylight, that is started before dawn and usually ends after sunset. …
Read More »Bondcliff, Mount Bond, and West Bond
Have you ever had a perfect day in the mountains? I had one of those days yesterday, on an epic 23 mile day hike to Bondcliff (4265′), Mount Bond (4698′), and West Bond (4540′). The weather was so fine, with bright sunshine and …
Read More »Mount Clay and the Great Gulf
June is the best time to climb the peaks in the Northern and Southern Presidential Ranges in the Whites. The days are long, providing ample daylight for big climbs and long routes, and sunny days are simply glorious. Some of my most …
Read More »AMC Beginner Backpacking Trip to the Hancocks
As we were breaking camp, my friend Ian said “This would be a good day to take a Zero.” He got that right. The weather forecast was for 2-6 inches of rain in the next 36 hours with temperatures in the 40’s …
Read More »Mount Osceola and Middle Osceola Bushwhack
I popped up to New Hampshire for a quick hike last week, climbing two 4,000 footers, Mount Osceola and and bushwhacking to Middle Osceola. The first time I climbed on Mount Osceola, this was a few years back, I met a guy named …
Read More »Scaur Peak and The Fool Killer
I am really good at finding summit signs and canisters on trail-less bushwhack peaks. I have an uncanny ability to find herd paths, clear water sources, and even parking spaces in Harvard Square. I’m not sure if it’s attitude or karmic alignment …
Read More »Zealand Mountain: Back in the Whites
It was fine day for a hike, blustery with 40 mile per hour winds, but plenty of sunshine. My destination was Zealand Mountain in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, approaching from the north along the Zealand Trail and The Twinway and returning via the …
Read More »Trip Plan: Scaur Peak, North and Middle Tripyramid, and The Fool Killer
I’m leading a challenging day hike in the White Mountains on Wednesday May 2, 2012 (you can still sign up) and thought I’d publish my trip plan to show you what goes into planning a hike like this as an Appalachian Mountain …
Read More »Winter’s End – Mt Hight and Carter Dome
I took my last official winter climb this past Saturday up Mt Hight and Carter Dome, two 4,000 footers in the Carter Range. Both of these peaks are located just across Pinkham Notch from Mt Washington and we were treated to clear skis, …
Read More »Winter Camping for Beginners – Instructional Trip
Winter camping and backpacking is a ton of fun, but you do need to learn some new skills to do it safely and comfortably. That was our focus on a winter backpacking instruction trip that I helped co-lead this past weekend. We …
Read More »Hiking Mt Cannon in Winter
I co-led a second AMC trip last weekend up Mount Cannon, another 4,000 footer in Franconia Notch. This was a Boston Chapter Winter Hiking Program Trip and we had a big turnout as usual, with about 18 hikers and 7 leaders attending. …
Read More »Franconia Ridge in Winter
This was the big one: Franconia Ridge, including a pair of five thousand footers, Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette. All of the White Mountain hikes and training I’ve been doing this winter have been in preparation for this traverse, one of the …
Read More »Mount Kancamagus Bushwhacking Instructional Trip
Last Saturday, I co-led another AMC Boston instructional trip, a winter bushwhack up Mount Kancamagus, a New Hampshire 100 highest peak with an elevation of 3,763 feet. The point of this trip was to provide a gentle introduction to bushwhacking and expose …
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