Trish's (long and slow!) quest for the Grid

All Future Posts...

2011-06-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

...will be on our main blog, Trish, Alex and Sage.

I can justify each of the girls having her own blog (if you have more than one kid, then you can understand), but I can no longer justify an entire blog just for little ol' me.

See you on the other site,
Trish

Max's 1st 4K, Tecumseh (9). March 19, 2011

2011-03-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Mt. Tecumseh Trail from ski parking lot, 5 miles roundtrip.

Guess I won't be solo hiking for a while; Max, our border terrier, is old enough to accompany me on 4Ks.

Border terriers were bred to keep up with horses during fox hunts; they are energetic and hardy little dogs, and they require a lot of exercise. When I asked the breeder and our vet about the minimum age for safe 4K hiking, both told me Max would probably be ready at six months. As long as we walk and don't run, and as long as I pay attention to his rather obvious cues, hiking will be good for him.

Here he is, ready to roll...

Max was a happy little pup as we set off along the trail. His tail was high and wagging, his ears were perked up, he walked with a bounce in his step...and then we came to....a water crossing.

Water crossings scare the bejeesus out of Max. All four paws dig into the ground in the classic nuh-uh-I'm-not-budging pose and that's the end of that. In the woods around my house, I pick him up and carry him over any water we come across. For 4Ks, however, all steps must be walked on one's own two feet (or four paws), so carrying is an illegal tactic.

Since I'd no intention of dragging my dog across the snowbridge, I came up with a solution that worked for both of us; out came the doggie treats. Max saw the little bones, immediately lost all fear of the water, and followed the moving treats across the stream and up the bank.

Besides the crossings, the hike to the View went smoothly and quickly. Max walked at my normal hiking pace and showed no signs of stress or fatigue. His happiness increased when we took a break to watch the skiers fly down the hill. Max was very, very interested in those skiers and ruffed at me for not allowing him to give chase.

Next came the never-ending slog part, one mile of repetitive this:

I thought Max would tire at some point along this section, but he never did. Once, he stopped right in front of me and looked up as though expecting something. At first, I thought he was ready to go home, but then I realized it was lunchtime. We took a break, I poured his food into a little bowl, and he ate. When his food was finished, he perked up his ears and continued up the trail.

We conquered the slog and got past the intersection with the Sosman Trail. Views opened to our left...

Max gave me a curious look whenever I used the camera...

Not too much longer....and we made it!

Max ate some treats and drank some water while I took in the views.

We greeted some members of a Boy Scout troop who arrived on the summit while we were resting, then we took our leave and headed down.

Max's tail never stopped wagging, and at home he acted his usual self. Can't wait to take him with us on some backpacking trips this summer.

Cannon Mt. (6), November 13, 2010

2010-11-13T11:29:00.001-08:00

Kinsman Ridge Trail, 4.4 miles roundtrip.

I had a rare Saturday to myself, so I took a quick hike up Cannon.

The bottom half of the trail was leaf-covered, rocky and steep (I always forget how steep this trail is!)

Echo Lake peeked through the trees.

Then...the ice started. At first it wasn't a big deal.

And then, it was.

The problem wasn't the ice itself, it was the inconsistency of its appearance. Sometimes it was there, sometimes it wasn't, sometimes it was easy to manage without microspikes, sometimes I felt like I needed crampons. My 'spikes went off and on and off and on...irritating!

Finally, I got above treeline. The views made up for the recent angst.

Up the remaining bits...

...and to the summit. The actual highpoint is under the tower; no one can get to it anymore, since that area is now sectioned off.

Views from the top of the observation tower...

After chatting up a few nice people on the tower, I headed back down. Another nice walk in the woods.

This may have been my last solo hike. Very soon, a puppy will enter my life. Though I know it will be a long time before he will be able to hike a 4K, I do plan on bringing him with me as much as I am able. He'll ride in a sling, and he'll walk a bit here and there as he's able. We'll take it slowly, and by this time next year he'll probably be a little peakbagger. He's a breed that likes to hike in all kinds of weather -- the girls and I look forward to his company.

Mt. Moosilauke (3), November 1, 2010

2010-11-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Gorge Brook Trail, 7.4 miles roundtrip.

Mondays are my Saturdays -- Hugh takes both kids and I have 24 hours to myself. I've vowed to hike every Monday, come what may...this week, I chose to ascend Moosilauke.

The trail was icy from the get-go; I donned microspikes at the car. The ascent to treeline went well...lots of snow and ice, but I thought it scenic.

Above treeline, the wind was roaring! I layered up before stepping into White World.

The last couple tenths of a mile were...interesting. Visibility was less than ten feet at times and I could not see from one cairn to the next, so I took out the trusty compass and double checked a few things on the way up. Finally, I came to the block of rime ice that currently encompasses the summit signs.

A video of the experience...

Descending was easier. I found treeline after only having to use the compass once; visibility was a tiny bit better on the way back down.

Once in the trees, I could see again. Made short work of the rest of the trail and made it down in time for a late lunch.

Good times.

Mt. Flume (2), September 27, 2010

2010-09-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Lincoln Woods and Osseo Trails, out and back. 11 miles roundtrip.

I forgot my camera! No pictures for this brief TR, my words will have to suffice. Later, I'll add Silverfox's photos if I can.

SilverFox (of VFTT) and I have been talking about hiking something together for a long while. Finally, the stars aligned themselves properly and we were able to schedule Flume for this morning.

We met at 10am and hit the Lincoln Woods Trail.

Here's a photo taken by Silverfox:

We walked at a brisk pace, and I relished our conversation. I love my usual hiking partner, of course, but it IS nice sharing the trail with a grown-up every once in a while.

A short while later, we arrived at the Osseo Trail. The Osseo is lovely -- it must be the most rock-free (relatively speaking) path in the Whites. Thanks, FisherCat, for doing such a wonderful job maintaining this trail!

Silverfox and I conversed our way up the wooden ladders and to the summit. I was relieved to discover that my pace wasn't too slow for him. He hikes about a million times a week; I had been concerned that I would slow him down. Glad to know that wasn't the case.

The summit was encased in cloud, but it was still good to be up there. We sat and ate for a bit, then we made our way back down the trail and to the parking lot.

It was truly a lovely day -- thanks to Silverfox for his enjoyable company.

Tecumseh (8), September 6, 2010

2010-09-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Tecumseh Trail, 5 miles roundtrip.

I hit the trail at 10am on beautiful Labor Day. My hike was the typical mix of rocks and roots, ending at the familiar cairn at the top of my first 4K peak, Tecumseh. Since Tecumseh was also Alex's -- and Sage's! -- first 4K, this mountain holds a special place in my heart.

Since it was a holiday, there were tons of people on the trail; I'm used to having this mountain mostly to myself. No matter, it was still a lovely walk in the woods.

Cannon Mountain (5). August 15, 2010

2010-08-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hi-Cannon Trail. 5.6 miles roundtrip.

I had a few days to myself after the girls and I returned from our two month roadtrip. On one of my solo mornings, I thought I'd take a walk up Cannon to see how well my legs remembered New Hampshire hiking.

Most of our summer's highpoint trails had been smooth and relatively devoid of rocks and roots. I prefer stones and boulders, as they bring a more interactive feel to a hike. Thankfully, I now live in the Whites, where all kinds of large objects litter the trail. Rocks, roots, stones, boulders, cliffs, fallen trees, etc. -- they're everywhere. One can't daydream too deeply while ascending a 4K, for there are too many things to step around and climb over!

The ladder was...interesting. I'm not convinced it's all that stable...

Lonesome Lake down below...

A teensy bit of smooth trail, which greatly resembled most of our summer's highpoint paths...

Up top, on the way to the observation tower, I noticed that a couple of things have changed since my last visit. Since December 2009, they've roped off environmentally sensitive areas...

and built a new staircase (which one can only ascend when the weather permits).

The tower itself...

...and views! Looking east, there's Franconia Ridge...

Looking south...

the Kinsmans...

Looking southwest...

Looking west...

Northwest...

I was pleasantly surprised at myself. Ascent time was 1.5 hours, which is pretty good considering I've spent most of the summer sitting in my car.

It's good to be back.

Summer 2010

2010-07-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

The girls and I are highpointing almost every state east of Colorado this summer -- follow our progress on http://www.trishalexsage.com

Tecumseh (7), March 27, 2010

2010-03-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

Mt. Tecumseh Trail, 4.4 miles roundtrip.

My closest 4K trailhead, early in the morning...

Brighter light by the "view"...

Up the steeps...

It's springtime in the valley, but winter up above!

The snow's a tad deep...

Where's the cairn?

View of Mt. Washington from the summit...

Nice, clear skies this morning...

Lots of ice to dodge...

Back down by 9am.

Mother's Weekend Out -- Pierce (3) and Eisenhower (3), December 19, 2009

2009-12-20T04:06:00.001-08:00

Crawford Path and Mount Eisenhower Loop, 8.6 miles roundtrip.

Today marks the second weekend I've ever spent without one or both of my kids. As a homeschooling mother, I am with Alex and Sage almost twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They do have their many extracurricular classes and playdates, but these little chunks of time aren't long enough for me to go out and do much on my own. Personal projects must wait until after they're asleep, so I'm often up until 1 or 2am accomplishing my own agendas.

This is not a complaint -- not by a long shot. I love being with my daughters. Watching them grow, being with them as they reach every milestone, facilitating their education -- every second of my life with them is well-lived. I look forward to every day ahead of us. And when the time eventually comes for them to leave home, I will take comfort in the fact that I raised them as best I could, adhering to the values both Hugh and I possess. Ours is not a perfect family, not by any stretch of the imagination, but our goals are honorable and our intentions pure.

That being said, I now feel the need to find more time to myself. Also, Hugh needs to spend more time with his daughters. I am lucky to have such a hard-working, intelligent and generous man as the father of my children -- I am proud of him in every way. However, his continued success depends on his ability to work long hours and travel often. To solve every one's needs, we're now scheduling one or two weekends a month where Hugh has the girls all to himself. This is a good thing, of much benefit to everyone.

Two or four days a month without my kids -- that's quite a change for me. Before becoming a mother, I was a wildly independent person and had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with people on all fringes of "normal" society. I traveled widely, enjoyed my bohemian lifestyle, and befriended many a colorful and courageous character. One could safely say that both Hugh and myself have lived lives that certainly fall outside the bounds of what most consider normal.

Then I had kids, and everything changed. My life has since been consumed with the duties of motherhood -- which is all fine and good, since raising children is, by far, the most important occupation.

But now the time has come to plunge myself back into adult society. Well, for two to four days a month, anyway.

Grown-up Weekend began with a fantastic hike up Pierce and Eisenhower with my friend Barry, a nice fellow I met a few months ago on Osceola. He and I have been emailing back and forth lately, exchanging notes on various trails and mountains. Since he was going to be up here the same weekend I had off, we decided to join forces and tackle the Crawford Path together. It would be his first time on both Pierce and Eisenhower.

The Crawford Path was well-packed, and our ascent was an easy one. Barry is a great fellow to hike with. I enjoyed his company very much.

We made it up to Pierce in an hour and a half. I can't imagine a better day...there was no wind and the skies were clear.

After a summit snack, we moved on toward Eisenhower.

We had hoofed up Pierce on microspikes, but now it was time for the snowshoes. There were a lot of snowdrifts between the two mountains.

As I huffed and puffed my way up Ike's summit cone, I took notice of the new ladders.

My legs did not want to go on, but I convinced them to keep moving. When Barry and I finally got to the summit, we were treated to lovely 360 degree views.

We stood there together, admiring the splendor of Mother Earth. As much as I appreciate the pleasures of hiking solo, I was reminded of the words Chris McCandless scribbled in the margins of a paperback shortly before his death: "Happiness only real when shared" (sic).

Speaking of shared happiness, a large, jovial group joined us on the summit as we were admiring the panorama. They were obviously having a grand time, joking and laughing with each other. Their presence brought an extra layer of joy to the day, as their smiles and chuckles were infectious. Barry and I reluctantly took our leave of them to begin our descent.

Once back at Pierce, a friendly bird showed up. This was Barry's first gray jay experience.

Brave little critters, aren't they?

From here, it was an easy descent back to the car.

After our hike, we stopped in at the Highland Center and ran into Paradox, Jason B., Tom Rankin and his wife Laurie, and a large group that had just hiked Avalon. We hung out for a while and socialized, then Barry turned in for the night and I followed Tom, Laurie and Paradox to a brewery in Littleton.

'twas an excellent day!

As for my second day of Grown-Up Weekend...today, Sunday, I will enjoy seven solid hours of uninterrupted time, during which I should accomplish a lot of work. Then I will return to Massachusetts and happily dive back into the blessed chaos of Motherhood.

Life is good.

Tecumseh (6), November 22, 2009

2009-11-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Up Tecumseh Trail, down Sosman Trail and ski slopes, then back over to Tecemseh Trail again. About 4.5 miles.

I'll let the pictures tell the story this time.

Hale (10/10/09), Cannon (10/17/09), Garfield (11/07/09)

2009-11-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been repeating peaks with Alex lately -- recent trip reports of Hale, Cannon, and Garfield can be found on http://trishandalex.blogspot.com

Mt. Moosilauke (2), October 4, 2009

2009-10-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Gorge Brook, Moosilauke Carriage Road, Snapper Trail loop. 7.4 miles total

What a gorgeous morning. I was able to wake up early and snag a few hours to myself, so I drove over to Moosilauke and semi-jogged up the Gorge Brook Trail. At the first viewpoint, this is what I saw:

Breathtaking.

I made it up the trail in great time (for me, anyway). Just over an hour.

Here's a video of my surroundings, along with a couple of pictures -- though neither words nor camera can properly portray the beauty of today's mountaintop vista.

Eventually, I moved on down the Carriage Road.

The Snapper Trail took me back to where I began.

Wonderful morning. Followed by a delightful afternoon at the local climbing gym with my family and a few of my friends. Good times.

Mt. Washington, Flags on the 48, Sept. 12, 2009

2009-09-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

I was able to bag Washington for September -- trip report and pictures are in the Trish and Alex blog.

Osceola (2) and East Osceola (2), Sept. 6, 2009

2009-09-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Mt. Osceola Trail from Tripoli Road, 8.4 miles out-and-back.

This was supposed to be a triumphant tale of my first full moon hike along Franconia Ridge. However, last night, after just half a mile into the woods alone, I had to turn back due to hearing a plethora of Very Scary Noises. One of these days I will grow me some courage and complete a solo, full moon night hike!!

After going to bed with a blanket of shame, I awoke this morning and decided to do the Osceolas. In daylight.

The path up was rockier than I remembered it to be...

...and of course there were the nice, sideways slabs...

....then, just an hour and forty minutes after I parked my car, I was on the summit. That's good time, for me.

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous day! There were views aplenty. Here are a bunch of shots from the top.

After a good half hour of lounging, I got myself up and headed over toward East Osceola.

Here's looking down the chimney...by the way, this thing is much easier to descend if you take off your pack and toss it down first (just make sure there's no one at the bottom).

I hoofed it over to the east peak in half an hour (again, great time for me). When I got to the top, there was a lovely lady finishing her 48! I took her picture and gave her a Hershey Bar. She goes by the trail name of Pokey, and I think she's about to become a new member of VFTT.

We stood around and talked for a while before she headed out. I then took a picture of the glorious East Osceola summit cairn.

Here it is again, this time with my foot on it.

After I'd had enough of the views, I headed back toward the main peak.

Man, is it tough getting back up those steep bits! After much huffing and puffing, I found myself catching up to Pokey very close to the main summit. We arrived at the ledges together and took a food/water break.

The morning haze had now cleared and we could see Mt. Washington in the distance.

Somehow I had missed seeing Tecumseh's ski slopes when I first arrived.

Pokey departed while I stayed a while longer, enjoying the scenery and eating another Balance Bar.

When I felt rested, I began to head down. From that point on, every ten minutes I'd pass a group of people on the way up. Must have seen at least forty people and six dogs altogether.

Among all those folks were a few familiar voices...MadRiver, Susan, and their friend were on their way up. We stopped and chatted for a bit, then went on our separate ways.

I caught up with Pokey again close to the trailhead. We had a nice time conversing about all sorts of things -- then, before we knew it, we were there!

She graciously shared a beer with me, and we toasted her 48. She will celebrate in style with her friends in a few days.

A nice fellow by the name of Barry joined us in our parking lot beer fest. I had crossed paths with him between summits. The three of us hung out for a bit before going back to our usual lives.

Good times.

Tecumseh (5), May 2, 2009

2009-05-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tecumseh Trail, roundtrip. 4.4 miles

I had promised my husband a climbing day today, and we have to be in MA tomorrow, so I thought I wouldn't get out this weekend. However, I convinced Hugh to let me tag this peak quickly in the morning before he headed out to climb in the afternoon. He graciously agreed. Alex didn't mind, since she wants to hold off on 4Ks for another week or two.

The lower portion of this trail was completely snow-free. Came to the first water crossing, no big deal.

I enjoyed seeing rocks, dirt, and greenery again. This past winter seemed long.

I came to the second crossing and encountered the beginning of the monorail.

It wasn't too bad. After the climb away from the water, the snow was spotty. Then the monorail reappeared, and shortly thereafter the snow covered the width of the trail. However, it was firm enough for me to bareboot -- I carried my snowshoes, but never needed to put them on.

I arrived at the summit 1 hour and 45 minutes after leaving the car. The monorail slowed me down a bit, but I felt I had made decent time.

Standing on a particular rock and holding a branch out of the way, I was able to procure a fairly nice view.

I headed back down. The highlight of my descent was slipping on some ice and slamming my upper thigh against a rock. I celebrated this event by staying down and moaning for an appropriate amount of time, then I got back up and continued on my way.

Stopping by the viewpoint, I took in the scenery.

From here down, there was little to no snow, so I picked up my speed and made it back to the trailhead with little fanfare.

Tom (2), Field (2), and Willey (2) -- February 15, 2009

2009-02-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Traverse -- Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, and Mt. Tom Spur to Tom, Willey Range Trail to Field and Willey, then down Ethan Pond Trail.

8.5 miles total.

Alex and I were supposed to hike today, but Friday night she came down with the flu. So instead, I decided to knock off a few winter 4Ks.

I had to start and end early, since I needed to be back in MA by 6:30pm. I began the hike at 7am, hoping to eventually join a group containing Bob and Geri, Jason, and a few others. They were to set off at 8am -- I figured they would overtake me at some point.

The trailhead, in the 7am morning light...

This trail was such a sidewalk that I didn't even need microspikes. I hoofed up in unaided Sorels.

Every once in a while, I would stop and listen....to the wonderful, sensational silence. It was perfectly quiet. Little snowflakes were drifting down through the trees. It was peaceful. Fulfilling.

Soon enough, I arrived at Avalon's intersection with the A-Z.

I took a slight break here. I had to move onward after only a few minutes, however, because the cold temperatures were getting to me.

Feeling happy and silly, I wrote my name and an arrow in the snow, to make sure the group knew I was going up to Tom (and not heading straight to Field).

Off I went, up the lovely snowy sidewalk.

Here's a bit of the steep section that leads down to a (snow-covered) stream crossing.

And climbing away from the crossing...

Trail was steep for a bit now, just like I remembered.

After a bit of huffing and puffing, I came to the Mt. Tom Spur.

Another break here, before moving along on the beautiful, packed trail.

The summit this morning was a tad uninspiring...the cairn was buried and the view menu consisted solely of cloud...

After a bit of food and water, I headed down. At the trail junction, I made another silly snow sign before walking the hundred yards on the A-Z toward the Willey Range Trail.

At first, Willey Range Trail was nice and packed.

The snow sidewalk continued for a few tenths of a mile, but then it vanished. I know bryan from VFTT had broken out this traverse just yesterday...however, the wind had blown 2-24 inches of snow over much of his work. I strapped on the snowshoes and re-broke the trail. Whenever I became uncertain of where I was supposed to go, remnants of bryan's tracks appeared and the way became clear. Somewhere along the line, one of my poles snapped in two. I secured them to my pack (or so I thought) and continued onward.

After a little over half a mile, I reached the sign pointing toward Field.

I climbed the last 100 yards or so, then realized I was missing one of the broken pieces of my pole. I climbed back down and searched a bit, could not find it, then climbed back up the path. I knew Bob, Geri, and Jason were behind me somewhere, and I hoped they would come across it so it would not litter the trail (I found out later they did indeed see it and pick it up -- much thanks, folks!).

The summit cairn of Field was -- surprise surprise -- buried. I walked on all the high bits around the place where the cairn is supposed to be.

The viewpoint provided...more cloud!

More snacks and silly signage, and I headed toward Willey.

At first, the tree branches were at eye level. A bit of maneuvering was required to avoid being poked in the face.

The trees soon opened up, and the path headed down. And down. And down. I started to hate this bit -- I absolutely dreaded having to reclimb this section in order to get back to Field (to access the path leading to my car). In addition, I managed to pull a muscle in my right leg, and each step became increasingly painful. I took some aspirin and trudged onward.

After much muttering and cursing, I succeeded in dragging myself to the top of Willey.

There was a man sitting at the summit, having his lunch. He offered to take my picture.

Turns out this man's name is John, and he usually hikes with his son....who was home today with a cold. I told him that I usually hike with my daughter, but that she was home today with the flu! We struck up a very pleasant conversation and ate lunch together. He's an avid hiker and climber, and we spoke of different trails and mountains.

He had come up the Ethan Pond Trail....which he reported was nicely broken out. And then he said the magic words -- "If you want to go down that way, I can give you a ride back to your car."

Yippee!!!! I was THRILLED not to have to trudge back up Field. I made some more snow signage for Bob, Geri, Jason and the others, and off we went.

Before I began the descent, I took a picture at the viewpoint and got -- more cloud, yea..!

The way down did seem nicely packed out...

We reached the first steep bit, and there was no choice but to butt-slide. The descent was a mile-a-minute, very fast. I used my snowshoes to plow into the snow, so I wouldn't crash into a tree.

Then we came to one pitch that was...treacherous. Fun, but treacherous. At this point, there was also a nice view, for the first time today...

But, back to the trail. This picture does not do the steep grade justice.

I sat down and started to slide....and then realized it was crucial I take off my snowshoes. This particular pitch was way too steep, there was nothing to hold onto, and I didn't want the shoes to catch onto something and have my ankle/lower legs break! I grabbed a little tree limb that was sticking out of the snow and frantically unfastened a snowshoe...nothing but the little limb was holding me back from an extremely fast descent. I threw the snowshoe down the trail, then threw my pole (and a half) down the trail, then went to work on the second snowshoe. I got it off just as the limb bent and my fingers slipped. I proceeded to slide uncontrollably down the slope. At some point I was able to reach out and grab one of my snowshoes as I zoomed by it. Finally, my body came to a safe rest....John stood a little ways down the trail with a big smile on his face. He was gracious enough to climb up and retrieve my other snowshoe, along with the pole (and a half). I thanked him profusely and stowed the 'shoes and the poles.

We reached the Ethan Pond Trail...

and continued down, enjoying our conversation and chatting happily the entire way.

Once we reached the bottom, John again offered to take my picture.

As I put my pack in John's car, I realized I was missing one of my insulated Nalgenes that had been fastened to my pack with velcro. I imagine it came off during that one especially fast and furious descent?! Arg.

John gave me a ride back to Crawford Notch, and we parted company. It was truly a pleasure hiking with him, and again, I was so happy not to have to hike back up Field!!

I left a note on Bob and Geri's car, drove home, unpacked, left a few pm's for the folks I missed today, and headed out. I made it back to MA just in time for Hugh to make his flight.

'Twas a nice day in the woods!

Cannon Mountain (2), January 17, 2009

2009-01-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

Kinsman Ridge Trail, cutting over to upper ski slopes for the last couple tenths of a mile.

About 4.4 miles roundtrip.

It was -22 degrees when I pulled onto I-93 to head north toward Cannon. My first seriously cold cold-weather hike.

Got to the tramway parking lot and geared up, then started on the trail.

There was a thin covering of snow over a well-packed path, so I decided to save the snowshoes for later and microspike it. Since I was leaving inch footprints (at most), I felt I wasn't ruining the trail for others.

The first hour or so was very, very tough. Two reasons -- One: this trail is steep from the get-go and it never lets up. Two: It was COLD!!!! There was a point when I thought I should turn back....then I gave a peel-and-stick body warmer a try, and that made everything much, much better. They're like hand warmers, only you peel the backing off and stick it on top of your base layer, underneath your fleece. I put it right over my heart, and within 5 minutes I went from must-turn-back-now to fine-and-dandy.

Up I went...I had forgotten to take a picture at the trailhead when I first started out, so instead I took a picture of the left-over colors from sunrise, through the trees.

I almost lost the trail through the open-boulder area. However, a kind animal had walked through the snow practically the entire length of the path...whenever I was unsure of the way, I would follow the tracks and soon see a familiar blue blaze.

A couple of pictures from that open-boulder area:

My feet were now making the transition from footprint to posthole, so I donned the snowshoes and soon came to where the trail almost intersects one of the ski runs. At this point the animal tracks disappeared into the trees. Now, instead of taking the correct left, I took an accidental .1 mile diversion and ended up at the ski slope. Oops. I turned and started back down to find the trail again, and saw someone hiking up not far behind me. I called out to him, hoping he wasn't just following my tracks and therefore going off trail by accident.

Turns out the nice fellow was Jim Towle, one of the 8 people who have successfully completed the White Mountains "grid." He told me it was easier to just take the ski slope route from this point onward. In his company, I hiked back up to the ski run and took a few pictures.

At this point, we both geared up for wind, since we were now out of the trees.

I encouraged Jim to go on ahead. He's a veteran hiker and I'm a newbie, and I told him it would take me a fair bit of time to get up there. He went forward, and I followed at a much slower pace.

We kept out of the way of the skiers, staying to the sides of the run. I rested after every ten steps, feeling incredibly beat. During one of my breaks, a group of skiers stopped nearby...and I heard the unmistakable voice of MadRiver. I called his name, but he didn't hear me and skied away. One of the other skiers asked who I was. I told him, and he introduced himself -- MichaelJ! MntnPa was the other skier in the group-- it really nice to run into you folks!

This group skied all the way down, came back up, and stopped by me again during the time it took me to move...maybe 20 feet? Did I mention I was really worn out?

I finally made it to the top. Jim was patiently waiting, and he walked with me toward the summit. I stood on the official high point and took a couple of pictures. I chose not to climb the tower, as the steps were completely iced over...and did I mention I was tired?

Jim and I hiked over to the ski-building near the summit -- which was open, something I wasn't counting on when I started my hike. So a nice surprise...I was able to sit down inside and warm up a bit. Jim and I chatted while we ate, then it was time to descend.

Going down was much easier than coming up. My only regret -- while still on the ski slopes, we were treated to a MAGNIFICENT view of Franconia Ridge. That picture of the ridge I posted earlier in this report...imagine that, without the trees in the way, filling your computer screen. It was beautiful, breathtaking, too gorgeous to properly describe. Why on earth didn't I take a picture?!?! Arg.

It took perhaps one hour to descend.

I bade a fond farewell to Jim, then made my way home, exhilarated.

A great day in the mountains!

Mt. Pierce (2) and Mt. Eisenhower (2), January 10, 2009

2009-01-11T03:47:00.000-08:00

Crawford Path and Edmands Path, then 2.2 mile road walk back to car -- 10.2 miles.

Each week I study the forecast, hoping the weekend will provide another opportunity for Alex to hike. Unfortunately for her, there would be no such opportunity this time around -- the forecast called for very low temps and wind speeds too much for her liking and safety.

So instead of taking my daughter out, I got to join Bob and Geri on their planned hike to Pierce and Eisenhower. This proved a nice break for me -- fantastic company, beautiful blue skies, some needed practice with snowshoes, and a chance to do a long hike and just worry about myself. It was a perfect, stellar day.

Even the pre-hike hour was lovely -- boots-on-trail time was 9am, roughly 2 hours later than I'm used to setting out. Therefore, I got to drive to the trailhead in daylight and see the beautiful early morning sky over Franconia Notch. Gorgeous.

There were nine in our group -- myself, Bob and Geri, MadRiver, and five other Views From the Top/Rocks on Top members.

Here's my hat at the trailhead.

Some members of our crew were late, and MadRiver and I were getting cold, so we started up the path ahead of the others. We wore microspikes, since the trail was packed.

We stopped at the bridge near the Mizpah Hut sign, about .3 miles down the trail. The others caught up in short order.

From here we all trekked up together, It was a nice hike, and to my pleasant surprise I found I could keep up with the others fairly well. Everyone else in the party were veteran hikers with years of experience and many peaks under their belts. They are all much stronger than I am, but at least I don't think I slowed anyone down..not TOO much, anyway.

We reached the intersection with the Mizpah Cut-off and stopped for a water break. Everyone began taking pictures.

There was a nice view looking up.

Looking back the way we had come...

And then, while we were eating some snacks -- lo and behold, what should appear, but a gray jay!

I had heard all kinds of tales about how these birds follow hikers and eat out of outstretched hands. They can be bold and fly off with one's food, so the tales go. They are supposedly found on summits that Alex and I have already visited. Alex and I have been on the lookout for these critters, to no avail. So I was very happy to see this fellow, though a large part of me was sad that Alex couldn't be there to see him too.

Bob quickly handed me some trail mix, took my camera, and snapped the following pictures.

The little fellow also ate from Bob's hand...

...and then watched us carefully as we got ready to continue toward the summit (about 1.2 miles from this spot).

We hiked onward, through a winter wonderland.

We came to the treeline, and wow -- what a day. Blue skies, and great views of Mt. Washington and Eisenhower.

Looking toward the west...

A couple tenths of a mile later, we came to the sign just beneath the summit cone. It was wearing a nice coat of rime ice.

A short scramble up the cone, and we were there!

Bob took this picture of me, standing on the summit with Washington and Eisenhower in the background. Eisenhower was our next destination -- in the picture, it's the bump in front and to the left of Washington.

The summit cairn of Pierce became a convenient resting place for our poles.

Looking south...

After we had rested a bit, we geared back up -- this time, with snowshoes -- then trekked onward toward Eisenhower. The wind chills were -20 to -30, and my goggles fogged up immediately. I put them in my coat and instead adjusted my hat, balaclava and face mask to cover all necessary areas. This worked well, and I felt warm enough for the mile+ exposed hike. There were a few uncomfortable moments of toe-numbness, but that problem was taken care of by loosening my snowshoe straps a wee bit. Handwarmers were tucked between my wool gloves and shell mittens -- these kept my hands nice and toasty.

The climb up Eisenhower felt steeeep! However, we all made it -- here's the snow covered summit cairn, with Franklin, Monroe, Washington, and the northern Presidentials in the distance.

Bob and Geri at the summit, with Washington in the background.

Views from the top of Eisenhower, snapped quickly and at random (taking pictures means taking off my shells...then my hands get cold...).

Everyone huddled together and discussed descent options.

We could go back the way we had come, or we could go down the Edmands Path and walk back to our car from there (2.2 mile road walk). We decided the latter option might actually be the easier one, since going back the way we had come meant dealing with steep ups and downs. The Edmands Path provided more moderate grades once we got off the summit cone.

We started down toward the Edmands Path...

and soon ran into 1HappyHiker and zman, who had skied/snowshoed up the Edmands path...thank guys, for breaking the trail for us!! It was windy and cold, so only a few friendly words were exchanged before we needed to move on.

Once off the summit cone and a bit down the trail, I turned to get a picture of Franklin...

...and the northern Presidentials.

Just before treeline, I turned to take another photo. This spot has a lot of sentimental value to me, since this is the area that Alex first got a taste of views above treeline. We came up this path about 7 months ago -- Eisenhower was her 2nd 4K, and when we got to this spot she looked out and her jaw dropped. She thought it was so amazing, and was obviously awed. I took a picture of the path -- and instead of my own kid this time around, I have Geri's "kid" in the photo.

Back into the trees we go.

The good news was, we were now out of the wind. The bad news, for me anyway, was that this part of the path was very narrow and the snow was soft and fluffy. It was difficult for me not to slide off the trail and down the mountain.

At one point I peaked through the trees...

Once the path leveled off a bit, I was much happier. There were still spots I had trouble with -- steepish bits, and since I am new to snowshoes I took it very slowly. I know I slowed the others down on the descent...once I'm more familiar with snowshoes I will trust myself in them more and not take it so over-the-top carefully. I don't mind falling in the snow, but falling in snowshoes requires a herculean effort to get back up.

I had to stop a couple of times for food and water, Bob graciously staying behind with me. Once we were closer to the bottom and the path flattened out, I was able to hike at the pace of the others.

And...the Edmands Path trailhead!

1HappyHiker had descended behind us. I was now able to exchange a proper greeting and shake his hand. Again, nice to meet you in person, 1HappyHiker!

Our group then commenced the 2.2 mile roadwalk back to our cars. I tell you, those 2.2 miles seemed very, very long! At one point MadRiver muttered, "Where the f*** is the car?!" I couldn't have agreed more with his sentiments.

We all made it back, some of us more tired than others but everyone in very good spirits. I tried to take a return picture of the trailhead, but by now the sun had set and my cold hands couldn't figure out the flash. So instead, I used the light of everyone's headlamps to take a picture of the parking lot.

Thanks, everyone, for a perfect hiking day!

Tecumseh (4), January 3, 2009

2009-01-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Tecumseh Trail, 4.4 miles roundtrip.

Yeah, I know, I just hiked this four days ago, but hey, it's a new month and this mountain is so close to our house. It's really easy to wake up before the kids do, tag it, and then come back to my family.

I was on the trail at 7am, no snowshoes this time around. A slight dusting of snow covered the hard, packed path. It was like walking on a sidewalk most of the way to the top.

The first half of the hike was routine, except for some reason I was feeling extremely fatigued. Every few minutes, I wondered whether or not I should call it a day. Trudging along, I figured I'd get myself to the "view" sign (a bit over halfway in), and then see if I felt like continuing.

The first major water crossing had a nice snow bridge over it.

When I got to the "view," there wasn't much to see. Everything was fogged in. However, I felt much better and decided I could definitely continue toward the summit. Onward I went, up the steep sections.

The pictures don't accurately portray the steepness of the trail. At least the snow covered all the boulders underneath -- I think this hike is much more difficult in the summer.

I paused often, resting and listening to the wonderful sounds of nature. The ski center was quiet, so I could hear the wind whistling through the trees, the creaking of bending tree trunks, the occasional bird or two. That's what I love -- the peace and serenity of being out-of-doors, in the mountains. It's what draws me back, it's what I think about all week long.

At the Sosman Trail intersection, I took a short break and consumed one of those electrolyte-replacement gels. I swear those things have some kind of illegal substance in them. Each time I use one, my eyes blur for a moment and I feel an immense rush of energy. I motored on up to the summit feeling like a new woman.

Once at the summit, I took a picture of the cairn, looking back toward the trail I had just ascended.

And the view today was.....cloud.

And right above me, directly over the summit cairn, more cloud.

I didn't stay too long, the wind was fierce and I was feeling the occasional gust. I checked my watch before descending....it had taken me exactly 2 hours from car to summit today.

I paused during the ascent to take a picture at the "view." The snow was blowing every which way out there. However, I didn't feel any chill from my vantage point...it was nice to be in the trees.

Took me one hour and 15 minutes to get back to the trailhead from the summit.

I now felt fantastic and very glad that I had continued on toward the summit. Made it back in time for Hugh to go hike up the climbers' trail on Cannon (his favorite NH haunt). Now I'll probably go sledding with the girls -- wish every day could be like this. It's back to the usual routine on Monday and I'll be dreaming of the next hike in between the standard duties of everyday life.

Tecumseh (3), December 29, 2008

2008-12-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

Mt. Tecumseh Trail, 4.4 miles roundtrip.

It's been a hectic few weeks, and I've been looking forward to getting out on my own for a while now. I always like to hike with Alex, and I will enthusiastically accompany her whenever she wants to ascend a mountain. However, I've always been the type to need "alone time" every once in a while. There's been precious little of that since my girls were born. Therefore, I've no problem hiking solo...the quiet clears my mind and calms my spirit.

Mt. Tecumseh is right down the street from our place in Campton. I can go up and down and still be back by late morning, back in time to spend the day with my family. Therefore, I'll probably end up "grid-ing" Tecumseh long before I've done most of the other mountains even twice.

I set off a bit before dawn, grabbing a proxy on my way out the door. I needed something waterproof, so the kids' Beast doll from the Polly Pockets collection got to go with me today.

Here he is on the Tecumseh Trail sign at the ski area parking lot. The sun had yet to rise, so it's still a bit dark.

I put on my snowshoes and set off down the trail (forgive the fuzziness of this next picture).

The trail was hard and packed, so snowshoes weren't really necessary. However, I wanted to practice using them, so I wore them during the ascent.

The sun came up after I had been on the trail for about half a mile or so.

I continued onward. The first half of the Tecumseh trail has easy to moderate grades.

I crossed the last water crossing and the pitch became steep. I took a short break at the "view" area.

Then came the relentlessly steep part. I dragged myself up, alternating every ten steps with a ten second break. This method worked well, and I managed to make it to the summit in less time than I had anticipated. From car to peak, the trip took about 2 hours.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day.

I ate a snack and hung out for 20 minutes. Then I made the decision to leave my snowshoes off for the descent (I had removed them just before the summit, when I had come to very rocky bits where all the snow had melted). I figured microspikes would do the trick all the way down, since the trail was packed and frozen.

Going down was a breeze. My feet felt much lighter without the snowshoes on, and I made it to the car in about an hour.

Jefferson (2); aka The Link Trail Ate My Camera

2008-09-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Caps Ridge Trail, Link Trail, Castle Trail to summit, Caps Ridge back down to car (loop hike).

Total miles: just under 7.

There are no pictures for this trip report. There would have been, but the Link Trail ate my camera. I'll explain later.

We got into Campton very late last night, since Hugh had to work later than usual. Therefore, I did not get to bed until 1am.

I arrived at the trailhead at 6:30, having had no breakfast or coffee, and running on very little sleep. The first 1.1 miles were as easy as I remembered, just a few moderate pitches on mostly good footing. However, it took me a while to get into my groove, since I was sleep deprived and caffeine-free.

When I came to the Link Trail, I decided to take that to the summit instead of using the Castle Trail.

The AMC White Mountain Guide describes the Link Trail as heavily eroded, with difficult footing. That would be a huge understatement!!! Though this trail did not significantly ascend or descend (it's a connector path), it was overgrown and BADLY eroded. I mean VERY badly. Countless times I put my hiking poles on what looked like solid ground, only to have that bit of trail fall away beneath my feet and go sliding down the mountain. Trees were overturned everywhere, and I had to climb over many root systems. I'd step on boulders (with trail blazes on them) and they'd go toppling over and off the path. There were animal dens everywhere around and underneath the trail. I'm sure I walked on the ceiling of a hundred animal homes today. The path itself was narrow, and tree branches grew over the middle. I gave up avoiding spider webs and leaves after the first half mile and just accepted that I'd come off this trail covered with all kinds of stuff, from head to toe.

Then...after around 1.5 miles of this godforsaken path...my camera slipped off my backpack strap and fell to the ground. Then it slid into an animal den, under a tree root system. Arg!

I put my pack down, got out my headlamp, and shined a beam into the dirt tunnel. I could see the camera, it was WAY down there. The hole was only big enough for my arm to reach through, not my shoulder. I tried a hiking pole. Nope, didn't reach. I overextended that hiking pole. Still a negative. I taped both my hiking poles together, end to end, and then tried to fish the camera out. With this method, I could reach it, but I still could not succeed in bringing it up the shaft. The dirt walls were too loose, the camera just kept slipping back downward. I took out my cord and tried creating a slipknot, but I couldn't get it around the camera. I lay on the ground with my arm sticking in that hole for almost an hour, trying everything I could think of to get the damn thing out. I could see it plainly, but in the end I just could not retrieve my camera.

Finally, I realized that I had been lucky thus far -- no animal had come through one of the other tunnels of that hole to bite me for being so intrusive...and I bade a very sad, fond farewell to my little camera. I put a very small strip of blaze orange tape on one of the upturned roots over the hole. The hole is maybe .1 miles from the intersection with the Castle Trail. If anyone happens to be going along that path in the foreseeable future and can fish out my camera, I'd be eternally grateful. However, I understand it's most likely gone for good. Pooh.

Now royally pissed off, frustrated, and covered in dirt from lying on the ground for so long, I continued along the Link Trail and found the Castle Trail intersection. I went up up up on the Castle Trail. This trail was lovely! I climbed over each of the Castles (large, tall outcrops of rocks that look like...well, castles). The views into the ravine systems and valleys were breathtaking. However, the whole time I was ticked that I couldn't take pictures.

After much hard work and a fair bit of rock scrambling, I came to the summit cone of Jefferson. Lots of rock-hopping later, I was at the top.

A fellow named Andrew was sitting on the high point. He's a member of a local hiking group near Boston. We'd made contact yesterday -- he was planning on doing Adams and then Jefferson, and he wanted to know if anyone wanted to join him. I had told him I'd perhaps see him on Jefferson. I was amazed he was there. I thought my hour of camera-fishing would have cost me our meeting. However, turns out he had just gotten there. He's a nice fellow, and I hope to see him again soon.

We ate together, then he started heading back toward Adams, and I headed down the Caps Ridge Trail. There had been a bit of fog and very slight drizzle that morning, but overall the views were good, and getting better by the hour.

While climbing down the middle Cap, I looked to my right and saw -- the most beautiful, vivid rainbow I have ever seen. The top of it was beneath the second Cap, and it extended from the side of Jefferson over toward Adams. It was so bright and clear, it seemed as though my girls had drawn it with their oil pastels. There was a second, much fainter rainbow above the main one. It was spectacular. I sat there and took it all in. I was simultaneously breathless at the beauty of it and supremely annoyed at not being able to take a picture.

Got back to the car and found out Hugh had called five times. I was late getting back from the hike and he was worried. I explained what had happened with the camera. As I spoke with him, I heard the girls in the background. Sage was upset, having thought I had died (!), and Alex was angry at me for having gone on a hike without her. This, of course, after she had said she did not want to hike this weekend. We had spoken about this extensively yesterday -- she knew it might rain, so she wanted to wait. She knew I was going to a mountain we had already done. But still, she ended up being angry that I went without her. Tonight she keeps asking me if we can go together tomorrow (we can't, we have other plans). Times like this reinforce that she's doing all this hiking for the love of it, not for me. The two times I have hiked without her, I've gotten royal five-year-old attitude upon my return.

So, an interesting day. A good hike -- it kicked my bootie, I am so NOT in shape. Weather turned out fine, hooray! Now no more hikes for a couple of weeks. And I must get a new camera.

Tecumseh (2), August 31, 2008

2008-09-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

Tecumseh Trail from Tripoli Road, 6.2 miles roundtrip.

This was my second time doing Tecumseh, though this time around, I approached from Tripoli Road. Today, the weather was crisp and the wind was gusty -- autumn is nigh!

Waking early, I left a note for Hugh and headed to the trail just after daybreak.

I made quick work of the smooth, easy first mile.

The path comes to a "saddle" at the 1.3-ish mark, then the grade increases to moderate.

I was huffing steadily along now, interested in whether or not I could make book time. This was my first time hiking without Alex, and I was curious about my own natural pace.

The path became ornery -- not because of the grade, but because there are three knobs one must climb and descend. Nothing is steep, but psychologically I didn't feel like going up down up down up down. At the top of the first knob there is a look-out point, but I did not stop to appreciate it on the ascent.

After the three knobs, the path descends into a col between the west peak and the true summit.

At this point there's only .6 miles to go, so I chugged up the remaining pitch.

At the top of that pitch, one can turn around and catch some views. I snapped pictures on the descent, which you can see below, after the summit pictures.

A short walk brought me to the summit cairn.

I was pleased to see I had made it in just under book time. I sat and ate my breakfast. The wind was gusting; at one point my proxy blew away and I had to go retrieve her from the neighboring scrub.

Limited views from the summit:

After a few Cliff Bars and some gulps of water, I began the return journey. Here's the view from the top of that first descent pitch:

I also checked out the view from the top of that first knob (third knob if you're returning).

Descent was quick and easy. I felt good.

About three quarters of a mile from the trailhead, I heard a "cough cough cough." From reading the trip reports of others, I knew that could mean a bear was very close by. Looking down, I saw tracks in the mud at my feet.

I backed up, jingled my bear bell awhile, then began to sing "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin.' " Continuing down the path slowly, I made enough noise to annoy other hikers for miles around. I kept that up for a few hundred yards. Of course, I saw no bear. I'm sure all animals cleared that side of the mountain after hearing my infernal racket.

A short time later, the hike was complete!

It was a great morning. Wonderful crisp weather, and I had the trail to myself the entire time.