Middle & South Carter Hike

On June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 By careofmonIn Hiking1 Comment

I am two peaks closer to finishing the New Hampshire 48 4000 footers! The original plan was to do Middle & South Carter and then Carter Dome but we had to turn back after South Carter. Descending from South Carter to the Zeta Pass before you head up the dome, we noticed Mizpah trying to lay down every time we stopped which is really weird for her, and then she actually limped holding up her left hind paw. We took a look at her paw and sure enough, she had a rip in her paw pad. We decided to head back, which did mean 4 miles of hiking down still. My little baby made it down ok, she sort of limped if there were rocks but walked ok on the nice packed dirt. Today she is doing better, she is tired but she did make it down the stairs ok and is eating/drinking.

The two peaks we did don’t have views! I did take some pictures of the beautiful northern Presidentials from an outlook on a little summit before Middle Carter. I guess the really nice views are on Mt. Hight which is not technically a 4000 footer in between South Carter and Carter Dome. I have to go back up to do the dome so I will get to snag those views then!

This is the view of Lake Winnipesaukee from Mt. Major on Saturday!! We did the little Mt. Major with Jon’s parents on Saturday, it was such a beautiful day. Mt. Major was packed!

Sunday was the ATV ride up the Mt. Washington auto road!! They shut down the auto road and only allow four wheelers up. The line of trucks and trailers was miles long in the morning.

Above is a picture of Camp Dodge, where AMC volunteers and employees can stay in the summer. We parked at the 19 Mile Brook Trailhead because thats where we were going to end, and walked up the road a bit to Camp Dodge and got on the Imp Trail towards Middle Carter there. It was cool to see Camp Dodge!

View of Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Madison from an outlook by Middle Carter

Really nice new bridge on 19 Mile Brook Trail.

We have some more hikes planned in the next couple months, so hopefully I will finish the 4000 footers this summer! Mizpah’s paw will heal, she just needs time. Its just so hard to watch my super athletic girl struggle and limp around. Friday was my last day of work until August 22 🙂 Let the summer adventures begin!!

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Stroll around historic Portsmouth NH

On June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 By careofmonIn Lifestyle, Trips4 Comments

This past weekend we were up in NH for a cookout Saturday. It was in honor of two of the cutest kids in the world, a little boy who turns six this coming Saturday, and his little sister who turned three in May. My husband’s friends in NH are friends that he has had since high school. They are a really tight knit crew and its always fun getting everyone together for something. It poured on Saturday but Sunday was all sun! We decided to walk around Portsmouth a little bit on Sunday to just enjoy the sunshine and give Mizpah some exercise. We walked down by the Strawberry Banke which is one of my favorite areas of Portsmouth and walked around Market Square. Portsmouth is on the Piscataqua River that separates New Hampshire and Maine and empties out into the Atlantic. Portsmouth isn’t actually on the ocean, Rye and New Castle NH to it’s east have that coastal privilege. I snapped some pics of some of my favorite historic houses and a little bit of the lovely Piscataqua!

The Governor John Langdon House, a Georgian mansion built in 1784…the portico, the balustrades, the dormers, I don’t even know what I love the most.

The Oracle House, built around 1702 it is one of the oldest houses in New England. It was the home of the first daily newspaper in New Hampshire, The Oracle of the Day, in the 18th century

The Goodwin House, built in 1811 and owned by Ichabod Goodwin, the governor of NH during the Civil War. This house is right near the Strawberry Banke museum.

Adorable tea setting in the gardens of the Goodwin House.

The Treadwell Jenness House, 1818. I love the eagle above the front door.

The Liberty Pole, standing tall right near Prescott Park in Portsmouth. Again, the gold eagle that sits atop the pole is perfect.

Nice little spot to see the Piscataqua near Old Ferry Landing. Mizpah got a lot of love from kids and adults hangin out here!

My anchor tshirt is an oldie from J Crew Factory, jean shorts are from American Eagle, Sperry Topsiders, and my very first KJP bracelet!

The Jacob Wendell House, 1789, he was a merchant ship owner and insurance agent. The carving above the door is a whale oil lamp. I love the gabled dormers.

So this house may not have a plaque announcing its historical significance, but I just love it! It has a cute little backyard/garden and the size is a little understated but the Georgian door! I don’t know, its a favorite for me 🙂

Portsmouth is a really dog friendly city. There is an awesome dog park, Pierce Island has an off leash area, and dogs are allowed in many of the outdoor seating areas for restaurants/cafes. Dogs are not allowed in Prescott Park which is a really pretty park on the Piscataqua, and I don’t think they are allowed in the Strawberry Banke historic area. There are so many beautiful old houses in Portsmouth, it was a perfect day to walk with my husband and pup. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

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Mahi Gold at WPI’s Alumni Weekend

On June 6, 2016June 6, 2016 By careofmonIn Fashion, Lifestyle3 Comments

This past weekend I attended my 10 year reunion at WPI….that’s right, I graduated college in 2006!! It made me feel really old haha. My husband, Jon, was also the class of ’06 so he came with and we had an awesome day catching up with people. We met up with a group of friends at the Boynton restaurant in Worcester to start our day, a place that we all spent much time at in college. From there we headed up the hill to campus.

WPI is beautiful. Nestled in a concentrated area in Worcester, it has the classic New England college look. I remember going to check it out in high school and just instantly falling in love with the campus. My tour guide, Nicole, was awesome and would later become my sorority sister! I got in to WPI early my senior year, connected with the crew coach, the money all worked out and just like that, I had chosen my home for the next four years.

This is the Earle Bridge, a walking bridge over Institute Road. Freshman year during orientation, all new students walk over this bridge to symbolize their journey beginning. On graduation day, all graduates walk back over the bridge to symbolize the end of their time at WPI. Tearin up just a little, don’t mind me guys.

My husband was in the Skull society, so we hung out in the Skull tomb for a bit. Then we went to see our respective Greek houses- he was an Alpha Chi Rho, and I was a Phi Sigma Sigma. Finally we went to the Higgins House gardens (also seen here), arguably my favorite spot on campus. The Higgins lawn was my quiet spot to go with a blanket and read in college.

It was a really beautiful day Saturday, so I went with one of my Mahi Gold dresses and my navy/white Palm Beach Sandals with my white KJP bracelet. I have three dresses from Mahi Gold on the cape, and they are definitely some of my faves. They are all made from high quality cotton with a little stretch, thick enough to be not see through. The prints are all really fun and nautical.

Not loving my hair in these pics haha, I put it in a braid wet so it has that sorta wavy look to it, ohhhh well 🙂

Our little class reception was in the new rec/athletics building on campus which has a rowing room!! We used to have to get bused over to Holy Cross to use their tanks, but now WPI has a state of the art awesome room with tanks and ergs. We couldn’t get into the room but we did mess around on some ergs out in the hall for old time’s sake haha.

After our little class reception, they had smores and a reception out on the quad. Its funny because Jon and I were good friends in college and have a lot of memories together from crew and social stuff on campus, but we didn’t date until after college. Being together on campus and whenever we go to crew events, its special because its something that we truly share. Actually in my group of ten best gal pals from WPI, six of us are married to WPI grads! So many WPI couples!

It was so nice to be back on campus, we all had such a great four years at WPI, so many amazing memories. I have nothin but love for my alma mater. How was everyone else’s weekend!?

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Memorial Day on Lake Winnipesaukee

On June 2, 2016June 2, 2016 By careofmonIn TripsLeave a comment

Jon, Mizpah, and I spent Memorial Day this year on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Memorial Day started out rainy and dreary, but by noon, the weather cleared up and we were in for a gorgeous day! A couple of our friends just recently got a boat, so we headed to Alton Bay to meet them. We grabbed some Richardson’s ice cream at Stillwells and hung out in the sun before heading to the boat.

The old grandstand, not used anymore, in Alton Bay

Hangin out on the docks with some mocha chip and the Mizpah

Their boat was at a friend’s house in Gilford right on the lake. Lake Winnepesaukee is the third-largest lake in New England, behind Lake Champlain in Vermont and Moosehead Lake in Maine. There are many towns on the lake including Wolfeboro (which I love), Meredith, Moultonboro, Center Harbor, Tuftonboro, Gilford, and Laconia. Weirs Beach is a very popular spot on the lake in Laconia, also the home of Bike Week.

My most patiotic KJP bracelet for Memorial Day!

Sleepy little boat derg. My skirt is an oldie from J. Crew and the shirt was an impulse buy from Walmart for $9! My silver Jacks come out a lot in the summer. They are my classy beach/boating footwear.

Welcome to Governor’s Island, Gilford, NH. That home is probably used for maybe 2 weeks out of the year hahaha

So beautiful. I love the New England coastline, but there is something about the lake surrounded by hills and mountains.

It was such a fun day catching up and motoring around. We did hop off the boat and do a little swimming, but the lake is definitely still a little cold!! It was a perfect relaxing day after our hike on Sunday. Mizpah was so well behaved and calm on the boat, I was really proud of her. This week is a really exciting week full of activities for the seniors at my school. The prom was last night, and their big awards night is tonight. We are in the homestretch with the last day of school on June 24th, summer is almost here!

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MDW Hike up Mt. Cabot

On May 31, 2016May 31, 2016 By careofmonIn HikingLeave a comment

Well another Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. From what I have heard, Sunday was a miserable day in most of New England, but it was a beautiful day in northern New Hampshire on Mt. Cabot! Mt. Cabot is the farthest north of the 4000 footers up in Berlin NH. The trailhead is at one of the NH State Hatcheries, soooooo many trouts!!! We were already up at my inlaws’ house in NH, and from there it was still another 2.5 hours to drive. My sister, Brenda, came up to do this hike with me and my husband too! This was her 3rd 4000 footer, my 40th 4000 footer, and who knows what number it is for my husband haha, over 100?

So we went up Cabot via the Bunnel Notch Trail to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. In total, the mileage was a little over 9 miles- took us about 6 hours. The trail was in great shape except for some mud which is normal for this time of year. It was a really warm day, many water breaks. There are some nice features along the way- a spot with some beautiful views, an old fire warden’s cabin that you can stay in, and a clearing close to the summit that has the remnants of an old fire tower. Many people stop at the tower clearing thinking that they have made it to the summit…but really you have to continue on and you will get to another clearing with a sign that says Mt. Cabot-4120′, and that still isn’t the summit, you have to go a little further to the true summit at 4170′. Two false summits. We saw many people at the fire tower clearing that never continued on to the actual summit.

Green lush scenery has returned to the White Mountains

My sister and I love our LLBean Backpacks. Mine on the left is here and my sister’s on the right is here. My pack is smaller, more appropriate for a little day pack, and my sister’s is a little more appropriate for an overnight too.

The girls at the view, Mizpah, me, and Brenda

The views were a little hazy on Sunday, but still beautiful. Everything is so green again!!!

The old fire warden cabin near the summit of Mt. Cabot. The only cabin I have seen in the 4000 footers higher elevation. There are shelters, and then the AMC huts, and cabins at lower elevations, but this is a unique fixture.

Stopping at the view for a little break on the way down. Best hiking dog. Love her.

On the way home, we stopped at Mountain Fire Pizza in Gorham NH for some dinner and a beer. Jon and I split the maple and bacon pizza, it was amazing. My sister got a pizza with chicken and artichoke on it, it looked great too! If you like thin crust brick oven pizza, then this is the place for you. Gorham is an interesting town, way up in the mountains. We went to Gorham last year for 4th of July fireworks when we were camping at Dolly Cop. ATVs are street legal in the town. Think about that for a second, you can drive 4-wheelers anywhere…to McDonald’s, to get some pizza, to pick up a friend, whatever. Pretty cool place. More pics from Memorial Day on Lake Winnepesaukee tomorrow!!

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Oak Hill Conservation Area

On May 16, 2016May 16, 2016 By careofmonIn Hiking2 Comments

After being sick with allergies and some flu like symptoms last week, I attacked this weekend with a vengeance! Sunday I ran my first 5k road race with my sister, Brenda, in Stow MA. It was the 18th annual Run for the Woods, and the money raised benefits the Stow Conservation Trust. The course had minimal hills, and winds by some beautiful spots- an apple orchard, a farm with goats/cows, and a farm with sheep! That afternoon I was tired, but we had to do something with the pup, so we decided to try out the Oak Hill Conservation Area in Littleton, MA. The two big features there are the Lookout Rock, which I guess you can see the Hancock tower in Boston from on a clear day (it wasn’t that clear for us), and Tophet Chasm. Tophet Chasm was formed 15,000 years ago by an outlet from Lake Nashua, a glacial lake. There are trails along the ridge of the chasm looking down into it, and then a trail along the bottom of the chasm. We will NEVER take the trail at the bottom again, Mizpah had a blast running through the swampy areas down there and honestly, I don’t think I have seen her that muddy ever!!

Walking uphill felt great after running a 5k earlier haha!!!

Trail through the swampy bottom of the chasm

Looking down into the chasm from the top of the ridge

This picture doesn’t even do justice to how muddy Mizpah was because you can’t see her back legs really well, she was gross!

We will hopefully be heading up to do some hiking in NH this coming weekend, but it is fun to explore smaller local spots when we can’t get up there. This area had conflicting information posted about leashing your dog. The leash law for Littleton was posted, but then another sign said dogs needed to be on leash or under verbal command, and then yet another sign said dogs needed to be in sight and under verbal control and were not allowed to approach people or dogs unless invited. We did a mix of leash and off leash….if we heard people, we put her on the leash. When she got super gross, we put her on a leash so she wouldn’t be gross greeting people. It was pretty quiet there though, not a lot of people at all. We had such a nice weekend weather wise this past weekend. I hope it continues!

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Barbour Clearance Center, Milford NH

On May 11, 2016May 11, 2016 By careofmonIn Fashion, Trips6 Comments

So my celebratory-finished my MS-shopping weekend (see my other shopping victories here) continued and brought me north into New Hampshire. I have been searching for deals on a hood for my Barbour Argon jacket and for a jacket for my pup, Mizpah. There is a new Barbour outlet in the Merrimack Outlets, but I was surprised to see a location in Milford, NH. Milford NH? Yep, that’s right, the US headquarters for Barbour is in a warehouse/tech park in Milford ha. Everything that is sold in the US goes through this facility, and repairs/reproofing are done here too.

This is the real deal factory/warehouse outlet!

This gorgeous image hangs above the cashier area, one of the few pieces of decor in the store

I was checking these out because I would really love a navy quilted jacket someday!

The outlet attached was awesome. The sales associates were really sweet and helpful- they had to go out back to find me a hood- it was the only one left! Lets go over the deals here though….

-All items have some sort of markdown. They sell out fast of any classics that come in, as well as any dog stuff sadly.

-Buy 3 or more items and you get 20% off! One of the sales associates told me that they are getting in some accessories like socks soon which will make this easier on the wallet!

-They do sample sales- size 6 in women’s and large in men’s. Sometimes the discount doesn’t seem huge on an item in the sample sale, but its the best of the best stuff usually. So if you are those sizes, you could get some cool stuff.

-Red tag sales- any item that has been deemed imperfect is on sale for huge discounts. Sometimes the item might just be missing a snap, which they will fix for you!

I am now on the email list for the sample and red tag sales- pretty exciting stuff. I am still on the hunt for a jacket for the pup, but I love my hood. The hood is typically $49, but at the outlet it was $29.

We did hit up the Merrimack Outlets too, and just an FYI, I liked the Milford outlet way better. I got a great deal on a staple Polo Ralph Lauren oxford- $30. I am a perfect medium in the custom fit. Oxfords can be tough- finding a shirt that fits your shoulders, bust, and arms that isn’t too boxy feels a little like winning a contest haha.

If you want to see more pictures and get more info, Salt Water New England has a great post on the Barbour headquarters in Milford. The only thing to remember though is that the outlet is only open Thursday- Saturday 10-6, and Sunday 11-5. After our shopping adventure, we grabbed dinner with my inlaws for Mother’s Day at the Common Man in Concord, NH. Definitely my favorite chain of restaurants in NH, so lucky my mother-in-law loves it too! If you are ever traveling through NH, stop at the Mt. Washington Hotel, the white mountains, and check out Lake Winnipesaukee….but if something from Barbour sounds like a good souvenir, swing by this out of the way location in Milford!!

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UNH Spring Eventing Trials!

On May 2, 2016May 2, 2016 By careofmonIn LifestyleLeave a comment

This past Saturday I packed up the pup and we headed to the UNH spring eventing trials to support one of my good friends. She moved up a level this year to training from novice which is very exciting, and this was her and her horse, Clover’s, first outing of the year. It was a beautiful day, sun shining with a breeze, and we got there in time for my favorite part of supporting a friend at an eventing trial- walking the cross country course!! Cross country is the 3rd phase of an eventing trial where horse and rider take off into fields, woods, and water features. They are timed and assessed time penalties depending on how far off they were from the optimal time. You can also get penalties in cross country if your horse refuses a jump- 20 for the first refusal, 40 for the second, and then if you get a 3rd refusal on a jump, its elimination. If the rider falls at a jump, its elimination….in the levels below training, if you fall and land on your feet you can hop back on but its 65 penalties!

Cross country features are really cool. Logs, drops, banks, ditches, water jumps, roll tops, oxers with tree/shrub brushes, coops…some that are a direct straight shot to get to, some that you have to turn into, all really interesting & challenging. Some are really fun too, like jumping a giant duck or something like that. The horses cover some serious ground typically, and they are usually ridden at a gallop, maybe a bit slower for the lower levels, like you might see people decelerate coming up to a jump to prepare. Riders need to condition themselves and their horses by schooling cross country at different places, so when its time to do it at an event, all that hard work can pay off! My friend did an amazing job, she came in 4th!! She did a great job in dressage, double clear (no time or jump faults) in stadium jumping, and no penalties in xcountry. Mizpah had an awesome time walking with us and socializing with dogs, horses, and people. She loves Clover, walks right next to her like she is Clover’s escort. Her affinity for horses is actually part of her breeding. Dalmatians were bred to travel with horse drawn vehicles, hence their rep as fire house and Budweiser dogs. Mizpah naturally coaches when she is with horses. Here are some pics from the day, enjoy!!

Pretty cool water feature!! The jump leading up to this is a ditch!

UNH has a very popular equine science program. The cross country course is right on campus, like some buildings actually have a view out their window of a jump! The dressage arenas and the jumping arena were all very close too which is nice for horses. They are actually fundraising to improve their cross country course for 2017, so it will be fun to go back next year and see the changes. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!!

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Dinner at Groton’s Gibbet Hill Grill

On April 28, 2016April 26, 2016 By careofmonIn Lifestyle2 Comments

Groton is an adorable New England town. Cute Main St. with cafes, bakery, and pizza shop, great conservation land and trails, a rail trail for walking & bike riding, plenty of picturesque horse farms, and not one, but two boarding schools. Groton is home to Lawrence Academy & Groton School. Both schools owe their founding in some part to the Lawrence family, which I am actually a descendant from! I am planning to run around both schools this summer, they are gorgeous, you will love them. Groton School was actually in School Ties!

Anyways, Gibbet Hill Farm is walking distance to Lawrence Academy and they have both a restaurant called Gibbet Hill Grill and a function/wedding venue called The Barn at Gibbet Hill.

Front door of the grill, the old school sliding barn door 🙂

The Barn at Gibbet Hill under a full moon!

The menu at the grill is amazing. Entrees were priced from the teens to twenties and steaks could be a little more expensive, but the ingredients are all local. The produce for the most part comes right from their farm! We started with a bowl of the clam chowder. Living in New England, we are kinda spoiled in the clam chowder department. The Gibbet Hill version did not disappoint! It was very creamy, big clams, and great flavor. I do like it a little thicker, but it was delicious. It came in a cute little cauldron too.

Then for entrees, Jon got the shepherd’s pie and I got the potato crispy haddock with bacon and potato corn chowder. Both entrees were amazing. The beef in the shepherd’s pie was awesome, which shouldn’t be a surprise because it is a steakhouse, and the corn chowder that came with my haddock was so good. Jon also got a side of mac n cheese which was huge, so we had that with our dinner the next day too! The bar was great, many choices for wine, beer, and spirits/cocktails. I got a Belgian wit beer and Jon got the Gibbet Hill Brew which is an IPA made by Berkshire Brewing Company.

Below are just some pictures I snapped in the restaurant. The building has the big beautiful wooden beams, a fireplace, adorable navy blue/cream checked table cloths, and an open counter/window into the kitchen which I love. The artwork was all farm related, portraits of prize steers and vintage memorabilia/farm items.

There is some historical significance to the property and a trail system that you can explore seen here. I would really like to go back with the pup to explore and watch the sunset from the hill, and then head into the grill for some chowder 🙂 Jon and I don’t go out to dinner all that often, maybe once a month, so when we do, we like to go somewhere nice and sort of have an experience I guess too. The other places I have on my list are the Colonial Inn in Concord and the Wayside Inn in Sudbury! Where do you go for your special dinners with friends or family?

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Bluebird day hike up Mt. Garfield

On April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 By careofmonIn HikingLeave a comment

I hiked Mt. Garfield in December 2014, but we still aren’t quite ready to do any of the 9 remaining mountains I have left to finish the New Hampshire 48 4000 footers, so we did Mt. Garfield on Sunday for my husband’s grid. My husband, Jon, is doing the grid, which is all 48 in all 12 months. It takes years to accomplish for most; probably close to 20 years for Jon. When I did Garfield in December, we were socked in meaning it was a cloudy day with no views. When we did it Sunday there was not one cloud in the sky!!! Mt. Garfield is a part of the Franconia Ridge, so you can see Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack, Mt. Liberty, and Mt. Flume to one side, and North & South Twin, and the Bonds to other side. You can look down into the Pemigewassett River Valley to see Owls Head, and on a really clear day, you can see Mt. Washington past the Bonds. We took the Garfield Ridge Trail up, which is a beautiful trail. The road to the trailhead from Rt 3 is still closed, so that does add 2 miles of walking to the distance. Overall I think it was 12 miles. There are a couple river crossings which were very low/safe for this time of year. Sometimes spring can be tough for river crossings because the melting snow makes for raging rivers. The trail was a sheet of ice for probably the last 2-3 miles to and from the summit. We had our microspikes, and even then it was a little tough. We both really wished that we had our crampons. We saw one couple turn around because they didn’t have any traction, another couple where one didn’t have traction and struggled hardcore, and another couple that shared 1 pair of microspikes (they each had one on their right foot). The happiest and safest folks had microspikes 🙂

Water levels are so low right now for spring, rock hopping across!

View of Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack, Mt. Liberty, and the side of Mt. Flume from the center out to the left

A river runs through it: The Pemi River Valley

Foundation of the tower that used to be on Mt. Garfield

Mizpah did an amazing job as usual. She is so athletic, surefooted, and agile. I am constantly impressed by Mizpah out on the trails. She’s so aware of her surroundings and just in tune with the trails. We purposely let her nails stay a little long in the winter/spring until the ice melts because they give her little microspikes of her own. She was the only dog we saw up there, and she got a lot of love from our fellow hikers. This coming weekend, we are planning to do Mt. Cabot, which I do need for my 48, so I am really excited about that!!!

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New England Classic Beauty

Tag: newengland

Middle & South Carter Hike

Stroll around historic Portsmouth NH

Mahi Gold at WPI’s Alumni Weekend

Memorial Day on Lake Winnipesaukee

MDW Hike up Mt. Cabot

Oak Hill Conservation Area

Barbour Clearance Center, Milford NH

UNH Spring Eventing Trials!

Dinner at Groton’s Gibbet Hill Grill

Bluebird day hike up Mt. Garfield

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