Those of you that read my blog or check out my instagram photos know that I am an avid hiker in the White Mountains of NH. Besides being on the back of a horse, being out on the trails is my other happy, calming, mind-clearing place. I have a lot of gear now from hiking and camping up there over the past few years, but I have been in need of a good backpacking sleeping bag. My fiancé got me the REI Flash sleeping bag, rated for 32 deg F. He also got me one of those blow up crash pads to go with it.
Making sure it was long enough on Christmas morning! Mizpah and Patty Cat very interested 🙂
We hike all through the winter. I have La Sportiva Nepal boots, gators, waterproof pants, microspikes, crampons, and snowshoes….gear is really important in the winter. This sleeping bag will be at the bottom of my pack this winter, because you always have to be ready to survive in the cold in the case of an emergency. Bag and tag is what Jon calls it. Jon always brings his, and now I will have mine too, just in case. It will also be perfect for some of the overnight hikes we have planned this summer for me to finish the NH 48 4000 footers!
It might sound corny, but this sleeping bag is more than just, “I wanna camp with you”. For winter hikers, this sleeping bag is more like, “I wanna keep you safe and warm always”. My sleeping bag just became a way more romantic gift huh?? Plus I know he probably spent hours researching which bag to get me!
Wow, last week was crazy! My goal is to do at least 3 posts a week, and I failed terribly last week. Good news is I finished my grad class for the fall semester, and just about finished my Christmas shopping! Woo! High fives all around!
Two holiday/Christmas parties, an awesome charity 5k run, and hiking South and North Hancock sums up my weekend. I am definitely feeling a little worn out today. The Hancocks are #36 and #37 of the New Hampshire 48 4000footers for me, so I just have 11 left! It has been an amazing journey, and honestly once I finish, its not really an ending. Hiking in all seasons here in New England has become a very happy and healthy part of my life, I love it, its right up there with horseback riding 🙂
This hike is a lollipop hike. You go walk a pretty flat trail down the Hancock Notch Trail to the Cedar Brook Trail to the Hancock Loop Trail. Then you start to climb and can choose to head toward North or South first. We went to North first because that trail is rougher terrain which is easier to climb up. We went up and over North which has nice views, over to the tree covered South summit, and then back down to the stick of the lollipop.
Summit of Mt. Hancock, the North peakView from the outlook on North, almost right at the horizon you can see Lake Winnipesaukee in the middleAnother view from the outlook, over to the right you can see the ski trails on Loon Mountain
It was such an unseasonably warm day, no jacket needed. I did wear my microspikes for 2 sections.
Summit of Mt. Hancock, the North peakArrowhead Slide on North HancockBack of the Franconia RidgeNew rerouted trail away from the brook, really prettyThese trees will grow, even if they have to grow out of a rock 🙂
The red bows on the summits of both peaks were a surprise. I enjoyed them, BUT they do violate the Leave No Trace policy we all try to hike by. Its tough, most hikers that consider themselves stewards of these ranges don’t approve of anything that could become litter or could disrupt the existence of the animals/plants living there. The fact that this little decoration is in support of the holiday season also ticks some off, nature is neutral I was told. I hope that whoever put them up will come back to dispose of them, but I don’t see harm in the intent behind them. I am a holiday romantic, what can I say??
And on that note, yesterday was National Hot Cocoa Day! I celebrated with a mug that I painted at Clay Time in Shrewsbury MA. I used really cool silk screens to decorate my mug, it was so fun!
Hope you all had a good weekend! I will be better this week about posting, promise!
I hope that you all had a good Thanksgiving and a great weekend!! I spent the weekend up in NH with my fiancé and his family. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, and then his birthday on Saturday with an awesome hike to #optoutside on Friday in between.
I only have 7 hikes left to complete the NH 48 4000-footers…..but they are all pretty long. We wanted to be back, showered, and ready to go for dinner & drinks at Poor People’s Pub (good grub, cheap beer) Friday night, so we chose Mt. Moosilauke for our hike. The trail we picked, the Gorge Brook Trail, had a book time of 5 hours. We did it in 4.5, but we had to add an hour because the gate to the access road was shut and locked so we had to walk another 1.5 miles in and out from the trail head. That happens in the fall/winter.
The Gorge Brook Trail, Al Merrill Loop, Ridge Trail, and Snapper Ski Trail all start near the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. The lodge and bunkhouses are owned by the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) from Dartmouth College in Hanover NH. The DOC is legendary in the White Mountains. Their love for outdoor activities, particularly winter sports has made the White Mountains what it is today, a region dotted with ski resorts, and home to cross country ski trails, snowshoeing trails, and backcountry skiing. Really many of the first mountaineers in the Whites were from the DOC, some from Harvard too. These were the first mountaineers out west in many cases too. They were men that loved sport, competition, and endurance….and had the privilege and opportunity to travel and play in the mountains.
I have already hiked Mt. Moosilauke from a trail on the other side of the mountain, Glencliff, so this was my first time seeing the lodge. It’s really neat, bunkhouses named after different classes, a swimming hole for the class of 07, and the lodge itself is huge! They offer lodging to the public, students/alumni get a discount, and offer meals too. It’s also home to the trail crew, a group of students that maintain 17 cabins and ~50 miles of trails between the lodge and the campus in Hanover.
Ivy league bunkhouses folksWalking up the main lodge, it’s huge!!Tried not to be too much a paparazzi, but I loved this bunkhouse. You can just barely see the screened in porch on the right with matching hunter green adirondack chairsThe lawn of the lodge- I picture frisbee games, picnics, and stargazing out here
The hike itself was great, trail was not too rocky, lots of rock stairs, some ice towards the summit. The trails are very well marked by orange signs and very well taken care of. There are a couple re-routes which can be annoying, but are also signs of good trail stewardship. For this mountain, they have been moving the trails up and away from the riverside because of erosion and damage from hurricanes in the past.
Mizpah is very attentive when we stop for a snackSelfie with Miz!
Dartmouth owns the Gorge Brook watershed, something like 4500 acres on Mt. Moosilauke and the surrounding area. It is named after C. Ross McKenney, an avid woodsman who oversaw the building of the main lodge in 1938. The lodge was saved after many years of disuse in the 50s by Al Merrill, the Director of Outdoor Programs and Ski Coach at the time.
Memorial for Ross McKenney at the last sure water stop
The summit of Moosilauke is above treeline. It can be extremely windy up there because its the furthest west of the 4000 footers and catches undeterred wind all the way from Vermont. There is a stone foundation up on the summit, the remains of an old hotel up there in 1860. It was first called the Prospect House, later called the Tip Top House. The Carriage Road Trail was originally used to reach the hotel. It was lovingly run by Dartmouth students from 1920 until it burned down in 1942. The hotel on Mt. Washington was also called the Tip Top House. I just couldn’t get a pic of it on this hike, the wind was gusting to ~50 mph. It was tough to stand up and walk at times.
Freezing in the wind on the summit, couldn’t take too many picsMuddy paws and ears flapping in the wind
I absolutely love the history in the White Mountains. All the old hotels, mountain huts & shelters from a time when the train was the only way to get up there. To see what it looked like up there in its hey day. Not all of it was good of course, the White Mountain National Forest was almost leveled for lumber and to create farmland. I definitely prefer it with the trees, but the glimpses of the past are much appreciated.
I would like to explore the lodge more when its open. They open in May and close November 1st. Don’t worry, my fiancé is doing the grid for the 48, so he has done Moosilauke in 3 months so far, 9 more to go!
What did you do to #optoutside on Friday? Have I inspired anyone to come to NH and see the Ivy League accommodations at the ravine lodge? Please say yes! 🙂
My fiancé doesn’t normally get Columbus Day Monday off, but he took it off this year and we are so happy he did. We hiked Mt. Jefferson in probably the best weather you can ask for on the Presidentials for this time of year. We started up the Jewell Trail at the Cog Railway Base Station. Oh my goodness, it was so crazy. I wonder how many people took the train or drove up Mt. Washington this past weekend.
The trail is beautiful, just roots, some rocks but not too bad. The trail eventually pops you out above the trees though and you are exposed with the most beautiful views for the rest of the hike. There were some rocky sections above treeline. It was in the 50s, and a little windy above treeline. It was really sunny, which I love, but you have to be careful with sunscreen up there because there’s nothing shielding you. It was a beautiful hike, definitely a long day after hiking the Osceolas just a couple days before. Jefferson was the last mountain of the Presidential Range that I had to hike, #35 over all of the NH48. The colors in the mountains were beautiful on Monday, I think that was the official peak of colors for foliage in the Whites.
Chocurua Lake- I couldn’t resist stopping to snap this on the drive up to the trail headLove fall in New EnglandView on the way up the trailView from the top looking down over the base station and past that, Mt. Washington HotelView from the topLooking over to Mt. Washington, see the observatory station on top?Mizpah chillin in the alpine meadow
It will be a few weeks before we can head back up to hike again, probably not until November. In other news, today, October 14th is National Dessert Day!!! I swung by my favorite local bakery in my area, Bliss Bakery, to grab a couple dessert items to celebrate the occasion. If I am going to spend money on bakery items, meaning I am not just making it myself, I would always rather go to a nice local bakery. This past Easter, I had a lot of family over for lunch and we got a lemon custard tart topped with berries and a macaron assortment from Bliss. Here are some of the beautiful Easter egg macarons:
It’s Wednesday, just two more work days until the weekend AND you have an excuse to go get a little treat. Another reason why I like getting my treats at a cute local bakery is that I like to look at the selection and pick something. It’s fun! It’s also good for my diet though because one special cookie is better than buying a whole bag of cookies that I wouldn’t enjoy as much. Happy National Dessert Day! Hopefully you have had a sweet day!
Sorry I have been MIA, it has been a busy weekend of hiking, horse shows, & football!! I love Columbus Day Weekend because it usually the peak of the fall foliage in New Hampshire. This year did not disappoint. Saturday was a cooler day, and the trail was a little wet from rain on Friday, but we managed to get up and down East Osceola and Mt. Osceola, 2 4000 footers on my list 🙂
I have never seen as many people leaf peeping up in the Whites as we saw this weekend. Sunday night they were estimating ~660,000 people were traveling in NH for the foliage. That’s crazy, and really awesome for NH’s economy. Many inns/hotels/campgrounds that we passed were full up and many parking lots for scenic overlooks were packed with traffic causing lines to get a picture of the beautiful colors painted across the mountains that have become like a second home.
Anyways, here are some pics from the hike!
View of the mountains from the ascending trail
Thank goodness we didn’t have to climb this. Our trail had something similar, but had some foot holds at least!
Mizpah in her fall jacket on the misty trail
Mt. Washington snow covered in the upper left area!
From the summit of Mt. Osceola
View on the way back down East Osceola, easier to see some color there!
There are no views from East Osceola, just a cairn signifying that you made it, and even then you are supposed to walk down a small trail for about 60 yards to the true summit, something you would only know from reading the Appalachian Mountain Guide site. Mt. Osceola is where the views are at!
Standing up there on the summit, the colors transform the landscape. Its hard to see in the foliage in the pictures, definitely easier to see at the lower altitudes. Up in the 4000 footers, what you see is evergreens. I got some better foliage pics on today’s hike!
We went up via the Greeley Pond Trail to Mt. Osceola Trail. We think that coming up from the other side might be easier? There is a chimney (rocks that are arranged so you have to climb and squeeze through like Santa) between the Osceolas and a slide thats a pain when its wet…which it was…on the Mt. Osceola trail just before you summit East Osceola. This was actually my third attempt at the Osceolas. Once, it was wayyyy too wet and I was tired from a hike the day before, and the other time, the trail had new snow and was a mess with post holes and we couldn’t deal. That happens, we always say, “to hike another day”, meaning make sure you are hiking in a way that will allow you to hike another day, the mountains will be there.
Hiking is one of the most rewarding ways to spend a day, physically & mentally. We saw lots of families and groups of friends which always makes me happy. There were lots of dogs as well, which makes Mizpah happy too!
I will catch up on the rest of the glorious Columbus Day weekend over the next couple days, promise! Hope you all had a great weekend, and to my Canadian friends, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!!
On Sunday, the fiancé, pup, and myself headed up to NH. I am working on hiking all 48 4000 footers in NH, and I now have 32 done!! It has been an amazing journey. North and South Twin was an 11 mile, 7 3/4 hour hike. It was long but beautiful. The views from the summits are unlike any I have seen yet. The Twins are right in the middle of many of the 4000 footers, so it was amazing to see so many mountains I have hiked all seeming so close. Walking through the woods for hours to come out in the open and see all the peaks that have become so familiar was breath taking.
Here is the Little River that you cross back and forth over a few times taking the North Twin trail. So pretty, but a little scary hopping on rocks trying not to end up in the river. On the way out, we took a detour so we only had to cross the river once.
After the river crossings, the trail turns and heads up to the North Twin summit. From there its around 45 minutes to the South Twin summit. Most of the pictures below are from North Twin. My pics from South Twin didn’t come out too great. There is definitely foliage up there, a lot of yellow right now though. I am hoping this coming weekend will have more orange and red!
Pretty sweet view up here!Just starting to see the color change to mostly yellowsMizpah looking out over her mountainsView of the Presidential RangeView of Franconia Ridge & Mt. Garfield
After a long day of hiking, we ate our homemade sandwiches, pickles, apples, and yes, some pretzel/cheese combos and headed home. There was a huge traffic jam for a moose on the way home. Looked like a young male moose just hanging out on the side of the road. We contributed to the curiosity traffic haha, it was pretty cool.
Hiking is such amazing exercise and is pretty much necessary for my sanity. Being out there just softens life’s craziness. My fiancé says it turns down the volume for a while. Pretty cheap adventure too, just need to pay for gas! This one didn’t even have the $3 parking fee!
Wow what a weekend! Friday night I did dinner with my two best friends from high school, Saturday was my fiancé’s work party at Kimball’s Ice Cream in Westford MA, and then Sunday we hiked Mt. Tecumseh in the morning before the Patriot’s game!
If you are ever coming to Massachusetts to do something west of Boston in the summer or driving through, Kimball’s is a great stop! They have pony rides, bumper boats, a driving range, mini golf, and batting cages for things to do, and amazing ice cream, burgers & fries, and fried seafood to eat! Its an amazing place, usually crazy packed too!
I am from Massachusetts and my fiancé’s from New Hampshire so we are Patriots fans!! The game was at 1 PM yesterday so we had to hike something quick. Mt. Tecumseh is 4003 feet and the trailhead is right next to Waterville Valley in NH. I am hiking the 48 4000 footers in NH and have completed 30 of them! I have already done Mt. Tecumseh but thats ok, I did it in the winter last time so it was nice to see it green! The leaf peepers are officially out, we saw 2 tour buses on our way up, but the colors have really changed just yet.
Hiking mountains is one of my escapes from everyday life. The trails are so beautiful, I absolutely love it. I am so happy when I am hiking and feel so accomplished when I finish a peak. I can’t believe I only have 18 left before I finish the 48. We did the 5 mile loop for Tecumseh in just under 3.5 hours. It was a perfect way to spend our morning. Mizpah, my dalmatian loved it too 🙂
View of East & Mt. Osceola in the clouds from summit of Mt. Tecumseh
View of the Tripyramids from the overlook on the Mt. Tecumseh Trail which is actually on a ski slope for Waterville Valley!
My Mizpah posing at the Mt. Tecumseh summit with the Tripyramids in the background
Hiking in the White Mountains in NH just costs gas money and a few bucks to park at some of the mountains. We pack a little cooler with sandwiches and fruit and chips for after the hike. We even pack a special beer or two sometimes too! Hiking is amazing exercise, and great for clearing your head. It costs very little and brings me so much joy. I hope everyone had a great weekend!
New England Classic Beauty 