Oh the dreaded and ceaseless march to the far flung Owls Head Mountain is a never-ending slog without a shred of value. Or at least that is how some view it. Others, however, see it as a beautiful and gentle walk through the woods that, with the right company, is a fun and rewarding experience totally worth your while. In other words it is highly subjective […]
On the east side of Mt Washington, nestled between Raymond Cataract to the south and Nelson Crag to the north, you’ll find a beautiful cirque named Huntington Ravine. Find it on an AMC topo map and you see a lot of closely-spaced 100-foot contour lines indicating steepness. You’ll also note a red line making its way through this cirque. This is a “hiking trail” and it’s […]
A returning guest wanted a guide on a 4000-footer. Selected were Flume/Liberty by Redline Guide Debra McCown. These two are located on the south end of the Franconia Ridge for those not in the know. She chose Saturday, 9/14, as her day. We mentioned to her that that would be a busy day in the mountains as that would the day many hikers would memorialize the […]
When it comes to guiding the popular and in-demand 4004-foot Mt Isolation, it’s certainly not an isolated event, at least not for Redline Guide Chase Hall. He was leading a guest up there once again. On this mountain, this was like his 200th summit or something like that (just kidding). To our guest, however, it was indeed an isolated event. It was his first time taking […]
Previously, the team opted for Owls Head due to high winds being forecast for Mt Washington. On this trip the opposite was the case so our GRIDing guest and Redline Guide Chase Hall put the Rock Pile back on the schedule and successfully summited the mountain. What follows is a brief summary along with photos of their hiking adventure. What a stretch of beautiful weather with […]
If you ever wondered what Santa Claus does in the off season, keep reading… Seeing the pure joy in someone’s face as they experience the White Mountains is a delight to behold. It’s like magic. Even if they don’t summit, being up there is enough for many people. In the photos later in this post you will see some of that pure joy on the face […]
A repeat guest came to us looking to hike a Zealand/Bonds Traverse. We put Redline Guide Arlette Laan on it knowing this is one of her faves. There’s not too much to tell that isn’t spelled out in the photos. The weather was awesome, the company was awesome, the trip went without a hitch. Below are photos of the journey (Note: for some reason the Zeacliff […]
We often lead folks on Mt Washington who want to experience horrific weather. This is understandable as the mountain has a reputation for it. In many instances our guests will stand atop Lion Head, shaking their fists, shouting… well, shouting something. Their cries are whisked away on the freight train winds before we ever hear them. This is especially true in the winter months. Granted, it’s […]
Glenn was absolutely incredible and I was so glad Debra joined! They are my heroes! I’m still processing the magnitude of how awesome the day was… 🤯 —Very Happy Student Our sole student signed up for an Intro to Rock Climbing. The morning began in the classroom with Redline Guide Glenn Van Neil demonstrating various knots and hitches — i.e., Figure 8, Münter, Clove Hitch, and […]
An oft-returning guest and friend of Redline Guiding finished his 48 4000-footers on Mt Adams at the tender age of 75. With him was one of his daughters. He stayed at the AMC’s Madison Spring Hut to better the odds since this wasn’t his first attempt. This feat he did with the help of Redline Guide Mike Maciel. And Mike was there for him every step […]
The statement “More Bang for the Buck” was ascribed to Black Cap Mountain in North Conway. It’s a gem for new hikers offering stunning views with only minimal to moderate effort, depending on your conditioning and perspective. The mostly westward views are breathtaking, and avid explorers may cautiously find even more to be had. More experienced hikers with added layers, more gear including a proper headlamp, […]
As we explain in our post about NH’s 4000-footers, a peak’s prominence partially determines whether or not a particular mountain is counted as a 4000-footer. In other words, it’s more than just a mountain’s elevation that’s considered. A hiker may tag several summits, of which some are mere — albeit worthy — bumps along the way. Case in point, the full Franconia Ridge Traverse. That’s what […]
