Being the tallest person in the room is attention-getting. And so is being the tallest mountain. In the Northeastern part of the United States, that means Mount Washington. At a mere 6288′ (1917m) it’s considered short by the world’s standard, but it’s a historic mountain, interesting, rich, and exciting, offering its visitors awe-inspiring experiences. It is also revered and respected for its horrible weather. All these […]
We knew it the day before at the hot and humid rehearsal that the wedding day was going to be likewise hot and humid, even atop the 3065-foot Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH (the “Exit 32”). The United States, the entire globe actually, was in the grip of a significant heat wave. Wedding guests from Massachusetts informed Redline Guide, owner, and Justice of the Peace, Mike […]
A million people, apparently, were seeking the peak. On any given day we can find solitude in the White Mountain National Forest, and if that is what’s requested, we can deliver the goods. But if Mount Washington is the objective du jour, we have to take what we get. And believe us when we say some days are better than others for hiking the “Rock Pile.” […]
For a number of years he thought about Huntington Ravine, considering. He watched videos on YouTube, planning. He read first-hand accounts, wondering. His senses on overdrive. He got himself good and stoked, and a little nervous. Knowing routing is super important on this notorious White Mountains hike, this crowned jewel of the Terrifying 25 list — so even though his son had hiked it before — […]
We have become known for helping people complete their New England Hundred Highest (NEHH) list along with others, even lending a hand with the 4000-footers in some cases (especially in winter). Our experience, knowledge, and navigational abilities make us a very good friend to have when tackling some of these mountains. On our most recent mission, Redline Guide Ken Hodges took the lead with a many-time […]
Her trailname is “Bear Repellent” and trust us, she’s no wuss. She realized she had 500 miles left on her Appalachian Trail (AT) section hiking effort and decided that finishing what she started was something that needed to be done. Having randomly joined others for their section hikes in the past, she didn’t really plan out her own sections. Thus, years later — at seventy-one years […]
We write most of these Trip Report posts based information we get from our guides, our guests, or sometimes both. Sometimes we are provided with such rich content, that we can simply edit and re-post their notes and call it a day. This is such the case now where Redline Guide Arlette Laan provided such a great summary of her wilderness-like backpack in the Kilkenny Forest, […]
Next floor, Huntington Ravine, going up — ding-ding. The doors rumble open and three ladies enter the elevator, two returning to us from previous Redline Guiding adventures. Redline Guide Ken Hodges at the controls, in the lead, taking this party up, up, and up some more. This is something we do here at Redline Guiding. It’s not so simple as the push of an elevator button, […]
[…] they heard a moose splashing around […] They went in with the names their parents gave them. Four days later they return to civilization as “Rollover,” “Footloose,” and “Trot” — the last one being the name that Redline Guide Ryan Mcguire earned. He led this White Mountains backpacking experience, and can apparently hike fast. But not fast enough, however, to out-hike the long-distance hikers’ tradition […]
[…] but nature performed the real magic. Nature takes, but nature gives back. Nature can do surprising things, destructive things. Nature can take away. One day all is right; the next day it is not. Nature can bear its weigh on us in the most unforgiving ways. Then just as suddenly nature can become completely restorative. What nature takes, it often gives back in another form. […]
Backpacking in the alpine zone of the Presidential Range is difficult. In winter you can camp anywhere outside of the Cutler River Drainage in that zone as long as there is two feet of snow under you so space is plentiful. In winter, however, there are cold temps and often high winds so camping is not necessarily easy or even fun on some days. This isn’t […]
They wandered along, indications for the trail were there but they had to look for them. Broken ferns, a treadway amidst hobblebush, a human-cut log end, a worn root, erosion, the hint of a trail corridor (a.k.a. a space between two trees). All are signs of a trail. It’s a wild area. As Axel Rose belted out: “Welcome to the jungle.” We joke about this, it’s […]
