This weekend sort of started the ball rolling for us, so to speak. It began Saturday with a Winter Skills course followed by a Mountaineering Skills course. And this was followed the next day with a successful ascent of Mt Washington — the tallest most badass peak in the Northeast and the crown jewel of the White Mountain National Forest. Atypical of its badassness, however, the […]
Back in the day, the last century, people wanted stuff for the holidays. Big piles of expensive, opulent stuff. Stuff that quickly broke or became lost. Stuff that people lost interest in or ended up forgetting all about. People were into stuff. This isn’t the case nowadays. Today people crave experiences. Unlike stuff that fades in time, experiences stick with us. They help us learn and […]
So, you want to hike in the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), right? Great. You will reap rich rewards. You already know this part, though. You’ve seen the photos others have posted online or read materials on the subject. You’ve noted the gorgeous Wilderness areas, the rich northern mixed forests, the lush and mysterious boreal zone thick with aromatic conifers, the stunted fir and spruce of […]
“The bears were really active. We followed one up the mountain the entire way, then again on our way down. Probably the same bear — maybe peak-bagging. We never laid eyes on him but we knew he was very close. And likewise to be sure.” This was reported to us by Redline Guide Ken Hodges. Ken was in Vermont guiding a returning guest who opts for […]
In the Valley the leaves have mostly dropped. For days there has been frost on surfaces in the morning. We had a dusting of snow the other day which remains in shady places. The seasons are changing. Here in the Mount Washington Valley, it’s clear winter is stepping up ready to take Autumn’s place. That’s here in the Valley. And from here in the Valley, one […]
With water levels too high to comfortably execute their Plan A, the team’s hope of exploring the ledges of Popple Mountain would have to wait. And, thus a Plan B was formed. Redline Guide Mike Cherim motioned with a thumb over his left shoulder toward the lovely Jackson, NH, and suggested another local “trailless” peak: Thorn Mountain. It was back to the drawing board for our […]
Our newest Redline Guide Mike Maciel has been very hard at work as he develops as a mountain guide with Redline Guiding (not just a porter). This development happens in bits and pieces over time, with experience giving context. One of the major bits one needs to overcome is the required medical training. Specifically Mike earned the coveted Wilderness First Responder (WFR) patch from SOLO. For […]
On January 19th, 2020 and on January 26th, 2020, we are offering a women’s only full day Winter Skills-inspired educational course specifically geared to women. Learn what to bring, what to pack, about gear management, and of course self care. This is a comprehensive course that will go above and beyond our normal winter skills course venturing into the area of a winter-specific hiking introduction. To […]
On November 30th and December 1st, 2019, we are offering a women’s only overnight Camp Craft-inspired Backpacking event providing detailed instruction to participants on how to successfully camp out in the winter months while staying reasonably comfortable. Backpacking is not about suffering. Quite the contrary, actually. Even in winter. But why, you might ask. Well, due to road closures limiting access to certain parts of the […]
One of the less common routes to Mt Washington is via Davis Path. It’s less common because, simply put, it’d be a heck of a hike. Long miles with lots of gain. But, wow, what a way to go. On the way there is lots to see: Mt Isolation (one of the 4000-footers), Mt Davis, Stairs Mountain (one of the 52 With A View), Mt Resolution […]
Get Some: Climb Mt Baker via the Easton Glacier with Redline Guiding Many of our guests have learned glacier and mountaineering skills with us over the years, but aside from leading them on non-technical hiking and semi-technical mountaineering routes on Mt Washington, the Northern Presidentials, Kahtadin, and other similar locations, we haven’t as of yet offered an outlet to put those skills to further use here […]
The weather offered up fresh snow, rime, and frost. Winter, it seemed, had descended upon the southern Presidential Range. Our guest, from the Netherlands, would surely be impressed. (Spoiler alert: she was.) The story of her adventure we are leaving in the capable hands of our guides, so without further ado… Our guest came to us, as many guests often do, looking for a hike with […]
