A long-returning guest of Mike’s who had climbed with him on Mt Washington on two prior occasions had come back for more. But this time was going to be different. On previous trips, he said, he always had an agenda, some hard rules and objectives. This time he wanted to simply relax. Not to embrace lethargy over the course, not by a long shot, but to […]
May first is just a day, randomly drawn and primed for some occasion. For us it was a to-be-done-by date as we moved in and prepped our new digs for the likes of our guests and our team of guides. Yes, you read it right. We finally have a place! For two-and-a-half years we have worked out of our van, Mike’s condo, and from amazing places […]
Simply put, that’s what these two returning guests were after, are after, and asked for it by name. There’s more in store for them, still. We’ll be chasing the snow up the flanks of Mt Washington near the end of May, in fact, with some late season Mountaineering Skills training plans in the works. For now, though, the goal of the day was to attempt Mt […]
There is a lesson to be learned. Accomplishment leads to confidence, and that leads to greater comfort, and from there complacency is a close neighbor. It’s a neighbor we can stumble onto quite easily if we’re not careful. We want to respect this neighbor and give complacency a wide berth. To remain aware of ourselves and the fragility of human life. The story below was penned […]
We’re pleased to introduce our third annual “Camp Like a Champ” women’s-only overnight backpacking event. The Details This event is being led by Redline Guide Arlette Laan. If you don’t know of Arlette (click the link above to find her profile), she is a very experienced expert on the subject of backpacking. And being a woman herself, might just be able to provide a completely unparalleled […]
Would you like to give back to the White Mountain National Forest? Would you like to do your part to help ensure good hiking trails for all to enjoy? If so, it’s easy to do. We proved that last year. Just roll up your sleeves, get primed for work, and join us Sunday, June 23rd, 2019 for our 2nd Annual Volunteer Trails Day with Redline Guiding, […]
She came to us from Connecticut with a goal of preparation and training for Denali in mind. Or re-training may be more apt since mountaineering wasn’t at all new to her. It had just been a while. In fact, as we learned, in spirit and attitude, she was already ready. She just needed to get used to wearing snowshoes while wearing a huge pack and refresh […]
We’ll call him John because, well, that’s his name. John is a Class 1 or All-Season Trip Leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) distinguished New Hampshire Chapter. It’s a hard-earned and respected position, to be sure. John is also a “Gridder” — meaning he is hiking all of the 4000-footers of NH in every month of the year (48×12=576) — so, at being nearly 500 […]
No mistake was made in the ordering of this post’s title. They came, they conquered, then they saw. It’s not the prescribed order we’re all used to, but we’re talking about an April ascent of Mt Washington. Home to the world’s worst weather. Top dog of the region’s mountains, even at a squat 6288′ (1917m), but it does whatever the heck it wants. This is the […]
What a difference a day makes on the notorious 6288′ Mt Washington. Why just the other day one of our teams was stopped short of their goal due to high winds, wind loaded snow, and higher than acceptable avalanche conditions. Turn the clocks ahead 24 hours, though, and the same ravine, now sun kissed, is significantly less dangerous, with acceptable ground conditions for backcountry alpine touring, […]
While one of our mountaineering skills classes was happening in the sheltered valley, up on the windy mountain Redline Guide Ryan Mcguire was delivery the goods to two gentlemen from Connecticut looking for a backcountry ski adventure. Specifically they wanted to ski Tuckerman Ravine. That didn’t happen. They went to the ravine, as far as they could safely go, but excessive avalanche dangers precluded venturing further […]
The elephant remembers well the last wedding atop his head. Remembering is what elephants do, after all. The last wedding brought Arctic breezes, recalls the elephant, but he also remembers the warm spirits, the laughs, and the love. This wedding wasn’t bitter cold or exceptionally windy. This time the elephant, however, stood stoically in a cold, penetrating March rain. And like the last, he again remembers […]
