What follows is a true story, though the names have been omitted as that information doesn’t serve anyone — not that we even remember. The event happened many years ago and occurred on Mt Washington. We were guiding a paid group on the “winter route” of the Lion Head Trail. We had started out at the “boot/pack room” below the AMC’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at […]
The title of this post is likely going to be taken as a reference to generally bad weather by our readers but, really, its focus is on a specific element of the weather: the wind. On New England’s taller mountains — the ones offering alpine exposure like Mt Katahdin in Maine, Mansfield and Camel’s Hump in Vermont, and Moosilauke, peaks of the Franconia Ridge, and most […]
As we did when writing about the designated Wilderness areas within White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) — an article where we tried to introduce and capture the essence of those important areas, or at least as we see them — this article will be an opinionated introduction to the Presidential Range a.k.a. the “Presidentials” or “Presis” as some call them. We will introduce you to the […]
It is human nature always to find fresh cause for optimism. We open the door letting in some fresh air kissed by the sun. Winter ebbs like a tide, receding and becoming less of a threat or concern. It’s not even cold today, and in the sun it’s actually warm — hot if you’re doing something in it. True to the words of Robin Williams: “Spring […]
Are you ready to ski in the backcountry this spring? Mother Nature has been signaling to us that the time is here. New snow in the mountains as of late is being measured in feet. So, if you’re sitting at home right now, the brown grass starting to green up, it may be a mental challenge to get into ski mode, but in the gullies and […]
Want to get out there and winter hike? Here’s what you need to do… Do you have a winter hike or snowshoeing adventure in your future? Counting down to the main event is not the time to be idle while you wait. If a winter outing like that is on your agenda, the real time to start preparing is now. It’s a definite must if you’re […]
Reality check. You might think that with more experience, more assurance would naturally follow the hiker or outdoorsman, but often the opposite is true. The more experience you have, or the more others depend on you, the more you are likely to waffle on some of your decision making, struggling at times. Second-, third-, even fourth-guessing yourself is commonplace, especially among the pros. The more one […]
A little while ago the Appalachian Mountain Club published the 31st Edition of the AMC’s White Mountain Guide Book. There was talk of modifying the list now that GPS technology continually improves and LIDAR allows us to “see” like never before, but thankfully for peakbaggers, it did stay the same. Well, mostly. The 48 mountains listed remains the same, even though one of them, Tecumseh (grandfathered), […]
Leave No Trace (LNT) is a detailed subject with certain nuances, some of which we go over in an article we wrote some time ago. As a lighter introduction, however, we decided to put together this little educational video (below). This was done with the help of Redline Guides Mike Cherim (host, script, direction), Mike Maciel (videographer and consultant), and Pat Ferland (consultant). Pat is an […]
That little question about whether or not people should feed gray jays is one of those hot-button topics. Answers will range from a flatly given “HELL NO” claiming this action will disrupt the very balance of nature to an enthusiastic “HELL YES” claiming it’s harmless, fun, and cool. The right answer is in there somewhere and we will try to flesh it out. The hope is […]
She was taking a full day navigation course with us in preparation for a solo thru-hike of the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine. In that class, even though it is not an orienteering course, per se, we do discuss what to do if you find yourself lost on a hike. We always suggest looking behind you for starters. People are turned and misdirected by water bars and […]
It’s getting to be that time of year: Spring, a whole new season of hazards to contend with. A time of year when staying dry is a real challenge thanks to all the various forms of water out there. And crossings… oh, my. That ice cold and sometimes turbid spring snow melt rushing toward the sea — standing between us and our next 4000-footer or 52 […]
