They would come up to us guides, trying to stay composed, but their eyes would be wild with mild terror edging toward panic. “My hands/feet/whatever are so effing cold… please help me.” Experience with this sort of thing as guides meant we understood precisely what was going on and how to solve it. But it was never done in the way our guests would think we […]
A hiker thinking, “Oh my goodness, someone is coming, what should I do?” is a new mentality straight out of the hell that is 2020. A mere six months ago the standard action on trail when encountering another hiker was to say something like “Hello,” then maybe leash your dog if they’re not already, or turn down your music if it’s overly audible, and then to […]
The mountains are inviting to many people. “They call to me,” many will say. They are beautiful from afar — a majestic backdrop to any scene. And for those able, they’re even more stunning up close. To be on and among them, of course, is the ultimate way to get to know them, and to many this experience is quite sublime. Or “amazing,” “breathtaking,” even “otherworldly,” […]
In the Year 2020: Living with a “New Normal” There used to be a pretty well defined set of risks hikers and other outdoorsy people would take in the pursuit of their passion. This would include uncertain mountain weather and the problems it can cause, the potential for various physical injuries, and the typical hazards present on trail and while crossing waterways. And more. And we […]
For a long time we have embraced and promoted the Hiker’s Thirteen Essentials as the recommended hiker carry list for use in the White Mountains. This, for those who weren’t aware, goes above and beyond the well-known “Ten Essentials” by adding sheltering material like a bivy or tarp, a partial or full size foam sleeping pad, and sun protection to the list. We felt the latter […]
IMPORTANT NOTE: This page was updated in 2020 to reflect list modifications made by its creators. If you are looking for something less, something different, something under four-thousand feet in elevation, look no further. Though trust us when we add that sometimes less is actually more. In other words, some of the mountains on this list, while under 4000-feet, are really quite challenging featuring long hikes […]
A reversal treatment for Raynaud syndrome would be a welcome relief for many… My hands feel really numb, lifeless, and they look cold — freezing cold. My fingers are a waxy white. The temperature is only 40°F and the wind is hardly blowing. I’m hiking and should feel great, warm from exercise. And I am, except for my numb, dead-looking hands. If the photos on this […]
In The Beginning: Where We Have Fire Sometimes it’s nice to have a fire. It can be a source of comfort while keeping the night at bay and warming the soul. And it’ll warm us in other ways, too, from toes to fingers, from gathering the wood to sidling up to the blaze, just watch that you don’t burn your socks or melt the rand or […]
Allowance is unacceptable. We’ve previously mentioned the triad of systems that create us, the hiking machines that we are. What we didn’t tell you was that these systems are not self-maintaining. You have to work at keeping things running right. Like other machines, some maintenance is required. In the hiking world, we refer to this simply as self care. Of those three systems — us, what […]
Brides and grooms, we have good news: you can do no wrong. If you’ve been worried, stressing about how your non-denominational wedding ceremony will proceed or the vows that you’ll recite, you cannot screw this up. Seriously. We offer a simple standard ceremony and vows, and most folks are okay with that, but we are here to tell you that you can have it basically however […]
Around town we prepare ourselves pretty well to meet the challenges of day-to-day life. If the weatherman says it’s going to rain we bring an umbrella, and we do check. Our day is structured by time so we usually know when it is, and we also know where we’re at and where we’re going almost all of the time. We mostly have our acts together. Even […]
The Latest Adventure: People Love Slide and Gully Hikes Social media is to blame. Record numbers of people are taking to the backcountry to enjoy the out-of-the-ordinary experiences their friends and peers are sharing on Facebook and Instagram. And in doing so, they expose themselves to a different set of challenges and dangers. Some obvious, others not so much. One situation we’d like to single out, […]
