Have you ever been scared on a mountain? Frightened for your life — or for your fingers or toes? Have you ever wondered frantically which way to run from an alpine thunderstorm? Have the winds ever knocked you flat? Has the cold ever invaded your body so deeply that you had extraordinary difficulty with the most mundane tasks? These conditions and more can consume your mind […]
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 […]
We had Redline Guide Ken Hodges out there again, this time with a guest from Ohio named Lisa. The objective — the first of two over three days (the second hike will happen tomorrow) — was a New Hampshire classic: the Franconia Ridge Loop hike. How much of a classic is this one? Well, if you Google “Most Beautiful Hike in NH” (which we don’t necessarily […]
Last year while starting this company, we had a million little projects going on in preparation. One such project was to create bumper stickers. The plan was to spread them around, give them to guests, etc. We created a design featuring our custom modified typeface (it’s called Adventure), along with our tagline and a QR (Quick Response) code. We then sought a printer for our stickers. […]
As the seasons begin to change it’s time for us to look at our educational offerings over the spring and summer. What worked, what didn’t, what surprises did we encounter? Not everything flew off the shelves, so to speak, but almost all of our offerings sold, and many staples of wilderness education did very well. Here’s a quick recap of our current offerings. What Happened… Looking […]
Compared to other national parks and forests, the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) is small. Smaller still are the Wilderness areas within its confines. They’re there, though. Six of them! And they are likewise small. Of the 107 million acres of designated Wilderness across the country — the bulk of which are, logically, located in untamed Alaska — only about 153,052 acres are located within the […]
It’s surprising what we can get away with… People get into trouble in the mountains for various reasons: groups split up, people get lost, weather overtakes folks, they suffer an injury, they get wet and cold, become hypothermic and stop thinking clearly, et cetera, et cetera. Suffering an injury is unavoidable. We can be very careful and take precautions, but accidents happen. The rest is obviously […]
For many people, hiking is a three-season pursuit. If this is you, your time to shine is starting soon (time to get in shape). Many folks — some call themselves “peakbaggers” — will begin or continue working on their “lists.” Here in New Hampshire that more-than-likely means the 48 4000-footers as identified by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) (see updates). There are other lists, the New […]
There is a time and a place for both an ice axe and trekking poles in the White Mountain National Forest. That said, if ever there were a default tool to rely on, surely trekking poles would earn that distinction. The ice axe’s role in the Northeast, in general, is pretty limited. In fact, with very few exceptions, a hiker wouldn’t even consider carrying an ice […]
Should people use snowshoes on snow-covered hiking trails in the White Mountain National Forest in the winter or do without? For those who aren’t aware of it, this subject is a hotly debated topic. Every year someone will innocently ask if they should wear snowshoes and, without fail, a firestorm will ensue. Every year, that is, that people have had access to a public forum where […]
When leading on Mt Washington, barring the few I know that regularly work the west side (which we do as well on many occasions), professional guides generally lead groups up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, hop onto either the winter or summer route of the Lion Head Trail, then get back onto Tuckerman Ravine Trail for the push to the summit before reversing direction for the exit. […]
The list on this page was created by Mike Cherim, a Class One Leader, for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and was immediately and unanimously adopted by the New Hampshire Chapter. It is believed that this list is now part of the New Leader’s Welcome Packet. It was felt that the AMC, as an outdoor group, should ensure its leaders always strive to model the best […]
