Summer into fall is our busiest season, but winter is not far behind as there are so many awesome things to do for those willing to get out there and suffer. Actually, we kid about that last part: the suffering. Not to say there isn’t some discomfort in winter, there is on some days, but once it’s understood how to minimize it, barring the very coldest […]
February — at least the one in the video below and images above — is barely visible. It’s almost too nice. Back when we were kids February meant business. It was cold, windy, snowing, and uphill both ways. Ayuh, it was. On this trip led by Redline Guide Mike Maciel, winter had evidently visited for a little bit but hadn’t really lingered. Sure, there were signs […]
On this and on every trip we lead there are individual perspectives, one belonging to each person who participates, guide as well as guest. Always aware of this, we try to discover that middle ground that captures it well for all. Often this is really quite easy because the perspective are very similar: great day hiking, enjoyed amazing views, had a very happy day. This time […]
The winter route of the Lion Head Trail on Mt Washington was recently opened and we had two teams ready to test it out. One team was a party of one from Florida who needed someone to salvage a canceled opportunity to attempt climbing our notorious White Mountain. The second team was a party of six that somehow became a party of four that again morphed […]
We had a lot going on this past weekend. It began with a postponement of a Backcountry Ski Tour because… well, no snow. It also ended with a postponement of an Ice Climbing Intro because… well, too much snow (driving considerations forced the change). And snow, the lack or abundance thereof, only started the challenges. The forecast alpine winds and bitter temperatures added to the logistical […]
We could re-tell this story of trial and triumph supplied with such telling information, but we’re instead going to let Redline Guide Mike Maciel convey his information directly to you. His narrative will be followed by a few photos that he took of their trip. A many time returning seasonal guest has come back for another winter season as she works towards her 48 4000-footers. […]
The snows came just in time, allowing us to finally exhale, albeit tortuously in the eleventh hour. We were counting on it, we needed it, as did our guests from North Carolina. They were visiting the area and wanted to partake in a couple backcountry adventures with us. Specifically they wanted to try some Nordic (cross country) skiing and to test themselves a bit snowshoeing up […]
The transformation from the warmer weather stuff to the colder weather stuff is upon us. It’s almost like glitching between two distinct seasons. Sure, there are technically four seasons, but really, we know, there is only winter and not-winter. The fissure between them a fine one to be sure. Our guest hoped to hike Franconia Ridge but due to the conditions and our guest’s inexperience on […]
Doing a Presi traverse is always a challenge. Choosing to do so in mid November always ups the ante. With reducing daylight and changing weather, ‘threading the needle’ is part of the plan. —Redline Guide Will Murphy Down in the Mt Washington Valley fall is faltering on most days right now as winter is trying to push it aside. But fall in the Valley puts up […]
On January 14th, 1942, a crew of seven were returning from a WWII coastal patrol aboard their B-18 Bomber. They encountered bad weather, became disoriented in a blizzard, and found themselves besieged by wind and ice as they lost elevation. The plane crashed into the flanks of Mt Waternomee in Woodstock, NH that night. Of the seven Army-Airmen on board (this was pre-Air Force), miraculously five […]
Although this is subjective, one of the sketchiest slides in the White Mountain National Forest is the so-called “North Slide” on North Mt Tripyramid. The bottom quarter, specifically, can be very slippery and sliding from position there could be painful… at best. Unlike many of the slides people will explore, this one is the actual hiking trail. Despite this, though, some hikers are pretty wary of […]
Winter is coming, ice is on many of the higher elevation trails and it’s creeping its way downward. It’s not full-on winter, not in nature just as it’s not on the calendar, but it’s closing in. Fast. Now there are frosty mornings, clearing opaque windshields, turning on the heat or firing up the wood stove, and all the rituals of the impending season. Many are hanging […]
