This Mt Washington hike was for a mother and son. The son wanted it; it was on his to-do list. The mom, being supportive, went along with it making it all happen for her newly minted teenager. On lead for this hike was Redline Guide Howard Aronson. Howard led them both up the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, to Crawford Path — which just happens to be the […]
We wanted the tour to be extra special so we called in to the weather people and ordered up a light rain for the day. Our intent was a positive one — hear us out: The hiking couple visiting were from the UK and here on a holiday/business. We wanted to make it feel like home. Come to find out, however, this couple’s from Essex and […]
Thier up-and-coming trip won’t be on their first section of the John Muir Trail (JMT) in California, but this one’s likely going to be a bit different than their last. The last time they competed a section of this incredible trail it was dry, no crossings to worry about, everything simple in that regard. This year, however, is different. This year the section they’ll be attempting […]
Hiking all the trails described in the AMC’s White Mountain Guide Book is a worthwhile and rewarding pursuit. It starts off and stays fun for a long time. It’s only when you’re about 90% done does it begin to feel like a list. A chore. A thing involving logistics. Most hikers would rather be out there hiking, not mulling it over at the planning table. One […]
The act of hiking does wonderful things for the body, the mind, and the soul. Likewise, spending time above treeline pretty much anywhere along the Presidential Range also does wonderful things for the body, the mind, and the soul. Couple these acts and it becomes pretty easy to burst into superlatives. It’s a joyous thing to hike this hike, this “Classic” Madison to Pierce Presidential Range […]
The title and body of this post are the products of Redline Guide Mike Maciel. We’re going to kick back and post up what Mike created. The synopsis is this, however: Mike led two days of hiking with one returning guest and his two daughters. On the first day they took on and conquered North Twin Mountain (4759′). On the second day they went after the […]
This was one of those guided tours that encourage a lot of commentary due to the unusual nature of some of its elements. For starters, notice was seriously lacking — some people book with us months in advance. We get nervous any time we’re called and asked if we can guide a hiking or other tour “tomorrow.” That’s what happened, though, and as usual we did […]
You’ve surely heard of Cross Fit, right? Well, our take on it is a brand new one, thanks to the wants and needs of one guest. She wanted a day of hiking — that’d be the “fit “part. Can you guess what the “cross” part refers to? If you guessed our River Crossing Skills course you guessed right. Here’s how it all went down, starting with […]
A returning private guest working on her NH 48 4000-footers captured two more with the help of Redline Guide Pat Ferland. At nearly 73, she needed patience, which Pat has in abundance, and some light technical and stream-cross coaching to offer secure footing and improved confidence. It worked and North (#41) and Middle Tripyramid (#42) — 4160′ and 4135′, respectively — were crushed putting her that […]
This is a post about what has become an annual event: The Kara Duval Pilates Retreat organized through Solseed Retreats. The objective is always the same, to hike a mountain, test ourselves on New Hampshire’s rugged trails, all with the intention of summiting. This time, however, due to high water levels thanks to a particularly raining year so far and extreme heat and humidity, we changed […]
A returning student and guest wanted to take on one of those famed New Hampshire 4000-footers. In particular, she wanted one of the ones capable of giving a person that remote, isolated feeling. While the Bonds and Owls Head can and do give hikers that feeling, you know which mountain she was after, right? Well, if you guessed it was the aptly-named Mt Isolation, you hit […]
Three signed up for the experience by their returning grandmother, she wanting them to have an epic outdoor adventure. At ages 13, 17, and 19, this should be easily doable, right? There are myriad options to provide said epic experience, but climbing New England’s highest peak, the 6288-foot Mt Washington, was a clear winner. For bragging rights, to be sure, and earned rights at that. We […]
