Backpack, Shack, and Bushwhack! —Guest Done right, the boredom of winter backpacking will get you long before the cold will. And with good company, the boredom is less of a problem. The darkness comes so early, you see, and once camp chores are done, hitting the hay is the only way to be really comfortable. Conversation remaining possible within the confines of their three-sided Adirondack-style shelter […]
Down low in the Mt Washington Valley it was sunny, nice, and in the sun, out of the wind, you could feel it warming you. Barely, but it was there. Get a bump in elevation, though, climb some 4000-footer, even a smaller one like Zealand Mtn (4264′) and, well… you read the title of this blog post, it was “freaking cold out,” adding “easy sub-zero windchill.” […]
A guest from Indiana came to us hoping to take on a half day hike. A sunrise hike, actually — to do something really special while visiting. Her first stop was in Vermont, and adding a visit to New Hampshire was high on her list as well. And once she realized how close to Maine she was (as we pointed to it), we’re pretty sure a […]
Just like last weekend, we’ve been hanging out with our buddies, our Hiking Buddies, that is. Together, we are making an effort to educate, giving of our time and wisdom. Together we are offering safety through insight and knowledge, leadership, even companionship. Together, we are trying to let SAR volunteers stay home. Like our first group, this weekend’s students were working on earning their three-season Redline […]
Our brains are like sponges and we’re never done learning. —BC The group out there that many of you have heard about — the one called Hiking Buddies — started a thing. Inspired by tragedy, they decided to affect a change — or at least try to. The first order of business: Well, our Buddies don’t solo and the aforementioned tragedy involved a person hiking on […]
A lot of our guests come from far flung locations like various cities and towns located in the northeast. This most recent couple, however, showed we really have some reach. To go on a half-day hike with us they traveled about 1000 miles southward and almost 3000 miles west to meet us. In case you’re wondering and happened to miss the title of this post, they […]
A returning guest asked for a guide for Owls Head (last time it was Isolation). Her aim: to finish the list. This isn’t uncommon as Owls Head can be wild and intimidating. Its remoteness within the Pemi Wilderness, the crossings, the talk of bushwhacks. It’s a tough one for a day hike and after an earlier attempt got her close she figured she would just call […]
The title is in reference to the weather up there. And by “up there” we mean the Northern Presidentials. “Pretty Wild” are the first words we got back from Redline Guide Dominic Torro upon completion of his two-mountain lead. Our guest was looking for a solid hike, something on the tougher side. We thought Adams and Madison was a pretty good call. Those are tough even […]
The Tyrolean traverse utilizes a fixed line over extreme terrain like a steep gorge or a raging, impossible-to-cross river. Using a fixed line a person wearing a climbing harness clips themselves to the rope — along with their pack — and pulls themselves with their gear in tow, hand-over-hand. If done right it isn’t too difficult, scary, or awkward, and it may be aided with another […]
Moving forward our guests will view almost every hike and backpack as an improvement over the rainy one they experienced in October of 2023. Even mediocre conditions will seem great. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s a fine way to form a realistic perspective. Backpacking in the rain isn’t the easiest or most fun, but it is part of the picture. And once acclimated to it […]
Normally we’d come up with some cleaver lead-in, but really, in this case, we don’t need to because Redline Guide Arlette Laan, the lead for this hike, covered that. Inasmuch, we’re ready to dive right in. Here’s today’s story, from Arlette’s perspective… Did you know that our guests are really smart? They want to make sure they can accomplish their hiking goals safely and having us […]
Back in the day there was a prior attempt, but it didn’t happen, they didn’t win. The 3238-foot 52 With a View peak in question — Smarts Mountain — beckoned but they couldn’t heed the call. It was all thanks to the snow. We tried attaching a snow plow to Redline Guide Howard Aronson, but it was too much. The team, Howard and one of our […]
