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 […]
A returning guest came to us hoping to grab a few more of our 4000-footers as he works on this list. Up for grabs on this three day trip were North and Middle Tripyramid (4180′ and 4140′, respectively), Mt Moosilauke (4802′), and both North and South Kinsman (4293′ and 4358′, also respectively). On lead for this trip was Redline Guide Mike Maciel. Mike provided a number […]
One of the New England Hundred Highest mountains — the final peak for one of our many returning guests — Boundary Peak (3855′), also known as “Panther,” eh, was 100 out of 100 for the finish. The team, led by Redline Guide Ken Hodges, went in from the Canadian side. They had dotted their Is and crossed their Ts in terms of paperwork, both vaccinated, they […]
A returning guest asked for company on the 4700′ Mt Carrigain — one of NH’s 4000-footers. Her regular hiking guide is Redline Guide Mike Maciel and he again enthusiastically took the lead. Initially Isolation was on tap, but that changed to Carrigain. Mike had provided some photos and a short video clip of the trip. And as a way of further detailing the story, Mike also […]
AT 3772-feet (or 3774-feet, depending on where you look), Maine’s Elephant Mountain is on the list of New England’s Hundred Highest peaks. Needing this summit were two individual guests — both returning — and since they were willing to go on the same trip, they both got it done. We felt the two would be a good match on the hike together, and so did the […]
Our guest wanted two 4000-footers, and brand new Redline Guide Phoebe Seltzer delivered the goods, opting to bisect the Pemigewasset Wilderness. After a lot of discussion, a lot of consideration going back and forth, but ultimately given some autonomy to take charge and design the trip for our returning guest herself, we feel it was a grand success, and our guest very pleased. Phoebe offered this […]
The mesocorticolimbic circuit — also known as the “reward system” — is, as Google offered: “a group of neural structures responsible for incentive salience (i.e., wanting; a desire or craving for a reward and motivation), associative learning (primarily positive reinforcement and classical conditioning), and positively-valenced emotions, particularly ones involving pleasure as a core component.” Pleasure such as being rewarded for a hike with “Quarter Pounder with […]
Three guests needing three Maine peaks on the way toward completing their New England Hundred Highest. Seems like a natural so we sent them up with Redline Guide Ken Hodges for a couple days of hiking — bushwhacking back roads and herd paths, looking for the tops of bumps where moose skulls live. Check it out in this short compilation video we made. Great job, team. […]
