With Mt Pierce under her belt, it was time for more. Unlike Pierce, however, this 4000-footer is a little tougher in terms of its footing and general level of challenge. Mt Jackson, which is pretty typical for what to expect up here when hiking the White Mountains, has been criticized before for the level of erosion on the trail. But it’s a common problem because our […]
When we mentioned the inquiring guest wanted a companion on a hike following the Appalachian Trail (AT) through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Redline Guide Arlette Laan asked curiously if she had any experience. We replied: “She’s hiking to the Glencliff trailhead from Hanover during the four days leading up to the backpack, so yes!” Arlette was suitably impressed. We knew right then that this […]
Our guest came to us by way of a referral. Her hope was to hire one of our guides to lead her and her daughter up the 6288-foot, notoriously weather slammed, Mt Washington — the biggest and baddest of the 4000-footers. In fact, it’s the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Northeast. Assigned to lead was our newest Redline Guide Nico Dubois. And based on […]
A many time returning guest wanted to hike Galehead Mountain — a New Hampshire 4000-footer — as part of her quest to complete this list. The guest, being a frequent flyer with us, so to speak, has been given the opportunity to be guided by many of our guides over the years. In fact, we jokingly told her we are letting her test drive the whole […]
Seems like we were just on Mt Pierce the other day. Presenting someone with their first 4000-footer in the rain. We were at it again. Different day this time, different weather, and different people on top of the mountain, but another first 4000-footer happened. At least an up-and-back one that could be counted, anyway. You see, one of our guest’s last 4000-footer was Mt Washington in […]
Fathers and mothers take note: spending time hiking with your son or daughter is a safe, effective, fun, and totally healthy and rewarding way to tighten that bond. We are seeing a lot of it this year, that’s for sure. People are looking for a fairly low risk activity — meaning a low chance of contracting Covid-19 as much so as preserving life and limb — […]
We’re an all-weather crowd, willing to pretty much hike in anything. And that’s good because while the lower elevations saw clouds slowly and eventually being vaporized by the sun, the higher elevations saw pretty much steady rain for most of the day. And this was the case for a hike up Mt Pierce (4310′) — a NH 4000-footer — led by Redline Guide Ken Hodges. So […]
We knew this trip was going to be a unique one when we were contacted by someone with the title of “Elite Lifestyle Manager” looking for assistance setting up an adventure for his client: a New York business man with his teenage son. And it was, from the level of detail to the execution, it certainly offered some variety. It began with a handful of teleconferenced […]
The complexities of being safe in the time of coronavirus challenge us, but the more we do, the more varied the operations, the better we are able to properly comprehend the disease and manage its always possible presence. Thus, leading a quasi-technical hike with full rental gear — our Ready Packs — was the perfect next step up for us. And as such we learned a […]
Upon finishing this endeavor, he exclaimed: “It was one of the most physically demanding, if not the most physically demanding hikes I’ve ever been on.” By “it” he was referring to the classic Franconia Ridge loop following a series of trails to include Falling Waters, the Franconia Ridge Trail itself — covering four peaks, two of which are official 4000-footers — Greenleaf Trail, and Old Bridle […]
We realize that while most of our adventures and weddings are going to offer up the a pretty specific set of challenges to us as it relates to COVID19, our educational offerings, being even more diverse, will probably be our most challenging aspect yet. Granted, we have it so easy compared to some businesses, but we also take the safety of us and our guests very, […]
[…] the trip was a success. Everyone felt safe […] Check check, testing, are we ready to go live? The hike test went well enough, it wasn’t technical so that simplifies matters, a lot, but it made us think as well. And knowing this it was time to up our game and try to test out a backpacking experience next. Could we stay distanced? Would masks […]
