“On assignment” describes the undercurrent of today’s half day adventure. Contracted by Alan Gignoux of London, descendent of an 1800s artist who worked in oils, Régis Gignoux, and his friend Jenny, we were to locate a probable location from which the painting (inset, click to enlarge view) was visualized and sketched. The only problem is that the exact view doesn’t actually exist. It was thought that […]
For many people, hiking is a three-season pursuit. If this is you, your time to shine is starting soon (time to get in shape). Many folks — some call themselves “peakbaggers” — will begin or continue working on their “lists.” Here in New Hampshire that more-than-likely means the 48 4000-footers as identified by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) (see updates). There are other lists, the New […]
Being involved with mountain search and rescue, we have noted some common ground of many misadventures in the White Mountain National Forest. Based purely on our own observations, it seems that those who get lost, become hypothermic, even those who perish, often found themselves in their predicament and unable to help themselves as a result of either being separated from their group or by simply going […]
The First President (and first 4000-footer) for returning guests Rene and Corina, that is. They had trained with us at an earlier date and decided they wanted to put some of those new skills to use. They requested Mt Jefferson, specifically, and in consideration of their ability, fitness, and amazing weather, we were eager to deliver the goods. We put Redline Guide Ken Hodges on this […]
Brian came back to us quickly — he told us he would. His last attempt of Mt Washington was thwarted by dangerous high water crossings, some open, others bridged by deteriorating snow. This time the ground conditions where much firmer, and the water levels more normal, so the mission was a success. The leader of this mission, both times, was Redline Guide Álvaro Marques. Here’s what […]
Most of the rescues in the White Mountain National Forest are done by the victims and the party they are with — self rescues. Others are aided by passersby. More still, never need “rescue” because they just manage to avoid it. They have a close call or scary encounter, a near miss, and that’s it. They live, learn, and move on. Meet Shalla. Shalla is a […]
What does a person do when they can jump four feet but the crossing is five feet across? In the case of today’s attempt on Mt Washington, Redline Guide Álvaro Marques decided turning around was the best choice, so that’s what he and our guest, Brian, did. Apparently, they weren’t the only ones foiled today by the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, even though, considering the wind forecast, […]
Redline Guides Carl and Mike had a mission: ascend Mt Adams with guests William and Caitlin as far as Gray Knob — a treeline-situated cabin owned and operated by the Randolph Mountain Club. Once there they would partake in some varied training. (Due to the prior experiences of the guests, Mike felt some basic awareness level avalanche training would be fun and interesting.) The following day […]
The winds above treeline weren’t crazy by the AMC’s Lakes of the Clouds Hut — blowing 30-40 miles-per-hour or so at that location. The temperatures, on the other hand, were an attention-grabbing -20°F, or really close to that, anyway. We could have gone on, and maybe we could have made it if the winds on Mornoe’s summit were manageable. And we were going to try. We […]
THIS work of fiction isn’t meant to be shocking or morbid. That said, some might find it disturbing on some level, or chilling. That isn’t, however, its purpose. Nor is it meant to point out any glaring errors or huge lapses in judgement. You’ll find, in fact, that this could really happen to anyone. It can creep up on us, one moment an innocuous experience, the […]
Our mission: introduce a couple from Florida to the wonders of winter in New Hampshire and the amazing fun that can be had in snow. Even though one of them had never even seen the white stuff, we gladly accepted the mission. We had two days with them to work our magic. On day one we decided a nice snowshoe hike up South Moat Mountain would […]
A great way to spend the morning is sharing something you love and are passionate about with someone who is eager to learn whatever it is and wants to share your passion. That describes today. Our guest, Bob, wanted to learn some basic mountaineering skills, but since he had a fair amount of winter hiking experience, he didn’t necessarily need our winter skills course and thus […]
