Tag: hiking
- 📌 PinnedWhere's Cade?
— I use this Caltopo map to plan out my next hike.
- Bushwhack: Whaleback South & Big Coolidge
— Big Coolidge just outside of Lincoln, New Hampshire to hit a couple New Hampshire 200 Highest peaks.
- Hike: Black Cap, Cranmore, Hurricane
— I shot up to the White Mountains to do some tracing of trails and a couple New Hampshire 500 Highest peaks. After the easy hike to Black Cap I headed to Cranmore Mountain and caught sight of a black b...
- Hike: Taconic Crest Trail
— The Taconic Crest Trail is the third Northeast Ultra 8 hike that I completed. It traverses a mountain range that makes up the northern half of the border between Massachusetts and New York and hits Ve...
- Bushwhack: The Twins and Shaw
— I thought I'd be worn out after doing a training hike on Mount Chocorua the day before, but my legs felt fresh and I had a free day. So, I was targeted an area of the White Mountains closest to me wit...
- Hike: Chocorua Traverse
— The weekend before our big Taconic Crest Trail traverse, Jeff, John and I headed to Mount Chocorua to get in a last training hike. We set up for a traverse over Mount Chocorua with 1.5 ascents of the...
- Hike: Camden Hills
— On a nice day during their April vacation, I brought my sons up to Camden Hills State Park to hike the two most popular mountains in the park. We enjoyed the nice view of Camden from the top of Mount...
- Hike: AT Trapper John to Gilman's Corner
— When I woke up with the birds at Trapper John Shelter, I made coffee and breakfast and started a fire in the stone chimney in front of the shelter. It was a quick hike down to Dartmouth Skiway where I...
- Hike: AT Hanover to Trapper John
— As the snow began to melt in Spring, I was struck by trail fever. I needed to spend some time on the trail. But I knew that too much elevation would mean old snow and ice, which wouldn't be pleasant....
- Hike: Pleasant Sunrise
— Lindsay and I got up early on a weekend in April to hike Pleasant Mountain for sunrise. We didn't get to the summit before sunrise, but we did get to the vista from Ledges Trail for it. After enjoying...
- Stroll to LA
— Lindsay picked up a weekend shift in Lewiston and my car wasn't registered, so no going to the mountains for me. Instead, I decided to see if I could walk to Lewiston before Lindsay's shift was up. Be...
- Hike: Morse Mountain and Seawall Beach
— The hike through Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area provides all that the Maine coast can muster: a saltwater marsh, evergreen forests, a granite mountain, and a beautiful secluded beach.
- Hike: Little Wildcat, Carter Dome, Hight
— Miscalculations and mashed potato snow shortened our planned hike, but we ended up bushwhacking Little Wildcat, and then doing Carter Dome and Mount Hight.
- Winter Hike: Washington 2021
— This President's Day hike up Mount Washington was almost cancelled because of the forecast, but we lucked out with a nice window of weather on the morning.
- Winter Hike: Duck Pond Mountain
— On a beautifully cold February day we bushwhacked to another New Hampshire 200 Highest peak, the viewless Duck Pond Mountain. The highlight of the day was a perfect sun halo.
- Winter Trail Run: Pleasant Mountain
— Work gave us the afternoon off, so John, Michael and I did a quick trail run to the top of Pleasant via Ledges Trail.
- Winter Hike: Doublehead
— I was getting stir-crazy so I headed to the mountains for my health. I chose Doubleheads as they are the closest New Hampshire 200 Highest peaks I hadn't done.
- Winter Hike: Howe, Shelburne Moriah, Moriah
— A bunch of friends and I did Mount Moriah via a Howe Peak bushwhack and over Shelburne Moriah Mountain. The weather and views weren't great but I knocked off a bunch of summits and trails for lists.
- Hike: Big Bickford, Lafayette & Eagle Cliff
— Jeff, Richard and I headed to Franconia Notch on a relatively warm November day to ascend a few New Hampshire 200 Highest peaks.
- Hike: Mount Shaw
— For my birthday, Lindsay and I drove to New Hampshire to hike Mount Shaw, a 52 with a View peak, near Lake Winnipesaukee.
- Hike: Royces
— Plenty of waterfalls to see on this hike, and the view on East Royce was surprisingly excellent.
- Hike: Paugus and Chocorua
— We made the gnarly bushwhack out to the true summit of Mount Paugus, and then continued to the always wonderful Mount Chocorua.
- Hike: Engine Hill and Isolation
— Jeff and I took advantage of a mid-November day to do some trail tracing in the Dry River Wilderness, including Mount Isolation and bushwhacking to South Engine Hill.
- Trail Race: Sugarloaf Uphill Climb
— Michael and I signed up for the Sugarloaf Uphill Climb, a 2.2 mile race up Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley with roughly 2500' of elevation gain. The average pitch was 20%, but at its steepest was 30%.
- Hike: Passaconaway & Square Ledge
— Lindsay and I hiked our first New Hampshire 4000 Footer together on a beautiful October weekend.
- Trail Run: Eastern Belknaps
— This summer I attempted to run all of the Belknap Range mountains in a single run, but bailed because I didn't bring enough water. I returned to run the mountains I missed for a long training run. It was a beautiful day and the trails were runnable.
- Trail Race: 2020 Beast of the East
— I was pretty pumped when I heard that the Beast of the East half marathon was going to happen. It had been on my radar for a couple of years, so I signed up for it right away.
- Trail Run: Mount Israel
— I needed a long trail run and decided on Mount Israel to knock off a 52 with a View peak and do a little White Mountains Tracing. Also spotted a bear!
- Hike: 2020 Pemi Loop
— In early September, Jeff and I did a Pemi Loop. It was a fabulous day full of hikers and runners doing the loop, many of which we saw multiple times and cheered each other on.
- Hike: Carrigain Loop
— I joined my friend John as he completed his New Hampshire 4000 Footer list with Mount Carrigain.
- Hike: 2020 ADK
— In mid-August 2020, Jeff and I headed to the Adirondacks for a long weekend of hiking, backcountry camping, and to get away from the pandemic for a few days.
- Trail Run: Belknaps
— As one of my long weekend runs I planned on doing a loop of Belknap Range. I only brought 1 liter of water at the start, so I bailed after doing half the range.
- Trail Run: Bradbury Mountain
— A long Sunday run at Bradbury Mountain State Park.
- Trail Run: Pleasant Mountain
— This long Sunday run is one of my favorites, Southwest Ridge Trail up Pleasant Mountain. Great views all the way up, and a runnable grade after some early power hiking to warm up. If you time it right...
- Trail Run: AT Surplus Mountain
— Fueled by a previous hike, I headed to western Maine to take a few hours to trail run a section of the AT.
- Hike: AT Kinsman Range
— Despite it being a rainy day, Jeff, John, and I headed to the Kinsman Rage to trace some White Mountain trails and to knock off a section of the AT. We dropped a car off at The Basin and then parked a...
- Hike: Tumbledown 2020
— At the beginning of the Quarantine Summer of 2020, Lindsay and I camped for the weekend at Mount Blue state park and hiked the classic Tumbledown Mountain. The plan was to make a loop of all of the Tu...
- Trail Run: Speckled Mountain
— I got up early on a Monday morning to get in a mountain run before picking up my kids for a vacation day. I try to stick to the rule of running or hiking at least as long as the total drive time. Some...
- Trail Run: Camden Hills
— As part of our 50k training, my partner and I had a 14-mile long run to complete and decided to visit Camden Hills State Park to get in a combination of trail running and hiking.
- Winter Hike: Tremont
— Jeff and I headed to New Hampshire with my dog Loki to snowshoe Mount Tremont. It's a mountain on the New Hampshire 200 Highest list as it is a New Hampshire 3000 Footer . We considered continuing dow...
- Winter Hike: Peaked
— Lindsay and I went on our first winter hike together at Peaked Mountain. This mountain is normally great reward for little effort, but it was a warm and rainy day down low and overcast and snowing up...
- Hike: Cohos Trail
— Two weeks after completing our three year section hike of the John Muir Trail, Jeff headed to northern New Hampshire to thruhike the Cohos Trail, a relatively unheard of long trail from the Canadian b...
- Hike: 2019 John Muir Trail
— In August 2019 Jeff, Michael and I returned to the John Muir Trail for the third straight year to complete it. Our friend John, and Michael's brother Steve joined us. We flew into Las Vegas and drove...
- Hike: 2019 Presi Traverse
— A few weeks before traveling out to California to complete our three-year section hike of the John Muir Trail, Jeff and I did a single-day Presi Traverse. It was Jeff's first time doing a Presi, and t...
- Winter Hike: Galehead
— It was the final weekend of the winter season, so some friends and I climbed Galehead Mountain for our Winter New Hampshire 4000 Footer list and our Grids.
- Reflecting on 2018 and Ahead to 2019
— More important than setting goals and attaining them is to enjoy life while I can. I seem to get the most out of life when I'm outside being active with friends.
- Hike: 2018 John Muir Trail
— After our amazing 2017 John Muir Trail hike , Jeff, Michael and I couldn't wait to get back for our second segment. Permits were easy this time because all we needed was an Inyo National Forest wilder...
- A Look Back on 2017 and Ahead to 2018
— 2017 has come and gone and now is the time to reflect on all that was accomplished or not.
- Top 10 Photographs of 2017
— Looking back on the year through photos makes it hard to comprehend the things that my family, friends and I experienced over the last 12 months. It's hard to imagine that I'll have a more exciting and wander-ful year than 2017, but I look forward to the challenge in 2018.
- Hike: 2017 John Muir Trail
— The John Muir Trail is one of those bucket list hikes that I always dreamed about but didn't think I'd get the opportunity to do. The trail is over 200 miles long and goes from Yosemite National Park...
- 2017 National Parks Tour
— My family decided that this was our opportunity to take the trip of a lifetime to see some of the most beautiful locations in our country. We are taking the whole month of July and driving around the country to visit national parks, cities and other choice locations.
- Trail Run: Shell Pond & Blueberry Mountain
— I have been trail running for a year or so but on mostly flat trails near my house. After a few excursions to small mountains in my area, I decided I wanted to try out a long run with more serious climb. I picked out an area on my White Mountain National Forest maps that looked good (I had heard Blueberry Mountain was nice) and headed out.
- Winter Hike: Whiteface & Passaconaway
— In early 2017 my friend Michael and hike snowshoed a loop of Mount Whiteface and Mount Passaconaway.
- Winter Hike: Madison
— After bailing on Madison in December because I forgot my headlamp, I returned in January 2017 to bag it for my New Hampshire Winter 48 list.
- Winter Hike: South Moat
— When no one shows up for your work mountain club hike, you hike what you want to hike. South Moat in this case, a repeat of my first winter hike.
- A Look Back on 2016 and Ahead to 2017
— 2016 has come and gone and now is the time to reflect on all that was accomplished or not.
- Top 10 Photographs of 2016
— This year I made a return to carrying my DSLR on hikes and captured some shots that do a good job of summing up my year of wandering.
- Winter Hike: Hancocks
— A few days after Christmas 2016, a couple of friends and I grabbed the Hancocks for our Winter 48 list.
- Winter Hike: Pierce & Eisenhower
— The first day of winter brought me and a friend to the southern Presidentials to bag Mount Pierce and Mount Eisenhower for our New Hampshire Winter 48 list.
- Hike: Mount Pemigewasset
— I hit up Mount Pemigewasset in Franconia Notch, a short hike and a summit on the 52 With A View list. #optoutside #wanderlust
- Hike: Mount Pierce
— On the day after my 38th birthday I headed to Crawford Notch to get Mount Pierce for my November Grid and do some trail tracing.
- Hike: Shelburne Moriah
— Shelburne Moriah is the often overlooked sibling if 4000 footer Mount Moriah. In mid-November 2016 I tackled this summit to behold its beauty.
- Hike: Baldpates
— In early November 2016 a friend and I camped out near Grafton Notch in western Maine. The next morning we hiked the two peaks of Baldpate Mountain. Baldpate was supposed to be a great hike above treeline, so we had to check it out.
- Hike: Mount Nancy
— In the middle of peak foliage in 2016 I took a Monday off work and drove up to New Hampshire to hike Mount Nancy, one of the peaks on the New England Hundred Highest list. Mount Nancy is one of a few peaks on the list without an official trail to its summit, but the bushwhack was an easy-to-follow herd trail when I did it.
- Hike: Iron Mountain
— Iron Mountain was a great little mountain with some excellent views and an abandoned mine to explore. It is definitely a top family hike in the White Mountains National Forest.
- Hike: Terrace/Weeks
— Back in September 2016 I hiked Terrace Mountain, Mount Weeks and Middle Weeks. The goal of the hike was to hit Mount Weeks for my New England Hundred Highest list, and red-line some trails, mainly to get the section of the Kilkenny Ridge Trail between Middle Weeks and Bunnel Notch Trail.
- Hike: Great Range
— Each fall a couple of friends and I try to take a long weekend to do some backcountry hiking and camping. In 2016 we planned a multi-day hike in the Great Range in the Adirondacks in New York.
- Trail Run: Rattlesnake Mountain
— I had been running on trails most of the year as I found them more enjoyable than road running, and easier on my legs. I typically stuck to flat trails around my house, but on a whim I decided to run up a mountain. If a very small mountain.
- Hike: Corona Arch
— Before heading back to Salt Lake City, I took a small detour away from Moab and followed the Colorado River around Poison Spider Mesa to hike Corona Arch. This ended up being my favorite hike of the trip and was short, if hot.
- Hike: Grandstaff Canyon
— On my last day in Moab, Utah, I went on a couple of hikes outside of the National Parks. My first stop was to Grandstaff Canyon, home of Morning Glory Arch.
- Hike: Upheaval Dome
— On the second day of the National Parks Centennial weekend I drove to Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park to hike a long, primitive trail around Upheaval Dome.
- Hike: Devil's Garden
— I didn't want to do the most popular spots without my family, and I wanted to target the more primitive and long trails. So, when I arrived in Arches I enjoyed the amazing drive to the far end of the park to Devil's Garden.
- Hike: 2016 Pemi Loop
— My first big, multi-day hike was a three day Pemigewasset Loop in July 2013 with a great group of friends. I decided that I wanted to push myself a little and attempt the Pemi Loop in a 24-hour period.
- Side of the Road: Profile Lake
— I missed my opportunity to see the Old Man of the Mountain while he was still standing, so after hiking Franconia Ridge with my older son, we stopped at Profile Lake to check out where it used to be.
- Hike: Mount Moosilauke
— Five years ago I embarked on a personal journey to hike all of the 4000' mountains in New England. On July 30th I completed this journey with many of my family and friends at my side.
- Hike: Pico/Killington
— My first stop on this 12+ mile day would be Pico Peak, a New England Hundred Highest, followed by my real destination, Killington Peak. Killington was my final New England 4000 Footer in Vermont, and my next to last in all of New England.
- Hike: Seek the Peak 2016
— A friend of mine signed up to do the 2016 Seek the Peak, a fundraiser hike that the Mount Wshington Observatory puts on every year. I was noncommital about joining it officially, but when it came down to the hike I was quick to join him.
- Hike: Doubletop Mountain
— My younger son wanted to hike a mountain since everyone else had, so we set off from our campsite to hike Doubletop Mountain. The trail started from the Nesowadnehunk Campground, so all we had to do was up and go.
- Hike: North Brother
— For the past three years my family has driven to Baxter State Park in early July for a long weekend of hiking and camping. Goals for the 2016 trip were for my wife to hike to the summit of Katahdin and for me to bag North Brother, my final New England 4000 Footer in Maine.
- Hike: Crawford/Resolution/Stairs
— The best hikes don't need to be comprised of the tallest peaks. We took the time to explore cliffs below Crawford, crisscross Resolution summit, bask on Giant Stairs, honor the remains of Resolution Shelter and bushwhack to an isolated cliff.
- Bushwhack: Vose Spur & Mount Carrigain
— With only one 4000 Footer remaining in each of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont (and all three hikes planned), the goal with this hike was to get a New England Hundred Highest, Vose Spur.
- Sunrise Hike: Crocker Cirque
— With all that was seperating me from the mountains was a few hours of state highways, I had no excuse not to leave for a hike when I would normally be getting ready for bed. Normal people would call this behavior crazy, but that's okay, I've never pretended to be normal.
- Hike: Tumbledown Mountain
— At work I was part of a hiking group and although I 'd planned several hikes I hadn't actually attended one. So in June I put together a hike of Tumbledown Mountain and lead the hike.
- Hike: Sandwich Dome
— When I did my Sandwich Range traverse I stuck to the central part of the range where all the 4000 footers were. I knew that I would return to the Sandwich Range eventually to hike Sandwich Dome.
- Bushwhack: Mount Abraham
— I knew when I hiked Mount Abraham in May I would want to return to explore the alpine area more thoroughly. It boasted the second largest alpine area in Maine by square acreage after Mount Katahdin. What I didn't was that it would be less than two weeks later when I returned.
- Hike: Mount Abraham
— Since seeing Mount Abraham from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain last October and after hearing it hosts the second largest alpine zone in Maine (after Mount Katahdin), I'd been hankering to hike it.
- Bushwhack: Mount Redington
— In this blog post I go over the directions for bushwhacking to Mount Redington from the logging roads off Caribou Pond Road. It includes the coordinates of turns along the way and a video that gives visuals to each turn.
- Hike: Blackstrap Hill Preserve
— This weekend I was on call for work so I couldn't retreat to the mountains to replenish my soul. Instead, I grabbed the boys and headed to Falmouth, Maine, to explore Blackstrap Hill Preserve. The best part was the signs of spring; bright green leave pushing up the dead leaves and a few flashes of color from flowers.
- Hike: Franconia Loop 2016
— Every time I hike Franconia Ridge I am reminded of the beginning of the Two Towers movie when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai over the great mountain ranges of Middle Earth in order to rescue the kidnapped Merry and Pippin. Luckily we had the luxury of hiking leisurely across the ridge and soak in the views.
- Hike: Bald Mountain
— I took Spring Break off from work so I could spend it with my boys. Since the weather was looking seasonably warm we decided to camp in the White Mountains National Forest for a couple of days. After a cold night we headed up the Kancamagus Highway and Interstate-93 to Franconia Notch State Park to hike the Bald Mountain and Artist's Bluff loop just north of the notch.
- Hike: Mount Cube
— I thought that Mount Cube would have a square shape to it, but in fact its name is a local corruption of Mount Cuba. As legend has it, the mountain was named after a dog that fought a bear on its summit. Mount Cube is on the New Hampshire 52 with a View list and afforded some good perspectives, but I was most impressed with its quartzite caps.
- Sunrise Hike: Mount Major
— I left home at 3:30 am in order to hike Mount Major for sunrise. I was slightly concerned about doing the hike in the dark as I had never been to Mount Major. My concerns ended up being unfounded. The trail was easy to follow in the dark as it was wide and well used.
- Hike: Southern Presidentials
— A bike and hike of the southern Presidentials, including Mount Washington. It was by far the best weather I had experienced on the Presidential Range, and the ice and undercast clouds made the whole trip otherworldly. What a great way to kick off the beginning of the 3-season hiking season.
- Winter Bushwhack: Mount Isolation
— What do you do on the final full day of winter? Get in your last Winter New Hampshire 4000 Footer of the season of course. Since the weather was going to be mild, a couple of friends and I decided to bushwhack to Mount Isolation.
- Winter Hike: Return to Chocorua
— As the last weeks of winter rolled around I considered a winter ascent of Mount Washington. Unfortunately, there were a lot of icy trail reports that dissuaded me from attempting Washington. Instead, I decided to return to Mount Chocorua as I really enjoyed the summit and I was hoping that the lower elevation would mean less ice.
- Winter Hike: North Crocker
— In my plan to hike all of the New England 4000 Footers I still had a bunch of peaks to do in the Carrabassett Valley area of Maine. So, in late January I decided to tackle a few from Route 27 just north of Sugarloaf Ski Resort. As popular as the White Mountains are even in the winter time, it surprised me that the Maine 4000 Footers weren't as popular and no one else was on the trail on this beautiful day.
- Winter Hike: Mount Chocorua Sunrise
— Early Sunday morning I got up to make the short drive to Mount Chocorua to hike it for sunrise. I highly suggest this hike to anyone comfortable enough with their hiking skills to attempt a night and icy winter hike of Mount Chocorua. The views were absolutely worth the effort and the blasting cold winds of the summit. This trip continues to be one of my most fond and memorable hikes.
- Hike: Spaulding/Sugarloaf
— Trail Report My hiking friends and I had plans for doing a multi-day hiking trip traversing the Great Range in the Adirondacks, but after some difficulty with the coordination of the hike we cancelled...
- Winter Bushwhack: Owl's Head
— A couple of friends and I took advantage of mild winter conditions to bag one of the more difficult winter 4000 Footers, a bushwhack to the Peak above Owls Head.
- Winter Hike: Flume/Liberty
— For the first hike of the new year a friend of mine and I took the opportunity that some mild weather provided to grab a couple winter 4000 Footers. We considered different peaks for a while and landed on doing a traverse over Mount Flume and Mount Liberty from Lincoln Woods Visitor Center to Liberty Spring Trail.
- A Look Back on 2015 and Ahead to 2016
— 2015 has come and gone and now is the time to reflect on all that was accomplished or not. The purpose of lofty goals is progress toward a better and happier being and to enjoy the trip along the way, not to blatantly check things off a list. Those which are not accomplished are as valuable as those which are.
- Top 10 Instagram Photos of 2015
— I became more active on Instagram this year where I found a great community of like-minded hikers. Here is a list of my favorite Instagram photos from 2015.
- Best Gear Purchase of 2015
— The Dakine Scout Mitt is my choice for the best piece of gear I've purchased this year. I'm always looking for the best option on a budget, so I base this off comfort, functionality and affordability.
- Winter Hike: Willey Range
— I'd been wanting to do a snowshoe of the Willey Range for quite some time. It seemed like the perfect place for a day-long snowshoe: it's on the eastern side of the range (the weather infamously comes from the northwest in the winter), it's almost entirely protected by forest, it includes three 4000 Footers and it affords some great views of the Presidential Range and down into Crawford Notch.
- Night Hike: Jackson Sunrise
— On a mild and clear December day I decided to go on a sunrise hike of Mount Jackson. I got up at 1:30 am, made some coffee and hit the road. The clear and mild conditions, and superb sunrise catapulted Mount Jackson to near the top of my list of favorite hikes and favorite mountains.
- Hike: Mount Tecumseh
— On Black Friday I followed suit with REI and opted outside rather than flocking to the mall like a normal American person. Tecumseh sits at the bottom of the New England 4000 Footer list at 4003' feet and is the peak looming over Waterville Valley Ski Resort.But, with the number of peaks remaining on my 4000 Footer list dwindling and the fact that it was going to be cloudy, it seemed like a good day to final hike it.
- Hike: Hale and Zealand
— A couple of friends and I took a day off work just before Thanksgiving to do a loop of two New England 4000 Footers in New Hampshire. The mountains of Hale and Zealand can be accessed by trailheads off Zealand Road, which is found just north of Crawford Notch. Although both Hale and Zealand were wooded and not very interesting, the view from Zeacliff was definitely worth the hike.
- Hike: Mount Waumbek
— Keeping the theme of hiking the northern New Hampshire 4000 Footers, I drove up to Jefferson, New Hampshire early Sunday morning in late November to climb Mount Waumbek. Mount Waumbek was one of the more accessible 4000 Footers and a good place to start if you want to see if you the meddle to climb the high peaks in New England. Since there are so few views, it's also a good one to save for a cloudy day, as I did.
- Hike: Cabot Loop
— I got up early on a Sunday morning in November in order to hike Mount Cabot in the northern White Mountain National Forest. I hadn't heard a lot about Cabot or Waumbek, so I wasn't expecting much. Cabot's summit was lacking, but Cabot Cabin was interesting, Unknown Pond was beautiful and The Horn was amazing.
- Hike: Mount Washington
— Mount Washington is an amazing mountain that I point to and shout: "Mount Washington" every time I see it from a distance, like a kid pointing at a toy in a store window. Despite that I typically stay away when the auto road is open due to the crowds. One Sunday in November my friend John and I headed north to the White Mountains of New Hampshire with the goal of climbing Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast.
- Hike: The Bigelows
— The Bigelows are a long range of mountains found south of Flagstaff lake in the Bigelow Preserve. The range has two New England 4000 Footers and a New England Hundred Highest, all of which we planned on tackling. The hike was nearly 14 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain and by the end I wanted to amputate my left ankle.
- Bike & Hike: Sandwich Range Traverse
— When I purchased my commuter bike this year, one of the reasons I chose a touring bike over a cross bike was so I could do some bike camping.
- Hike: Tumbledown/Little Jackson
— Trail Report For the last couple of years I've spent many of my vacation days hiking midweek in September and October. This proved to be a little more difficult this year because my wife is no longer...
- Night Hike: Mount Adams
— Trail Report One of my goals for 2015 was to do a Moonlight Presidential Traverse. Back in December when I started looking into moonlight traverses the two full moons that landed on the weekends were...
- Hike: Mount Willey
— Date Hiked: 22 August 2015 After a month of cleaning and painting our new house, I needed to spend a precious weekend day hiking in the mountains. I had only done a handful of other hikes this y...
- Hike: Baxter/Hamlin Loop
— Date Hiked: 04 July 2015 Last year when my older son went to summer camp at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics we stopped at Baxter State Park and hiked Baxter Peak as a family . Wh...
- Hike: Baldface Circle
— Date Hiked: 20 June 2015 Work stress, home-buying stress and Father's Day weekend found me pining for the mountains. It had been nearly two months since my last hike, nearly three months since m...
- Cycling: Sebago Lake Loop
— Date Cycled: 25 May 2015 I haven't posted in a whole month. We are working on purchasing our first house (which is taking up most of my free time) and my only recent adventur...
- Hike: Emigrant Wilderness
— Coworkers and I spent 4 days hiking in the Emigrant Wilderness in the Stanislaus National Forest, California. Two days in we got caught in a blizzard and had to navigate our way out by map and compass through 18 inches of snow for which we were not prepared.
- Cycling: Long Haul Trucking
— Recently, my wife got a job off the island. This means that both of us need to commute and unfortunately our places of employment are 40 minutes apart by motorized vehicle on the highway. Our options...
- Cerro de la Muerte: The Mountain of Death
— Part of the Talamanca Mountain range, Cerro de la Muerte is the highest point in Costa Rica and rises 11,000 feet above sea level. Stories were told by our guide of past journeys and unprepared travel...
- Hike: Mount Hunger
— Date Hiked: 28 March 2015 I recently headed to Vermont for a long weekend to visit my brother and we went for a hike on Saturday morning. Last year we hiked Mount Abraham, Mount Ellen and C...
- How-to: Pitch a Tent in Snow
— The first time I pitched my tent in snow was January 2014 when I experimented with winter camping in my three-season gear. Things went well and I made it through the night in temperatures in the singl...
- Waiting for the Quetzal
— "A long time ago, a great battle ensued between the Spanish conquistadors and the Mayans. At the moment of the Mayan Chief's death, the sacred Quetzal fell silent and plummeted to the earth, covering...
- Winter Hike: Mount Tom
— Date Hiked: 8 March 2015 Winter was almost over and 2 months had passed since my previous hike when an opportunity to hike arouse. The temperature on a Saturday night was supposed to stay in the low 2...
- Heading to Savegre Valley
— After an early breakfast, we packed up the bus and headed southeast, along the Pan American Highway, towards the first place we would visit: Savegre Valley near Cerro de la Muerte, one of Costa Rica's...
- Backyard Adventure: Do You Want to Build a Quinzee?
— Since last winter I've tried to build an igloo in my backyard so I could experience sleeping encapsulated in snow. Though Maine has been pounded with snow in the last couple of weeks it hasn't passed...
- Pura Vida
— Pura vida: the simple translation is "pure life"...And it is a philosophy of life for the people of Costa Rica. Pronounced "Poo-rah Vee-dah", it is an expression of optimism and takes on many meanings...
- Re-envisioning Past Hikes
— I've been a little slow on writing new posts lately. First, my wife took a science class in Costa Rica so the opportunity for going hiking has been nil (but look forward to guest posts by her on her h...
- Adios Estados Unidos!
— My name is Melissa (or "wife" as I've been referred in several of Cade's blog posts). In the spirit of wandering, your author has invited me to share with you my own wandering adventure: a 2-week shor...
- Winter Hike: Cannon Mountain
— Date Hiked: 2 January 2015 It was barely 2015 and I was preparing for the first goal on my list of adventures for 2015 : climbing my first New England 4000 Footer in the winter. I...
- Looking Ahead to 2015
— The new year typically means a time of reflection and a time of resolutions. I've made my share of resolutions, but they always seem so history-focused. I try focus more on the now, or at the very mos...
- Top 10 Photos of 2014
— Some qualifiers are needed here. These are my favorite photographs that I took with my Nikon D3200 while hiking this year. I'm very much an amateur photographer, but I'm looking to take it more seriou...
- Best Gear Purchase of 2014
— As I mentioned in my post where I detailed out the contents of my daypack , I'm not your typical Gearhead. I like going light (who doesn't?), but I wouldn't consider myself ultralight. Comfort and fun...
- A Look Back on 2014
— I think it was in 2010 when I hit my highest body weight to date that I decided I had to stop fooling around with my life and focus on my health, both physically and mentally. I started training for a...
- Hike: Middle and North Sugarloaf
— Date Hiked: 24 November 2014 I saved my last remaining vacation days for the week of Thanksgiving (and my birthday). I had nine days off from work but due to the holiday and other commitments, M...
- My Daypack
— There are many hiking gear review blogs out there (I'm partial toward Stick's Blog) and I don't intend stepping into that arena. I'm a huge fan of the phrase "hike your own hike," and I extend it to t...
- Hike: Mount Moriah
— Date Hiked: 8 November 2014 Mount Moriah has been in my sights for a while. It is the last mountain in the Carter-Moriah Range that I have not hiked and it is supposed to be a moderate hike...
- 2 Days of Trail Work with the AMC
— In the middle of October three coworkers and I volunteered two days with the Appalachian Mountain Club to do some trail maintenance. We met Thursday night in North Conway, New Hampshire, at Moat Mount...
- Hike: Kinsmans-Cannon Loop
— Date hiked: 1 October 2014 For some time I've planned on taking two days to hike a loop around Lonesome Lake in Franconia Notch State Park to do North and South Kinsman as well as Cannon Mountain. As...
- Hike: 2014 Franconia Ridge Loop
— Date Hiked: 24 September 2014 For the last three years I've brought a good friend of mine camping and hiking in the White Mountains National Forest. It is typically one of my favorite trips to t...
- Hike: Mount Mansfield
— Hike Date: 20 September 2014 Mount Mansfield got its name from its ridge line looking like the profile of a person. The peaks of the mountain were given names based on their resemblance: The Fore...
- Hike: Mount Isolation
— Date Hiked: 10 September 2014 Mount Isolation is one of the more difficult 4000 Footers to reach, not because of its elevation but because it is far from access points and there are no real direct tra...
- Hike: Hancock Loop
— Hike Date : 3 September 2014 I typically use my vacation days around the holidays and possibly a full week in late summer. This year I decided I would sprinkle my remaining vacation days int...
- Side of the Road: Limestone, Maine
— Before heading up to Limestone, Maine so that my son could attend summer camp at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, all I knew about that part of the state was that they grew potatoes. What...
- Hike: Monroe Skyline
— My brother and two friends from work spent 3 days hiking the Monroe Skyline, a stretch of the Long Trail in Vermont from Lincoln Gap to the Winooski River. This was our second annual backcountry, multi-day summer hike...
- 2014 Presi Traverse
— Date hiked: 30 June 2014 One of this year's big hikes for me was a one day attempt at the Presidential Traverse, a hike across the Presidential Range in the White Mountains National Forest. The hike t...
- Hike: Quaggy Jo
— Date hiked : 23-24 June 2014 My family and I were in northern Maine for a week this June so that my older son could attend summer camp at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. We typically spen...
- Hike: Baxter Peak
— Hike Date: 21 June 2014 My family has a goal of reaching the high point in every state in the U.S. So far we've only done Mount Mansfield in Vermont (and we hiked from the visitor center, so we'll hav...
- Hike: Mount Madison
— Hiked : 15 June 2014 So far, my favorite peaks in the White Mountains are Carrigain, Bondcliff and Madison. When my son chose Madison to be his first 4000 Footer I was excited, even though I'd be doin...
- Hike: Wildcat A
— Date Hiked: 01 June 2014 I attempted a traverse of the five Wildcat peaks last year with my friends Michael and John. It was the first time I dragged them out of the office and into the mountains. The...
- Hike: Carter Loop
— Date Hiked: 31 May 2014 The planned route was to hike up Nineteen Mile Brook Trail to Carter Notch, take the Carter-Moriah Trail over Carter Dome, Mount Hight, South Carter, Mount Lethe and Middle Car...
- Backyard Adventure: The Freedom Trail
— Date Hiked: 25 May 2014 The Freedom Trail may not be in my backyard, but it is certainly in someone's backyard. I lived in the Boston area for a few years so I've happened across it several times. My...
- Hike: Dickey and Welch Mountain Loop
— Hike date : 3 May 2014 Last year for Mother's Day I took the boys camping and gave my wife a nice quiet house for the weekend. I know, it sounds selfish, but she loved it and we loved it, so I planned...
- Hike: Burnt Meadow Mountains
— Date Hiked: 27 April 2014 This spring my son turned 12 and I asked him if he'd like to start doing the New England 4000 Footers with me. With Dad being so busy with work and having little time to spar...
- Inspiration: The Head and the Heart - Down in the Valley
— A few weeks ago I create a new page which I've called Inspiration . I wanted to create a list of media from which I find inspiration. When you're a weekend dirtbag you need to pull from a lot of sourc...
- Hike: Pleasant Mountain
— Hiked: 20 April 2014 One of my favorite parts of hiking is planning for the hike itself. I love looking at topography maps, reading trail descriptions and condition reports. I love researching fo...
- Side of the Road: Chihuahua Desert
— I've decided to add a new category of post: Side of the Road. These posts will be for those micro-adventures that can often be found right off the beaten path; the interesting structure or a trail you...
- Winter Hike: Kearsarge Mountain North
— Hike date: 23 February 2014 Each person has their own way of dealing with tragedies. Some collapse upon themselves, others lash out at those around them, some go on like nothing happened. While I've h...
- Backyard Adventure: First Adventure of 2014
— Backyard Adventures are small adventures that I set upon to soothe my wanderlust when I cannot afford (with time or money) to take on larger adventures. Some will be done with my sons (under the guise...
- Hike: Devil's Hall
— Hike date: 14 March 2014 When Mike, John and I hiked Guadalupe Peak, one thing that stood out to us at the beginning of the hike was the canyon that ran next to the campground, Pine Spring Canyon...
- Hike: El Capitan Bushwhack
— Hike date: 13 March 2014 I stood with John and Mike on the Top of Texas, Guadalupe Peak , and stared at the peak to the south. El Capitan was truly spectacular to behold. Three sides of the mountain a...
- Hike: Guadalupe Peak
— Hike date: 13 March 2014 When an opportunity arises, you must seize it. That was the idea when a few friends of mine (John and Mike) and I realized that the highest point in Texas was not too far away...
- Trail Burrito
— I tend to place my trail foods into two categories. Carb-rich trail foods and fat-rich trail foods. The carb-rich foods give you quick energy when you start to bonk. The fat-rich foods will give you e...
- Winter Hike: Potash Mountain
— Hike Date: 17 February 2014, Presidents Day I couldn't have asked for a better day. The forecast for noon, when I expected to be on the summit of Potash, was 12 degrees, 10mph winds from the northeast...
- Wanderlust
— From an early age we're told how important it is to be a functional part of society. That what we make of our lives is what's important. That hard work equals big rewards. It's the American way: do we...
- Winter Hike: South Moat Mountain
— Hike Date: 9 February 2014 Ever since winter broke my hiking habit back in November, I had been waiting for a decent weekend to try out hiking with snowshoes. I've had a pair of 27" PowerRidge Crests...
- Hike: Franconia Loop 2011
— My brother and I met at Lafayette campground on Friday evening, set up camp and shared amazing craft beers from our respective states. In the morning we set out for one of the most epic hikes in the N...
- Hike: Pamola Peak
— Date Hiked: 30 May 2011 I've been suffering a hiking drought for most of January and all of February. Last February I hiked South Moat , Potash and Kearsarge North on three different weeken...