The Hiking Thread

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taltos said:
Could the ski area be either Hunter or Belle Aire? I am guessing that it was not Whiteface since that is a big mountain and is a bit further north than the Catskills range. By the way, I totally agree with you on modern snowshoes. I learned on the wooden long-tailed monsters and was amazed when I tried the newer styles of shoes.
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I think it was Belleayre - thanks for the reminder.
 
Nice little state owned area. I haven't been up there for over 40 years. Thanks for the catch on the name.:toast:
 
Nice thread idea! And great pics posted... here are some more.

Some shots from the White Mountains first. This is on Mt. Adams, with the Madison-Adams col in the background.

adams2.jpg


Same trip/spot, but in the other direction.

adams1.jpg


Here's one from just below the summit of Mt. Eisenhower.

eisenhower1.jpg
 
Katahdin...

katahdin_knife_edge_2.jpg


Another from Katahdin...

katahdin_pamola.jpg



Huntington Ravine on Mt. Washington...

ravine_gullies.jpg
 
Maxjax said:
Some shots from the White Mountains first. This is on Mt. Adams, with the Madison-Adams col in the background.
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Adams in the winter? I'm impressed - did you summit? (I am 0 for 2 trying to summit Adams in the winter.)

Have you ever tried the King Ravine trail to get to the top of Adams?

Great pictures - thanks for contributing.
 
TipRoast said:
Adams in the winter? I'm impressed - did you summit? (I am 0 for 2 trying to summit Adams in the winter.)

Have you ever tried the King Ravine trail to get to the top of Adams?

Great pictures - thanks for contributing.
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Thank you TipRoast!

We did summit that day. It was a gorgeous day, barely an unfriendly cloud in the sky, but bitterly cold and windy. I ended up with a little frost-nip on my nose that afternoon! We lucked out a bit, as the cold temps hardened the surface of the snow pretty well and kept us from post-holing too much. That slog from Madison Spring Hut to the top of Adams is a loooonnnngggg walk.

Just in general, Adams is a tough climb. Probably tougher than Washington in my opinion. All of the (direct) trailheads are at lower elevations than the trailheads for Washington, so the altitude gain is equal or higher. I have gone up through King Ravine, in the summer, which is a truly spectacular hike. If you've never done it, also make sure you get over to Castle Ravine. A great loop is to go up Jefferson that way and then down the Castellated Ridge (a little steep and tricky, but the views keep you happy).

I'm from a family of six kids (and the youngest to boot) so I got a really early start with hiking. Our family vacation trips were always camping in the White Mountains. I also lived up in Glen (just north of North Conway) for about 10 years before moving back to MA five years ago (my mother is retired and still lives there, as does my sister and her husband and three kids). While I was living up there I was able to check off the handful of 4,000-footers I hadn't climbed in winter. I was also working for the AMC, so I had a lot of opportunities to hike while "on the clock!"

I have a 9-year-old niece who's climbed something like 25 of the 4,000-footers already, including some winter trips. She's way into it and is one strong little girl! It's awesome seeing her take it all in, and I'm hoping my own daughter (only 2) will be interested when she's older.

Happy trails and keep those pics coming!
 
dropKickMurphy said:
IMO, Baxter has the best wilderness scenery east of the Rockies. Sometimes our trips include climbing Katahdin and the Knife edge. More often we explore more remote areas of the park. It's full of spectacular lakes and ponds, and interesting mountain peaks and serene forests. Over the years, we've been just about everywhere in this almost quarter of a million acre gem. Every square inch of it is beautiful. Best of all, the entire park is beyond the range of cell phones. It's something I look forward to all year.
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I would absolutely second that. The only place in the Northeast that has the same kind of feeling of remoteness and wildness is Baxter.

Even in the White Mountains, if you were to get lost somehow, if you pick a direction and keep walking in that direction you'll hit a road at some point within five or, at most, maybe 10 miles. But a person can definitely get lost for real in Maine!
 
Here's a slide show I made a few years back - it's the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail in central New Hampshire (not far from Waterville Valley). I think I did the hike in late April or early May; you can see snow on the Franconia Notch peaks in some of the shots.

A really good trail for beginning hikers - around four miles, a loop, and some interesting terrain. I recommend doing it in the counter-clockwise direction.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xf1EH73yZqQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's a nice write-up with trail map and driving directions.
 
TipRoast said:
Here's a slide show I made a few years back - it's the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail in central New Hampshire (not far from Waterville Valley). I think I did the hike in late April or early May; you can see snow on the Franconia Notch peaks in some of the shots.

A really good trail for beginning hikers - around four miles, a loop, and some interesting terrain. I recommend doing it in the counter-clockwise direction.

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xf1EH73yZqQ" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>

Here's a nice write-up with trail map and driving directions.
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That is a great loop hike... it's also a shorter drive than most trailheads by as much as an hour or so.
 
Last couple of hikes have been in Montana de Oro State Park (near Morro Bay) in California. It's less than an hour from where we live.

Haven't remembered to bring the camera, but did take a cell phone snap of this sign at the start of the Bluff Trail.
 
Maxjax said:
I'm from a family of six kids (and the youngest to boot) so I got a really early start with hiking. Our family vacation trips were always camping in the White Mountains. I also lived up in Glen (just north of North Conway) for about 10 years before moving back to MA five years ago (my mother is retired and still lives there, as does my sister and her husband and three kids). While I was living up there I was able to check off the handful of 4,000-footers I hadn't climbed in winter. I was also working for the AMC, so I had a lot of opportunities to hike while "on the clock!"

I have a 9-year-old niece who's climbed something like 25 of the 4,000-footers already, including some winter trips. She's way into it and is one strong little girl! It's awesome seeing her take it all in, and I'm hoping my own daughter (only 2) will be interested when she's older.

Happy trails and keep those pics coming!
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So happy to read this!

We have a place(my in-laws do) on West Side Rd. I have just gotten into some hiking, having tackled the Moat Mtn Trails.

As I walked the trail I constantly thought how cool it will be to do it with my kids. My daughter is 10 and my son just turned 6. I'm stoked to hear a 9 yr old has that much experience. I was unsure about bringing my daughter along, but she's athletic as hell(hockey, lacrosse, softball) so now I am confident she'd be able to handle it.

Any recommendations for a trip thats scenic yet still easy enough for a rugged 6 yr old lil guy and a wife who is in good shape but hasn't tackled a mountain in the White Mountain area?
 
Dwight Schrute said:
So happy to read this!

We have a place(my in-laws do) on West Side Rd. I have just gotten into some hiking, having tackled the Moat Mtn Trails.

As I walked the trail I constantly thought how cool it will be to do it with my kids. My daughter is 10 and my son just turned 6. I'm stoked to hear a 9 yr old has that much experience. I was unsure about bringing my daughter along, but she's athletic as hell(hockey, lacrosse, softball) so now I am confident she'd be able to handle it.

Any recommendations for a trip thats scenic yet still easy enough for a rugged 6 yr old lil guy and a wife who is in good shape but hasn't tackled a mountain in the White Mountain area?
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That's really cool... the first house my wife and I rented was right off West Side Road (Allens Siding Rd, actually). And before they bought their house, my sister and her husband rented a condo at Cedar Creek for about a year.

Here are some ideas for you. I don't have the exact mileages on these so I'm doing it from memory... do you have an AMC White Mountain Guide? Very worthwhile investment if you do not.

Anyway...

Best bet to get folks into hiking is probably one of two things... either keep it easy for them at first and go for mostly flat hikes, or try to go to smaller mountains that have open summit views (hence the reward for their hard work).

Some suggestions:

Potash Mountain - Nice little peak on the Kanc, not far from Conway. I've taken a few folks up there as their first hike. Has a wooden summit but the top is very ledgy and has nice views.

Mt. Willard - This one's up at the head of Crawford Notch, near the AMC Highland Center. It's 2.8 miles each way. The view from the top is fantastic... nice open cliff face looking right into the heart of the notch.

Boulder Loop Trail - This should be close-by your inlaws, it's on Passaconaway/Dugway Road, near the Covered Bridge Campground. Nice hike, good views along the way.

Arethusa Falls Trail - This is off 302 between Bartlett and Crawford. Highest waterfall in NH. The trail is a bit rough and usually wet, but there's not a lot of vertical and lots of nice scenic spots along the way.

To go a little lighter/easier:

Echo Lake - Right near Cathedral Ledge... there's a trail that goes around the lake.

Elephant's Head - Short hike up to the top of a bluff in Crawford Notch.

Ammonoosuc Lake - Loop hike from the Highland Center, goes to and around a nice little hidden lake.


Hope this helps, and that you can get the family hooked!
 
Maxjax said:
That's really cool... the first house my wife and I rented was right off West Side Road (Allens Siding Rd, actually). And before they bought their house, my sister and her husband rented a condo at Cedar Creek for about a year.

Here are some ideas for you. I don't have the exact mileages on these so I'm doing it from memory... do you have an AMC White Mountain Guide? Very worthwhile investment if you do not.

Anyway...

Best bet to get folks into hiking is probably one of two things... either keep it easy for them at first and go for mostly flat hikes, or try to go to smaller mountains that have open summit views (hence the reward for their hard work).

Some suggestions:

Potash Mountain - Nice little peak on the Kanc, not far from Conway. I've taken a few folks up there as their first hike. Has a wooden summit but the top is very ledgy and has nice views.

Mt. Willard - This one's up at the head of Crawford Notch, near the AMC Highland Center. It's 2.8 miles each way. The view from the top is fantastic... nice open cliff face looking right into the heart of the notch.

Boulder Loop Trail - This should be close-by your inlaws, it's on Passaconaway/Dugway Road, near the Covered Bridge Campground. Nice hike, good views along the way.

Arethusa Falls Trail - This is off 302 between Bartlett and Crawford. Highest waterfall in NH. The trail is a bit rough and usually wet, but there's not a lot of vertical and lots of nice scenic spots along the way.

To go a little lighter/easier:

Echo Lake - Right near Cathedral Ledge... there's a trail that goes around the lake.

Elephant's Head - Short hike up to the top of a bluff in Crawford Notch.

Ammonoosuc Lake - Loop hike from the Highland Center, goes to and around a nice little hidden lake.


Hope this helps, and that you can get the family hooked!
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Awesome!

I'm going to copy and paste this to a Word Doc for summer reference.

Have you ever been to Mountain Pond in N. Conway? I was thinking that for the 1st hike with a picnic. Only about a mile and a half each way at minimal elevation. Plus, if I bring our collapsable fishing rods we may be able to take in some isolated pond fishing.:thumb:
 
Dwight Schrute said:
Awesome!

I'm going to copy and paste this to a Word Doc for summer reference.

Have you ever been to Mountain Pond in N. Conway? I was thinking that for the 1st hike with a picnic. Only about a mile and a half each way at minimal elevation. Plus, if I bring our collapsable fishing rods we may be able to take in some isolated pond fishing.:thumb:
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I actually haven't been in to Mountain Pond but have heard good things about it.

I was also going to suggest, if you ever get up to Crawford... the Highland Center runs free programs and guided hikes. You don't have to be staying there to sign up. The programs are geared toward families, which adds to the experience... instead of just doing the hike, they'll stop along the way and point out flora/fauna, geological features, etc-etc. Kids get to hold frogs and check for animal tracks and that sort of thing. They also have a gear room at the Highland Center and can hook you up (for free) with borrowed boots, jackets, packs, etc... pretty much anything you need.
 
Maxjax said:
I actually haven't been in to Mountain Pond but have heard good things about it.

I was also going to suggest, if you ever get up to Crawford... the Highland Center runs free programs and guided hikes. You don't have to be staying there to sign up. The programs are geared toward families, which adds to the experience... instead of just doing the hike, they'll stop along the way and point out flora/fauna, geological features, etc-etc. Kids get to hold frogs and check for animal tracks and that sort of thing. They also have a gear room at the Highland Center and can hook you up (for free) with borrowed boots, jackets, packs, etc... pretty much anything you need.
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Thanks again!

Every time I get to the top of South Moat I look to the SE and see a rather prominent rocky summit with a pretty impressive peak. In looking at my trail map I think it's Mt. Chocurua. Have you hiked this one? I'm thinking of it for my next solo venture.
 
Dwight Schrute said:
Thanks again!

Every time I get to the top of South Moat I look to the SE and see a rather prominent rocky summit with a pretty impressive peak. In looking at my trail map I think it's Mt. Chocurua. Have you hiked this one? I'm thinking of it for my next solo venture.
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Yup, that's Chocorua... real picturesque peak, huh? Supposedly it's one of the most photographed mountains in the world.

I've been up there a bunch of times, in both summer and winter. It's not a 4,000-footer (just a shade under 3,700') but the trailheads are at lower elevations than the peaks north of it, so the elevation gain is comparable to climbing a bigger mountain. (In other words, it's a pretty substantial hike.)

The best way up, IMO, is the Champaney Falls trail off the Kanc. That trail spills you out onto the flat col between Chocorua and the "sisters" (the three rocky peaks east of it). Careful on the ledges near the top... they get real slippery when it rains.

Or when it's icy. :)

chocoruasummit.jpg
 
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