Russell & I hiked the Hancock's today.  Got a fairly early start hitting Hancock Notch Trail at 8:35am.  We started seeing snow and ice on the trail fairly soon into the hike and passed a group of 3 with dogs.  First approx. 2.5 miles was mostly a traverse with several brook crossings.  Once we turned onto Cedar Brook Trail the elevation pitched up slightly. A few more water crossings and we reached the Hancock Loop Trail.  At this point we had crossed water about 9 times.  Now the elevation kicked up to an easy to moderate climb until we reached the turn off for Mt Hancock where we met a group of 5 women preparing to ascend.  Trail turns downhill for a bit before you hit the fairly steep 1,150 vertical foot climb to the summit of Mt Hancock which rises to an elevation of 4,420 feet making it New Hampshire's 21st highest summit.  We hiked at a moderately aggressive pace and reached the summit in a little over 2 hours.  We then traversed the short spur to the lookout where we donned an extra layer and took an extended lunch break.  While eating we were greeted by a Gray Jay who didn't hesitate to let us know how hungry it was by coming in close looking for a snack and fairly aggressive about retrieving the snack once presented.  We also were joined for part of our lunch by a father and his 10 year old son.  At this point weather has been pretty much overcast with light to moderate winds on the summit.

After lunch we packed up and headed for South Hancock (4,319 ft, NH's 26th Highest).  Up until this point we had encounter only partial ground cover of snow and ice and never felt the need to use our micro spikes.  Now we started seeing a more consistent ground cover of about 2 inches of packed snow.  The traverse to South Hancock was pretty easy with slight down grades, met with slight upgrades, and occasional sun until a slightly longer steeper uphill to the summit of South Hancock.  At the summit we are greeted by another group of 5 women and 1 dog hiking this loop in the opposite direction, nearly fully blue skies, and a couple more narrow views.

Leaving the summit we head down a fairly steep descent with slippery snow and occasional ice and soon decide now is the time to use our micro spikes.  Steep downhill continues almost all the way to the loop junction which is about a 1,000 vertical feet.  Around this point we have stripped off our extra layer and micro spikes. Now we return the same way we entered crossing the 9 brooks and passing several more groups of 2. 

A fairly uneventful hike with temperatures ranging from 30-50 degrees, cloudy and overcast in the morning to beautiful sunny blue skies in the afternoon, a few great views, excellent companionship, and many friendly encounters with about 2 dozen hikers and their dogs.

All in all another great day in the mountains.  9.8 miles hiked, 2,650 vertical feet climbed, 5:15 total time, and 2 more 4,000 footers added to the list!

Joan, Russell, & I took on the big bad Bonds today.  Pretty late in the season to be doing this hike in one day so we got an EARLY start hitting the trail head just minutes after sun up.  There are several different route choices which encompass the Bonds and potentially hit other 4000 footers along the way but to accomplish those traverse options this time of year require either outside transportation or an even earlier start to stage vehicles on the other side and given the nature of the terrain potentially extra hike time.  We decided to do an out an back from Lincoln Woods trail head because as Joan pointed out the first and last 5 miles of the journey are on really easy mostly flat terrain where you can make up a lot of time.  Joan & I started down the trail at 7:22am traveling light with only the bare essentials and shortly after we were jogging until the Bondcliff trail head was reached at 8:30am.  15 minutes prior I got a text from Russell, which somehow managed to slip through with virtually no service, letting me know he was just getting on the trail.  At this point I had no phone service and was unable to respond so I turned off the phone knowing he had a map, our route, and the skills to catch us.  Little background on Russell, he completed through hiking the Appalachian Trail solo just over a month ago.  After a brief rest to refuel we set off up the Bondcliff trail feeling pretty good about ourselves knowing we had already covered 4.7 miles in about 1 hour 8 minutes (14:28 min / mile pace).

Bondcliff trails starts off fairly easy but quickly begins to increase its pitch slowly until you cross a dried up river bed.  After this the trail dips downhill briefly and then turns back uphill where you are greeted by a series of stone steps which climb very quickly some of the steepest terrain you meet on the Bonds until you near the summit of Bondcliff where you meet a stone outcroppings to scramble up, then you break out of the tree line and are nearly at the summit.  Joan and I saw only 3 others near the parking lot during the 9.1 mile trek to the top of Bondcliff which is New Hampshire's 30th highest peak rising to an elevation of 4,265 ft.  At this point I was pretty certain all the tourists had gone home and the short days would preclude us from seeing anyone else on this journey today.  Boy was I wrong, as soon as we summited  Bondcliff we were greeted by at least a half dozen fellow hikers.  Two of which were actually rock climbing the cliffs of Bondcliff.  We reached the summit at about 10:15 am just shy of the 3 hour mark and seconds later were joined by Russell who managed to do the same journey in about 2 hours (Joan & Ryan = 20 min / mile, Russell 13:10 min / mile).  Joan and I put forth a pretty impressive effort to reach Bondcliff summit in 3 hours but nothing compared to Russell's super human effort of 2 hours.

In the next 2 hours we only covered 2.2 miles as we, chatted with fellow hikers, meandered over to Mt Bond (NH's 14th highest rising to an elevation of 4,698 ft), had lunch, meandered to West Bond (16th highest, 4,540 ft), checked maps, had snacks, took pictures, and most importantly ENJOYED the views.  We had absolutely perfect hiking weather with temps mostly in the 40's and 50's, light wind, and partly sunny, albeit hazy conditions.  As we sat at West Bond and took everything in, one is in awe of how special this place is with the view of Mt Bond and Bondcliff to our immediate east and surrounded by forever wild and extremely impressive mountains which stretch as far as the eye can see in all directions.  Despite it's remote location, one has to come to this place to truly understand how special and important the Pemigewasset Wilderness really is.  You just don't get this 360 degree mostly void of human structures perspective from anywhere else I have been in the White Mountains (so far).  A very special THANK YOU must be said to those who created, protect, and maintain this amazing place.  Ok, schedule dictates we must leave this place for now, but some day I hope to return, perhaps with my soon to be born child.

Down West Bond, up to Mt Bond where we take a short break, then continue down and back up to Bondcliff where we take a minute or two to take pictures and watch the rock climber descend and then we move on to the Great Descent.  I have to say as hard as ascending can be at times I far prefer it to descending (on foot, descending on a bike is a totally different matter).  Down, down, down, over 2,600 vertical feet over mostly 3 of the 4.4 miles to the Wilderness trail.  Knees and feet are really starting to feel it now but all in all I'm feeling pretty good about my fitness level today considering I haven't done anything fitness wise over 1.5 hours in over 2 months and we are approaching the 8 hour mark now.  We finally reach the Wilderness trail and stop to refuel and rest before the final 4.7 mile push to the car.  Knowing we are going to mostly jog back from here I consume what water I can from my spare canteen, then dump the rest in my nearly empty CamelBak, strip off my wind pants and away we go.

Joan of course already has a 1/4 mile head start on Russell and I and begins to run like the wind just as Russell and I get going (Russell was ready, but waited for me, the slow one).  It takes us darn near the 1.8 miles to Lincoln Woods trail to bridge the gap then we all walk briefly across the Pemigewasset River bridge before resuming the run.  At this point we are just 3 miles from the finish line but it feels more like 10 as fatigue starts to take over with every step closer.  As we approach a small tributary bridge, I remember there is a large gap on the other side which leaves only a small easy exit point on the right side of the trail.  We are jogging 3 abreast down the trail and I am located on the easy exit side of the bridge, a fact I conveniently forget to relay to the others. :)  Russell and I having gained a slight advantage over Joan for perhaps the first time today, stop and walk a little further down the trail to let Joan catch up and classically she picks up the pace as soon as she passes us.  My body is like, really... run more... crap!  Come on body let's go... don't want to be schooled by Joan... again.  We catch up to Joan and we jog what seems like an eternity but is in reality only about 1.5 miles in 25 minutes until we reach the suspension bridge.  Finally the effort is nearly over, just a few short steps to the car.  One last picture and we are DONE!  Check, check, check... Bonds are done and we didn't even need a light.

22.6 miles round trip (personal best for longest day hike), 9 hours 38 minutes total time including stops, ~4,075 vertical feet of climbing (3,500 out / 575 back), over 1,600 calories and 130 ounces of water consumed during the trip (personal best for most consumed during day hike), one awesome hike with good friends.

What better way to complete the day then a visit to our favorite post White's refueling stop, The Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery where we watch Russell double fist the famous Death By Burger and clean his plate.  Russell, you are a man of many talents!  Until the next adventure...

So first a little back story... Earlier this spring I thought I had finally convinced a friend of mine to do some day hiking with Joan and I this summer.  Next thing I know he is blowing us off to go hike the Appalachian Trail (AT).  Russell is a really nice guy so I let this one slide.  Flash forward... several months have gone by in a blink of the eye and Russell is now in NH and true to his word is calling me to see if I want to go hiking.  Of course I do!  A few exchanges of details and we get a time, place, and itineray worked out, two days hiking the Presidentials carrying 36 lbs of backpacking gear for my first overnight in the wilderness, AWESOME!  Now how am I actually going to pull this off.  I need some gear, Joan & Russell provide the gear (check), I need tranportation from Pinkham Notch back to my car... hmmm... I will ride my bike (check), I need to get up REALLY REALLY EARLY in order to make Russell's desired meet up time in Crawford Notch of 8am... OUCH... ok, if that is what I have to do 8:30am (check).  Anticipation courses through me for 2 prior days, cutting into my sleep and my focus.  I haven't been this fired up to do something in I don't know how long.  Gear is packed, alarm is set for 4am, and I wake up at 2:45am.  Christina is also awake.  We lay in bed for an hour talking before I get up and prepare for departure.  Without Christina's love, support, and understanding these Adventures would not be possible, THANK YOU!  It's 5 am and I'm in my car astonished I'm actully leaving on time, 7am I pass by the meet up place, 7:45am I stage my biking gear in Pinkham Notch, 8:35am I meet Russell where the AT crosses Rt 302 in Crawford Notch.

Day One:
Let the Adventure begin!  Leaving Rt 302 we cross the brook and start heading up Webster Cliff trail and I think this isn't so steep, and then it got steeper.  The trail climbs and climbs and climbs heading for the summit of Mt Webster.  Towards the top you are rewarded with a series of open ledges with great views of Crawford Notch and the knowledge you just ascended 2,700 vertical feet (vft) in 3 miles.  We kept a conversational pace going most of the time and it was nice.  After summitting Mt Webster it was time for us to stop and have some lunch.  While stopped a couple North Bounders go by and Russell has a coulple brief words with them before they motor on.  After finishing up lunch we motored up and over Mt Jackson, which rises to an elevation of 4,052 ft making it the 38th highest peak in NH, and straight through to the Mizpah Spring Hut,  another 3 miles of mostly easly hiking, where we stop to refilled our water and see some familiar faces eating lunch.  From there is was moderate climbing up and over Mt Pierce, to Crawford Path where Webster Cliff Trail ends and the beginning of a very long above treeline section of the trail starts.  Mt Pierce rises 4,312 ft making it NH's 27th highest.  We continue ascending Crawford Path which is considered to be the oldest continuously maintained trail in America cut in 1819.  We stay on the AT skipping the summit of Eisenhower (already have it) and stop briefly just after to snack, rest, and refill my reachable water bottle.  While stopped a "through hiker" from Denmark comes up Edmonds Path and she stops to chat with us a bit.  Russell was curious where she was coming from as it was not the AT.  She replied with something like "I'm not a Lamb, I don't need to be told where to go."  I could tell Russell was not impressed with her interest in him nor her disrespect for the White Blazes which mark the path of the AT.  This is when I learned of a new term Through Hikers use to refer to people who skip sections and or take alternate routes.  They call them Blue Blazers (blue is often the color used to mark non-AT trails).  I'm learning all kinds of good stuff... you got your North Bounders, your South Bounders, your Blue Blazers, I CAN actually hike up some serious elevation gain with a full pack... all good stuff!  Moving on to Mt Monroe Russell stays on the AT while I ascend the summit from the south via the Mt Monroe Loop Trail.  Nearing the summit I hear and see a couple of 10 year old boys with arms raised shouting, "King of the World... King of the World" and I smile and think how wonderful it is to be hiking.  As I crest the summit of Mt Monroe, NH's 4th highest at a height of 5,384 ft, I see Russell charging up the north end of the Loop to the summit to meet me.  He has passed the summit on the AT and circled back up the summit trail from the north end which is about twice as far as I did and still got to the top in about the same time.  After a brief summit moment we head down to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut passing by the woman from Denmark on the way.  At the Hut we meet up with some of the North Bounders who's faces are familiar from earlier in the day.  This appears to be their final destination (about 4pm).  We fill up our water reserves, eat some snacks, and take a brief rest.  I get to chatting a bit with some of them and they seem a bit intrigued with me like a cat with a mouse to play with.  "You guys are going where tonight, how many miles is that... and you chose the hardest 2 days of the trail to hike with your buddy... and you're WHAT after, riding your bike HOW far?"  And they both smile at me like... you are insane... but we get it!  "By the way your pack is too shiny, you need to throw some dirt on it."  Not getting this hike done sitting here, moving on we are about 1.5 miles from what truely is the Top of the World in Northeastern North America, Mt Washington which rised to a height of 6,288 ft, making it the tallest mountain in NH, the tallest mountain for over 800 miles in any direction, and reported to have some of the worst weather in the world.  At this point I start to see an urgency in Russell I haven't seen before but there is no urgency left in my legs as I just try to survive the last 1,300 vft to the summit.  We reach the summit, snap some pictures and neither of us really want to hang out too long as even late in the day on a Sunday there are a lot of tourists milling about who either took the Cog Railway or drove up.  Another 4.8 +- miles to go and it's after 5pm so attempting to match Russell's urgency I push forward and try to keep pace with him as we descend towards Mt Jefferson.  Knowing that we have to gain a lot of the elevation and pass Jefferson on the way to The Perch Shelter it is my intension to ascend Jefferson along the way.  Before long it becomes apparent Russell does not want to ascend Jefferson and for all the right reasons: daylight is short, energy is short, water is short, and he is concerned there might not be a good water source at our destination.  Feeling confident I am in good hands with Russell, I am not worried about any of these things.  I just want to get my last peak of the day in so I don't miss it tomorrow.  Soon Russell's logic prevails and he agrees to do the peak with me in the morning so we proceed along the most direct path from there to the shelter.  About 5 minutes later my energy flow cracks and I have to stop, take a Gu, eat some food, drink some water, and rest a bit, and I'm glad Russell convinced me to bail on Jefferson for the night.  After a short struggle to regain my hiking legs we got to a departure point from the AT which would be the shortest way to the shelter.  Russell reaffirmed he would hike Jefferson with me in the morning and soon we are descending over 650 vft from the exposed AT towards treeline and ultimately the Perch Shelter with much haste until we were forced to stop and get our lights out for the last 15 minutes.  When we arrived at The Perch, the good news was it had a great water supply, the bad news was all the tent platforms were taken and there was already 3 people in the open sided shelter, but they made room and we had a place to lay our heads tonight.  After some Torteloni with fresh Pesto (I made the previous day) and other snacks, Russell hung the food and we laid down for the night.  I say laid down because I don't think either of us slept very much between the symphony of snoring going on between the other 3 shelter occupents.  17.45 miles, 12 hours, 7,000 vft of elevation gain, and over 3,300 vft of descending.  It was the hardest day of hiking I have done to date and if we had managed to leave at 8am like Russell had suggested we might have even got it all done in the daylight.  It was a fitting end to the day, I left my house in the dark, and finished in the hike in the dark.

Day Two:
I'm moving a little slow this morning, between not sleeping and the long day prior.  Right out of the gate we were behind schedule leaving the campsite plus we added about 1.5 miles to the days mileage in order to back track to Jefferson.  Starting the hike we climb the 650 vft back to the AT and a good clip.  Then I decide it will be a lot faster if I leave my pack here, since we will come back this way.  Feeling light on my feet, we crank up the AT to the Jefferson Loop and then start the ascent.  Russell decided to keep his pack on and as we approached the summit he easily left me in the dust, then he dropped his pack for the last little boulder scramble up the summit cone.  One more summit complete!  Jefferson is NH's 3rd highest peak, rising to 5,716 feet.  I'm feeling pretty satisfied with how fast we just climbed nearly 1500 vertical feet since the campsite.  We stop for a quick break and then fly back down the trail to where we joined the AT, I pick up my pack, and we start the 550 vft ascent towards Thunderstorm Junction.  Russell has plans to meet his mom at 3pm in Pinkham Notch.  Seems reasonable but I don't think Russell took into account how much the Ryan Anchor would slow him down.  At this point it is clear 3pm is looking a bit impossible, at least for me.  I assure Russell if he needs to leave to meet up with his mom, I am good with that.  Either way I plan to get my peaks in along the way.  He stays on the AT through to Madison Springs Hut where he awaits my arrival while resting, having lunch, and trying to push back his meeting time to 5pm.  I crank up the 3/10th of a mile to summit Mt Adams with enthusiasm and feeling a real sense of conquering.  Mt Adams rises to a height of 5,799 ft making it the 2nd tallest mountain in NH.  In my moment of glory I don't bother to take out the map, instead I follow the first sign I see for Madison Hut.  Star Lake Trail, 1.1 miles to the Hut, sounds good, let er buck!  About 5 seconds later I realize this is about the nastiest descent leaving the summit of Adams.  Star Lake Trail drops over 750 vft in the first half a mile which requires a lot of tricky big drops, and a couple of turn around backways and climb downs.  This sucks as it's slowing my descent something wicked!  Right about now I am thinking about how Russell must be wondering exactly what is taking me so long.  I know he is waiting, but I have to stop, get some food and water, and take a load off my knees for a moment as this descent is putting a hurting on them.  Finally the trail starts to flatten out a bit and I am able to pick up the pace.  I meet up with Russell and fill my water reserves.  He graciously buys me a Potatoe soup, and knowing I need it, I suck it down.  Shortly after we depart following the AT for the last ascent of the day.  The trail wastes no time in tilting uphill leaving the Hut but we push forward to try to conquer this thing as quick as possible.  Arriving at the summit of Mt Madison, NH's 5th highest peak at 5,367, we snap some pictures and pause briefly to soak it in, then move on.  From here it is down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, did I say down!  Droppig over 3,000 vertical feet over the next 3 miles.  Part way down I feel the energy starting to leave me again and my knees are hurting so have to stop.  I can see the uneasiness in Russell as my stopping likely means he will miss meeting up with his mom if he stays with me, so I urge him to move on without me, knowing this is the only way he will make it in time.  It's 3pm and we have over 6 miles left to get to Pinkham Notch.  Russell moves on while I rest a bit.  I had hoped to arrive by 3pm myself originally not because of a meet up time but in order to leave plenty of time to ride my bike back to the car in the daylight but now I am running out of time too!  I have to get down this descent so I start moving again and move about as fast as is safe, which at this point is not very fast.  Down, down, down, the trail is really starting to put a hurting on my feet and knees.  Down, down, down, some more... when will it end!  Finally the steep downhill starts to moderate a bit and I hear someone behind me for the first time in a while.  A voice says "What do you think of this downhill", I reply with, "Not Much!"  "How are your knees...", "they are killing me!"  "Yeah, mine too."  I move over to see a Northbounder go by.  A few minutes later much to my relief I reach the Osgood Cuttoff trail which indicates the serious downhill is FINALLY over.  Much to my surprise I see the Northbounder who recently pasted me sitting there.  I think, "if a rest is good enough for him, it's good enough for me", and plunk down beside him.  A couple minutes later his hiking buddy arrives and he sits down for a break.  We all chat for a bit and then I go.  "See you guys in a few minutes."  I am moving right along and right on schedule a few minutes later they go by.  4.5 miles of mostly traverse to go.  I catch back up to one of the Northbounders on the side of the trail again, not sure why but it invigorates me to push harder and keep him behind me as long as possible.  I find myself jogging the flat parts of the trail and pushing hard on the ups.  Finally after about 1.5 miles the trail turns decidedly uphill, I think it's just another short up so keep pushing, but it's not and it breaks my effort.  Shortly after the Northbounder passes me by.  Finally I reach the Washington Auto Road about 5:15pm.  New goal, get to Pinkham Notch by 6pm, I have to do it otherwise I will run out of daylight on the bike!  I start pushing hard again and role into Pinkham Notch just after 6pm.  As I roll into the Visitor Center I breathe a big sigh of relief for finally getting here, and for seeing my bike and biking gear is still right where I left it.  12.55 miles, 9 hours, 3,350 vft of climbing, over 6,000 vft of descending!  I spend a few minutes resting on a bench and then try to get a text out to Christina to let her know where I am at.  No Service!  Drats, I walk over to Rt 16 to get out of the shadow of the trees and I am able to eek a message out.  As I turn around I see Russell jogging carefree across the parking lot like he had just left his desk job and was happy to be out stretching his legs.  I give him a shout and he comes jogging over and ascends this 8 ft high mound between us and raises his arms and says something to the affect of, "I did it... I conquered another peak."  I just can't help but laugh out loud, partially at the very gesture of peak conquering, but also at the obsurdity of how hard the last 2 days of hiking have been and here Russell is frolicking about like a little girl picking daisy's and singing song in her backyard without a care in the world.  You truely are amazing Russell!  I suppose those 1,800+ miles you have on make a couple days with me seem pretty easy, even if they are the Presidentials.

Day Two - Continued:
Well most reasonably intelligent people would have opted for a better method to get back to their car after 2 long days of hiking but not me, I'm not that guy.  I'm not looking forward to riding my bike 30 miles back to the car at this point but I need to do it anyways as I would like to get home to Christina tonight.  The awsome news is Russell has a room with a real bed (he is very excited about the real bed part), and I now have a place to leave my gear for the next 2.5 hours while I ride back to the car and return.  The part of the ride which keeps me motivated to get started is the first 12 miles to North Conway which are mostly downhill about 1,500 vft and I find myself averaging over 27 mph when I hit route 302.  That get's me going and my legs turning over for what is surely to be NOT a lot of fun on the other end.  The next 8+- miles is relatively tame with mostly flat, rolling, or slightly uphill grades.  The next 9.6 miles goes by progressively harder and slower with each mile becoming a goal to just get by.  The last 5 miles bring multiple moments where I find myself in granny gear, below 10 mph, in agony at how much this SUCKS!  Darkness closes in and I find myself in near total darkness by the time I arrive at my car.  29.6 miles, 1:34:52, 1,500 vertical descending, 750 vertical ascending.  Thank god, that's over.  Now all I got to do is go get my stuff and drive home.  I pack up my gear and get headed for Pinkham Notch.  I am feeling tired but no sooner do I step out of the car and the 50+ degrees seemed like it was biting me to the bone in the short 75 yards to the building.  By the time I got to Russell's room I was shaking nearly uncontrolably all over.  Russell offered to put me up for the night which I would have loved to accept, but I really wanted to get home to Christina.  I had some warm water and after a few minutes the shakes went away.  I grab my gear, say my good byes and hope I don't get as cold heading back to my car, which I don't.

Day Two - The Final Chapter:
A 2 hour 45 minute drive is all that separates me from being home tonight.  I plan to not eat until I get home so the hunger will help keep me awake.  5 miles down the road I'm starting to get that hunger nausia and know I have to eat something even though that is going to make staying awake even harder.  Burger King in Gorham is just what I'm looking for, fast, and not too heavy.  The act of eating keeps me occupied for a few minutes but then I begin to crash hard physically.  I just can't keep my eyes open, I'm throwing all the tricks in the book at it but nothing is helping.  I have to stop for a few minutes and walk it out.  I finally get in cell range and Christina is able to keep my mind awake for an hour of the trip.  Shortly after getting off the phone it is clear I am going to lose this battle and pull over, turn off the car, and tilt back the seat.  A few minutes later a bathroom call has me alert enough to drive a little further.  Now I am in Andover and semi close to home, I fight the hardest battle of my life, 5 times harder than the 2 days of hiking and biking combined, and get home safely.  I was 100% prepared for the planned physical execise but I was thoroughly unprepared for the drive home after.  I won't drive myself home again after something like this!

In Summary:
I had been training with other hikes all year long for what was surely to be the hike of my life and it did not disappoint.  It was simply incredible to be able to join Russell for this stretch of the AT at this point in his journey north to Katahdin.  I am very greatful to Russell for giving me the opportunity to hike with him for a couple days and appreciate him putting up with my side excursions and slow hiking.  A big appology to Mom Orzechowski for having to wait for Russell and not getting to see him very long.  That is 100% on me.  A BIG thank you also goes out to my wife Christina for loving me enough to put up with my adventures, even if she thinks they are insane sometimes.  2 Days, 30 miles,  21 hours, over 10,000 vertical feet ascended, 9,000 vertical descended all carring a 36 lb pack for the first time, 29.6 miles biked, many moments of awesomeness achieved!  Until the next adventure!!!

Joan & I took on Owl's Head today which rises to a height of 4,025 feet making it New Hampshire's 43rd highest peak. Owl's Head is one of those big boys 4000 footer enthusiasts often leave to the last due to it's remote nature.  But not us, we embrace it early on and on a less than desirable day.  If you are a trail running enthusiast who is not afraid to put in the miles you need not fear the Owl as the first 8 of 9 miles is very moderate and runnable!

Today our journey starts with a rainy drive nearly all the way to the trail head at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center.  Located in the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, off the Kancamagus Highway, just down the road from the town of Lincoln, the rain finally stops about 15 minutes from our destination.  Hiking in from the visitor center we head down the stairs and make a right onto a wonderful suspension bridge across the Pemigewasset River and make a right onto Lincoln Woods Trail.  After crossing Franconia Brook on a nice bridge placed on the former piers of a railroad bridge several miles down the trail, we soon take a left onto Franconia Brook Trail and continue our trail running which we started not more than a mile into our journey.  After making some great time and covering a lot of ground we stop briefly to eat and then continue with a left onto Lincoln Brook Trail.  Now as the books say it is easy to miss the Owl's Head Path but fortunately I have Joan's keen eye on the lookout and while I am fixated on the hiking gear placed on the left side of the trail, she spots the small cairns which mark the trail on the right.  If you blink you will miss this turn as there are no signs and you will find yourself a long ways down the trail in the wrong direction. By the time we reach the Owl's Head Slide trail (well it's not officially a trail but it ought to be), one thing is very obvious to Joan and I, if the name of the trail includes a Brook, you are going to be crossing a lot of water unassisted.  As you will see from the pictures, after several days and nights of rain the brooks certainly have plenty of water in them.  At this point Joan's pursuit of dry feet has been pretty successful with her switching at every necessary water crossing to sandals and then back.  My feet, however, are wet, having slipped into the water on our second crossing but my Merrell Trail Gloves are shedding the majority of the water nicely so my feet are not dry but they are not sloshing in water either.  It is also important to note the trail itself has a certain amount of water on it pretty much from start to finish.  After a brief break we start up the infamous Owl's Head Slide Path which incidentally starts out more like a deer path then a Slide which is why it's easy to miss.  After a very short ways you begin up the bottom of the talus slide which seems steep enough but you soon realize as it enters the woods it get's steeper.  You gain a lot of elevation fast as you climb up this wall but you are rewarded with the best open views of the day along the slide.  As you finally crest what appears to be the summit you find yourself greeted by a labyrinth of crisscrossing trails which lead you a very long ways North along the summit ridge until you finally reach a medium sized cairn which surely must be the highest point (or you crossed it along the ridge, but either way you got it).  As the reports indicate there are no views from the summit of Owl's Head.  Finding the cairn we sit down for our longest break of the day (10-15 minutes) and eat our lunch.  After lunch, feeling a bit chilled, we both put on an extra layer for the descent which once we finally drop down into the open scree field again we both no longer need.  You quickly realize between the steep pitch, the wet rocks, and the loose talus, descending is not the funnest part of today's journey but we eventually get through it.  After a brief respite at the intersection with Lincoln Woods Trail we start the 8 mile trail run back to the car which is only interrupted briefly by pictures, stream crossing, the occasional technical section, and one or two stops for food.  It is important to note it down poured for over an hour of our descent to the car.

Journey broke down like this: started hiking at 7:50am, arrived at the Owl's Head Path at 10:30am (mile 8), reached the final summit after a ridge traverse about 11:40am (mile 9), 10-15 minutes for lunch on summit, arrived back at Lincoln Brook Trail about 1pm (mile 10), got back to the car about 3:05pm (mile 18) for a total time of 7 hours 15 minutes, over ~18 miles, 2,850 vertical feet of gain, with very humid conditions, a bout of rain on the return trail run, and we trail ran at least a half marathon in total.  Joan and I are both happy to be done with this Beast.  Now on to the next giant!

Joan, Jon, & I took on the Carter Mountains today and hit all three official 4,000 footers.  Jon is a newcomer to the Joan / Ryan hiking group but he earned a position of respect among us today with his first real hike.  It was very nice to experience the exuberance of youth and excitement of the views with Jon as he took on the Carter's in a fantastic fashion today.  For a first time hiker, this was a massive undertaking.  We parked just off Route 16 near the AMC Camp Dodge, part way between the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail head and the IMP Trail head.  From there we proceeded north jogging on 16 and continued to jog up the IMP Trail (south) until the gradient started to kick up a bit.  From there it was an aggressive hike for the next 1-2 miles until I felt myself starting to bonk.  Considering we were only on the beginning stages of the hike I feared I was in trouble and knew it needed to be addressed immediately if I was going to get through the day.  We all stopped briefly while I took a moment to down a GU, recover a bit, and contemplate where I went wrong with fueling.  Surely the 5 mile "Frenzy in the Forest" trail race Jon & I did the previous day wasn't helping me any.  After talking with Joan, it sounded like I had plenty of carbs in my system but not enough protein to properly metabolize it and that is where I must have gone wrong.  After we got started again the terrain moderated substantially and after taking it easier for a bit the GU started to kick in and I felt a lot better.  I still suffered from an energy lull but was out of the woods for bonking and able to keep it that way the rest of the day.  Proceeding on our journey we connected with the North Carter Trail then right onto the Carter Moriah Trail (also part of the AT) to our first official 4,000 footer of the day, Middle Carter Mtn which rises to a height of 4,610 feet ranking it the 15th highest mountain in NH.  After observing some nice views and interesting terrain we proceeded south on Carter - Moriah to the summit of South Carter Mtn which is the shorter of the three peaks at 4,430 feet ranking it at #19 highest.  From there we continued south taking the Mt Height bypass and heading straight for the summit of Carter Dome which rises to 4,832 feet making it the tallest of the day and ranking it at NH's 9th highest peak.  We observed some views, took a short lunch break, and examined Jon's wounds from his face plant descending South Carter before continuing south again.  Just before the trail drops away over a 1,000 vertical feet into Carter Notch in less than a mile there is a side trail to the East which offers the most spectacular views of the day and perhaps the most special place I have ever visited.  Picturesque and Wild!  Next we proceeded down, down, down to the Carter Notch were we stopped for an extended break and Joan & I took a GREAT swim in the most refreshing of mountain lakes.  Afterward we had several short discussions on possibly bagging Wildcat Mtn but the general consensus was to proceed towards the cars and this proved to be the right decision.  Down, down, down, the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail we went taking a moment at several stream crossing and a fantastic dam to take pictures.  Jon was courteous enough to stop and wait for me to catch up periodically along the descent.  We regrouped at the trail head for the 1/3 of a mile jog back Route 16 to the car.  After regrouping at the car, we drove north on 16 a bit until we came to a small day use area were Joan and I took another dip in the river and we all got cleaned up for the journey home.  We stopped on the way home in Woodstock, NH to have dinner at our favorite post hike spot the Woodstock Inn & Brewery which never disappoints a hungry tummy and thirsty pallet.

14 miles, 4,750 vertical feet of gain, and three 4,000 footers, what more is there to say.  It was an incredible day!

Ryan

Today I solo hiked Mount Tecumseh in New Hampshire's beautiful White Mountains which rises to a height of 4003 ft making it number 48 and the least highest 4000 footer in New Hampshire.  What a great day for a hike, 75+- degrees, low humidity, mostly blue sky, and enough wind to keep the bugs away.  I saw around a dozen fellow hikers on the journey but mostly had the trail and summit to myself.  Knowing this wasn't an exceptionally long hike I got a late start, leaving home about 1:40pm and being on the trail by 3:18pm.  I knew I had plenty of daylight to get the task done at a casual pace but something about being solo manages to push me way harder than necessary and today was no exception.  Heading up the Tecumseh Trail from the Waterville Valley Ski area base, it didn't take long before the urge to "Run" kicked in.  Having attempted a similar feat once before I knew this was not going to be a RUN to the top, so let's just say it was an aggressive hike to the top.  I managed to scale the 2.5 mile 2,200 vertical foot stairway to heaven in 59:53 which put a smile on my face to break an hour.  Time included a couple stops for pictures along the way (and to catch my breath).  Breaking an hour was a task I was unable to do at the 5.8 mile, 1,000+- vertical feet of climbing trail race the day before.

After a quick 5 minute break at the summit to take some pictures, I was off.  This time heading down the Sosman Trail towards a couple of views I read about in the AMC White Mountain Guide.  After descending the Tecumseh Summit Cone, I stayed right with the Sosman Trail which follows the ridge line over to a small nob with some great views.  A detour of about 0.4 miles one way off the Tecumseh trail.  The view was what I came over for so feeling satisfied in that department and knowing the ski trails below are grown up, I returned to the Tecumseh Trail descent.  It was easy jogging over and back but now I am descending the rock pile otherwise known as the Tecumseh Trail.  With gravity as my friend I think my pace has officially rose to the status of a slow jog, carefully considering every foot placement along the way.  I managed on the way down to pass all but one small group I saw on the ascent and one other solo trail runner with his chocolate lab in tow (but I never really expected to see them again).  The dog looked like it had a 1000 times the trail mileage I have and despite sporting a little gray was still happy to follow it's master where ever he lead.  I won't say I had a blazing descent but given the several stops for pictures, plus the extra 0.8 miles, I didn't think 54:35 was too bad for a 2,200 vertical foot descent over 3.3 miles which completed the round trip of 5.8 miles with stops in just under 2 hours.

Tecumseh CHECK!  19 of the 4000 footers completed, only 29 left!  Until my next report!

Joan & I took on another 4000 footer in the White Mountains today.  Mount Passaconaway rises to a height of 4043 ft which makes it the 42nd highest peak in NH and my 18th 4000 footer.  We hiked in from the Ferncroft parking area on the South side of the mountain.  We began our ascent via the gently climbing Old Mast Road.  As soon as we took the left onto Walden Trail the real climbing began up some pretty steep rocky terrain.  As soon as you pass Wonalancet Range Trail the trail takes a significant down turn for several hundred vertical feet before we started the climb back up to Square Ledge Trail which also includes some steep rocky climbing.  A left onto Square Ledge Trail and then a quick right up the Southeast climb to Passaconaway summit.  The summit itself is treed in but there is a nice northwest view off Dicey's Mill Trail near the summit where we met a few people and enjoyed a sunny lunch.  Both sides of the summit are steep rocky ascents.  After lunch we headed down Dicy's Mill Trail where you are greeted immediately with some steep rocky descents after which no sooner did I stop for a second to shed a little waste water and Joan takes off like a tigress running down a gazelle.  The chase was on and it took most of the way to our left onto Square Ledge Trail for me to catch back up to Joan.  A quick chase along the mostly traverse to our right onto Walden Trail followed by some more running and then through the dip & ascent again where we stopped briefly for food and water.  Next we took the right onto Wonalancet Range Trail.  Once we started down from the summit of Mount Wonalancet you are greeted rather quickly by some really steep rocky rooty trail.  This is a slow way to descend and not the ideal way down from Wonalancet.  Once you descend the steep part, the trail becomes much more trail runner friendly which is of course another section I found myself hoofing it to stay with the mountain goat Joan.  There is a nice but relatively short run out at the bottom and then we are back at the Ferncroft parking area where much to my amazement we see many of the people we left on the summit of Passaconaway.  We were not wasting any time on the descent so it's a bit of a surprise to me to see those people there ahead of us.  Presumably they descended directly via the Dicy's Mill Trail all the way to the bottom where we climbed 2 more mountains after leaving Passaconaway.  Another great adventure with Joan!  In total we estimate about 3,000 vertical feet of climbing and 10.4 miles of aggressive hiking in about 5.5 total hours including stops (30 minutes for lunch and 30 minutes along the way for pictures and views).  We had at least 6 great views along the way with blue skies, no wind, nice temps, and few bugs.

On a mission to hike my last 4000 footer in Crawford Notch (Mt Tom), Jim & Ryan took on Mount Tom (4,051 ft), Mount Field (4,340 ft), and Mount Avalon (3,442 ft).  Hiking in from the Highland AMC Lodge we ascended the Avalon trail to the A-Z Trail to Mt Tom Spur to our first summit.  Then retracing our steps back down to the A-Z trail and then ascending the Willey Range Trail to the summit of Mt Field.  We then descended the Avalon trail to Mt Avalon and up the short spur to the summit.  Then back down to the Avalon trail proper and continued descending all the way back to the AMC Lodge.  Total Hike time including stops 4:45 (7 miles).  Avalon trail was well packed all the way to A-Z and continued pretty solid to the Mt Tom Spur and got a bit softer ascending Mt Tom but we were able to stay with Microspikes until on the Willey Range trail.  Shortly up Willey Range trail it was clear snowshoes were the way to go from here as the trail was not well packed and continued so all the way down Avalon back to the A-Z junction.  We stayed with snowshoes most of the way back to the trailhead.  Along our travels we encountered several very friendly Gray Jays and another fluffy brown criter we believe to be a Pine Marten.  On our descent I introduced Jim to the sport of Butt Surfing which proved to be great fun and a quick way to descend from Mt Field and Avalon.  Winds were extremely calm, temperatures were pleasant, and light snow showers cheerfully fell most of the day from a continuous low cloud ceiling which did a pretty good job of obscuring Mount Washington.  Despite the cloud cover we had some great views from Tom, Field, & Avalon.  A big thanks to Jim for tagging along today and keeping me going on my 4000 footer quest.  Another day enjoying great company and the wonderful White Mountains of NH.

Ryan

Joan & Ryan took on the Tripyramids February 18, 2012 in the White Mountains of NH.  We launched today's expedition from the Kancamagus Highway following the Pine Bend Brook Trail to the Summit of North Tripyramid which rises to a height of 4,180 ft claiming the 32nd position on the NH 4000+ footers list.  Leaving the Kanc the trail gently rises for the first 2 miles, then gradually kicks up over the next 0.6 miles and then sharply increases for the next 0.6 miles until the Scaur Ridge Trail junction where it moderates for a bit before the last 0.4 mile push to the summit. Following a short side trail to the East we found the only true view from the North Tripyramid summit.  Until this point the only available views were brief and through the trees.  After a brief stop to enjoy the view we moved on followed the Mt Tripyramid trail south to Middle Tripyramid which rises to a height of 4,140 ft ranking it 35th on the NH 4000 footer list.  Nearing the summit you are greeted by a western view and then a west & east view on the true Summit.  Between Sabbaday Brook Trail and the Middle peak we saw the only true hikers of the day (1 group of 3, 1 group of approx 7, and 1 group of 2).  Having the summit to ourselves with the occasional peak of sunshine and light winds we opted for lunch on the Summit.  With the accompaniment of several small birds singing and frolicking in the weirdest winter on record, summit lunch proved to be a great option.  After considering continuing on to South Peak we opted to skip it and retraced our steps to Sabbaday Brook Trail.  Knowing we would need to hike back to the car on the road we opted for a change of scenery for the return trail and took Sabbaday Brook Trail down the mountain.  After an uneventful but satisfying quick descent the trail moderates substantially and straightens out for a long trek out following the Sabbaday brook.  Where the trail follows the brook tightly there were a lot of downed trees and obvious erosion from the 2011 Labor Day Tropical Storm flood.  It was odd to be in the middle of February and be crossing an open and running brook.  Following the path of others we crossed the brook no less then 12 times on open water and ice bridges.  Nearing the end of the trail it was a very nice added bonus to come across Sabbaday Falls which is a brief hike from the Kanc and a very nice attraction.  It was well worth the just over a mile hike back to the car on the Kanc to see the falls.  An excellent route choice for a loop which avoids the infamous North and South slides along the Mt Tripyramid Trail.  We cranked out this 11 mile journey with a steady pace in just over 6 hours of total time including the few stops to see the sites and eat lunch.  Microspikes were the choice of the day and all we needed for the trip.  Another great day in the woods with a great friend and excellent hiking buddy.

Today Joan, Ryan, Brenda, & Jackson joined forces to conquer Mount Osceola, 4,340 vertical ft, and East Osceola 4,156 vertical ft in New Hampshire's White Mountains.  Despite a High Peaks forecast of zero with winds 40-60 mph and mostly cloudy. It turned out to be a wonderful day with great views along the way. Once you turn off of Greeley Ponds Trail, 1.5 miles and 1900 vertical feet are between you and the East Osceola summit.  Climb starts off moderate for the first 250, then kicks up a bit for the next 500, and then you hit about a 850 foot high wall which takes you to a false summit with a great view on the shoulder of East Osceola.  The climb moderates a bit for the last 400 vertical to the summit where an obscured view of the Tripyramids awaits. Continuing on we descend with a couple snapshot views before starting the climb up to Mount Osceola's main peak. Shortly after you start uphill again you are faced with the a technical piece of tight, steep, and icy ledge (i.e. the Chimney) and then it is business as usual until you reach the final flat open summit with a view to the East and trees everywhere else. Following the main trail a short distance down the other side towards Tripoli Rd, take the first cut in the trees to the right to find a lookout to the north and west. Weather was so nice we hung out on the summit for a while eating lunch and doing some exploring before we reversed our direction and headed back to the cars with the sun at our backs most of the way.  Another great day in the Whites and another two 4,000 footers completed!

Today we hiked Mount Chocorua in the White Mountains of NH.  Another great adventure in the woods with friends (Joan, Lenny, Todd, Alex, & Ryan).  Only rising to a height of 3500 vertical feet Mount Chocorua still gives you a big mountain feel in a small package, especially in the winter.  We ascended this little giant from Rt 112 (Kancamagus Highway) via the Champney Falls Trail to the Piper Trail for the last 0.6 miles to the summit.  First half of the ascent was fairly moderate in 6-8 inches of fresh snow.  Then you hit a series of switchbacks picking up a lot of the elevation before reaching Piper Trail.  Once on Piper it's a short traverse over towards the summit and a quick up before breaking out of the woods at the foot of the challenging rock summit.  Summit welcomed us with a mix of ice covered rocks, drifting snow, the little bit of sun we saw all day, and a lull in the wind while on top.  Thank you Mother Sun and Father Wind for a picture perfect Summit!  A pretty well sheltered route all the way up until you break out of the trees.  A moderately paced ascent totaling about 4 hours including food and wardrobe stops.  For the descent we mostly retraced our steps for total descent time of about 2 hours which included a little keep up with Joan snowshoe jogging, windpant sledding, and a little viewing diversion to check out Champney Falls.  While at the falls I started to ascent the end of the rock cut to get a different perspective and before I knew it I was at the top.  This was a sweat little climb which offered a totally different perspective of the Ice formations and friends below.  By the time we got back to the cars food was definitely calling our names.  What better way to finish off the day then sipping a brew and watching Alex nearly finish his "Death By Burger" at the famed Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery in North Woodstock, NH.  Thank you to Todd & Alex for keeping me company on the ride and to Joan for organizing awesome trips with great people.