'Twas the day after Christmas...

At the outlook, which offers amazing views of Franconia Ridge across the way. 

The day after Christmas, some friends and I met up at the base of Cannon by the aerial tram for a relaxed day hike to the summit. The weather was perfect, and it was practically balmy for Franconia Notch in December. We encountered occasional ice on the trail, which was avoidable, and our microspikes remained in our packs for the entirety of the hike. 

Part of Franconia Ridge (Lafayette & Lincoln).

The Kinsman Ridge trail was a relentless climb for the first mile or so, and the switchbacks pass through one of the glades from the ski area. At the summit, we climbed the observation deck to soak in the 360 degree views before heading to the tramway cafeteria to eat lunch out of the wind and cold.

Lafayette and Lincoln from the Cannon Mtn. observation deck.

Descending the shoulder of Cannon Mtn.

Headed back down the Kinsman Ridge trail.

Osceola & East Osceola

It's that time of year in New England: when the mountains start to get snow, and yet it's still balmy down in Massachusetts. I'll admit I love snow, though I am sure that most people in New England (especially after last winter) might not be so enthusiastic about it.

Unfortunately, the early season snow I had encountered on Cannon didn't last long. So, this past weekend I was hoping that Em would finally get a real winter hike experience. And she did!

I was slightly concerned, because there wasn't any snow on the ground in Lincoln, but as the car headed up the Kancamagus small patches started to appear, growing in size.

As we started down the Greeley Ponds trail, we were treated to a winter wonderland!

The trail up Mt. Osceola was relentlessly steep, and has a thin layer of snow in addition to large icy sections. Without a cloud in the sky, the solar radiation was impressive. Depending on what side of ridge you were on it could feel like a spring day in the sunshine, or a bitter, windy, winter day in the shade.

We passed the wooded summit of East Osceola without barely even registering it, and continued along the ridge between the two summits. After a steep scramble up the chimney, we soon came to the summit ledges of Osceola, where we sat and snacked in the sunshine before retracing our steps.

Mt. Wiley: Father-Daughter Hike

This past Christmas, I gave my father the gift of going for a hike together. He made it 11 months before he cashed in. His only requests were: 1) a 4,000 footer; 2) a 4,000 footer I had not yet hiked; and 3) to come back in one piece. Just kidding, the third qualification was my own - don't kill your father. 

So, Mt. Willey it was! At 4285 feet, it is the second highest and southernmost mountain of the Willey Range, and is situated on the western side of Crawford Notch. The route using the Ethan Pond trail and the Willey Range trail is not very long, but is notoriously steep for the last mile or so. 

We got a rather mild November day; overcast and temperatures in the high 30s. The ground was free of snow, but as we gained elevation we encountered patches of ice. 

The view from the summit isn't very impressive, but a short spur lead to an outlook with incredible views of the Presidential range to the northeast,

Hiking Ike!

A friendly reminder about being above tree line in the Presidential Range.

Em and I got on the road early this past Saturday and drove up to Crawford Notch. This was to be Em's first wintery hike, complete with cold temps, some ice, and the endless quest to find a perfect layering system. 

Em nearing the summit of Eisenhower.

There was a bite in the air as we started up the trail, but we warmed up as we gained elevation. We soon encountered ice and mircrospikes went on.

In the distance: Washington, Monroe, and Franklin.

Our goal today was Mount Eisenhower (4,780ft), one of the mountains in the Southern Presidential Range. Many people were out, and when we got to the summit we were not alone. It was a little breezy, so we snapped a few photos and then continued down to complete the summit loop.

Descending Eisenhower: We found snow!

October Outing: Mt. Moosilauke

Mt. Moosilauke: Above treeline.

The last time I hiked Moosilauke, it was in a snow storm on Easter many years ago and there were blizzard conditions. So when my friend suggested we hike it, I was more than happy to oblige and hopefully, I would get some views in this time. Luckily for me, the weather was much more favorable and I got to enjoy the sprawling views from the treeless summit.

Mt. Moosilauke: One of the best signs I've seen!

We did a classic loop up and down the mountain using the Gorge Brook trail, the Carriage Road and the Snapper trail. The trail is above treeline and very exposed as you near the summit, which meant on this particular day we had to bundle up to cut the wind. Despite the sunshine, it was easily below freezing with windchill.

Mt. Moosilauke: Emily headed for the summit. 

Once at the top, we quickly snapped a picture with the summit sign, and then ducked down behind some rocks to have a snack out of the wind. The remainder of the hike was a relaxing stroll down the rocky Carriage Road to the Snapper trail, and then back to the trailhead. 

Mt. Moosilauke: Descending via the Carriage Road. 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Winter!

Trail intersection near the summit of Cannon. It's a winter wonderland! 

This past weekend I headed up to Franconia Notch for a solo hike, my first in a long time. It was also my first hike in wintry conditions since the previous winter. As I drove up 93 North, the snow started to fall, the wind started to whip, and I got extremely giddy at the sight of the snow covered mountains in the distance.

Along the Hi-Cannon trail on the way to the summit: Ladders and rocks galore!

I choose to do a quick loop up to Cannon Mountain and Lonesome Lake via the following trails: Lonesome Lake, Hi-Cannon and Kinsman Ridge.

The observation deck at the summit: No views today! Wind and snow instead!

Looking down at Lonesome Lake and the Hut from an outlook on the Hi-Cannon trail.

Flags on the 48: Bondcliff

On September 15^th 2001, a group of six hikers climbed Mt. Liberty and flew an American flag from the summit in a patriotic remembrance of the events that had transpired four days earlier. The following year, the event Flags on the 48 was organized.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, here is a brief explanation: Every year on the Saturday that falls closest to September 11^th, hikers summit each of the 48 4,000 footers in New Hampshire, and raise the American flag in memory of the events that occurred in 2001. The flag will fly from 12 to 2 in the afternoon atop every summit.

This was my third year participating in this event. The previous years, I had hiked South Twin (2013) and Owls Head (2014). This is one of those events that fills up quickly, especially the more popular summits with good views and easy accessibility.

This year I was part of the Bondcliff crew. There were 11 of us who met up before dawn at the Lincoln Woods trailhead. The hike to the summit of Bondcliff is a little over 9 miles; the first half is a pleasant stroll through the woods followed by 4.4 miles of climbing with a short scramble before emerging above treeline. The group made good time and summited an hour early. The flag pole was assembled and the flag raised well before noon. Our peak coordinator, Rick, flew an American flag which had accompanied his brother on a combat mission in Afghanistan in 2004.

The group hung out on top of Bondcliff until 2pm, enjoying the perfect weather, taking in the sweeping views, chatting with fellow hikers, eating our fill and basking in the sunshine. Half of the group took down the flag and headed back to Lincoln Woods, while the other half continued on to complete a Bonds-Zealand traverse.

The five of us who were headed north trekked on to the Bond, West Bond, and Zealand. One of our crew members was finishing up her 48 on West Bond, so we celebrated with a little Fireball atop the summit. The light began to fade shortly after tagging the summit of Zealand, so the headlamps came out as we descended to Zealand Falls Hut, and out to the trailhead.

It was a long day, but it was a most memorable experience in all the best ways possible. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a greater group of people to spend a day with in the mountains. Hopefully, I’ll see some of you at the 2016 event!

California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPs

In mid-June, I took a trip to California to visit my best friend from high school, Dana. We spent four days exploring Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. I could go on and on with details about our amazing trip, but to keep it on the short side, I'll just stick to some of the highlights:

Exploring Grant Grove in the evening. (Photo credit: Dana Vancisin)

Hiking the to alpine lakes via the Watchtower trail. (Photo credit: Dana Vancisin)

Pear Lake.

Evidence of past fires was abundant; many trees had huge fire scars running up their trunks.

Giant Sequoia. (Photo credit: Dana Vancisin)

Kings Canyon National Park: Kings River. 

Kings Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the US. While the depth of the Grand Canyon is over 6,000 ft, Kings Canyon is over 8,000 ft deep.

We saw several bears, including this mama bear who was watching her cubs. (Photo credit: Dana Vancisin)

Ladies do Lafayette

This past Saturday, Emily and I hiked Mt. Lafayette up by Franconia Notch in New Hampshire. Lafayette is one of the most popular mountains to hike in the Whites, so we had decided to take some lesser-known trails up and down it. Our route was the following: up the Skookumchuck trail to the Garfield Ridge trail, which we would follow to the summit, and then descend via the Greenleaf trail. In order to complete the loop, we would have a 3 mile walk on a bike path back to the car.

The Skookumchuck trail was beautiful and without crowds.

We started out under cloudy skies, as we followed the Skookumchuck Brook gradually gaining elevation. The trees grew shorter as we climbed on, changing from a leafy forest to one of small scrubby pines and birch.

At the junction of the Skookumchuck and Garfield Ridge trails.

It began to clear as we descended Lafayette.

Upon reaching the tree line, we bundled up and followed the trail as it disappeared into the fog. The wind had picked up and was gusting quite strongly without any trees to serve as a windbreak. We made it to the summit, which was quite crowded despite the weather. After a quick snack, which we ate huddled down next to a rocky ledge, we headed down the Greenleaf trail. Despite our quick pace down, our hands were freezing from the damp cold wind and it took a while for us to warm back up.

Looking out: Lonesome Lake, Cannon Cliffs, and the AMC Greenleaf Hut.

Looking south from Franconia Notch.

We made it to the AMC Greenleaf Hut, and treated ourselves to multiple $1 cups of hot tea. We spent a good half an hour warming up, sipping on tea, and snacking to our hearts content. With warm, full bellies, we reluctantly left the hut behind us and continued down the Greenleaf trail leaving the crowds of people behind us.

Eagle Pass was very impressive.

It was a steep and rocky descent to Eagle Pass with it's huge boulders. Some snow had survived in the dark shadows, despite the warmer temperatures at the lower elevations. Soon we were able to hear the sound of the cars. After reaching the road, we followed the bike path as it wound through the notch and lead us back to our car (a most beautiful sight to behold!).

Smarts Mountain Backpacking Trip

This past weekend was the first of several backpacking trips I had planned for this summer. Several friends and I were headed up to Lyme, NH for an overnight on Smarts Mountain, which is south of Mount Moosilauke on the Appalachian Trail.

After distributing the group gear and food, we followed the white blazed trail up the hillside. This trail is known as Lambert Ridge trail, which is also part of the AT. The combination of the heat and high humidity meant that within minutes of setting out we were sweating. The trail climbed up several open ledges from which we could look out onto the dense green hillsides that surrounded us and enjoy the cooling breeze. 

After passing over the final ledges, we entered back into the shade of the forest as the trail gradually continued on until one last final climb to the summit. We were all quite happy to take our packs off at the tent site and let the breeze cool us down. The tent site was situated a little ways off of the Appalachian Trail, complete with a fire ring and a small log bench that overlooked a pond at the foot of the mountain. Despite the wind, the black flies were still vicious. Crafty little buggers!

We had been guzzling water all day, so a couple of us went to check out the water source, which in the guidebook had been noted as not reliable. It wasn't. Due to the lack of rain this spring, we managed to filter out a liter of water from the standing puddle of water. We walked back to the tent site and after finding a somewhat sheltered location for the stove, we boiled water for our dinner of freeze-dried chili and instant potatoes. After dinner, we took a quick trip over to check out the fire tower. Sadly, it was closed for repairs and the potential $5,000 fine was enough to deter us from sneaking up the stairs for a view.

Thunderstorms were forecasted for the evening, so we tucked everything inside the tents or underneath the rainfly before going to sleep. Probably an hour or two after we got ready for bed, the storm rolled in. Gusts of wind rustled through the trees, billowed the tents and shook the rainflies. The rain started out as a drizzle, turned to a light rain, and then quickly escalated to a driving rain that came in waves. Lightning lit up the tents and the thunder rolled on and on as it echoed through the mountains. I don't think anyone actually slept for several hours, but rather we all just lay in our tents hoping we'd stay dry.

The next morning, we emerged dry from the tents to a grey day, as we were socked in by clouds. I walked to the water source and to my delight, it has turned to a small stream overnight. A thru-hiker that was staying the Ranger's cabin at the top of the mountain seemed reluctant to start out on the trail this morning.

We boiled water for oatmeal and all stood around warming our bellies. Taking down wet tents was not ideal, but at least we weren't out here for another night. We took the Ranger Trail down, which for all purposes was a small flowing brook. We slowly slid, slipped, and hopped down the trail, trying to keep our feet dry for as along as we could. Wet feet were inevitable on a day like that.

After a steep descent for the first half of the trail, the second half was a relaxing walk along an old, soggy, logging road. We made it back to the car just as it had started to rain. We were happy, tired, and a little bit damp.