2010 was a great year for hiking for me. I started winter hiking and was able to knock off 24 of the 48 - 4,000 footers in New Hampshire. I adopted the Sphinx Trail and was able to clear back the trail above treeline hopefully making it more enjoyable for hikers. I also was able to do most of the hikes I was looking forward to such as a Pemi Loop, full Presidential Traverse, a Franconia Notch Loop, hiking the abandoned Adams Slide Trail, Devil's Path (Catskills) and hike trails I've never been on like the Six Husbands, King Ravine, Great Gully, Davis Path, Madison Gulf, etc etc. I did however come up short of hiking 1,000 miles in the mountains this year, although it's kind of difficult having to drive from RI and gas prices are ridiculously high so I may never be able to achieve this but that's ok.
For 2011 I have set some goals which are the following
1. Finish the Winter 48 - 4,000 footers
2. Hike the Adirondack 46'ers
3. 24 hour hut to hut Traverse
4. Mahoosuc Notch Traverse
- Along with the usual Pemi Loop and full Presi Traverse and maybe a few other killer day hikes!
2010 Stats:
- 728.1 miles hiked
- 120 - 4,000 Official 4,000 foot summits hiked
- 244,950 elevation gained
January
Tom, Field, Willey: 9.8 miles (3,500 elevation gain)
North Tripyramid, Middle Tripyramid: 9.6 miles (3,450 elevation gain)
Tecumseh: 5 miles (2,400 elevation gain)
Washington, Monroe: 8.4 miles (4,100 elevation gain)
8 Peaks, 32.8 miles (13,450 elevation gain)
February
Bondcliff, Bond, West Bond: 22.8 miles (4,700 elevation gain)
S. Carter, M. Carter, Cater Dome, Wildcat "A", Wildcat "D": 15.8 miles (6,200 elevation gain)
8 Peaks, 38.6 miles (10,900 elevation gain)
March
E. Osceola, Osceola: 7.5 miles (3,300 elevation gain)
Madison, Adams, Jefferson: 15.5 miles (6,500 elevation gain)
5 Peaks, 23 miles (9,800 elevation gain)
April
Lincoln, Lafayette: 9.0 miles (4,200 elevation gain)
Pierce, Eisenhower, Monroe, Washington: 13.0 miles (5,650 elevation gain)
6 peaks, 22 miles (9,850 elevation gain)
May
Zealand, Hale: 21.5 miles (4,300 elevation gain)
Washington: 11.3 miles (5,100 elevation gain)
Galehead, South Twin, North Twin: 14.4 miles (4,400 elevation gain)
Devil's Path "East" (Catskills): 26.2 miles (9,100 elevation gain)
Pemi Loop: 32.5 miles (9,500 elevation gain)
Jefferson, Adams, Madison: 16 miles (6,050 elevation gain)
18 Peaks, 121.9 miles (38,450 elevation gain)
June
Jefferson, Washington, Monroe: 13.8 miles (5,200 elevation gain)
Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson: 18.7 miles (4,650 elevation gain)
Full Presidential Traverse (North to South): 23 miles (9,100 elevation gain)
Flume, Liberty, Lincoln, Lafayette, Cannon, N. Kinsman, S. Kinsman: 28.1 miles (9,900 elevation gain)
21 peaks, 83.6 miles (28,850 elevation gain)
July
Devil's Path "West" (Catskills): 23.8 miles (6,150 elevation gain)
Adams: 11.8 miles (5,000 elevation gain)
Washington: 14.8 miles (7,000 elevation gain)
2 Peaks, 50.4 miles (18,150 elevation gain)
August
Adams, Jefferson: 13.0 miles (6,000 elevation gain)
Washington, Monroe: 15.0 miles (5,850 elevation gain)
Bondcliff, Bond, West Bond: 22.9 miles (4,750 elevation gain)
North Twin, South Twin, Zealand, Hale: 18.0 miles (5,300 elevation gain)
North Tripyramid, Middle Tripyramid: 11.1 miles (3,000 elevation gain)
Washington: 14.0 miles (6,150 elevation gain)
Adams: 13.1 miles (4,600 elevation gain)
Lincoln, Lafayette: 8.9 miles (3,900 elevation gain)
17 Peaks, 116 miles (39,550 elevation gain)
September
Hale, Zealand, South Twin, North Twin: 18.0 miles (5,300 elevation gain)
Wildcat "D", Wildcat "A", Carter Dome, S. Carter, M. Carter: 20.0 miles (6,500 elevation gain)
Hancock, S. Hancock: 9.8 miles (2,650 elevation gain)
Jefferson: 7.0 miles (3,400 elevation gain)
Passaconaway: 10.0 miles (3,800 elevation gain)
Isolation, Washington, Monroe: 30.7 miles (8,000 elevation gain)
16 Peaks, 95.5 miles (29,650 elevation gain)
October
Adams: 9.4 miles (4,500 elevation gain)
Washington, Monroe: 11.1 miles (5,000 elevation gain)
Chocorua: 9.0 miles (2,800 elevation gain)
3 Peaks, 29.5 miles (12,300 elevation gain)
November
Zealand, West Bond, Bond, Bondcliff: 20.2 miles (5,100 elevation gain)
Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson: 12.5 miles (3,750 elevation gain)
Madison, Adams, Jefferson: 15.3 miles (5,800 elevation gain)
Cabot: 10.7 miles (4,000 elevation gain)
Appalachian Trail (Shenandoah): 20.0 miles (4,300 elevation gain)
11 Peaks, 78.7 miles (22,950 elevation gain)
December
Liberty, Flume, Waumbek: 16.4 miles (6,700 elevation gain)
Hale, Zealand: 19.7 miles (4,350 elevation gain)
5 Peaks, 36.1 miles (11,050 elevation gain)
Hale & Zealand (#28, #29)
Date of Hike: 12/23/10
Zealand Road: 2.6 miles
Hale Brook Trail: 2.2 miles
Lend-a-Hand Trail: 2.7 miles
Twinway/Zealand Spur: 6.1 miles
Zealand Trail: 2.5 miles
Zealand Road: 3.6 miles
Total Miles: 19.7 (4,350 elevation gain)
Click here for trail descriptions
Trip Report:
- With another day of snow showers and crummy views forecast I figured it would be a good idea to hike Mount Hale and Zealand Mountain. When I checked the trail conditions I was happy to see that the Hale Brook, Lend-a-Hand, and Twinway had been broken out the day before which would make for some fast hiking...or so I thought!
- Zealand Road winter lot 7:20am, Hale summit 10:15am, Zealand summit 1:50pm, finished 6pm. Temps in the mid teens to low twenty's no views.
- In the winter in order to get to some trails you have to hoof it in because the roads are closed making for some boring and hellish road walks and today I was lucky/unlucky enough to walk along the Zealand Road.
- The walk to the Hale Brook trailhead was uneventful and fast, I saw two snowmobilers but no one or nothing else.
- I arrived at the Hale Brook trailhead at 8:25am and that's when things got interesting. The trail which had been broken out just yesterday had fresh new fluffy snow eight inches to a foot deep for the first mile then over a foot for the last mile.
- Having to re-break the trail was alot of fun but very slow going, what usually takes me an hour to the summit took two and I finally started to wear down with a half mile to go and I began to swear up a storm as I felt like the trail was never going to end.
- Mount Hale summit was very windy so I took a picture, changed clothes and got the hell out of there to start the descent down the Lend-a-Hand Trail.
- The Lend-a-Hand trail had snow drifts up to two and a half feet in spots and since the trail has a gradual descent for the most part I was unable to snowshoe slide at a fast pace for most of the 2.7 miles to the Twinwway to make up for lost time from the hike up to Hale.
- After five miles of breaking trail I was pretty exhausted but there was no way in hell I'd want to come back here again so I continued on up to Zealand's summit.
- Luckily the trail was broken so I slogged it up the Twinway (where it became pretty friggan cold!) until I caught up with the couple who were breaking the trail (at the ladder steps). The lady was not enjoying this part at all but made it up above the steep sections.
- From here I went ahead of them and for the next mile to Zealand's summit I broke trail. It was pretty awful in places, over a foot in most but luckily the Twinway from here to the Zealand Summit Spur Trail has moderate grades.
- When I finally made it to Zealand's summit I was thrilled. It was my fifth time this year on the wooded-no views summit and I don't see any reason after today of ever visiting it again!
- Now it was time for the long 9.3 mile descent down the Twinway, Zealand Trail, and Zealand Road back to the car.
- The descent down the Twinway went fast, the descent down the Zealand Trail was very slow and longer and colder than usual.
- I made it back to the Zealand Trailhead just as it got dark, put on my headlamp and began the 3.6 miles roadwalk back to my car. It was awful, I tried to find the solidest snowmobile track so my snowshoes wouldn't sink at all but it didn't matter my body was beaten up and my pace was slow. Needless to say it sucked, big time!
- When I finally made it back to my car I got my ice axe out of the car and proceeded to dig the snow around my car out so I could beat feet. (When I arrived in the morning the lot hadn't been plowed, it was now and I was barricaded in by a plowman's snow wall).
- I had figured this hike would take me eight hours, nine at the most...it took eleven. It was a very long and exhausting day but well worth it!
Pictures: Click here for all pictures
Zealand Road: 2.6 miles
Hale Brook Trail: 2.2 miles
Lend-a-Hand Trail: 2.7 miles
Twinway/Zealand Spur: 6.1 miles
Zealand Trail: 2.5 miles
Zealand Road: 3.6 miles
Total Miles: 19.7 (4,350 elevation gain)
Click here for trail descriptions
Trip Report:
- With another day of snow showers and crummy views forecast I figured it would be a good idea to hike Mount Hale and Zealand Mountain. When I checked the trail conditions I was happy to see that the Hale Brook, Lend-a-Hand, and Twinway had been broken out the day before which would make for some fast hiking...or so I thought!
- Zealand Road winter lot 7:20am, Hale summit 10:15am, Zealand summit 1:50pm, finished 6pm. Temps in the mid teens to low twenty's no views.
- In the winter in order to get to some trails you have to hoof it in because the roads are closed making for some boring and hellish road walks and today I was lucky/unlucky enough to walk along the Zealand Road.
- The walk to the Hale Brook trailhead was uneventful and fast, I saw two snowmobilers but no one or nothing else.
- I arrived at the Hale Brook trailhead at 8:25am and that's when things got interesting. The trail which had been broken out just yesterday had fresh new fluffy snow eight inches to a foot deep for the first mile then over a foot for the last mile.
- Having to re-break the trail was alot of fun but very slow going, what usually takes me an hour to the summit took two and I finally started to wear down with a half mile to go and I began to swear up a storm as I felt like the trail was never going to end.
- Mount Hale summit was very windy so I took a picture, changed clothes and got the hell out of there to start the descent down the Lend-a-Hand Trail.
- The Lend-a-Hand trail had snow drifts up to two and a half feet in spots and since the trail has a gradual descent for the most part I was unable to snowshoe slide at a fast pace for most of the 2.7 miles to the Twinwway to make up for lost time from the hike up to Hale.
- After five miles of breaking trail I was pretty exhausted but there was no way in hell I'd want to come back here again so I continued on up to Zealand's summit.
- Luckily the trail was broken so I slogged it up the Twinway (where it became pretty friggan cold!) until I caught up with the couple who were breaking the trail (at the ladder steps). The lady was not enjoying this part at all but made it up above the steep sections.
- From here I went ahead of them and for the next mile to Zealand's summit I broke trail. It was pretty awful in places, over a foot in most but luckily the Twinway from here to the Zealand Summit Spur Trail has moderate grades.
- When I finally made it to Zealand's summit I was thrilled. It was my fifth time this year on the wooded-no views summit and I don't see any reason after today of ever visiting it again!
- Now it was time for the long 9.3 mile descent down the Twinway, Zealand Trail, and Zealand Road back to the car.
- The descent down the Twinway went fast, the descent down the Zealand Trail was very slow and longer and colder than usual.
- I made it back to the Zealand Trailhead just as it got dark, put on my headlamp and began the 3.6 miles roadwalk back to my car. It was awful, I tried to find the solidest snowmobile track so my snowshoes wouldn't sink at all but it didn't matter my body was beaten up and my pace was slow. Needless to say it sucked, big time!
- When I finally made it back to my car I got my ice axe out of the car and proceeded to dig the snow around my car out so I could beat feet. (When I arrived in the morning the lot hadn't been plowed, it was now and I was barricaded in by a plowman's snow wall).
- I had figured this hike would take me eight hours, nine at the most...it took eleven. It was a very long and exhausting day but well worth it!
Pictures: Click here for all pictures
Hale Brook Tail (unbroken / broken)
Lend-a-Hand Trail
Twinway (A.T.)
Zealand Spur Trail Junction
Twinway (A.T)
Hidden Bog Bridges on the Twinway
Liberty, Flume, Waumbek (#25, #26, #27)
Date of Hike: 12/22/10
Mount Liberty and Flume Mountain
Basin Bushwhack / Liberty Springs Trail: 2.9 miles
Franconia Ridge Trail: 3.0 miles
Basin Bushwhack / Liberty Springs Trail: 2.9 miles
- 8.8 miles (4,050 elevation gain)
Mount Waumbek
Starr King Trail: 7.6 miles (2,650 elevation gain)
Total Miles: 16.4 miles (6,700 elevation gain)
- Click here for trail descriptions
Trip Report:
- After more than a month off from hiking in the White Mountains it was time to head back up on for the first full day of winter and continue my quest of completing the Winter 48 - 4,000 footers of New Hampshire. Last year was my first year of winter hiking and I was able to get 24 peaks in so I was half way home!
- To starts this year off I figured I'd hit up Liberty and Flume in the morning then if the weather was clear enough head up Cannon Mountain. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and I was socked in with very limited views all day
- On trail at 7:10am, Mount Liberty summit 9:15am, Flume Mountain summit 9:50am, finished 11:30am. Temps in the low 20's, wind gust above 20 mph out of the north.
- I decided to take the Basin bushwhack to the Liberty Spring trail. It's much faster and more enjoyable than coming in from the Flume Gorge over the Whitehouse Trail. The bushwhack leaves the bike path around 0.2 miles from the Basin parking lot, follows an old logging road and joins the Liberty Springs Trail where the Liberty Springs Trail takes a sharp right 0.4 miles from it's trailhead.
- The hike from the Flume Slide Trail Junction to the Franconia ridge was a slog, It had been a very long time since I had a backpack filled with extra clothes, crampons, ice axe, snow shoes, etc. I wasn't able to get into a groove until I reached the Franconia Ridge. In the end I only needed the extra clothes and my microspikes as the trail was very easy to hike.
- There were no views to be had from either summit and it was pretty cold and windy once out of the trees so I didn't stay around to long on either summit.
- The hike back down went fast and I finally started running into people between the brook crossing and the campsite. All hikers had on microspikes and were enjoying themselves on their hike up.
- I made it back to the car, immediately turned up the heat and changed my clothes for the third time and had some lunch before heading up to hike Mount Waumbek since Cannon was totally in the clouds.
- The drive up the the Starr King Trail was slow going because of the snow showers and the road conditions but I made it to the makeshift winter parking lot off Route 2 just after 12:30pm, got my gear ready (ditching the crampons, snowshoes, ice axe) and headed to the trailhead.
- On trail at 12:50pm, Waumbek summit 2:40pm, finished 3:50pm. Temps in low 20's, no views, shielded from all wind gusts.
- I was pretty beat up from Liberty and Flume but I figured it was best to try and hike Mount Waumbek now rather than later as eventhough it's a nice hike through the woods it's pretty boring because of the lack of views.
- I wasn't the only person on the trail as I passed twenty people descending as I was hiking up! All but three where wearing snowshoes, as the trail is almost perfect for them, I myself bare-booted the whole way with no problems but it's best to snowshoe it. Everyone I ran into was in high spirits and really have a great time.
- I passed the last group just before the spring and then I was all alone for the rest of the hike. I was pretty beat up on the way to Starr King but once I made it to the old cabins fireplace I hit my second wind and was in pretty good shape the rest of the way over to Waumbek where I enjoyed the awesome views of nothing but trees!
- The hike out went fast, I took a picture or two and booked it out of their as I was starting to loose my mind by the end of the hike.
- All in all in was a great start to the winter hiking season!
Click here for all pictures
Mount Liberty and Flume Mountain
Basin Bushwhack / Liberty Springs Trail: 2.9 miles
Franconia Ridge Trail: 3.0 miles
Basin Bushwhack / Liberty Springs Trail: 2.9 miles
- 8.8 miles (4,050 elevation gain)
Mount Waumbek
Starr King Trail: 7.6 miles (2,650 elevation gain)
Total Miles: 16.4 miles (6,700 elevation gain)
- Click here for trail descriptions
Trip Report:
- After more than a month off from hiking in the White Mountains it was time to head back up on for the first full day of winter and continue my quest of completing the Winter 48 - 4,000 footers of New Hampshire. Last year was my first year of winter hiking and I was able to get 24 peaks in so I was half way home!
- To starts this year off I figured I'd hit up Liberty and Flume in the morning then if the weather was clear enough head up Cannon Mountain. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and I was socked in with very limited views all day
- On trail at 7:10am, Mount Liberty summit 9:15am, Flume Mountain summit 9:50am, finished 11:30am. Temps in the low 20's, wind gust above 20 mph out of the north.
- I decided to take the Basin bushwhack to the Liberty Spring trail. It's much faster and more enjoyable than coming in from the Flume Gorge over the Whitehouse Trail. The bushwhack leaves the bike path around 0.2 miles from the Basin parking lot, follows an old logging road and joins the Liberty Springs Trail where the Liberty Springs Trail takes a sharp right 0.4 miles from it's trailhead.
- The hike from the Flume Slide Trail Junction to the Franconia ridge was a slog, It had been a very long time since I had a backpack filled with extra clothes, crampons, ice axe, snow shoes, etc. I wasn't able to get into a groove until I reached the Franconia Ridge. In the end I only needed the extra clothes and my microspikes as the trail was very easy to hike.
- There were no views to be had from either summit and it was pretty cold and windy once out of the trees so I didn't stay around to long on either summit.
- The hike back down went fast and I finally started running into people between the brook crossing and the campsite. All hikers had on microspikes and were enjoying themselves on their hike up.
- I made it back to the car, immediately turned up the heat and changed my clothes for the third time and had some lunch before heading up to hike Mount Waumbek since Cannon was totally in the clouds.
- The drive up the the Starr King Trail was slow going because of the snow showers and the road conditions but I made it to the makeshift winter parking lot off Route 2 just after 12:30pm, got my gear ready (ditching the crampons, snowshoes, ice axe) and headed to the trailhead.
- On trail at 12:50pm, Waumbek summit 2:40pm, finished 3:50pm. Temps in low 20's, no views, shielded from all wind gusts.
- I was pretty beat up from Liberty and Flume but I figured it was best to try and hike Mount Waumbek now rather than later as eventhough it's a nice hike through the woods it's pretty boring because of the lack of views.
- I wasn't the only person on the trail as I passed twenty people descending as I was hiking up! All but three where wearing snowshoes, as the trail is almost perfect for them, I myself bare-booted the whole way with no problems but it's best to snowshoe it. Everyone I ran into was in high spirits and really have a great time.
- I passed the last group just before the spring and then I was all alone for the rest of the hike. I was pretty beat up on the way to Starr King but once I made it to the old cabins fireplace I hit my second wind and was in pretty good shape the rest of the way over to Waumbek where I enjoyed the awesome views of nothing but trees!
- The hike out went fast, I took a picture or two and booked it out of their as I was starting to loose my mind by the end of the hike.
- All in all in was a great start to the winter hiking season!
Click here for all pictures
Liberty Springs Trail (A.T.)
Mount Liberty Summit
Starr King Trail
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