Watch Hill and the end of summer

Today the weather was perfect (just like summer) and we both spent the day in the garden. To finish a wonderful day we enjoyed an end of season trip to the beach for a swim and dinner outside at the Olympia Tea Room. With all the tourists gone for the season it was quiet and relaxed for everyone!

Mt Tom in the Willey Range

To "clean up" our last few unclimbed 4000' peaks in New Hampshire we hiked to the top of Mount Tom earlier this week. It was a short distance (about 5 miles) out-and-back trail with minimal views along the way. We did have the summit to ourselves for over an hour which was a nice surprise since we saw plenty of other hikers on the way up and the way down (via the A-to-Z Trail). Just one more NH 4000' peak to go now....

Our hike to Mt Carrigain

Earlier this week we hiked to the top of Mount Carrigain in New Hampshire via the Signal Ridge Trail. This was one of the last remaining 4000' peaks that we haven't yet hiked. We had spectacular weather and enjoyed fabulous view from the fire tower at the summit. This hike was too long for Zealand (just over 10 miles), but we took him for a well deserved walk at Thorne Pond when we got home.

Mt Willey via Kedron Flume

We combined the Terrifying 25 and NH 48 4000' lists to map an adventurous route to Mt Willey. The approach to Willey from the south via the Kedron flume which connects to the Willey Range Trail with a short distance on the AZ trail.

The Kedron flume offers a beautiful water feature and a bit of a scramble. Near the flume autumn color was starting to show with some red and yellows.

The Avalon-Zealand or "AZ" trail is the Appalachian trail. We met a very lively couple from Wisconsin on the AT and then a gregarious through hiker. It is always fun to meet the through hikers this time of year. The Nobos (northbounders) are in striking distance to Katahdin and are energized and very happy for an apple or fresh food.

After linking to Wiley Ridge Trail there is a steep climb to the summit of Mt Willey. In one steep section there are ladders, which gives this trail the "terrifying" status. We found the ladders fun and a nice change from climbing over rocks.

While the summit is tree covered, there are nice views on two ledges, one to the south and one to the north of the summit. We enjoyed lunch at the south vista with views of Webster Cliffs and Mts Webster and Jackson.

Sheri's Visit with Mike and DiAnn

While Bruno was visiting the Hancock family in England, Sheri traveled to Raleigh, NC to visit her Mom and Mike.

During her stay she attended an Iron Dukes luncheon and was treated to a Duke football game. Pre-game was BBQ at Bullock's with Mike, Di, Gwen and Bill. The game was a lot of fun and no worries about a conflict of interest... they weren't playing Wisconsin. The Duke fans are committed; there are Blue Devils everywhere you look, even the bathroom.

Sheri enjoyed walks with Mike, a visit to Duke Garden and happy hour on the deck. There was an interesting stick sculpture at the Garden that was fun to explore. She also enjoyed a visit with Tonya, our long-time friend from Madison days, and her partner Ralph.

It was a great visit, good weather, company and food!

An Evening at Tanglewood

We joined our friends Joey, Bernie, Laurel and Scott at Tanglewood for an evening of ‘Movie Themed” music. Tanglewood is outdoor amphitheater located in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, and the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

 It was a beautiful evening and great to catch up friends. Laurel and Scott live part-time in Silver City, NM, so it is a treat to be able to catch up when they are in CT. Even though Joey and Bernie live in the opposite corner of CT, it was good to finally get together with them as well. We packed a great picnic and were grateful to have Laurel’s brownies for dessert. Some of you may remember Laurel as “The Queen of Tarts” who made the pies for our wedding celebration.

 We heard soundtracks from favorites like Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Harry Potter. The second half of the concert was directed by John Williams himself which was really a treat. The themes from Lincoln and Schindler's List were particularly moving and offered solo performances that were breathtaking.    

The Wildcats

Last weekend we spent the weekend in New Hampshire with our friends Denise and Mike. We had a great day on Saturday hiking the Wildcat ridge trail and bagging two more 4000' peaks. The views of Mt Washington were perfect and we really enjoyed the rugged and rocky trail.