Return to Pierce and Eisenhower

Today we hiked to Mts Pierce and Eisenhower via the Crawford Path. It was interesting to return to both summits in the winter, having been to both in late summer as part of the Presidential Traverse. It was a classic winter hike with a firm monorail the entire way which was easily navigated with microspikes. The distance was 10 miles which we completed in 5 hours, which is much faster than we can do in the summer. Hiking the White Mountains is definitely easier when all the rocks and roots are covered in snow.

The good weather attracted many hikers and it was busy on the trail. We met some really nice people, including some four-legged hikers. Temperatures were warmer than expected and the winds very light so we were able to spend time on both summits.

We were back to the Highland Center by 2:30pm and were able to finish our lunch and relax by the fire before heading to pick up our friend Mesa who spend the day at Karla's Pet Redevous.

Another puzzle

Last night we tackled another fiendish jigsaw puzzle. This time the subject matter made it a little easier, but the pieces were still very small and unusually shaped. And no straight edges of corners either!

Traditional Christmas puzzle

It wouldn't be Christmas without a
jigsaw puzzle. This one from Janel and Michael was a challenge but we were able to complete it in one evening. There were no two pieces with the same shape and none had a straight edge. We started in the middle.

Kick-off for Christmas

Tonight we went to the "Christmas in Song" event at the Watch Hill chapel. We dodged the rain showers and enjoyed solos, choral singing and hand bell ringing. Merry Christmas to you all!

Quick trip to Cambridge, UK

Earlier this week Bruno was able to visit the city of Cambridge during a business trip to the UK. These photos are from an early morning walk around the town on what turned out to be a beautiful autumn day.

My Shaw (NH): First winter hike of the season

Today we enjoyed a bracing hike to Mt Shaw and Black Snout. These are two of the northern-most mountains in Southern New Hampshire (that is, they are in the middle of the state). Mt Shaw is on the "52 with a view" list, and we were not disappointed.

Zealand frolicked in the snow and we enjoyed his company. He carried his own water, kibble, leash, bowls etc, so he is nearly ready for a solo overnight backpacking trip!

Presidential Traverse (August 2018)

Back in August we helped to organize a traverse of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.  This above treeline hike is a little over 30 miles long, so we decided to take two days and stay at the AMC Lake of the Clouds hut overnight.  We were joined by Bill, Kim, Don, Anne, Mike and Denise.

We started at 5am from the northern trailhead for Mt Madison (by headlight), and took in Mts Adams, Jefferson, and Washington on the first day.  We arrived at the hut very tired and with only about a minute to spare before dinner was served!  On the second day we enjoyed clear views from the summits of Mts Munro, Pierce and Jackson.  Our feet were very sore by the time we got back to the car at the AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch.

August Visit from the Hancocks

Its time to catch up and blog on some activities from the summer......

Back in August we were listed by cousin Michael Hancock and his family (Margaret, Alex & Charlotte).  It was a warm weekend, so we explored the local sites and spent a nice afternoon at the beach in Watch Hill.  The kids enjoyed swimming, but it was a bit too cold for the adults!

Fall Colors

A great weekend for autumn colors in New England. Glad we got up early for a walk.

Tripyramids, rock slides, and Zealand's first 4000' summit

On Saturday the weather was clear and warm, so we decided to do a classic White Mountain hike/scramble over the Tripyramid range.  We had been eyeing this hike for several years!

The hike departed from Waterville Valley to the south and ascended North Tripyramid via an open rock slide. Once on the ridge it was an easy hike over Middle Tripyramid to the South summit.  Then, we had to descend another rock slide to get back to the valley and our starting point.

This was a big hike for our fury friend Mr Zealand.  He had never hiked above 4000' and he had never been on a rock scramble like this before.  The biggest challenge was getting over the big steps in the rock, and staying cool on an exposed sun-baked south facing rock slide.  We kept him well hydrated and were able to give him a helping hand in a few places.  Overall, he did really well and he still had a spring in his step when he got back to the car (which is more than can be said for the older two members of the party!).

Getting onto the slide

An endless expanse of granite above

Reaching the top

On the summit ridge

Heading back down

A cool spot to rest on the way down

Views in all directions

Hiking buddies