Fourth of July Celebration at Kearsarge North

In the late afternoon of the 4th of July we hiked to the summit of Kearsarge North, a small peak to the north of the Mt Washington Valley.   The plan was to watch fireworks in the valley and brush up on our backpacking skills. The forecast was for warm temperatures and clear skies.   We packed dinner, plenty of water, the bug tent and sleeping bags.  We walked the  3.1 mile sustained ascent, which felt strenous with our gear, with Kokee leading the way. This was also the another step towards getting Kokee her back on the trail with a more strenuous hike.  She did well. 

We arrive at the top to find the fire tower aglow in the evening light.  We were somewhat surprised to find we had the place to ourselves.  We pitched the bug tent in a dip below the fire tower for protection from a steady wind.  On a broad rock we set up for our dinner with a view to the setting sun and valley below.   We tested rehydration of the misirwot (Ethiopian lentil stew) and vegetables that we made and dried in the food dryer and it was great.  

Eventually were were joined by a few other people, including a family of 6 who later would hike down after the fireworks, and a couple who stayed the night in the tower.  After this sun set we gathered in the fire tower to watch the fireworks. The North Conway show was excellent views from above.  Looking east into Maine we saw displays across the farmlands and into distant mountains. We could even see what appeared to be a big finale in Portland, ME.  

After the show we settled into the bug tent under the blanket of a stars and a light breeze. We woke to a glorious morning, singing birds and a beautiful sunrise.

You can see more photos of our trip at the lin below

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0f5idkMwKip6P

A Hike to Lafayette and Lincoln

July 4th weekend is probably one of the busiest weekends of the year in the White Mountains, and for some unknown reason we decided to attempt one of the most popular hikes in the area.  The hike starts at the Lafayette Campground, ascends the Falling Waters Trail to Little Haystack, and then follows the open ridge to the summits of Mts Lincoln and Lafayette.  From there it is a steep descent back to the start via the AMC Greenleaf cabin.

We got off to a late start and when we arrived at the parking lot at 8.45am there were cars parked all over the place, and it felt like being in New York City with crowds everywhere.  About a mile up the trail we passed a dozen Japanese tourists with their cameras and shiney new hiking poles who were attempting the first of many stream crossings without getting their boots wet.  It continued like this for about two miles, and most of the hikers had no clue about where they were going, what to take with them, or how to dress for a day n the mountains,  Fortunately the multiple stream crossings and the steep eroded path slowed many of the less experienced hikers down and very soon we were away from the madding crowds and simply hiking along the trail with about a hundred or so kindred spirits.

We arrived at Little Haystack just in time for a mid-morning snack ("elevenses").  We then enjoyed the rolling ridge hike with fine views of the surrounding >4000-ft peaks and stopped for a picnic on the summit of Mt Lincoln.   The hiking was straightforward and the views kept getting better all the way until the summit of Mt Lafayette.  From there we strolled down for an afternoon coffee break at the hut, and we were back to the car by 4pm.  We enjoyed sunshine, light winds, and no bugs for the whole day so we considered it to be a five-star hike overall.

The ridge that we hiked.

Sheri on the ridge.

A well marked trail.

Falling waters on the way up.

Elevenses on Little Haystack.

Fun in the woods during our descent.

Tripyramids Hike

On Saturday morning we awoke to low cloud and mist.  We had expected a sunny day and had plans to hike Mts Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette. With a forecast of clouds in the high summits and winds gusting to 60-90 mph, we changed plans and made for  the Tripyramids (north, middle south) in the Sandwich region.  These three peaks are just over 4,000. While they have limited views, we hoped they would be in the clear and a little less windy.

It turns out our change in plans was a good decision as we were enjoying sun and clear skies in the valley.  The clear skies persisted as we traveled to the Sandwich Wilderness of the White Mountains and for the rest of the day.  We parked at Sabbaday falls, and walked a mile down the road to the Pine Bend Brook trail which took us to the summit of North Tripyramid Mountain. This winding trail followed a lovely brook and was well designed.  

About half-way to the summit we met Karen, a forest ranger for the White Mountain National Forest who let us know we were a little off trail, which we were.  We ended up hiking to the summit with Karen and learned quite a bit about forest protection, flora and fauna, and trail maintainance.  We also were entertained by her stories.  We had a quick snack at the top of North Tripyramid which had limited views to the south and proceeded to Middle Triyramid Mountain for lunch.  Here the views were much more extensive and we could see the entire Samdwich Wilderness below us.

To descend we stepped onto the Sabbaday Falls Trail at the Tripyramid col, and we joined up with Karen again and enjoyed walking the trail back to the falls with her.   One highlight of the day was seeing a young bear cross the trail and run into the woods about 150 yards ahead of us.   We enjoyed an "A.P." (Arnold Palmer) and a sticky bun from the Vintage bakery at Sabbaday Falls and rejoined the company of MANY visitors enjoying the long holiday weekend with a visit to the falls.

A friendly Sandwich resident

For our friends in Sandwich, UK

Karen and Sheri on the Sabbady Falls Trail

Chicken of the woods?

The garden year so far....

We had a dry and cool spring this year in North Stonington and it had several strange effects on the garden.  The most prominent of these has been a major infestation of Gypsy Moth caterpillars which are stripping all of the trees and shrubs of their leaves.  Most badly hit were the blueberries and raspberries, so our soft-fruit crops have been quite low.

We have managed to get some other things going, and to-date we have enjoyed harvests of broccoli, lettuce, bok choi, radishes, and raspberries.  We are looking forward to beans, cucumbers, potatoes, kale and Swiss chard in a few weeks.  The warm weather crops (okra and tomatillos) were planted earlier today.

We are benefitting from upgrading the raised beds last season with concrete block surrounds, and we have also switched to a drip irrigation system that is much simpler and lower maintenance than our original soaker hose system.  This has been combined with a thin back plastic mulch to keep the weeds down and some mini-polytunnels to encourage early germination.  

On balance we are doing a little better in our garden each year and slowly learning what works (and what does not) each year that we are here.  And we are having fun and enjoying lots of fresh produce along the way!

Gypsy Moth caterpillars 

Poor blueberry bushes!

Potatoes and beans in our new raised beds

More potatoes, peppers and carrots

The new mini-polytunnels to help germinate the leafy veggies 

(lettuce, Swiss chard, and kale)

Brasicca and rhubarb are on their way!

Mounts Adams and Madison

Last Sunday was a perfect day in New Hampshire and a great opportunity for us to hike on the high peaks.  We got up early and were on the Airline Trail to Mount Adams (5793') by 8am.  The trail steadily climbs up a ridge and emerges from the trees at about 4000-feet.  The last part of the hike continues up the rocky upper part of the ridge and eventually crosses a boulder field to the summit.  We were treated to great views and we were on the summit by 11.30am.

From Mt Adams we travelled down to the col with Mt Madison and enjoyed our lunch at the AMC Madison Springs hut.  The hut was full of teenagers when we arrived but it soon emptied out and we were able to have a relaxing meal with a great view and no bugs!

From the hut we ascended the ridge to Mt Madison ((5367') and then headed back northward to the trailhead via the Watson and Brookline trails.  The Watson path stays above treeline for quite a while, and then drops into a steep valley with picturesque waterfalls and pools.  We stopped by one pool to enjoy afternoon tea and a sticky bun, and then we completed our hike getting back to the car at about 4.45pm. 

On the trail again

Looking across the King Ravine 

(Can you spot the hut on the ridge?)

The ridge to Mt Adams

Looking down on the AMC Madison Springs Hut

Rock-hopping

At the summit of Mt Madison

Waterfalls on our descent

"52 with a view" - Mount Martha

For peak baggers in New Hampshire the "52 with a view" list presents a series of modest hikes with excellent vistas.  Last Saturday with decided to tackle one of those peaks, Mount Martha in the Cherry range, so that we could give Kokee the chance to flex her legs.  The weather was perfect and the bugs weren't too bad until we stopped at the summit.  And of course the views were spectatcular and the effort quite minimal (just 3.8 miles round trip).

Our week in Madison...

We traveled to Madison to attend the annual Land O' Lakes Conference.  This year was the 50th anniversary of this conference that was also a tribute to Professor George Zografi. We met one another while we were working with Professor Zografi at the School of Pharmacy at UW-Madison. We were honored to be invited speakers at the conference and very much enjoyed being part of the celebration.

We spent some extra time in Madison which gave us the opportunity to catch up with many friends. We started the weekend with a visit with Joann and Eric who traveled from Milwaukee so we could catch up. We had a nice breakfast that included donuts (we were in Wisconsin) followed by a very long walk. We walked the Lake Shore path to Picnic Point and back to the Capital Square where Eric and Jo have an apartment.  There we had a birthday celebration with cupcakes made by Eric.  Sheri also received a V05 (80's cover band that includes Drew, keep reading to learn more about Drew) T-shirt and a flower for our garden (made by Eric).

We had several trips to the terrace and enjoyed meeting with the members of our Zografi family on Saturday afternoon.  It was nice to catch up with those we spent time with while we were in Madison, and even some former colleagues from Pfizer.  The gathering on the terrace rolled into a dinner at the Great Dane Brew Pub where we enjoyed a nice meal in the beer garden.

Sunday was a relaxed day starting with brunch at the home of one of George's students who lives just outside of Madison. In the late afternoon we met our Brown House Family for a really nice cookout hosted by Julie and Craig.   Sheri lived with Drew, Julie and Niels in ...yes a big brown house for 3+ years while she was studying in Madison.  It was great to spend time together, see the kids growing up, and as the true tradition of the Brown House, enjoy great food, including fresh greens from Niels' garden.

The conference began on Monday which kept us very busy the rest of the week. Monday evening following the first lectures we celebrated Sheri's birthday at the "Study Pub" at the Fluno Center with friends including Jayne, Sandy, Mehran, Paul (not pictured) and Lynne (not pictured).

We did take another break on Wednesday evening to visit with Mike and Sue Capp. Mike and Sue now live on the west side in a beautiful neighborhood.  Mike is a fabulous cook and it was nice to have a home cooked meal. Sue gave us a tour of their garden, and we did a nice walk after dinner.  We also enjoyed some live music with Sue on Piano, Mike on a cigar box guitar and Sheri on a cigar box ukulele

It was great to be in Madison and enjoy all that it offers and see some really good friends. It is also nice to be home.