Mt. Jackson, Pierce, Eisenhower, Mt Monroe, & Washington

Type of Hike: Day

· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: Mountain Hardware S/S Wicking T, EMS convertible Pants,
• Insulation:
• Shell:
• Accessories:
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 65 AG

Matt also carried: Patagonia Capilene 3, Patagonia Nano Puff Vest, Marmot PreCip Raincoat, Sherpa wool hat.

· Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: Under Armour Tee, Under Armour Leggings, Smartwool Crews.
• Insulation:
• Shell:
• Accessories:
• Pack: Osprey Aura 50 2nd Generation

Notes: Today’s guest stars are none other than Alden Skidd and Brian Fletcher. Where to begin… hmm… let’s start off in Boston at Mike’s Donuts. Aww that sounds better. It is 5 am and we are on the road off to the Presidential Range with our dozen donuts! Our packs are full to the max and we are carrying weight! The plan is for an over nighter from Jackson to Madison. Starting off at the Highland Center and ending at Appalachia. We barely made it to Appalachia where the bus was meeting us to take us to the Highland Center. Thankfully half way to NH we switched drivers and Gabrielle got us there just in time. What can I say my girlfriend has a lead foot.

It is a beautiful day and we are heading up Jackson. Everyone is in great spirits and in a few short hours we are already on the summit. The view is outstanding and we can see across the entire presidential range. The plan is to head past Washington, go down a side trail out of the alpine zone and camp. I cannot begin to express how beautiful the AT trail is, every sight deserves recognition but we need to keep this short. We took a quick break at Mizpah hut for some baked goods and continued to Pierce. After Pierce it was another short break on Eisenhower. The views were still outstanding and we were able to get great camera shots of the Presidential Range.  Crawford Path leading to Mt Franklin was breathtaking, as was the summit.  It does not count towards our NE67 list but who cares, nothing beats being in the mountains with people you love. Then came Mt. Monroe which also offered some rewarding views as we gazed down upon Lake of the Clouds. At the hut we refueled and got a weather update…not good. We had known it was going to rain the next day, however, there was now a severe thunderstorm warning. No stopping there, it was getting late and we still had much ground to cover. We finally reached Washington a little past 6, I could be wrong with the time. Views were still outstanding but now it was decision time. A ranger on the summit was recommending that we get off the ridge because of the weather and would not recommend hiking the next day. What to do??

We are not going to talk about how we made the final decision but it was to go down Tuckerman’s Ravine. Ok let’s be honest, Gabrielle wanted to stick to the original plan but us guys were worried about the weather. In hindsight we were wrong and should have continued with our original plan to continue towards Adams and Madison. Tuckerman’s was t.o.u.g.h. tough, tough, TOUGH. Gabrielle and I had hiked Mt. Washington via Tuckerman’s back in 2010, however, it was dark and with the combination of weight we were carrying for our expected overnight trip it really beat us up. After a slow decent we made it to the Joe Dodge Lodge around 12:30am just as it started raining, unfortunately no one appeared to be manning the 24/7 front desk so we were unable to check into a bunk. Breakfast opened at 6am and our shuttle was scheduled for a little after 7am. We made the best of our wait by cuddling up in our sleeping bags on one of the benches under the lodges overhang.

Morning came and Matt treated everyone to an all you can eat breakfast at the AMC center. We had the joy of sharing our table with the bus driver who provided both insight and entertainment. While we did not reached our 8 mountain goal but we still did 5 summits in one day, while carrying all this gear. At the end of the day it was a great trip spent with great people. Another one for the books!

Garfield, South Twin, North Twin, Galehead, West Bond, Mt. Bond, and Bondcliff

Type of Hike: Overnight Hut

· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 1 s/s, EMS Fleece convertible Pants
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest
• Shell: Marmot PreCip
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes,
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 65 AG

Matt also carried: Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket, EMS Glacier Down Jacket, MSR Evo Denali Acent Snowshoes, 4 pairs of SmartWool PhD socks.

· Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: Lululemon Wonder Leggings/Under Armor Coldgear Leggings, Smartwool Crew, Wolds Softest Knee Hi’s
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest
• Shell: Marmot Minimalist Jacket
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, Alpaca Art Headband
• Pack: Osprey 50 2nd Generation

Gabrielle also carried: Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket, EMS Glacier Down Jacket, MSR Evo Denali Acent Snowshoes.

Big trip planned with guest star Alden Skidd. Our plan is to hit 7 mountains in 2 days. Our first stop is Mt. Garfield. The trail was snow free until around 3,500ft, where we quickly stopped to put on our spikes. The summit of Garfield was open and windy requiring a shell to block the wind. After a quick break we were back on the trail headed toward the Galehead Hut to drop gear. The monorail was thin for the most part and our boots were soaked from the running water on the trials.

Galehead Hut seemed a bit chaotic. They were getting ready to open for full service in a week and just received a big delivery. Too top if off it was a full house that night. We claimed our bunkroom and beds before heading up the steep trail to South Twin. The mountain was in the clouds but we took a pause for the cause on the summit and inhaled some snacks. North Twin posed a challenge as no one had been on the trail in quite sometime, due to the road leading to the trailhead being closed. We had anticipated this, which we continuously reminded each other of as we post holed just about every step. Or as Gabrielle fondly refers to them sink holes. On the bright side our return trip was swifter and hopefully those hiking the trail later in the weekend enjoyed the packed trail we left behind. The views from the outlook at North Twin made the trip well worth it as we look out over a breathtaking view of the White Mountains. The sky’s continued to clear and as luck would have it we re-summited South Twin to clear sky’s.

We were all tired but the day was not over as we still had Galehead. It was a quick and easy hit. We got our summit pictures, enjoyed the views and headed down to the hut to change our socks and enjoy some fresh grub. We had  carried all the ingredients to make two delicious pizzas and waited excitedly as Gabrielle created a wonderful masterpiece. A few hut guests stared at us with a bit of jealousy and it was not long before Gabrielle asked if anyone wanted any as we had made way too much. Within second there was nothing left.

After sleeping like babies we were ready for our second day of mountain fun. We fueled up with some freshly made cinnamon buns and green tea, thanks to Gabrielle. Our boots were still wet from the previous day and we were all thankful for the amount of socks we had packed. After ascending South Twin againnnn we were off to the Bonds. The snow of the trail was very mushy and post holing was constant. We strapped our snowshoes of and BAM we were off! Snowshoes remained on until we reached Guyot. The sun came out and it was like the skies had opened, gorgeous 360 views the remainder of the day. As we approached the Bonds the pattern went as followed, snowshoes on, snowshoes off, snowshoes on, and snowshoes off. I will not go into much detail but all the summits were beautiful in their own way with 360 degree views. I think we did our 3rd or 4th sock change before we headed back.

Gale River Trail was our exit strategy so we would not have to climb Garfield again and avoid the steep, waterfall like section we had climbed the day prior. By the time we got to flat surface it was dark and our headlamps came on. Funny thing is the road walk back to the car was harder than the trails we were climbing over. Man did it do a number on our feet. Roads and boots do not match well. It was beautiful seeing the car. Our wet boots came off and fresh clothes came on. It was a prideful ride back to Boston. We had just beasted 7 mountains in 2 days.

North and South Hancock
Type of Hike: Day
· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: T, EMS convertible Pants,
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest
• Shell: Marmot Precip Raincoat
• Accessories: Microspikes, MSR snowshoes
• Pack: Osprey Stratos 36

· Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer:
• Insulation:
• Shell:
• Accessories:
• Pack:

Spring is in the air and we are getting some mountains down this weekend. The mission for day one is North and south Hancock. Snow is still dominant on the trial but well packed on the trails. Our microspikes are on and our snow shoes strapped to our packs. One great thing is that it is now warm enough for us to use our hydration bladders which is so much more convenient than carrying Nalgene’s in the cold months.
The first few miles are a breeze and we are cursing along. It is a beautiful day despite the forecast calling for a few showers for later in the day. Around the Hancock Loop trail is where we put our snowshoes on as post holing stated to slow us down. North Hancock came first. The summit offered beautiful views for miles but dark clouds began to hover over our heads. We snapped our summit photo, checked out the outlook, added a layer and continued to South Hancock. The two summits are separated by a ridge line roughly around 1.5 miles long. Around the .7 mark we hear a huge CRACK sound above our head….lighting, and it is close. What to do?! Do we turn around? Keep going? Stay where we are? We cannot get off the trail as it was heavily wooded and we would not be able to navigate. Stopping did not seem safe to me, how long could this last for? We needed to get down. The second summit was the smaller, less exposed one so we continued our way in a hurry. Hail was falling down from the sky and we were getting hit by a wintery mix of precipitation. We threw our shells on and I got to test out my brand new Marmot PreCip raincoat for the first time. The storm was still overhead had so many things running through my mind. “Do I ditch my trekking poles? Should I take off the snowshoes? Do we keep moving?” But my biggest concern was making sure Gabrielle was safe, we had to get down. As we summited South Hancock the storm was now a little bit behind us. We took one, very fast picture of the summit while on the run and began on decent.

When we got back to the trailhead the weather was well past us and the skies began to open up again. We grabbed an ice-cream and headed to a jam packed Barnes Field Campground to set up camp. I think we got the last spot there. That night we enjoyed a nice fire and dinner while we prepared for day 2.

Wildcat D & A
Type of Hike: Day
· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 1 s/s, EMS convertible Pants,
• Insulation:
• Shell:
• Accessories: MSR Snowshoes
• Pack: Osprey Stratos 36

Matt also carried: Marmot Precip Raincoat, Patagonia Nano Puff vest, Microspikes

Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer:
• Insulation:
• Shell:
• Accessories:
• Pack:

It is day 2 of our summit weekend. We work up will rested. The best part of car camping has to be the fact that I can bring 6 bed pillows with me. After a cozy night in the tent we prepared a nice breakfast of pancakes, watermelon, and Patagonia Provisions smoked salmon, which we were trying for the first time (it was delicious).
It was a quick drive to the 19 Mile Brook Trail. We started with snowshoes but for the very first part of the trail we hit many bare spots and rock was starting to be exposed. It was another beautiful day spring day and we were both wearing short sleeves. We headed up the Wildcat Ridge Trail and were able to enjoy some spectacular views of Carter Dome and the Carter Notch Hut. The ridgeline between A & D also offered open views to Mt. Washington. We took many pictures before we made it to Wildcat A.
This summit had some traffic. The ski lifts were still open and a lot of skiers booted over to the summit to check out the view and stand on the top of one of NE’s 4000 footers. We hung out on the summit for a bit and enjoyed a few sandwiches we had previously made before back tracking to the car.

The 19 Mile Brook Trail had really melted during the day and we had to unclip our snowshoes half way down. I laugh about it now but we chose to carry our snowshoes down rather than strap them to our packs. These snowshoes were so wet and grimy from the trail that we did not want our packs to suffer the abuse. Ever carry snowshoes shoes for 2 miles in your hand? Boy do they get heavy after a while!

Next stop, Mt Washington Resort! That’s right, we booked ourselves a room months in advance for this trip. We checked in, got cleaned up, explored, relaxed, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and evening there. Despite the fire alarm going off in the morning, it was a lovely place to visit! I say this a lot but, it was a perfect weekend spent with the perfect person.

Type of Hike: Day

Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: Mountain Hardware Wicking tee s/s, EMS convertible Pants,
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest
• Shell: Rab Scimitar Soft Shell
• Accessories: MSR Snowshoes, EMS Gortex Gators, Sherpa Wool Hat, EMS fleece gloves
• Pack: Osprey Stratos 36

Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: 2 Smartwool Long Sleeve T-shirt’s (layered), Fleece Lined Under Armour Leggings,
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest
• Shell: Patagonia Fleeced Lined Softshell
• Accessories: North Face Denali Thermal Mittens, Alpaca Hat, MSR Snowshoes, EMS Gortex Gators, EMS Fleece Lined Neck Warmer.
• Pack: Osprey Sirrus 36

Notes:  Our first spring hike of 2015 and we are off to Maine to climb Old Speck.  Feeling bold and over with winter we opted to use our hydration bladders and ditch the Nalgene bottles.  Maine still had quite a bit of snow… over four feet to be exact.  We strapped on the snowshoes and headed up the trail.

There is something magical about being in Maine.  Everything just seems to be greener no matter where we go and the air is so crisp.  It was a quick hike to the summit.  One of the highlights was walking past the Mahoosuc Trail sign which was half buried in the snow.  Confirming just how much feet of snow was still on the trail.

We lucked out with views lasting just until we reached the summit, before some giant  white clouds settled in. Gabrielle climbed the ice covered ladder to the top of the tower, returning safely to the ground as the wind began picking up. The hike to the summit took almost half the time we had anticipating, allowing us to drop packs and spend a portion of the afternoon relaxing on the summit.

There must have been a decent amount of hikers attempting to summit without snowshoes, as we had to sidestep hip deep postholes on our decent to the parking lot. 200 feet from the car Gabrielle tore the arch of her foot when her snowshoe got caught in a posthole. Despite my numerous offers to carry her to the car she insisted on hoping the rest of the way in order for the hike to “count on her summit list”, providing a entertaining end to our hike with both of us doubled over in laughter. I did, however, provide transportation from the car to the trailhead and back for our last picture of the day before heading back towards Boston. All in all it was a beautiful trip, with injuries quickly cured with a chocolate milkshake, bubblebath, and a little rest. Already missing Maine and looking forward to going back again in the Fall, when we know for sure all the bugs will be dead!

Osceola and East Osceola

Type of Hike: Day

· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 3 Thermal, EMS convertible Pants, EMS long underwear T2
• Insulation: Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket
• Shell:
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, MSR Snowshoes, EMS Thermal Mountaineering Gloves, Artc’Tech beanie, REI balaclava
• Pack: Osprey Stratos 36

Matt also carried: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest, Rab Nexus Shell coat

· Gear: Gabrielle

• :

Notes: Happy birthday Gabrielle! We started the morning with some nice warm, car cooked cinnamon buns to celebrate Gabrielle’s special day. It was a cold March morning. Generally Matt starts off in minimum layers but today required lots of warmth. We chose to hike going up the Mt. Osceola Trail from Greeley Pond due to winter road closures. We knew this trail was going to be steep but we were excited for the challenge.

The climb to East Osceola was almost vertical and we kept our snowshoes on from beginning to end. East Osceola is a wooded summit and did not offer any views however Mt. Osceola was shining in all its glory. We had 360 degree views that went for miles and miles. The wind was whipping and we layered up so we could enjoy nature’s birthday gift to Gabrielle.

We got back to the car to warm up but we were not done yet. This was a birthday weekend celebration and we packed out gear back up and headed to Vermont so we could conquer Ellen the very next day.

Mt. Ellen

Type of Hike: Overnight

· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 3 Thermal, EMS convertible Pants, EMS long underwear T2
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest

• Shell: Rab Nexus
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, MSR Snowshoes, EMS Thermal Mountaineering Gloves, Sherpa wool hat, REI balaclava
• Pack: Osprey Atmos AG

Matt also carried: Patagonia Down Sweater Coat

· Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer:
• Insulation:
• Shell:
• Accessories:
• Pack:

Notes: It is day two of Gabrielle’s birthday weekend and we are trail reviewing our brand new Osprey Atmos/Aura AG packs. The Jerusalem Trail up to Ellen offered some interesting sites as we navigated our way through a maple syrup farm. The new packs felt great and we were amazed by how light they felt on our bodies. The trail was in great shape and we made it to the Long Trail with ease.

Next stop… Glen Ellen Lodge. This was the final destination for the night but we were just making a quick pit stop to drop our gear and then return later. It was still very early in the day and we had Mt. Ellen in our sights. We broke trail down to the lodge and discovered that we were not the only ones down there. There were numerous “cat” prints were in the snow and they were fresh. It made us more alert of our surroundings and I think the volume of our voices increased so that we did not sneak up on anything.

The way up to Ellen involved climbing up the ski slopes. Snow began to come down and our shells came on to keep us dry. We snapped our summit picture, took a pause for the cause and headed back down to the lodge as skiers flew by us.

This was a fun night. We had the shelter to ourselves and we continued the birthday celebration with an outstanding meal consisting of cheese and crackers for an appetizer and fresh salmon and couscous for the main course and a birthday cupcake with sparking apple cider for dessert. We lit up the lodge with our UCO candle lanterns and played some cards while we warmed up in out -20 degree down bags that we were also using for the first time (yea, it was that cold out!)

We were up early the next morning and cooked some pancakes and scrambled eggs. We seriously went all out on this overnighter in terms of what we carried for food but hey, it was a celebration after all! We slowly packed up our gear and prepared for our trek back to the car. Gabrielle’s family were on their way up to meet with us as they had rented out a time-share house so we could all go see Switchfoot preform at Okemo Mountain.

To keep this post short and sweet it was an outstanding weekend and I felt truly blessed to have had Gabrielle share her special day with me. Happy birthday Babes!

Mt. Abraham (VT)

Type of Hike: Day

· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 2 Long Sleeve, EMS Techwick Long John 2, EMS Fleece Lined Pants
• Insulation:
• Shell: Rab Scimitar Softshell Jacket
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, EMS Thermal Mountaineering Gloves, Artc’Tech beanie, and MSR Evo Denali Acent Mountaineering Snowshoes
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 65 2nd generation

Matt also carried: EMS Techwick Thermal, Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket, and EMS Glacier Down Jacket

· Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: Smartwool Heavyweight Base Layer, Smartwool Heavyweight 1/4 Zip, Lululemon Wonder Leggings under Columbia Omni Shield Pants.
• Insulation: Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket 
• Shell: Patagonia Fleece Lined Softshell 
• Accessories: Penfield Sheepskin Mittens, American Eagle Trapper Hat, EMS Fleece Lined Face Mask, EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, and MSR Evo Denali Acent Mountaineering Snowshoes.
• Pack: Osprey Sirrus 36

Gabrielle also carried: EMS Techwick Thermal,  EMS Glacier Down Jacket, and Patagonia Snowball Goretec Pants.

Notes: Happy Valentine’s Day. It is bitter cold out and the temps are in the negatives with wind chill. We are geared up and ready to conquer Mt. Abraham. The trail had not been broken out at all. Lucky for us a cross country skier pulled into the lot right before us and began packing the trail down a bit. We wore snowshoes the entire way. This was Gabrielle’s first hike using her Baby Blue mountaineering showshoes and she soon was completely in love with them. The summit was bitter cold. The wind was pushing hard and we were only up there for a few short minutes to take quick pictures and then get down. I cannot stress how dangerously cold it was on this day. 

Although it was cold out it did not stop us from having a Valentine’s picnic date at the Battell lean-to on the way down. We had carried with us our candle lantern, cheese and crackers, some other yummy goodies for our date and of course a blanket to lay on. 

When we got back to the car we drove to a hotel room we had waiting for us outside of Burlington, VT where we warmed up and got cleaned up for a romantic dinner at Pulcinella’s Italian Restaurant. The atmosphere was very quiet and chill while we enjoyed our delicious dinner… which we needed after an exhausting day. 

The next day we spent in Burlington goofing around. It was another bitter cold day but that did not stop us. We visited Outdoor Gear Exchange, Lake Champlain, and Gabrielle introduced Matt to Dobra Tea House. The night before we noticed there was an EMS right next door to where we had dinner. We were intrigued that they had the old school logo on the building so we decided to stop in and check it out. JACKPOT! Hanging on the wall was the LAST DownTek -20 EMS Mountain Light sleeping bag everrrrrr.  Of course Matthew could not resist replacing Gabrielle’s 2010 EMS Mountain Light -20 with the new DownTek version.

Later that day we checked into the Hilton for one last night in Burlington. Another perfect weekend together.

Willey, Field, Tom, & Zealand

Trail used:
Type of hike: Overnight Hut
Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 2 Long Sleeve, EMS Techwick Long John 2, EMS Convertible Pants
• Insulation:
• Shell: Rab Scimitar Softshell Jacket
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, EMS Thermal Mountaineering Gloves, Artc’Tech beanie
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 65 2nd generation

Matt also carried: EMS Techwick Thermal, Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket, and EMS Glacier Down Jacket

Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: EMS Techwick Thermal under Patagonia Down 1/2 Zip Shirt, Under Armor Cold Compression Leggings over Lululemon Wonder Leggings.
• Insulation: Patagonia Down Jacket
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead Jacket
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, Mountain Hardwear Mountaineering Mittens, Mountain Hardwear Fleece Hat and Scarf.
• Pack:  Osprey Aura 65 2nd generation

Gabrielle also carried: Smartwool heavyweight 1/4 Zip, EMS Glacier Down Jacket, Patagonia Fleece, and North Face Down Booties.

Notes: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Our first winter hike is going to be a great one. 4 mountains and a hut stay! We both got some great gear for Christmas presents from each other. Matt and his 2 new Rab soft and hard shell coats AND an EMS Mountain Light -20 degree sleeping bag. Probably the last one ever in stores! Thank you love! Gabrielle, was also rocking her new Suunto Core altimeter watch.

We started on the Ethan Pond Trial. The plan was to hit Willey, Field, and Tom before cutting across to get to the Zealand Hut where we would be spending the night. Microspikes were worn from beginning to end and previous trip reports stated did not require snowshoes so we left those behind. Going up Willey was steep but the views on top were totally worth it all. Skies were clean as they could be and we could see Mt. Washington along with the rest of the presidential range from the Willey outlook.
We met a friendly pair of Grey Jays on Field and offered them some of our snacks in return for some pictures. On Tom we found another pair but they were more timed and camera shy. After hitting the 3 mountains we took the AZ trail to the Zealand Hut. The trail was in rough conditions as it had not seen much traffic during the snowy weather. 
The hut was a great relief to get to after a cold day outside. Gabrielle prepared scallops wrapped in bacon for dinner with a side of couscous. I told you we would redeem ourselves from out last hut dinner! To give credit where it is due, Gabrielle did come up with this idea! To keep our tradition alive, we shared another twin bed and cuddled in our 0 degree down bags as the night temperatures dropped.

Day two was a cold one and most of our layers stayed on as we climbed up to Zealand. Views were beautiful and the skies were clear as day. We were able to get many great pictures. On our decline we decided to take the AT back to the parking lot. The AT is relatively flat and we would bypass the summits we climbed the day before. We cannot begin to tell you how much harder the AT was. The trail had not been broken in. Snow was waist deep at times and it sucked the energy out of us. It was 4 miles of hell that normally would have been a piece of cake if we had snowshoes with us. Speaking of cake… we got donuts the day before our big hike and had some left over ones in the car. That was all that was on Matt’s mind was getting back to the car and enjoying a donut. We got to the car just as the sun was setting and Matt was reconnected with his donut. I must say, frozen jelly donuts do not taste as great as they do fresh! Great trip to end 2014, but I think this is the last one we can do without snowshoes for a while!

Middle, South, & Carter Dome

Trail used: 19 Mile Brook Trail

Type of Hike: Overnight Hut Stay

· Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 1 Short Sleeve, EMS Techwick Long John 2, EMS Convertible Pants
• Insulation:
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead Raincoat
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, EMS Thermal Mountaineering Gloves, Artc’Tech beanie
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 65 2nd Generation

Matt also carried: EMS long sleeve TechWick 2, EMS Techwick Thermal, Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket, and EMS Glacier Down Jacket

· Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: EMS TechWick 2, Under Armor Cold Compression Leggings over Lululemon Wonder Leggings. 
• Insulation: Patagonia Down Sweater, Smartwool Heavyweight 1/2 Zip.
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead Raincoat
• Accessories: EMS Gortex Gaitors, Microspikes, Mountain Hardwear Mountaineering Mittens, Mountain Hardwear Fleece Hat and Scarf.
• Pack: Osprey Aura 50 2nd Generation

Gabrielle also carried: EMS long sleeve TechWick 2, Patagonia Windproof Fleece Jacket, EMS Glacier Down Jacket, and North Face Down Booties.

Notes: We are off to our first hut stay! Winter is right around the corner but we are still in the Fall season. Microspikes went out as soon as we left the car and stayed on during the entire trip. The trail was very packed down and broken in up to the hut. We dropped our overnight gear at the hut and made our way to South Carter. Trail was in great shape but past S. Carter the trail had seen very little traffic towards Middle Carter. We were breaking trail and at time were in snow up to our knees. Snow shoes were not needed but we sure wish we had them on some parts. One of the best parts of hiking in the cold is the food you can bring and we enjoyed nice cheese and meat platter on the Middle Carter summit before making our way back towards Carter Dome. As the sun set it began to snow, we were well prepared for the weather and actually enjoyed the scenery. Again, we were breaking trail getting up to Carter Dome and at times it was quite exhausting without snowshoes. We summited in the dark which was still a beautiful sight.   

Back at the hut we fried up a steak, some instant potatoes and string beans. The food choice for the night was my idea (Matt) and to be honest we can do better than this in the future! Matt convinced the caretaker to bake up some cookies while Gabrielle sat by the woodstove drinking her Hot coco. The bunk houses for Carter Notch are detached for the hut and we were lucky enough to get our own, 6 person room. We snuggled into a twin bed and put our sleeping pads and 0 Degree EMS Mountain Light side by side on the bed.

 Morning temps were cold and much of our gear was worn while we headed back to the car.

Passaconway and Whiteface

Tail used: Blueberry Ledge to Mt. Whiteface (3.4 miles) Dicey’s Mill Trail Trail to Passaconway

Type of Hike: Day
Gear: Matt

• Base Layer : EMS Tech Wick 1, EMS Convertible pants
• Insulation: Patagonia Nano Puff Vest
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead raincoat
• Pack: Osprey Stratos 36  

Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: Smartwool Tech, Patagonia Pilant Legginggs
• Insulation: Smartwool Knit
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead raincoat
• Pack: Osprey Sirrus 36

Notes: Beautiful fall day. Air was crisp and fall foliage was at its peak. We started early in the morning and were the first one the trail. Parking lot was near empty. Rain in the forecast for later in the day but skies were clear for the most part. Incredible views from the Whiteface outlook. Small showers began after we summited Whiteface. Matt discovered that it was time for his EMS rain coat to be replaced as it was not keeping water out. Rain lasted only a few hours and skies opened up again. We hit Passaconway and looped back down to car. As a side note, the summit carrin for Passaconway is extremely tiny but exists. Parking lot was not packed with many “tourists” out to view the foliage.  

Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume – Franconia Ridge, White Mountains
Type of Hike: Long Weekend

Matt’s Gear:

• Base Layer: Mountain Hardwear Tech T, EMS convertible Pants, REI Long Sleeve UPF 50+ Button Up
• Insulation: Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead Jacket
• Accessories:
• Pack: Osprey Atmos 65 2nd Generation

Gear: Gabrielle

• Base Layer: Lululemon Crop Leggings, Smartwool Long Sleeve T-shirt, Horny Toad Flannel.
• Insulation: North Face Redpoint Jacket, EMS Fleece Jacket
• Shell: EMS Thunderhead Rain Jacket
• Accessories: Eddie Bauer Down Mittens
• Pack: Osprey Aura 50 2nd Generation

We left Boston Thursday evening, car packed and ready for our long weekend in the White Mountains. After a night of car camping we woke up Friday morning to a gorgeous day, perfectly clear skies. It took us an hour and a half to reach an empty Liberty Spring Tentsite. Matthew paid the caretaker and received our assigned tent platform (first time we have ever been assigned a specific platform, apparently they had been having trouble with bears). We were super excited about the new Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2 Tent we had just purchased and decided to set-up camp before heading up to Lincoln. We scampered up the last 0.3 of Liberty Spring Trail before taking a left onto Franconia Ridge Trail, remaining in this for just over 2.5 miles. All in all it took us just under an hour and a half to reach the summit of Mt. Lincoln from the tent platforms, blessed with crystal clear skies.

Matthew had packed us picnic lunch early that morning and we spent the majority of the afternoon relaxing on the summit before heading back to Liberty Spring. To be honest I have never seen such perfect weather above treeline before, the views we incredible. Tentsite was quiet for Flags on the 48, but then again it was a Friday. We played some cards, took a nap, and Matthew made us some Mary Jane Organic Freeze Dried Meals for dinner as we enjoyed a beautiful sunset from our lookout.

Saturday morning Matthew surprised me with Chocolate Chip Pancakes, hot chocolate, and real maple syrup the next morning, although if I am being honest it was a premeditated tactic to get me out of my sleeping bag. My preferred time for activity is between 2pm-2am. The tentsite was still pretty empty so we left our camp setup and made out way back up to Franconia Ridge Trail, this time taking a right towards Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume. Within 20 minutes we were on the summit of a hazy Mt. Liberty, arriving at Mt. Flume 1.2 miles and 40 minutes later. By now the haze had begun to clear and we headed back to Mt. Liberty to take a few photos and enjoy the much improved view. Upon our second summit of Mt. Liberty we ran into the first of the Flags On The 48 Weekend Hikers, returning to an active Liberty Springs Campsite. We quickly packed up our platform and headed down Liberty Spring Trail to the Parking lot. For the most part it was a quiet trip back, parking lot started to get busy with weekend hikers just before we left. About 12pm.

We spent the remainder of our weekend exploring Sugar Hill, The Basin, Flume Gorge, and North Conway before making our way back to Boston. This is one of my favorite trips to date. The tent platforms are beautiful and offer plenty of space, while Franconia Ridge offers some of my favorite views in New Hampshire.

Short little hike, the easy elevation was a welcomed surprise as one of us had pneumonia and the other had bronchitis. Parking was a little tight as the trail was pretty busy, there were a lot of family’s with small children having picnics at the summit. All in all it was a fun little hike, only taking a couple hours round trip.

We left Boston early Saturday AM in Tshirts, expecting little to no snow and got the surprise of a lifetime.

Done with grad school and thrilled to be back hiking, can’t believe it’s been almost a year!!! It’s amazing what finishing grad school and a couple rounds of phenomena can do to your backpacking plans 😉 The afternoon called for rain so we headed out before the sun came up and enjoyed a lovely quiet morning out on the trails. Stopping off briefly at a very busy Lonesome Lake Hut for a late breakfast.

The summits we buzzing with activity, everyone getting ready for the Flags On The 48. I would say this was one of our easiest hikes, with the majority of the hike being relatively flat. We took a little detour to view Kinsman Pound, later returning to Lonesome Lake for lunch. All in all it was a fun little hike, the plank walkways through the woods looked almost magical (although I would hate to hike over them in snow).

Had a amazing time hiking Mt Moosilauke, this one is certainly a favorite. Overall the hike itself was easy, I was feeling a little under the weather starting out Saturday so we took our time and several breaks along the way. The summit was breathtaking, I have never seen such a large and open summit, it literally looked like a football field on top of the mountain. We spent a decent amount of time on the summit and watched the sunset, a little cold but the mini bunkers help a lot with the wind. Definitely plan on coming back here after finishing the NE67!

Beaver brook shelter was absolutely packed, as we had anticipated, so we pitched our Seedhouse on one of the nearby tent platforms prior to hitting the summit. The Lean-To ended up clearing out around dinner time due to the drop in temperature, however, we stuck with the tent as my boyfriend was super excited to test out our new Big Agnes tent. Unfortunately my Therm-a-Rest pad developed a hole at some point during the evening and deflated, my boyfriends a saint and insisted I use his. To say the least it was a very cold night for both of us, we spent the majority of the night playing cards and making hot chocolate. Even with the cold this was one of my favorite trips, truly beautiful mountain.

Based upon our prior experience in Maine my boyfriend and I decided to take my two younger siblings to Bigelow Mountain for the weekend, before heading out to Newport for my sister Birthday. The weather report looked great so 4am Saturday morning we started the 8hr drive from CT to ME. Our initial plan was to hike to the tent platforms and hit the peaks the next morning, however, after pitching the tents we plenty of time to kill and decided to summit Avery and West peak.

Perfect 360 views from Avery and West, we took sometime exploring the castle off to the side of Avery. We were somewhat surprised by the fact that we were the only ones out hiking on such a gorgeous weekend. About half way back to the tent platforms we noticed a huge increase in the amount of bugs, by the time we reached the tent we were getting bitten head to toe and decided to pack up and head back to the car (under the incorrect assumption that once we got a little lower we could get away from the bugs). We proceeded to run/stumble our way back to the car, with my brother full-out sprinting the last 1/2 mile to the car. Although the weather was absolutely perfect I will never again go hiking in Maine during Black Fly season. Note* Those creatures are 100% immune to DEET!

We hit the trails early Friday as our post-Thanksgiving workout and lucked out with a mostly sunny day, despite a few periods of fog. MicroSpikes came in handy as our route closely resembled a stairclimber, overall it was a short hike. Spent the rest of the day exploring neighboring towns before heading into Lincoln, NH, where we had rented a mini cabin for the night. Later on we headed out to Gordi’s Fish & Steak House for some dinner, have to say I LOVED their desserts. Note* Summit is poorly marked and depending upon the season can be hard to find!

Woke up to a gorgeous day, full sun, and headed out for Mt. Lafayette. By the time we reached Greenleaf hut weather was starting to roll in, we summited in a whiteout with quite a bit of wind. Despite the weather we had a wonderful time, the slippery conditions did slow us down during the decent, but we managed just fine with trekking poles and MicroSpikes. Our number one priority upon returning to civilization was locating some pizza and ice cream 🙂

Headed back to Newport for Matthew’s Birthday, which just happened to coincide PumpkinFest. We rented a pair of bikes and spent the first day biking and touring the mansions. Finished up the day with really cool “pumpkin hike”, which consisted of a 1/2 mile loop through the woods covered with hundreds of carved pumpkins. The next morning we were up super early for a beautiful sunrise Sail, followed by an afternoon of fall festivities and evening at the Seafood Festival with some great food and live music.

Fun weekend hiking Mt. Washington via Tuckerman’s Ravine, excited to have my brother and boyfriends sister join us for the hike. Due to the size of our group we opted to stay at the Hermit Lake Lean-To, which was also home to some very friendly squirrels who received a decent portion of our breakfast. Clear morning, we reached the summit well before anticipated only to find that the could had not baked off the last couple hundred feet or so. Luckily everything had cleared up by the time we finished lunch at the observatory and we were able to appreciate the incredible views.

Somehow I have the feeling that this will always be one of my favorite hikes! My boyfriend planned for us to hit the summit just as the sun was setting, we snuggled up in some ivy sheets and watched 4th of July Fireworks from every possible directions. Prior to summiting we set up our tent at Hump Brook Campsite, super easy climb, we had no trouble finding our way back in the dark.

A great weekend of hiking in Maine, we lucked out and had two gorgeous days with perfects views. Luckily we brought our tent as the lean-to at Piazza Rock Campsite was somewhat full, had a wonderful time down by the fire pit that night and met some nice people. Our initial plan was to hike out Monday AM, as we did not start hiking until later Sat afternoon due to our lovely 8hr car ride from CT and we wanted to take our time and enjoy the great weather. The extra bit of hiking to Piazza Rock proved to be well worth it, we had a great time exploring the “cave” and “gravity defying” rock.

Sunday we hit both peaks, crystal clear day, and arrived back to our tent in the afternoon. The ridge walk was absolute breathtaking, could not have asked for more perfect weather. Due to the incoming weather that was expected overnight we decided to hike out Sunday, although I will admit the fresh bear prints we found when we awoke that morning had a little to do with that as well. After some well deserved pizza and ice cream we headed back to CT, however, not before getting to see three moose casually grazing on the side of the road.

March 21, 2010

Had an amazing time hiking Mt. Monadnock this past weekend with my boyfriend. Took us just over 2 hours round trip to complete this short 3.8 mile trip, snow was deep in places but we made it up fine with micro-spikes. At just over 3000 feet Monadnock is a perfect little mountain to introduce someone to “above tree-line conditions”. We decided to make a weekend out of it and stayed at the state campground, note to all those interested it IS open year-round. The tent sites were beautiful and we were able to have a campfire, which helped with the cold and fact that we were the only ones at the park. Overall it was a beautiful little hike and friendly campground.

Spent a beautiful day exploring Newport, RI. Watched a Valentine’s themed Ice Sculpting competition followed by a Polo match on 2nd beach. After a quick lunch at Bowden’s Warf we headed to the Cliff Walk, ending our day at the Red Parrot for a late dinner.