a trail to self discovery...

"Spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush." This would be my second time hiking the Hancocks. I had hiked them in the fall about 2 years ago. I was looking forward to it. I met Trish and the girls once again at the parking lot. We hit the trail around 9:30am. The trail starts off pretty flat for the first few miles in with a pretty steep up to Hancock. As I drove the Kanc across to the trail head parking lot, i realized winter just had not let go this year. Trees were freshly covered in a blanket of snow from the night before. Temperature was just bordering around 32 degrees. The trail had a great packed down trail. I brought my spikes just in case we would need them on the steep sections. All water crossings were pretty manageable. After, what felt like the longest half a mile up to the summit of Hancock, we finally made it. We sat on the rocks where the viewpoint was and enjoyed our snacks and lunches. And what do you know, ...

"And at the end of the day your feet should be dirty, your hair should be messy, and your eyes sparkling." Road  I have kind of taking a hiatus from my NH 48 4000 footer list for a while. Mostly, because life gets hectic, I was traveling, and lastly because I am in no hurry and like to enjoy my time out on the trails no matter what trails they are. I have been stuck with only 4 left until my completion for over a year now. Trish and the girls were kind enough to suggest a Whiteface & Passaconaway loop hike, knowing they were 2 of the 4 I needed for my completion. Also, 2 they had not enjoyed their " Desserts on the 48 " yet. I am thankful they had suggested this one for the day. 6:00am came quick and I retired my winter boots for the season. I broke out my 3 season Vasque Taku GTX Hiking Boots. Instantly my feet felt 5lbs lighter compared to my Scarpa Mont Blancs. I also downsized from my Osprey Stratos 36L pack to my 20L Osprey Tempest pac...

"Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn." I woke up Monday morning a little sore from the day be-fore's jaunt across Tom, Field, and Willey. However, I enjoyed what the beautiful day had to offer. I did my usual errands throughout the day and decided to take a sunset hike to the top of my local mountain here in town. In need of a new book. Living in a small mountain community, it's nice to know we have large enough mountains but short enough trails. Then again isn't what the entire White Mountains of NH consist of? SHORT AND STEEP? Kearsarge North is located right here in North Conway. It's elevation peaks just about 3,000ft above sea level. North Conway is roughly about 525 feet above sea level.. This mountain is 6.2 miles round trip with an elevation gain of roughly 2200ft. This means, it's short and steep. I have hiked this mountain a few times, and every time I tell myself it's not a hard mountain, it will be quick and eas...

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature-- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter." No work for an entire week! What shall I do?  I spent my Easter Sunday with my family down in Boston. For three days after that while it was doomy and gloomy I decided to hold off on doing the fun outdoorsy stuff for the weekend where temps would rise and the sun would be out.  I had planned for a hike with Trish and her two girls, Alex and Sage. We originally were going to aim for Jefferson, Washington, Munroe Loop on Sunday. Given the forecast for that day, we opted out. Winds were forecasted to be somewhere in the 50's. We decided to traverse the "WTF" Range as some would refer to it as. Tom, Field, & Willey. We spotted a car at Ethan Pond Trailhead and started from the A-Z Trailhe...