My 11th (Mt. Flume) and 12th (Mt. Liberty) 4,000 footers!

The end-of-July hike (Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom) are grouped together in Crawford Notch State Park in the "middle group" (in the far-right green circle), August's Cannon Mountain hike is the left green circle, Monday's Mount Hale is the middle green circle, while today's hike (Mount Flume and Mount Liberty) are in the red square:


Using Map My Walk, I went up the Flume Slide Trail (3.3 miles) to Mount Flume, northwest along the Franconia Ridge Trail (1.2 + 0.3 = 1.5 miles) to Mount Liberty, then down the Liberty Spring Trail (2.3 miles). Adding in the trails from the parking lot, I covered 10.75 miles in 5 hours. I covered about 6,490 feet in climbing elevation (2800 up, 340 down, then 450 up, then 2900 all the way back down):


Before you even get to Flume Slide Trail you have a nice walk along the Pemigewasset River:


The lower 3/4 of the Trail is actually fairly gentle - crossing over brooks and streams. I am sure it is VERY WET in the springtime!


The book (White Mountain Guide) says "Flume Slide Trail's upper section is extremely steep and rough, with polished rock slabs that are very slippery when wet (and they are nearly always wet because of the many seep springs on these steep slopes). This trail is not recommended for descent, and its use is discouraged in wet weather, when the ledges are more than ordinarily dangerous." This is looking down one of those sections:


And this is the view from just-off-the-top-of the trail:



And that is where I am heading - Mount Flume:



my selfie on Mount Flume:


I look a little haggard because the wind is HOWLING on top of the mountain. The weather at Mount Washington at that time said average wind speed was 35 mph (with peak gusts of 61 mph!!)

To get over to Mount Liberty, you descend on the Franconia Ridge Trail:


and then you ascend (I hate it when my only way DOWN is to go UP):


my selfie on Mount Liberty:


and beautiful 360 views on the top of Mount Liberty:





That's Mount Flume in the near-distance

A photo back along the Franconia Ridge Trail, looking south:


and out across Franconia Notch:


Then down Liberty Springs Trail, which is part of the Appalachian Trail (which explains the number of hikers I encountered on the trail, going both up and down). I finished how I started - on a lovely bikepath:


and over a very nice stream:


and that's all for today! Thank you God for a GREAT DAY! GO Bike 3000!!



In September Deede Dixon (and two other girls) will be bike-riding across the country!! Here is the Facebook page for their bike ride https://www.facebook.com/bike3000 and their website http://bike3000.weebly.com/
Aren't they going to have a fun adventure!!

Thursday, August 28, 2014
123 miles -- Reading up 93 North to trailhead parking lot (2 hours)
10.75 miles -- hiking (5 hours)
3 hours -- to get home

Continuing to listen to all my songs, in alphabetical order. I was still in the D's today: I started with "Dear Prudence" by The Beatles (the white album), and ended the day with "Desert Sun" by Keith Jarrett (Live at the Blue Note, disc 6). In between were 4 versions of Deja Vu (various incarnations of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young), and Defying Gravity from Wicked, which includes the lyrics:
So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!

My 10th (Mt. Hale) 4,000 footer!

A quick personal note: over the weekend, my 2009 Honda Civic GX (Compressed Natural Gas vehicle) rolled-over to 100,000 miles! I recently had to buy a new battery, and I will have to replace the original tires before winter sets in, but it has worked out GREAT!


Ryan, a friend from the Thursday Morning Mens Breakfast, asked if we could hike together - I said GREAT! The end-of-July hike (Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom) are grouped together in Crawford Notch State Park in the "middle group" (in the green circle), August's Cannon Mountain hike is the left green circle, while today's hike (Mount Hale) is in the red square:


Mount Hale is up 93, then east on 3, then just a little south on 302. the parking area/trailhead is a couple of miles up Zealand Road (past the parking lots for the trail to North Sugarloaf and Middle Sugarloaf)


Instead of just going up-and-down Hale Brook Trail (4.4 miles round trip), we decided to do a nice loop: up Hale Brook Trail (2.2 miles), down Lend-A-Hand Trail (2.7 miles), then Zealand Trail (0.2 + 2.3 miles), then walk from the south parking area on the road back to our car (1.0 miles) - 8.4 miles altogether - maybe 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

My iPhone was low on power - using Map My Walk, I was able to get 7.5 miles in 3.5 hours. We covered about 4,380 feet in climbing elevation (2190 up, then back down):


Ryan picked me up at the Sears parking lot at 7:30, we went down 128, through Reading, then up 93, and were parked and hiking by 11


We saw some wildlife - Hi Mr. Frog!


Saw a beautiful stream:


We reached the top in a little over an hour



and my shots from the top of the cairn





and Ryan's photo of the Beaver Ponds:


We hiked to Zealand Falls Hut. Anyplace that has the word "Falls" in its name must be pretty cool! It is right next to Zealand Falls, which are a beautiful set of cascades with nice water, even at this time of year. Since the trail up from the Parking Area is practically flat, I look forward to bringing Wendy up here next May-or-June to see it in "full flow"!

and that's all for today! Thank you God for a GREAT DAY!

Monday, August 25, 2014
153 miles -- Sears parking lot up 93 North to trailhead parking lot (3 hours)
9.5(?) miles -- hiking (4.5 hours)
3 hours -- to get home

No playlist today - Ryan and I were too busy talking!

My 9th (Mt. Passaconaway) 4,000 footer!

Keeping in the "Southern Group", June's Mount Tecumseh and July's Mount Osceola, East Osceola and Mount Whiteface are in green, while today's hike (Mount Passaconaway) is in the red circle:


After Mount Whiteface, Mount Passaconaway is the 2nd southernmost 4000 footer. From Boston, go 103 miles up 93 to exit 24, then northeast for 27 miles to get to the Ferncroft Road parking lot (beautiful drive on 113 around the north side of Squam Lake)


I used Map My Walk - the whole trip took 5 hours (11.1 miles hiked) and covered about 5,800 feet in climbing elevation (2,900 up, then return):


It should be a nice hike up Wonalancet Range Trail, then Walden Trail, then Dicey's Mill Trail back down:


The trail started out very flat and wide through the forest, but then turned into a "real" hiking trail up the mountain(s). Although almost always in the woods, there is little "view-break" going up:


Getting up to Mt. Passaconaway, I had to hit Mt. Wonalancet (2760'), Hibbard Mtn. (2940'), and "Nanamocomuck" (3320'). You can save 0.4 miles by taking the "short cut" around Mt. Wonalancet, but DON'T - you will miss a beautiful view on a nice granite outcrop:




then just turn around and head back up into the woods (see the blue blaze!):


I saw maybe a dozen toads (jaguar markings), plus a lot of scat (I should email Doug out in Estes Park, but maybe "East Coast scat" is different from "Rocky Mountain scat"). Steep climb towards the top, but great views:


on the back (north side) of Mt. Passaconaway is a 0.3 mile trail marked "View" - hike to it! Do Not Just Be A Peak-bagger!! Look at the VIEW!! The lake is Church Pond, the closer bare-patches is Potash Mtn (2680') and the bare-peaks in the distance is Green's Cliff (2926'):


turning to the right, the wilderness spreads out below me:


and those outcropings are Hedgehog Mtn (2532') and its East Legdes:


I had to take 3 selfies. These summits have no signs, but usually there is a cairn - pretty modest in this case (I'm lying on the ground!):


I headed down the west side of the mountain. Do not ignore the beauty of the woods! These mushrooms were brilliant orange, set against the bight mossy greens:


It took me between 30-and-40 minutes per mile to get to the top, and also down the steep wets/southwest side. But as soon as I got to Dicey's Mill Trail, it leveled-out (relatively), and I just FLEW down the trail (15-to-28 minute miles). And crossed a beautiful stream:


The trail finishes in a field - a lovely way to end the day!


Thank you God for a GREAT DAY!

Thursday, August 21, 2014
Boston, MA
103 miles -- up to Exit 24, 93 North (2 hours)
27 miles onto 25, then 113 -- to Mount Passaconaway trailhead (1 hour)
11.1 miles -- hiking (5 hours)
27 miles/1 hour -- back to 93 South
2 1/2 hours -- to get home

here is today's playlist:

Continuing to listen to all my songs, in alphabetical order. I was in the D's today: I started with "Daughter" by Pearl Jam, and ended the day with "Dear God" by Sarah McLachian.

My 8th (Cannon Mountain) 4,000 footer!

After vacations on the Vineyard and up in Canada, and some rain-delays, I'm itching to get back to the mountains! The last hike (Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom) are grouped together in Crawford Notch State Park in the "middle group" (in the green circle), while today's hike (Cannon Mountain) is in the red square:


Cannon Mountain is on the west side of 93 in Franconia Notch


Since I wanted to start down at the Lafayette Camp Ground (trailhead for the Lonesome Lake Trail), go swimming at Lonesome Lake, then over to Cannon Mountain summit, and return down the Kinsman Ridge Trail, I parked near the Aerial Tramway Base and rollerbladed down the Recreational Trail. Parked, with the Franconia Range in the background:


and heading down the Recreational Trail:



WARNING - even though it is a black-topped bicycle path, it does have some steep sections. I needed to walk on the grass a few times. The 2.57 miles took 29 minutes, and I put the blades and helmet behind a tree.

I used Map My Walk - the whole trip took 3 and 1/3 hours (7.02 miles hiked) and covered about 4,220 feet in climbing elevation (2260 up, then 1960 down to the car):


Starting out at the trailhead


Hiking up the Lonesome Lake Trail seemed pretty easy


Lonesome Lake is beautiful (and my swim was fun!)


Nice boardwalk around the northeast side of Lonesome Lake:


But the trail turns into a "climbing trail" to get up to the summit:


The Observation Tower/Fire Tower on Cannon Mountain:


my selfie:


Views from the top of the tower:




coming back down the Kinsman Ridge Trail:


the Kinsman Ridge Trail going through some blown-out areas in the woods:


and that's all for today! Thank you God for a GREAT DAY!>

Monday, August 18, 2014
Boston, MA
40 miles -- Manchester-by-the-Sea to Tewksbury (1 hour)
122 miles -- up 93 North to Exit 34B to Tramway parking lot (2 hours)
2.57 miles rollerblading on bike path -- to Lonesome Lake trailhead (29 minutes)
7 miles -- hiking (3 1/3 hours)
2.57 miles/10 minutes -- back to pick up rollerblades and helmet
3 hours -- to get home

here is today's playlist:

I wanted to listen to some live music today, specifically live Neil Young!

Neil Young - Going Back to Santa Cruz (live bootleg double-cd)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Live at the Fillmore East

Grateful Dead - Live/Dead

Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead (the white album)
They all sounded GREAT!!