My 26th (Mount Carrigain) 4,000 footer!

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).
8 previous hikes (counterclockwise from "the Three") have been:
Mount Hale is the middle-upper green circle
the pair to the west of Mount Hale are North Twin and South Twin
the pair to the west of the Twins are Mount Garfield and Galehead Mtn
the vertical pair are Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette
across Franconia Notch is Cannon Mountain (the far-left green circle)
North Kinsman and South Kinsman are the far-far-left green circle
back across Franconia Notch are Mount Flume and Mount Liberty (in the lower green circle)
the lowest circle contains Mount Hancock and South Hancock
while today's hike (Mount Carrigain) is in the red square:


Go up 95 from Manchester-by-the-Sea, then up 16 to North Conway, then west on 302, then left (west) on Sawyer River Road for 2 miles




Using Map My Walk, I went up Signal Ridge Trail (1.7+3.3 = 5.0 miles) to get to the Mt Carrigain summit (4700 ft). I then went down the back (north) side of the mountain, down Desolation Trail for 1.9 miles (there must be a GREAT story behind that name!), then east 0.8 miles along Carrigain Notch Trail. At the Nancy Pond Trail intersection, take, Carrigain Notch Trail south for 4.1 miles back to Signal Ridge Trail, then 1.7 miles back to my car. With twists and turns and overlooks, I covered 14.6 miles in 5 hours 50 minutes. I covered about 6,600 feet in climbing elevation (3300 up and back down):


It was a BEAUTIFUL day in New Hampshire, with temperatures in the mid-60s



It being a "work day", I was surprised by the number of cars in the parking lot


Signal Ridge Trail begins right on the other side of the road from the parking lot


For the first few miles the trail is pretty easy


And goes by/alongside a lovely stream (Whiteface Brook)



Since it is 5 miles to the summit, there are some parts of the trail that are "difficult"

It is all about figuring out where to put your next step - a slow process

Once you hit the ridge to the summit, the view is pretty cool

Across Carrigain Notch, that is Mt Lowell with the scars and landslides. There are no trails to the top - bushwacking is the only way up (and down).

The firetower at the top of Mount Carrigain


My selfie on Mount Carrigain


The view north from the Observation Deck


and the view south from the Observation Deck. That white line is Signal Ridge Trail, running along the ridge


Down from the summit, I remembered that I wanted a picture of my (old pair of) hiking boots. Sierra Magazine has a contest: Post a cool picture of your favorite tattered-but-not-ready-to-be-tossed adventure gear and you could win a trip for two to Canyonlands National Park:


The view going down Desolation Trail

and looking straight down that trail

and turning around to look back up Desolation Trail


The trail got easier

and crossed a tributary of the Carrigain Branch of (eventually) the East Branch Pemigewasset River


From there it is 6.6 miles back to the parking lot, but it is all pretty level



There was a beautiful quiet bog/meadow


and then back down alongside Whiteface Brook


and that's all for today! Thank you God for a Great Day!

I believe that I have learned how to post my hike in Google Earth format! Click here to download the kml file



If this is successful, I will post the other hikes tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 (left at 7 AM, home at 8 PM)
168 miles -- Manchester-by-the-Sea to 95 North, then up 16 to North Conway, then west on 302, then left (west) on Sawyer River Road for 2 miles (3 1/2 hours)
14.6 miles -- hiking (5 hours 50 minutes)
3 hours -- to get home

Continuing to listen to all my songs, in alphabetical order. I listened to 91 songs, in the F's
Fields Of Gold Sting Ten Summoner's Tales
The Fields, The Sky [Live] Pat Metheny Group Travels (live) (2 cds)
Fifteen Taylor Swift Fearless
Fifty Dollar Love Affair Joe Jackson Big World
Fill This House Maeve Mothers Of Grace Club
Filled With Glory Michael Gungor 51 Must Have Modern Worship Hits
The Final Bell Bill Conti Rocky
Final Showdown Maya Rudolph & Rupert Everett Shrek The Third
Final Theme Bob Dylan Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Finale Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Ensemble Wicked- Original Broadway Cast Recording
Finale Yngwie J. Malmsteen G3 Live Rockin' In The Free World [Disc 1]
Finale (Live) Mose Allison The Mose Chronicles Vol. 1
Finale: The Sweetest Sounds (reprise) Richard Kiley & Diahann Carroll No Strings - Original Broadway Cast
Finally Ce Ce Peniston NOW That's What I Call Dance Classics
Finally (Danny Tenaglia's Return To Paradise Mix) Kings Of Tomorrow Hed Kandi - Base Ibiza
Finally [12" Choice Mix] Ce Ce Peniston 15 Years [Disc 1]
Find My Baby Moby Play
Find The Cost Of Freedom Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 4 Way Street (2 cds)
Find The River R.E.M. Automatic For The People
Finding & Believing Pat Metheny Secret Story (2 cds)
Finding Her Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs
Fine [Whitney Houston] Whitney Houston Whitney - The Greatest Hits [Disc 2] Throw Down
Fine Line Little Big Town A Place To Land
A Fine Romance Billie Holiday Too Marvelous - A Collection Of Jazz Classics
Finest Worksong R.E.M. Document
Finger Poppin' Time Hank Ballard & The Midnighters Loud, Fast & Out Of Control: Wild 50's Rock [Disc 1]
Fingerdance Billy McLaughlin Narada Guitar (2 cds)
Fingernail Moon Annie Lennox Songs Of Mass Destruction
Fingerprint File The Rolling Stones It's Only Rock 'N Roll
Finish Line The Crystal Method Drive
The Finish Line Snow Patrol Eyes Open
Finish What Ya Started Van Halen Right Here, Right Now [Live] (2 cds)
Fins Jimmy Buffett Feeding Frenzy [Live]
Fins Jimmy Buffett Tuesdays, Thursdays And Saturdays (Live)
Fio Maravilha Toquinho/Jorge Ben Beleza Tropical: Brazil Classics 1
Fire Augustana Can't Love, Can't Hurt
Fire Bruce Springsteen The Promise (2 cds)
Fire Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live 1975-85 (3 cds)
Fire Jimi Hendrix Hendrix In The West [Live]
Fire The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced?
Fire And Rain James Taylor Live - James Taylor (2 cds)
Fire And Rain James Taylor One Man Band
Fire And Rain James Taylor Sweet Baby James
Fire And Rain [Live] James Taylor The Concert For New York City [Disc 2]
Fire Burning Sean Kingston NOW That's What I Call Club Hits
Fire In My Soul Maeve Whatever Befall
Fire Of Love Gabriela Anders Wanting
Fire on the Mountain Grateful Dead New Year's Eves At Winterland
Fire On The Mountain Grateful Dead Shakedown Street
Fire On The Mountain The Marshall Tucker Band Anthology: The First 30 Years
Fire To Your Plain Tori Amos Abnormally Attracted To Sin
Fire Walk With Me ("Twin Peaks" Theme) Angelo Badalamenti Pure Moods
Firebird Fly Little Big Town A Place To Land
Fireflies Owl City NOW 33
Firefly [Main Title] Sonny Rhodes Firefly
Fireplace R.E.M. Document
The Fireplace Poker Drive-By Truckers Go-Go Boots
Firework Katy Perry Teenage Dream
Firework Katy Perry 2012 Grammy Nominees
Firmly I Believe & Truly Richard Marlow: Choir Of Trinity College Cambridge A Vaughan Williams Hymnal
First Air Of Autumn Drive-By Truckers English Oceans
First Circle Pat Metheny The Road To You (Live)
The First Circle Pat Metheny Group First Circle
First Cool Hive Moby Songs 1993-1998
First Date Bill Conti Rocky
First Day Of My Life Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
First I Look At The Purse J. Geils Band The J. Geils Band
First I Look At The Purse J. Geils Band Live Full House
First I Look At The Purse [Live] J. Geils Band Anthology: Houseparty [2 cds]
First Kiss David Arkenstone 20 Years of Narada Piano [Disc 2]
First Light Michael Whalen 20 Years of Narada Piano [Disc 2]
First Love Poco Pickin' Up The Pieces
First Movement (Symphony No. 5) Ludwig Van Beethoven 40 Most Beautiful Classical Anthems (Disc 1)
The First Neighbor Baxter In The Morning The Prez
First Night Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes This Time It's For Real
The First Noel Lori Line Lorie Line Holiday Piano Collection
First Of May Bee Gees Best Of The Bee Gees
First Of May James Taylor Never Die Young
First Song Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny Beyond The Missouri Sky (Short Stories)
The First Time U2 The Million Dollar Hotel
The First Time (Reprise) Daniel Lanois & The MDH Band The Million Dollar Hotel
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Cyrus Chestnut Genuine Chestnut
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Roberta Flack Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 Disc 7
First Time Love Livingston Taylor The Best Of Livingston Taylor: 20th Century Masters - The Millenium Collection
First Time Love Livingston Taylor Carolina Day: The Livingston Taylor Collection (1970 - 1980)
First We Take Manhattan R.E.M. I'm Your Fan
Firth Of Fifth [Excerpt] [Live] Genesis Live Over Europe 2007 (2 cds)
Fish Out Of Water Tears For Fears Elemental
The Fisherman Leo Kottke My Feet Are Smiling
Fisherman's Blues The Waterboys The Best Of The Waterboys '81-'90
Fisherman's Blues The Waterboys Fisherman's Blues

My 24th (Mount Garfield) and 25th (Galehead Mtn) 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).
Previous hikes have been:
North Kinsman and South Kinsman are the far-far-left green circle
Cannon Mountain is the far-left green circle
just east of Cannon are Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette
south of them are Mount Flume and Mount Liberty (in the lower green circle)
Mount Hale is the middle-upper green circle
the pair to the west of Mount Hale are North Twin and South Twin
the lowest circle contains Mount Hancock and South Hancock
while today's hike (Mount Garfield and Galehead Mtn) are in the red square:


Go up 93 from Boston, around on Route 3 for about 5 miles, then right (south) on Gale River Loop Road for 1.1 miles




Using Map My Walk, I went up Garfield Trail (4.8 miles), then backtracked on Garfield Ridge Trail (0.2 miles) to get to the Mt Garfield summit (1.3 miles, 4500 ft). I then went back (east) along the Garfield Ridge Trail for 2.9 miles [0.2+0.5+1.6+0.6]) to get to the Galehead Hut, then 0.5 miles up to Galehead Mtn summit (4024 ft). Then backtracked 1.1 miles [0.5+0.6] to take the Gale River Trail (4.0 miles) down to the Gale River Loop Road, then 1.6 miles back to my car. With twists and turns and overlooks, I covered 17 miles in 7 hours 20 minutes. I covered about 6,840 feet in climbing elevation (2950 up, 950 down, 470 up, and then finally 2470 down):


Um, it was raining on my way north - actually, once in a while it could be said that it was "raining hard" (but no thunderstorms!). Visibility was near zero going through Franconia Notch, but once I got on Rt 3, there were patches of sunlight to the north. It stopped raining when I turned onto Gale River Loop Road, and I even took some pictures of my car in the sunshine to prove it!


It sort of started raining once I was going up Garfield Trail, so I put on my baseball cap and poncho (which Wendy made me bring)[thank you, Wendy]


Neither Garfield Trail nor Garfield Ridge Trail do a very good job at avoiding water/streams. As a matter of fact, Garfield Ridge Trail is the wettest trail I have ever been on. This is a shot of the Garfield Trail, about halfway up (yes, that "stream" is the "trail"):


My selfie on top of Mount Garfield - it is blowing 30 knots, and the reason you cannot see anything in the view is because I am up in the clouds and there is no "view"!


At a stop on the Garfield Ridge Trail - looking north

looking east - the trail in front of me

looking south up the mountain/ridge


A little later, looking across at Galehead Mtn, where I am heading


The trail markers in the fog


My selfie on Galehead Mtn


This is the picture I took two weeks ago from North Twin Mtn - the view looking west includes Galehead Mountain, with Mount Garfield in the far right and the Franconia Ridge in the distance (Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty and Flume [right-to-left]). Owl's Head Mountain is the mountain beyond Galehead and in front of Flume


The Garfield Hut


"stepping stones" down the Gale River Trail


Two views of the North Branch of the Gale River


I have to remind you (and myself) that this is October 7 - these streams should be about as dry as they get!

and that's all for today! Thank you God for a Great Day!

Wait, Wait (do tell me) - since I did #24 and #25 today, and there are 48 4000 footers, that means that I am MORE THAN HALFWAY!! (but who's counting, anyway?)

Tuesday, October 7, 2014
168 miles -- Manchester-by-the-Sea to Tewksbury, then up 93 North to Rt. 3 to Gale River Loop Rd to trailhead parking lot (3 1/2 hours)
17 miles -- hiking (7 hours 20 minutes)
3 hours -- to get home

Continuing to listen to all my songs, in alphabetical order. I listened to 78 songs, in the F's
Quick note: "WM_" stands for Warren Miller ski movie soundtrack, which I built
Fearless Taylor Swift NOW 33
Feats Don't Fail Me Now Little Feat Waiting For Columbus (Live)
February 14 Drive-By Truckers A Blessing And A Curse
February Sea George Winston Winter Into Spring
Feed The Fire The BoDeans Joe Dirt Car (2 cds)
Feed The Fire [Live] The BoDeans The Best Of BoDeans: Slash And Burn
Feedback Grateful Dead Live Dead
Feel Q-Burns Abstract Message Feng Shui
Feel Strongline The Ultimate Ibiza Album [Disc 3]
Feel Alive Benassi Bros. Feat. Naan Ultra Weekend 3 [Disc 2]
Feel Fine Augustana All The Stars And Boulevards
Feel Flows The Beach Boys Almost Famous
Feel It Sam Cooke Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963
Feel Like Makin' Love Bad Company 10 From 6
Feel No Pain Sade Love Deluxe
Feel November Scarlet Haven Paleologos
Feel So Glad (Digitally Remastered 90) The Steve Miller Band Your Saving Grace
Feel So Good Mose Allison Allison Wonderland: Anthology [Disc 2]
Feel the Vibe ('till Morning Comes) Axwell Hed Kandi Classics [Disc 3]
Feel Your Love (Extended Mix) Kim Sozzi Just Dance
Feel Your Love Tonight Van Halen Van Halen
Feelin Free (Alternative) Michael Franti & Spearhead Everyone Deserves Music
Feelin' Alright Joe Cocker House M.D.
Feelin' Alright Joe Cocker Woodstock 94 (2 cds)
Feelin' Alright? Traffic Smiling Phases (2 cds)
Feelin' Alright? Traffic Traffic
Feelin' Bad Spooky Tooth Spooky Two
Feelin' Good John Coltrane Standards
Feelin' Love [Ian Carey Main Remix] Soulsearcher Hed Kandi Classics [Disc 2]
Feelin' Lowdown Andy Bey Tuesdays In Chinatown
Feelin' The Same Way Norah Jones Come Away With Me
Feeling Fine 3 Brave Woodsmen Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Feeling Gravity's Pull R.E.M. Fables Of The Reconstruction
Feeling Gravity's Pull [Live] R.E.M. Live At The Olympia In Dublin (39 songs)
Feeling So Real Moby Songs 1993-1998
Feels Like Home Chantal Kreviazuk Songs From Dawson's Creek
Feels Like Home [Live] Randy Newman The Best Of Randy Newman
Feels So Good Gabriela Anders Wanting
Felicity's Theme W.G. "Snuffy" Walden Music by W.G. Snuffy Walden
Feliz E Triste Ceumar Brazilian Café
Fell In Love With A Boy (Live Acoustic Version) Joss Stone The Best Acoustic Album In The World... Ever
Femme Fatale R.E.M. Dead Letter Office
Femme Fatale R.E.M. Reckoning - Live At The Aragon Ballroom 7/7/84
Feng Shui Q-Burns Abstract Message Feng Shui
Fergus Falls Field Report Field Report EP
Ferlendis: Oboe Concerto In F - Rondo Burkhard Glaetzner The Instruments Of Classical Music - The Oboe
Ferry Randy Roos Narada Guitar (2 cds)
Ferry Cross The Mersey Pat Metheny One Quiet Night
Ferryboat Serenade Duke Ellington Complete Legendary Fargo Concert (cd 1)
Festive Minor Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord Jazz Service
The Fever Bruce Springsteen 18 Tracks
Fever Peggy Lee Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swingin
The Fever Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes I Don't Want To Go Home
The Fever Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes 1978: Live In Boston
Fever (Adam Freeland Remix) Sarah Vaughan Verve Remixed, Vol. 3
Fever / Comin' Home Baby The Ernie Freeman Group Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 11: Organs in Orbit
Fever Dog Stillwater Almost Famous
...A Few Final Bars Bill Evans The Complete Live at the Village Vanguard 1961 [Disc 3]
The Fez Steely Dan Royal Scam
Fez - Being Born U2 No Line On The Horizon
Fictionary Lyle Mays Fictionary
Fiddle About The Who Tommy
Fidelity Regina Spektor WM_Playground
Field of Opportunity Neil Young Comes A Time
Field Trip David Arnold Quantum Of Solace
Fields Of Gold Sting Ten Summoner's Tales
The Fields, The Sky [Live] Pat Metheny Group Travels (live) (2 cds)
Fifteen Taylor Swift Fearless
A Fifth Of Beethoven Walter Murphy Saturday Night Fever
Fifty Dollar Love Affair Joe Jackson Big World
Fill This House Maeve Mothers Of Grace Club
Filled With Glory Michael Gungor 51 Must Have Modern Worship Hits
The Final Bell Bill Conti Rocky
Final Showdown Maya Rudolph & Rupert Everett Shrek The Third
Final Theme Bob Dylan Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Finale Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Ensemble Wicked- Original Broadway Cast Recording
Finale Yngwie J. Malmsteen G3 Live Rockin' In The Free World [Disc 1]
Finale (Live) Mose Allison The Mose Chronicles Vol. 1

My 22nd (Mount Hancock) and 23rd (South Hancock) 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).
Previous hikes have been:
North Kinsman and South Kinsman are the far-far-left green circle
Cannon Mountain is the far-left green circle
just east of Cannon are Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette
south of them are Mount Flume and Mount Liberty (in the lower green circle)
Mount Hale is the middle-upper green circle
the pair to the west of Mount Hale are North Twin and South Twin
while today's hike (Mount Hancock and South Hancock) are in the red square:


Go up 93 from Boston, take exit 32 for the Kancamagus Highway for about 11 miles - park right after the hairpin turn




Using Map My Walk, I went up Hancock Notch Trail (1.8 miles), left onto Cedar Brook Trail (0.7 miles), then right onto Hancock Loop Trail (1.1 miles to the split, 0.7 miles to Mount Hancock, 1.4 miles on the ridge trail, then 0.5 miles down from South Hancock), then backtracked down to the parking area (3.6 miles). With twists and turns and overlooks, I covered 10.2 miles in 4 1/2 hours. I covered about 5,200 feet in climbing elevation (2300 up, 400 down, 300 up, and then finally 2200 down):


It is a BEAUTIFUL day at the Hancock Overlook parking area:


The first section is a nice 1.8-mile walk up the Hancock Notch Trail


which gets right next to the North Fork (of the Hancock Branch of the Pemigewasset River)


The second section is a left onto Cedar Brook Trail, which crosses over North Fork 3 times (Cedar Brook begins 2 miles along this trail, and flows north). This trail is also a relatively easy walk. This area of North Fork is wonderful, on this sunny day!


after 0.7 miles, you take a right onto Hancock Loop Trail. After crossing North Fork again, the trail becomes "moderate" for 1.1 miles (not "flat", but also not "difficult"). After 1.1 miles, I took the "difficult" left path to the north (Mount Hancock) first, and this is looking back down a section of that trail (with South Hancock in the distance)


my selfie on top of Mount Hancock (4420 feet)


the view from the outcrop just off the north summit - I think that silver ribbon in the far-away right is Pine Brook running down the north side of Mount Osceola, with Scar Ridge running off to the right (LOVE that name!)


The moss-laden forest along the ridge to South Hancock


my selfie on top of South Hancock (4319 feet)


the view off the backside (east) of South Hancock


the view from going down the South trail, looking at Mount Hancock:


a final view of a clearing by the North Fork:


and then home to my wonderful wife and divine daughter Caroline!


Thank you God for a Great Day!

Thursday, October 2, 2014
145 miles -- Boston up 93 North to exit 32 - Kancamagus Highway to trailhead parking lot (2 1/2 hours)
10.2 miles -- hiking (4 1/2 hours)
3 hours -- to get home

I'm in the mood today to listen to complete albums - I remember when I knew what song followed each other, and even which album followed the one before on my reel-to-reel tapes from St. Paul's:

Steely Dan - Aja (1977)


Steely Dan - Gaucho (1980)


The Beatles - Help! (1965) (twice)


Jethro Tull - This Was (1968)


James Taylor - 1st album (1968)


The Jeff Beck Group - Truth (1968)


Led Zeppelin - 1st album (1969)


Buffalo Springfield - Retrospective (1969)


Traffic - Traffic (2nd album) (1968)