The Icey Osceolas Icey Solo Day Hike on Ice…

The Osceolas

My most recent mountain therapy excursion included checking out the two Osceolas this past weekend.  I usually don’t do 4000 Footer day hikes and I haven’t ever done one without camping.  Mainly because driving 5 hours in a day to hiked for 6 is for yuppie trash and people that don’t own tents. However, it was December, an exception to my own rule and I found myself alone and with a free day and I figured I would do a quick cold weather gear check and test the legs out on something short and simple.  By that I mean the mileage and vert is less than I am used to, however I loaded up a 30lb pack and the conditions were definitely a surprise…

Carters & Moriah Overnight at Imp Shelter

This weekend, the long awaited Carters + Moriah 4-bagger were on the menu after a 3 month summer backpacking hiatus which in hindsight is inexcusable.  Gus and I hit up Dolly Copp campsite at about 10 pm and got a fire going.  We drank a few brews, scoped the full moon from the field and split up group gear and passed out around 1 am.  I slept with the rain fly off and woke a few times to see the moon staring brightly down at me. We were awakened by the camp caretaker for not paying the fee at 7am.  Since we got there late and the campground is quite large, we figured we’d pay on the way out and apparently the way out part doesn’t fly with them.  My alarm went off as he walked away so it worked out.

Northern Presidential Loop Death March…

After my Los Angeles trip + Gus’ Vegas bachelor party last week I was chomping at the bit for some Nature re-tuning.  Gus and I had talked about the Northern Presidentials while drinking in the pool at Mandalay Bay so that was on the menu for this weekend.

Tripyramids + Whiteface + Passaconaway Overnight…

Back to the mountains and this time it  felt overdue.  Since we bailed on the previous weekend due to rain, we decided to stomp out a four peak trip after throwing around some two peak trip ideas that would have been less than acceptably arduous.  The weather is getting nice so time to crank the vert back up around 6,000 feet per trip which was our average for last year.  We decided on this trip after reading tantalizing tales of the carnage that is the Kate Sleeper Trail and having never done a Sandwich Range hike, this was new terrain and views for us.

Mt. Moosilauke Overnight + Bluebird 3/29-3/30…

Mt.Moosilauke from South Peak

After taking the winter off from peak bagging in exchange for a record season of riding powder, Gus Longtrail and I decided enough was enough and that Mt. Moosilauke needed a proper crushing.  We headed north and got a start around 7 pm Friday as the sun was fading.  The drizzle thankfully turned to snow when we reached the trail head in Kinsman Notch and suited up for a nighttime ascent of Beaver Brook Trail to the Beaver Brook Shelter.  This ascent is the steepest route up, at 1.5 miles and almost 1900 feet of vert.

Breaking Trail on the Cannonballs…

Friday Night – 11/12/12

First Night: 1.54 Miles & 1056 ft vert

This past weekend Gus and I packed up and headed to Lonesome Lake Hut on a frosty 10-15 degree night.  We made the quick one hour hike to the Hut mostly in the dark with our headlamps off and the nearly full moon lighting the way off the 4-5 inches of fresh snow from the night before.

Overnight Cannonballs Loop

Tom Field Wiley Loop + Two Nights at Ethan Pond…

Friday, 10/26/2012
Day One: 2.74 Miles & 1516 feet vert

After a Kinsman Ridge Traverse trip fell apart last minute, Gus LT and I decided to try a Tom Field Wiley Loop out of a lack of a car spot.  I’m positive these peaks are rarely done as a loop which made it even more enticing; I’m starting to develop a habit of hiking weird loops.

Willey Field Tom Loop from Ethan Pond

Southern Presidentials + Isolation Overnight – 3/31 – 4/1/2012

This past weekend I joined an AMC led trip for my first trip in the Presidentials to bag four peaks.  Meeting at Crawford Notch at 9:15am Saturday, the leader decided to reverse the original route to take advantage of the weather as snow was predicted for Sunday.  After car dropping at Rocky Branch Trailhead at Rt. 16, we returned to the Highland Center and began our six person trek on the Crawford Path at 11pm.  The temperature quickly rose to near 40 degrees and the 3 or so inches of snow that had fallen the night before began to melt off the trees.  We set a slow but steady pace up to Pierce and were greeted with blue bird skies and a great view of the path ahead of us.

The Presidential Range from Mt.Pierce

North & South Kinsmans via Lonesome Lake & Fishin Jimmy Trails…

After reading and planning hiking trips all winter, I finally tore myself away from the city for a night to bag some new peaks.  I decided to head up to Lafayette Campground Friday night and do a North & South Kinsman plus Cannon Mountain loop on Saturday.  The 100ish site campground was entirely empty when I arrived so I picked out a choice spot on the little river that runs through it.  This is a top campsite for access to trails, with many that start here.  Its open year round but they don’t turn the water on until May 19th or 20th so before that its pretty deserted.  If you can handle the cold, might be fun to ski/ride Cannon and stay here.

Lonesome Lake

Due to a chance of rain and shivering to death all night by the river in new untested gear, I decided to cut my aspired 16 mile trek down the morning of and I started on Lonesome Lake Trail instead of Pemi Trail to Cascade Basin.  I’ve heard Lonesome Lake is an extremely popular destination for day hikers and I can see why.  A quick 1.2 mile trudge uphill to a great lake loop doable for small kids and fat people.