Thursday, January 26, 2017

Beautiful Sunrise on Adams and Madison, 1/23/2017

***We are pleased to announce that we will be fundraising over the coming years for Union of Concerned Scientists.  As citizens of this planet and students of science, we fear for the future of our environment.  The incoming Trump administration seems neither to understand the science behind the threat nor care about the welfare of future generations.  We strive to do our part to support science-based research and education concerning climate change so that We The People might give ourselves and future generations the chance to enjoy continuous clean water and habitable environments, regardless of the actions/inactions of the imminent United States Powers That Be.

We are meeting with the good people at UCS next month.  After that, we will write more about our plans and actions.  In the meantime, please visit the UCSUSA website to learn more about who they are and what they do, and DONATE...because it certainly looks like science and the procurement of real knowledge will be more and more dependent on public, and not governmental, support over the next four years.***

Adams and Madison
Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Airline
11 miles round trip
5000 feet of elevation gain 
1/25/2017

We started today's hike at about 4:30 a.m. because we had a very busy week; also, we wished to get up and over the two peaks before any possible clouds could sit on the mountains and cause poor visibility.  I got used to leading in the dark after getting over being nervous.  Hiking in the early morning has a different feel than hiking when it's light out; it felt incredibly different hiking down Valley Way later in the day.


Mom took this picture of Sage and me hiking ahead of her.  I like the action shot silhouette this image provides for the viewer.


You can see the shadow of my phone!


There were many intersections on Valley Way:


Our headlamps are very bright which is definitely helpful for picture taking.


I was anxious to get up there in time to see the sunrise.  I poked my head out of the trees to see beautiful colors of pink and orange flooding the lower part of the sky.  I also noticed that we had a terrific undercast today filled with rolling, thick clouds.


This image is a little blurry - sorry!  It still captures the colors of the sunrise, though.


All of the blue-tinted, soft clouds were covering the mountains like a blanket of cotton.  So beautiful!


This is a nice picture Mom took of Sage and me.


Typically, when we hike some of the Presidentials, we come across this STOP sign.



The colors reminded Mom and me of Easter.  The pastel pinks, oranges, and blues made a lovely combination.


We layered up before ascending Mt. Adams. (Mom took this picture - I have the light blue hat and Sage has the green)


Mt. Madison, Madison Springs Hut, and me...Mom took this of me while I was taking a picture of the Easter-like view of rolling clouds of bright colors.


There it is!  The sun peaked out from behind the mountain and spread its rays all across the snow.  Yellow burst into the orange and pink and invaded the blue sky.


Mom's picture of Sage and me hiking:


Mom hiking up!


I love how much blue is in this image.  Mt. Madison looks gorgeous from this perspective.



Amazing summit pictures on Mt. Adams...



It was pretty chilly on the top of Mt. Adams and there was some wind, so we didn't eat much on the summit itself; we had some more food when we got to Madison Springs Hut.  Then, Sage and I dropped our packs off at the hut and continued on to Mt. Madison (Mom decided she wanted to bring her pack).


The views on Mt. Madison were spectacular...


Mt. Washington and Mt. Adams...


Since Mt. Madison is lower than Mt. Adams, it was warmer here and I was more tempted to take pictures.  Summit selfie:


The trail sign on the top:


This one was taken by Mom of Sage and me...


We met Sue Johnston on the way down Madison!  She is an amazing hiker who did the New Hampshire White Mountain Grid in one calendar year.  It was lovely to meet her!  After that, we came down to the hut and then started to head down Valley Way.  It felt so different hiking the trail in the daytime than when it was dark out; when there was light I could see how open it was, but in the dark it had felt more cramped. 


Almost there...


Sage and Mom:



That was a really enjoyable hike!  It was nice to have had such beautiful views and good weather.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Wildcat D. January 15, 2017

***We are pleased to announce that we will be fundraising over the coming years for Union of Concerned Scientists.  As citizens of this planet and students of science, we fear for the future of our environment.  The incoming Trump administration seems neither to understand the science behind the threat nor care about the welfare of future generations.  We strive to do our part to support science-based research and education concerning climate change so that We The People might give ourselves and future generations the chance to enjoy continuous clean water and habitable environments, regardless of the actions/inactions of the imminent United States Powers That Be.

We are meeting with the good people at UCS next month.  After that, we will write more about our plans and actions.  In the meantime, please visit the UCSUSA website to learn more about who they are and what they do, and DONATE...because it certainly looks like science and the procurement of real knowledge will be more and more dependent on public, and not governmental, support over the next four years.***

Ski Trails, about 6 miles roundtrip with around 2000 feet of elevation gain.

Midterms and karate practice (we have an international competition coming up) ate most of our time last week -- as a consequence, Sunday's hike had to be short and quick.  We chose Wildcat D via the ski trails.  It's a nice, fast hike -- you buy a hiker's pass when the ticket counter opens at 8:30 and stay all the way to the left hiking up (and to the right hiking down).  We were up and down in three hours.

Here are the photos of our hike.  There is usually a nice view at the summit, but the morning was cloudy and we couldn't see the Presidentials.










(Mom took this photo)
I'll be back next week with a (more verbose) trip report of our next hike (midterms will be over).

Thursday, January 12, 2017

A Frigid Day on Carter Dome, South Carter, and Middle Carter, 1/8/2017

***We are pleased to announce that we will be fundraising over the coming years for Union of Concerned Scientists.  As citizens of this planet and students of science, we fear for the future of our environment.  The incoming Trump administration seems neither to understand the science behind the threat nor care about the welfare of future generations.  We strive to do our part to support science-based research and education concerning climate change so that We The People might give ourselves and future generations the chance to enjoy continuous clean water and habitable environments, regardless of the actions/inactions of the imminent United States Powers That Be.

We are meeting with the good people at UCS next month.  After that, we will write more about our plans and actions.  In the meantime, please visit the UCSUSA website to learn more about who they are and what they do, and DONATE...because it certainly looks like science and the procurement of real knowledge will be more and more dependent on public, and not governmental, support over the next four years.***

Carter Dome, South Carter, and Middle Carter
1/8/2017
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, North Carter Trail, Imp Trail
13.2 miles
4,300 feet of elevation gain

A very cold day awaited us on the 8th of January.  It would be 3 degrees on Carter Dome with -33 degree wind chill.  I kept on more layers than I normally wear. 


I saw the river with snow all around it.  Parts of the river were frozen over and others were not.


Mom is in this picture and you can see the trail extending beyond her.


Sage:


This part of the river was mostly ice-covered.


As we ascended, I saw vibrant colors of pink and orange flooding the bright, blue sky and taking over the horizon.  It was beautiful and exciting, and the silhouettes of trees made pretty patterns above me. 







We arrived at an intersection and continued on towards the summit of Carter Dome.


Some of my pictures are rather blue tinted because of the early time of day.



We reached another intersection...





The snow on the trees made for a charming image.





Spectacular views appeared as we got above treeline.



I could see Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range looking as magnificent as ever covered in sparkling, white snow.




Mom took these pictures of Sage and I on Carter Dome.  It was extremely cold up there; my hands got numb if I took them out for more than thirty seconds.  There were amazing views, though, which were greatly appreciated by all of us.




After that experience, we ventured on to South Carter.  When we hiked here before, there was a rock Mom sat on with a little drop where she could put her legs.  Now, the rock is completely covered in snow.  Mom took the following two pictures:

(On the way to Middle Carter...)


Beautiful trees and perfect blue sky!



The path behind us...


When we got to Middle Carter, my hands had warmed up more and since this summit is lower than Carter Dome, it was easier for me to take my hands out of my gloves to eat.

Mt. Washington in all its glory!


This is a really nice picture Mom took of Sage and I with the Presidential Range behind us.



Coming down...


There were many rabbit tracks scattered all over this area.



Also, we kept seeing this deer print, but we never saw any animal.  The prints stayed on the trail for quite a long time, and we were all impressed and surprised by this.  The animal seemed to be grateful for the trail!


This intersection sign looks so tall because I was sitting down when I took this; I was using my sled on the steep parts when I could.



Finally on the herd path to Camp Dodge.


Back in the car!



We brought hot chocolate and the top part of the Nalgene froze in a funny way:




It was a cold but gorgeous hike!