Friday, September 29, 2017

The Kinsmans with Autumn Foliage and Humidity, September 24, 2017

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The Kinsmans
9/24/2017
Lonesome Lake Trail, Fishin' Jimmy Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail
10 miles roundtrip
3,550 feet of elevation gain

When I got out of the car at the trailhead, I first noticed the temperature of the air around me.  It was warm and it felt humid.  Then, I looked at the trees with delight and absorbed the subtle yellow, orange, and red hues of the autumn leaves.




Lonesome Lake Trail starts with flat, easy terrain.


It gradually gets steeper.




Rock steps!


By the time we got to Lonesome Lake, we were all sweaty and tired from the hike up; it was hot and humid.  The flatness of the walk around the lake was gratifying, and the beautiful view of the water was a rewarding break for my mind.




I love seeing autumn foliage!


It was gorgeous up there...





We already felt weary from the hike, so we stopped by the hut for a quick rest and to fill up our Nalgene bottles.



Then, we hiked up Fishin' Jimmy Trail...



This trail got steep and rocky.  This was also tiring, but I felt better by now; I was past that phase of every hike when I am still tired from waking up early.



 



Bright red berries above the trail:



Sage and I on North Kinsman, right before the outlook (sorry the picture is so dark):

Photo by Trish Herr
The views from North and South Kinsman were spectacular!


Going up South Kinsman...





Somebody made a chair with armrests out of the South Kinsman cairn!  Me, Sage, and Mom sitting...

Photo by Trish Herr
Photo by Trish Herr

Photo by Sage Herr
One last look before going back down into the trees...


The farther down we descended, the more we felt the heat of the valley - in the 90s!  Later, we learned that it had been around 80 degrees on the summit of South Kinsman while we were up there.  I was proud of us!  September weather usually isn't this hot.  The fall foliage and the beautiful views were sights to see, though, and I am glad we were there to observe the clear skies and the changing leaves.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Field and Willey (9/10/17) and Carrigain (9/19/2017)

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On this post, I am including the pictures from our last two hikes: the first up and over Field and Willey, and the second on Carrigain.  Please check out our most recent GraniteGals podcast with Zoey Ceriello-Sachetta!  She is seven years old and working on her first round of the New Hampshire 48.

This is an abbreviated report since schoolwork began and I am currently in the middle of a busy AP/Honors schedule.  :)

Field and Willey
9/10/2017
Avalon and Willey Range Trails
8.4 miles roundtrip 
3,050 feet of elevation gain

I noticed some (but few) leaves were turning when we started our hike up Field and Willey on the 10th of September (a Sunday).  We did not do Tom today because we do not need Mt. Tom anymore for the September Grid.




Beginning the hike...






Heading up Field instead of Tom at this intersection...










We reached the summit of Field.


We got some water and then continued to Willey.




The summit of Willey.  We went past this in order to go to the nearby outlook.


We didn't see any views; we were in the clouds.



While we were having our break, the clouds cleared up a bit.




After we had eaten and drank our fill, we headed back to Field and then down to the car.





Carrigain
9/19/2017
Signal Ridge Trail
10 miles roundtrip 
3,250 feet of elevation gain


It was a humid day when we started hiking Mt. Carrigain.  Also, it was a cloudy day and did not clear up until we were heading down the mountain.  However, many of the trees' leaves had turned at this point and there were colorful fall leaves all over the ground.  Many parts of the trail were bursting with color and they were beautiful sights to see!




Many bog bridges...




Then, the trail started to get steeper.



We finally finished that really steep mile and popped out on the ridge.  The steep parts of the trail felt especially tiring for me, probably because the day was so humid.  Getting up on the ridge felt nice.



Almost at the top...


We reached the summit of Carrigain!





We went on the tower to look around, but unfortunately the 360-degree views that are usually seen from the top were hidden by thick clouds.  




I am scared of heights, so this part was a little frightening for me.  I have climbed this tower before, of course, so I got up pretty easily despite my natural fears.







Heading back down the tower...






It was windy up there, so we went back down and ate a snack under the tower.



Heading down...




We had a good hiking day!  I had only hiked Carrigain twice before this hike (and so had Sage), so we will be on Carrigain a lot more for the White Mountain Grid in the months to come.