Showing posts with label girl hikers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label girl hikers. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Some July Hikes and Long Hiking Expedition

Check out the videos I made of a couple hikes I’ve done this July!  I hiked Carter Dome, Willey, Field, and Tom, and the Tripyramids.

After these hikes, I did a solo multiple-day hiking expedition.  It was a great experience for me, and I enjoyed the adventure.  On my expedition, I peakbagged Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty, Flume, Carrigain, and then the Kinsmans.

Day 1:
I hiked around 1.5 miles up to Lonesome Lake Hut and stayed there for the day.  Unfortunately, there were storms forecasted for that day, so I decided not to hike the Kinsmans, which I was going to do according to my original plan.  During this first day of my expedition, I attended a presentation about the hut and what the hut croo (that's how they spell it) does.  For example, the presenter talked about the pack they use to carry food and other supplies to and from the valley.  Later that day, I also participated in a fun and informative game of White Mountain trivia.

Day 2:
I hiked around 1.5 miles down Lonesome Lake trail and then I hiked 2.9 miles up Old Bridle Path to Greenleaf Hut.  I spent the day there and enjoyed the view and the company.  Also, I attended a presentation which included information about the area (nearby peaks and trails) and how the White Mountain National Forest, botanists, etc. are trying to conserve plant life and protect the environment from hikers who step off the trail.  One detail the presenter, Miles, gave, was about how they are trying to build the scree wall to make it look more unappealing to prevent hikers from walking over it and trampling fragile alpine flowers.  For example, the trail maintainers sort the rocks in an upward, jarring fashion now.

Day 3:
I hiked 11.5 miles all in all that day.  My route was hiking up to Lafayette from Greenleaf Hut, then hiking over Lincoln, Little Haystack, Liberty, and Flume.  From there, I went down Flume, hiked on Lincoln Woods Trail to the parking lot, and then I walked to Franconia Brook Campsite from there.  I set up my own tent with help from my sister, Sage.  I asked her to hold things in place when needed, but I directed the setting up of the tent.  I put my pack in my tent when I finished and put my smelly belongings in the bear box provided at the campsite.  This was my longest day.

Day 4: 
I hiked 7 miles that day.  Day 4 consisted of a mostly flat route to my destination.  After around a few hours, I arrived at Stillwater Junction.  After that, I hiked 0.8 miles to the next intersection with Desolation Trail and camped around there, again setting up my own tent, situating my belongings, hanging up the Ursack, etc.  My hiking party, which used a different tent and camped in a different but nearby site, hiked Carrigain (Desolation Trail) and came back while I stayed at the tentsite.

Day 5:
On my last day, I hiked 7.1 miles.  I hiked Carrigain and went down the other side.  My mom and my sister, my hiking party, greeted me at the car (they hiked out a different route, and then drove to me) and picked me up from the trailhead.

Day 6 (not officially part of my expedition):  I went back and got the Kinsmans, completing my July Grid.

Here are some pictures from my expedition and summit photos from the Kinsmans:

  





























Tuesday, June 12, 2018

The Hancocks (June 6, 2018) and the Kinsmans (June 11, 2018)


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Hancocks
6/6/2018
Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook, and Hancock Loop trails
9.8 miles
2,650 feet of elevation gain

Now that our schoolwork has ended for the year (for the most part), Sage and I can afford to start our hikes a little later in the day.  Therefore, we began when the sun had already risen.


Trailhead picture!

Photo by Trish Herr

I am always amazed at how beautiful the sky looks with the cloud formations, as well as with the gradient from dark blue to light blue, ending at the horizon.



The trail is flat for a while on this hike, which makes it feel easier than most of the other mountains we climb.  It also gives me time to settle into hiking mode.


Water crossing...



The light shone through the trees.


Another water crossing...



Intersection...




Another intersection...




After the last intersection, the trail began to steepen a bit.


We were excited to reach the summit of North Hancock!  It was a cloudy day though, so we could not see any views through the short trees.



We had a snack and drank replenishing liquids before moving on.


Photo by Trish Herr

 





Time seemed to fly between the summits.  We got to South Hancock feeling good, and we casually rested before heading down.


The light flooded through the thin trees.







Peanut butter M&M'S: my favorite kind...

 
Photo by Trish Herr
We went back down the mountain feeling content.


Kinsmans
6/11/2018
Lonesome Lake, Cascade Brook, Fishin' Jimmy, Kinsman Ridge, Basin Cascades, Cascade Brook, and Kinsman Pond trails
11.0 miles
Around 3,500 feet of elevation gain

It was slightly cool when I got out of the car, so Sage and I both decided to start off wearing our hats.  I swear we were not trying to look identical, but in the trailhead picture below, it may seem like we tried to dress in the same clothing.  We both happened to be wearing blue jackets (the same shade), blue UCS shirts (well, that was purposeful), blue-ish hats, and mostly black pants.  How did this happen?


Although the Basin isn't technically part of the trail, I took pictures of it anyway; it is a pretty sight to see.















Trailhead with Basin-Cascade Trail...



There is sand spread over this small patch of the path.


The trail has a gradual incline at first.



Decent-sized water crossing...



The sunlight coming through the foliage made the trees shine a radiant light green.




Shadows...





Intersection with Kinsman Pond Trail...









Up we go...



Many long and dark shadows covered the trail.



It was lovely to see the blue, shimmering lake through the trees.



It was a gorgeous day.





 


Reflection...


Here it looks like the pond is half brown/green and half blue.




Hiking toward the light...


For some reason, I was quite hungry when we arrived at the Kinsman Pond Campsite, so we grabbed a couple handfuls of Chex Mix and rested at the shelter before continuing on to North Kinsman. 


Enjoying the warm sunlight...
 


Sage and I taking a breather...


Onward...




I was happy to see some views...



We got to the summit of North Kinsman!  Below is a picture of the summit rock:




The faraway mountains emanated a soft blue glow.






After drinking some water at North Kinsman, we kept hiking.



Up, up, up...



 

Not too long now...



I got this cut on Saturday, and I keep accidentally reopening it...oh well.




We got up to the summit of South Kinsman.  We were rewarded with gorgeous 360 degree views, food from our backpacks, and the knowledge that we were basically finished going up for the day.





Summit photo!


I took a Pano with my iPhone:



Feeling cheery...


There was that blue gradient again...


Donuts are the best, especially when hiking! 



After relaxing a bit, we packed up and left the top.







 

We stopped by Lonesome Lake Hut (adding three tenths of a mile to our hike).


Lonesome Lake looked clear in the afternoon light.






Heading back down...








Tired, happy hikers!


While walking back to our car, I looked up and noticed the shining green foliage above me.

 

We were lucky to have such beautiful and perfect weather on one of our hiking days.