Union of Concerned Scientists, 2/16/2017

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is an important organization for climate change research and the support of cleaner energy resources.  We had the honor of meeting with some of the amazing people working at UCS on Thursday the 16th!  Rachel Cleetus (Lead Economist & Climate Policy Manager), Sarah Reinhardt (Food Systems & Health Analyst, Food & Environment Program), Seth Shulman (Editorial Director), Brenda Ekwurzel (Senior Climate Scientist, Director of Climate Science), and Matt Heid (Senior Communications Strategist) took some of their valuable time to speak with us, and John Mace (Membership Director) organized the meeting.  It was informative and interesting, and I learned so much.  I want to thank these people for their generosity and their time! 

From now on, along with every trip report, I will write about what UCS is doing and their mission, and I will include a donate link; I ask you to please consider donating to UCS as the preservation of the environment and preventing as much climate change damage as possible are extremely important.  Thank you so much!

We'll be at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center this Wednesday...

Mom, Sage, and I will be at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center this Wednesday evening (February 22) at 8pm. 

We'll give a 45-minute presentation (with lots of photos) on our hiking history, our thru-hikes of the John Muir Trail and the Camino de Santiago, our Grid quest, our Trailwrights peaks, our highpointing, the creation of our Terrifying 25 hiking list, the trailwork...and what it's meant to be young girls hiking "grown-up" mountains year-round since the age of 5 (prejudices and attitudes met and overcome).  I'll also dedicate a small portion of the discussion to Leave No Trace principles.

Hope to see you there!

Attempt of Wildcat A, 2/6/2017

***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 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 current United States Powers That Be.

We are meeting with the good people at UCS this 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.***

EDIT -- TRIP REPORT IS NOW POSTED BELOW -- 2/11/2017

I usually post trip reports Thursday morning; this snowstorm, however, necessitated a change in our travel and extracurricular plans so we could avoid getting caught in a blizzard.  This means we had to change things around in our schedule, so I will write my weekly trip report on Saturday instead of this morning. 

In the meantime, here is a photo of Sage crossing the slide on Wildcat A.  We did NOT make the summit this time -- which is extremely rare for us...I think we have turned back before reaching a summit less than five times over the course of seven years -- but it was still a great hike and it is always important to remember that safety comes first.

I'll have more on Saturday morning.  In the meantime, stay warm and safe.  And -- here are some great links to check out.  Please help save our environment!

www.ucsusa.org

https://www.facebook.com/AltUSNationalParkService/

https://twitter.com/ActualEPAFacts

(almost) Wildcat A

2/6/2017

about 6.3 miles round-trip

Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail

2822 feet of elevation gain

We started off expecting a fairly simple hike; Wildcat A is not long, and the trail is usually clear enough to follow because there is Carter Notch Hut nearby and many people visit it.  The temperature was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside, but the wind chill was much colder, which was why we chose a sheltered mountain to ascend.

I had high spirits as the chilly breeze brushed past my face and swirled up into the air. 

We had about two miles of flat trail to begin with...

A nice bridge to brighten the day!

Still on the flat part!

The snow was mostly firm (we left footprints, but nothing deeper).

A little animal left perfectly straight footprints leading into the woods.

The trail finally got a bit steeper.

We arrived at the intersection with a new white sign and an older sign.

Continuing up after some quick delayering stops...

There was the summit!  It looks so close...

We got to another intersection...

...and attempted the final push to the summit.  Even with snowshoes on, we moved slowly; the trail was no longer packed due to large drifts.  The path was slippery with deep plunges into the snow with each step.  Even though these were not ideal trail conditions, we could handle the challenge.  The real issue came when it was no longer apparent which way the trail went.  We lost sight of any blazes and it was difficult to know where the trail actually was.  We tried to keep going up in the direction of the summit, but we spent a long time trying to get there.  Our limbs ached from grabbing onto tree branches, our hands gradually felt colder, and our feet were sore from struggling through the heavy snow.  It was very steep, and we kept slipping.  We are used to hard work and feeling tired, but the fatigue we all experienced here was more than usual; eventually we decided it would be better to unfortunately turn around this time than to keep going and risk our safety.  Sometimes it is the better choice to turn around.

The trees' shadows intermingled and became one mass of lines and blurs on the tinted snow beneath my feet as we hiked down.

We stopped by a fast food place before going home...just this once!  The milkshake was tasty. 

Having to turn back when you are so close to the top isn't ideal, but sometimes it is important to push your ego away and realize when it is time to try for the summit a different day. 

There is a blizzard coming, so we may or may not have a chance to hike again this week.  Hopefully we can get out there soon!  If so, then I will have a trip report by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.  Stay warm!

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.

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).