Snowshoeing the Greeley Ponds Trail (NH)

What a beautiful way to learn to snowshoe! The winter wonderland of Greeley Ponds Trail in the White Mountains of NH after 10" of snowfall ...

The stream crossings are challenging with snowshoes, since the wooden logs are only wide enough for one snowshoe. But most of them are traversable by avoiding the logs altogether and simply crossing the stream.

Only 18 degrees at trailhead, but it seemed colder than last weekend's Mt. Tecumseh trip due to the wind.

We met an adventurous threesome who had just summited Osceola's East Peak, which was tantalizingly close by! But a little too aggressive for me, especially given the type of snowshoes (recreational, not hiking).

6.2 miles, minimal elevation gain
Summit: East Peak of Mt. Osceola tantalizingly nearby
Route: Greeley Ponds Trail from Rte. 112

Mt. Tecumseh (near Waterville Valley, NH)

This is the second time I summited Mt. Tecumseh this year, though in the summer I took a different route -- I did a through-hike starting from Tripoli Road and ending at the Waterville Valley ski area. This time we approached the summit from the east, at the ski area's parking lot, and returned the same route.

On Sunday, it was cold (15 degrees at trailhead), but fortunately not windy. About 1" of snow covered the trail. The trail was generally navigable without StabilICERS, though I donned mine early on. They were helpful for the stream crossings, which typically had ice-covered rocks or ice blocks to step on. I was grateful to have a pole (we had to share a set because I forgot mine!), for the stream crossings. I pointedly refused to use poles during the summer, despite the common view that they help take pressure off of the knees. But I feel they are a necessity in the fall (slippery leaves) and in the winter (ice).

The summit offers views over and between trees-- Mt. Tripyramid directly east, and if you position yourself just right on the summit, you can pick out Mt. Washington to the northeast. You gotta love the winter air -- without the haze of summer you can see quite far in the distance.

I used my new larger pack for the first time on this hike, carrying quite a bit more weight than during the summer due to the many layers of clothing, more-than-usual water, and thermos of hot chocolate (what a treat at the summit!)

5.0 miles, 2,200' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Tecumseh = 4,003'
Route: Mt. Teumseh Trail from the Waterville Valley ski area

Theater: "No Child ..." is a must-see

Two thumbs up for the American Repertory Theater's "No Child...", written and performed by Nilaja Sun. It is both touching and funny.

In a one-woman show, Nilaja acts as herself (an actress and drama teacher); a wise, elderly male janitor; a disenchanted school security guard manning the X-ray machine; and numerous ethnicities and both genders of students at Malcolm X High School in the Bronx. Her inspiration is her own experience in the New York City school system. With this memorable play, she brings attention to the sorry state of public schools without sermonizing or lecturing.

Playing herself, she tries to teach the fictional high school's "worst class" to memorize and perform "Our Country's Good," a drama about Australian convicts set in the 1700s. Like the feel-good movies where an inspiring teacher motivates economically disadvantaged students to achieve the previously impossible, Nilaja succeeds in staging the play only six weeks after she starts at the high school. And she makes a difference in their lives.

See this play -- even if you don't have children. It's what theater is all about -- a moving and entertaining production which makes you laugh, wince and think all at the same time. At the ART in Cambridge, MA through December 23rd.

Thanksgiving 2007

What a great Thanksgiving with my brothers Dan & Steve and my nieces Danielle and Alexandra in Homestead, FL. We played a game that Danielle had made herself; she's so creative! The girls each made a pie before our turkey dinner, and I brought my mom's baked beans (packed in my checked luggage from Boston to Miami International Airport!). I helped Danielle set up her iPod Shuffle, and Alex and I watched Heffalump together. We all took a boat trip on Saturday from Ocean Reef to Gilbert's in Key Largo. It was so warm we didn't even need sweaters! Then we topped the day off with a dinner of Florida lobsters and stone crabs -- a real treat. Too bad it was only three days...

Mt. Avalon, the Whites, NH

Easily accessed from the AMC Highland Center near Crawford Depot, Mt. Avalon rewards hikers with gorgeous views of the Presidential Range, especially snow-covered Mt. Washington. On Sunday, Nov. 11, the winter air was crisp and cold, causing visibility to be considerably greater than it is during haze-filled summer days.

It was 27 degrees at the base, and we encountered snow almost immediately. Much of the trail was covered in ice, requiring more timid hikers (me) to use StabilICERS; however, several hikers managed the trail without that aid. We decided not to venture upward to Mt. Field, being cautious because I was not really prepared for the more severe conditions expected on this 4,000 footer. Note to self: get warmer mittens!

Thanks to Mike Martin for his guidance and support during my second real "cooler weather" hike.

3.4 miles, 1500' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Avalon = 3,442'
Route: Avalon Trail

Mt. Percival and Mt. Morgan, Squam Lakes, NH

No sign of snow or ice on this trail on Saturday, Nov. 10, despite the base temperature of 37 degrees. Thanks to Rick Desmarais of AMC's NH Chapter for leading the hike.

4.8 miles, 1400' elevation gain.
Summits: Mt. Percival = 2,212 feet; Mt. Morgan = 2,220 feet
Route: A loop of Mt. Percival Trail to Crawford Ridgepole Trail to Mt. Morgan Trail

Gala Art Benefit for Mass General Hospital

The gala art benefit on November 3rd was a great success, raising about $270,000 for the work of Massachusetts General Hospital's Department of Psychiatry. Close to 400 guests joined together to enjoy the convivial reception and dinner and to participate in the silent and live art auctions, according to Deb Shapiro, one of the event's coordinators.

The evening's success was orchestrated by a large team of volunteers, led by co-chairs Stacy Sweeny and Wendy Tulman. Thanks to this fund-raising, the department will be able to do the education and basic research that complements its excellent patient care.

Training for the Whites right in my backyard

I've lived in Boston 27 years, and I finally discovered the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton/Quincy, MA. The park offers more than 125 miles of scenic trails -- mostly for hiking but some also for mountain bikers. It's said to be good training ground for people planning to hike the White Mountains in New Hampshire; I can see why, as there are many ascents and descents, with some steep and rough sections.

There are quite a few vistas of Boston and the harbor on the eastern part of the Skyline Trail. The weather observatory on the top of Great Blue Hill provides 360 degree views. The through-hike from Shea Rink in the east to the Trailside Museum and zoo in the west only took about 5 hours. Mike and Anna and I agreed to get together for future hikes and winter snowshoeing in the Whites.

~8 miles; ~2,500 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Great Blue Hill = 635 feet
Route: Skyline Trail from the Shea Rink to the Trailside Museum

The butterfly and the wizard

Halloween fun in Foxboro, MA.

No silver leather pants for Billy Corgan this time around

Before their 2000 break-up, the Smashing Pumpkins' lead guitarist/vocalist Billy Corgan liked to tour with silver leather pants. Though the pants are gone, the guitar-heavy sound of the past remains as the band continues its reunited tour.

Decked out in all white, members of the band, including Corgan, played 21 songs in the set, but interestingly, only 4 from the most recent CD, Zeitgeist. This is a departure from the early part of the tour, which featured 8 songs from Zeitgeist. Perhaps Billy decided to cater to his real fan base, those who grew to love the Smashing Pumpkins with the 1993 CD Siamese Dream and1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I must admit that I was stumped on three of the songs, which didn't seem to come from any of the six albums I know.

They played two encores tonight at the Orpheum Theater, this being the second of three shows there. It was indeed a loyal fan base, choosing to see the Smashing Pumpkins instead of watching Game 3 of the ALCS playoffs between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians.

The highlights? The song United States in Encore 1, and the old favorite Bullet with Butterfly Wings.

My first snow of the season

High winds, low temperatures and potentially treacherous open ledges of ice on the way to Mt. Jackson's summit compelled our group of 7 to change plans this morning and hike up the pleasantly graded Crawford Path to Mt. Pierce instead. At 0.6 miles, a side path leads to Gibbs Falls, worth the 5-minute diversion.


If we thought we'd avoid snow and ice, we were mistaken. It flurried on and off as we were ascending, and then, at about 2,700 feet of elevation, the snow covered the ground and tree limbs in a beautiful blanket of white.

It got increasingly colder as we ascended, and near the top there was ice--though quite manageable both going up and coming down. Near the top, to the north, we saw the glorious autumn-colored landscape leading up to Mt. Eisenhower through a thick patch of cloud. One small spot of sunshine broke through in what Mike called a "sucker hole", which he explained appears out of the blue when flying through storm clouds.

Four gray (Canada) jays kept us company on the way up, greedily snatching nuts from the palms of our hands. We discovered that they would not come to anyone wearing gloves--a bare palm was necessary to attract them.

Thanks to Wanda, Joleen and Mike Rice for their leadership.

~5.4 miles; ~2,400 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pierce = 4,312 feet
Route: Crawford Path from Mt. Clinton Road

360 degree views from South Twin Mountain (NH)

Amazing 360 degree views surround hikers who make it to the summit of South Twin Mountain. The 4 mile long Gale River Trail and the Garfield Ridge Trail ascend at a fairly easy grade; the hard work comes at the end, with 1,150' of elevation gain in just 0.8 miles. Even though it was a bit hot for hiking, it was worth it. On a clear day, to the northeast, you can see as far away as Mt. Washington (unmistakable due to the smoke coming from the cog railway).

• Views east include Mt. Hale and the Stepped Mountain, as well as Mts. Tom, Field and Wiley (aka "Tom, Dick and Harry" :-)
  
• North you see North Twin Mountain, a tantalizing 1.3 miles away.
  
• South you can see Owlhead, the Bonds and the Osceolas.
• West, back the way we came, you can see Galehead and Garfield.
  

Folks in the New Hampshire chapter of the AMC are the fittest and fastest group I've hiked with all summer. We did the entire hike in a mere 8-1/2 hours (including breaks), solidly beating book time. For the first time this year, I was the slowest hiker of the bunch. My excuse? It was too hot for me; I overheat and tire easily when it's over 75 degrees. I much prefer the cooler temperatures, when I will often hike in a sleeveless shirt.

~10.8 miles; ~3,300 ft. elevation gain
Summit: South Twin Mountain = 4,902 feet
Route: Gale River Trail to Garfield Ridge Trail to the Galehead Hut (at 3,800') and then the Twinway to South Twin Mountain (back the same way). Option for summit of Mt. Galehead (only 0.4 miles away from the Hut).

Walking up Mount Wachusett (Princeton, MA)

Views of Boston (35 miles away), cars, birders, picnic tables, a pond (rumor has it it's usually stocked with koi), and port-a-toilets greet you when you reach the summit of Mt. Wachusett. It's a very easy walk, easily done in sneakers. We walked through a birch forest, then a conifer forest, then a mixed deciduous forest (with maple trees). Despite the time of year, very few trees were in fall colors; as in the Boston area, most trees' leaves are simply turning brown, crinkling up and falling off. The result, no doubt, of the warm nights and lack of rain.

We saw a turkey vulture and red-tailed hawk soaring at the summit. Several birders with their scopes identified the bird sitting on the fire tower as a red-tailed hawk. It's no surprise that Mt. Wachusett is an official hawk watch site.

AMC Narraganset Chapter's Linda Pease, who was the kayaking guide at the Squam Lakes weekend, led the hike today with Yvonne Federowicz and Mike.

~6 miles; ~900 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Wachusett = 2,006 feet
Route: Stage Coach Trail (from Westminster Road) and Harrington Trail to the summit; then a figure eight loop via Old Indian Head, West Side, Semuhenna, Harrington, Jack Frost, High Meadow and Echo Lake trails back to the trailhead.

Crawford Path to Mts. Pierce, Eisenhower & Monroe

The Crawford Path ascends at moderate grade from the parking lot (across from the AMC Highland Center on Route 302) to the summit of Mt. Pierce. It's a far easier way to reach the Presidential Range than the Caps Ridge Trail to Mt. Jefferson. Once you've made it to Mt. Pierce on the Crawford Trail, the raging wind (approaching 50mph or more) is a constant companion, threatening to knock you down in spots. The incessant wind continues along the entire stretch of the Crawford Path -- essentially along the entire ridge to Mts. Eisenhower and Monroe. If the weather cooperates, and yesterday it did, you can see the summits of the entire Presidential Range, including Mt. Washington. It was a "beyond perfect" day; the expansive views are the best in the White Mountains, in my opinion. But so much depends on the weather; I know many hikers haven't been so lucky. When we were on Eisenhower, the views toward Mt. Washington were unimpeded... not a cloud in the sky!

Mt. Monroe can be summited from the southwest via the Mt. Monroe loop, or from the northeast from the Lake of the Clouds hut. Either way it's a challenge to battle the wind and stay on the steep, rocky path.

The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail would clearly be a better trail to ascend than descend: it requires some scrambling and BIG steps to get down. But it's still no match for the much more difficult (i.e., more scrambling) Caps Ridge Trail.

Leaders Nelson Caraballo and Don Provencher were excellent, giving AMC's Boston Chapter a good name! The pace was excellent: a "talk while you walk" pace. I'd like to hike with them again.

9.8 miles; 3,750 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Pierce = 4,312'; Mt. Eisenhower = 4,760'; Mt. Monroe = 5,372'
Route: Crawford Path to Mt. Pierce and Mt. Eisenhower; Mt. Eisenhower Loop to Mt. Eisenhower summit; Crawford Path to Mt. Monroe; Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail down from Mt. Monroe to Base Road

Red Hill via Eagle Cliff Trail (Squam Lake, NH)

Some stunning views of Squam Lake are available from several locations along the Eagle Cliff Trail (see photo), as well as 360 degree views on the top of Red Hill from the fire tower. Both the Eagle Cliff Trail and the Red Hill Trail meander through deciduous woods, with only a few ascending sections, giving the hiker grand views for a moderate effort. Car spotting is necessary.

4.3 miles; 1,200 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Red Hill = 2,033 foot
Route: Eagle Cliff Trail to Red Hill, then Red Hill Trail

An easy walk in the woods near Squam Lake, NH

Christine and I and 8 others staying at Camp Deerwood in Holderness, NH braved the rain and cool temperature on Saturday morning, Sept. 15th, to do a nice walk in the woods--the Crawford Ridgepole Trail. Despite the rain, the trail was fairly solid underfoot, with few rocks or roots causing it to be slippery. In fact, it was a very easy walk, with a nice, level grade. Virtually no elevation gain. It is entirely in the woods, with only one view of Squam Lake (see photo). Our walk took a little more than 5 hours. Thanks to AMC leaders Herb Kingsbury and Dave Forman.

~5 miles. <500 foot elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Morgan = 2,220 foot (not attained)
Route: Old Mountain Road to Crawford Ridgepole Trail to Mt. Morgan Trail (ending at Route 113)

Projekt Revolution / Linkin Park Rule!

AWESOME! Linkin Park, the headliner band that put together this 6th annual Projekt Revolution tour, played an amazing hour-and-a-half of new and old masterpieces to a full audience at The Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA Friday night, Aug. 24. The set, consisting of 17 songs and 3 encore songs, was derived equally from their three albums, with only 7 coming from the new album, Minutes to Midnight.

Linkin Park delighted fans old and new, with rockin' renditions of "Numb", "Crawling" and "In the End" balancing out the more sedate songs such as "The Little Things Give You Away", which lead singer Chester Bennington dedicated to all the recent flood victims in the U.S. The set list was:

Wake/Given Up
No More Sorrow
Lying From You
Don't Stay
Somewhere I Belong
From the Inside
Papercut
Points of Authority
Leave out all the Rest
Shadow of the Day
Numb
Pushing Me Away
Breaking the Habit
Crawling
The Little Things Give you Away
What I've Done
Faint

The Linkin Park encore consisted of three songs: One Step Closer, In the End, and Bleed it Out.

All in all, a very satisfying performance. I'm glad I stayed for the encore, which ended on one of my favorites, Bleed it Out. The only disappointment was they didn't play Hit the Floor.

Immediately preceeding Linkin Park was My Chemical Romance. Even though I don't know their music that well (I don't own any of their CDs), I thoroughly enjoyed their show. It turns out that I know a few of MCR's songs, too. They had a great stage presence, warming up the crowd before LP came on. The lead singer seemed to enjoy asking "the boys" in the audience to take off their shirts and wave them in the air. Funny thing is, he never removed his own tight, military-like jacket.

Other bands on stage before LP and MCR (starting at about 4:30pm) were Julien K, Placebo, Him, and Taking Back Sunday.

I cranked LP in my car on the way home. I was so wired when I got home at midnight that it took me nearly two hours to get to sleep. What a fabulous way to start the weekend! But I sure am glad I didn't have to get up at 5:30am on Saturday to drive to NH for hiking!

Sun., Aug. 19 -- Mt. Liberty & Mt. Flume (2 4,000 footers in NH)

10.4 miles; 4,050 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Liberty=4,459 feet; Mt. Flume=4,328
Route: Whitehouse Trail to Liberty Spring Trail to Franconia Ridge Trail to Mt. Liberty summit

Review: I told Ray on Saturday that I didn't think I could ever do 4,000 foot elevation gain in one day. Well I proved myself wrong! We climbed from about 1,400 feet to the summits of both Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume, and then back again, resulting in more than 4,000 foot of elevation gain in one day! I discovered today that I CAN do Mt. Washington if I want to!

This trail, part of the AT (Appalachian Trail) begins on a bike path and climbs via switchbacks to the Liberty Spring Campsite, where a spring provides water and we took a group shot (photo). From the summit of Mt. Liberty, you can look southeast toward Mt. Flume (photo) which is 1.1 miles away.

The temperature was excellent for hiking. Mostly in the 60s. Sunlight graced our view when we were on the Mt. Liberty summit the second time. Yeah!

On the way back from Mt. Liberty, in the conifer forest, we saw a spruce grouse (photo)! It had red around the edge of its eye and stayed near the hiking path as half of our group walked right by it. Then it flew over the path into a nearby tree, where it blended even better against the brown background.

We hiked 8-3/4 hours; the trip back was definitely long. Apres-hike a few of us, including Leaders Jim Plouffe and Wayne Anderson, Sui-Wen and Dirgny went to the Woodstock Inn for some beer and dinner.

Sat., Aug. 18 -- The Osceolas (NH's Whites)

8.4miles; 3,050 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Osceola= 4,340 feet; East Peak=4,156 feet
Route: Mount Osceola Trail

Review: This is my favorite hike in the White Mountains so far! A comparatively easy walk from the trailhead on Tripoli Road to the summit of Mt. Osceola, using many switchbacks -- very rare on the East coast! And to think I almost bailed that morning due to the rain and chill (49 degrees at 10:30am). I owe a special thanks to Leader Fred Griffith, who unlike me, had checked the weather and informed me that it was expected to clear.

The trail from Mt. Osceola to East Peak requires descending a steep "chimney", reminiscent of the scrambling required on the Caps Ridge Trail to Mt. Jefferson. The summit of East Peak is anti-climatic after the nice views on Mt. Osceola; it is marked by a cairn amidst a struggling group of trees. There is a fine view of the Tripyramids to the east, however, visible from a side trail (photo).

The entire trip was 7 hours roundtrip. And we only had a few sprinkles throughout the day, with a fine temperature for hiking. Thanks to Fred Griffith and Sue Warthman of the Narraganset chapter for leading such an enjoyable hike.

Dinner with everyone at the Mad River Tavern in Campton was a nice end to the day.

Sun., Aug. 12 -- Mt. Crawford (NH's Whites)

5.0 mile loop; 2,100 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Crawford= 3,119 feet
Route: Davis Path, then a spur trail to the top

Review: The Davis Path, one of three bridle paths to the summit of Mt. Washington, follows the bank of the Saco River for about 200 yards to a wonderful suspension bridge, named for the man, Bemis, who built the granite mansion nearby (must be the Notchland Inn across 302 from the Davis Path ).

Compared to the grueling Caps Ridge Trail of the day before, this trail is a cake walk. Boulders and rocks, to be sure, but no scrambling and a lot less exposure. The last 0.3 miles on the spur off of Davis Path is reminiscent of the granite ledges of the Welch-Dickey Trail. When you follow the trail "until you can go no further" (sayeth Leslie), you end up on a summit with glorious 360 degree views -- of Crawford Notch, the Wiley House, Mts. Webster and Jackson, Stairs Mountain, and the Presidential ridge (though not as far as Jefferson or Washington).

It took us about 2-1/2 hours to the top (we were going a bit slower than usual today because of yesterday's activities!), but only 1-1/2 hours to get down.

Thanks again to Leslie Greer, Janet Spriggs, Dawn Jones and Barbara Fay for leading and co-leading the trip.

Sat., Aug. 11 -- Mt. Jefferson (NH)

5.0 mile loop; 2,700 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Jefferson = 5,716 feet
Route: Caps Ridge Trail

Review: If you like rock climbing, you'll love the Caps Ridge Trail!

It's easy to misjudge the difficulty of this trail -- its relatively short length and modest elevation gain (for a Presidential) would seem to indicate an easy, quick ascent. It's not! It is, in fact, a strenuous hike up a very steep and rough trail that requires serious scrambling up rock ledges. There are three "caps", or rocky outcrops, to get over before you reach the Cornice, which is 0.4 miles from the summit.

This view of the top of Mt. Jefferson was taken from an outcrop of granite on the south side of the trail, about 1.0 mile in. Unfortunately you can't see the grandeur of the three caps from this photo.

The day started out warm and sunny, with clear views of the summit. By the time we reached the Cornice, however, clouds and fog rolled in and obscured the summit. We ate lunch on top, bundled up and sheltered from the 20mph wind and 50-ish temperature, with no views in sight. That's the way it is in the Whites -- weather can come from nowhere and completely conceal the summit and the views.

It took us 3-1/2 hours to get to the top, and nearly as long to descend the way we came. It was tough on our legs, especially our knees, but there were no injuries.

Leslie Greer and her group of co-leaders from Boston Chapter's Forty Plus -- Janet Spriggs, Linda, Dawn jones and Barbara -- were all cheerful and helpful. They invited me to join them and Santosh Raina for dinner at the Bernerhof Inn. It was a German restaurant, so I had the sauerbraten--beef that's been marinated for 4 days--with roesti potatoes and red cabbage. It was a delicious choice, fortifying me for the next day on the slopes.

I had a nice room at the Dana Place Inn in Jackson. A bit pricey, but there were nice amenities in the bathroom, a room AC and of course, breakfast included the next morning. The restaurant also serves dinner, if you don't feel like going into town after a full day of hiking.

Sun., Aug. 5 -- Mt. Hale (a 4,000 fter) and Zealand Falls (NH's Whites)

8.7 mile loop; 2,400 ft. elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Hale = 4,054 foot
Route: Hale Brook Trail to the summit, Lend-a-Hand trail to Zealand Falls/Hut, and Zealand Trail back to Zealand Road

Review: A much more bearable day than Saturday--by about 20 degrees! About 69 degrees around 9:20am, when we started the hike. And much less humid.

Most of the elevation gain occurs in the first two hours of this hike, on the way up to the summit of Mt. Hale.

The Hale Brook Trail is relatively easy. You pass through a beautiful birch forest before hitting the conifers near the top. Before reaching the summit, there are views through the conifers of Mt. Washington. It's good to savor these views because once on top, the scenery is limited to the large cairn and trees that are growing where the fire tower used to stand 40 years ago.

As it was too early for lunch, we set off down the Lend-a-Hand trail seeking the unmarked spur trail that promised great views. Thirty minutes later we were convinced that we'd missed it somehow and decided to stop for lunch. Well, what serendipity! A barely noticeable trail led off toward the west, where two of us at a time were rewarded with nice views.

Just as we were getting back on the trail again, the two hikers who didn't show up at 9am at trailhead joined us. Their tardiness was understandable -- Jason and Marie had just returned the day before from a week on vacation in the Olympic National Park of Washington State. I'm surprised that they found the time to do a day hike at all after being away for a week!

We saw a spruce grouse in the dense spruce woods with mossy ground. This species is noted for its tameness, and we witnessed that firsthand. Several of us passed within a few feet of the grouse before it scuttled off from the rock into the underbrush. It made gutteral notes and clucks as it moved away.

The hike to Zealand Falls and Zealand Hut was quite pleasant. Everyone (except for me!) took their boots and socks off and soaked their feet in the cold waters of Zealand Falls. We enjoyed the comraderie and sunshine for 20 minutes or so, watching the dozen or so kids playing in the water and having a great time.

We filled up on water, took bathroom breaks at the Hut, and then took off for the last 2.3 mile stretch of Zealand Trail back to the road. This was the most memorable part of the hike, as we crossed numerous streams, log bridges, beaver ponds, and another striking birch forest. What a pleasurable end to a beautiful hike.

It took us about 7 hours in total, with several breaks for snacks, water and foot-soaking, to traverse the 8.7 miles.

Apres-hike, 8 of the 11 of us went to Fabyan's in Bretton Woods and enjoyed local microbrewed beer and a light dinner before heading home. I didn't even mind the fact that I had a 3-hour drive home ahead of me!

I discovered that Pat Kravtin will be joining me on next Saturday's Mt. Jefferson hike.

Thanks to Robin Melavalin and Jim Plouffe for leading this excursion!

Sat., Aug. 4--Mts. Welch & Dickey (NH) Redux

4.5 mile loop; 1,600 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Welch = 2,605 ft; Mt. Dickey = 2,734 ft.
Route: Welch-Dickey Loop Trail

Review: I did this hike a month ago under cloudy skies with a light mizzle at times. What a difference a month makes! The temperature Saturday was a boiling 91 degrees, with very high humidity. As I noted in my previous blog entry, quite a bit of this trail -- two miles in fact -- is over exposed rock, so there's no shelter from the sun's heat.

Though this is a relatively easy hike and only 1,600 feet of elevation, I found it to be very difficult today, due to the high temperature and humidity . I was seriously overheated, and my body wouldn't cooperate. I was huffing and puffing, and my legs became so tired that the ascent was difficult. Fortunately the group leader was understanding, and encouraged me to stay with my plan to hike Mt. Hale and Zealand Falls/Zealand Hut on Sunday. Knowing that I was fit enough for the hike, I vowed to hike, provided that the temperature and humidity moderated.

On the ascent, the views over to Tripyramid were wonderful, and we saw three A-10 airplanes fly by at low altitude while we were admiring the view. Strange looking planes, those.

Though the Mt. Welch summit had views, the Dickey summit was disappointing and in fact, was easy to miss. The entire round trip, even with my painfully slow ascent, took less than 4 hours.

After a nice shower and some R&R at my inn, I ate a lovely Italian dinner at Maestro's Cafe and Diner in North Conway. A pear, walnut and aged balsamic vinegar appetizer, followed by calamari and linguini. The choice of house wine (a burgundy) was a bit unusual for an Italian restaurant (where was the chianti?), but it was quite nice -- a nice way to end the day.

Sun., July 22 -- Mt. Webster & Mt. Jackson (4,000 footer) (NH)

6.5 mile loop; ~2600 ft. elevation gain
Summit: 4,052 ft. (Mt. Jackson) and 3,910 ft. (Mt. Webster)
Route: Webster-Jackson Trail to Mt. Webster; Webster Cliff Tr. to Mt. Jackson; and Webster Jackson Tr. back down to trailhead

Review: Beautiful views of Mt. Willey, Mt. Field and Mt. Tom from the top of Mt. Webster, and views of Mt. Washington and the rest of the Presidential Range from the summit of Mt. Jackson.

There's quite a bit of scrambling over rock and roots on the trail, with the most difficult section being the Webster Cliff Trail.

We started at 9:30 and didn't finish until 5:30pm! Eight hours to go only 6.5 miles! That gives you an idea of how difficult the trail is.

Sat., July 21 -- Mt. Tecumseh, a 4,000-footer (NH)

5.6 mile loop; ~2400 ft. elevation gain
Summit: 4,003 ft.
Route: Tecumseh Trail from Tripoli Road to summit and then from summit to end at Waterville Valley Ski Area

Review: A relatively easy, but steadily steep trail, with good views of Mt. Moosilauke from a blowdown patch (approached via a 30-yard side path). The tree-covered summit provides disappointing views of the nearby mountains, but a side path (easy to miss) about halfway down cuts over to the Northside ski lift of Waterville Valley ski, affording beautiful views of the Tripyramids amid a gorgeous, Sound of Music-like meadow with wild strawberries. This side trip was easily the most memorable part of the hike, beating the summit views by far.

Antics by leader Steve Tulip's dog Thibodeaux -- who carried his own pack complete with water and snacks (cheese and cookies) -- provided entertainment for all.

Not worth doing again, except perhaps for the meadow view of the Tripyramids from the Northside chair lift of Waterville Valley.

Shakespeare & Co.'s Rough Crossing

I saw Tom Stoppard's "Rough Crossing" this afternoon. Not Shakespeare and Company's best, but thoroughly enjoyable. Numerous humorous moments. It features several of the Company's regular and always excellent cast members -- namely Jonathan Croy and Elizabeth Aspenlieder. The New York Times put it best when it wrote "Mr. Stoppard’s puns and non-sequiturs ricochet around the stage like pingpong balls at summer camp".

Sunday, July 15 -- Monument Mountain (Great Barrington, MA)

3.0 mile loop; ~710 ft. elevation gain
Summit: 1,640 ft.
Route: Indian Monument Trail to summit; Squaw Peak Trail back

Review: This mountain provides tremendous views for little effort. It only takes 45 minutes to get to the top, even using the longest (Indian Monument) trail. It can easily be ascended without all the usual hiking gear. I fully recommend it for families, as kids will particularly enjoy scrambling on the ragged crest of rock atop the cliffs. Though it's hard to find a flat rock to sit and enjoy the views and a snack, it is possible. You can see both summits and do the whole trip in about an hour and a half. On some days, you see hawks soaring through the air near the cliffs.

Theater at its Best: The Front Page at Williamstown Theater Festival

What better way to top a day of hiking than good theater? To see GREAT theater, as in The Front Page at the Williamstown Theater Festival!

Being an ex-journalist, I found this portrayal of a bygone journalistic era of jaded writers, crooked pols and opportunistic editors to ring true. The action takes place in a press room in Chicago in the 1920s.

Variety calls this play an unaccomplished production, with an uneven ensemble. I couldn't disagree more. The cast was spectacular, with some key parts played by well-known actors -- Wayne Knight (Newman on "Seinfeld") as Sheriff Hartman and Richard Kind ("Spin City" and "Mad about You") as Walter Burns were particularly memorable.

The character Hildy Johnson, who just can't seem to put his girl ahead of his work at The Examiner, really makes you think about your priorities in life. Is getting the scoop of your life worth losing your true love? Fortunately, Hildy makes the right decision in the end and all ends well (or almost, but I won't give away the ending).

I'd urge you to get out to the Berkshires and see this play, but unfortunately, its last production was today.

Sat., July 14 -- Mt. Greylock (western MA)

6.5 mile loop; ~2,000 ft. elevation gain
Summit: 3,491 ft.
Route: Gould Trail to summit; Cheshire Harbor Trail back to parking lot

Review: Mt. Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts. The Gould and Cheshire Harbor trails are reached from West Mountain Road, just west of the town of Adams, and on the eastern side of Mt. Greylock. I did the hike with two AMCers -- John Good and Bob Armao. We spotted cars so we could do this loop. The sign at trailhead calls this a strenuous hike. We certainly didn't think so--not compared to the White Mountains in New Hampshire! No ladders, no difficult parts, not overly steep. Just a very steady climb up for 2 hours.

The summit is reached after crossing the summit road several times and taking the AT (Appalachian Trail) for about half a mile. Fortunately the auto road is closed, so the only people at the top were fellow hikers, and it wasn't as crowded as it usually gets on a nice day.

The tower at the summit is actually a lighthouse! Or at least that's what the signage states. Apparently there is some controversy about whether it was actually built and intended for the Charles River estuary, ending up as a war memorial on the top of Mt. Greylock.

The views are nice, but over-rated. Views from summits in New Hampshire and Vermont are far more spectacular. All-in-all, not worth doing again, even though there are numerous approaches and trails to try.

Concert heaven: Staind & Nickelback back-to-back

Now I remember why I engraved "Music = Life" on my iPod! I've never felt more alive than when I'm at a great concert. Tonight was a double header at the Tweeter Center -- two of my favorite bands, Staind and Nickelback. Staind is a stellar artist in their own right, and could/should be the headliner. What a performance they gave! Many of the songs were from their best album, Break the Cycle. Their music really moved me. Too bad they couldn't come back for an encore...

I wasn't expecting much from Nickelback live, not after the dismal performance they gave a few years ago at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell. They were so bad there that I actually walked out: it's the only time I've ever walked out on a band. They hit their stride tonight, though, more than making up for that previous disappointing performance. A piercingly loud cannon shot started the concert, and ceiling-high flames punctuated their delivery. They played a great selection of new and old songs, pleasing their longtime fans (that's me) as well as newbies. Their tribute to Pantera was poignant, given the tragic death of Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was shot and killed in December 2004 in a bizarre rampage during a club gig in Columbus, Ohio. The bottled water and beer that lead singer Chad Kroeger ordered distributed to the audience was a nice touch, but the "free Nickelback stuff" shot from four cannons during the show was the real crowd pleaser. (What was in those cannons, anyway? T-shirts, probably.)

Note to self: attend more concerts! They are great for the soul. Coming up soon: Linkin Park and the Smashing Pumpkins.

A cultural weekend punctuated by a blown tire!

This was a "cultural weekend" in the Berkshires with my friend Anne, not a hiking weekend. Shakespeare & Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was enchanting , with Kevin Rich 's Puck the standout of the evening. The play within the play was amusingly farcical, just as Shakespeare intended. The 200 girls from Belvoir Terrace certainly enjoyed it. My only criticism is that the production was a bit too long.

The Travelodge in Great Barrington was disappointing. Expensive for a motel feeling, with an odd showerstall in the bathroom.

Bartholomew's Cobble in Sheffield delighted with its massive limestone, marble and quartzite boulders, the lazy Housatonic River and dozens of species of ferns. We didn't climb the hill, though, which I've done in the past and can highly recommend.

The highlight of the weekend was the horrifying experience of driving at 80 mph on the Mass Pike and suddenly losing control of the car when the right front tire blew out! Yes, this was a highlight, not a lowlight. I still shudder to think of what might have happened, and how lucky we truly were. So many things worked in our favor, sparing us from an accident or serious injury. I was able to move over two lanes to the breakdown lane. No car was in the way when I had to move over. And there was an adequate breakdown lane (many parts of the Pike don't have a breakdown lane at all ... what a nightmare it would have been to stop in the middle of a lane!) No one rear-ended us as we screeched to a stop. I'm amazed that I had the presence of mind to turn on the hazards as I was struggling to control the car. All in all, we were very fortunate. What could have been a terrible accident turned out to be merely an inconvenience: in about one hour, with the help of AAA and the State Police, we were on our way again. This is why I consider this incident a highlight of the weekend.

I'll get a new spare tire this week. It's back to the Berkshires again next weekend! But this time it's to hike Mt. Greylock with the Mohawk Hudson chapter of the AMC.

Sun., July 1--Welch and Dickey Mountains (NH)

4.5 mile loop; 1,600 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Welch = 2,605 ft; Mt. Dickey = 2,734 ft.
Route: Welch-Dickey Loop Trail

Review: This is a moderate hike with some steep sections and one easily navigable boulder cave. It boasts nearly 2 miles of large, flat open ledges, affording excellent views east of Mt. Tripyramid and Sandwich Mountain.

The loop should be done counter-clockwise, first ascending Welch Mountain, where the steep ledges make ascending easier than descending. Avoid this trail in inclement weather due to the exposed and steep ledges, which are likely to be slippery when wet (and definitely when icy).

The hike from the summit of Welch to the summit of Dickey looks long when you're on the Welsh Mountain summit, but it's surprisingly fast and easy. The whole loop, including a break for lunch on the summit of Dickey Mountain, is only 4 hours.

This was a "bootleg" hike with Peter Broderick, his wife Maureen, and Charlie.

Worth doing again!

Sat., June 30--Mt. Morgan & Mt. Percival (NH)

Loop 5.4 miles; 1,550 feet elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Morgan = 2,220 ft; Mt Percival = 2,212 ft.
Route: Mt. Morgan Trail (1.7 miles) to Crawford-Ridgepole Trail (0.8 miles) to Mt. Percival Trail (1.9 miles), then the Morgan-Percival Connector.

Review: A 5-hour scenic loop hike with gorgeous views of Squam Lake and the surrounding areas. Mt. Percival is the better lunch spot of the two peaks, with vast granite ledges and beautiful views.

The ladders and cave portion of the Mount Morgan trail is not for the faint of heart. The last of the three ladders is awkwardly positioned, requiring a hair-raising and wide sidestep to the right and a difficult, seemingly impossible step up a sheer face without the benefit of a handhold! Fortunately Dick was there to pull us up via the top of our backpacks! Thank you, Dick!

Following the ladders is a boulder cave, which is somewhat difficult to navigate with a large pack. I stood up too quickly and whacked my head on the boulder directly above the exit to the cave, leaving me with a noticeable bump on the head, but thankfully no headache.

It is possible to bypass the ladders and cave via a trail that leads to the right of the ladders; this is recommended in wet weather.

The rest of the trail is steep in parts, but otherwise quite manageable.

The apres-hike stop of note for food and libations is The Common Man on Route 3 in Holderness.

Thanks to the AMC Narragansett Chapter, leader Peter Broderick & co-leader Sue Warthman, for a most memorable hike!