First 4000-footer in winter (conditions): Mt. Tecumseh

After the AMC's Winter Hiking Program, we were ready to tackle our first 4,000 footer in winter (though technically it's not winter, but it sure felt like it!) Just 17 degrees at trailhead at 10am. The high hit 20. But it was a fairly comfortable hike as there was no wind. A few stream crossings -- none of them difficult.

Although the trail was packed down, and we could have barebooted it the entire way, we changed to snowshoes about 1/3 of the way up, and stayed in them until the end of the hike. I feel we had much better traction in them, especially on the descent.

The view at the top is occluded by trees, but you can see the Tripyramids and the Osceolas. We also could see the ridge of the Presidentials, completely covered in snow.

See photos taken by Bruno Rijsman, a fellow hiker, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/brijsman/sets/72157623036784638/.

Thanks to Mohamed Ellozy, Sandy Green and Claudine Kos for leading the hike!

6 miles, 2,200' elevation gain to summit (~ 6 hours)
Summit: Mt. Tecumseh (4,003')
Route: Mt. Tecumseh Trail to summit, Sosman Trail spur, then Mt. Tecumseh Trail back down

Shaking our groove thangs at The Donkey Show

The Donkey Show -- a re-imagining of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with a 70s disco theme -- is less theater than a disco dance party. You are enticed into dancing to all the popular disco songs from that era from the moment you walk onto the set.

Christine, Jim, Janet, Jessica and Derek and I thoroughly enjoyed dancing together to the disco hits after the show as well. Heck, that's got to be the best part of the show -- dancing to those great songs from way back when. So much fun that this was Christine's second time, and Janet and Jim vowed to go back another night! I might join them...

Mt. Crawford & Parker Traverse (NH)

I met NH Chapter AMC leader Ray Caron, Audrey, Pat and a friend of theirs at 7am at the Highland Center for breakfast on Sunday. The others decided to climb to Wildcat for "grander" views. Ray and I stuck to the original plan - a bootleg traverse (the scheduled AMC hike was rained out the previous weekend) that would take us over Mt. Crawford, the Resolutions and Mt. Parker to the town of Bartlett.

At the height of the fall foliage in the Whites, visiting 3,000' high peaks instead of doing a 4,000 footer enabled us to better view the stunning foliage because we were effectively closer to the fabulous colors.

The Crawford-Resolution-Parker traverse that took us up and over 4 summits - Mt. Crawford, Mt. Resolution (though we didn't go to the "true" summit), South Resolution, and Mt. Parker -- in that order.

(Ray wrote an excellent trip report on VFTT which includes stunning photos of the fall foliage and magnificent mountain scenery.)

All four mountains, located NW of North Conway, NH off of Route 302, have either treeless summits or treeless ledges, offering fine views. We did a car spot, with one car at the Davis Path trailhead and the second one in Bartlett at the end of the Langdon Path.

The hike to the summit of Mount Crawford is short, but steep. From there, if the weather cooperates, one has a full 360 degree view of the mountains surrounding the Presidential Range. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating for us while we were there, so we couldn't see Mt. Washington. No worries, because the valleys in all directions were at peak color. Just stunning!

For many, the summit of Mt. Crawford is the final destination and they return the way they came. But we continued along the Davis Path north, to the intersection with the Mt. Parker Trail. Turning southeast, we hiked to the ledges of Mt. Resolution but did not attempt to find the true summit, which is off-trail, hidden among trees. More great views. Then on to South Resolution, a "bump" where we ate lunch and enjoyed more fall colors.

Finding the trail to South Resolution was quite an effort. But find it we did, and Ray used the tiny saw on his Leatherman to clear the path and make it more visible to hikers. We also placed several cairns on the top to enable hikers to find their way back down to the main trail.

After our trail maintenance near South Resolution, we headed for Mt. Parker, which is further south along the Mt. Parker Trail. It's another treeless summit with good views. Miraculously, the sky cleared when we hit Mt. Parker, so that we had magnificent, clear views of Mount Washington. We couldn't get enough of the beautiful fall colors.

I strongly recommend Mt. Parker, which can be ascended from Bartlett via the Mt. Langdon Trail in Bartlett. As with Mt. Crawford, the views are tremendous.

10.4 miles, 2,400' to Mt. Resolution, then some additional ups and downs (~ 9 leisurely hours)
Summits: Mt. Crawford (3,119'), Mt. Resolution (3,415'), South Resolution (~2,900'), and Mt. Parker (3,004')
Route: Davis Path to Mt. Parker Trail to Mt. Langdon Trail (ending in Barlett)

Exhilarating Macbeth

I saw the premier of the ART's "Sleep No More" on Thursday night and am still digesting it. If you are a traditionalist, you will not like the participatory nature of this production, or the requirement to wander and explore. It is a totally immersive experience. Bizarre and surreal. The darkness, peculiar sets and the actors' performances in various rooms was disorienting -- in a good way.

I felt like I was visiting a museum from the 1930's which had just been reopened. But there were actors and actresses performing around me, references to the 1500's and Macbeth, interesting smells, curious floor coverings, and the odd juxtaposition of school hallways and lockers -- all of which contributed to the dream-like state of the theater goers.

The bar which begins and ends the show is a clever idea. It's actually essential for those couples and friends who get separated to rendezvous. My favorite area was the Collector's Room, and the two-headed skeleton under the dusty glass.

Overall, Sleep No More was mysterious and exhilarating at the same time. Quite an imaginative staging of Macbeth. Congratulations to Diane Paulus and the ART for its courage in introducing Boston audiences to the Punchdrunk concept of participatory theater. Bravo!

Mt. Cabot, North Country, NH

For my first hike in New Hampshire's North Country, I joined the NH Chapter of AMC and ascended the region's highest summit. Mt. Cabot is the North Country's highest 4,000 footer. This bagged peak was particularly special because it was Leslie Greer's final 4,000-footer -- Mt. Cabot was her 48th!

I wonder just how many 4,000 footers I've actually done? Perhaps I should count them....

A treed summit, Mt. Cabot offers some views both from the cabin a few hundred feet below the summit and from a viewpoint looking eastward about half-way up the Kilkenny Ridge Trail.

Thanks to Bob Janukowicz (aka "Pilgrim") and Norm Michaels (the weatherman) for leading the hike!

9.6 miles,~2,700' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Cabot = 4,170 feet high
Route: Unknown Pond Trail to Bunnell Notch Trail to Kilkenny Ridge Trail
3-1/2 hrs to Cabot Cabin; 7-1/2 hours to Mt. Cabot and back

Haunted Hiking in NH - Madame Sherri Forest

The estate of Madame Sherri is meant to be haunted. It is in ruins today, but in its time it was an exotic stone castle in Chesterfield, NH that was the summer home of Madame Antoinette Sherri, an eccentric Parisian singer who is rumored to have had a pet monkey and visited town wearing nothing but her fur coat.

I didn't hear any, but some visitors to this forest report hearing voices, music and the sounds of parties from a long time passed. Occasionally a visitor will even encounter the ghost of Madame Sherrie, beautiful and young, gracefully descending the stone stairway which still stands today.

The outdoor pool she built is so massive it looks like a pond. It's overgrown now, but it's easy to imagine what it was like in the 1920s when it was built with the house.

From the ruined estate, the Ann Stokes Loop is a pleasant 2-mile hike featuring exceptional views of Vernon Yankee (from East Hill ledge) and of Indian Pond (not a good swimming spot; it's reportedly full of leeches!) You can also reach the summits of either Daniels Mtn or Wantastiquet Mountain.

Wantastiquet Mountain (near Brattleboro, NH)

I couldn't remember this Indian name until I learned of this mnemonic device - I "Wanna- stick - it- in". Now I remember it!

For modest elevation gain, one gets some very nice vistas, including Monadnock and Stratton Mountains:

1) From East Hill ( a ledge looking south), you can see Northridge Mtn.
2) From Mine Ledge, you can see Mt. Monadnock
3) from Wantastiquet (the ledge at the Walter H. Child monument), you can see Brattleboro, the Connecticut and West Rivers, the Brattleboro Meadows (by the Retreat), Haystack Mountain and Stratton Mountain (the Meadows and Stratton are pictured).

Highlights were beautiful Indian Pond (with lots of leeches), Mine Ledge and the views over Brattleboro from the ledge with the Child Monument.

Thanks to AMC leader Lisa K. (not pictured) for leading the hike with Bridget, me, Betty Anne, Bridget's father Don and Pat (not pictured).

~6 miles, ~1,100 foot elevation gain
Summit: Wantastiquet Mountain = 1,350 feet
Trailhead: Madame Sherri Parking lot (on Gulf Road)
Route: Ann Stokes Loop SE toward Daniels Mtn, and then NW over East Hill (scenic view), around Indian Pond, and then west to Mine Ledge (scenic view) and the ledge with the Child Monument, then down Wantastiquet Mtn. to the Wal-Mart parking area (and Mountain Road trailhead)

Quincy Quarries' Rock Climbers and Boston City Views

After a brisk 6-mile hike around the Blue Hills today, our AMC group took a side trip to Quincy Quarries. As it was a beautiful sunny day, there were quite a few rock climbers there. Today the Quincy Quarries are known as an excellent place to rock climb. And about 10% of the Big Dig's dirt was used to fill in the largest quarry.

In their heyday, the quarries yielded granite that was used to:

1) Build Boston's King's Chapel in 1749-1754. King's Chapel, is still standing on the corner of School and Tremont Streets in Boston and was at that time the greatest stone construction ever undertaken in Boston, and possibly in the country.
2) Build the Bunker Hill Monument.
3) Build the country's first railroad, in 1826. The railroad was used to transport the 3,000 tons of Quincy Granite used in the Bunker Hill Monument to the water. The raised bed of the old railroad is still visible in the woods near the quarry.

The granite was prized for it's seeming imperviousness to the elements and the fact that when it was polished or sandblasted, the text was much clearer and longer-lasting than when it was hammered.

It's unfortunate that there's so much graffiti on the rock faces. But at least the rusting hulks of old cars and bodies were fished out several years ago when the Big Dig dirt was piled there.

Mt. Pemigewasset - like an old friend

This moderate hike provides an excellent outlook for relatively little effort. I've done it countless times over the years, and it never disappoints.

The White Mountain Guide says that the true summit is just beyond the first ledges and a bit to the left. Most people don't venture to this side and look northeast, and that's unfortunate because they miss the best views -- the entire Lafayette Ridge, from (right to left) Mt. Lafayette (5,260' high).

This trail is ideal for families with children. And I was pleased to see so many parents with their kids on this trail.

Note: Hike done and this blog post written on 9/8/09.

3.6 miles, 1,250 foot elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pemigewasset = 2,557 feet
Route: Mount Pemigewasset Trail

Geocaching near Sabbaday Falls, NH

On Sunday, in addition to hiking around Sabbaday Falls, a beautiful must-see 5-level cascading waterfall off of the Kancamangus Highway (Rte. 112) in the White Mountains region of NH, we did some geocaching. In all, we found 6 geocaches in about an hour and a half.

Near the falls, we picked up four: Sabbaday Falls, Sabbaday Falls Cache, Sabbaday Brook, and Sabbaday Picnic Area.

Off of the Downes Brook Trail, we found two -- Blackheart Joe's Revenge and Hidey Hole. (We took the wrong trail so we actually bushwhacked for more than 0.2 miles to get to the first one. Oops!)

And right on the Kanc is the hide, Beautiful Memories. Everyone should try to get this one because it showcases a beautiful section of the river that would otherwise be missed.

With these additional finds, I am now up to 49 caches found in 9 states and Peru.

Hard to believe, but we walked a total of 4 miles between the walk on the trail and geocaching!

Beebe Falls & Mt. Israel in NH's Lakes Region

This hike is an easy ascent via a relatively easy path (i.e., not as rock and boulder-strewn or rough as most White Mountain trails). Highlights include excellent views of the lakes, Mt. Mousilaukee, the Tripyramids and Mt. Chocurua. And if you're (un)lucky, a black bear!

We started the hike not at the beginning of the Wentworth Trail, which is the traditional trailhead for this approach to Mt. Israel, but about a half a mile away near Beebe Falls. The falls are quite unusual in that the water falls down a vast surface of relatively smooth granite, perhaps 50 yards across, into a pool of water that's all less than knee deep and extremely calm. It would be a fantastic place for children to play safely in the water, with no eddies or currents.

The side trail before the summit provides a lookout area with a lovely view northwest -- of the lakes in the area's famed Lakes Region and Mt. Moosilaukee, which dominates the horizon.

Beware of black bear in the area. A hiker we met on the trail just before the lookout had just accidentally come face to face with one. He said the bear was just as surprised as he was, and fortunately for everyone, the bear scampered away. No one seemed to see the bear for the rest of the day at least.

We mistook the ridge, just before the peak, as the summit, and ate lunch and enjoyed the view there. We fortunately learned of our mistake from another hiker. Another 5-10 minutes on the trail, and we hit the actual summit (marked by a 5' high cairn). The unmistakable jagged rock profile of Mt. Chocurua is one of the highlights of the view, as well as the Tripyramids to its left.

Word of warning: Don't drive the western part of North Sandwich Road to the trailhead -- unless you have a high-clearance vehicle. The "road" is actually a rough dirt road that's very poorly graded. My Audi bottomed out on several occasions because of deep ruts and potholes.

5.75 miles,~1,700' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Israel = 2,260 feet high
Route: Trail from Beebe Falls (near Bear Camp) to Wentworth Trail

West Maroon Trail - Aspen to Crested Butte, CO

This is the most dramatic and awe-inspiring trail I've ever been on -- even better than Peru's Macchu Picchu or New Zealand's Routeburn and Greenstone Treks. The views are stunning from beginning to end:

* the Maroon Bells
* West Maroon Pass
* fields of wildflowers so beautiful that Linda and Tom dubbed them "Monet's Meadow"
* willows, tundra, conifer forest, yellow-bellied marmots, spectacular lakes .....

West Maroon Trail photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622232770538/

The trailhead is at the West Maroon Wilderness Portal outside of Aspen. The edge of beautiful Maroon Lake is a popular spot for daytrippers and tourists alike, who come to view and photograph the stunning Maroon Bells -- North Maroon Peak (14,014' high) and South Maroon Peak (14,156' high).

Hikers and backpackers start the West Maroon Trail at about 9,500 feet, walking 1.8 miles and climbing about 500 feet to reach stunning Crater Lake (10,076').

After Crater Lake, the trail follows the course of the West Maroon Creek for about 3 miles, going through forest, a rocky scree field, several stream crossings, willows, then tundra. Along this stretch, while in the forest, we actually hiked past the Maroon Bells on ourright (to the West), but we couldn't see them from this angle.

When we hit treeline, it started thundering and lightning and pouring heavily. We suited up and put on our pack covers and entered the open area, hoping for the best. The rain eventually ceased as we were within eyesight of the pass. Here the trail climbs steeply. The last portion of the trail can be a killer if you're suffering from the altitude as I was (I half-jokingly dubbed this section "The Long March" as I had difficulty catching my breath at that altitude).

The views from the pass are spectacular all around. We met Andy and his sister, who were training for the Pike's Peak marathon in a few weeks. They were running the trail!

The wildflowers on the Aspen side of the pass were plentiful. We saw fireweed, paintbrush, lupine, larkspur and many varieties of aster. But the wildflowers on the other side of West Maroon Pass (the south side) were exceptional. So much so that we dubbed it "Monet's Meadow". The profusion of flowers was simply breathtaking. We seemed to catch it at just the right time. It's said that prime wildflower season in the Snowmass-West Maroon Wilderness area is the 2-4 weeks between mid-July and mid-August.

Special thanks to my good friend JC Brigham who planned and organized the trip! She not only picked the perfect time of year for wildflowers, but also wisely arranged for us to rest for a day in the quaint western town of Crested Butte before doing the hike all over again, in reverse, to get back to our car in Aspen.

We arranged our taxi at trail's end in Crested Butte through Alpine Express in Gunnison. The driver and former mayor of CB both helped us find the house we rented (we mysteriously had the incorrect address, but thanks to smartphone technology and email, pulled up a photo of the front of the house, which the ex-mayor immediately recognized!). Sweet sweet people!

A word of advice -- take a break for a day or two before doing the return trip. Your body will thank you! Plus, Crested Butte is a delight!

12 miles, ~3,400 foot elevation gain
Summit: West Maroon Pass, 12,050 feet
Route: West Maroon Trail
7-1/2 hrs. total (5-1/2 hrs to pass; 2 hours from pass to end of trail)

Wildflowers in Colorado's mountains

In just the six days between 7/28/09 and 8/2/09, we saw more than 25 different species of wildflowers on three trails in Summit County:

1) Wilder Gulch to Ptarmigan Pass
2) Willow Lakes (Silverthorne/Mesa Cortina area)
3) West Maroon Trail (between Aspen and Crested Butte in the Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness)

Here's a list of the wildflowers I was able to identify on those three hikes, and where I saw them. Bear in mind this is a partial list, as I couldn't identify many species:

1. Marsh Marigold - Wilder Gulch
2. Sickletop Lousewort - Willow Lakes
3. Mariposa Lilly (pictured) - Wilder Gulch
4. Cinquefoil - Wilder Gulch and Willow Lakes
5. Heart-leaved Arnica - Wilder Gulch and Willow Lakes
6. Heart-leaved buttercup - Wilder Gulch and Willow Lakes
7. Twinflower - Willow Lakes
8. Fireweed - Willow Lakes and W. Maroon trail
9. Rosy & Scarlet Paintbrush (scarlet pictured) - West Maroon Trail, Willow Lakes and Wilder Gulch
10. Kings Crown - West Maroon Pass
11. Rose Crown - W. Maroon Pass
12. Tall Chiming Bells - Willow Lakes and W. Maroon Trail
13. Lodgepole Lupine - W. Maroon Trail
14. Jacob's Ladder - W. Maroon Trail
15. Common Aster, Field Aster, Smooth Aster - W.Maroon Trail
16. Common Harebell - Willow Lakes
17. Subalpine Larkspur - W. Maroon Trail
18. Wild Geranium - W. Maroon Trail (south of the pass)
19. Monkshood - Willow Lakes
20. Bistort - W. Maroon Trail
21. Cornhusk lily - W. Maroon Trail (they were past flowering in late July)
22. White geranium - W. Maroon Trail
23. Yampa - W. Maroon Trail

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622052904285/

Our friends Tom and Linda Watkins dubbed the vast fields of wildflowers on our W. Maroon Trail hike as "Monet's Meadow". A fitting tribute indeed.

"Top of the Rockies" - or how to see 4 passes in 1 day

The destination was (and the photos are from) Independence Pass. But that day we really saw the Rocky Mountains, by visiting a total of 4 beautiful passes:

1) 8am - Schofield Pass (which our taxi from Crested Butte passed on the way to the trailhead. The bus, run by Dolly's Taxi, had a flat right front tire which took 29 minutes to replace!)
2) 11:15 am - West Maroon Pass (which we hiked up and over via the West Maroon Trail)
3) 6pm - Independence Pass on the road between Aspen and Twin Lakes
4) 6:45pm - Fremont Pass, between Copper and Quandry Mountains

After our 12-mile hike from Crested Butte to Aspen via the West Maroon Trail, John offered to show us the scenic route back home to Silverthorne/Summit County. So we drove through Aspen via State Highway 82, passing the gate used to close the road once snow starts.

The road to Independence Pass is second highest paved road in Colorado. The pass, at 12,095 feet, is on the Continental Divide, separating the watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The closest town west of the Divide is Aspen; on the west side it is Twin Lakes.

Before the sun set, we saw virtually every mountain range in the Rockies. A fitting end to our Colorado hiking vacation.

See the four of us and some of the views here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622187675860/

Country Boy Mine - a gold mine in Breckenridge, CO

Country Boy mine was developed in the 1880s and produced gold at first. Then after the war, lead and zinc to make ammunition and galvanize steel, respectively.

Avits are the horizontal tunnels that are drilled and dynamited into the side of a mountain to get to the gold, lead, zinc or silver.

To blast a hole 1-1/2 foot deeper into the rock, miners had to pound 25 strategically placed holes in the rock. At first this was done with a hammer and puncher. Then the drill took it's place. The drill became known as the "widow maker" because the men who operated the drills died after 3-4 years of dust in the lungs. Then they added water to the drill, creating the pneumatic drill, which kept the dust down.

The only light was candlelight. There were no floorboards underneath. Just rails for the carts carrying stone debris and horizontal logs placed a few feet apart perpendicular to the rails. Men who lost their candlelight would get out by following the rail and the path of the water, which trickled downhill, as the avits are on a slight 2% grade to ease the removal of heavy debris.

There used to be 23,000 mines in Colorado. Now only one is operating, due to EPA and homeowner issues related to the arsenic and other chemicals required to process the ore. Now most gold mining is done in either South Africa, South America or Indonesia.

We didn't pan for gold flakes, though we had the opportunity.

See photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622186827646/

French Gulch Road
Breckenridge, CO
$18.95 per person

Don't follow the GPS coordinates on their web site. They lead you up a very poorly maintained dirt road to nowhere.

Willow Lakes hike, Silverthorne, CO

Willow Lakes is a must-do trail to see some beautiful alpine lakes, lots of wildflowers (in late July at least), and great views of Red Peak. I'm so glad that my friend JC urged us to do this one!

The trail climbs steadily at the start. Then levels off a bit. And climbs a bit at the end.

About halfway through, you get great views of Red Peak, which isn't so much of a single peak, but several pointed, jagged peaks in a row.

At the trail junction with Salmon Lake, we took the left trail to Willow Lakes.

Four beautiful alpine lakes. Ate lunch on a rock overlooking the uppermost lake. It started to rain just as we were finishing lunch.

We took the lower path through a camp at the third lake on the way back. This was perhaps a half mile shorter than the upper path we'd taken to get there.

It hailed on us twice. Both times the size of peas. The hail hurt when it hit us -- hands, ears, legs. Charlie's back was covered in hail and he was very unhappy.

Charlie was exhausted. We felt good!

See 19 photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622177563308/

12 miles, 2,400 foot elevation gain
Summit: 4th of the 4 Willows lakes, 11,465'
Route: Willow Lakes trail (passing Gore Range trail and Salmon Lake trail)
4-1/2 hrs up; 3 hrs down

Wilder Gulch to Ptarmigan Pass hike, CO

The last two weeks of July are said to be the peak wildflower time in the mountains west of Denver, CO. This hike was visible proof of that. We saw meadows and fields flecked with bright colors of yellow, red, purple, blue, violet. Wildflowers included Indian Paintbrush.

What is a "gulch" exactly? How does it differ from a valley? Both go between mountains right? The dictionary says a gulch is a deep, narrow ravine, especially one marking a stream.

On our hike along the gulch, through meadows and conifer forests, we got spectacular views of the Ten Mile Range, and Ptarmigan Hill was frequently visible in the distance.

We saw several chipmunks, some birds and many butterflies and moths. But alas, no elk or moose, though we did see what we think was a moose print.

The hike is punctuated throughout by a more than a dozen running streams of water, which you pass over. Fifteen streams to be exact. Helpful stepping stones over the water for most of them.

At the pass, Ptarmigan Hill looks like a "scramble" of 500-750 foot. A group of hikers we observed at the house on the top had to walk over a snow/ice field near the summit, and we saw one of them sliding down on his butt for quite a ways! Looked potentially dangerous, but fun. Given our 4pm wine tasting plans, and the fact that we are still acclimating, we opted to skip the summit and just observe it from this nice saddle/pass area.

We're certain that many flowers that weren't open in the morning were open and turned toward the sun by the afternoon when we returned. Beautiful!

See 19 photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622178744516/

8 miles, 1,400' elevation gain
Destination: Ptarmigan Pass = 11,765 feet high
Route: trail begins south of the lower parking lot, descends into the gulch and then climbs to the saddle of Ptarmigan Hill
5-1/2 hours in total (including a lot of time taking photos!)

Loveland Pass West hike, Colorado

This was a fantastic hike for our first day at elevation in Colorado. It required some elevation gain, but not too much too quickly. Most of the walk was along a ridge-rimmed bowl, with unparalleled 360 degree views. At the end point, marked by a stone wind shelter, mountains are visible in every direction. The parking lot seemed impossibly far away, though it was only about 1.8 miles along the ridge and perhaps 1.3 miles as the crow flies.

Occasionally a snow field edged with reddish orange appears along the route. Mike suggested the color is from the clay in the area's soil.

Mountains visible from the pass include Keystone and Breckinridge ski areas, the Ten Mile Range, the Saguache Range, the Williams Fork Range and Mt.Sniktau.

At the stone wind shelter, we met an enthusiastic, wide-eyed young man from the Chicago area who was traveling west using his XM-outfitted car and camper, a GPS and a laptop to offload all of his photos. His goal was to make San Francisco and spend time on the west coast, but he was so enamored by the mountains of Colorado that he said he might not make it. He planned to purchase the "Summit Hiker" book by local Mary Ellen Gilliland and start hiking the area. I told him that I could spend the entire summer in this area of Colorado and still not see all of the beautiful mountain ranges and passes.

Loveland Pass was built in 1879 and superseded Argentine pass, which at 13,132 feet was the area's first major east-west route. A must-see for everyone!

While here, we went for two geocaches in the area. The first, a micro cache, we found easily near the parking area. The second, about 500 feet up the trail in a group of boulders, proved more elusive and we gave up pretty quickly. That one will go down as a DNF (did not find).

More photos of Loveland Pass West:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622178959092/show

4 miles, 489' elevation gain
Destination: Stone wind shelter = 12,276 feet high (just below a perennial snow field)
Route: trail west from the parking area then north around the ridge around the alpine bowl
3 hours in total

Prairie Dogs at Davidson Mesa Park, Louisville, CO

Tall grasses blowing in the wind. Majestic Rocky Mountains to the west. A big blue sky. Curious prairie dogs standing up on their dirt mounds as you walk by, and then scampering to their holes. Bright sun but no humidity. And several hundred feet below, the McClaslin Road and the houses in Louisville, CO, a quaint community near Boulder.

The prairie dogs were an unexpected delight -- the highlight of the walk along the mesa. A fabulous short walk on our second day in Colorado.

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickijbrown/sets/72157622187608504/show/

~4 miles, minimal elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Tom = 4,051 feet high
Route: outside trail around perimeter of park
1-1/2 hours in total (including time taking photos of prairie dogs)

Gray Jays meet us on Mt. Tom's summit

What a wonderful trail to Mt. Tom! I was glad to finally make it, as I had attempted this with Mike in the winter and the steep grade about halfway through scared me so much that I turned back. Doing that in snowshoes would have been tricky. And I was just learning...

We had three significant steam crossings, for which I was grateful to have hiking poles for balance. It was heart-rending at one point to watch a large black dog run back and forth along the bank, trying to find a good crossing point. He stepped in twice, whimpering as his paw hit the cold water. Finally, with the coaxing of his owner across the stream, he plunged in and made it across in just a few seconds.

To reach the true summit, you must take the left trail at the junction near the top. Miraculously, we were the only ones there -- except for two bold birds, which I later confirmed were juvenile Gray Jays. Both begging for food, of course! There was really no view at all. We were completely fogged in. At least it didn't rain!

The descent is actually fairly easy -- lots of moderate steps down; no long steps over big boulders as with the Mt. Percival trail on Saturday.

I LOVED this trail! Must do it again. With snowshoes!

5.6 miles, 2,151' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Tom = 4,051 feet high
Route: Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom spur.
5-1/2 hours in total (including time on summit)

Thunder on Mt. Percival

We knew we didn't have much time before the anticipated afternoon T-storms, so we started out to do the popular Morgan-Percival loop on the southern fringe of NH's White Mountains -- knowing that we could abort partway should the weather turn bad.

It was a typically White Mountain ascent to Mt. Percival (i.e., lots of big rocks and boulders to clambor over). Near the summit, we avoided the boulder caves and opted for the cliff ledge approach instead.

It was a race against time as we heard the first clap of thunder just as we had the summit in view. We considered continuing over the ledges to join the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail and make our way to Mt. Morgan, thereby finishing the loop. But with the thunder and lightning, that would have meant some significant exposure both to Mt. Morgan and on its summit. So we high-tailed it back down the same trail upon which we came. It rained and thundered and lightning'ed (is that a word?) for most of our descent. Some of the rocks were very slippery when wet, made all the more difficult because of their steepness. But we made it back safely!

4.0 miles, 1,450' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Percival = 2,212 feet high
Route: Mt. Percival trail, off of Route 113.

Running Brook Vineyards - a pleasant surprise!

When you arrive at Running Brook Vineyard and Winery, you think you're in the wrong place. The entrance to the tasting room, which is also the wine-making area, is on the side of a large old barn. We were greeted warmly by the winemaker and owner, Manny Morais. He proceeded to delight us with his colorful descriptions of his wines, wine and food pairings, and his views on the terroir of Massachusetts.

Our favorite of the whites was the 2007 Chardonnay. It boasts a nice complexity and would be great with food.

Running Brook's reds have a lighter color than many other reds. Manny explains that he ferments the wine with the skins on for only 5 days -- vs. the typical two weeks. Thus they are not as deep in color.

Though I generally enjoy Cabernet Franc, I preferred the 2004 Cabernet Franc Merlot blend (40% Merlot) over the 2005 Cabernet Franc. The Merlot grape seems to balance the strong tannins of the cab franc grapes. This is a nice table wine.

I didn't particularly like the 2005 Cab Franc Rose because it was unfiltered, and therefore somewhat effervescent. If it was filtered, however, I think it would be dry, but not too dry, on the palate.

Running Brook makes "champagne" (sparkling wine), too. It's called Celebration 2001. The winemaker said it received quite favorable reviews over French champagnes at a recent wine tasting. I think it was quafable, but I can't be certain, as it was too warm and therefore mostly flat.

Make sure you taste their dessert wines, all of which are very good:

* Auslesen 2007 -- the "noble rot" is done with chardonnay grapes instead of reisling grapes. It's sweet, but not sickly sweet like some Ausleses. Smooth, too. Manny recommends this with some fruit mid-afternoon.

* Late Harvest Vidal -- this is the "raisin" wine -- the taste of raisins lingers on the palate. This would be a great after-dinner drink, Manny says.

* Frost Wine (Eiswein) -- this is the sweetest of the three, and delightful.

If you want to visit the New England wineries, and don't have a lot of time, skip the overly commercial and unremarkable Sakonnet Vineyards and visit Running Brook instead. It produces full-flavored whites, reds, roses and sparking wines that please the palate and will make you believe in the concept of "regional wines" (those not grown in such known wine regions as Napa).

Sakonnet Vineyards - Unremarkable

Mention New England vineyards and locals think of Sakonnet in Little Compton, RI. It is well-known because they have done some great marketing. Their tasting room is quite nice, with interesting merchandise for sale. The people behind the counter are jovial, knowledgeable and charming. Great atmosphere. Great people. Great service.

So what's wrong with this picture?

It's the wine. It's -- shall I say? -- unremarkable. Even disappointing. Here are my quick tasting notes:

• Vidal Blanc 2007 - too sweet.
• Gewurztraminer 2007 - good summer sipping wine. Delightfully light. Not too sweet. Best of the Sakonnet whites. Won a Silver Medal at the Monterey Wine Festival.
  
• Petite White (new release) - a mix of Vidal and Gewurztraminer. Ok. Less sweet than Vidal alone.
• Cock of the Walk (white)- green apples (Granny Smiths) and cantelope. Would be good with food.
• Chardonnay 2005 - odd taste... buttery and metallic
• Rose - Cabernet franc grape. A little too sweet. Nice finish. More body than most roses.
• Petite Red (new release) - 5 grapes (Cab, Cab Franc, Pinot, Lemberger and Chancellor). High in tannins. Better than pinot. Some complexity.
• Cock of the Walk (red) - 3 grapes (Cab, Lemberger, Merlot). Said to have a "smooth clean finish". But I found it highly acidic, highly astringent. Terrible.
• Rhode Island Red NV - 2 grape blend (Cab, Chancellor). Earthy. Best of the Sakonnet reds.
• Cabernet Franc 2005 - didn't like
• Pinot Noir 2007 - astringent. Yuck. Don't care for it.
• Port 2006 - Chancellor grape, fortified with brandy. Earthy. But sour aftertaste/finish.

I give the winery credit for trying -- an A for effort, sincerity and enthusiasm. Oh, and the O.T.C. (Original Wine Crackers) are quite delicious -- on their own. I prefer plain ol' oyster crackers to cleanse the palate between wines vs. these. The O.T.C. are a bit too sweet in my opinion to do the trick.

I recommend going to Running Brook Vineyards (about 30 min. away in North Dartmouth, MA). You won't find a beautiful tasting room or gift shop there, but you will taste some decent wine. Try them both and let me know what you think!

One-horse open sleigh ride

Lanterns in the woods. A fur blanket in our laps. A bottle of champage. A 2,300-lb. Belgian draft horse named Barney. European fallow deer eating from my hand. Under a clear sky filled with stars.

Mt. Hedgehog and Mt. Willard in snowshoes

This is the view from Mt. Hedgehog (in NH's White Mountains). There are clearly many more mountains that are higher -- easily done in the summer, but you won't catch me climbing them in the winter!

I was terrified coming down from Mt. Hedgehog on snowshoes. Going up in snowshoes (about 1,500 foot elevation gain) was hard work, yes, but no problem. Coming down? Yikes! The trail seemed so steep on the descent! Too steep for my comfort. I was definitely way outside of my comfort zone, but I made it down safely -- only one fall. And I was more tired that night after 5 hrs of snowshoeing than I've been after hiking in a very long time!

That was Saturday Jan. 31st. On Sunday Feb. 1, we did a more modest mountain in the Whites -- Mt. Willard. It takes just under an hour to get to the top. At the summit we spotted what I thought was a weasel. But after looking it up, we learned that it was a pine marten! Even better than sighting a deer or a moose. How many people can say they've seen a pine marten? In the wild, not in a zoo??

Snowshoeing & hiking in below-zero wind chill

Saturday we attempted to snowshoe up Hedgehog Mountain and Sunday we used StabilICERS on the trail to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain, which has fine views over Squam Lake (completely frozen this time of year).

We weren't breaking trail up Hedgehog, but it was definitely more work than bare-booting it. We decided to turn back after two hours of climbing up due to fear of frostbite on my toes, which had gone numb from the bitter cold. It was frankly difficult to keep my hands warm given the extreme cold. Thank goodness for hand warmers!

We got too late of a start on Sunday to finish the Rattlesnake Mountain loop, where we would have been breaking trail after the first summit. Views over Squam Lake (in photo) were beautiful!

In memory of Mark Podsedly (1962 - 2008)

The day before Thanksgiving last year, Mark lost his courageous battle with cancer. He was a dear, dear friend and he will be sorely missed.

I’ve known Mark for 15 years. I first met him in 1993 when we were working together in product marketing at Sun Microsystems. From the first time I met him, he struck me as an incredibly smart, highly motivated guy:

• he had surprising influence among the engineers at Sun, an engineering-driven company
• he was instrumental in developing the SPARCstation X-terminal – a product that was very advanced for its time… now, 15 years later, the latest technology buzz is about “cloud computing” and virtual desktops. His product, the X-terminal, would be a perfect thin client. In other words – it was a product ahead of its time.
• he was way out front with technology. I understand that he was one of the first people to get a PC -- even among his engineering friends. He was doing things with the Internet in 1993 that no one had even heard of. He taught me about URL links, for example.

Mark also had a good sense of humor. I remember the Sun Product Marketing holiday party in 1994. There was another Mark in the group -- I'll call him Mark F. -- who was especially arrogant, unprofessional, lazy and even mean. This Mark was the exact opposite of Mark Podsedly. My husband at the time knew how upsetting this other Mark (Mark F.) was to me, and wanted to put Mark F. in his place. So at the holiday party, after a few drinks, my husband started changing "Dead Meat. Dead Meat. Dead Meat." He meant it for Mark F., but confused the two Marks and accidentally directed his tirade at Mark Podsedly. So he was chanting "dead meat, dead meat" to the wrong Mark!

Mark took it all in stride, laughing about it at the time -- though I'm sure he was puzzled -- and then REALLY appreciating the humor of it when he learned my husband's intentions -- he held the same opinion of Mark F! That was a good night -- a night of comradery for all of us working in that group at Sun.

It was at that Sun holiday party, that I met Melisa Stern. They got married the next year, 1995, and Mark was as happy as I'd ever known him.

Mark was one of my best platonic guy friends. He was so fiercely protective of me -- supporting me through difficult times and always asking if there was anything he could do for me. That was Mark -- selfless and full of grace and dignity to the end.

Mark was a determined man. Determined to fight his tumor ... Determined to be a loving husband to Melisa ... Determined to be a dedicated father to his daughter Natalie. And determined to be an incredible friend to me and many others ...

Friends are the family we choose. Mark and I, as friends, became family. In finding him as a friend, I found a treasure.

To paraphrase Adlai Stevenson (1962) -- I have lost more than a friend. I have lost an inspiration. He would rather light candles than curse the darkness -- And his glow has warmed the world.

May the glow of Mark's memory live on in all of our hearts.

Mt. Potash - my first winter hike of the season!

At long last, the White Mountains again! It was only about 12 degrees, but without the wind we were warm enough. We broke trail for most of the hike, snowshoeing the entire way, and seeing not a soul the whole time. One of the three brook crossings was a bit difficult, but doable.

With few yellow blazes along the way, the Mt. Potash trail is a bit difficult to follow. Thus it took us about 3 hours to get to the top. After lunch on the summit, we snowshoed back down. Because we had a clear trail by following our tracks, we made it down in just two hours. This is a great winter hike.

I am now fairly comfortable on snowshoes. I can now handle the steep inclines and declines that last year caused me to either hesitate (and proceed slowly and carefully) or to retreat. I just bagged my first "mountain" on snowshoes!

4.4 miles, 1,500' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Potash = 2,680 feet high
Route: Downes Brook and Mt. Potash trails, starting from the Kancamangus Hwy.