Mt Cannon 4100'

 

 

6.1 miles total loop from Lafayette Place
Hi Cannon Trl & Lonesome Lake on the way down

A bar and restaurant at the summit? The Mountains called and eight adventurers heard & answered this past Sunday. Great weather and awesome trail conditions made for an easy day, spent some time at the Hut also.

Hi Cannon was the not easy part. 3 miles straight up but the views were worth it, several outlooks on the way before the summit proper. Ladders and again excellent train maintenance help an otherwise grueling switchback rollercoaster up the Eastern side of Cannon.

Full on Amusement park summit extravaganza. Summer time means the Tram was full  and I was chatting with a pair of grandparents at the summit. I had two beers (ON DRAFT!) and a sandwich, great grub considering the altitude.

Descending the mountain I wasn't even looking at signs. I've been to Lonesome Lake 4 times now, I think I've had better weather with each trip back. The Hut was just as I had left it last, enjoyed some tomato soup ($2) and some free pancakes from that morning, excellent cooking on both the crew was vigilant getting supper ready as we departed.

Great day and good to see so many adventurers on this quest. All the mountains need bars...

 

 

Princess Lillian

When I'm not hiking mountains I'm training young Lily here to stand up. The princess is almost a year old, 2 toofs and before long she'll be out on the trail with me.

I often think about what kind of Dad I'll be when she's older. Will hiking be a part of her life? Will she find the mountains earlier then I did or will she ever hike at all? I'm not going to push a lifestyle on her, she will certainly be exposed to camping on some level with the family and she can take it from there if she chooses. I'll certainly continue hiking throughout her childhood, hoping she wants to tag along and get herself a hammock when the time comes...

 

 

 

Mt Moriah 4049'

12 miles via Rattle River & Kenduskeag trails Spent the night @ Rattle River Shelter

3 Adventurers conquered another mountain this past weekend, another tough hike but worth the effort. Slept near the shelter in my hammock, mountain beat us up pretty good so I was in bed early.

No switchbacks just a relentless 2.6 from the shelter up to the junction with Kenduskeag. Great trail conditions but on a hott & humid day I wasn't paying attention, took a fall or two on my descent.

How I stayed injury free last month is a miracle, 3 big hikes is a tall order but I'm trying to step my game up. July is booked but in August I will return...

Inventory Update

Wow. Look at me in that cover photo! Jeans and a cotton tshirt with SNEAKERS on Osceola (my first 4k). Look at this green ass rookie doing all the wrong shit. What a fool I was, naive to the mountain and her peril. How far I've come! Don't let my meager progress on the 48 deceive you, life is in the journey not the destination. Plenty of long treks under my belt, and plenty of bad experiences with lessons to share...

Cotton bad. Your favorite hoody could kill you someday. Absorbs water and keeps it right there next to you. As that water evaporates, the energy released brings the temperature down signifigantly. So instead of keeping you warm, it is literally surrounding you with cold. In winter this can obviously be a life ending mistake.

Poly Good. Underarmor. Nike Dri-Fit. Polyester. Anything that advertises wicking water and sweat away from you. I wear khaki pants from North Face that zipper the bottoms off and become shorts. Being versatile and waterproof allows me to enjoy my surroundings rather then fear them.

Wool Socks. Bring plenty. The cotton white socks stay at home. Plenty of water crossings out there, which means icy mountain water fills your boot when you miss a rockspot. Not fun even with wool socks, but at least those will dry out before your foot falls of from frostbite. Wool is also a little thicker and tends to absorb some of that descent impact.

Good Boots. Ankle support. Wear em out a little and find a comfy pair before you hit the trails. "Waterproof" is kind of a loose term with bootmakers also, don't believe everything you read. Sneakers are for the brave. I've obviously hiked a few with those orange mountain runners, but the rocky terrain in the whites demands respect. I have done a Dr Scholls gel insert on day2 or 3 of a long journey, didn't make one iota of a difference, trashed them and havent looked back. These boots have seen 2 years of mountains and still have kick! I also use Yaktrax in the winter months....

Rook. Weight bad. This is not my ideal bag, but it gets the job done in place of an expensive overnight bag (mine was stolen). Pack light and tight, you won't need that. You won't need that either. I use a 2L bladder with a hose so I don't have to keep taking the thing off. An ideal bag wouldn't have the ancient metal frame, netting on the sides for water bottles would be nice also.

MSR Pocket Rocket. Gotta eat. Boils water on the summit for a cup of coffee, or some mac ncheese, oatmeal, cup noodles, whatever you can think of.  Scored two small pots from the market for cheap and I can have a spot of tea on the summit. Great kit and super lightweight, the fuel cans are $6 and two of them usually last me a summer season.

 

MSR Miniworks EX. H20. Greatwater filter fits on the nalgene and the nozzle for the bladder. I'll usually bring 3L with me for the day and refill at camp depending on the situation. Placement of water sources along any route should always influence trip planning in the summer months. Drinking alpine spring water can't be beat either, brings you closer to the mountain spirits...

Hennessy Hammock. The Last Airbender. Sleeping on the ground is for amateurs. 4 feet of air is alot nicer to sleep on then a rock and some tree roots. No puddles, and no fuss, if you can tie a rope to two trees your are in business. Mesh upper section is both a bug net and a window to the stars, plenty of nights in this bad boy and plenty more to come.

Kelty Mistral Sleeping Bag. She's rated to zero degrees. The hammock is comfy as hell but cold, late fall & winter I'll add a fleece liner. A good bag is worth the extra weight, knowing you're going to sleep comfortably on trail is a nice thought after a long day.

Wizard Staff. I have skills. Water crossings are easier, descending the mountain is easier, and fighting off the ladies is easier when wielding my hickory staff of mystic mountain power.

Osceola Dayhike

Mt Osceola 4315' & East Osceola 4156'
7.6 Miles -parked @ Greeley Pond Trailhead off the Kanc

Hiked both Osceolas as I start the second half of these Forty Eight. Fitting as Osceola was my first 4k, grabbed the East peak with a buddy Saturday and enjoyed another few moments at this awesome summit.

The Kanc side is tougher then the Tripoli road side, and in different ways. I remember alot of switchbacks and gradual inclines on the tripoli rd side, none of that this time. Greeley Pond trail is very nice, a string of bog bridges and your done ez breezy. Once we took a right after that first junction you hit a wall pretty quick. 2300 feet within 1.5 miles to the summit means we took breaks.  Often.

East peak has more viewpoints then the guide led me to believe. From one angle before the 1st summit I could see directly into the Pemi. Franc Ridge, Owls Head/Garfield and a clear but faraway look at the backside of the Bondcliffs. And although the summit was wooded there's still a nice view looking south (?) just before the summit proper.

Then Mt Osceola proper. Waiting for me like an old friend. Amusement park at the top, plenty of first timers testing their mettle as I once did, aching and groaning with jeans & sneakers. Look at me in the cover photo, I'm wearing all cotton just like them guys. Amazing how far I've come since that day. No turning back now, started the second half and I'm bringing my A game

 

Mt Carrigain Overnight

Mt Carrigain 4700'
10 miles - Signal Ridge trl up & back
Camped off trail near the wooded summit

3 rusty adventurers tested Carrigain this past weekend, high temps made for a slow slog up the mountain. Volunteer crews were working on the trail as we passed by, pristine conditions no blow downs & new bog bridges. Underestimated the strenuous climb, stairway to the sky kept going on forever.

When the trail finally opens up on Signal Ridge, you get an excellent view of the Vose Spur to the east. Also in plain view are the firetower and summit of Mt Carrigain, another 1/4 mile up the mountain. I cant be the only one that cursed at that sight immediately, already beat up from the majority of the incline.

The views are worth the climb. 360 degrees all around from the wooden firetower, its as if someone built a deck in the clouds. I spent my time naming the mountains I had already conquered, they were all right there, old friends from journeys past. Amazing trip, great time with two veterans, good weather and spirits all weekend.

Dog Hike: We saw a small sheep dog and a corgi make it to the ridge on Saturday. I think I could take Zelda back here one day but not in this heat, the switchbacks dont help - this was a relentless climb. Good trails however and few scrambles to carry Z, worth a look in the Fall before the Sawyer River road closes for Winter.

Cranked the season wide open, hoping I can stay injury free and finally finish this list!

Zealand Falls Dayhike

11.6 miles from 302 to the Hut and Falls
Zealand rd was closed so parked at the lot directly on 302
Used Yaktrax but shouldve worn Snowshoes and a Snorkel

Zealand road was closed. That adds a 3.5 mile roadwalk on top of the normal 3ish out to the hut, so were the cards I quite randomly dealt myself that morning. The plan was to conquer Moriah with friends, when no friends could answer the call I was left to carry the torch alone. Zealand road is familiar ground at this point, ended up here on more then one adventure. I underestimated the spring melt.

Left the snowshoes in the car. Originally planning to stay overnight, I had enough weight on my pack already and figured they'd never leave the top of my rook. The north woods still has plenty of snow however, even the usually easy hike out to the falls was a struggle every inch. The amount of snow and the structure of the trails force you to walk on top of an unstable layer of ice & powder. My boot sank every few steps into an ice river hidden below the trail. Eventually I fell hard and pulled what the wife calls my "hip flexer". Hard to lift my left leg, I remember straining it like this the last time I was hard snowshoeing.

After a leisurly snack at the falls and hut, empty save a nice couple that came and left, I headed sloshing back myself. Not a nice day for water crossings might I add. Bringing crocs next time, water is moving fast and there aren't alot of good footholds to begin with. Once I realized all my backup socks had been sacrificed, my time had run short. Hobbled back to the car as darkness fell, a spooky and empty Zealand road at my back after another fine adventure.