Programming websites and recording studio work comes with a price associated with sitting in a task chair. Since I was sitting a little too often and I think going to the gym regularly is just a little too boring, I decided to enroll in New Hampshire’s built in weight-loss program. Starting in May, Amy and I decided to climb all 48 of the four thousand footers in New Hampshire. I’ve climbed some of them before over the years, but I needed to get into better shape and Amy and I were looking for something we could do together as a both a bonding experience and a team building exercise. It only took one hike up Mt. Waumbek to catch the hiking bug again.
The adventures we had together fulfilled all of our expectations. We were having so much fun up north in the mountains that we quickly discovered there was so much more to hiking through the woods than what we originally expected. In addition to the exercise, the bonding, and all the time to talk business, we also discovered a seemingly infinite source of creative inspiration. Since we started regularly clearing our heads in the wilderness, we’ve done some of our best work and going back to work after a good climb was so much easier. Since half of the journey with these hikes is in getting to the mountains, finding the trailheads has proved to be a great way to reconnect with the state of New Hampshire. The more places you go, the more you end up learning about the geography, history, and culture of a region. Learning about the wilderness and the efforts people put into preserving it, allows you to feel more connected to your surroundings and the people you share it with.
Finally, and perhaps the most rewarding thing to come from all these adventures, is that Amy and I decided to get a dog to share these experiences with. Smoky, still a young pup, has been one of the most positive things to happen to us and after claiming seven 4,000 footers of his own, he has proven to be the ideal trail companion. After browsing through vintage Smokey the bear ads one evening after a hike, something inspired us to look through pet finder online and we found Smoky there waiting to be rescued. We took it as a sign and adopted him. He ended up turning out to be the best pup we could have asked for. Among the many virtues of living with Smoky, we found he is great for morale around the office, synthesizers tend to put him to sleep, and it’s fun to see him get excited when we get the hiking boots out.
I thought I’d share some of the best photos from our adventures in the White Mountains so far. It was tough to select the most inspiring and definitive hiking photos that encapsulates the whole hiking the Whites experience, but I think I did a fair job. Early on our ambition for peak bagging moved from the 48 four thousand footers in New Hampshire to the 100 highest in New England and so far we’ve done 36 4,000 footers in New Hampshire, two 4,000 footers in Maine, and four extra hundred highest peaks, including a bush-whack over Vose Spur. As we finish more, I’ll share some more pics, but here’s a good selection that sums it up thus far. Unless otherwise stated, these pics are all in New Hampshire. I hope they can be a source of inspiration and I wish you luck in your own adventures.
Hiking New England
A view from on the Webster-Jackson trail up Mt. Jackson in Crawford Notch
A forest scene on the Webster-Jackson Trail up Mt. Jackson in Crawford Notch
On the Franconia Ridge Trail towards Mt. Lincoln in Franconia Notch
Yes, that’s a guy in a Scout Trooper suit climbing Mt. Jefferson
My brother in a Be Better Studios t-shirt headed down Castle Trail via Mt. Jefferson
A view West from a cliff on Mt. Whiteface towards Sandwich Dome
View from Signal Ridge up Mt. Carrigain looking over Vose Spur towards Crawford Notch
A view of Mt. Washington from Mt. Monroe. At 6,288 ft, it is the biggest mountain in New England and home to the worst recorded weather in the United States history.
The Lakes of the Clouds below Mt. Washington, in the Presidential Range Wilderness
A view of Mt. Monroe from Crawford Path headed up Mt. Washington
A close up of the Mt. Washington Observatory at dusk. It looks like another planet.
One of two stark warning signs on King Ravine Trail
A view down King Ravine Trail from the top of the ridge. This trail is challenging, but has lots of cool stuff to see like waterfalls, tunnels, ice caves, and a big tough rock slide.
Amy, Smoky, and I on the summit of Mt. Isolation
A view of Lonesome Lake with Mt. Lafayette in the background, in Franconia Notch
A very happy dog
Me on top of South Kinsman Mountain. Someone made an awesome throne of granite out of the summit cairn.
Smoky and I heading into the Pemigewasset Wilderness for a backpacking trip
Backcountry camping in the Pemigewasset Wilderness
Team Sager summit pic on Owl’s Head Mountain
Thirteen Falls in the Pemigewasset Wilderness
Useful Links:
AMC Four Thousand Footer Club
AMC Guide Books
Valuable crowd-sourced reports on trail conditions in New England
The best source for accurate weather forecasts