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I was on Abol a month ago. We decided to turn back at about 4200' when the cloud ceiling fell below the table lands and the winds had kicked up to ~70mph, all in defiance of the idyllic NOAA forecast we were working from. We had only 12" or so of trail breaking to do at the time while in the...

Tim, Telos Rd is routinely maintained/plowed. Williams Pond Rd (the classic 6-mile western approach ending at Nesowadnehunk) is typically not maintained, but sometimes broken out by snowmobiles when the park is doing work toward the northern reaches. You can check with the office now to learn...

Not quite as much irony there as "SO close" might otherwise suggest -- in tough conditions, the exit off Bondcliff can be a challenge to find, even for hikers who've been there many times before. Add to that some hypothermia-induced mental degradation combined with panic, and you've turned an...

I've got a SPOT2. Cost is $99/yr, and does not include tracking (i.e., automatically transmitting position at a specified interval). The latter costs an extra $50/yr. The SPOT3 package includes the tracking (you can't not get it), which is why its cost is $150/yr. Related thoughts: - My...

12/17/2016 - South and Milddle Carter via 19MB, CDT, CMT and back Trail Conditions: We hiked at the same time as everything was in the process of receiving 5" of new snow. From road to ridge, snowshoes were the best bet on several inches of loose heavy powder atop the base -- but most of...

I've found that pocket-warming a 200g (aka "large") canister doesn't take noticeably longer than warming a 100g ("small") canister. I prefer carrying the large canisters because - I'm certain that I'm going to burn through more than 100g of fuel, and want to keep to a minimum the number of...

I haven't thought long and hard as to why to this point, but I find that my foam pad stays on top of inflatable pad better than my inflatable pad stays on top of my foam pad -- and there's also a thermal case to be made for putting the foam next to your body rather than the air, especially in...

. . . and more to the OP's point: This weekend's weather is forecast to be on the brisk side -- windy, with daily high temps barely above zero.

Three categories of draw come to mind for things like the Weeks, Terrace. 1. Many intermediate and advanced hikers find ridge traverses to be fun and exciting. 2. Others enjoy exploring/navigating/taking in the areas less traveled. 3. One person's PUD is another's NE100/NH100 checkmark...

The Weeks and Terrace sections of the trail are neither heavily frequented nor heavily maintained. You should expect navigational challenges, full trail breaking, and profuse blowdowns, as well as generally rough terrain. If you're hikers of average stamina, it would definitely be prudent to...

Just seeing this thread now. Dennis, amid those great shots, I found the softwood meadows and the exposed craggy area you captured to be especially beautiful, though I'm sure that actually being there must've felt even more amazing. At the risk of being massively redundant, continued thanks for...

Great advice, Becca, and I super-especially agree with the wet brush thing. Esp in prime hypothermia temps, few things can approach the miserable-ness of spending a day pushing through the under/overbrush when it's all soaking wet. I would differ on two points. I'm old school in the sense...

I should have expected it, but the sensation nonetheless ended up surprising me: having the skill to bushwhack along with the associated navigational expertise completely eliminated any concern about getting lost in the event of losing a trail. A wonderful feeling of security. Related to...

Once there's snow on the ground, it's usually obvious because you'll see people's tracks. It's not obvious otherwise. despite my carefully studying things upon exit each time I'm there, I still don't have a definitive, landmark-based way of recognizing it. My typical approach is to use dead...

Great video, Tim -- thanks for thinking to share it. Alex

You can find fantastic hard boots in all the major brands. And while it may be helpful to compare features across the brands and models and choose the boot that has the 'best' combination of features, all that, unfortunately, is a secondary consideration. The primary consideration is [no, not...

Not only that. REGARDLESS of how tight or loose the straps are, they can hurt you if you're traversing steep terrain -- i.e., if your crampon or snowshoe is engaging terrain that has a severe sideways slant. This situation compels a crampon or snowshoe to roll under your foot. As your ankle...

Another reason for dropping from 3 days to 2 is that in addition to saving the weight of food for another day, you also have the potential to substitute a self-service stay at Carter Notch Hut for the weight of the shelter you'd otherwise need to carry. I also would favor south-to-north for the...

Serious grizzly attack out west - amazingly disciplined victim. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/news/life-sucks-in-bear-country-man-details-grizzly-attack-on-facebook/ar-BBwVsrs?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

AMC Winter Hiking/Camping Courses Following up on my earlier post, with specific scheduling/registration info for the AMC Boston Winter Hiking Program, which starts on Wednesday, November 2. BOSTON CHAPTER WINTER HIKING PROGRAM...