Search results

I personally would love a device that would allow me to reliably send a text message. My biggest fear is getting stuck out safely overnight and having a search party sent because I didn't return when expected. This almost happened to me last year when I camped out overnight near Mt. Isolation...

I don't know much about the Blackberry but there are a lot of things like this for the iPhone. They work great but eat up a lot of power so I find battery life is a real issue. If you're going to be out for more than a couple hours, a real GPS is probably still the way to go. Also, I suspect the...

Trish, I agree with your philosophy 100%. I actually don't mind the roadwalks in the winter as they are just like extra wide snow covered trails once you get rid of the pavement and the cars. I'd probably feel differently if they were filled with snowmobiles but in general I find the Winter...

Wow! It sounds like you had quite an adventure. I really like your idea of using the hiking poles to mark the exit route. It's so easy to get turned around up there and it's a fairly long way to the scrub on that route. I must admit, I'm never quite as brave as you in low visibility and always...

Nice report and thanks for the photos of the slide and chimney bypass. I'm always trying to get as much visual information as I can before I take my dog up these peaks in the winter. It looks like you had good butt sliding conditions. I came down the Sabbaday Brook Trail yesterday and it was a...

Sheep has a set of booties as well and I made sure they fit and haven't put them on since. I carry them with me more as a first aid supply than a hiking aid. I figure if he ever cuts a paw, they'll be useful. I also use musher's secret but with Sheep's giant paws, one of the small tubs is only...

Nice work! I'm curious. Do you ever use booties on Emma? I also have to stop fairly often to removed snow from Sheep's paws but I think in most cases, the booties would affect his traction so he goes without them. He never seems to get cold so I don't think it's an issue but I was curious what...

I agree that this is an excellent new tool. While it's nice to have so many resources to check trail conditions, it's sometimes a pain having to check so many places. Thanks for pulling all of the information together for us in one place.

You're off to an amazing start this winter. Getting Jefferson, Owl's Head and Isolation during these short days is impressive. Thanks for the trail breaking and the trip reports!

It amazes me just how different wind conditions can be throughout the Whites. I always considered the Hancocks to be a relatively sheltered hike and a good one for a day like today. I'm surprised that you ran into so much wind while I felt almost none on the relatively open summit of Carter...

Date of Hike: 2010.01.10 Trail Conditions: Nineteen Mile Brook was hard packed all the way to Carter Dome junction and likely all the way to the hut. Carter Dome Trail very well packed to Zeta Path. Broken but a little rough from Zeta Pass to Carter-Moriah. Carter Moriah to summit was in...

Nice photos! It's such a treat to have such great hiking so close to Boston. I also use the Blue Hills for Spring Training. It's nice to be able to get a 16 mile hike with 2500 feet of elevation gain during the times when the Whites are a mess (April in particular). I haven't been out to the...

I agree 100%. When I was doing the 4000 footers for the first time, I put off the Kinsmans until near the end because I had heard so many complaints about this trail. I found it to be a fairly typical White Mountains trail. I can't for the life of me figure out why people hate it so much. I've...

I think those blowdowns all migrated a few miles north to the Shoal Pond Trail. That was the really tough part of my hike in this area.

I also didn't have any blowdown issues on Cedar Brook. I hiked it last Memorial Day weekend and it was very, very muddy but pretty much free of blowdowns.

I hiked the whole Cedar Brook Trail as part of a three day backpack over the Willey Range and Bonds last Spring. I really enjoyed the whole Cedar Brook trail. It gets significantly rougher and muddier once you pass the Wilderness boundary. Hiking this route is a great way to almost guarantee you...

I do my best to only buy things that are marked as not tested on animals. I've actually gotten away from buying most commercial cleaning products (even the ones touted as "green") as I'm finding that a combination of Dr. Bonner's, borax and baking soda does a good job, is super cheap and is...

No, I don't use any down but must admit that I look longingly at those lightweight down bags every time I try to compress my -40 synthetic into my pack!

I agree. I struggle with this tradeoff on a regular basis as a vegan. I'd love to be able to buy cruelty-free wool products but I don't know of anyone making outdoor products from wool raised in a sustainable way.

I'm also in the "other" camp as I'm vegan and don't use any animal products. A lot of people don't realize how cruel the wool industry can be. It's not like the wool in mass marketed clothing comes from nice family farms- it's factory farming. If anyone is interested in learning more, this is a...