Ritzhikes

Where: Nancy/Norcross Ponds When: September 21-22, 1991 With: Chip, Seth Ever since passing through this area years before, I'd wanted to come back to the campsite at Norcross Pond. The combination of water and vista made it an ideal site. So when a hike was proposed, I suggested this area. Seth and I joined Chip at his house and we all piled into my car for the trip. We drove up the Spaudling Turnpike through the traffic jams of Conway, made a stop at a liquor store, and then made for the trailhead. To our dismay, there were quite a few cars parked there already. We feared we'd find crowds in the woods and I figured the campsite would be taken. Undaunted, we started to pack up. By mutual consent, we'd each brought two containers of alcohol. The first was to be a large quantity of something of moderate strength and the second was to be a half-pint of hard liquor. We agreed to save the identities of the half-pints for later but compared notes on our other purchases. ...

Where: Smarts Brook When: May, 1991 With: Seth, Chip This was the hike Chip and I should have taken back in March of 1990, when we were rained out. We could have dried our gear out and gone in here for a nice weekend. It was the last unhiked trail into this area for me, so I kept it on my list and when we needed a hike, I suggested it. We got a late start due to the delivery and setup of a table at Chip's house, but we were in no hurry this day. We arrived at the trailhead in Chip's car, took some pictures, and headed into the woods. The trail was a no-brainer, following an old road and a stream up into the mountains. I even wore sandals instead of boots the first day. The trail came to several pools in the stream that were probably packed in mid-summer. The trail narrowed after passing a beaver pond and the bugs came out. As usual, while we moved they were no problem, but when we stopped they feasted. We moved a good ways back into the forest before finding a nice spot ...

Where: Guyot Shelter When: April 6, 1991 With: Solo My first solo hike in several years. There had been little snow that season and I'd done this hike before in the summer, so I figured I'd have no trouble. I packed as light as I could...few extra clothes and only a coffeepot for cooking. My one excess, my winter sleeping bag. I figured I'd rather be safe than sorry. I drove to the Wilderness Trail and started walking in. The first section was 5 miles, to the Bondcliff Trail. The trail was a combination of ice and mud, but I really hauled butt, passing other hikers, and made the trip in 1.5 hours. After stopping for water and peanut M&Ms, I resumed the hike up toward Bondcliff. The first part of the trail followed a brook and I noted several very nice campsites along the way. Perhaps good destinations for future hikes. The trail started to climb more steeply through the woods and left the stream for awhile. As I climbed higher, I started to see patches of snow o...

Where: Eliza Brook Shelter When: 1/26/91 With: Chip After a one-year layoff, Chip and I decided to go "winter" camping again. There had been a snow drought this year, so we were wary of the conditions. We decided to try another destination this time, on the other side of 93. I'd seen it on the map and always considered a ski in to be possible. The route I'd imagined wasn't the way we went though. I'd thought of skiing in from the south on a power line, figuring the route would be skiable. We decided to try to come in on a trail from the west, the Reel Brook trail. We left 93 at the Kancamagus Highway, but went west into Woodstock and on toward Kinsman Notch. We continued west and north, turning on to 116, where we started to look for the trail. There was plenty of snow, but not much sign of a trailhead. We followed one road down to its end and parked by some barking dogs. I got out my skis and headed down into the woods on the unplowed rest of the road. Do...