Ritzhikes

Where: North & South Kinsman When: 26 November 2019 With: Solo This was the finale of my Loose Ends hiking trips, getting peaks I should have summited on previous hikes. Most folks get both peaks in one trip (they're close to each other), but I managed to get only one of each. I tied up two loose ends (South Hancock and North Twin) previously this year, and today it was time to summit South Kinsman. I'd been planning this hike for a while, but hadn't been able to pull it together. It was actually almost a last-minute call. I got some chores out of the way the day before, then noted that the weather was looking good and my calendar was clear, so I pulled a pack together and set the alarm for 5AM. I pulled into the parking lot at 8AM after an uneventful ride north, finding four cars already there. The lot didn't look familiar...I figured it had been updated since my last visit in 1995 . I pulled my gear together and started up the trail. I kept a lookout for...

Where: Wachusett Mountain When: October 14, 2019 With: Andy & Wilma A spur of the moment hike. We were all home, with nothing scheduled, and Jane needed some quiet time for gardening homework, so I convinced Andy to join me & Wilma for a climb up Wachusett Mountain. It was a beautiful fall day, with perfect weather. It was also the Columbus Day holiday, so I was a bit concerned about crowds.  I aimed for a parking area & trail on the west side of the mountain, figuring the casual walkers would be on the other side. There were plenty of cars there, but we slipped into a spot right at the trail head and began our walk. This was a route I did with Wilma previously, following the Stage Coach Road to the Harrington Trail to get to the summit. We crossed paths with a number of folks, both coming & going, but it wasn't all that busy. A lot of people had dogs as well. The hike began with moderate climbing at first. It passed the wind turbines, then entered the fores...

Where: North Twin Mountain When: 9/19/2019 With: Solo I've summited South Twin Mountain twice, in 1985 during a Pemi Loop and in 1999 during a semi-Pemi . North Twin was just a one mile walk away on the North Twin Spur trail, but both times I passed on the journey. Now that I'm working on completing my NH 48 4K list, those decisions gave me an excuse for a day trip to claim North Twin. I was out the door just after 5AM and headed north. It was a clear, cold morning, with brilliant sunshine alternating with pockets of fog in the valleys of New Hampshire. I landed at the trail head at the end of Haystack Road three hours later, noting that nearly all of the camping spots along the access road were in use. I thought I heard music as I pulled into the parking area, but all was quiet when I got out of the car. One of the other six cars already parked there had signs of activity (and a small dog), so I figured that was the source of the music. The windows were steamed up, so I...

Where: Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) When: 8/6/2019 With: Solo I'd seen the SNETT on maps, and heard about it from folks I knew. Then a friend ran it (and established the fastest known time). That got me thinking that a bike ride might be possible, and when the opportunity arose (a day with nothing planned, good weather), I went. Jane & Andy were still sleeping as I loaded my bike in the car and made the quick drive to the start. The SNETT is a former railroad bed , 22 miles long, and owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation. It passes through six towns, with the level of development varying from town to town. The first few miles were an easy riding packed stone dust path. It changed to a paved trail for a time, then went back to stone dust.  I passed folks from time to time, walking dogs or just walking, but generally had the path to myself. For the most part, the land surrounding the trail was all woods, with some remnants of...

Where: Sudbury River When: August 2, 2019 With: Solo My last recorded paddle up the Sudbury River was in 2003. Since then, I've looked over the side of the Mass Pike many times as I've driven over the river, and thought about when I'd get back on the water. Today, everything came together...good weather, good water level, no other plans. So I loaded up the boat and headed to the river. No problems getting to the launch site today. I parked the car, carried the kayak under the road bridge and along the riverbank until I found a good launch spot. I noticed one tree a bit upstream, but decided I'd be able to get under it so no need to put in any further along. In no time I was on the water and gliding along at a smooth, even pace. It was just about 10AM. It was easy going at first, following the meandering river upstream, my views obscured by the tall summer vegetation along both banks. The Sudbury "river" is really just a stream at this point in its cour...

Where: Hancock Mt. When: 7/10/2019 With: Solo On the list of New Hampshire's 48 4000+ foot peaks, several are nearly always climbed in pairs. After a long and difficult approach to the first summit, the next one is a fairly short distance further, and separated by close to the minimum elevation change (200 feet) required to qualify as a separate peak. So it's something of a no-brainer to run over and claim the second summit. That said, there are three of these pairs  (the Twins, the Kinsmans, the Hancocks)  that, for various reasons, I only summited one of each pair. In the case of the Hancocks, I attempted a bushwhack to another peak after climbing North Hancock , and never got the South peak. So, 32 years later, I was finally completing the Hancock Loop. I was out the door just before 6AM and at the parking lot around 8:30. It was my first time on the Kancamagus Highway in 16 years, but Lincoln looked about the same as I passed through and made my way to the parking ...

Where: Wachusett Mountain When: 6/27/2019 With: Solo Looking at a map of the trails at Wachusett Mountain, I realized I'd walked most of them already, so when the opportunity arose (a day with no plans), I headed west to cover one I hadn't walked, the West Side trail. My phone's navigation got me there with no problems, with the route leaving the paved roads and on to gravel to get to the trail head. Though it was mid-day on a Thursday, I noted that the other trail heads I passed along the way all had multiple cars parked. It's a popular place to walk. I pulled in to the parking lot right around 12:30, sharing the area with two other cars, and I was quickly headed up the trail. I turned around a few hundred feet up and went back to get a picture of the trail head sign before retracing my steps and continuing the hike. A fairly easy walk at first, then the path made a steep ascent through a rocky cleft before leveling off again. The rest of the walk was bits of lev...

Where: Wachusett Mt. When: March 3, 2019 With: Wilma I've got the photos , and sort of remember the hike. There was snow on the ground, but not a lot. We parked at the Mountain House trail head, and got the last spot. Took Mountain House to the summit, then the Jack Frost, High Meadow, and Bicentennial Trails back.