Ritzhikes

Where: Cannon Mt. When: 26 May 2021 With: Solo My plans to continue climbing the 48 NH 4000' peaks were backburnered last year because of the pandemic, so I've been stuck on 23 for a while now. I knew the peak - Cannon Mt. - and route for #24...I just needed a date/time to go. Suddenly, things began to fall into place. COVID restrictions lifted, trail conditions improved from the late spring mix of crumbling snow & mud, and I noted an empty spot in my calendar. Then Cannon Mt. announced that the Tram would resume operations in two days. That was the clincher, since the Tram meant crowds at the summit. I pulled together a backpack, set the alarm for 5AM, and was ready to go. As it turned out, the alarm wasn't needed. My dog decided to wake me at 4:17, demanding to go out. As I sat on the deck steps while she attended to her needs (as the eclipsed Super Flower Blood Moon set through the trees), I figured I might as well just head out. I was on the road at 5:00, and settle...

Where: Wachusett Mountain When: 3 May 2021 With: Wilma I had nothing on my schedule, everyone else was busy, and the weather was due to turn stormy later, so I grabbed Wilma for a hike at Wachusett Mountain. I had a vague goal of redlining some trails I hadn't walked before, but the primary priority was to get out and put some more miles on my new hiking boots. I didn't know how much Wilma (two months away from 14 years old) would be able to handle - she'd come up lame in the past after vigorous hikes - and figured we'd just do whatever we could. The ride to the mountain was uneventful, and I pulled into the parking area at the base of the Stage Coach Road trail. It gave us a number of options for routes, but I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. I pulled out my map and decided to continue on a bit further to the Harrington Trail trail head. I'd walked the upper portion of the Harrington before, but not the lower section. It was just a few minutes down the road, a...