Ritzhikes

Where: North (4180'), Middle (4140'), South (4080') Tripyramid loop, NH When: 9/29/2022 With: Solo This was the next hike on my pursuit of New Hampshire's 48 4000' peaks. After doing the Osceolas and the Willey Range in July, I thought I was on a roll for these hikes but things came up. August came & went, and vague plans for early September didn't pan out. I kept coming up with reasons to skip a hike. Finally I decided I had to just do it. It's sort of the opposite of going into denial. I keep taking the steps - packing the gear, filling up the gas tank, setting the alarm - and moving forward, ignoring all of the "but what if.." thoughts. So there I was, on the road in the cool darkness of late September at 5:45 AM, heading to New Hampshire. I landed at the parking area just after 8:00. There were only a few cars in the lot when I arrived, one with a couple packing up for their hike. I pulled my gear together quickly and got on the trail ahe...

Where: Mts. Avalon (3442), Field (4327), Willey (4255), Tom (4051) - NH When: 7/26/2022 With: Solo This was a "strike while the iron is hot" hike. My schedule was clear, the weather was good, and the success of my last hike was fresh in my mind. 8.4 miles, two 4Ks, one twice? Why not try for 10 miles, three 4Ks (one twice again), plus a 3K, just for fun? This route has been described as a good "starter" hike for folks beginning their NH 48 4000 foot peaks list. It hits three 4K summits and the hiking supposedly isn't too tough. Seemed like a good way to add to my list.  I filled my car with gas and gear the night before, and was ready to go. I rolled out of bed at 4:45, being careful to not wake Wilma, and was on the road right at 5:00. Sections of valley fog hid my views as I approached the Whites, but things cleared out in time for my ride through Franconia Notch. I pulled into the lot at Crawford Depot around 7:50, and had boots on the Avalon trail at 8:00. ...

Where: Osceola (4340') & Osceola East Peak (4156'), NH When: 19 July, 2022 With: Solo With HCAM coverage of school events done for the summer, and summer band finished as well, my schedule had opened up and I decided to knock some more 4000 footers off my NH48 list. I topped off my car's gas tank, loaded up a day pack (with water mostly), and put my hiking boots into the car, ready to go the next day. I decided to try for the Osceolas, two peaks with a trailhead near Waterville Valley, a shorter drive than other destinations in the Whites.  I was awake at 5, and did a quick check of the Higher Summits weather forecast from the Mt. Washington Observatory . It said there'd be rain moving out in the morning, and possible storms in the afternoon, but clear skies during the day. I had a quick breakfast, took care of Wilma, and was on the road around 5:45. A couple of hours later, after an uneventful drive north, I was bumping along on Tripoli road. There were a couple of...

Where: Appalachian Trail in MA, CT/MA border to Sheffield Road When: 23-25 June, 2022 With: Chip Planning began in early April, initiated by Chip. He proposed a multi-day hike on the section of the Appalachian Trail where it crosses from Connecticut to Massachusetts, staying at AT shelters & campsites. I suggested a mid-week trip,  and Chip sent an email to The Stupids on April 15 proposing an 11.9 mile, three day/two night walk during the first week of June. David & Xeth didn't respond right away, but Chip & I continued to work on the details via email, figuring out where we'd park, where we'd camp, how long each day's walk would be, etc. We also moved the dates out a few weeks to avoid some schedule conflicts, while taking care to  avoid the annual "bubble" of AT thru-hikers coming up from Georgia. A little research had them arriving in early July. A second email was sent on May 10, with a map and a narrative description from a guidebook. Chip ad...