Here at Hangman Hill

Bruno’s weekend project was to build a small platform deck in our garden where we could sit and enjoy the view. And, of course, drink tea and sample the garden produce (such as blueberries and raspberries). It was hot and tiring work, but we now have a wonderful place to sit and relax when we are up in our garden.

Before:

After:

The day after our backpacking trip we wanted to do a short hike with some great views. We got all of this and more by going to Mount Israel on our way home to Connecticut.

The humidity dropped and the grade was quite gentle, and we were at the summit before we knew it. Zealand enjoyed the 360-degree views too!

We decided to spend the 4th of July holiday in New Hampshire, and we enjoyed Independence day doing jobs around the chalet. We installed a new electric dog fence (the old one had stopped working) and also installed a new retractable screen door for the front of the house. In the evening we cooked steak on the BBQ and packed for an overnight backpacking trip in the Sandwich Range.

We wanted to try to visit three 52-with-a-view peaks in two days. They were Mount Pagaus, Square Ledge and Mount Hibbard. Thus, we created a loop hike that took in all of these peaks and involved camping at 3400′ neat the summit of Mount Passaconaway at the site of an old lean-to (Camp Rich). The first day would be a ten-mile hike, and the second day would be just six-miles.

What we didn’t do was look closely at the amount of elevation gain and loss! It turned out that there was a lot of up-and-down and we only just made it to camp before dark on Day-1. This wasn’t helped by the fact that we got a later start than we hoped, and we were unable to find one of the trails and thus had to double back thereby adding two more miles to the first day. Oh, and it was brutally hot and humid on both days, so we were very hot and sweaty by the end of our trip!

We had a wonderful time in this less popular mountain range and saw only a handful of other people. The campsite was great and had a very reliable spring nearby for water. And we had no issues with gear and our packs were not too heavy. Zealand did very well, although he wasn’t a big fan of the steeper sections. He also wasn’t very enthralled by the very hot and humid weather.

Zealand at the summit of Mount Paugus.

Cooling off in a mountain stream.

A refreshing break…

Tucked in for the night.

The ledges on Mount Wonalancet.

We’d like to wish all of our Canadian friends and relatives a wonderful Canada Day! We are celebrating with you and honoring this occasion by flying the flag in North Stonington CT. We hope that you’re outdoors and enjoying everything that Canada stands for.

For our full-moon celebration this month we went to the Connecticut shoreline near Guilford. We were hosted by Ted and Lynne, and due to the lateness of the sunset/moon rising we enjoyed an after dinner paddle on the Long Island sound. The water was calm and the views were spectacular. And the company, as always, was first- rate.

Our friends Bill and Kim, fellow hikers and Full Mooners, were married last weekend. We were thrilled to be part of their celebration!

The festivities began with a short ride on the Essex Steam Train to a riverboat. Once settled, we set sail on the Connecticut River. After a short ceremony we cruised up and down the river, enjoying a beautiful evening! Our hosts fed us well and we enjoyed spending time catching up with friends. The evening was warm and the sunset lovely!

Congratulations Bill and Kim! Thank you for a beautiful evening.

We are headed out to Colorado later in the summer, so we are trying to extend the length and elevation of our White Mountain hikes (in an attempt to get in shape for bigger mountains). Hence, we hiked up Mount Madison a few weeks ago. We ascended via the Daniel Webster Scout trail and descended via the Osgood trail to make a 10-mile Loop. The weather was perfect and the bugs were not too bad for the time of year. It was Zealand’s longest hike to date and his highest summit too.

Bruno was attending a conference in Watervillle Valley NH in early June, so we decided to make a trip to a 52 WAV peak nearby. The hike to Jennings Mtn was rather steep and buggy but it was worth it for the unrestricted views of the Sandwich range.

It is still bug season in New Hampshire, but the weather has been fantastic and its hard to stay indoors. So…today we hiked up to the summits of Bald Knob and Eastman Mountain from the back-side (along the Slippery Brook Trail that starts at the end of Town Hall Road in Intervale).

Eastman is on the “52 with-a-view” list and it did not disappoint with views of Mount Washington, Iron Mountain and The Bonds. Bald Knob was just as spectacular, with views of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness and South Baldface.

It was an 11-mile hike according to the guidebook, but the elevation gain from the trailhead is very modest (about 1400-ft). There were plenty of bugs and not much of a breeze, so we used our bug nets and hiked without too many stops. The round trip was just 5 1/2 hours from the trailhead.

Our spring hiking program continued with a leisurely hike to the summits of Eagle Crag and Mt Meader, starting from the road in Evans Notch. This hike took in two of the “52 with-a-view summits, and we were not disappointed.

We enjoyed a steep climb up the Baldface Circle Trail from the road, and emerged after a short rocky scramble on the top of Eagle Crag. We stopped here to enjoy the views of the White Mountains and for a bite to eat. Thankfully there was a stiff breeze on the ridge to keep the bugs at bay!

We then hiked along Meader Ridge Trail to the summit of Mt Meader. There were several viewpoints along the way and the sun continued to shine on us. Here we enjoyed a second lunch and some treats from the Vintage Bakery in Glen NH.

From the summit of Mt Meader we followed the Meader Ridge Trail back to the road. This was a very nice trail – not too steep and easy to follow. Upon reaching the road we had a short walk (half a mile) to get back to the car.

All-in-all a great day in the mountains!