So sorry for the delay on this post however I spent a lot of time in bed this weekend… in pain. Sometimes you have to take a fall in order to figure out how not to take a fall, or in my case about three. This weekend I ventured to Loon Mountain with some friends of mine who ski, might I add they ski very well. I have always heard that working on skills with people who are better than you can help you learn faster than learning aside those who are at a lower level, so I challenged myself to keep up with the guys I went with. Normally I avoid turning at fast speeds or down steep hills, but the only way I was going to keep up with them was if I did. I was doing pretty well until the mountain became crowded and my attention started to split between my technique and avoiding other people. In one encounter, a guy was doing a trick in the middle of the open and forced me into an unplanned turn, i lost my balance while my board was wedged in-between two moguls and was propelled forward into what I describe as a mix between a cartwheel and a belly flop. I had people around me asking if I needed ski patrol but I got right back up and snowboarded away, mainly so people would not watch me cry but also because I didn’t want one bad fall to set me back. Unfortunately, as the day went on the ice became packed and slippery and I experienced the same phenomena although this time it was a blow to my side as I fell and more gracefully slid to a stop. After that, I figured I should let myself recover because my body might not be able to handle another blow. It was a smart move because by the end of the day I could feel my hip was bruised and my neck stiff from whiplash. Although it was not my greatest day, I am proud for trying and was able to get some good runs in. Hopefully next weekend I will feel back to normal and try again.

Like I promised, I said I would document my progress. This weekend I went to Loon Mountain to practice. At first I was leafing, which is a term for sliding on heels down the trail, but I convinced myself to suck it up and go for a turn at a higher speed. Once I found the groove of being on my edge things just clicked and I started feeling more confident in my carving abilities. I have attached a short clip of my progress that was taken on my third run of the day. There are definitely things I need to work on, moving my arms in a less awkward way is one of them. I am excited to keep practicing and advancing my skills. Every practice session is one step closer to being able to call myself a true snowboarder.

So, I only started snowboarding “for real” last year. I never bothered to get formal lessons because I assumed that once you get to a certain age you pick things up faster and I am on a college budget so lessons aren’t something I was willing to pay for. I am a very athletic person and I also longboard so I figured snowboarding would be relatively the same, but I have learned that it is really not at all. Turning on a snowboard is a completely different maneuver. Although I am great at turning on my back edge (my heel side) it has been difficult for me to learn how to toe turn. I know a lot of people who have the same issue. Luckily, on the mountain if you catch a group learning you hear some of the tips. Over break I was able to get some pointers from ease-dropping as well as from friends who snowboard competitively so I am learning slowly how to accomplish my goal of toe-turning. Over the next few weeks as I make more trips to the mountain, I am going to document my journey to nailing the toe turn. Hopefully my fellow bloggers who may be struggling alongside me can learn something  or at least get a laugh out of how terrible my attempts may be.  So, stay tuned for next post!

p.s. I am the one in the goggles

For all of the snowboarders and skiers, mountain time has finally arrived. Snow is covering the northeast with fresh powder and mountains are slowly opening up trail by trail. This past weekend I went up to Sunday River for my first run of the year. Although the man made snow was sticky at times and the only trail open was icy and groomed, it was still worth it it to be back on my board. As my as I love hiking, I am ecstatic for snowboard season to be in full swing. There is something that makes gliding down the mountain in minutes more fun than climbing it up it for hours.  I figured for my post this week I would get everyone updated on the different mountains opening up around the area. Next week I will make some posts about prepping to hit the slopes and some videos of me and my friends shredding the gnar. SO, here the mountains which are open with a link to their Trail Reports:

Loon Mountain

Sunday River

Bretton Woods

I made the most of the warm weather this weekend and hiked as much as I possibly could. Like I said a few posts ago, the leaf peeping season is thriving and it has always been one of my favorite things to do. I figured I could assess the mountains I hiked on how well the foliage is in case my fellow bloggers were trying to get insta-worthy pictures and want to make sure they are getting the most out of the hike they choose to do.

I started my hiking weekend with a solo trip up West Rattlesnake on October, 19. If you are planning to do this hike to look at the changing colors, I recommend waiting a little while longer. Most of the trees were green with only little color change.

On October 20, I made the ascend up Artist’s Bluff and man was the view spectacular! I give this this hike a 10/10 for foliage views. It is a relatively short hike at about 0.9 mi round trip and is one that the whole family could easily do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 21, I made the treck to Canaan, NH to hike up Mt. Cardigan with my dog, sister, brother in-law, and my cousin. It took us just under an hour to make it to the top, only stopping briefly for water on two occasions. There are 360 degree views of endless foliage, mountains, windmills, small towns, and little lentic areas. It was absolutely amazing and by far the most rewarding hike of the weekend. There are many opportunities to get a good picture, free of people in the way because at the top there is about large flat area which gradually slopes surrounding the fire tower that gives you more than enough room to do so. If you are planning a trip to leaf peep I highly suggest Mt.Cardigan!

 

Most people think that the best hikes are the ones that are in the middle of nowhere or that are located in rural areas. Those types of hikes will give you the stereotypical mountainous views and full-view countryside landscapes, but they are not encompassing of all hiking experiences. One perfect example of this is hiking located in the BIGGEST CITY in NH: Manchvegas (aka Manchester, NH).

Over the weekend I ventured out to the West side to explore a place called Rock Rimmon. At first glance it looks like a giant boulder that is surrounded by baseball fields, a kids park, and resedential streets. There are multiple ways to get up the “Rock” but I chose to climb the quickest route by the basketball court. The Ten minute ascend included a leafy and rocky path, with plenty of tree roots creeping out waiting for you to trip on them. The path was narrow and winding taking you around the large rock. As I got closer to the top there were piles of shattered glass all around and the rock was vandalized with graffiti, too vulgar for me to repeat. Although the peak had proved to be city-esque, it’s views made me do a 180, literally. Below are the photos I took from the north view of the peak and the south view of the peak.It is a dramatic difference.

This hike is definitely one-of-a-kind and not what you would expect to find in the big city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey fellow bloggers, so I was having trouble thinking of what to write about this week. I already made a post about leaf peeping and thinking about snow sports is far too soon, needless to say, I was at a loss. Thankfully, I finally got an idea.

Now that we are in the mist of October, everyone is excited about halloween. Dressing up, carving pumpkins, and going to haunted houses and hay rides are all the craze this time of year. Obviously none of that stuff relates to mountains, unless I made a ridiculous post about carving pumpkins to look like your favorite mountains like this one I found on Pinterest.

No worries though, I’m not that extra. The idea did make me wonder if there were such things as haunted hikes though. Hiking is all about relaxation for me so I typically don’t ponder over horrific events or things that might make a “thrilling” experience . I never made the connection that some hikes are dangerous enough to be a source of hauntings like the ones I love to read about in “Scary Stories to tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz.  I did some investigating and what I found was pretty cool.

It turns out that there are TONS of hikes in the U.S with spooky trails and ghostly tales. The scale of scary hikes ranges from hikes with reported ghost sightings to those whose swear the fallen victims of the climb call out to the passing hikers and sounds like wailing women. If you are interested in scary stories and enjoy hikes and want to learn more about the combination of the two, I suggest you check out the article I found that gives you some.

Here is the link!!

 

It’s getting to be that time of year again! The days are getting cooler, pumpkin spice is everywhere, and the trees are painting the Earth with their auburn, red, yellow, and orange foliage.  One way to take in all of the changing colors of the season is to take a hike! You can see miles and miles of tree covered land from the top of a mountain, especially in rural areas near Plymouth, NH. Last year at this time, friends of mine climbed Mt.Willard in Franconia, NH to “peep” the leaves and the pictures were stunning as you can see below.

Under the alpine zone the mountains are abundant in foliage too, so being able to get a glimpse of them from afar can provide stunning views. A few ways you can do this include finding higher ground in an area with surrounding mountains, taking a ride on the Ferris Wheel at many of the town fairs that go on at this time of year, and if you have the chance, hop in a helicopter. At the Sandwich fair in Center Sandwich, NH, the past few years they have provided attendees with an opportunity to take a cruise in a helicopter around the town for a peek at all of the foliage. The cost of the ride has remained at $35 as long as I have been going, but I guess on October 7-9 when it is back in session this year I will know for sure. I have gone the past two years because it is something I really enjoy doing and feel that it is worth the money. Below is one of the pictures I took from the helicopter last year and is one of my favorite fall landscape pictures I have ever taken.

I hope this post inspires you to get outside and enjoy the changing of the seasons. Colors like this only happen once a year, so go on and leaf peep while you can!

Anyone can hike. I have seen all ages make ascends up the mountains; from babies on their parents back, to adventure seekers in their 80s . I mean, even dogs can hike, so you can too! For anyone who is new to hiking or is looking for some helpful tips, here they are:

1. It is more than OK to start small

I think a lot of people underestimate the small hikes and feel like they can do bigger and better to start. What if you find out you don’t like hiking? (not that I really think anyone would) What if you haven’t built up enough stamina to complete the more strenuous hikes?

You need to be able to access your fitness level and see how you do/feel with the small stuff before you make the leap to 4000 footers and beyond.

If you are from the Plymouth, NH area, some great ideas for smaller hikes include Rainbow Falls (0.75mi) , West Rattlesnake (3.1mi), and Whitten Woods(2.5mi).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Hike with a friend!

Hiking is so much more enjoyable and safe when you have a buddy. Switching off carrying supplies, having someone to talk to, and having someone to share the view with is always nice. As a plus, if any emergency situation occurs you know you will have someone to help you through.

3. Hydration

Water is your number one supply. Before going on a hike the first time, it is important to drink lots of water. Be sure to bring it along with you on your travels to keep your body hydrated enough to maintain your temperature and keep your joints lubricated the duration of the hike. I’ve included a link below from the American Hiking Society for more information about prevention and dangers of dehydration.

https://americanhiking.org/resources/dehydration/

4. Preparation 

Here is what you will need on ANY hike- no matter how big or small:

• Water! (cannot stress this enough)
• Extra Clothes (weather changes at higher elevations, so be prepared!)
• Flashlight (incase you don’t make it back before dark)
• Sunscreen (burns are bad)
• Bugspray (bug bites are bad)
• First-aid kit (falling/getting hurt happens… it definitely happens)
• Snacks (Fuel!)
• Navigation (compass or trail map)
• Camera (if it’s not on insta, did it even happen?)

5. Have FUN!!!

Don’t be afraid to take it slow and take breaks when you need to. Hikes aren’t meant to be a race (unless you are a trail runner) and you are allowed to take all the time you need. Relax, listen to all the life that surrounds you, be one with nature, and just enjoy it!

 

 

Over the summer I usually spend a decent amount of time thinking about all the mountains I could possibly hike before the summer is out.  This past summer I had to deal with taking a required course at a community college nearby and working ten hour shifts on the days I didn’t have class. What I am trying to say is that my leisure time was limited. Even so, I google searched “best hikes in New England” and “Day Hikes in the Whites” trying to get ideas for when I finally had the time. I ended up hiking Red hill, Mount Major, Bald Knob, Rattlesnake, and Uncanoonuc; all of which are located in various regions of New Hampshire. Although these smaller 1-2 hour hikes were enjoyable, I was looking to challenge myself.

I did a lot of research during the final weeks of summer about the Franconia Notch Trail. I found out that is a part of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and consists of a 8.9 mile loop that crosses Little Haystack, Mt Lincoln, and Mt. Lafayette (all at elevations over 4000ft) . The average amount of time to complete the hike was 7 hours long; that is TRIPLE the amount of time than hikes I had been doing all summer. I visited the AMC website and other hiker-oriented sites and all across the board people were raving about how amazing the views are as you traverse across the presidential range. I had to see for myself.

It was an early morning waking up at 6am in Plymouth the first weekend back at school. I packed a bag with my Nalgene bottle filled with water, food, camera, first aid kit, and sunglasses. The weather looked good with the highest temp at 75 degrees around noon. Me and my boyfriend arrived at the Franconia Notch State Park by 6:30am and began the treck shortly thereafter. The temp was only about 38 degrees when we started so I had worn a fleece jacket, a hat, and gloves. The loop begins with taking the Falling Waters trail. The trial takes you up to 4080ft in just over 3 miles. It seemed pretty easy at first but as the miles racked up it became very rocky and the last mile was an UPHILL battle. Finally seeing the light peeking out from the alpine zone at around 9:20am and getting our first glimpse of views made the “stair” climbing all worth it.

We had arrived at the top of Little Haystack! The 360 view of mountains and dirt trails nuzzled in the shrubbery along the ridge was absolutely breath taking.  At this point we stayed at the peak to eat some food to regain our strength and to take lots of pictures. At 10am we decided to keep moving toward Mt. Lincoln via the Franconia Ridge Trail. It was roughly a mile between each peak and the temperature got warmer as the day went along and sunglasses became a necessity.

The highest of all three mountains was Mt. Lafayette and it was the last hoorah of the trail. The mountain was particularly crowded, as you do not need to hike the Ridge in order to reach the peak, so we decided not to stay too long. Old Bridle path was the means of making our way down.

The entire loop took just under 8 hours to complete and by the time it was over my knees were aching, my feet throbbing, my body physically exhausted, but I was happier than ever. That hike was the most beautiful I had ever seen and there is a sense of pride knowing you can accomplish such a feat.