Hiking 2019

[SpaceBus]

One thing I've been super stoked about moving to Downeast Maine is hiking. There are simply amazing views and steep climbs all along the coast and two amazing trails are within 20 minutes of my house. One of the trails, Long Point, is visible from my bedroom window, but the shape of the coast means it's a five minute drive. Eventually our kayaks will be delivered and we can get there much faster. Today I explored part of the Cutler Public Reserve with my dog. We hiked about five miles, but he's getting a bit older now and it was fairly warm, even by the water. Today was beautiful and 77f at the coast, much hotter inland.

DSCF0382,86,88, and 90 are from Long Point a few weeks ago (before we got the dog pack)

DSCF0432,34,39,40,42,45, and 47 are from the Cutler Preserve. Photos 45 and 47 are from a small inlet visible in the background of 39 and 40.

Perhaps this was just an excuse to post dog photos, but is that a bad thing?

 

[peakbagger]

Great shots, I have been wanting to make it over there for a hike.

 

[SpaceBus]

Great shots, I have been wanting to make it over there for a hike.

It's well worth it. This place makes me want a nice camera. We bought a cheap waterproof digital camera to document our renovation, but it works well enough for hiking. When our house is finished and we have some time we want to go back to the White Mountains. We visited the summit of Mt Washington twice, but drove both times. Next time we will go just to hike since last time was to and from house hunting in Maine.

 

[DickRussell]

..... When our house is finished and we have some time we want to go back to the White Mountains. We visited the summit of Mt Washington twice, but drove both times. Next time we will go just to hike since last time was to and from house hunting in Maine.

Since 2012, I've been hiking with a great group, the Over The Hill Hikers (http://www.overthehillhikers.blogspot.com/). We hike from early May through October, and into November as weather allows. Here in central NH, we have 30-45 minute access to some good low stuff (2-3000 ft elev.), and in 1-1.5 hrs we have a whole hiking playground called the White Mountains. We did the Monroe-Washington loop from the west side a couple of weeks ago. Below is a pic taken half way back down from Mt Monroe to the Lakes of the Clouds AMC hut. Behind it, the trail goes on up another 1.5 miles to Mt Washington. Great day for that hike.

This week, our part of the OTHH did Owls Head, in the middle of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. That's a 17-18 mile day, but it's really out in the middle of nowhere. Below is a shot of the elongated hulk of Owls Head, taken a few years ago from up on the Franconia Ridge a thousand feet higher. It gets harder to do this stuff as I age. I'm 75 now. Lord, I hope I can still do this when I get old.

 

[peakbagger]

I have been doing a lot of on and off trail hikes in the Pemi area of the whites in the last couple of years. The new NH Lidar viewer has opened up a lot of tracking down old logging roads and logging railroads spurs. I also am hanging around with White Mountain Guide redliners so I am doing a lot of hikes in the remote areas of the whites.I dont miss the crowds on the popular routes. Its a real zoo on weekends.I normally skip Baxter State Park every other year and this is off year but have pulled off some longer hikes on the lesser used trails in the last few years. Its worth playing the reservation game and heading up there. If you stay off the day hike trails heading up Katahdin, the rest of the park is pretty quiet. I can recommend Doubletop from Nesowadnehunk and at least part of the Travelers loop if you ate not up for the whole thing. North and South brother are a long day but hard to beat.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have been doing a lot of on and off trail hikes in the Pemi area of the whites in the last couple of years. The new NH Lidar viewer has opened up a lot of tracking down old logging roads and logging railroads spurs. I also am hanging around with White Mountain Guide redliners so I am doing a lot of hikes in the remote areas of the whites.I dont miss the crowds on the popular routes. Its a real zoo on weekends.I normally skip Baxter State Park every other year and this is off year but have pulled off some longer hikes on the lesser used trails in the last few years. Its worth playing the reservation game and heading up there. If you stay off the day hike trails heading up Katahdin, the rest of the park is pretty quiet. I can recommend Doubletop from Nesowadnehunk and at least part of the Travelers loop if you ate not up for the whole thing. North and South brother are a long day but hard to beat.

That is a downside to the Cutler trails, traffic. Once you get past the first mile of trails, other folks drop off the map.

 

[begreen]

I got out a bit earlier this week and did a couple hikes. One up Icicle Creek which was easy and beautiful and one up into the Alpine Wilderness by the Enchantments. We have a beautiful backyard in WA. There is fire damage by Eight Mile Lake, recovering from the 2010 fire, but new growth is starting to take root.

Icicle Creek Gorge

Eight Mile Lake Hike

 

[SpaceBus]

Wow, those are some spectacular mountains. In a few years when we don't have as many pressing issues here we want to go out west on a long trip. Thanks for sharing!

 

[begreen]

We live in a hiker's playground. This is not my photo, but shot within 20 miles of Highbeam's a week ago.


And this is a shot of a friend coming down Sahale Glacier 2 weeks ago.

 

[SpaceBus]

I do want to see a glacier in person. I've only been out west twice, but at least one of those times I got to off road on the dunes.

 

[begreen]

My first trip to a glacier was up in Alaska. My friend and ex-boss landed us on one in his helicopter!

 

[SpaceBus]

My first trip to a glacier was up in Alaska. My friend and ex-boss landed us on one in his helicopter!

Wow, that's really special. Helicopter rides are pretty cool to start with. My wife and I watched a birds eye view documentary series about several US states. Even just seeing those huge glaciers of the NW on the TV was really amazing.

 

[begreen]

Yes, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He's a very competent pilot, flew us all over the place. One evening we even flew up to Skagway for dinner.

 

[firefighterjake]

When I was more active with geocaching one of my favorite cache hides took me to the Cutler Preserve . . . at the time (and even now) I think the views are on par with many of the views seen at Acadia. Beautiful area.