Stories from the Trail: Dana and Piper

It took me over eight hours to get to the AMC Highland Center. When I checked in it was close to 9PM. The guy at the desk told me that several people had encountered traffic and it was most likely due to the fact that it was motorcycle weekend.

On my way in I noticed a woman (with a large pack and a cute dog) on her phone. She was speaking loudly about the horrible day she had. By the time I had finished at the desk she had made her way inside and was inquiring about a shuttle to a local campground. No shuttles were running and both of the desk attendants were unable to take her. I asked how far away it was (about six miles up the road) and volunteered to drive her.

When we arrived, the campground was at capacity so we turned around and headed back to the Highland Center. I offered to let her sleep in my car. She called her boyfriend (who must be one hell of a guy) and he agreed to make the two hour drive to get her.

At this point I hadn’t even gotten her name (Dana and her dog was Piper) but it didn’t really matter. She was supposed to be spending the night at tent site on trail, but had gotten turned around (due to poorly maintained trails) and ended up on the side of the road (302) by the Highland Center.

I gathered my stuff from the trunk and she thanked me...it was really no problem, if I was in your situation I would want someone to do the same for me. She told me she would not forget this encounter. To me, that is more powerful than hearing the words “thank you.”

#milesformatt New Hampshire Edition: Cannon and the Kinsmans

There were heavy rains on Tuesday night. I woke up to overcast skies, which were predicted to clear as the day progressed...that, combined with the fact that I had all day for this hike (which started just steps away from my campsite) had me in no rush to get started. I made my way up the hi-cannon trail in what felt like a rainforest. The trees were wet, the trail was muddy and the air was heavy...then came the fog. It was a miserable way to start the day, but the purpose of these miles kept me going. Thoughts began swirling through my head and then I smiled...”you fucker” I said out loud. The first hike my brother and I did together was Siyeh Pass in Glacier National Park. We were completely fogged in when we got to the cairns. 

I stood on Cannon, completely fogged in and smiled, recalling our hike and the memories of that trip. From Cannon I made my way across the Kinsman ridge. It was possibly the most miserable trek I’ve made in the Whites. The trail conditions sucked (slick and muddy) and the “cannon balls” kicked my ass. The skies had cleared by the time I reached the summit of North Kinsman. I made a quick stop then pushed on to South Kinsman, where I was rewarded with a 360 degree, a dry pair of socks and a peanut butter sandwich. 

It was a slow descent on the Fishin’ Jimmy trail to my next stop, Lonesome Lake Hut for a delicious baked good! There was plenty of time until dinner so I spent some extra time at the hut chatting with hikers and gathering information about the best local pizza place...which I promptly made my way to at the end of the hike.

another round of four thousand footers

Last June I borrowed a book from a friend. It was a small miracle that I finished it (I am not a reader). 

The title of the book was “Following Atticus.” It was about a miniature schnauzer who climbed all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four thousand foot peaks. As I worked my way through the book I started to realize that I had completed a good portion of the forty-eight. I joined a group on Facebook called “The four thousand footer club-climbing and hiking in New Hampshire” and decided to complete the list.

In July I completed the Wildcat Carter Moriah Traverse. Last weekend I made my way north for two days of hiking (Tom, Field, Willey, Osceola and East Osceola) and added another five to the list.

On Friday night I stayed at the AMC Highland Center, which provided me with an excellent dinner (as well as a to go container, ninja style). Saturday morning I was up early and had breakfast with an AMC volunteer, who completely understood that I was traveling on a budget and applauded my “forward thinking” when I once again pulled out some tupperware to store pancakes, oatmeal and peanut butter sandwiches.

The trailhead was located by the parking lot at the Highland Center. I spent most of the morning alone, which was nice (no one in NH seems to hike before 9am) and made really good time up to Avalon (which had a fantastic view) then on to Field, Willey and Tom. I only had to backtrack about a mile on this ten mile “semi loop” of a hike. I was off the trail in four and a half hours, well under the book time of six hours and forty five minutes. This allowed me the rest of the afternoon to explore the area and drink beer.

Seven hours of driving, six hours of sleep, ten miles of hiking and a few beers...the recipe for an EARLY BEDTIME! I checkin into the Lafayette Place Campground shortly before 4pm, set up my tent, ate pancakes, chicken, sweet potatoes and a peanut butter sandwich, then passed out only to wake up three hours later, starving. I sat in the car and ate a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter while studying the map, then went back to bed. 

It was an early morning. I was on the trail by 6am to ensure I’d get home at a decent hour. Mount Osceola was an afterthought. I originally planned on Cannon and the Kinsmans, but that was a longer, more strenuous hike and I wanted to enjoy it. 


The rocky terrain made it difficult to get into a rhythm. This was the first time I’ve been on a trail in New Hampshire with switchbacks. Usually, the trail goes straight up. I was thankful for this, even if it made the hike a little longer. An hour and twenty minutes later, I was on top of Mount Osceola all by myself. The view was amazing!


After indulging in a cold brew and biscotti, I made my way toward East Osceola. It was a short mile between the peaks, which included a technical section called “the chimney” which was basically vertical rock climbing.

The descent to the parking lot seemed much easier than the ascent (which is atypical for me). In the last mile I saw several groups just starting their hike, which made me happy that I got an early start. After a quick change of clothes I was in the car and headed south. 

Only 18 more to go!

Day 2: The Traverse

Sunrise was a few minutes after 5AM, but I was awake shortly before it. I was nervous...I was excited...but most of all, I was ready to tackle this hike. 

I played around with sock and shoe options the night before, but hadn’t settled on anything. Ultimately, I decided to go with the Smartwool/Cascadia combination that got me through the Presidential Traverse in 2015. 

The GPS on my Garmin Forerunner 25 would only be good for eight hours so I decided to use it on the first leg of my journey, up the Wildcats to the Carter Notch Hut. After a quick look at the map I was on my way. Ten minutes later I had the map out again, doubting myself. Did I go the wrong direction? Shouldn’t I have seen a sign by now? I kept walking and a few minutes later saw the sign for the Wildcat Ridge Trail. 

Here we go... 

The Challenge: The Wildcats are no joke! The trail was difficult and steep. There were sections where I was scrambling on my hands and knees. The best word to sum up this section of the trail would be “relentless.” 

Nearly three hours of solitude had passed before encountering my first set of humans, two older men traveling south. They asked where I was going and I told them I had started at Pinkham Notch this morning and was headed to Mount Moriah. Their response was “Wow, you are really moving!” Which put the wind back in my sail as I made the final push toward Carter Notch Hut. 

I had climbed over 3,100 feet in under six miles. I was ready for a sandwich.  

The View: After a brief stop at the hut I was ready to tackle the climb up to Carter Dome. It sucked, but the worst was over and it was time to enjoy the scenery. The Carters were a pleasant walk in the woods. Going slightly out of my way to access Mount Hight (Zeta Pass Trail) was well worth it. The views were AMAZING! 

The Battle: The signage on the AT isn’t too great which had me guessing how much longer it would be until I stumbled upon Mount Moriah. I could hear some voices in the distance so it had to be close, but then the voices faded and I sensed that something wasn’t right. A quick map check confirmed that I had missed the cut off for Moriah (thankfully not by much) so I backtracked and followed the voices. On my sixth peak of the day, I encountered someone to snap a photo...and of course, his little ankle biter of a dog photobombed me. 

I was 3.8 miles away from completing the traverse. I wanted to finish in under twelve hours...I wanted to eat a big piece of cake...but most of all, I didn’t want to fall descending slippery rock slabs. With half a mile left the bugs started to get BAD...like bad to the point where I used sunglasses to protect my face and a buff wrap to protect my ears and nose. I stashed my poles and began continuously waving my hands in an attempt to saw them away. I am thankful that this only happened on the end of my journey, otherwise it would have been a pretty miserable experience.

I popped out of the Carter Moriah Trail (in eleven and a half hours) and scared the shit out of an older woman who was sitting on her front step. She pointed me in the direction of the footbridge and I walked to my car. 

On the ride back to the lodge I contemplated what I wanted more, to eat or to shower. Surprisingly, the shower won, which means I must have been pretty skanky (or delirious). When I got to the dining hall I loaded up on roasted sweet potatoes, shepherd’s pie and salad (for good measure). Dessert was strawberry shortcake, which wasn’t nearly as good as the coconut cake that was served the night before. Thankfully, I grabbed an extra piece of that, but I still ate the shortcake. I think I earned a second dessert that night.

good for the soul...

it’s a phrase that i was introduced to a few months ago. at the time, i had come to the realization that i needed to purchase a pair of water proof trail shoes for a hiking trip. they weren’t in my budget, but someone told me to buy them and go on the trip because it was “good for the soul.”

i didn’t find a pair that fit and ended up postponing the trip. since then, i have been waiting for a “weather window” of two nice days that would enable me to complete at least one of two hikes in the white mountains. it looked like that was going to happen next weekend, but the forecast changed and now that is in question.

i have come to learn that what is good for my soul isn’t necessarily what is good for my wallet. missing a couple days of work isn’t the best financial decision, but wednesday will be absolutely delightful...so i will drive to new hampshire on tuesday and get an early start on wednesday.

The numbers:
20 miles
6 four thousand footers
7,200 feet elevation gain
12 hours or less is my goal

google "carter traverse" for more information