Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (w/ Wolcott Path) (Blue Hills Reservation)

Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (w/ Wolcott Path) (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Figure 8-ish Loop?
Distance: 5.29 miles
Elevation: 1266 feet
Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 
Back on my nonsense after a medium-trafficky drive on a partly sunny 55 degree day. Tragically, I left my camera clip on my other pack, so it was a camera-free day! I wasn't exactly sure of the plan for the day, minus that I was going to go up Eliot Path and probably start a Skyline Loop. I hiked up past the smallest patch of snow left on the bunny hill at the ski area and then a crazy red squirrel soon after. There were a LOT of people between the parking lot and the Eliot Tower (I guess a lot is a strong word, but much more than I'm used to). 

I quickly made it up to the summit, again wishing it was a Strava segment, and then noticed some orange flagging on the spur path to the Skyline Trail - I wonder why? Back on the Skyline Trail/Eliot Circle, I had to pass a guy hiking behind his remote-control car, which like... hike your own hike... but... I don't know - I'm adverse to it, but I guess I'm glad he's found a way to enjoy the outdoors? 

I continued down Skyline North having to pee but planning to hold it unitl the Hillside St. porta potties. There were no frogs singing, which made me a bit sad, and I passed more people, which made me feel less relaxed than I'm used to. I think March was also wearing me down at this point, so I was a bit extra cranky. Onward!


The sun was feeling delightfully warm when it came out and I noticed a bunch of the coniferous trees were OOZING sap on the descent to the Breakneck Ledge Path junction. I continued up Hancock, hitting the counter-clockwise portion of the Circle Trail for funsies, and then ZOOMED down to the Hillside St. porta potty, as I had officially reached code yellow (the porta potty was in ROUGH shape - I was glad to be able to stand to take care of my business).

I forgot about water until the climb up Houghton, and I also had been noticing the newer lemon-line Nuun tablets tasted stronger and were fizzier. I wasn't mad, but it was interesting. I continued along rather brainlessly up to the summit for #2, and then decided I'd extend the hike by going down Raccoon Hollow to Wildcat Notch to Puddle, which were all in good shape minus some wet spots. I ascended slightly on Chickadee and then hiked the water tower spur and meandered my way back to the parking lot behind the Trailside Museum.


Step-by-Step
- Start hike from Trailside Museum parking on Eliot Path (red dots).
- At terminus, turn right onto Eliot Circle. 
- At next jct., turn left onto Summit Road.
- At next jct., turn right onto spur trail to Summit.
- Descend summit towards Skyline Trail South.
- Turn left onto Skyline Trail, and then right onto Skyline Trail North.
- Follow Skyline Trail North to Hillside St.
- At Hillside St., turn right onto Hillside St.
- After stables, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.
- Follow Skyline Trail South to Eliot Circle.
- At jct., turn right to summit Great Blue Hill.
- At summit, turn around.
- Hike to Eliot Tower, and turn turn right onto Raccoon Hollow Path.
- At 1092, turn left onto Wildcat Notch Path.
- At 1103, turn left onto Puddle Path.
- At 1085, turn sharply left onto Chickadee Path.
- At 1072, turn right onto Summit Road.
- At jct., hike to water tower out-and-back, and then turn left onto Summit Trail.
- Halfway down, turn left onto path behind trailside museum.
- Join Eliot Path, return to car.


Sunday, March 23, 2025

Carter Dome via Carter Dome Trail (White Mountain National Forest)

Carter Dome via Carter Dome Trail (White Mountain National Forest)

Hike Type: Out and Back
Distance: 10.33 miles
Elevation: 3,340 feet
Time: 7 hours, 25 minutes (5 hours, 43 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: New Hampshire 4000 Footers

The Hike 
After a lovely day skiing at Cannon Mountain, Sarah and I drove across the Whites to Jackson. We checked-in to our hotel, the Lodge at Jackson Village, and immedaitely started packing for our adventure tomorrow! The forecast was cold and windy, so we packed basically every article of clothing we owned plus a ton of food and liquids - the usual! Once we were packed up, we walked a few minutes down the road to The Shannon Door - which was a DELIGHT. They had live music (a highlight for us was "The Dunnes Song"), excellent vibes, and the food was reasonably priced - the dream! After dinner we went back to our hotel room, had some cookies we got at the gas station down the road (they were EXCELLENT), watched some Hoarders on the TV, and fell asleep by 9pm.

Our alarms went off at 6am and it was time for the big day! Carter Dome had been a hanging chad on both of our 4000-footer lists for quite some time now, coining the phrase "who hasn't had a Menty B in Carter Notch?!" The first time we planned to hike it was when we did Middle and South Carter, but we ran out of daylight, it was icy, and we weren't sure if all of our bodies were up to it. The second time was when Sarah and I hiked the Wildcats, but once we made it to the Carter Notch Hut her ankle started to really hurt, so we decided against it again. Today, it was time! We got to the Nineteen-Mile Brook Trailhead a little before 7:00am and very slowly got suited up. It was cold and windy on Route 16, so we did a quick car break after suiting up to blast the heat before we started our adventure. The Higher Summits Forecast was daunting, but we remembered that Carter Dome is more sheltered and ~1,500 feet shorter than Mt. Washington. Plus, we both were comfortable communicating our needs to each other if things began to get dicey. We were very aware that this mountain has tested us numerous times, so our mantra became "Thank you, Carter Dome" throughout the day (sometimes geniune, sometimes sarcastic).

Higher Summits Forecast
Updated at 4:08am on Sunday
Sunday: Mostly in clouds with a chance of snow showers early. Then, trending towards in the clear under mostly sunny skies. Possible snow accumulations of a trace to 2 inches.
High: Starting around lower singigts below, then rising to upper single digits.
Wind: NW at 60-80 mph with gusts up to 100mph, decreasing to 35-50 mph.
Wind Chill: 30 below to 40 below early, then rising to 15 below to 25 below.

[7:27am - Nineteen Mile Brook Trail]
At 7:27am, it was time to go! The wind subsided once in the woods, and it was a shockingly comfortable 15 degrees out. There were a bunch of cars at the trailhead, but we assumed most were staying at the hut. Two cars did pull in as we were getting started, maybe we'll see them later? There was a sign at the trailhead that, I'm guessing is in response to the current national government's policies on public lands (i.e., national forests):

In writing: You are just minutes away! Come!
In text: Let's go NH! Nationwide Rally for Public Lands and National Parks; Saturday, 3/22/25, 12-3; Tuckerman Ravine Trailhead. Come join us and of cities across the country to rally for public lands and public parks! We will have craft projects, post cards, and a peaceful rally to support public lands and parks. All are welcome! Bring signs supporting your parks and forests.


Had Sarah and I known, we definitely would have gone! We started our hike with spikes, as the first ~50 feet of the hike were up an ice flow dusted with snow. The first mile of Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail is absolutely delightful, meandering near the brook proper which had some lovely cascades and neat ice formations. I distinctly remembering Sarah talking poorly about this trail when we were planning this hike, which I brought up a bunch, but she vehemently denied it.


[7:38am - Leaves Forest Protection Area]
The trail crossed a small stream on a small bridge and later a large stream on a large bridge, passing a dam on the way up, too. The trail proper was mostly frozen with a few wet spots here and there - spikes were 100% the best form of traction. We were still a bit sleepy so we didn't chat much - plus I kept stopping for photos and to de-layer, while Sarah took longer to warm up (as in, I am a sweaty beast in all temperatures and her body's internal regulation is normal). We stopped at some point to both shed a layer (she was down to just one puffy and I was down to just my base layer) and we met two hikers hiking with a dog - it was the dog's birthday! We initially let them go first, but they let us pass because the dog was fixating on us (we LOVED this dog, and thankfully would see this dog a bunch throughout the day). Right at an hour on-the-dot, we arrived at the Carter Dome Trail junction! We were both surprised and delighted at how quickly that first stretch felt.



[8:27am - Carter Dome Trail]
We had a quick snack at the junction, played leap-frog with our friends yet again, and continued on. Our friends were in the lead now as Sarah and I maintained a slow-and-steady pace up the trail. Footing was still good for spikes and the snowpack was minimal. The Carter Dome Trail started by following a brook and eventually entered a confusing area and crossed the brook, which was tricky but not too awful. Something that was unique about the crossing was the built-up slush on most of exposed rocks, which made things a bit more exciting! We both expressed gratitude we were able to cross unscathed, as a foot plunge could be a day-ender in these conditions. There were some small bushes starting to show signs of spring - little leaf buds that closely resembled the "golden snitch" from the Harry Potter universe. 


After the first crossing, the trail continued through a flood-damaged area, past some bushes that had budding leaves, and then to another crossing, where we found our friends again! They told us their route across this stream, and more importantly the dog wanted more pets so he tried to run across the river to get them. Sadly, the dog's route was a bit deeper than he wanted, so he had to continue on without any pets (for now). It was my turn to be line leader - I made it most of the way across and then the unthinkable happened. SPLASH. Actually, more like PLOP. My foot slide off of a slushy rock into calf-deep water... NOOOO! I got up and out, furious, and Sarah was standing in the middle of the stream, balanced on two rocks, in absolute shock and dismay - we had JUST said a sunken foot could be a day ended. I told her to get to my side of the river so we could figure something out, because I was NOT going to let this mountain win again (unless I was in actual danger of course). After some brain storming, I changed my sock to a thick, dry one, dumped my peanut butter-filled tortillas into my pack, shoved my foot into the gallon-sized ziploc they were in, and shoved everything back into my boot. I wasn't sure how well this would or wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot! Since we were doing an out-and-back, I decided to leave my soiled sock on a branch at the crossing to grab later. 



I tightened my wet boot, and we were back in business! The next stretch of trail followed a series of seven switchbacks (according to the guidebook, neither of us had the brain power to actually count) all the way to Zeta Pass. Footing was mostly good here and grades were moderate and steady. I was trailing behind as I adjusted my boot (and broke up some ice on the bottom of my pant leg). We got occasional tree-views toward Boot Spur and Mt. Washington, which looked incredibly commanding even though these trees. Once higher up, the wind became more noticable and temperatures began to drop. I made a loud "UGH" at one point, as I was done with the slog, and we arrived at Zeta Pass no more than 30 seconds later!



[10:05am - Zeta Pass]
We did a quick snack, hydrate, and pee break at Zeta Pass. My Nalgene was slushy at this point, so I drank as much liquid as I could and then swapped it for one that was in my pack and CHUGGED. My peanut butter roll-ups were perfect, and I put my fleece and nano puff back on as I paced back and forth. It was cold! I finished up a little before Sarah, so I began to walk up and down the trail to keep warm. It was significantly snowier up here, which was beautiful! The sun was shining through the trees, too. 


We climbed through a snowy area and then started the slog to the ridge, soon passing the Carter-Moriah Split that went up to Mt. Hight, which did not look very traveled (plus we knew it was a much steeper and more exposed route).


[10:28am - Carter Dome Trail/Carter-Moriah Trail Split]
We continued climbing on a long stretch of side-hill. Thankfully, the snowpack was firm and trees were mostly above our heads (we did have to push through a good amount, since we were hiking on feet of snow. 



[10:32am - Leaves Forest Protection Area]
Higher up, we began to get peek-a-views toward the Presidentials, which just looked incredible. We could see the snow being blown around on the summits as we were dealing with some wind now. I joked that at least on the way down we'll get to even out our frostbite! We continued through this small tree tunnel, occasionally singing exceprts from "The Dunnes Song" that we heard last night at the Shannon Door. My soggy foot was a little cold, but nothing colder than I had experienced skiing, so I felt comfortable continuing on. 



[10:55am - Carter Dome Trail/Carter-Moriah Trail Coincide]
Things started to turn around once we hit the other end of the Carter-Moriah Trail. The tree views were increasing, our bodies had warmed up, my foot was back to feeling fine (NOT numb, to be clear), and we were starting to get excited since we were now up on the ridge.


[10:57am - Carter Dome Trail/Black Angel Trail Junction]
Just a few feet later we came up to the Black Angel Trail junction - the trail sign was burried right up to the top! We had tree views out over the Wild River Wilderness side of the mountain now, and two Grey Jays joined us! Unfortunately, my camera battery got too cold here, so I didn't get photos on my camera of these adorable, fesity birds, but we enjoyed their company as we put on our shells for the final push to the summit.



The way that this climb went from a boring slog to an incredible adventure could be studied. Soon after the Black Angel Trail junction, the Carter Dome Trail climbed up a snowbank to reveal some absolutely amazing views. First we could see the northern stretch of the Carter-Moriah Range, with Mt. Hight nearby and South and Middle Carters further along, but then we turned and saw the Northern Presidentails standing tall and proud. We throught we'd get some views with the high snowback, but NOTHING like this! The wind was howling, but our layers were doing their jobs. I couldn't help but take endless photos of how incredible the view was. To make things even better, we crossed paths with our friends again! They asked us if we were familiar with this trail in the summer. We told them we hadn't been, but we'd heard it was boring and viewless, and they confirmed. They said we came up on an incredible day, which was super validating to hear. We pet the dog some more and parted ways - they were planning to head to Mt. Hight, which was on mine and Sarah's radar, but with this wind we weren't sure (plus, we were THRILLED with the views we had here!). 




[11:23am - Carter Dome Summit]
One final push brought us to the summit clearing, and when I tell you I RAN to the summit sign/Rainbow Trail jct. sign... THIS was cause for a celebration! To make things even better, the summit clearing was full of sunshine and super sheltered from the wind. We originally planned to have our celebration snack at Zeta Pass on the way down, but it was so comfortable up top we decided to celebrate at the top!



Before food we explored a bit. A few feet down the Carter-Moriah Trail towards Carter Notch was a nice view of Mt. Carrigain over the trees, and on the northern side of the summit clearing was an opening that provided an excellent view of Mt. Hight, South Carter, Middle Carter, Mt. Moriah, and Shelburne Moriah, with countless other mountains in the background. To the left was Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, and of course, Mr. Madison. It was windy at this view, though. I measured the ambient temperature at 5 degrees, windchill around -22, and winds 25 to 30 mph.



Now, it was time for our reward! A couple of Grey Jays popped out of the woods, posing for hundreds of photos (and also nagging us for a snack). Sarah and I plopped down and got to work (to feed us, not the birds). Sarah prepared a charcuterie moment with cheddar cheese, Babybelle cheese, pita chips, and pepperoni, while I got out my JetBoil and made us some hot chocolate (with RumChata for me!). It wasn't until we were sitting for close to 20 minutes that we started to get chilly and wrap up this party. Summiting this mountain has been one of my favorite accomplishments I think. It had just been looming over us for so long, and it felt like such a priveledge to finally conquer it (after plunging my foot into a brook) on such a beautiful day with such amazing views while playing leap frog with some nice hikers and their dog AND with Grey Jays (even if they were getting a little fesity while we were eating). Such a good day!!!! (Edit from the future: as I was editing my photos, I wanted to come back and write again just how amazing, adorable, friendly, and feisty these birds were! They were excellent photo subjects).









[12:00pm - Carter Dome Trail]
Sadly, it was soon time for us to head down. We had flirted briefly with braving the steeps and going down to the hut, but decided to stick to the devil we knew (and I also had to collect my frozen sock at the brook crossing). We took our time on the stunning ridge walk, enjoying views north and into Maine, but we couldn't stay for too long because the winds had picked up! I measured 25 to 30 mph at the view from the summit, and I'd estimate these gusts were 5-10 mph faster than before (almost knocking us over). My joke about evening out our frostbite rang true, becasue now the other half of my face was NUMB (no actual frostbite, though). Conditions started to improve once we hit the Black Angel Trail and the Carter-Moriah split to Mt. Hight - our friends did head out that way, but the wind we just tasted dissuaded us from any side-quests. We continued down along the side-sloping hard pack. I tend to move faster on the descents, so I'd get ahead at times, and we only really paused to share whatever dumb thought that popped into our heads (or to share a lyric from "The Dunnes Song"). 

To our absolute delight, we ran back into our friends where the Carter-Moriah Trail rejoined the Carter Dome Trail! We reached the point of leap frog where we just laughed whenever we saw each other. They said the view was spectacular but the winds were brutal, especially on the descent, which definitely validated our decision to skip it.

I didn't note any time stamps from the summit to Nineteen Mile Brook Trail for no other reason than I forgot to, oops! We were down in Zeta Pass not much longer after the junction, and we stopped for a quick sip, snack, and pee. Our friends caught up to us again, we giggled, and kept on heading down!

The descent felt MUCH quicker than the ascent, which made sense, and the tree views to the Presidentials were still amazing, even if they were mostly obscured. After the series of seven switchbacks, we made it to the dreaded brook! I claimed my sock, which was frozen solid, and we both crossed much more successfully. It was interesting, though, becuase water levels had slightly risen and there was a LOT more slush present in the water. The confusing stretch was still wonky, and we survived the bigger crossing by moving slow and steady (thank goodness for poles).


From the crossing to Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, the Carter Dome Trail's snow and ice cover had melted significantly in the sunlight. We were hiking on a lot more exposed ground now. Thankfully, it was soft, but not dreadfully muddy. We continued down alongside the cascading, roading brook, and eventually saw our trail sign! Victory! 


[1:52pm - Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail]
We took one final break here, said another hello to our friends as they caught up to us, and then blasted off back to the trailhead. The Nineteen Mile Brook Trail was now mostly sunlit as it meandered along the brook. It was a little rocky near the Carter Dome Trail but slowly became more and more lovely. In a final act of defiance from the mountain, my hiking pole got caught between my legs while I was walking, and I guess the lower section was fully extended, so my legs crossing each other over the pole caused it to snap. UGH. 


Sarah and I were feeling good, but definitely tired after the festivities of the day! The snowpack was disappearing quickly down here, and some of the "glaciers" we struggled up in the morning were significantly softer and had great grip with spikes. We knew we were getting closer when we passed the dam and the large bridge.

[2:38pm - Enters Forest Protection Area]
The trail eventually entered a denser, tall forest down low as it entered the Forest Protection Area - almost there! We could soon hear the rush of cars on NH-16 (a sobering sound after a day where all we could hear was water and wind), and then before we knew it we were descending the final slushy glaciers to the parking area! We did it! #45 complete!

[2:45pm - End of Hike]
We had originally planned to enjoy some sparkling wine once at the car, but it was still cold and windy, so we'd save that for another day. We slowly got changed into our comfy clothes (notably our new Cannon Mountain merch becasue we're both suckers for a gift shop) and worked our way to the Moat Mountain Brewing Smokehouse and Brewing Company in North Conway where we had some DELICIOUS macaroni and cheese to celebrate knocking this mountain off of our list!


The drive home was long, but we did it in full daylight and company always makes the drive feel faster. There's been online discussion about being an "uphill person" or a "downhill person," which Sarah and I have talked about a few times, since we both love skiing and hiking. While we both love the downhill, there's no better feeling than conquering a big climb. Sure, we feel the endorphins and adrenaline when we're on sticks flying down a mountain, but the high from sitting at a summit is so much greater for us. This was such a surprisingly awesome day!

Step-by-Step
- Park at Nineteen-Mile Brook Trailhead.
- Start hike on Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail.
- At jct., turn left onto Carter Dome Trail.
- At Zeta Pass, continue on Carter Dome Trail.
- Summit Carter Dome, retrace steps to car.


“Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)
NH 16 to Carter Dome Trail: 1.9 mi; 850 ft; 1:25 
AMC This blue-blazed trail runs from a parking area (plowed in winter) on the east side of NH 16, 1.0 mi. north of Mt. Washington Auto Rd. and 2.4 mi. south of the jct. with Pinkham B Rd. (Dolly Copp Rd.), to Carter Notch Hut and is the easiest route to the hut. (The parking area is a stop for the AMC Hiker Shuttle.) Sections of the trail near the brook bank sometimes become dangerously icy in cold seasons.
        Leaving NH 16, Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail enters the woods to the left of a kiosk on a relocated section and then rejoins the original route at 0.1 mi., following the northeast bank of Nineteen-Mile Brook on the remains of an old road at easy to moderate grades. At 0.7 mi. the trail crosses an open bank above the brook and soon turns left up rock steps on another relocation, returning to the old route at 0.9 mi. At 1.1 mi. it crosses a major tributary on a large bridge just downstream from the former crossing. 
        At 1.2 mi., the trail passes a dam in the brook and becomes somewhat rougher, with minor ups and downs, and at 1.9 mi., Carter Dome Trail diverges left for Zeta Pass. [...].

“Carter Dome Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 
19-Mile Brook Trail to Zeta Pass: 1.9 mi; 1,550 ft; 1:45 
Zeta Pass to Carter Dome Summit: 1.2 mi; 960 ft; 1:05 
WMNF This blue-blazed trail runs from Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail 1.0 mi. from NH 16 to Zeta Pass and the summit of Carter Dome, following the route of an old road that served the long-dismantled fire tower that once stood on Carter Dome. Grades are steady and moderate all the way.
        Leaving Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail follows a tributary brook, crossing two branches of it at 0.5 mi. and recrossing it at 0.8 mi., at a small, attractive cascade; in this area, parts of the trail were damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Carter Dome Trail swings left and then in 50 yd. turns sharply right and ascends by a series of seven switchbacks, passing a good spring on the left at 1.1 mi., and reaching the jct. with Carter-Moriah Trail at Zeta Pass at 1.9 mi. Carter Dome Trail coincides with Carter-Moriah Trail to the right (south). At 2.1 mi., Carter-Moriah Trail, which offers excellent views but is steep and exposed to weather, turns left to climb to the bare summit of Mt. Hight; Carter Dome Trail continues its steady, sheltered ascent along the west slope of Mt. Hight. At 2.7 mi., Carter-Moriah Trail reenters from the left, and in another 25 yd., Black Angel Trail enters from the left. Carter Dome and Carter-Moriah trails now coincide, ascending through high scrub, passing a side path leading 10 yd. right to a viewpoint at 3.0 mi., and continuing to the jct. with Rainbow Trail near the southwest end of the Carter Dome summit clearing.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Skiing Cannon Mountain

Skiing Cannon Mountain
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025

Runs: 19
Distance: 12.66 miles
Elevation: 16,638 feet
Max Speed: 26.8 mph
Avg. Speed: 11.1 mph
Moving Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes, 34 seconds
Total Time: 4 hours, 53 minutes, 22 seconds

Time for yet another weekend in the mountains! Sarah and I had a plan this weekend - ski on Saturday and hike on Sunday. The dream was to ski at Cannon Mountain and hike Carter Dome. The forecast looked great for skiing on Saturday, but questionable for hiking on Sunday (more on that later). We booked a room at The Lodge at Jackson Village in Jackson, NH for the night, and I scooped her up at 6:30am Saturday morning to head up! Naturally, we stopped for breakfast at Hooksett, and made it to Cannon around 9:00am. We were surprised to see the main lots were already full, but it made sense considering the two big events happening. We parked across the street, grabbed our gear, and headed over. I was able to redeem my Indy online and reload my RFID without checking the ticket booth, which was sweet, and Sarah got hers no problem. They even had a guy out front test-scanning RFIDs, which I thought was genius. We got booted up in the downstairs area of the Peabody Lodge, stuffed our bags in the cubbies outside, and were soon on the snow!


Mountain Report
Saturday Mar 22 at 7:21 a.m.
Good morning, Cannon! Today will be a busy day out on the hill with Mittersill seeing some race action on Baron's Run and the 20th anniversary of Bodefest, Olympian Bode Miller's adrenaline packed fundraising event. Details below. Mountain Ops and The Groomers (with 1-3" of help from Mother Nature) did a fantastic job of getting the hill back in shape for the weekend and for the moment, winter has returned! Check the mountain report for the most up-to-date trail and lift information.
Skies will be clear this morning wtih clouds and winds increasing this afternoon. There is a chance for some snow showers to develop as well. Temps will fall later tonight. Temps in the base area will be in the low to mid-thirties while the summit will be in the mid-twenties.
The Groomers were out on 51 trails overnight rolling our fresh snow into our snowpack. You can expect fast, firm, machine groomed, and packed powder conditions this morning. Please use caution out on the hill, there may still be some thin spots. Please do not duck ropes! If a trail is closed, it is for a good reason, seriously.
7 lifts are scheduled to spin today: The Tram, The Peabody Quad, The Cannoball Quad, The Tuckerbrook Quad, The Zoomer Triple, Eagle Cliff Triple, and Mittersill Double. All lifts are scheduled to spin at 8:30am except for The Tram which will have an 8:15am load and Eagle Cliff, which will load for the public at 9:45am after the start of BodeFest.
Toss-Up terrain park is closed for a little spring refurbishing. Huckerbrook Park and Parkway are open. The Park on the lower section of Gremlin has been dismantled in preparation for the Spring Events.

Runs 1-3
Run 1: Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Missing Link - Middle Ravine - Lower Ravine
[1.10 mi; 4:47; 1,348 ft; 26.8 mph max; 13.7 mph avg]
Run 2: Peabody Express Quad - Middle Cannon - Extension - Rocket
[0.78 mi; 4:31; 1,427 ft; 20.6 mph max; 10.4 mph avg]
Run 3: Zoomer Triple - Zoomalanche - Avalanche
[0.54 mi; 4:45; 623 ft; 23.3 mph max; 6.8 mph avg]

The day started just below freezing but was supposed to warm up to the upper 40s, which made proper layering an interesting endeavour. Our first run was up the Peabody Express Quadd and down Easy Link, Missing Link, Middle Ravine, and Lower Ravine. The trails were actually skiing nicely with only a few icy patches. I had my usual problem of not remembering how to ski for the first run, which I really do need to fix, but I slowly remembered throughout the day. We made our way back to the Peabody for a second run, but this time opting to scoot over to the Front 5 area. We followed Middle Cannon to Extension - the first new trail for me (I was PETRIFIED of this trail last year by just looking at how steep it was, I felt MUCH better about it this time!). It was steep with a few bumps, but nothing insane. From there, I wanted to hit Gary's, but it was closed for a race, so we went for Rocket instead, which was in good condition! The groomed half was a little scratchy, but the small bumps in the middle were wonderful.

We went up the Zoomer Triple for Run #3 and tackled Avalanche, which was a bit daunting at first glance, but the bumps kept me slow and in-control. There was one bare patch of grass, which was exciting, but it did not become a problem. We decided we'd check out the Tram after the run, which required some skating on sticky slush. There was also a sign that said "TRAM CLOSED," but it was very open.

Runs 4-6
Run 4: Tram - Tramway - Bypass - Extenion - Avalanche - Banshee Cut-Thru - Jasper's Hideaway
[1.32 mi; 8:20; 2,087 ft; 26.2 mph max; 9.5 mph avg]
Run 5: Tram - Upper Cannon - Middle Cannon - Rock Garden - Paulie's Folly - Zoomalanche - Avalanche - Banshee Cut-Thru - Banshee
[1.43 mi; 7:15; 2,034 ft; 26.7 mph max; 11.8 mph avg]
Run 6: Tram - Upper Cannon - Middle Cannon - Rock Garden - Lower Cannon
[1.22 mi; 5:22; 1,979 ft; 23.0 mph max; 12.9 mph avg]

We quickly became big fans of the Tram! We waited for maybe three minutes before it was time to load. The Tram here was bigger than the one at Jay, and the view as we ascended was stunning. Plus, we were WARM at this point, and we had a wonderful breeze with the cabin windows open. From the top, we took a photo (naturally) and then headed down Tramway, which skied wonderfully. The upper stretch of Bypass was the best snow we'd had all day, but the lower stretch was a dreadful ice skating rink. We hit the upper half of Avalanche, but then scooted over to Banshee Cut-Thru and ended on Jasper's Hideaway, which had the best snow we'd found all day. This was the moment I remembered how to properly ski - yay! Sarah even went off to the side and got some fresh powder, which she was absolutely stoked about.

Run #5 was back up the Tram to Upper Cannon, which was an absolute blast! Fast, winding, with minimal icy spots. I cruised down, just happy to be able to go faster without much worry, but I accidentally stopped at the bottom at an icy patch to wait for Sarah and she nearly took me out trying to stop - sorry! From there, we followed Middle Cannon to Rock Garden to Paulie's Folly, which was only open to the Zoomalanche junction, back to the Cut-Thru and then down Banshee, which was also in great condition (although with some brown snow). 

We were loving how there was no line for the Tram and how we were able to get some high-vert laps, which is something not too common on the Indy New England mountains. We were COOKING (heat-wise) by Run #6, so we decided to follow Upper to Middle (to Rock Garden) to Lower Cannon and stop in the lodge for a snack and to shed some layers. The base area was super busy with all of the events, but thankfully the lifts weren't crowded at all!

Runs 7-11
Run 7: Brookside
[0.20 mi; 1:00; 150 ft]
Run 8: Tuckerbrook Quad - Rabbit Path
[0.34 mi; 1:20; 282 ft; 25.2 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]
Run 9: Tuckerbrook Quad - Turkey Trot
[0.31 mi; 1:12; 285 ft; 25.1 mph max; 14.9 mph avg]
Run 10: Tuckerbrook Quad - Moose Alley 
[0.27 mi; 1:20; 282 ft; 25.0 mph max; 11.2 mph avg]
Run 11: Tuckerbrook Quad - Raven Ridge - Huckerbrook
[0.30 mi; 1:53; 154 ft; 18.8 mph max; 9.5 mph avg]

Our legs were a bit tired from the cautious skiing we've been doing (you know, trying to not accidentally go into a free-fall down a sheet of ice at times), so we decided to get some quieter runs in at the Tuckerbrook Area. Run #7 was from the lodge area, across a slushy skate, and down Brookside, which is just a lovely green run. Run #8 was down Rabbit Path and #9 was down Turkey Trot, both were EXCELLENT. Great snow, great turns, and so wonderfully quiet. We really wanted to sneak (not actually sneak) over to the Mittersill area, but there was a race all day and the only way to ski back was closed because of said race, so we'll save that for another day. 

Moose Alley was #10 with some stickier snow, but still just super fun. We wanted to keep skiing across the area, but ski school had just arrived after this run, so we opted to head back to the main mountain after skating across Raven Ridge and skiing down Huckerbrook (we'll save the park side for later, there were ski school kids on the jumps).

Runs 12-15
Run 12: Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link
[0.10 mi; 1:30; 112 ft]
Run 13: Cannonall Quad - Profile
[0.46 mi; 2:47; 896 ft; 17.4 mph max; 9.9 mph avg]
Run 14: Cannonball Quad - Upper Ravine
[0.76 mi; 3:20; 899 ft; 21.1 mph max; 13.7 mph avg]
Run 15: Cannonball Quad - Taft Slalom - Upper Ravine - Spookie - Rock Garden - Mickey's Margin - Gary's
[1.70 mi; 8:02; 2,126 ft; 26.2 mph max; 12.7 mph avg]

Our next pod of runs were my last goal for the day - to get some laps off of the Cannonball Quad and specifically ski Profile, which was closed last time I was up. Run #12 was down Easy Link, which was not-so-easy because we had to dodge thousands of people (more like half a dozen, but they were going fast!), and #13 was down Profile which was... kind of brutal! Snow was nice up top but for the majority of the run was mostly skied off. I will say, though, I'm proud to have done it, and more so impressed with how my perception of "steep" has changed throughout the season. According to Strava, Profile is steeper than both The Jet and Haynes at Jay Peak, and I didn't get the "shit your pants" feeling at all on this run (minus some extended skids on ice). 

Run #14 was a redemption run down Upper Ravine, which was just as fun as Upper Cannon and skied just as well. I love those two winding trails. Run #15 was a longer run, down the Taft Slalom, which was 50% exceptional and 50% Tokyo Drift. We continued onto Upper Ravine and then slightly uphill on Spookie (excellent name). We then continued onto Rock Garden, Mickey's Margin, and onto Gary's, which had just opened to the public! I wanted to hit Gary's because that was the only Front 5 run I did last year, and it was "shit your pants steep" in my mind last year. This year, it was completely fine! Didn't feel insanely steep/terrifying, and the soft snow was lovely. 

Runs 16-19
Run 16: Zoomer Triple - Rocket
[0.38 mi; 2:37; 627 ft; 20.8 mph max; 8.7 mph avg]
Run 17: Zoomer Triple - Zoomalanche - Avalanche
[0.51 mi; 3:53; 633 ft; 23.6 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]
Run 18: Zoomer Triple - Lower Cannon - Brookside
[0.75 mi; 3:38; 679 ft; 23.3 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]
Run 19: Tuckerbrook Quad - Raven Ridge - Huckerbrook Park
[0.29 mi; 2:19; 174 ft; 17.5 mph max; 7.5 mph avg]

We were starting to wind down, not really because our legs were tired, but more so because we wanted to preserve energy for our hike tomorrow. Run #16 was a revisit to our good friend, Rocket, which was soft and fun! We stuck to the bumpier side since the snow was softer there, but it skied well. Avalanche was up next, which was more challenging, but still super fun. A lot of less-experienced people facing spring bumps on it now, which was exciting! Run #18 brought us back to Brookside, and we finished up with a run down the Huckerbrook Park, which had twin jumps the whole length - a super fun way to end!

We slowly wrapped up at the gift shop and then had a little picnic/apres at the car since the sun was shining. I even got a compliment by a passerby for bringing chairs and a table (he was jealous). We joked/flirted with getting a quick hike in up Artist Bluff, which we both wanted to, but I was feeling the nerves about tomorrow's hike and wanted to preserve energy as best as we could. Time to drive to Jackson!

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Eliot, Accord, Houghton, Houghton Hill, Raccoon Hollow Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Eliot, Accord, Houghton, Houghton Hill, Raccoon Hollow Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Figure 8-ish Loop?
Distance: 5.27 miles
Elevation: 1142 feet
Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 
Happy first day of Spring! I had a slow drive down to the Blue Hills after school, I was sleepy, but it was a lovely 56 degree day with rolling overcast. I forgot my shorts, which was a bummer, but in classic "me" fashion I already had sweatpants on, so I was still good to go! Now that I put my winter tracing map away, I was officially working on my "Trail Trace the Blue Hills" map. This led me to doing basically the same hike as yesterday, just with a few alterations after the climb up Houghton Hill. I accidentally smashed my nose on my car, and I was off!


The climb up Eliot Path was dreadfully warm in sweatpants and a long-sleeve baselayer, but I dug my grave by forgetting shorts and a t-shirt, so I had to live in it. Up top, I confirmed with myself that the observatory was definitely getting a new fence, and then I made my way down the gravel path to Eliot Circle and continued onto the Skyline Trail South. I saw my first people of the day at the scramble on Skyline South and heard my beloved Wood Frogs again. From there, I continued onto Brookwood Trail, where my legs were feeling jiggly and my knee was a little upset (which was ironic considering the podcast I was just listening to was talking about knee health and hiking). 


The sun began to poke out once I was on the Accord Path, and the next bit of hiking was all a repeat of yesterday. It took another thousand photos of the same burned area, and eventually found myself climbing back up Houghton Hill! I'm still considering getting a Strava subscription just to make segments for this stretch, the Eliot Path, and maybe a few of the Chickatawbut Hill area climbs. TBD on that. 


Once on Houghton Hill, I took the clockwise side of the loop and hiked to Wolcott, and then down Houghton Path, criss-crossing with the Accord Path. I noticed some unearthed old, rusted cans and bottles around 1143 in the burnt soil which was neat. From Hillside Street, I scooted over to Raccoon Hollow Path from the bottom, and worked my way almost all the way up to the top, which was a solid, easy to moderate climb and a great alternate way to get up Great Blue Hill. I didn't opt for the second summit though, as I continued onto Cliff Trail and Trailside Path (I was HUNGRY). This was by far my sweatiest hike of 2025. Soon enough though I was back at the car and ready for some chicken at home!


Step-by-Step
- Park at Trailside Museum south parking.
- Start hike at Trailside Museum Gate and follow Eliot Path.
- At terminus, turn right onto Eliot Circle.
- At Summit Road, turn left onto Summit Road.
- At next jct., follow spur to summit.
- From summit, follow gravel path southwest to Eliot Circle.
- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail/Eliot Circle.
- At 1066, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.
- At 1083, turn right onto Skyline Trail South/Wildcat Notch Path.
- At next jct., turn right onto Brookwood Trail.
- At Blue Hill River Road, turn around.
- At 1062, turn right onto Accord Path.
- Follow Accord Path to terminus on Hillside St., hiking spurs too.
- At Hillside St., turn right onto Hillside St.
- At jct., turn right onto Houghton Trail.
- At 1156, turn left onto Skyline Trail.
- At next jct., turn right onto Houghton Hill Path.
- At terminus, turn left onto Wolcott Path.
- At 1147, turn left onto Houghton Path.
- At terminus, turn around and hike spur to Raccoon Hollow Path.
- At jct., turn left onto Raccoon Hollow Path.
- At Hillside St., turn around and hike Raccoon Hollow Path.
- At 1082, continue right onto Cliff Trail.
- Cross Summit Road, continue onto Trailside Path.
- Follow red blazes back to car.


Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Eliot, Accord, Houghton, Breakneck Ledge, Border Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Eliot, Accord, Houghton, Breakneck Ledge, Border Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs
Distance: 5.41 miles
Elevation: 1001 feet
Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits; Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x)

The Hike
Last hike of winter! I wasn't sure what my plan was going to be, but I ended up doing some more tracing in the Great Blue Hill area, to hopefully complete next winter. The parking lot had many more cars than yesterday, but at least it was 52 degrees and sunny! I climbed up Eliot Path, passing and crossing paths with MANY people. My lungs were hurting from 1) being sick, 2) hiking yesterday, and 3) hiking while already having sick lungs. Oh well! I made it to the top and celebrated my 50th summit of Great Blue Hill!... or so I thought. Apparently, I had already hit #50, and had accidentally counted two #7s... so happy #51! Maybe someday I'll make a patch for it... now onto making it to 100!


It seemd like the observatory was getting a new fence as I continued down to the Skyline Trail South. The skies were so blue above, but there were DARK clouds off the coast and to the south. I could hear wood frogs with a few peepers on my descent and worked my way all the way down to Accord Path, which became my main goal. My legs were wiggly after hiking yesterday and my climb (and the general exhaustion that is March). 


The Accord Path has a lot of PUDs but is pretty fun to meander. I hiked the spur to the Hillside Street/Blue Hill River Road stop sign, which was in better shape than usual, and crossed two streams. The first was easy, the second involved some off-trail rock-hopping. I continued into the burned area around Houghton Hill, which was severely impacted. The damage did open up an old stone wall and highlighted a MASSIVE erratic, which was fun to see. I eventually made it to Hillside Street and did the uncomfortable road walk to Houghton Trail.


First traversed a low, swampy area that was borderline disgusting, and then began to climb on a burnt, eroded pathway. The fire damage was eerie, kind of like when Scar was in charge of the Pridelands in The Lion King. There were lots of dead, orange needles on the black ground. I gassed my way up Houghton Hill, which was equally as exhausting as going up Skyline (I should make this a segement on Strava...), and then continued onto Houghton Hill Path, past the mysterious gravel pit, and onto Breakneck Ledge Path.


Breakneck Ledge Path is a lovely walk and only had a few wet spots. It was chilly in the shade, but lovely in the sun. I did find a granite block in the woods with a drill-hole on the top near the junction with Hemenway Hill Path. I thought it could be a town marker, but it seemed like we were firmly in Milton. A mystery!


Base Path was one long stream and at some point in the past 20 minutes, the clouds had arrived, which made things a bit chillier. I had my long-sleeve base layer on, shorts, and I did add my gloves for the past bit. I made my grand return via Border and Wolcott Paths and noticed a mystery. At 1135, a sign says that the Trailside Museum is 0.25 miles away, but at 1085 it says 0.5 miles away. I was at 4.46 miles at 1135, and 4.90 miles at 1085, and 5.25 when actually at the museum. This means that 1085 and 1135 are 0.44 miles apart, 1135 and the musem are 0.35 miles apart, and 1085 and the museum are 0.79 apart. CRAZY. My guess is the sign at 1135 should be 0.75.


Anyway, I made it back to the car eventually, changed into a dry shirt, and drove home. It was 42 degrees out now and slightly misting, and winter is officially over! I never hit my goal of hiking a 4000-footer in the winter, but that's okay, becuase I've skied an insane amount of days to make up for it.

Step-by-Step
- Park at Trailside Museum south parking.
- Start hike on Eliot Path.
- At terminus, turn right onto Eliot Circle.
- At Summit Road, turn left onto Summit Road.
- At next jct., follow spur to summit.
- From summit, hike east to Skyline Trail.
- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail/Eliot Circle.
- At 1066, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.
- At 1083, turn right onto Wildcat Notch Trail.
- At 1093, turn right onto Half Way Path.
- At 1081, turn right onto Accord Path.
- At 1062, turn around.
- Follow Accord Path (and spurs) to Hillside St., after 1151.
- At Hillside St., turn right onto Hillside St. 
- At next jct., turn right onto Houghton Trail.
- At 1156, turn right onto Houghton Hill Path.
- At terminus, turn right onto Wolcott Path.
- At 1160, turn left onto Breakneck Ledge Path.
- At 1185, turn left onto Base Path.
- At terminus, turn left onto Chestnut Run Path.
- At 1175, turn left onto Border Path.
- At 1100, turn right onto Wolcott Path.
- At terminus, continue on sidewalk to car.