Catching up, summertime, vacation, and looking at my goals!

Oh boy, I had let myself get very behind in my blogging the past couple of months. I've been prioritizing my writing and kept saving the photos "for later," which meant I've been slowly crawling through them, editing, uploading, and putting my entries together, but I'm happy to say that today, Tuesday, June 24th, 2025, and I am officially caught up! For the first time since end of March, nonetheless!

Part of this success is due to the end of the school year, which officially concluded yesterday (thank GOODNESS). Now that I am officially on summer break, I am really looking for more adventures (while I am laying in bed at 2pm as it 101 degrees outside), rest, and accomplishing goals.

Speaking of which, my annual "I'm going to the mountains NOBODY TALK TO ME" vacation this evening! I'm being a little more friendly this year (this is my fourth year, I did Acadia my first two years and went to the Whites last year) - as Sarah is joining me tomorrow and Gen for the following three days. I'm planning on hiking Mt. Isolation with Sarah tomorrow (Wednesday), a massive loop with East Royce, West Royce, Blueberry, and Speckled Mountains on Thursday, Iron Mountain on Friday, and ideally Cannon Mountain and Mt. Wolf on Saturday, but there's rain in the forecast on Saturday, so TBD. My big goal is to knock off all remaining 48s and delisted 52s this week except for Mt. Moriah and Shelburne Moriah, which will be my last ones for each list. Fingers cross all goes well!

And finally, revisiting the goals I set for this year back in January...
1. 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet [IN PROGRESS: 74 hikes, 338.83 miles, 72,842 feet]

2. 52 Hike Challenge [IN PROGRESS: 27/52]

3. Complete the 52 With a View (1 more) [+ Delisted Peaks] [IN PROGRSS: 3 more 52D; 1 more 52]

4. Complete the NH 48 (4 more) [IN PROGRESS: 3 more]

5. Complete the VT 5 [NO PROGRESS YET]

6. Complete the Friends of the Wapack Hikes [COMPLETE]

7. Complete the Harriman Shelter Challenge [COMPLETE]

8. Hike at least one winter 4000-Footer [COMPLETE; Winter condition at least]

9. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least once [COMPLETE]

So now I propose my "halfway through the year updated list:"

1. 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet

2. 52 Hike Challenge

3. Complete the 52 With a View + Delisted Peaks

4. Complete the NH 48

5. Complete the VT 5

6. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least once more

7. Work towards the NYAT this summer

Time for vacation!

Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025!

And just like that, we're in the New Year! I've had some time to organize thoughts and reflect since I started the year with some kind of non-COVID virus, which is a solid bummer, but here we are!

I completed 2024 with the following stats:

Hikes: 105 (113 in 2023; 103 in 2022)

Distance: 641.36 mi (667.06 mi in 2023; 531.81 mi in 2022)

Elevation: 147,720 ft (127,353 ft in 2023; 108.904 ft in 2022)

Both number of hikes and distance were down since 2023, but elevation was much higher. All three stats reached my goal of >100 hikes, >500 miles, and >100,000 feet - so I am happy and proud of that! Winter saw a gain in elevation, summer exploded in all three stats, and both spring and fall had lower stats, which I was surprised by! I thought skiing would have contributed to lower stats, but winter wasn't too far behind 2023. All that being said, I'm the healthiest I've been since college, and very pleased with myself!

Looking at other goals I set for last year:

- 100/500/100,000 [COMPLETE]

- Progress on the 48/52 [PROGRESS MADE]

- Complete the VT 5 [Pushed to 2025]

- 52 Hike Challenge [COMPLETE]

- Sunrise Six [COMPLETE]

- Hike Monadnock at least once [DID IT]

- Some summer challenge while in NJ [STARTED HARRIMAN]

- CiTC [COMPLETE]

My completed patch challenges:

- Blue Hills 500 Miles (no patch)

- Blue Hills 125 Mile Club (2nd time)

- Blue Hills Winter Trace

- Sunrise Six

- CiTC Hiker Achievement 

- Wapack Trail 

- Mt. Washington to the Top Award

- Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge (Silver) (no patch)

- Ossipee 10

- 52 Hike Challenge

AND NOW... Goals for 2025!

1. 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet

2. 52 Hike Challenge

3. Complete the 52 With a View (1 more hike)

4. Complete the NH 48 (4 more hikes)

5. Complete the VT 5 (2 more hikes)

6. Complete the Friends of the Wapack Hikes (3 small hikes)

7. Complete the Harriman Shelter Challenge (3 more shelters)

8. Hike at least one winter 4000-Footer

9. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least once

Looking forward to another great year in the mountains!

FINALLY CAUGHT UP!!

I have officially completed one of my longest "backlogged spells" to date! I don't think this collection of writings has been up-to-date since June... but it is now! (for now...).

I've gone on some awesome hikes in the summer/early fall, and now that I'm forced to slow down (thanks marching band...) I was able to edit my photos and get everything posted. This is also a great time for a check-in with my goals and think about how I want the rest of the year to go.

As of October 6th, 2024...

87 hikes. 

540.40 miles.

123,824 feet.

I find the stats interesting compared to last years'. I finished last year at 113 hikes, which is 26 more than I currently have done. I finished last year with 667.06 miles, which is 126.66 more than I currently have done. I finished last year with 127,353 feet, which is only 3,529 feet more than I currently have done. I think there is a chance that I get close to matching the number of hikes, very small chance I meet the miles, and a very high chance I surpass the elevation. It definitely validates that I've been hiking more difficult peaks this year! I am in a very good place for my overall yearly goal (100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet), seeing as I only need to hit 13 more hikes to complete the goal. Yay!

Now looking back at my last goal setting post from May...

Reviewing the main goals:

1. Hike 100 hikes; 500 miles; 100,000 feet. [ALMOST COMPLETE] 

2. Continue progress on NH48 and 52WAV - let's say 10 hikes devoted to these lists. [COMPLETE - 14 SO FAR] 

3. Complete the VT5. (Pushing this to next year - I hyper-focused on NH48, and that is great!)

4. 52 Hike Challenge 2024. [ON TRACK] 

5. Complete the Sunrise Six Challenge. [COMPLETE] 

6. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least one time. [COMPLETE] 

7. Commit to some summer challenge when in NJ - [COMPLETE]

8. Complete Castle in the Clouds Patch. [COMPLETE]

Completed goals/challenges in 2024: 

1. Blue Hills 500 Miles 

2. Blue Hills 125 Mile Club (2nd time) 

3. Blue Hills Winter Trace 

4. Sunrise Six 

5. Castle in the Clouds 

6. Wapack Trail (this was a last-minute addition)

7. Mt. Washington To the Top Award (I forgot I bought this patch off eBay forever ago)

Specific goals for June: 

1. Hike at least one 52 [DONE]

2. Hike at least one 4k [DONE]

3. Be out in the woods as much as possible. [DONE]

4. Maybe get a cheap tent and overnight at a campground? [Medium! I ended up getting a room at the Days Inn Lincoln for a few nights in June, car camped before my Mt. Success hike, and finally tent camped before my Roger's Ledge hike! Still no multi-night, and still no backpacking]

New Jersey Challenge - While I don't think I'll complete it, I want to make an effort to get to Harimann State Park at least once a week in July, doing one shelter hike a week. [DONE - I didn't finish the challenge, but I hit 7/10 shelters!]

Now looking forward...

I have completed 51 out of the 52 With-a-View and 42 out of the New Hampshire 48. I am pausing my work on the 52 to continue work on the 48, hoping to end with Mt. Moriah and Shelburne Moriah in one hike. I also want to hit Mt. Garfield and the Kinsmans again, hopefully sooner this fall? I have a weird mental thing where I don't want to double-dip 4000-footer lists (i.e., I hiked those two in winter, but I want those two specific hikes to only count for either the normal 48 or the winter 48, so I need to hike them again...). Before I finish these lists, I also need to finish my "vault" posts for my early 52s. When I finish, I want to compile all of my write-ups to a big document, like a mini-book.

I only have one hike left for the Ossipee 10, so I'd love to bang that out before the end of the year!

It would be nice to get another Friends of the Watatic hike in before the end of the year, too.

Looking further, I'd also like to get back into the Belknaps - either gridding or redlining.

Finally, my updated goal list for the remainder of 2024...

1. Hike 100 hikes; 500 miles; 100,000 feet.

2. 52 Hike Challenge 2024.

3. Finish the Ossipee 10. 

4. At least one more Friends of Wapack Hike.

I think that's all I got for now! It's been a great year full of achievement, so I'm really happy with my progress. Here's to more!

Pre-Summer Reflection and Goals

I know spring isn't yet over but with the end of the school year drawing near (and an overall lackluster May) I want to write down some goals to propel me into the summer!

As of May 30th, 2024...

42 Hikes

240.24 Miles

45,274 Feet

By the end of June, I'll definitely be on-track for my 100/500/100,000 goal! This year is shaping up to be less stats-wise, but anything can happen. As long as I hit my goal, I will be very happy.

First, the main goals:

1. Hike 100 hikes; 500 miles; 100,000 feet. [ON TRACK]

2. Continue progress on NH48 and 52WAV - let's say 10 hikes devoted to these lists. [3 SO FAR]

3. Complete the VT5. [3 SO FAR]

4. 52 Hike Challenge 2024. [ON TRACK]

5. Complete the Sunrise Six Challenge. [COMPLETE]

6. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least one time. [TBD]

7. Commit to some summer challenge when in NJ - TBD. *

8. Complete Castle in the Clouds Patch. [COMPLETE]

Completed goals/challenges in 2024:

1. Blue Hills 500 Miles

2. Blue Hills 125 Mile Club (2nd time)

3. Blue Hills Winter Trace

4. Sunrise Six

5. Castle in the Clouds

6. Wapack Trail (this was a last-minute addition)

Specific goals for June:

1. Hike at least one 52

2. Hike at least one 4k

3. Be out in the woods as much as possible.

4. Maybe get a cheap tent and overnight at a campground?

New Jersey Challenge

- While I don't think I'll complete it, I want to make an effort to get to Harimann State Park at least once a week in July, doing one shelter hike a week.

Updated goals list:

1. Hike 100 hikes; 500 miles; 100,000 feet. 

2. Continue progress on NH48 and 52WAV - let's say 10 hikes devoted to these lists. 

3. Complete the VT5. 

4. 52 Hike Challenge 2024. 

5. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least one time. 

6. One shelter/week in Harimann State Park in July.

A note:

Thinking of a new rating system for my hikes. When I track on Google Sheets, I always make a little box around the stats if it is 1) over 10 miles, over 2,000 feet elevation, and/or over 4 hours (counting moving and total elapsed seperately). This is what I'm thinking...

     1) No boxes: Chill to Relatively Chill Hike

     2) One box: Has a kick to it

     3) Two boxes: Decent hike

     4) Three boxes: Beefy hike

     5) Four Boxes: Big hike

     6) Five+ boxes: Beastly hike

Additionally, a box can become "beastly" by being 1) over 15 miles, 2) over 4,000 feet of gain, and 3) over 8 hours long. A beastly box will count as two boxes.

Overall, I'm not sold on my verbaige, but I like using this to track overall intensity.

With all that said, I've had one hike with a kick to it, five big hikes, and one beastly hike.

Winter Roundup

With spring officially in the air, I figured I'd do some reflecting on this past winter season of hiking.

First, the stats:

29 Hikes (versus 34 last winter)

139.60 Miles 

21,081 Feet

Now, the reflection:

My hike count and miles hiked were both lower this winter than last winter, but December also has not happened yet, which could be a fun goal. That being said, I am far from upset about my stats. Elevation is higher with fewer miles and hikes, and elevation has always been the most challenging. I got to explore Nickerson State Park, MANY hikes in the Blue Hills, and started doing some more intense winter hikes up in the White Mounatins - notably Mt. Garfield and the Kinsmans, which were my favorite adventures. I got stronger and faced my fears of hiking with snowshoes, and did my first snowshoe hike up to Bald Peak. I finished the 52 Hike Challenge 2023, both the Blue Hills 125 Mile Club (2nd round) and Blue Hills Winter Trace, and surpassed 500 miles hiked in the Blue Hills (which I still might make my own patch for). It was a really great winter, and paired with skiing, I've really fallen in love with the cold, snowy, icy weather! 

Looking backward:

GOALS! WE LOVE GOALS!

My goals seem to remain unchanged from my New Years Resolutions - yay!

1. Hike 100 hikes; 500 miles; 100,000 feet [Going good].

2. Continue progress on NH48 and 52WAV - let's say 10 hikes devoted to these lists [2 devoted hikes so far, 3 of the 48].

3. Complete the VT5 [No progress].

4. Complete the Blue Hills 500-Miles, 125-Mile Club round two, and Winter Trace [COMPLETE].

5. 52 Hike Challenge 2024 [Going good].

6. Complete the Sunrise Six Challenge [did one more so far, two to go].

7. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least one time [after it melts].

8. Commit to some summer challenge when in NJ - TBD [TBD].

Looking forward:

Just updating my list...

1. Hike 100 hikes; 500 miles; 100,000 feet.

2. Continue progress on NH48 and 52WAV - let's say 10 hikes devoted to these lists.

3. Complete the VT5.

4. 52 Hike Challenge 2024.

5. Complete the Sunrise Six Challenge.

6. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least one time.

7. Commit to some summer challenge when in NJ - TBD.

8. Complete Castle in the Clouds Patch.

Happy Spring!

New Year, basically the same goals!

It's currently January 10th, and I haven't been out in the woods at all this year! That's equal parts a bummer, but okay. Between a busy start to the year, weird weather, and the good ol' 4:30pm sunsets, I haven't been able to find much time (that should change this weekend thankfully). I wrote some 2024 hiking goals down in a physical journal, but I wanted to take a moment to reflect more deeply on this past year.

Patches (in order)

1. Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge (Bronze) - completed on January 4th accidentally on Whipple Hill in Lexington. I didn't receive a patch for this, as it appears that the owner has discontinued the challenge. I've flirted with reaching out to him and offer to take it over, but we'll see... I'm still slowly working towards the silver and gold patches, though! 

2. Sunset Six - completed on April 3rd, and I have the Blue Hills to thank for this one! The one good thing about earlier sunsets is that I can do a hike, watch the sunset, and still be home by 6:00pm. The next one I need in this series is the Sunrise Six, which is just harder to do since bed is warm and cozy.

3. Wachusett Trail Tracer - completed April 9th. This was a repeat from last year's Wachusett Redliner. The creator changed the name and made a different patch, so I had to do it again of course! I really like this mountain. I might go for it again this spring with or without a patch. Completed in three hikes, 20.35 miles total, and 4,675 feet total.

4. Old Rag Mountain - completed April 20th. This is a commemorative patch for a VERY fun and difficult hike in Shenandoah National Park. Never have I ever scrambled as much as I had on this mountain!

5. Summit Beer Society - completed August 28th. A silly, fun one. My biggest patch to date!

6. Northeast Kingdom Mountain Challenge - completed September 4th. Really proud of this one! I realy enjoyed the journey through these very different mountains - some much more enjoyable than others! Completed in 19 hikes, 78.59 miles total, and 22,063 feet total.

7. Monadnock Redliner - completed September 14th. Also very proud of this one! I love this mountain so much, and I feel a deep sense of belonging when hiking on the trails - kind of like hiking with an old friend even when I'm alone? It's hard to describe. I also just love knowing that I've hiked all of the trails. I will DEFINITELY be repeating this one! Completed in 10 hikes (with a few repeats), 68.02 miles total, and 20,376 feet total.

8. 52 Hike Challenge 2023 - completed December 29th. My annual accountability patch - try to hike four times each month to keep it consistent. Yay!

Other Progresses

1. 52 With a View: I added 14(!) peaks to this list in 2023! I only have 10 more peaks, and I need to decide if I want to really go full steam ahead to complete the list, or turn my focus to the 48 so I can get fancy and finish both lists in one hike (if I go this route, it'll be Moriah-Shelburne Moriah). Time will tell!

2. New Hampshire 48 4000-Footers: I added 11(!) peaks to this list in 2023 - including my first solo 4000-footers (Field, Willey, and Tom)! I'm halfway through my list and am really hoping to add a bunch more in 2024 - including a first winter ascent??

3. Vermont 5 4000-Footers: A short list I recently started! Emma moved up near Burlington, so when she was working I hiked Abraham and Ellen (great hike, a bit long for an out-and-back, but that's okay), and we hiked Mansfield. Only need Killington and Camel's Hump! I think if I get the chance to hike any this winter, I'll go for a repeat to informally work on the winter 5 list, since it is very attainable.

4. The Blue Hills! I'm very close to finishing my second round of the 125-Mile Club and the Winter Trace - both should likely be done by the end of February. Informally, I've been working on a series of unofficial challenges that I keep acting like I'm going to make patches for: The Blue Hills Grid, 500 and 1,000 milers, and Great Blue Hill Summits (Bronze-50, Silver-100, Gold-250). I decided to make the Grid for when I was bored of doing a tracing challenge (aka avoiding the Quarries), the Great Blue Summits for when I just needed to get a workout in and wanted to be rewarded even if I already hit the specific trail(s) in question, and the 500/1000 just to commemmorate achievement (I'm just a few miles away from 500!). 

Goals for 2024

1. Hike 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet. 

2. Continue progress on NH48 and 52WAV - let's say 10 hikes devoted to these lists.

3. Complete the VT5. 

4. Complete Blue Hills 500-Miles, 125-Mile Club round two, and Winter Trace.

5. 52 Hike Challeng 2024.

6. Complete the Sunrise Six Challenge (only three sunrises I can do that!).

7. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least one time. 

7. Complete the Castle in the Clouds Explorer Patch (only one more hike, exclusing the closed trails). 

8. Commit to some summer challenge when in NJ - TBD. 

In summary...

I am very proud of my self!!! I am stronger, healthier, and in love with mountains. I also love patches, but they are truly just a bonus (even if a really fun bonus...). I have never regretted going on a hike, even in the worst of conditions, so I am happy I have these seperate goals to help me stay motivated even when the couch beckons my name. As always, I'm sure my list of goals will evolve and change throughout the year, but I am excited for what's in store!

Back in action!

Ohhhh boy its been a minute. Summer is such an interesting time in my life because what I've been doing for the past 10 months comes to a screeching hault and I pivot to a different state with a different job surrounded by different people. Last summer, in hiking terms, was extremely successful with me accomplishing my goal of day-section-hiking the NJ section of the Appalachian Trail. I had goals planned for this summer: the Harriman Shelter Challenge, maybe redlining Norvin Green State Forest, etc., but instead I went to the Tourne County Park and hiked in circles over and over again in between seeing friends, going down the shore, going to concerts, and other random events. I struggled with that because hiking has been my main form of goal setting for a while now, but I really had an insane amount of fun this summer and I don't regret any of it. I do regret letting my journal get backlogged so I have to spend multiple days getting it updated... but that's okay. For the first time in a while I'm fully caught up in my writing and photography, and I'm really excited for the seasons to transition into the fall so I can explore new mountains!

Now for some updated goal setting - I categorized my goals into two categories: Attainable and Possible.

Attainable:

        - More than last year [ON TRACK]

        - Monadnock Redliner [Need one more trail!]

        - Wachusett Trail Tracer [COMPLETE]

        - Harriman Shelters 

        - Sunset 6 [ADDED APRIL] [COMPLETE]

Possible:

        - Ossipee 10 [Unlikely, but I do want to get Turtleback & Bald Knob]

        - NEK Mountain Challenge [Possible, not rushing. Will definitely get at least one more this year]

        - Norvin Green Trace

        - Sunrise 6 [Possible, but not going out of my way for it]

New as of August 24th:

        - Blue Hills 125-Mile Club (2x) [ATTAINABLE]

        - At least one more 4k day

        - At least two more 52WAV days

        - Finish Summit Beer Society [2 more beers]

        - Find some place to hike near Westford so I can exercise before marching band

Fell behind, but catching up!

At this point, May 1st, last year, I was down with COVID and not hiking at all. I was definitely feeling a bit of burnout prior to my April vacation, but some time off and then mountain therapy helped that imensely. I love the Blue Hills, but I miss mountains. Thankfully, I'm balancing my weekday Blue Hills hikes with some more mountainous ones coming up, and reconnected with a college friend who is also working on the NH48! I'm feeling reenergized (or just caffinated) and excited about this second half of spring!

I fell behind on my journaling due to vacation, burnout, and overall laziness, but as of right now I'm fully caught up on writing and just need to do photos for my last three Blue Hills hikes, which isn't too daunting. I'm hoping to be better about keeping up with my journaling - I really do like the process of writing it all down, but I struggle with how I currently structure the process of doing it (do hike, maybe take notes during hike, log in google sheet, put photos on ipad, edit photos, write up step-by-step directions for hike, write journal usually last). I might try to write first before doing photos, at least for the next few weeks as a trial run. We'll see!

And a goals update: I finished my Wachusett Trail Trace, hoping I can get that new patch. I have four more hikes to finish Monadnock Redlining, one of which I plan to do this upcoming Sunday. I might try to ram-jam the Vermont 4ks around the 4th of July. I have my hikes planned for the Harimann Shelter Challenge that I want to finish this summer. I also have two dates for NH48 hikes planned. Going to do something with my college friend and Emma for the 48 Memorial Day weekend (my first 4k without Gen!), and then I have a presumably epic hike planned for Juneteenth weekend (Garfield, Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty, Flume, down Osseo to Lincoln Woods - maybe sunrise on Garfield??).

Things are looking good!

More Blue Hills Patch Challenges?

The more I explore the Blue Hills, the more silly ideas I find myself getting into. Currently, the Friends of Blue Hills offer four patches: Skyline Trail 1st time, Skyline Trail 2nd time, 125-Mile Club 1st time, 125-Mile Club 2nd time. The AMC Southeastern Mass. Chapter hosts trail tracing challenges, with patches for each time you complete a map. Their rules are a little more strict than the Friends of Blue Hills. I've completed both 1st time FBH patches, and am currently working on the AMC SEC's Blue Hills Winter Trace (when spring hits I'll get back to the FBH 125-Mile 2nd time patch). But what if there were more?

The first silly idea I have that I really want to do is a "Blue Hills Diretissma" - hitting all of the named hills in one continuous hike (inspired by the White Mountains Diretissma). The route I planned out on AllTrails is 15+ miles, 2000+ feet, and goes from Burma Road in Dedham to Granite Railway Quarry in Quincy, hitting all the named hills in between. Not saying this should be a patch challenge, but would be a fun, loooooong day.

What if there were patches for summiting Great Blue Hill? A first time patch? A bronze patch after 25 summits? Silver after 50? Gold after 100? There would have to be rules, of course. A summit means trailhead to summit, so you couldn't go up and down over and over again without returning to the trailhead first. Would this apply to other hills as well? Just the big ones?

What about a Blue Hills "Grid" (like the White Mountains Grid) - hiking all the hills in every month of the year. This could be a fun long-term project. Would you have to hike them individually (i.e., if you hit Great Blue Hill and Houghton Hill in the same hike, you could only count one of them for the grid) or would peakbagging be allowed?

Still along the lines of "inspired by White Mountains challenges" - the "Every Calendar Day" challenge? Summit one of the hills on every calendar day (including Feb. 29th!)? This could be another fun long-term challenge.

Who will make these patches? Who will sponsor? So many questions! 

2022: A Reflection

Longest Hike: 18.13 miles with Owl’s Head

Most Elevation: 4396 feet with Webster, Jackson, Pierce, and Eisenhower

 

Hardest Hike: Surprisingly, Mt. Tammany on August 8th. It was so hot and humid, it was the first time I really thought I needed to turn around due to heat. I slowly made it to the top and blasted the air conditioning in my car when I was done. By far the hardest I’ve done this year!

 

Easiest Peak: Probably Coney or Goodman Mountains in the Adirondacks would take this title. Easy grades to lovely views. I’d also include Beech Mountain in Acadia in this category. 

 

Easiest Hike: This would be a long tie with any of the sub-100 feet elevation hikes. I love my easy hikes, gets me into the woods without fighting for my life. My favorite of these would be the frozen Ponkapoag boardwalk in January.

 

Favorite Hike: I really love full day hikes. Owl’s Head and the southern Presis come to mind for that reason. It was cool traversing over the four mountains from Webster to Eisenhower with a break at the hut, and Owl’s Head was magical just being so deep in the wilderness. I liked hiking from High Point to the Pochuck Boardwalks on the NJ-AT, but the PUDS at the end and the brutal heat take away from that. I loved my long hike in Acadia, but the crowds in the more popular spots took away from that. If I had to pick one, I truly think the infamous Owl’s Head would be the winner! 

 

Hike(s) I'm Proud Of: The two big NH48 hikes I’m very proud of: Owl’s Head and Webster/Jackson/Pierce/Eisenhower. I’m also very proud of Hedgehog Mountain and Mt. Cube - two hikes in winter conditions. I’m very proud of my Acadia Finale across the Jordan Pond peaks, which was a challenging day, but so rewarding. 

Completed Challenges/Patches

NH Fire Tower Quest	2/19/2022	~	~
Toilet Paper Trio - Winter	3/5/2022	-	-
Toilet Paper Trio	3/23/2022	-	-
Cape Cod National Seashore	3/27/2022	19.1	1,004 ft.
Blue Hills 125 Mile Club	6/2/2022	190.14	21,674 ft.
Hike for Ukraine	6/7/2022	-	-
Wachusett Mountain Redline	6/14/2022	18.81	4,475 ft.
Acadia Ascents	6/29/2022	46.16	13,218 ft.
New Jersey Appalachian Trail	8/1/2022	126.87	17,102 ft.
Catskill Fire Towers	8/10/2022	26.54	8,039 ft.
Fulton Chain Trifecta	8/10/2022	8.25	1,673 ft.
Tupper Lake Triad	8/11/2022	7.9	1,886 ft.
Belknap Range	8/25/2022	26.19	19,346 ft.
Go North 9er	8/29/2022	35.49	11,916 ft.
2022 52 Hike Challenge	12/29/2022	-	-

 

Challenges/Patches in Progress:

• Blue Hills 125 Mile Club (2nd Time): 20.44%

• Blue Hills Winter Trace: 4.93%

• Summit Beer Society 41.67%

• Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge: 84%

• 52 With a View: 55.77%

• NH48: 27.08%

• Ossipee 10: 10%

• Rocks that Rock: 48%

• Monadnock Redliner: 35.14%

• Northeast Kingdom Mountain Challenge: 65%

And more….

 

 

2023 Goals (Tentative)

• 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet.

• 75% on 52WAV

• 75% on Monadnock Redliner

• At least 4 more NH48

• Maine: Either Acadia Redlining, Moosehead Pinnacle, or some 4ks

• 75% on NEK 

• At least one more Catskill 3500

• At least two Harriman Shelters

A break and some reflecting...

It's been over a month since my last hike... Not intentionally, and I'm finding myself really missing it. A main reason would be that I'm getting less exercise as of recent, which has been an ongoing battle my entire life, but also I miss the serenity of the woods and the challenge of the mountains (or at least the hills...). This time of year is always tough. I only had one free weekend in November and that was spent taking care of everything I had been neglecting during "bandtober." Now that we're at the end of the month, the sun is setting at 4:14, which just doesn't leave much time for hiking. I realize that the Fells are only 15-20 minutes from work and I can easily get there and do a 2-3 miler, but I'm feeling horribly unmotivated, to the point where it makes me sad. Is it because I'm in love with the Blue Hills and the Fells just lack a certain luster? Is it something deeper? I'm not sure. I also feel a level of disappointment with my 52-Hike Challenge. I knew I would hike more than 52 hikes in the year, so I made my own rules to get at least 4-5 a month, but I haven't hiked since October 28th, and now its November 30th, so November is already out of the question. Maybe I'll try to make it up in December and force myself to go to the Fells? Maybe I'll take the "L" and just retroactively apply some past hikes to the challenge for the last two months? I'm truly not sure. I'm maintaining my goal for having this blog contain all of my 2022 hikes - I have a backlog of about 10 from early this year and I am ready to get through.

Mopeyness aside, I'm really proud of my year hiking. My three main goals were to hike more miles, hike more feet, and hike more hikes, all of which were accomplished. I'll make a more thorough reflection later on. 

Some early autumnal goal setting...

The air is getting colder, school is back in full force, the leaves are changing, and I've been doing some reflecting on the year so far. I'm very close to achieving my main goal of this blog, which was to document my hikes in 2022, which includes a backlog of hikes hiked previously in the year before starting. Now that I'm back in school, I've been able to hop back on that task and have just a few more to add to the backlog until that end is complete. After I accomplish that, I think I want to change the [BACKLOG] posts to posts from the [VAULT]. Specifically, I will keep going back, but focusing on bigger hikes, like the NH48, 52WAV, and a few of the NJAT, for starters. (Afterwards, Catskills, Acadia, Smokies... pretty much most except for the smaller local ones (Tourne/Blue Hills). 

I've been finding it very fun to write these posts, even some of the more mundane ones. Its a great way to relive my hike, and I find myself paying closer attention than I used to. Sometimes I will take notes on my phone on the trail, and I try to always write some notes down in a notebook before I leave the trailhead at the end of the day. Then, I'll sit or lay down with the notebook, the photos, and see what comes out!

Looking further forward, I would love to keep this blog going long-term and eventually have a long collection of stories from my adventures. Here's to seeing what happens next!

Specific "Vault" Hikes:

NH48: Hale-Zealand-Bonds Traverse (9/25/2021), Mt. Tecumseh (6/16/2021), Osceolas (9/19/2020), Mt. Moosilauke (9/6/2020).

52WAV: Black Mountain (10/24/2021), Blueberry Mountain (10/24/2021), Crawford/Resoluation/Stairs (10/9/2021), North/Middle Sugarloaf (9/16/2021), Mt. Willard (8/30/2021), Magalloway Mountain (8/28/2021), Potash Mountain (8/17/2021), Sandwich & Jennings (8/17/2021), Welch-Dickey (6/16/2021), Mt. Pemigewasset (5/24/2020), Mt. Monadnock (Multiple)

NJAT: Barrett Road to Piniwheel Vista (6/14/2016), Pochuck Boardwalks to Pinwheel Vista (6/7/2014), Sunrise Mountain to Stony Brook Trail (7/29/2020), Blue Mountain Lake Road to Catfish Firetower (6/9/2016)

Blue Hills 125-Mile Retrospective

I wanted to take a moment to look at the map and reflect on the 125-miler journey. Came up with some questions to ask myself. Here it is!

Final Stats:

# of Hikes: 39

Miles Hiked: 190.14

Elevation Hiked: 21,647

What were your favorite trail(s) hiked?

Trail over Hancock Hill between 1170 and 1201.

I sum this one up in the "favorite view" section, but just the view tied with how it's a much less traveled trail make it so incredible.

Eustis Trail

I truly do not remember why I liked this trail, but I remember saying "good job Eustis" in my head while hiking it. From what I remember, it was just a gentle walk in the woods. The spirit of Eustis lives on!

Ponkapoag Boardwalk

This one has to be earned. I've started this trail three times, but only completed once. The first time was in the summer after a few storms, so it was overgrown and flooded right from the start. The second time I made it 2/3 of the boardwalk until I hit the infamous sunken section, and since I didn't have my waterproof boots on, and it was December, I bailed again. FINALLY, later in the winter word got around that the pond was finally frozen through and it was time! The whole trail was beautiful and mystical, and even more so now that it was frozen over. I cannot wait until next winter to do it again!

Buck Hill between 2182 and 2165

Buck Hill undoubtedly has some of the best views from the reservation, and rightfully so! The Skyline trail always had this alpine-zone feel to it, like when you break above treeline in the whites. Then I hiked up the north side of the hill and fell even more in love. Again, a less traveled route leading to amazing views. 

Trail down Kitchamaking Hill (3085)

This was a trail where I constantly thought "there's no way I'm still on the trail." It was down scrubby-piney rocks, but had a certain rugged feel that you don't get too often in SE Mass. It also appears this was a part of the abandoned Great Dome Trail.

Spur trail around 3121

This is a super short trail that gets up and close to the Great Cedar Swamp, formerly apart of the abandoned Great Dome Trail, and for just a second it transports you to a different world. The mood changes entirely and it's so beautiful. Even some old bazes!

CCC Camp 

So often I find myself basing how much I like a trail on the views, but the CCC Camp area had a ton of history to be discovered that I supplied a one-of-a-kind experience in the reservation.

Trails around the Quarries

This one is going to come up a lot. The quarries (specifically the actual quarries area, not the whole Quincy Quarries/4000s section) are so cool and pack so much history and wonder within them. The views from the tops are one of a kind. The star comes because of the disaster that is the trail network in this area, which I'll touch on later. 

What were your least favorite trail(s) hiked?

Sawcut Notch from 4083 to Little Dome

Wet. Wet. Wet. Never dry. Buggy. Wet. That's all.

Hemlock Path at I-93

Cool, but scary. The trail here is well under water, so there is a "bushwhack" trail that goes through the fence, incredibly close to I-93, and then back through the fence into the reservation. It was cool, but too close to the highway for my comfort.

 

Pipe Line (HQ Path north of Chickatawbut Rd. and between 3022 and 3013, specifically)

WET. SQUISHY. Usually overgrown too. Not fun.

 

Field Path

Someone on Facebook said they'd bring a machete next time they hiked this trail and I firmly agree. Overgrown with thorns. 

Trails around the Quarries*

The trail system here is just a mess. There are unmapped trails everywhere, mapped ones are unrecognizable and/or covered in thorns, and it's near impossible to find the Quarries Footpath from the Ricciuti Drive entrance. I finished by challenge by hiking the Quarries Footpath from the Wampatuck Rd. side and was met with the same - overgrown and unmapped trails galore, and no discernable trail continuation. I hope someday this area gets more attention because it's such a cool area that is so frustrating to navigate. 

What was your overall favorite hike?

I have two answers for this: my default favorite has to be the skyline trail traverse. It's a lot of work for a lot of reward, and just a classic trail. There are so many other gems in this park, but none beat the classic Skyline Trail. That being said, in this journey specifically, hiking the frozen Ponkapoag Boardwalk was one of the coolest things. The scenery is like no other, and when it's frozen you just walk right onto the pond. It was just beautiful. 

What was your least favorite hike?

My least favorite during this journey will have to be the slushy hike I did around the crags this past winter. 3-6 inches of snow, all pure slush. 3+ miles of heavy steps and sliding around. I'm sure the trails there are lovely, but that day was rough.

What was your favorite view?

The view off the ridge of Hancock Hill is, in my opinion, the best view in the whole reservation. Sure, the Eliot Tower provides a panorama and Buck Hill makes you feel like you're up in the Alpine Zone, but this view off the beaten path is just mesmerizing. You get Boston, the ocean, and neighboring hills, all without the crowds of the Skyline Trail. Only caveat is that I still have yet to figure out where the trail connects to 1201. Usually end up rock climbing/bushwhacking until I land on the Hancock Hill Path.

What were some "rite of passage" trails?

Neoponset River Trail

For me, this is an honorary mention. I had a very nice and easy hike on this trail, but according to others' reports, it was an anomaly. For me, the path was dry and narrow with only a couple slightly sketchy water crossings, but for others they've had to trek through a jungle of weeds and deal with mud and brutal crossings. Grateful for my experience!

Ponkapoag Boardwalk

Same as above. You either need to live with wet feet, fishing boots, or wait until the water's frozen. Worth the wait!

Loop around Great Cedar Swamp (I-93)

Same as above - The trails surrounding the Great Cedar Swamp are very cool and scenic, but that stretch that parallels I-93 is scary and worth being considered a rite of passage. 

Trails around the Quarries

See above :-). Frustrating, yet rewarding. I feel proud that I eventually (think) I found and connected all of the trails. 

Other Thoughts?

Overall, I loved this journey. I have a deeper connection with the reservation and a much stronger knowledge of everything. I am grateful for the community on Facebook for being available to answer questions and share victories. I'm excited to start exploring again to see what I remember, see what I forgot, see what's stayed the same, and to see what has changed!