Today began with Professor Zorn waking up and trying to steal a middle ages woman’s shoes. First he tried to take my water bottle and now a poor lady’s shoes. This time he even attempted to deceive another group member in Tony Maratea into doing his dirty work for him. Unbelievable! After that a trip to Whitefield and a good old fashion town breakfast was all we needed to get ready for a day of hiking. We had a taste of New Hampshire’s freshest maple syrup and also some very filling pancakes. We were able to meet Mitch Arion who is professor Arion’s brother and his wife as well! They were both very nice and spoke with us about the difference from living in New York to a small town in Maryland. In a small town of Maryland you can just be walking down the street and a person you don’t even know will say hi and how are you doing. It is just so much friendlier and welcoming than a large city such as Chicago or New York. Then it was off to Cherry Mountain and a moderate hike up the mountain to another gorgeous outlook. I guess the hiking is getting to be a little more familiar and we are learning some things such as to make sure to drink water and take breaks frequently and to pace yourself. Also you realize how walking on flat ground for just 30 seconds or breaking for a minute gives you just a whole new breath of wind. After the hike we headed off to the Arion’s house we had a taste of Chicago by eating some pizza and then headed out onto the lake. The house they have is just absolutely gorgeous and reminds you of something out of a picture. It is a beautiful cottage on a lake that wasn’t too crowded and provided you with everything that you need. It had the lush forests we have grown accustomed to in the White Mountains and a small kayak and canoe to get around whether you just want to tour the lake or you want to try and catch a fish. It is just very relaxed and laid back up here in New Hampshire which I think is a fact why I do in fact love it up here so much. All and all another wonderful day in the White Mountains with many more to come.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Finding Mt.Martha
The trail begins with a very, very, very small footbridge that marks the start of an enjoyable trail. The trail did not begin to ascend very steeply immediately but rather gradually over the course of 1 mile in. The trail had a noticeable increase in difficulty after the first mile; this was also marked by a change in foliage. As I climbed in altitude I noticed less and less Birch trees and Firs became more of the prominent botanical feature.
The general atmosphere of the trail offered a constant view of a lush green environment which seemed to be incorporated into anything and everything in the area. Rocks were covered in a wholesome green layer of life better known as moss.
Each step I made forward was as meticulously planned as the last in order to not only keep my balance but also to avoid skinning my shins on the dramatic sloping trail. Reaching the summit was remarkably energizing, From the summit I was able to see well into Mt.Washington, and other peaks such as Mt.Monroe, Mt.Jackson and Mt.Adams.
A Tour Through Kearsarge
The ultimate goal of our trek today was to reach the summit of Kearsarge Mountain. We had several secondary sites to visit before starting our main journey. First by heading out to Willey Boulders, this happens to be an incredible historical site. In 1826 on August the 28th, a family was killed by a landslide. Tragically they could have survived had they remained in their house. The family chose to abandon the house when they heard the landslide approaching. This oddly enough was the wrong decision, as there were boulders that redirected the landslide directly to the sides of the house. This being exactly where the family had fled to, killing them instantly.
The second location that we visited before heading to Kearsarge Mountain was the Tourist Center that we used as a rest stop to fill up our water bottles and to plan our possible routes for the coming days with the help of a three dimensional map.
The start of our actual trek began along the side of a road heading out of Little Conway. The trail was very rutty and rocky. This trail was unlike any I had ventured on before in all my years of backpacking or hiking, but my knowledge and experience was quite limited to the Rockies and the Southwest. The trail suddenly became less of a trail and more of an exercise in basic rock climbing, which one author referred to as “Clambering”. The most incredible feeling came over me as I began to climb further and further. Every so often I felt that I had lost the trail entirely but then miraculously a yellow blaze as they are called came into view. These are used to mark the trails and reinforce morale as treks continue on.
I managed to make it to the summit of Mount Kearsarge and the old fire station that was once manned on top of it. The view was simply spectacular. I was able to see well into Maine and several of the surrounding ponds and lakes of Maine. After taking a cornucopia of photos the weather made a turn for the worst and we were rushed back down the trail in order to get to a safe level.
All in all it was a very exciting day, and at the end of our trip we visited several different local adventure stores. These stores really put the activities of the locals into perspective; New Hampshire is full of active bodies.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
day 2 and kearsarge
Today began with a fresh and plentiful breakfast at the highland lodge! We had some sights at the start of the day with the Willey Boulders which gives you a dramatic respect for the boulders and how strong and heavy they are to stop the mudslide from taking down the Willie’s cabin. We also stopped by a tourist center and saw a model of the entire New Hampshire mountain range. The model gives you a great perspective as to how immense the mountain ranges are and how climbing a place like Kearsarge today is just one part of a series of trails you could hike for years. Today after visiting the tourist center we headed to Kearsarge North and a 3.1 mile hike both ways. The first mile or so of the trail wasn’t too taxing or strenuous but after that the grade began getting steeper and we began running into slabs of rock. Near the top the tree line was getting lower and the trees began to grow in different ways as professor Zorn pointed out. The pines in the lower altitudes and the pines in upper altitudes all find a way to adapt to the conditions and survive in different ways. The thing I noticed that is also mentioned in our book “A walk in the woods” is that 3 miles back where we live in Kenosha is nothing and simply a 45 minute light walk. On the other hand 3 miles up a mountain with steep grades and rocky terrain will take an hour and half or two hours and nearly bring you to your knees. The hike down was a little less stressful but still you could feel the pain in your quads and calves. When the trail was finally done we were exhausted and excited for the food although it took what seemed like an eternity to get to it! After another amazing dinner and our first long and strenuous day of hiking we are off bed and another great day tomorrow!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Day 1
Day 1- We started out from Carthage at about 9 am after Dr. Zorn didn't want to get up so early. Went through the states of Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania until we ended up in Buffalo, New York at 8pm to stay at the famous and quaint Hospitality Inn. Along most of the way we were only a stone throws away from the prestigious Lake Erie. For me, it was interesting to see that much of the geography of the areas that we went through were much of the same as in Illinois or Wisconsin, as roads go anyways. Most of the learning was saved until the 2nd day but I did learn that my good friend Vinny Porretta can fall asleep almost anywhere.
Day 2- Left Buffalo at 6:30 am and started our 9 hour drive to the Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Center. Through our drive we cross the entire state of New York. We followed the historic rivers of the Mohawk, Hudson, and Connecticut along the way. After driving this expansive distance I realized how much of a feat it was to build and construct the Erie Canal, but also how necessary it was to connect the interior part of the country with a more direct route to the east coast. Along the way we read articles and excerpts from the suggested reading by Dr. Zorn and Dr. Arion. The majority of my reading concerned the topic of The Weeks Act and the men and organizations that went about promoting it. The Weeks Act was the chief document passed by Congress that allowed the government to buy many of the lands in New Hampshire and protect them through National Forest Preserves and National Parks. It was able to stop the destructive, irresponsible logging companies that were booming at the time from scoring the landscape with “slash” (the timber left over after logging) which started many wildfires that decimated the mountainsides.
Once we got here we met Dr. Arion and of course with his personality we were on the trail within 20 minutes. This was my first hiking experience ever and I was hooked. The landscape was gorgeous and the air was clean. As we came up to the summit of the 2,815 ft Mt. Willard it was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I came out of the foliage and saw the view and knew that the trip was instantly worth it. We looked out over Crawford Notch “pass, gap, valley..same thing” onto the forest below and it was well worth the 19 hour drive already. We could actually see how the Wisconsin glaciers carved out the terrain with the easy sloping North sides and the steep rocky South sides. We oversaw the railroad that once brought lumber and other supplies up and down the pass. How they did it back then I have no clue other than just hard work, which is something I will learn about far more than I want to as we hike the surrounding landscapes and mountains in the coming days.
Seeing the Northeast as Nature intended it
During our first hike that took us up through Mt.Willard we actually spent 100 yards or so on the world famous Appalachian Trail. Which to say the least is more than the average student at Carthage has ever attempted. As soon as I entered the lush woods of New Hampshire I was immediately relieved by the dampness of the woods, which in comparison to the open valley was a welcoming change in climate and temperature. The temperature of the valley was roughly around 80 degrees. While our hiking began around 4pm,which is rather late in the day to begin hiking, we were not protected entirely from the warm weather outside the forest. I for one began sweating the instant I first exerted energy onto the trail. As I ascended the trail I passed several groups of what appeared to be families that were also attempting to reach the summit that day.
The most incredible aspect of the trail through Mt.Willard was the fact that the forest surrounding and at some parts engulfing the trail was only roughly older than 100 years of age. This being greatly in part to massive logging campaigns which decimated the area, their impact can still be seen when looking from the summit toward Crawford Notch. Many of the trees are not very large or tall yet they are, thankfully, very abundant. Due to the protections put in place by the United States Government these forests should hopefully be around for years to come.
-tm