Dartmouth day

Today we woke up after a good night sleep after the exhausting task of climbing Mt Lafeyette yesterday. We had a small day planned traveling down to the lakes region of central New Hampshire to travel the state and enjoy rather than kill ourselves on the trail every day. First we stopped by a lake in which the water was the clearest I have ever seen and where professor Arion described the lake as a calendar picture saying it was one of the most beautiful and well recognized views in the state. He went on to tell us all about how an Indian chief had ran up a mountain on the lake after being chased down by people and legend has it that he jumped off the side rather than being captured by those who were after him. We got back in the van and headed down to Merideth which was another small New Hampshire town in which we walked through the shops and looked out at the largest lake in New Hampshire. Tony even managed to jump in for a five dollar bet and had to deal with the wet shorts during the entire ride back. After that we headed off to our last stop in Dartmouth where professor Arion went to school. What an amazing school and college town that it was. The halls were lined with tradition and pictures of famous graduates on every wall. Walking up and down the streets you just felt the tradition of the old campus and how you MUST wear green when you are there and how the Alumni, including professor Arion are so proud of the school they graduated from and still want to go back. We even got to go into his old fraternity house and she his picture from the class of 1979 with a full head of hair. He made it known that this was the place that beer pong was invented when we walked into the basement and saw two beer pong tables right in front of us. Today was a very nice day and I enjoyed seeing Dartmouth the most and seeing the tradition of the whole campus town and how nice and old all the libraries looked. Tomorrow we are off to Littleton and to go to Weeks state park that helped keep the loggers from this land and rebuild the forests of New Hampshire.

Mt Lafayette

Today began after a horrible night’s sleep due to a extremely loud snorer! But after I awoke from a night with a blanket over my one ear and my other up against the pillow it was off to Mt Layfette for a strenuous day of hiking. We headed off to the mountain and after a short bathroom break hit the trail head on green leaf trail where it was 3.8 miles to the summit. It was a relatively steep trail but we took our time on the first portion until we arrived at a hut at the base of the major trek to the summit of the mountain. While on the first portion we ran into several streams that I talked with professor zorn about and we believed they led to a waterfall somewhere down the mountain. Also we ran into a mossy forest for quite some time where every rock tree and speck of ground was covered in two inches thick of moss! It was absolutely gorgeous and a site I have never been able to see back in good old Wisconsin. As we got to the hut we were exposed to more beautiful views of the green mountains. In one direction we saw a major ridge which had its two major peaks Layfette and Lincoln right there in front of us. What didn’t look like much of a walk in 1.1 miles to the summit was more than I expected. Once I got above tree line I couldn’t help but contain myself and nearly run to the summit of the mountain where the views were something to behold. The visibility was better than I ever expected and we were able to see literally endless mountain ranges in all directions and even into Vermont and Maine. It was the first time in this trip that I got the feeling of being on the top of the world that we often associate with mountain climbing and it really took my breath away in more than one way. We sat around on top and took pictures for a few minutes before we had to head down because of the cold but today without a doubt was the most rewarding hike that I have ever taken. After nearly 3 grueling hours of heading back down on wet and rocky terrain we all managed to survive and then headed off to see the old man on the mountain. The man had fallen in May of 2003 but they have a memorial set up where you can see what the old man would have looked like and it is a very cool site to see. Our last excursion was to the basin where the water has worn away at the granite so much that some of the rivers look like water slides built with granite and it is just amazing to think how powerful the water flowing must be to wear away at such a dense rock over time. All and all today was a ten out of ten and it is the kind of day I came to New Hampshire to have. Cant wait for many more to come.

Day 5

Day 5- Today was the day to be tourists. We slept in and went to North Conway to shop and spend some money. The town was settled in 1764 and ever since then it has been attracting artists to the area. So many in fact that one artist was able to paint “Artists Sketching in the White Mountains” which showed the hills dotted with umbrellas and canvases. To this day it is still a popular place not just for artists, but for anyone who likes wine, fudge, and great people. We then met up with Dr. Arion and trekked to Arethusa Falls. It is the highest waterfall in the Northeast and by far the most gorgeous. In the sunlight , we could see the tiny droplets of mist that the wind carried farther downstream. These droplets were so small that they would dry almost instantly on our skin and within only a few minutes we were colder than we had ever been on the trip. It is a pity that not everyone can see the sight and after many, many, many, many, many, years no one will be able to see it due to the erosion and how it is slowly becoming less and less tall. At night we were gathered around the fire and Dr. Zorn told me something I never knew. There was at one time a mountain range that separated the land masses that are now the United States and Canada. This is why rivers north of the border run south to north into the Arctic Ocean which is also something I did not know.

The falls!

Today began with a relaxed morning and being able to sleep in until eight, which up here is awfully late since the entire bunkhouse usually wakes up at about seven or a little after. I see a relation to the book we had to read prior to the trip in this aspect because when I am at home I go to bed at about two and wake up at noon. But when you are out in the mountains you wake up when it gets light out and go to sleep when it is dark, and this is especially true after a long day out on the trails. Today was another wonderful breakfast and then we headed off to town to get some souvenirs. Most of us just decided to get a little something for ourselves or our loved ones back home but some even decided to support the live free or die slogan of New Hampshire. It was a great morning in town and then it was off to the trail and what a wonderful one at that. We were in search of the largest waterfall in New Hampshire and decided at the trail head to take the scenic route along the river instead of going directly to the falls themselves and what a wonderful decision that was. We were able to see the fast running water streaming across the massive slabs of granite and down a bunch of small waterfalls. The trail was another thing and it was actually very exciting and really quite incredible. The massive rocks that we had to climb in brought back the excitement of being a little kid for me and just wanted to climb up things as fast as I could and I found great enjoyment in the trail today. It wasn’t very physically taxing but it was probably the most picturesque trail we have been on. The reward at the end of seeing the falls plunge over the cliff onto the rocks at the bottom was a view to behold and I could have just sat there and stared for hours. After that we headed back to the Highland Center for dinner and then off to Mt Lafayette tomorrow and our longest hike yet. Cant wait!

Day 4

Day 4- The day began with all you can eat pancakes and real maple syrup in the town of Whitefield. After getting back from the moderately tall but steep inclined Mt. Martha, I decided to read up a little more on the town. Turns out that the town was founded in a less than ordinary way when Major John Burns fell off his horse drunk from drinking too much “demon’s rum” in the Spring of 1802. He hit his head and pitched his tent and from then on the settlement of Whitefield had started. The town’s name is believed to have come from Reverend George Whitefield who preached in the area in the early beginnings. Some of the first paths to the settlement were made from chopping down huge six foot round firs and removing gigantic boulders by warming them with fires and then throwing ice cold water on them to crack them. After the end of the Civil War and the introduction of the railroad to the area in 1868, the town saw tremendous growth due to the logging industry. By 1884 the town supported the largest lumbering company of the East. It was so large that word even got to Canada about its success and French Canadians from the St. Lawrence Seaway flocked to the town to make up half the town’s population at one point. After the area began to be depleted of resources and the government began making parks, the town slowly dwindled and left behind are some of the old dilapidated buildings that still stand today in the area. So, that was the history lesson for me today about the area, back to the activities. We got back to Dr. Arion’s house and instantly I was drawn to the lake. We ate a quick lunch and then out onto the canoe I went with Vinny. Within one cast of Vinny’s, I already owed him five dollars for catching the first fish (a perch). Soon after that it began to thunder again and as we came in I snagged my own little perch. During the rain we decided to head back to camp and it was during this time that we came to the conclusion that Dr. Zorn was a better driver than Dr. Arion. Tomorrow is a little more relaxing to rest and gear up for the granddaddy of them all on Tuesday, Mt. Washington.

Day 3

Day 3- Before we set out, we ate a great breakfast courtesy of the AMC lodge and then moseyed on over to the Willy House. Dr. Arion told us the story that this was the site of a rockslide in 1826 where a family died trying to avoid it. After that we had a short drive to our next mountain, Kearsarge North (3,286 ft). This mountain made yesterday’s hike seem like a nature walk. Towards the top of the mountain there were parts of the “trail” that were literally vertical and so rocky I had to use all four appendages to navigate the landscape. As we made our way up the slopes we noticed the change in both temperature and vegetation. The pines and firs began to shrink their needles to allow for less surface area exposed to the cold harsh winds and snow that the heights often bring in Fall, Winter, and Spring. Once we reached the peak we could see into Maine and many of the small ponds and lakes in the area. It brought back memories of how Dr. Byrnes in our Ecology class talked about the natural cycling of the lakes nutrients through the freezing and thawing of ice and how fertile these bodies of water must be. It wasn’t long though until the weather forced us off the hill. We could actually see the warmer air being pushed up over the mountain and the water condensing into rain clouds. The descent was just as much of a hell as the hike up and many of us were hurting on the way down and needed water badly. We all finally made it down and I can honestly say that was one of the harder things I have had to do in a long time. Tomorrow morning is all you can eat pancakes and the climbs of Cherry Mountain and Owl’s Head.