The In-Between Time... #204

White Mountains beyond the Mahoosuc Range. 

As I wrote in the last post, it's the in-between time of fall/winter and hiking the local trails are a chore. Some grassy sections of the Yellow trail had the feel of early spring; other sections felt like a dry winter like the one of 1980s. We had no snow but lots of frozen ponds.  I remember that year because it was my second year coaching the high school ski team, and the skiers were frustrated with running. In fact, that year for the state ski meet we had to travel to New Hampshire to race on manmade snow. Needless to say, we were not prepared. 

We hiked Yellow up through the second steep ascent to the granite slab. What a gorgeous day just 11 days before Christmas. 

First steep ascent on Yellow. 

Someone waiting for the Treat Master. 

Ditto

The White Mountains

Old Speck in the distance. 

A bone, perhaps? 

Old Speck's summit

Pretty artsy. 

201, 202, 203... Red Hill and Black Mountain and Black Mountain XC Trail

 

Bailey seems to have recovered from 10 days of periodic 
throwing up and bloody stools. He ate a small animal rib cage...
This "illness" didn't bother his hiking, but mades for messy rugs and a few long nights. 

We're at #203 now but the last 3 hikes have been short, icy or snowy, and a chore, for lack of a better word. I suppose that's hiking during the in-between time of fall/winter. 

Red Hill proved to be a skating rink. The cross-country trail at Black Mountain had 3-4" of snow, and the ski area had soft snow.  

Mt Blue in Weld from Red Hill

Lower Red Hill ice road

Snow farming on the novice trail at Black Mountain 

 

Azi... Энн жана Джо менен кечки тамак .... dinner with Anne and Joe

Кыргызчага  котормосу барактын ылдый жагында.

Click on photos to enlarge. 

My friends Anne and Joe invited Azi over for a Mexican feast. The three work at the local food pantry handing out food to folks who need a bit of assistance. Azi gave his talk on Kyrgyzstan and told stories and showed pictures of his family back home. 

One of the great gifts of an exchange year is meeting a wide variety of people. Since retiring––Anne as a teacher of nearly 40 years and Joe as a Navy veteran, a nursing home administrator, and an administrator for a day program for special-needs adults––the two community favorites volunteer for multiple  organizations.  They make a difference in our community every single day. 

Recently, Anne and Joe were featured in a popular regional magazine that highlighted their first date at 68 years old: A First Date at 68 Becomes an Overnight Lost in the Maine Woods (<--Click on link for story)     

Менин досторум Энн менен Жо Азиге Мексикалык тойго чакырышты. Үчөө жергиликтүү тамак-ашканада иштешет, жардамга муктаж адамдарга тамак-аш таратышат. Ази Кыргызстан боюнча баяндамасын айтып, үй-бүлөсүнүн сүрөттөрүн көрсөттү.

Алмашуу жылынын эң сонун белектеринин бири – бул көп түрдүү адамдар менен жолугушуу. Пенсияга чыккандан бери – Энн 40 жылга жакын мугалим, ал эми Джо Аскер-деңиз флотунун ардагери, карылар үйүнүн администратору жана өзгөчө муктаж болгон чоңдор үчүн бир күндүк программанын администратору – эки коомчулуктун сүйүктүүлөрү бир нече уюмдарда ыктыярчы. Алар биздин коомдо күн сайын өзгөрүп турат.

Жакында, Энн менен Джо 68 жашындагы биринчи жолугушуусун баса белгилеген аймактык популярдуу журналга жарыяланды: 68 жаштагы биринчи жолугушуу Мэн Вудста түн ичинде жоголду (<-- Окуя үчүн шилтемени басыңыз)

Skating to #200... Whitecap

"Is this hiking stuff ever going to end?"

The road to Whitecap in a light snow proved adventurous. Thankfully, I'm getting new tires on Saturday. The same held true for the hike... light snow covered the thick blue ice. Hidden ice is rarely a problem on the up, but on the descent, not knowing where the ice is, now that's an adventure. I'll remember Hike #200 of 2021.... Ten more to go. 

In the parking lot at Whitecap's trailhead, we met the Mahoosuc Land Trust land steward, Spenser Williams. We talked about the erosion taking place on the Isle Trail (a.k.a., Orange Trail). The destruction reminds me of what's happening on Tumbledown's Brook Trail. Roots, rocks, and erosion... not a pretty site. He's talking about a machine fix on the trail--that would solve some major issues.   

 

"So... is this where you give me a treat?" 

How he walked through that water on this day... tough boy. 

Slogging on... #197, 198, 199

From Mystery Mountain
Click to enlarge

We hiked sections of Whitecap on Saturday wearing microspikes. On the way down one steep section, I caught a cleat and ran down 10-12 feet repeating to myself, "You're going to fall, you're going to get hurt, and you need to call someone." Somehow, I didn't fall but I came out of it with a slight sprained ankle and sore shin. This bonehead move is the second within a week. Now, I'm really going to take it easy. 

On Sunday, we hiked Black Mountain. I hiked like an old dog--no disrespect to Bailey.  Man, I slogged up and down just happy to be finished. The mounds of snow blown by the snowmaking crew look like small mountains on the slopes. It's fun to see snow-farming like this--rain or warm temperatures, the snow isn't going anywhere. 

Today, we skipped up Mystery Mountain. It's only around two miles. Odd thing, I followed a set of footsteps up but no one was at the summit. We came down and the car in the parking lot remained. I bet whoever was trekking went exploring off-trail... or fell off the cliff? Nah. 

Black Mountain 

Whitecap Mountain 

Welcome, Iris Anne!

Dad-to-be Josh catching the scene at Hoag Hospital

 The last couple of days have been fun-filled as we waited for Victoria and Josh's little one. After a morning beach walk with mom to induce labor, Victoria delivered Iris Anne right on schedule. Because mom's a retired OBGYN, Rob got to go into the delivery room as a helper! "I sat in the corner," he wrote. 

A little beach time to inspire Iris Anne!

Nana, Iris, and Victoria

The whole delivery crew. 

Iris Anne Samuels

Daddy's little girl. 

Anne and Victoria

Turkey Poop & November's Record... Hike #196

Most hikes in am month:
23 

Half way up, Red Hill proved slippery. Interesting how the rain-snow line appeared. Not-so funny how Bailey found liquid turkey poop to roll in on this frigid day. He hid the poop beneath his blaze orange hunting vest. I discovered the slimy stuff when I removed the vest and put him in the car. Jesum crowbars, Bailey.  

We took 23 hikes in November. That's our all-time record for a month. I have no idea how an AT hiker goes day in and day out on the trail... or think of those Stanford boys who hiked nearly 8,000 miles over a 10-month period. Holy flying cows, I'd go bonkers. These days, I'm just running out on an afternoon for a few hours of hiking. Those two guys hiked 20-30 miles a day.  

Fourteen more hikes for us this month, and we'll have broken last year's 209 hikes. 

Whitecap Ledges--always a fun picture

"I rolled in poop and you don't know it." 

Bath time for the poop roller

Not a difficult hike by any stretch
except the ice half way up proved tricky. 

With poop & ice, I'm not sure why I gave
this hike 5 stars. Ah well--at least I was out.