2013 In Review: Peak-Bragging!

Well my list pales in comparison but in July I completed my first round of the NH 48 4k's on North And South Kinsman, all solo (except Tecumseh with my wife) and all as day trips from my house in NE CT (nothing like adding 7-8 hours of driving to some of those peaks). Took me 11 months (well technically 15 months because I took 4 months off after dislocating my shoulder on Cannon in January). Did a personal best 29 hikes this year for about 280 miles. Drop in the bucket compared to most on this forum but nearly double my previous record 16 hikes and 166 miles the previous year. Trading in my gas guzzling truck for a Hyundai has freed up more gas money for more trips, which has been great. Starting on my winter 4k list now (only 4 peaks in though so far).

DayTrip said:

Well my list pales in comparison ... Took me 11 months (well technically 15 months because I took 4 months off after dislocating my shoulder on Cannon in January). Did a personal best 29 hikes this year for about 280 miles. Drop in the bucket compared to most on this forum but nearly double my previous record 16 hikes and 166 miles the previous year. ... Starting on my winter 4k list now (only 4 peaks in though so far).

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What's important is that you are out there, challenging yourself.

What's important is that you are out there, challenging yourself.

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Seriously. And anyway, if you climb one mountain this winter, you're doing something that around 316 million Americans won't do. If comparison is to be brought into it at all, we all come up winners.

Neat reading about everybody's accomplishments. Here's to a great winter & a fabulous year for all.

Tom Rankin said:

What's important is that you are out there, challenging yourself.

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In that vein, I am hoping to get a winter 4K or two this season. It/they will be my first. Am thinking Hale or Waumbek, maybe Cannon. Probably until last month of winter.

Driver8 said:

In that vein, I am hoping to get a winter 4K or two this season. It/they will be my first. Am thinking Hale or Waumbek, maybe Cannon. Probably until last month of winter.

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Hale will involve a road walk of a couple of miles each way (2.5 maybe each way & Hale Brook does have a bit of a side in hill some winters) Waumbek is probably the best of the three you picked for a first. Tecumseh is a good first choice too as you are not too far from the ski trails & in a couple of spots, easy to get to the ski slopes. If you want incentive to go next year, Pierce is not too hard, usually well traveled & has that classic winter view. (Okay this one is from late October but has snow)

Or you can use the Firewarden's Trail to Hale, like 98.6% of the winter visitors.

Tim

This year, I finished my NE67 and NEHH, both on North Brother in Baxter State Park. I increased my TW72 count to 69. I did the one-day Pemi Loop in 15:38. I was the peak coordinator for Isolation for FOT48 in my 5th year of participating. Being a data geek, here is how the last 8 years add up:


Tim

bikehikeskifish said:

Or you can use the Firewarden's Trail to Hale, like 98.6% of the winter visitors.

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I am the 1(.4) percent! #occupyhale

Mike P. said:

Hale will involve a road walk of a couple of miles each way (2.5 maybe each way & Hale Brook does have a bit of a side in hill some winters) Waumbek is probably the best of the three you picked for a first. Tecumseh is a good first choice too as you are not too far from the ski trails & in a couple of spots, easy to get to the ski slopes. If you want incentive to go next year, Pierce is not too hard, usually well traveled & has that classic winter view. (Okay this one is from late October but has snow)

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I've done Pierce and Tecumseh already - Piece in mid-spring snow this past May - so Hale and Waumbek are more likely. I think Hale might be good in late winter b/c the summit view is more likely to be good then than at any other time, thanks to the height of the snow pack. That motivates me, plus I might could do a loop, staying overnight at the hut, and if feeling frisky go try and grab Zealand. Who knows. We'll see what my work schedule, which figures to be busy the next several months, will allow.

I hiked Kinsman Ridge from South Kinsman to Coppermine Col (in July) and Franconia Ridge from Mt Lafayette to Mt Liberty (in August) as dayhikes from Lafayette Place. These are the hardest hikes that I have done since the broken leg.

Doug

I didn't finish any lists this year but I did hike the one peak that I thought would be a showstopper for ever finishing the W115 list...North Brother. I still have a bunch in the ADK's so I'm probably a couple years away from finishing it. Oh, and I winter camped for the first time and liked it.

Great Thread, Tom! Great to read of so many long time and newer Views posters. In June, I enjoyed getting my 7 year old niece on a make up hike up Algonquin (5000 footer) after she had to turn back the prior October 300 feet below the summit due to ice. Also got her, her 10 year old sister, and my two 10 year old nephews up to the top of Washington. Always a great success when the rest of the year, they all ask me "when are we going hiking again!"

Also enjoyed a great hike in September across the Swiss Alps. I hiked the Swiss Alpine Pass route which starts at the border of Liechtenstein in Sargans, crosses 1-3 passes each day for 2 weeks and ends on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux. It goes right through the most beautiful hiking country to be found- Berner Oberland. Ah, the good life we all have!

I'm a 1.4% also. Think we were a group of three or four that day too. Of course that was maybe 10 or 11 years ago when there were a few less winter peakbaggers.

Adventurous said:

I didn't finish any lists this year but I did hike the one peak that I thought would be a showstopper for ever finishing the W115 list...North Brother.

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Hey, I remember that day! That thought was in my mind for many years as well. It doesn't hurt to have a MBP or a LOSER with you when you go though!

Driver8 said:

I think Hale might be good in late winter b/c the summit view is more likely to be good then than at any other time, thanks to the height of the snow pack.

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The trees have grown up quite a bit on this peak. I did last January and even standing on the summit cairn you could barely see anything. If you're waiting for snow wait for A LOT of snow. There were however some awesome views out to Washington in the trees as you climbed out of the river valley the trail follows (which is mostly birch and other trees with no leaves).

Hale was my first winter 4k last year and I did the road walk. Did not know the Firewarden's Trail existed until I joined the VFTT. I also did Waumbek in the winter (well technically it was winter - had 8" of fresh wet snow coating everything when I did it at the end of this past MAY. Gotta love New England weather).

Well, I was only in NH for a week but I did get Bondcliff on a day hike on an absolutely perfect day. That was #47. Then 2 days later I soloed on Adams on the 25th anniversary of my original Adams solo in 88. Touching Abigail Adams (4) and Adams 5 along the way got me to 65/72 on the Trailwrights list even though I am playing that by my own rules, and I won't bother doing the bushwhacks. I did the 4 peaks of Cardigan on a rainy day in the Whites and finished my week hitting all The Howks on Howker Ridge Trail, an under-rated gem imo. Is anyone else working the Eric Savage T3000? I think I've got 83/134. Later on, I did Mt Rogers, the VA high point even though I have no intention of finishing that list either.

-Breaking the 200-peak barrier of the NE770
-After several years of dilly-dallying, deciding to complete the NEHH
-Finally attending the ADK 46er Trail Crew "Blue Tarp" weekend
-After years of dreaming, finally hiking the Traveler Loop
-Scar Ridge Traverse
-Hiking in Acadia National Park for the first time
-Reconnecting & hiking with a long-time family friend from my childhood, & enjoying my first AMC hut stay (Greenleaf) during the hike
-ADK 46er Trail Crew work in a Annual Meeting weekend snowstorm/torrential downpour on Giant of the Valley's North Trail
-Finally bagging Bear Mtn. & Bartlett Haystack
-Pilot Range Traverse
-Making a bone-headed map-and-compass mistake and hiking 90 degrees off course en-route to Mendon
-Feasting on a well-earned Wolf Burger at Stratton's White Wolf Inn
-Returning to and exploring Northwestern Maine for the first time in a handful of years

It was a stellar summer of hiking for me, some with friends, some solo, & one with a VFTTer that I hadn't met (Arm). But, the absolute highlight was a four-day hiking trip to Baxter State Park over the last weekend in September with 3 great friends, and fueled by lots of sausage from Karl's. After arriving on Friday afternoon, we hiked Coe, South Brother, North Brother, & Fort (my NEHH finish) on Saturday, the Traveler Loop on Sunday, and after the others had left for home on Sunday evening, I woke up early on Monday morning and enjoyed a solitary breakfast atop the Owl. The weather was spectacular and the rutting moose made camping at Nesowadnehunk an interesting experience.

Myself, my brother Pete and friend Andy W all completed our WNEHH on Mt Jefferson.
Hardest part were my brothers' 5 (6?) attempts at Hamlin Peak - 2 denials from Chimney Pond and 3 denials heading up Abol. Got a decent window on March 3rd to get Pete his long sought after summit. Many years in the making. Now we are off to finish our NEHH second pass - might even grid the NEHH should I live long enough.

Where do I begin?

It has been a huge year for me hiking. In April, I was able to get my drivers license, so the number of hiking trips went through the stratosphere.

1)I knocked off 10 4k's to finish my 48! I finished on Moriah.



2) After finishing the fours, I introduced myself to some light bushwhacking. I've seen the views hundreds of times (in person, or pics) of the 4k's or other popular peaks. I am now working on my own list-hiking or bushwhacking to peaks with ledges. Height doesn't matter. Sometimes the best views are from peaks below 2000 ft, or even below 1000 feet.

The next two are from a peak only about 950 feet tall.





Anyways, next year I hope to continue discovering new places off trail, and redlining some trails in the whites. Also, I am thinking about working on my TW 72 list. Without realizing, I am up to 45 peaks now, so I guess I am on my way.

One more bushwhack ledge for the road-

^^ Grouseking, I like the Upper Valley local scenery. Very cool. Looks like you had a great day for Moriah, too. What a nice spot.