Recent content by Willoughby

I hiked Mt Watatic yesterday. It had been some years - the trail to the summit seemed much the same, and busy for a Friday mid-day. There's new boardwalk at the usually-wet low point near the parking lot. But continuing on the loop to Nutting Hill I saw more people than I have ever seen, easily...

You can't go wrong, every hike I've been taken on Acadia has been special. But: we climbed Dorr Mountain by going S-N up A Murray Young path then turning right up Dorr, and A Murray Young was magical. It's a deep gully between Dorr & Cadillac mountains, with a brook running through it and lots...

Hiking the Franconia Ridge Loop, following these directions, would certainly be an unforgettable experience! P.S. @RichS In the early '80s there was an MIT hack that hooked Eliza up to a Zippy the Pinhead quote generator

That's surprising, because when we hiked that direction recently we thought they would have to repair the embankment in order to get equipment & materials out to the bridge site. The embankment repair is on the SOPA, as Ken pointed out. I don't see the bridge repair.

The linked "project information form" gives more detail - definitely not intended for the public: The popularity of the Franconia Ridge Loop hike continues to negatively impact the trails and the area surrounding them. This is particularly concerning along the ridge itself where alpine...

Water refill stations past security are becoming more popular as the ecological damage of plastic bottles becomes clear. I've seen them at some terminals at Logan, and also IIRC in Fort Myers. (Sanibel Island, a popular tourist destination near Fort Myers, has banned single-use water bottles...

Behind Yogi's dog was a shortcut to the Starr King trail, and an obstructed view towards Waumbek - not worth taking out my camera. Also, there was a Spruce Grouse all puffed up from the cold: The grouse was worth taking out my camera.

Yesterday (Saturday) I was on Waumbek. Lovely day down low, but there was rime ice melting off the trees starting just below the Starr King summit, and a chill wind. I was glad I had gloves and a warm hat. Fall is here! The new(ish) viewpoint past the Waumbek summit is lovely. I watched a...

Ed, So sorry to hear of Lauky's passing, but he surely lived a full life. We've never met but I too remember Duffy, and have always enjoyed your posts. And congratulations on finding Aska! The adventure never ends... I'll look for Lauky's stone on Emma's cairn next time I'm on Belknap. Willoughby

I finished on Garfield, because I wanted a view into the Pemi and also into Northern VT (towards my namesake). I made that choice when I was about 2/3 through. Did the hike with a friend (Diapensia) and we had dramatic views of the clouds in the Pemi... never saw South Twin and as I remember...

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. Hard to pick a favorite, but I love how you caught Oakes Gulf in the background of #4.

1. Do you carry a topo map in your pocket, in your pack or leave it back in your vehicle? (this should be an excellent topo, not something designed to plan hikes) Map starts in hip belt pocket (Osprey pack), if I'm referring to it alot it'll wind up in a front hip pocket folded to show the...

I've posted some pictures from the day. Willoughby

Friday I drove up to Lincoln Woods, hit the trail about 9AM, and headed for Galehead. This was my first time on the Lincoln Woods trail since Hurricane Irene, the repair work is impressive although the day-glo orange fencing is impressive. There was a group of 5 guys ahead of me, we would play...

Carters for the views While the Wildcats may have the best views of the peaks, a loop over the Carters has more and better views than any of your other remaining hikes. I went up over Imp Face, tagged North Carter (optional), then had a great ridgewalk southwards. There are some wooded...