Recent content by Driver8

Beautifully said. Thank you. I come down on the side of accepting what's been put in place, but I love your expression of the wild ideal.

There've got to be some who support both huts and Cog Hotel and some who oppose both, no? Maybe an overgeneralization? For me, at least, I don't like the idea of putting another hotel up there b/c there's already enough, probably too much, development on Washington above tree line. I'd oppose...

Where do you draw the line? Just develop it until there's sprawl? Spread over to Bigelow Lawn and Franklin? Monticello Lawn? I'm not saying shut down the Cog or buy it out, but how much is too much?

Right, that's the problem. Most ppl I run into hiking abide by the ROW going to those ascending, but a good number are not aware of it.

Jewell/Gulfside/Trinity Heights Connector is nice on a good weather day, and relatively easy because its grade seldom varies from the average ~14% for the route. In the first mile or two it dips in a couple places to cross a brook and is momentarily steep, and there a few places where a step or...

Congrats, Spencer! What were your favorite parts of the trip?

It also offers, imo, a better angle on the high Franconias than Liberty, while Liberty has the prettier summits (both having a double summit, with the higher of each being inward with respect to the other). I see Liberty as having the better view overall, but Flume the better directly south, up...

You'll be pretty close to Yellowstone, no? That would be a temptation I'd slake.

That was my thinking. Would be fine for descent on a nice summer night. Especially with nice moonlight. Wouldn't want to contend with auto traffic in the daytime, for their sake or mine!

"Easy" is all relative, important to remember. I have a friend who hikes a lot and has progressed into excellent fitness. I'm stuck at chubby and diabetic, albeit slow and enthusiastic. He tells me of how this or that hike, which I know is not yet within my capability (progressing, but not there...

Do the Auto Road folks ever stop people descending on foot, particularly in summer at night, via the road?

Um, bias? Ever consider that he guides for the AMC in part because he believes in its mission? That's not bias, per se, I'd suggest, it's conviction and commitment. Would be great if we all formed and stuck to convictions in like manner.

I saw one drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. Its quills were perfect. Seriously, I've run into three on trail, all in Mass. One in a tree on the MM in the Holyoke Range, one in another on the north end of Round Mountain headed toward Frissell, and one, near the end of a long day, where the...

I should say so! Interesting what Dennis points out about the CT's official status in the eyes of the WMNF. I guess one must take care not to step on Waumbek's or Cabot's proper summit in a thru-hike, lest one have veered off trail. Could skirt ever so close, though! Meanwhile, I trekked up to...

You'll get it one day, Amy, when it's ready for you. Funny thing how some mountains make you wait, and it's different mountains for each of us. I tried Washington twice before "sneaking up on it," unannounced, Father's Day five years ago, via the Jewell. By the time it knew I was coming, I was...