Recent content by JackH

Hard packed most the way with good water crossings. Icy on the steeps with thin brushed off coverage. Didn't need snowshoes. Microspikes all day except down the steeps where I felt better with crampons. The steeps really packed by the end of day and without new snow this could be very icy in the...

Trail broken out through Willey Ridge trail and to summit with good coverage over all water crossings. No problematic blow-downs but some pesky branches beyond the steps. Steps are iced over and approach was difficult with my MSR snowshoes. Had to use crampons although there is a round about to...

The trail is broken and hardpacked from bare-booting. Hardly any snowshoe tracks so the trail is narrow and would be cumbersome with snowshoes. Used microspikes and they worked well all day. Not much ice at all. Nice hiking but Tripoli road is a long slog and a bore. I wish I went in from...

June 18-20, Trails: took 19 Mile Brook to Carter Moriah to Rainbow and Back doing a bird survey. All but the Rainbow in great shape and fairly well dried out now. Rainbow has several blow downs from Summit down the first mile or so...needs a lot of work but it is a nice quiet, low use, trail.

lyme I have had Lyme 3 different times. Only on one occasion did I have the bull eye rash. The one time it did show it appeared in a few days. The last time my GP was hesitant to treat it and I waited too long before going to a Lyme Literate physician which I highly recommend. A western...

Trails: Falling Waters back and forth Falling waters was mostly boiler plate except in a few open areas near the water where the sun is opening bare ground. Just a few patches of ice. Used crampons up and MSR's down. Microspikes looked like the ideal traction device up. Snowshoes were better...

Eagles Journey North is a fun site to learn about Eagles and migration. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/eagle/spring2008/Update031208.html Their ornithologists are currently trying to radio tag some eagles on the Merrimack to follow their migration. For a few years now they have documented...

2-4" of new snow on top of well packed trail. Used snowshoes up to Jackson and back and this was the best alternative I think. Stream crossings all easy but with minimal snow bridges. I was the only hiker up to Jackson this day but on the way down it looked like 3-4 bare-booters packed Webster...

mountain lions I don’t doubt any of the mountain lion rumors. Over the past few years the top end of the food chain here in Connecticut seems pretty healthy- probably due to our ample deer population. Just this summer I have seen a bobcat and a fisher myself and two co-workers have had...

Svea 123 I have the Svea stove and it still works well. Parts are not available that I know of- I have looked before. Really, aside from the jet itself you can replace most of the parts. The wick in the canister can be repalced with a lantern wick and the only other gasket I know of is in...

Photos Very nice. It is images like that motivate me to use the camera more. What a great way to start the day. Thanks for posting.

correction Sorry, I looked at the wrong photo. Yes, that is a diamond back. Nice find. On an ealier thread Papa Bear mentioned he saw one of these on the AT here in CT. I believe I saw the same snake on that day as well. ( I recognised Papa Bear from his avatar). It is the only the second...

Snake Id I am not a expert on snakes but this looks like an Eastern Black rat snake or a Northern black racer. The white under the head seems to suggest the rat snake. A Diamond back is more copper/russet looking and the head is more triangular. Although not always true in the world, our...

the science of nature I also consider myself somewhat of an amateur naturalist with interests in birding, geology, New England archeology, and wildflowers. I even teach environmental science to Boy Scouts. But often I find my interest fading when I get into real scientific detail. This...

fog and snow I usually do as Pete says. I make a quick map on a small piece of paper with bearings for the entire days trip. Pretty crude but something with slashes for way-marks I have noted on the map. It has helped me out in the past when I was caught by surprise, once in fog and once in...