Recent content by kalless

Congratulations! I didn't propose to my wife on the mountain, props to you for the great idea! But, she did climb her first high peak (Whiteface) as a wedding present. :D

Just a point of clarification... Backcountry exp said "Untouched old growth forests have a biological complexity that can't conceivably be approached by human efforts to replant and rejuvenate cleared stands. The forests that recolonized New England after agriculture waned in importance were...

Great post! (I'm a forester.) Good forestry practices result in healthy forests not just for a few rotation cycles (generations), but rather in perpetuity. Well-planned forestry practices protect or improve water quality. Approximately half of the birds on the federal endangered species list...

While not necessarily overused, add a few more campsites/lean-to's to your list of bear problem spots... Uphill Brook... Feldspar Brook... Wolfjaws... -Kalless

Subtle difference The Bill of Rights is NOT a decree of government, but a decree of the people of certain unalienable rights which shall not be infringed upon by government. :D Regarding designation of wilderness areas, I do believe that it has become a blatant "numbers game" by certain...

Maybe cheating is the wrong word. Hiking is a truly personal experience. How can you cheat? I consider as part of my experience of (eventually) climbing all of the 46 that I would not need GPS. Plus, I've never found a real need for GPS in the High Peaks. Compass is fine with me. As...

Did some low-elevation hiking in the AMR/Dix/Giant area this weekend. Only had problems with biting insects when we paused near standing water. I never like feeling rushed when I visit Beaver Meadow Falls, but... Camping near Round Pond was fine as long as the fire was lit. At sundown the...

I don't have a map in front of me, but when I've been in that area, I remember that signs for each trail headed down to Upper Ausable Lake (the Carry) indicated that there is no low-elevation return to St. Huberts. AMR is private property and only "official" trails as noted in the ADK and...

Uphill Brook gets my vote. Its proximity to so many peaks and flumes is key. But, it's also just far away enough from the summertime chaos at Lake Colden, Flowed Lands, and Marcy Dam. I stayed there for three nights August 2004, and two of them I was alone in the lean-to!!! BUT, just because...