Recent content by Tom H

I bought an Arcteryx softshell last winter. Can't give you a side-by-side comparison with other brands, but IMO it has paid for itself in successful ascents where I might have turned back due to extreme conditions. No hood, but I have always preferred using an OR Sahale Sombrero (lighter weight...

Re: Northville-Placid closure Ridiculous perhaps in terms of the inconvenience to the hikers, but certainly not in terms of this man's private property rights. I hope that we all will be respectful of his rights or it is unlikely that he will become any more accommodating in the future.

It mainly depends on your conditioning. This is certainly a doable day hike if you are accustomed to longish hikes and are disciplined to pace yourself over long hours. I first did these four peaks with my 13 year old daughter back in '93. My recollection is that it took us about 13 hours...

prefer company, but... I prefer company, but it often doesn't work out that way for a couple reasons. First, it's not easy to get schedules lined up, and second, if I want to do any long hikes I generally can't find anyone who is interested or able to keep up. I believe the most important...

doable but difficult The Sand Brook route crosses private land and for that reason alone should be avoided. However, you can make a legal approach if you continue up the Marcy trail to state land then roughly contour across (one deep gully at Marcy Brook) then up to the Allen/McDonnell col...

Well, in that case I take it back :D

Deer Flies? Yup! I murdered my first deer fly of the season yesterday in Keene. I was a bit surprised, not to mention dismayed, that the nasty buggers have already made their appearance.

ADK 100 Winter Patch PinPin and I completed the ADK top 100 in the winter of '02. I actually climbed all the "lower 54" plus 36 of the top 46 in that winter. Since I was already a winter 46er I didn't need the top 46 to complete the winter 100, but I made a dedicated effort to do so and fell...

Yes, I am going hiking. I hike throughout the year, including "mud season." This year has been a light one for me, and I have only climbed about 30 peaks in April and May so far. The only one- yes ONE- trail where I observed unstable soil conditions that might precipitate "trail damage" was on...

the ones i've been on are in good shape (nt) nt

bad eyes, great nose John, Bears have lousy eyes and a great nose. Even a seriously miswired bear wouldn't think you smell like a treat. Buy the hammock. I have one and agree with all the above.

chew up the trail? If you mean the same Algonquin that I climbed on Thursday, i.e., the one with rocks all the way to the top, the one that has one of the best hardened trails in the High Peaks, the one that an army wearing crampons couldn't further "damage", then I don't think you'll be...

Iroquois to Marshall easier It is easier to stay on the path descending from Iroquois than ascending to Iroquois. Missing the path on the way up can result in some technical moves...been there.

There is a faint path from the summit of Iroquois down to Algonquin Pass. Following it carefully will help you to avoid the cliffs. Head down to Shepard's Tooth, then stay to the right of the tooth and continue down the "drainage". You might want to wait for the snow to melt (although since this...

That's easy... ...Stewart Mtn, in the Sentinel Range. And it's such a short hike from the Whiteface ski area parking lot. Sentinel itself is a close second. You might try them both in the same day for an unforgettable experience. Oh, did I mention that I like thick scrub?