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"Triangular head" is another one that's hard to use in practice. Water snakes (and a few others) also have bulging heads. The variable camouflage color patterns of both rattlers and other species can make it very difficult to judge head shape, even if you get a clear view from a useful angle...

Biddeford is within their historical range but nobody's seen one in Maine in a very long time. You'd think somebody would find a shed skin (with evidence of rattles), or at least get a photo, if there were any left. The idea that they're spreading from New Hampshire is kind of unlikely - they...

It was the 1998 USGS map that placed Redington and Spalding above the 4000' contour line (without supplying an exact summit elevation for either one). AMC promptly updated the Maine 4K list. (As they had promised. List-keeping is sometimes subject to human foibles, but this is not one of those...

Yeah, "1200 feet below the Alpine Trail junction" (by elevation) would put him about the top of the Fan. Seems like an obvious thing to try to access that spot from below, but maybe they had bad information about how far up the ravine he was. (Sounds like a drone might have helped!) Note...

Yep, what others have said. Major reroutes in this area, great views, and you should probably avoid the Mt Coe slide in slippery conditions. The old trail routes aren't too hard to find (at least they weren't, 15 years ago), but include some terrain you DEFINITELY do not want to try in the...

peaks near Concord 38 minutes: Pawtuckaway is a fun set of peaks - it's the rim of an ancient caldera. There's also a field of giant boulders (look for the Boulder Trail northwest of Round Pond) trail map (on page 2). It's still summer season, so you might want to make a parking...

I like the Sunset Ridge route, and I second the recommendation to lengthen the hike by spending extra time on the summit ridge. It'll add distance but the main trial on the ridge is very easy, and mostly flat, and it's spectacular. Stop to rest and have a picnic while you're up there. You...

1 and 2) It's been a few years for me, but yeah: there's a section around 3200' after the trail makes its highest crossing of lincoln brook, where the trail has to cross the valley from the west (Franconia ridge) side to the east (owl's head) side. If you look at a topo map the area is rather...

Both lynx and bobcat are possible throughout Vermont, though lynx is mostly restricted to the Northeast Kingdom. Your description sounds a lot like a lynx, but... - estimating size of a rapidly-moving, quickly-glimpsed animal is just not reliable, even for experienced wildlife-watchers...

Pack-raiding at the start of the Mt Tom spur features in the 2021 thread "Pine Marten Mt Field" which shows up under "Similar threads" at the bottom of this page. PB, did you credit the wrong photographer again?

The bold part is not stated in the order you linked. The order refers to 36 cf4 261.58(cc), which pertains to "possession or storage" of food anytime. The order makes an exception for the times when food is actively being prepared or eaten, but not for food that's being "attended". (Nor...

Diapensia was blooming on Franconia Ridge over Memorial Day weekend. It's been a warm year.

If you're wearing ankle braces, why do you need soft fabric inside the tops of your boots? Rather than cover the fabric, cut it free entirely.

I appreciate that the site prospers if new threads get started a bit more frequently than they have been lately, but really, this was a pretty lame attempt. It reads like Steve Buscemi walking the school halls with a skateboard. "How are you doing, fellow hikers?" The fundraising link in your...

A few issues stood out to me: 1) Unclear leadership roles, and, paradoxically, lack of consultation in decision-making. In your initial report it sounded like you were in charge, or took charge. ("I tell group #2 to wait...") Did you present other options to group #1 or group #2? At the...

The 2CV famously had a two-cylinder engine, a "boxer" design as the French say, i think you call it a "flat twin" in English. And it only used ordinary gasoline. (Leaded originally, but they didn't actually change anything in the engine when they switched the recommendation to unleaded around...

The hood's creases, chrome ornament on top, windshield shape, and the badge at the top of the grille are all perfect matches for the picture posted by JoshandBaron. I think somebody removed the fenders (to allow bigger tires and/or beefier suspension, for mud / snow / rocks ) and added new...

I've tried a couple of Xero shoes. The running shoes I got (can't recall the model name, sorry) were _very_, _very_ thin-soled. You're probably used to low-drop, but these are a step beyond. Not recommended on pavement, and require an adjustment period even on dirt trails. Even though I...

Try netting. When carried, in front or on back, it's not hard to rig up something that keeps him covered. Baby carrier backpacks often have a sunshade built in that also works to keep the netting out of his eyes and mouth. (Though bear in mind that infants are grabby. There are ages at which...

It depends on what you consider an "ascent," but consider the caretakers who live in Harvard Cabin full-time. They are usually avid climbers who go up one ravine or another almost every day. That would get you about a hundred ascents in a single season, and it's hardly unheard of for the same...