Category Archives: A Guides View

Tips and Tricks from the professionals on training, nutrition, gear and more!

5 Must See Trails in the WMNF – Number 1!

Great Gulf Trail

CONTRIBUTION BY ELIZABETH KANE

The view as you approach Spaulding Lake

The view as you approach Spaulding Lake


History: The Wilderness Act of 1964 officially protected the Great Gulf as the first designated Wilderness area in the White Mountains. It now encompasses 5,658 acres of definitively perceptible wild land, home to tumbling waterfalls, rugged trails, and rapture-inducing forest spans. Continue reading →

5 Must See Trails in the WMNF – Number 2

Dry River Trail

This is the fourth installment. Check back each week as we count down to number one!

CONTRIBUTION BY ELIZABETH KANE

Lakes of The Clouds

Lakes of The Clouds Hut marks one end of the Dry River Trail.


History: This area was logged in the 1890s, and sections of the first five miles of trail follow vestiges of an old logging railroad bed. Originally there were three shelters along the route, but only Dry River Shelter #3 remains. The trail was closed in August of 2011 after being absolutely ravaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The storm both widened the river’s path and washed out significant sections of trail. It was reopened late in 2014 under a new designation as a primitive wilderness trail. A sign near the trailhead warns of ‘navigational challenges’. Continue reading →

Knowing When to Turn Around

Ultimate Success: The Unspoken Truth

There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.

— John F. Kennedy

rainier

As climbers, we seek adventure and exploration. But, why? What is it worth? And how do we define success? “If we go for it, there is a probability that we aren’t going to come back,” asserts Jimmy Chin, world-renowned climber. Yet, the allure of the mountains continuously pulls us back in search of something sacred and uniquely individual. Continue reading →