Monday, March 24, 2014

Blue Hills - Ponkapoag Pond


TRIP DATE: 03/23/14  
TRIP LOCATION:  Blue HILLS – Ponkapoag Pond

MEETING TIME:          9:00 a.m.                                
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):             7

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       2 hour
LENGTH IN MILES:      4.5 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    N/A
DIFFICULTY:       C                            (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Cathy MacCurtain
CO-LEADER NAME(S):   Kathy Fagan

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:  Ponkapoag Golf Course parking lot on 138.

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:       No                   TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:  N/A

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:  Overcast, cool with light winds.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.): All 7 that attended enjoyed the trails and had a great time.

Thursday AM Hike in Blue Hills


TRIP DATE:      3/13/2014                              
TRIP LOCATION:          Blue Hills                    

MEETING TIME:  10:00 am                
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 5         

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       2.5
LENGTH IN MILES:      app. 5.5 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    app. 500 ft.
DIFFICULTY:         C          (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Sue Chiavaroli
CO-LEADER NAME(S):

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    Across from State Police Barracks

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:      No                   TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:
SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:  Followed the yellow triangle trail and Breakledge Trails

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:  20 degrees, light snow


OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.): Great hike in the snow.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

2014 Winter Hike #4 - Lonesome Lake Overnight

TRIP DATE:  Friday - Sunday, 2/28 – 3/2, 2014  
                                

TRIP LOCATION:  Lonesome Lake Hut in NH (with Sat. hike options for Cannon Mtn. or North Kinsman Loop hike)                       

MEETING TIME:  10:00 am on Friday, 2/28              
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 15       

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):
Trailhead to AMC Lonesome Lake Hut = app. 1.25 hours (Lonesome Lake to trailhead return trip only took less than an hour!)
Cannon Hike = app. 4.5 hours via Lonesome Lake, and Kinsman Ridge Trails (including leisurely lunch in cafeteria at top of Cannon Mtn.)
Kinsman Loop Hike = app. 7.0 hours via Fishin Jimmy, Kinsman Pond, and Cascade Brook Trails (including numerous stops for photos)   
LENGTH IN MILES:     Lafayette Campground trailhead to AMC Lonesome Lake Hut = app. 1.5 miles each way; Cannon Hike = 4.2 miles round trip/Kinsman loop hike = 7.4 miles round trip

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): Trailhead to Lonesome Lake = app. 1,000 feet; Cannon Hike = 1,398 feet; Kinsman loop hike = 2,879 feet   
DIFFICULTY:      B                         (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Leslie Carson, Maureen Kelly, Wayne Anderson, Paul Miller
TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Hiker’s parking lot at Lafayette Campground in Franconia Notch (ample parking available in morning, not so ample later in day…) 

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:    No                 
WAS TRIP WITHING WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?  Yes   

IF YES TO ABOVE, DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED: Packed snow on all trails hiked.  Lonesome Lake Pond frozen and crossable with microspikes.
WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:  Very cold (minus 6 degrees F.) and clear Friday night; mostly clear and cold (teens?) during day on Saturday, only windy on summits; not so cold Saturday night (6 degrees F.) with light dusting of snow.  Cold with light snow Sunday morning.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.):  No problems.  Good winter hiking conditions, cold but generally nice weather, nice views across Lake to Franconia Ridge and from summits of Cannon and North Kinsman.  For the Cannon hike on Saturday, based on the caretaker's recommendation, we only wore our microspikes.  However, in retrospect, it may have been better to wear full crampons, particularly on several particularly steep sections of trail.  Snowshoes not needed on well-packed trail.