Borderland Full Moon Hike

TRIP DATE:      1/4/2015                                

TRIP LOCATION:          Borderland State Park

MEETING TIME:          6:00    pm

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):     4

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       2:15

LENGTH IN MILES:      4+/-

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    25 J

DIFFICULTY:                D                (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Bob Vogel

CO-LEADER NAME(S):

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    Borderland forgot to leave the gate open, so we called and they told us to park on exit side of main entrance. Was OK with only 4 cars.

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:         N                TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHING WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?  N 
     
BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED: Pond Walk ‘figure 8’

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: Foggy, but only sprinkled a bit at the end.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)

Many people didn’t show up for this hike; the weather forecast was less than promising and fog made the drive less than relaxing.   That who did come had a great hike with no rain until it started to sprinkle lightly just at 8:00 pm as we were getting back toward the cars. Although we didn’t see the moon, we did have a great time.

Looking forward to next month's Full Moon hike, maybe with some snow on the ground and the moon in the sky.

 

Blue Hills - Ponkapoag Pond Hike

TRIP DATE:  12/6/14  

TRIP LOCATION:  Blue Hills – Ponkapoag Pond                     

MEETING TIME:          8:30 a.m.                    

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):             5

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       2 hours

LENGTH IN MILES:      4.0 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    N/A

DIFFICULTY:       D                            (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

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

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?    No    

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: 

Rainy and cool

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)

Unfortunately, the weather kept many participants away from the intro. hike.  However, those in attendance had a great time.

Intro. to AMC Hiking - Foxboro State Forest

TRIP DATE: 11/22/2014

TRIP LOCATION Foxboro State Forest Intro. to AMC Hiking

MEETING TIME: 9:30 AM

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 17

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS): app. 3.5 hrs.

LENGTH IN MILES: 5.8 mi.

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): Negligible.

DIFFICULTY: D (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S): Paul Miller

CO-LEADER NAME(S): Barry Young

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Parked in overflow lot across from Forest headquarters since gates were not open.  Several participants also had to park in lot at Chapel Meeting House, just up the road.

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

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST? No

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: Partly sunny with temps in the 40’s

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.) The terrain was leaf covered trails. The group hiked portions of the Acorn Trail, Warner Trail, and fire roads. Part of the hike went into the Harold B. Clark Town Forest around the Upper Dam Pond.

Freetown State Forest Hike

TRIP DATE:      11-5-2014         
                 

TRIP LOCATION:          Freetown State Forest, Assonet, MA 

MEETING TIME:      10:00 am    

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 16 
      

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       4

LENGTH IN MILES:      6

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    300

DIFFICULTY:       C                           (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Rick McNally

CO-LEADER NAME(S):

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    Forst Headquarter, 3 Labbridge Rd., Assonet

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:   No                  TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHING WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?  No    

PLEASE BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

Massasoit and Breakneck Trails and others to Profile Rock to Gasline to Old Stoney Acres Camp to Swim Hole, Gasline to parking

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:  50 degree drizzly and showers

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)  Crossed four unbridged wet areas.  Blowdowns on trail to Stoney Acres Cam.  No Incidents.

RLBH, Fowl Meadow, November 15, 2014

AMC SEM POST-HIKE TRIP REPORT

TRIP DATE:         November 15, 2014   

TRIP LOCATION:    Blue Hills Reservation   

WAS TRIP CANCELLED? (y/n):  No

MEETING TIME:     9:30 AM   

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):    17

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):    3.5 Hours

LENGTH IN MILES:     7.27

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):     450

DIFFICULTY:        C                           (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S): Len Ulbricht, Joe Keogh,

CO-LEADER NAME(S): Cathy Garry

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    End of Royal st. Canton

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:      yes                    TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:15 min

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?      No

IF YES TO ABOVE, DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:  Last hike of the 2014 RLBH season, Sunny day in the 30’s

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)  IMPORTANT: Contact Hike Committee Chair ASAP with any medical emergencies or other serious incidents.

Email to: hikingchair@amcsem.org and Cc hikingvicechair@amcsem.org

FALL FOLIAGE HIKING SERIES #3 - MT. CHOCORUA

AMC SEM Post-Hike Trip Report

TRIP DATE: October 25, 2014

TRIP LOCATION: Mt. Chocorua, NH

MEETING TIME:  9:15 AM, Sat. 10/25

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 9

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS): 7 hrs.

LENGTH IN MILES: 7.4 miles RT

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): 2750 ft.

DIFFICULTY:    B (strenuous)                          (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S): Leslie Carson

CO-LEADER NAME(S): Anne Duggan

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Paugus Rd. parking area

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:   No                      TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?  Yes

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:

We all arrived at the Paugus Rd. parking area where the Brook and Liberty trailheads are located and began the hike on time. We ascended the Liberty trail which was a moderate trail heading up to the summit. We stopped briefly at the Jim Liberty cabin and took a look around. There were great views along the way. We encountered some steep ledges near the summit, but we had fantastic 360 degree views on top of Chocorua. Since it was such a nice day, several people were out on the trails and summit. Foliage was past peak, but there was still some color. After eating lunch on the top, we descended via the Brook trail. Although the day we hiked was dry, it had rained several days before and we encountered wet, steep ledge for part of the way on the Brook trail, necessitating holding onto trees and bushwhacking. All in all, it was a fabulous fall day hike.

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: 

The weather was perfect for the hike.  Sunny and dry with some clouds; temps in the 60’s. 

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)

No problems. 

IMPORTANT: Contact Hike Committee Chair ASAP with any medical emergencies or other serious incidents.

Fall Foliage Hiking Series - Morgan-Percival Loop

TRIP DATE:      October 11, 2014                               

TRIP LOCATION:    Mounts Morgan and Percival, Holderness, NH              

MEETING TIME:   8:45 am                 

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 8         

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):  5  

LENGTH IN MILES:      app. 5.5 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):   app. 1,575       

DIFFICULTY:   C (moderate)              (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Paul Miller, Len Ulbricht, Anne Duggan

CO-LEADER NAME(S):

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    Mt. Morgan trailhead parking area off Rte. 113.   Note: Good thing that we arrived early, since this was prime “leaf-peeping” season and two local police officers were on hand to make sure any cars that might overflow from the small Mt. Morgan parking area and the slightly larger Rattlesnake Mountain parking area across the road did not park on the road.

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:     No            TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHING WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?   No   

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED:   Hiked Mt. Morgan Trail up to Crawford-Ridgepole to the summit of Mt. Morgan and then across to summit of Mt. Percival.  Then down the Mt. Percival Trail to the connecting trail that took us back to the Mt. Morgan Trail just above the trailhead.

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: Partly cloudy with temps in the high 50s to low 60s with a light breeze.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.) – We appeared to have timed this “Fall Foliage Hike” just right, since the foliage conditions were near peak in central NH at this date.  Wonderful views over nearby Squam Lake from both summits, with some views into the Pemi Wilderness from the summit of Percival.