Come Explore with Me
Let the wilderness restore your soul
Come Explore with Me
Let the wilderness restore your soul
In spring the mountain streams run fast with water let loose from the soil as the sun melts winter's frozen grip. There is something about the sound of rushing water that refreshes the spirit and makes one want to take their shoes off and wade.
Early summer mornings often find clouds hanging in the valleys below as you climb above the trees to a higher place.
There are days, when the sun still warms the soul and all the trees are aflame with crimson and gold, that the soul just cannot help but reflect on the playful days of the summer just past and the glorious beauty that surrounds as the season finishes with a flare.
There is no peace more serene than that found in the deep snow on a Mountain trail. Even the most mundane of paths is transformed into a winter wonderland when the snow falls deep in the Whites.
June 12 - Advanced 17.6 miles
Deep in the Pemi Wilderness, Owl’s Head is a 4000 footer that is hard to get to and too often it gets left to the end of hiker’s 4000 footer list. There’s not much of a view from the top; the hike is all about the journey through the Pemi Wilderness. This hike is 17.6 miles, but has very little elevation gain. It’s a long day, but it a rewarding one, and if we can get an early enough start, we may even see some moose along the way.
Cost- $50
June 18 - Strenuous - 22 Miles
Every year, on or around the Summer Solstice, I lead a group of hikers up Mount Madison, across Mounts Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe, Franklin, Eisenhower and Pierce, before descending back down to the valley at Crawford Notch. If the Mountain Gods are with us, we tack on Mount Jackson after Pierce at the end. We start about 4:00 in the morning and finish around 8 or 9:00 at night and when the day is done we will have hiked about 22 miles, 26 if the group collectively decides to go over to jackson at the end.
What we do on this hike, is offer a bucket-list type hike to those who have not hiked that much before, lack confidence in their hiking ability, or who are regular hikers but want to join a fun group for some good times in the mountains.
You must be in reasonably good physical condition. No, it doesn’t mean you have hiked 20 miles before, nobody would expect that, but it means that you are not winded from walking around the block and are keen to do what you need to prepare yourself physically to do this hike. You don’t have to be ready to hike 20 miles tomorrow; we have time to get in shape.
You must have basic hiking equipment including, sturdy shoes, a day pack, and suitable rainwear. You will need microspikes for our first hike and hiking poles are highly recommended.
You must participate in three training hikes that we will do as a group in preparation of the traverse.
The training hikes will focus on different skills and will be three weekend day hikes spaced apart to give plenty of recovery time before the next one. The training hikes are designed to teach hiking skills needed, as well as to build camaraderie among the group, and are often as much fun as the actual traverse itself. The training hikes will all be in the Whites and those who are working on their NH 4000 footer list will be able to check off as many as 15-18 peaks by the time this experience is over. This year’s training hikes will be 4/8, 5/6 and 5/27.
This is our most popular hike and space fills up quickly. If you are interested, please just reach out to me and let me know of your interest.
Cost: $300 including all four hikes
July 1 - Moderately Strenuous, 9.7 mi.
While all the crowds flock to the NH48, we will take a nice early summer hike off the beaten path up and over South and North Baldface Mountains. Although still in the White Mountain National Forest, the Baldfaces are located right on the Maine/NH line near Gorham and feature a good deal of above treeline hiking despite their lower elevation. This hike provides views of the surrounding mountains and a view across southeast Maine all the way to the ocean on clear days. We may also stop along the way at Emerald Pool, a local favorite swimming hole that has a special deep green color and is quite pretty.
NOTE: This hike is not for the inexperienced hiker because it contains some large areas of sloped ledges that may be intimidating to the novice hiker. If you have questions about your ability to do this hike, please reach out to talk with us.
Cost - $50
July 2- Moderate, 9.1 mi.
This is a nice moderate hike up the sloped ledges of Moriah to the bare summit at the top and then back down to Gorham. We have great views east of the Presidential Range on and off throughout the day and the sloped smooth rock is always fun to hike on. We’ll lunch at the top on a bare rock summit. This is a nice moderate hike for those that want to hike during the day and celebrate the Fourth of July in the evening.
Cost - $50
July 15th - Beginner\Family Friendly, 4.7 mi.
This is a family friendly hike to one of the finest waterfalls in the Whites. At 160 feet high, this waterfall always promises to provide great pictures after a low grade hike to the base. The hike continues after the falls, gaining elevation, to the top of the Frankenstein Cliffs offering good views South. We then descend to the parking lot below where we started.
This is a good beginner hike or good hike for families with children over six.
Cost $50 (SPECIAL- $150 for a family of 4)
July 22 - Strenuous, 21.7 mi.
The Bonds Loop includes the peaks of Mount Zealand, West Bond, Mount Bond and Bondcliff. We approach from the Zealand Valley, climb up and pass Zeacliff, with good views down the Zealand Valley along the way. Once gaining the ridge, we hike around the summit of Mount Guyot to Mount Bond and then to Bondcliff. We return and go over to West Bond before lopping back and returning to the Zealand parking area. These mountains are the jewel of the Pemigewasett Wilderness and the views from the exposed summits are spectacular. Because they are not easy to reach, they are often less crowded than some more accessible mountains despite being some of the nicest views of the Pemigewasset Valley.
This is a very long hike. At 21.2 miles, hikers should be in top physical condition and while it is not a technically difficult hike, because of the distance, it should be considered one of the most strenuous single day hikes in the Whites. We start promptly at 7:30 from the Zealand parking lot and hikers should plan on a full day.
Cost: $50
August 5th - Beginner \ Family Friendly, 3.1 mi.
This is one of the best views for little effort hikes in the Whites. A very short hike of less than a mile brings us to the col between the two peaks and then just .3 miles more puts us on top of Middle Sugarloaf. We then double back and go over to North Peak before returning to our starting point.
This is a short hike, but it does gain a little bit of elevation so it is not recommended for very small children. Most school age children should have no difficulty.
Cost $50 (SPECIAL- $150 for a family of 4)
We are always available for private hikes and explorations created just for you to suit whatever your hiking or exploration desires might be. We can be rugged and climb steep rock, or we can go some place quiet, hidden and contemplative. Just reach out with what you envision and we will create a journey just for you.
In the meantime, please poke around the site and leave your contact information on the Connect page, so that we can let you know when the Winter Hiking Season gets posted!
Thanks for a checking us out. See you out there!
Not scheduled this year
Strenuous
This is a hike so special we have created a separate page for it and a special album of photos. In July we will hike this ultimate European hike from Mont Blanc in France to the Matterhorn in Switzerland. This crown jewel of Europe guided hike will take 15 days (14 nights) and our all-inclusive price of around $6,000 per person which includes airfare, lodging, breakfast and dinner every day, plus three training hikes to prepare you for the alps.
Space is limited to 8 hikers and will be on a first come first serve basis. Please see our special Haute Route page or Click here
We have had to cancel this hike for 2022 year because of the how prevalent Covid was at the time of booking. Join us next year when we hope to return to Switzerland and do this wonderful sojourn again!
