Pemigewasset Loop

Running on four hours of sleep, I woke up at an AT hiker filled Notch Hostel at 3 am to start the Pemigewasset Loop at Lincoln Woods Trailhead. Storms had sucked the moisture out of the air over the past two weeks, and the stars and sun would finally be out. The "Pemi Loop" is 31 miles, 10,000 ft in elevation gain, and eight 4,000 ft. mountains that surrounds much of the pristine Pemigewasset Wilderness in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It’s rated as the most difficult day hike in eastern North America, typically broken into a two or three day backpacking trip. I pushed it all day to finish in 10 hours (moving time). After climbing all of the northeast 115 4,000 footers, including doing the Presidential Traverse, Bond-Zealand Traverse, and Great Range Traverse, this hike caps off an incredible past few years in the northeast highlands. There's something special about looking out at all the tallest peaks in a region knowing you've been on top of them all, each with their own set of hardships and memories. Feeling recharged and fulfilled, it's time to head south again. #Cheers

My. Success Plane Crash Site

Today I drove north to hike Mt. Success - a 52 with a view peak - to see the crash site of a plane downed in 1952. On the way up, I heard black-throated blue warblers, black-throated green warblers, thrushes and a winter wren. The crash site was eerily well preserved. This 8-mile hike was not very difficult and I will be taking a zero day tomorrow in prep for a grueling single day Pemigewasset loop on Thursday, 31 miles, 11,000 feet of elevation gain and 8 4,000 foot mountains.

 

1942 B-18 Bomber Crash Site

For the first day of vacation, I hiked an easy 5.5 mile trail near Notch Hostel, where I’m staying, to see the crash site of a B-18 bomber that hit the side of Waternomee mountain in 1942. The plane was heading south from patrolling for German submarines in Nova Scotia during World War II when it met some of the infamous White Mountains harsh weather. Of the seven aboard, only five survived. The site has parts of wings, two engines, the fusel lodge and landing gear scattered rather far apart because the plane had bombs on board that exploded upon impact. The trail was littered with chanterelle mushrooms, so I grabbed a bunch to par broile in bone broth soup at the hostel.