We did get a late start on hiking this season, but we’re making up for lost time. Last weekend, a few of us went up to the ‘Whites and hiked up past Lonesome Lake and across the Kinsman Ridge to both peaks of Mt. Kinsman.

Though rain was in the forecast, we ended up with a beautiful day. September 13th also happened to be the day that Flags on the 48 was going on. Basically, what happens is that on the first Saturday after September 11, volunteers hike up to each of the 48 peaks on the White Mountains 4,000 footer list and place an American flag on the summit from noon until 2:00.

It’s a pretty nice gesture, as far as honoring those who died that day in 2001. We met some interesting characters involved in the event, and we’re even thinking about volunteering to cover a peak next year!

For more pictures, route info, etc. check out:

• The photo gallery
• The hike page

We finally took our first hiking trip of the year last weekend, the late start being attributed to some unforeseen events. No matter though, it was if we had never left… To break up the day, we decided to do two relatively short hikes in order to tie up some loose ends. The morning one was a trip to the summit of Mount Osceola, which we missed in February when we snow-shoed up the East peak.

In the afternoon we hit our second peak, Cannon Mountain. Going by the book time this is a short one (4 miles/3 hours) so the idea was to get that out of the way without having to one day go up north for only that hike. Though, I’m not sure what Olympian they had time that one out because it was more like 4:15 since it was insanely steep for almost half the journey to the summit.

The times were good, and it definitely felt great to get back onto the White Mountains trails again. Only seven peaks to go before we’ve finished the list, but who’s counting?

For even more:

• Photo gallery
• Mt. Osceola Hike
• Cannon Hike

Ok so it’s been almost a month since we got back, but I’ve finally finished sorting and uploading the pictures from our recent trip to Hawaii.

In short, Hawaii is incredible. My lady and I spent a week and half there, with our time split between O’ahu and Kauai. O’ahu was wonderful for seeing the sights (Waikiki, Hanauma Bay, Pearl Harbor, etc.) and having fun with our friends. Kauai was the best for outdoor activities and beaches. I highly recommend seeing both of these islands if you ever get to Hawaii!

For me, the highlight of the trip was hiking in Waimea Canyon on Kauai. The canyon walls rise about 4,000 feet and they are quite a sight to behold. We hiked down a wooded trail and along the canyon ridge to the top of Waipo’o Falls — a wonderful 4-mile round trip.

You can see more pictures in our Hawaii photo gallery. Aloha!

PS: This title of this post is from The Simpsons.

One of my best Christmas presents this year was an awesome pair of snowshoes that I got from my wonderful girlfriend. Eager to get out and use them, last weekend a few of us went up to New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park for a day of trekking through the snow. Earlier this summer, Gemma and I had explored The Flume Gorge, an 800-foot miniature canyon at the base of Mount Liberty. The place was absolutely amazing, and we vowed to head back there in the winter.

During the summer, the Flume has a fully staffed and very crowded visitors’ center which acts as a (for-pay) gateway to the park. But with the advent of winter, the center closes down and the land is free to use. Though the parking lots are plowed, the paths up to the visitors’ center are not, and once up to the front, you’ll need to hop over a stone wall and walk around the building to get to the trailhead. This sounds sketchy but trust me it’s 100% within the rules, I know because I emailed the park staff before we went up there

After putting our ’shoes on at the trailhead behind the building, we headed down the trail and across a covered bridge which leads to the beginning of the gorge. In the summer, a series of boardwalks takes you through the gorge, but these are pulled away when the Flume closes for winter. There are some permanent boardwalks on either end of the gorge, though, and we were able to walk down these a little ways so we could take in the incredible sight of the ice-covered gorge walls and the pristine beauty of Avalanche Falls.

After experiencing the gorge, we continued following the trail towards The Pool, a small body of water surrounded by near 100-foot rock cliffs. Spanning the northern end of The Pool is Sentinel Pine bridge, another covered bridge that was built on the trunk of a giant fallen pine tree. After The Pool, the trail then heads back towards the visitors’ center though a series of enormous glacial boulders.

At just under three miles, this trip was neither too short nor too long. Whether you are brand new to snowshoeing or you are an experienced veteran, I highly recommend checking out The Flume in the winter time. You will not be disappointed! For more pictures, check out my full photo gallery on Flickr.