Starr King/Waumbek

The last day of March and it seemed like a good day to start tackling the 4000 foot peaks. Today's hike was up the Starr King Trail and over to Mount Waumbek. There were 3 cars in the small parking lot but room for a few more. It was a cool morning, upper 20's and we had about 3 layers on and were wearing our summer hiking boots.

A Warm "Summer" Day Hike on Mount Kearsarge

"The mountains are calling and I must go."
                                           ~John Muir

After peering out the window at work yesterday and seeing the clear blue sky with warm temperatures the mountains were calling me and I had to go. So I took a day of leave and decided to get out for a hike today. Although it wasn't summer it had the same feel as a warm day in June. I've been wanting to see the 360 degree views on Mount Kearsarge so I set out for Hurrican Mountain Road. Upon reaching the trailhead parking lot I soon realized that I was overdressed and quickly put on shorts and short-sleeves before heading out on the trail.

A Warm Winter Day in the Tuckerman Bowl

"And it's a fair wind, blowin' warm,
Out of the south over my shoulder,
Guess I'll set a course and go..."

Wooden Ships  ~Crosby, Stills and Nash

Upon arriving at Pinkham Notch we were greeted by a nice, surprisingly warm breeze from the south. At 9:00 in the morning it was only going to get warmer. I took one of the last spaces in the parking lot and cars were already parked along Route 16. We were faced with the decision of what clothing to wear as well as the correct footwear. I decided on two thin layers and my summer hiking boots. We put on our packs and set out for the trailhead.

A Perfect Afternoon of Skiing and Riding

The snow along the route to Bretton Woods is quickly fading. There is a couple of lingering inches from this past week's snowstorms. But it's that time of year when new snow doesn't have a long life expectancy. So it was with hopeful anticipation that the ski slopes were high enough in elevation to have kept any snow that had fallen.

Late Winter Skiing at Bretton Woods

It's always a dilemma before I leave for the slopes - skiing or snowboarding. Today it's skiing. On the drive over today I found signs of an early Spring/mud season. Sparse snow and bare fields were seen along the route to Bretton Woods.