Luke Foley
Doug Martland
Genevieve Martland
Tim Peck
Mickey Spades
When I first discovered mountain biking, the bikes were rigid, they stopped via manual rim brakes, and wheels were still just 26 inches. Back then, the idea of vast trail networks like Kingdom Trails, the Carrabassett Valley, and my local system, Bear Brook, was the stuff of dreams.
Tim, Scott, and I recently had a great day climbing on Whitehorse and Cathedral Ledge. We climbed two classic routes—Sliding Board on Whitehorse and Thin Air on Cathedral—in good time, then enjoyed some parking lot beers. While I loved the climbing, I’m pretty sure the post-climb Trilliums made Tim’s day.
I first read Bill Bryson’s book A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail over 10 years ago, and the truth is, I didn’t like it. However, in the wake of reading Scott Jurek’s book about setting the speed record on the AT, North, I thought Bryson’s book would be a nice complementary read.
If you’re interested in the Appalachian Trail or trail running, North is a must-read book. Of course, North is also the story of dreaming and living big, so whether you’re looking for inspiration to do your own AT thru-hike, or simply hike a smaller section of it, pick up North to feel the call of the trail.
Speaking of distressed seals, that’s what I’ll look like the first time I tumble off the SUP. I can see myself now, frantically thrashing around in the water, trying to get back on the board. Sure it’ll be funny and all. For you, anyway; I’ll be terrified that one of your neighbors is about to say hi. Did you see how one of them greeted this friend-of-the-fishes?
While everybody’s been hitting the links recently, we’ve been creating them. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve been up to the last couple of months. Read on to get over those Monday morning back-to-work blues.
Between multiple trips to the Gunks, days clipping bolts at Rumney, and many outings to crag at various cliffs in New Hampshire (Whitehorse, Longstack Precipice, Square Ledge, Echo Crag, and Artists Bluff), Greater Boston (Quincy Quarries, Rattlesnake Rocks, Hammond Pond, and Crow Hill), and Connecticut (Chatfield Hollow), I’ve been climbing a lot this season. Here’s some of the gear that keeps finding its way into my kit no matter the outing.
Maybe it was the deer we ran into on the trail. Or maybe it was the views from the summit ledges. Or just maybe it was the sections of trail that tunnel under Route 3 and Interstate 93, where everybody’s voices echoed off the walls. Honestly, it’s hard to say why my kiddos enjoyed hiking Mt. Pemigewasset (also known as Indian Head) in Franconia Notch so much. All I know is that they did.
Heat waves suck! Since this one is sticking around for a few more days, here are a few ways to stay active without getting beat by the heat.
When most people think of getting outside, their minds turn to flying down a backcountry bowl, cruising epic single track, appreciating the view from a classic peak, or sending a five-star route. But, the truth is, these sports are dangerous and injuries do happen. Here are 5 tips to follow so that you’re prepared for the inevitable.
Searching for a kid-friendly hike in the Greater Boston area, but aren’t quite sure where to go? Well, check out the Norris Reservation, a 129-acre Trustees of the Reservations property situated along the North River in Norwell. The hiking is easy, the scenery is great, and the kiddos will love it. Mine definitely did!
Despite my frustrations and occasional yearning for the past, I love what Kingdom Trails has become. Kingdom Trails has become a hub (pardon the pun) for mountain biking in the Northeast and a gathering place for the tribe. With trails suitable for riders of all levels, it’s a place that attracts beginners and experts alike. And, with more bikes than cars during the riding season, they’ve created an infectious atmosphere for cycling. But what I like most of all, is Mike’s Tiki Bar.
The last several weeks at Tuesday Night Climbing, I’ve gotten an earful about how “dirty” my climbing ropes are. Of course, the earfuls were well-deserved as my ropes were, to put it mildly, dirty. The key word there, though, is were, as earlier this week I decided to solve the problem. I washed the ropes. In case you’ve never done it, here’s how to wash a climbing rope in 7 easy steps.
Over the years, I have sporadically thought about that day with Ron, and I still marvel at the nonchalant way in which he climbed a problem that eludes me to this day. Because Ron seemed so familiar with Pawtcukaway, it has always surprised me that I never ran into him again—that is until I started going to a new climbing gym and saw the familiar beard, ponytail, and effortless style from across the bouldering cave.
Climbers looking to start climbing on their own outside often have two common questions: how do I build a top rope anchor and what equipment is required to set up a top rope? Although there are many ways to build an anchor for top roping, my preferred method is to use a static line to create a master point with two solid anchor points. Here’s how to build one in four easy steps.
The seasons are changing and so have our writing topics. Over on goEast, we’ve switched gears from snow and ice to rock climbing, peak bagging, and mountain biking. Some of our recent pieces covered how to take your climbing from gym to crag, three New Hampshire 4,000 footers that everyone avoids (but really should be doing), and tips for keeping your ride clean during mud season. We also did an Alpha Guide on hiking Mt. Mansfield, one of my favorite peaks in the northeast. And while it’s hardly springy, the Alpha Guide that we did on the Lion Head Winter Route—an outing that ended up being one of the most memorable days of my winter—published in mid-March.
I’m not sure that I’ll ever be as into training for climbing as I was two years ago, but I have once again made the climbing gym part of my routine. And, after one trip to Rumney, I can say that I’m feeling reasonably strong and confident in my climbing. I even got the bug to climb hard; I took a few burns on a route that I always find difficult, and, after a few tries, I managed to clip the chains with a clean ascent.
It’s riding season, and even though I rode through the winter, others among us—like Doug—are just cleaning the cobwebs off their mountain bikes. For Doug, and everyone else like him, here are ten tips to ensure that your first ride of the season comes up aces.
For the past few years, we’ve been obsessed with trail running, hiking, and backpacking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Put simply, our goal is to get on a ridge line and then pick off as many summits as we can before descending to the car. As we’ve already written about several of our favorites on goEast (most notably the Presidential Traverse, the Pemi Loop, and the Franconia Ridge Traverse) and, more historically, on the Ninja (e.g., the Zealand-Twinway Traverse), we’ll focus instead on two lesser-known traverses that we really enjoyed as part of our 48-in-48 effort late last spring: the Sleeper Traverse and the Kinsman Ridge Traverse.
