Betty Mountain Girl

Hiking the 4,000 Footers: Mount Carter 7.4.2013

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:15:00 +0000

Via Loop Hike Nineteen Mile Brook Trail,Carter Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail

After several weeks of heavy rain and hot and humid temps, we finally managed to go out for hike on the holiday weekend. We decided to tackle Carter Dome which would count for number 38 on the list for us!

With temps in the mid 90s we took it slow up this peak. We were very surprised to see how relatively uncrowded it was considering the July 4th holiday. Nineteen Mile Brook Trail is a well used trail that links Carter Hut, a popular destination for backpackers, to route 16 and Pinkham Notch. Bugs were pretty bad on the lower elevation of this trail, which we expected given the time of year and amount of rain we have seen lately.

We hit Zeta Pass fairly quickly and bumped into an old hiking friend. After catching up we continued on to Mount Hight, which adds less than a half mile to the overall hike. Hight was a spectacular addition to this hike! Wonderful views and cooling winds! We were slogging it in the humidity and almost considered skipping this peak, but we were glad we didn't.

Views from Mount Hight

View from Hight of Presidential Range

Have you ever noticed how deceiving distances are from the tops of mountains. Typically I get to the top of a neighboring peak and scope out the other peaks on our trip only to muster a "we have to still go all the way up there?" Hight was like that for me. We got to the top, enjoyed the views, then had to rally some strength to go what looked like a lot further. Turns out it was less than thirty minutes or so to hit Carter Dome. Very minimal views at the top, but side trails provided some outlooks.

We included a quick visit to Carter Hut to refill waters and cool off in the pond, which was so refreshing! Definiately a great spot to jump in- if your time allows!

Pond at Carter Hut

Carter Hut

Mount Osceola and East Osceola 6.15.2013

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:43:00 +0000

The wonderful thing about tackling the list of 4,000 footers- is that it has gotten us completely hooked on hiking. To start our year off- we were just as eager to rehike some of our favorites and to try other trail approaches. The Osceola's were a good bet because they weren't as far of a drive as some hikes still left on our list (like Cabot). Plus, when we hiked the Osceola's last year the peaks were shrouded in thick fog and rain, so actually getting to see the view was a pretty good motivator.

Approaching Osceola

Turns out that we missed out last year hardcore- the views are amazing!! The peaks are relatively easy ones for distances and elevation gain and you're rewarded with spectacular views.

Over the winter we hiked some, snowshoed a little, but didn't nearly keep up with the distances we hit last summer. So this year was a hard start for us. Our brains were ready for big hikes like Owl's Head, but our bodies were thinking we should stick to things like the Kinsmans. It doesn't help that the weather this year has been long stretches of brutal. When it's not hot and humid in the 90s, its hot and humid with thunderstorms in the 90s.

So Osceola was a great hike to redo. Our legs needed the work and our brains needed the views. Also I wanted to show pictures of the Chimney- a rocky stretch between Osceola and East Osceola that can be extremely difficult in the winter given the level of snow cover. It's completely manageable when dry in the summer.

Product Review: AHNU Montara Women's Hiking Boots Initial Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:17:00 +0000

After years of hiking in the Asolo Women's Stynger hiking boot, I finally made the jump to a new boot- AHNU Montara boot. The Montara has been pretty well received and reviewed and after last year's incredible blisters upon blisters upon blisters, I knew I needed to make a change if I wanted to do longer hikes.

Now last year I just powered through the blisters. They were a regular thing. Weirdly after several hundred miles of hiking they became blood blisters (ew!). I received plenty of advice. I tried the foot guru's at EMS. I tried several foot gurus and I bought the Stynger in a smaller size (suggestion of the sales associate- didn't work and hurt more- ouch!). I had shoe sales people suggesting that I just try to form calluses, which I discovered from 20 weeks of hiking last year with giant blisters and then blood blisters and then blisters on my blood blisters, that forming calluses may take years for me.

SO finally I tried a boot that worked for me. One thing I've discovered is that if you get blisters, you can try a few strategies (tying boots differently, trying different socks or layers of sock), but likely you are in the wrong boot for you. This is tricky because some people can hike in the certain boots with no problem, in fact Adam hiked for years in the men's version of my boots without a single blister. Interestingly, when he got new boots (Vasque's) he started getting blisters.

I would like to scream the following if I may... the women's Ahnu Montara boots freakin' rock!!! They are the perfect boot for me. While I definitely cannot guarantee they will be the right type of boot for other people, they are well worth a shot for those searching for the right boots. I don't get blisters in the Ahnu's!!!! I can't believe how easy it is to hike when you don't feel the scrape of skin against boot.

Ahnu Montara Hiking Boots: Initial Thoughts

Pros so far many...

I don't get blisters in them. This appears to be because they are somewhat of a "softer" boot, meaning they fell less stiff than my Asolos. This is tricky for me because I love a stiff supportive boot with my super flat feet, but sometimes you just gotta compromise.
Very lightweight. The Montara's were super lightweight every time I handled them and continued to feel light as I hiked. I literally felt like I could run in them- even ten miles in.
Great price point. EMS has them listed at 149.99 and if you wait for a sale, you can score even harder.
I generally have pretty hot and thus wet feet after a day of hiking. So much so, that I love changing my socks midhike. After pulling these puppies off at the end of a hike my feet were actually dry- shocking. The Montara's utilize EVENT technology for waterproofing which is supposedly more breathable yet just as waterproof. I can definitely attest to the breathability...

Downside so far...

I feel like their soles may not be quite as sticky on rocks as my previous boots. Still better than most shoes, just not quite so sticky.
Less stiff and feel less supportive than other boots to me. Like I said, I have very flat feet so I am interested to see how I will do on longer than ten mile hikes.

Things I still need to find out about...

I haven't had the boots in really wet weather yet, so I'm not exactly sure how waterproof they are. The EVENT technology is touted to be more breathable and still waterproof, but quite frankly I hate wet feet so if my little toes become wet I may be back to ground zero.
Because they are lighter and less stiff, I wonder how long they will last in comparison to the Styngers. My Styngers lasted forever. Like I said before- trade offs and compromises. I'll gladly take no blisters and replace the boots more frequently instead.
I'm a little worried about the sturdiness of the top eyelets. I need my boots pretty snug to keep the blisters at bay and these eyelets seem a little flimsy. We'll see....

Disclaimer: Product Reviews are based on opinion only and are not intended to condone, encourage, or promote a product. Some products are sent to me by the manufacturer or affiliates and are mine to keep. I mention this specifically on products sent to me. Compensation and/or product and/or services never interfere with the review of the product. Otherwise, products and services are purchased by me for personal use. The boots were purchased by me.

Mount Liberty and Flume 6.1.2013

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:41:00 +0000

Via Flume Slide Trail

Our hiking season started off with a snowy bang on Memorial Day for Mount Moosilauke, where we were greeted with fresh snowfall, snowdrifts of six inches, and massive mud puddles. Truthfully-- that's the kind of crap I like-- the sort of unexpected weather (while being prepared that is!).

The following weekend we decided to trek up two other familiar favorites-- Liberty and Flume. Last year Mount Liberty and Flume were numbers 10 and 11 on our 4,000 Footer list. At that time, we had elected to do an out and back hike, mainly because it was shorter (by around .5 miles- so minuscule) but also because I'm scared to death of heights these days.

So this time, in order to try challenge ourselves we elected to hike the Flume Slide Trail, which would give us a nice loop over the two peaks. Summer weekends can have these two popular mountains packed with vacationers and day hikers, so getting back up to see the amazing views before the crowds was an excellent idea.

Flume Slide Trail is a stellar, killer hike. I've read all sorts of different trail reports-- for some people it's not that steep or challenging and for others it's a haul. For us, we found it to be rugged and a challenge, but not what I like to call "a suffer fest." Many sections of the trail were extremely wet despite the relatively dry weather prior to our hike. I would only expect with the recent tsunami-like rain we've been getting in New Hampshire that the trail conditions continue to be wet and slick.

Looking at Mount Flume

The Top of Mount Flume

Mount Liberty from Mount Flume

The trail winds through a nice forested area, crisscrossing over a small stream several times. Our hike was accompanied by humid and hot weather, so it was nice to dip our faces and heads into the cool water. The trail later turns into a rocky scramble up sheer rock. It's manageable with footholds and handholds, but really tricky when wet.

Liberty Under a Cloud Shadow From Mount Flume (this is one of those peaks that looks ridiculously far away after you just killed yourself up one mountain)

We stopped near the top to down our sandwiches and bumped into a friendly hiker with his two dogs. I think the dogs handled the scrambles better than me! It's always great to see how even the smallest amongst us can handle tough terrain. This hiker and his dogs are roughly at around the same number for 4,000 footers after just starting last year and since we both saved many of the longer hikes for last-- we may be seeing more of each other!

Hikers on Top of Flume

Mount Flume with Waterville in the Distance

The views atop Liberty and Flume are absolutely amazing. I never get over the way the clouds cast shadows on top of the mountains and while I love the feeling of isolation in the middle of the wilderness, I'll take this busy, but scenic view any day...

Hiking the 4,000 Footers: Mount Moosilauke 5.27.2013

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Gorge Brook Trail

To kick off our 2013 hiking, we decided to trek back up a familiar peak- Mount Moosilauke- in order to get ourselves back into shape for hiking our 4,000 Footer list.

(We had big plans to work on our Winter List this year, but let's face it- life gets in the way sometimes! For our plain 'ol 4,000 Footer list we have a lot of the big peaks and treks left- the Bonds, Isolation, etc., so we may be hiking peaks we've already hiked in order to prep.)

Memorial Day weekend gave us four days in a row to hike and we were so pumped! Until we saw the weather reports that is... Turns out Memorial Day weekend was basically a wash up here in New Hampshire. We had serious rain paired with winds and unseasonable cold temps. So we had only one day to really get a hike in and that was on Memorial Day itself.

The conditions were manageable, but extremely poor. You basically saw all your typical spring thaw conditions-- mud, mud and more mud. And did I mention snow? That too.

The lower end of the trail was extremely wet and muddy, making the trail slippery and slow going. As we climbed higher the trail became snowy and muddy and the trees began to melt away the snow stuck to their branches so it was almost raining on us.

Above treeline the snow was much deeper- maybe drifts of close to a foot. It would have been helpful with traction, but it wasn't necessary. Wind speeds were amazing on our hike! At the top sustained speeds had us hunched over and gusts knocked us around.

(I know- we are totally a Marmot commercial!)

The good news is as we hiked down the snow appeared to be melting quickly! So there may not be as much snow on Moosilauke for those who head out next weekend.

Camper of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Source

AMC Huts 125th Year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:56:00 +0000

Natural Collections

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:18:00 +0000

I recently started my own collection of striped rocks. And I've been inspired by so many other forms of natural collections...

My own collection of rocks.

Source

Camper of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:08:00 +0000

Source

Cabin of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Source

Tiny Greenhouses

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:55:00 +0000

I have long been a fan of the tiny trend- tiny houses, tiny cabins, tiny cars. Since we aren't in the market to build our own tiny cabin quite yet, I've decided to spend this cold wintery day dreaming up plans for a tiny greenhouse.

Source

The key to a tiny greenhouse is salvaged materials. Many creative builders across the web have demonstrated what a few discarded windows can give you. Whenever I see windows at yard sales I scoop them up because even if you aren't going to build a tiny greenhouse, you could certainly use the windows for a simple removable cold frame.

Source (links to Finnish Company)

Thoughtful placement is also a very important aspect to the tiny greenhouse. Maximize your passive heating and energy by locating the windows to the south, where the most direct sunlight will help warm up the greenhouse.

Source

The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Do Eskimos really have the largest snow vocabularies? For years, linguists have theorized that Eskimos in fact have accumulated the largest vocabularies in regards to snow, also known as the Sapir-Wharf hypothesis. The main idea being, that the more you know something, the more you experience it and the more you think, see, and touch something the greater your variety of language around it. Since Eskimos have vast experiences with snow, the idea that they may have the most varied and complex ways to describe it sounds logical.

Over the years "The Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax" has countered this hypothesis, stating that Eskimos in fact do not have the largest snow vocabularies. Linguists behind the Hoax theory point out that several Eskimo languages (Inuit, Yupik) vary their root words by adding any number of prefixes to them. By changing their root words in this way, Eskimos have dozens upon dozens of ways to really describe anything, not just snow.

So it seems that Eskimo languages are really more flexible in the way that they create vocabulary by adding prefixes, not that they have the largest snow vocabularies. Although the idea behind the Sapir- Wharf hypothesis still resonates with me. Based on the winter we have had here in New England my snow vocabulary is certainly growing (up to 12 different words!). Care to add to the list? Let me know what I am missing...

snow. powder. dusting. fluff. hardpack. slush. sleet. snowflake. flurry. avalanche. hail. frost.

Maddie the Coonhound

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:14:00 +0000

Misty's idol is Maddie the Coonhound. She admires her amazing balance, modeling skills, and knack for hamming it up in front of the camera.

Source

Now Maddie the Coonhound has come out with a book Maddie On Things, which Misty of course, can't wait to get her paws on. And Maddie is going on a book tour! Hopefully near us!

Maddie Book Tour! from This Wild Idea on Vimeo.

Cabin of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:02:00 +0000

Source

A cabin with one side open to the view. Add that to my list.

How to Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:44:00 +0000

Walking: A Masterclass from Ace Greenhorn on Vimeo.

A Masterclass in Walking. This is the video I've been waiting all my life for ;) ;) Seriously hilarious video on how to walk. I highly recommend checking out more in his "masterclass" (think how to throw; how to eat; how to recognize basic shapes)

Throwing: A Masterclass from Ace Greenhorn on Vimeo.

My Dream Cabin

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:32:00 +0000

Source

My dream cabin will be the perfect combination of a cabin and a house- preferably with a view.

Several acres of land. With chickens. And Gardens. Solar Energy. Honeybees. Maple trees for sugaring. A loft. Sliding barn doors. Rope swing. A pig. Squash patch. Wrap around porch. Fireplace. Stonewall. Picnic Table. Garden full of Hens and Chickens. Tree house. Tiny house nearby for company. Wood stove. One of these:

source

Nearby Trails. A barn. Nut bearing trees. Wild asparagus. Room for too many bikes. Space for a camper. Lots of sunlight. Nearby stream. Smokehouse. Greenhouse. Cold hoops. Firepit. One of these:

Source

Screened in porch. Solar powered mason jars. Passive heating. Self sustaining. Compost. Wind energy. Outdoor kitchen. Bathtub under the trees. One of these:

Source

What does your dream cabin have?

Keeping it Real

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:07:00 +0000

It's always this time of the year that I start to feel ready for winter to end. It's been fun, but I've had my fill. Sure I love snowshoeing and hiking in the winter, but really driving to work in a decent amount of time sounds like it would be a lot better...

To help perk up my mood and remind me that, yes, there are bits of earth and leaves and things under all that snow, I dug up these videos from this fall. Both are from Mount Eisenhower.

Also, on a side note- thank you to everyone that comments, emails, and gets in touch with me- I truly appreciate every single note and every single follower of this blog. I've spent a lot of time digging through my posts from this past year and if there is one word to capture it all I would say-- fun. It has been freakin' fun and I can't wait to keep the adventure going this year!

Making Trail Signs: Behind the Scenes at the AMC

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:09:00 +0000

Nature Journal: Tree Rings

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill

What can a simple cross section of a tree reveal? Much more than just it's age to the savvy well-trained eye. Each year a tree forms a new tree ring, which is essentially a new layer of cambium, the layer of the tree responsible for moving food and nutrients between the roots and the tree itself. By counting these rings the tree's age can easily be determined. Spend a bit more time and examine the distance between the rings and you may learn about the tree's life.

Tight narrow tree rings indicate less favorable conditions than the wider more generously spaced rings.The spacing between the rings reveals a story about the tree's life and environmental conditions. A tree with narrow rings may be a tree that suffered through a multi-year drought or perhaps encountered difficulty finding enough nutrients, sun, or proper soil composition. Sudden widening of rings may indicate a larger competitor for light had fallen that year.

Enjoy the study of tree rings as much as I do? Check out the book Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill. Gill is an artist who makes his own one of kind stamped images from tree rings.

Cabin of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:50:00 +0000

Source

Make a Mini Survival Kit in iPhone Case

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:58:00 +0000

Inspired by Field & Stream's Make a Survival Kit out of an Altoids Tin I decided to make a mini survival kit in an iphone case.

My case includes:

Extra tough extra large Band-aids
Several additional Band-aids
Waterproof matches
Mechanical Pencil wrapped in pink Duct Tape
Tube of Neosporin
Tube of Vaseline soaked cotton balls for fire starting

Ways to improve it and things to add:

fishing line
pocket knife
small compass
mini flashlight

Check out Field & Stream's article for a great comprehensive list on the last page of things to include in your kit.

The Art of the Holz Hausen Woodpile

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:33:00 +0000

If you have ever had a woodpile avalanche--- the sudden spill of your neatly stacked woodpile into a messy pile--- you've probably thought- there has to be a better way! Enter the Holz Hausen woodpile, a method of stacking wood in a cylindric pile that allows for better air circulation (think better drying!) and more security if built properly.

source

The Holz Hausen's circular form allows air to "chimney" up through the center of the wood creating it's own circulation system, thus drier wood. It's considered more stable than your traditional woodpile because it utilizes a circle as a base. Plus, all those random small and oddly shaped pieces of wood have a home in the Holz Hausen! No more oddly leaning woodpile with random slices of wood sitting around waiting for a spot.

Quite frankly a Holz Hausen woodpile calls to the passerbys and onlookers. I can't tell you how many people used to comment on ours. It's sort of a backwoods tourist attraction.

Interested in a more detailed how-to? Check out this video....

Stacking Wood

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:15:00 +0000

There is nothing more satisfying than stacking your own wood into a neat little woodpile. It’s been several years since we have heated by wood, but I remember it fondly each time we venture off to one of our favorite vacation spots in Northern Maine.

Source

A carefully planned, stacked, and dried woodpile means easier living in the winter months. Placed nearby a door and you can pop in and out with the winter winds are blowing and grab a few pieces without freezing your buns off.

Wood is purchased by a measurement called a cord. One cord of wood is equal to roughly 4x8 feet of stacked wood or roughly 128 cubic feet. A few cords of wood will warm a small to medium sized house for a winter.

Just as there are this is more than one way to skin a cat, there is more than one way to stack your firewood.When determining where to stack your wood, look for someplace with a lot of direct sun to help dry out the wood. Having a garage wall or gate to line the wood up against is also a great idea and should still dry appropriately given time.

The most traditional way to stack wood is by creating a long single stack of wood. Stack a few pieces at a time and then turn the next line of wood in the opposite direction. This is called cribbing and is absolutely necessary to avoid an avalanche of wood when the wind blows. By the way, nothing stacks wood quicker than stopping to sip a beer. So I definitely recommend considering that as well.

Origins of the New England Stonewalls

noreply@blogger.com (Betty Mountain Girl) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:40:00 +0000

A lifelong New Englander, I have always thought the many hundreds upon hundreds of stonewalls that litter our region were originally property markers that marked the edges of owners land. It turns out that these amazing (and backbreaking!) works were originally built for an entirely different purpose.

In the early 1800s the United States government placed a tariff on all goods from England and this included wool and wool products. The need for wool for early settlers was great as it was a good that could spun, woven, or knitted at home to create warm clothing and blankets. Roughly the same time, a small flock of merino sheep were introduced to the area and their incredibly soft wool was highly prized. Not long after, a "sheep craze" took over the area and nearly every small farm had their own flock.

Keeping the thousands of sheep in separate fields across the region was no easy feat. Acres and acres of forested land were cut down for grazing fields for the sheep. In fact, the deforestation of New Hampshire and Vermont in the mid 1800s was due, in large part, to this sheep craze.

Soon farmers were building very large (four feet tall) stone walls to keep their tiny hoved flocks together. Since a flock of sheep could ravage someones crops in short time, these high walls were enforced by law and fines were high for any field found lacking.

Betty Mountain Girl

Hiking the 4,000 Footers: Mount Carter 7.4.2013

Mount Osceola and East Osceola 6.15.2013

Product Review: AHNU Montara Women's Hiking Boots Initial Thoughts

Mount Liberty and Flume 6.1.2013

Hiking the 4,000 Footers: Mount Moosilauke 5.27.2013

Camper of the Week

AMC Huts 125th Year Anniversary

Natural Collections

Camper of the Week

Cabin of the Week

Tiny Greenhouses

The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax

Maddie the Coonhound

Cabin of the Week

How to Walk

More Hiking Videos

My Dream Cabin

Keeping it Real

Making Trail Signs: Behind the Scenes at the AMC

Nature Journal: Tree Rings

Cabin of the Week

Make a Mini Survival Kit in iPhone Case

The Art of the Holz Hausen Woodpile

Stacking Wood

Origins of the New England Stonewalls