This past August I met up with my best friend in Anchorage, Alaska to start our week long adventure hiking and road tripping up and down the state. She moved out to Oakland, California two years ago while I remained in Boston, and we figured it would be a great adventure to have a reunion someplace we’ve never visited before. Since Alaska was on both of our bucket lists, we thought it would be the perfect destination. After flying in to Anchorage and spending the first night at a local hostel, we drove 5 hours up to Denali National Park where we spent three nights camping within the park and hiking as much as possible. The highlight of the park was the Savage Alpine Trail, a 4 mile point-to-point hike that gains 1,000 feet within the first mile. At its highest point, the trail reaches 4,116 feet. When choosing which end to start at, we tapped into the knowledge of the experienced campground hostess, an elderly woman who spends half her year living on the campground in her jetstream, and the other half in Florida. She seemed like the kind of woman who would be a warm den mother, but threaten her babies and she would not think twice about taking you out, so we felt we could trust her. Via her recommendation, we decided to take the bus from our campsite to the far end of the trailhead, which would allow us to end our hike just across the street from the campground. Though it’s the steeper route, it would prevent us from having to wait for a bus to take us back. Continue reading “Hike Denali: The Savage Alpine Trail”
Hike Up Stinson Mountain, NH
This past January I was missing the mountains of NH so I figured it was time for another winter hike! With fresh snow on the ground, we knew it was going to be a hard day up Stinson Mountain (2900′), but that didn’t diminish our spirits. In the early morning, we made breakfast, gathered our gear, and packed the car. Getting to the trailhead in Rumney, NH was a breeze, even though we faltered a little when we saw a few cars parked half a mile down the lightly powdered Lower Doe Town Road instead of at the actual parking area. Still, we proceeded on and had the little lot to ourselves. I mean, c’mon people, it’s was barely an inch! Continue reading “Hike Up Stinson Mountain, NH”
Hiking Mt. Osceola
A few weeks ago my cousin sent me a message asking if she could go on a hike with my aunt and I, which of course I immediately said yes to. It had been a few weeks since my last trip up North and I was itching to get back to the mountains, so her timing was perfect. Though the three of us spent an evening scouring over our maps, we ultimately knew Mt. Osceola was going to be the winner for this trip. Standing at an awesome 4,314 feet, it’s part of the New Hampshire 4,000 footer club and promised a breathtaking view at the top. It had caught my eye last winter, but when I went to explore the trail head, the gate was locked and a sign read ‘Closed November to May’. A week into May I went back again and the gate remained locked, but now that it was halfway through June, I knew it was truly time to tackle it. Continue reading “Hiking Mt. Osceola”
Sandstone Peak Hike
At one point during my stay in California, I had hiked almost all of the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. So I figured it was time to hike to the top. The highest point is 3,111 ft., which is not very high compared to summits like Mt. Whitney, but it was an important milestone for me and I believe for my friend who was such a good sport letting me drag her miles away to hike two to three times every week for four months. There were two different trails to choose from. Each led to the same spot, but one was long and the other short. We had class that night so we decided on the short trail. Of course, we all know what the combination of short and elevation leads to: steepness. This fact was not overlooked, but it was not nerve-inducing either. I was too excited to worry so I quickly packed my bag and left for the journey. Continue reading “Sandstone Peak Hike”
Solstice Canyon Hike
The Solstice Canyon hike is in the area of the Santa Monica mountains that stretches into Malibu. It was the first trail I hiked in that area and was one of my favorite hikes during my time in Southern California. Many of the trails I hiked in Malibu were only accessible via narrow, winding roads along enormous canyon walls and within extremely small towns. Can a place even be considered a town if it’s population only consist of 12 people? The answer is yes, and it’s located in a Malibu Canyon. Thankfully for this hike, the trail head was right off the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and actually provided two paved parking lots, but a late arrival will most likely lead to you driving a little farther up the mountain and parking on the side of the road. Continue reading “Solstice Canyon Hike”
What Happens When You’re Not Prepared For a Hike: Franconian Ridge Loop
After doing some research based on a friend’s recommendation, I found that there are a few lodges throughout the White Mountains that provide shelter for hikers. You have to pay and reserve bunks ahead of time, but it’s great if you don’t want to carry a tent or large amounts of food with you on your overnight hike. It’s a great space for Appalachian Trail hikers as well. My Dad and I wanted to do an overnight hiking trip together, but didn’t have the right gear for us both to camp out on the trail. So this was the perfect solution. We chose the greenleaf hut because it seemed to be tucked away in a beautiful location and the cabin seemed to retain a rustic charm. This is a great article to read if you’re thinking about choosing a hut to stay at.
Continue reading “What Happens When You’re Not Prepared For a Hike: Franconian Ridge Loop”
Hiking Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary
This past weekend I spent time on Martha’s Vineyard visiting my best friend and her mother. Saturday afternoon, after eating a delicious lunch, we braced ourselves for the chilly rain as we entered the Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary to go on a hike/nature walk. We drove down a long winding dirt road off of a back area of the Vineyard in West Tisbury. After just a few minutes we arrived at a wide, dirt parking lot. There was a large map and a stack of pamphlets at the trail head. Though the protected wilderness area was extensive, the different walking paths all connected, which made it very hard for visitors to get lost. Continue reading “Hiking Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary”
How to Survive Getting Lost in the Desert: Vasquez Rocks Hike
This hike was one of the most eventful hikes that I have ever done. I don’t mean that in the normal, there were really cool rocks (even though there were), I mean it in the sense that we got into some dangerous situations that we were not prepared for. Just like with Joshua Tree, I wanted to hike within an ecosystem that I was not used to. So my friend and I made the hour drive North East from LA to Agua Dulce on a rainy Sunday afternoon. We passed giant fields of oil drills as we weaved in and out of the canyons. Since the rain was just a sprinkle, we didn’t worry too much about rock slides or anything of the like as we drove to our destination. Continue reading “How to Survive Getting Lost in the Desert: Vasquez Rocks Hike”
A Winter Hike In The Blue Hills Reservation
Since the temperatures are beginning to drop and the end of the year is fast approaching, I thought I’d talk about a great winter hike that people of all skill levels can do. The Blue Hills Reservation in Milton is a beautiful hike that can be done without driving far from Boston. Since it can get crowded during the summer, the winter months are the perfect times to hike it. There are a couple of loop trails, some out and back trails, and some basic nature walks to choose from. Click here for a link to the map that they provide on their website. Continue reading “A Winter Hike In The Blue Hills Reservation”
Avoiding A Rainstorm While Hiking Joshua Tree
My friend and I decided to go hiking in an environment we rarely got a chance to experience during our time in California. Joshua Tree is unique because it hosts two different types of desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado. This creates a beautiful mix of vegetation and wildlife. It took a three hour drive in an unreliable car to get us to the desert location of Joshua Tree, but we knew it was an adventure worth the trip. Driving inland from Los Angeles was an interesting experience. As the palm trees faded away, windmills began to take their place. Soon, we were surrounded by hundreds of them towering over us. It was an extremely windy day so they were ferociously spinning. I felt like I was in a Don Quixote story. For a long stretch of time, those windmills were the only things that related us back to civilization. Everything else that surrounded us was desolate. This felt a bit eerie, but soon we found ourselves driving in between hills that eventually opened up to a small desert town. Continue reading “Avoiding A Rainstorm While Hiking Joshua Tree”
Memoirs From The Trails 