After a lovely outing yesterday at Walden Pond, we decided to continue with our great start in the new year and pack up the snowshoes again. This time we chose Pisgah Mountain in Northborough, MA. This trail has slightly more elevation gain, nothing compared to what we are used to. But its a new year, new location so we need to be flexible. Well, it didn't work out so well. We got a late start and when we left the house the temp with the wind chill was a frosty 12 degrees.
Despite the weather we pulled Lander (our Toyota Highlander) out of the driveway and headed out to the trail. About halfway there it started snowing again but the snow melted immediately upon impact so it was probably going to be a wet day. It was already 2:30pm and we decided that we may be pushing our luck and getting ourselves into a dangerous situation. Figuring that the trail would be about 3 miles long and due to the days being shorter this time of year it would be a safe guess that we would still be in the woods at darkness. Not something I personally like getting myself into during the winter. We have a pack with food, fire starting materials and plenty of water- by no means will this matter as far as shelter is concerned.
I have always said that I can survive stranded in the woods in the summer no problem but the winter is another story. I will admit although I like getting out snowshoeing, I also value being able to hop into the car and arrive safely at my warm and cozy apartment with a steaming hot chocolate on my lap. I don't think I could last in below freezing temps in the woods with a foot of snow on the ground. Alright nough said about that.
So we scrapped the outing altogether and decided to visit my most favorite store in the whole world... drum role please... REI. Yes, folks I could buy everything in this store if I had the adequate funds. We picked up a necessity for us a snowshoeing book for the whole of New England- SCORE! Through my research, I've found that not too many sites offer info on local snowshoe trails and trips on the east coast so this book is essential. I never recommend tromping into the woods without a map or explanation of the trail you are on. Better safe than sorry.
The book we picked up is Snowshoe Routes New England. By Diane Bair and Pamela Wright. Areas covered are Mass, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Can't wait to get out and actually utilize this great find.
This weekend we hope to go to Pisgah State Park in Chesterfield, NH. More info on that to come.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
First Hike of the New Year
Well,
It has been quite a while since we have spent a decent amount of time outdoors. Partially due the holidays but also due to a relocation from Oregon to the east coast. Now after much time spent settling into our new apartment and long overdue visiting with family, we have finally decided to get some fresh air.
After some fresh powder blessed us this past weekend we broke out the snow shoes and decided to test them out on some east coast terrain. We drove to Walden Pond in Concord, MA. It appeared to be a nice start off to the season... 1.7 miles around a pond. No great elevation gain, so we gave it a shot. To our dissapointment, we didn't even pull our snow shoes out of the trunk upon arrival. This is partially our fault for having high expectations. Coming from Oregon back country in the mountains where the snow depth is above the summer time hiking signs nailed to trees, we were slightly disapointed when we discovered other fellow outdoorsey types tramping along the trail in winter boots. Anyways... we were outside and gave it a go. We followed suit and walked along the trail that surrounded the pond. It was quite beautiful in the snow. There was also quite a few cross-country ski trails radiating off the main trail and we made a mental note to get cross-country skis in the future. Below are some pics of the solitude we found.
All in all it was a good way to spend New Years Day. Starting 2010 off right. Goodness, I can't believe it is a new decade!
It has been quite a while since we have spent a decent amount of time outdoors. Partially due the holidays but also due to a relocation from Oregon to the east coast. Now after much time spent settling into our new apartment and long overdue visiting with family, we have finally decided to get some fresh air.
After some fresh powder blessed us this past weekend we broke out the snow shoes and decided to test them out on some east coast terrain. We drove to Walden Pond in Concord, MA. It appeared to be a nice start off to the season... 1.7 miles around a pond. No great elevation gain, so we gave it a shot. To our dissapointment, we didn't even pull our snow shoes out of the trunk upon arrival. This is partially our fault for having high expectations. Coming from Oregon back country in the mountains where the snow depth is above the summer time hiking signs nailed to trees, we were slightly disapointed when we discovered other fellow outdoorsey types tramping along the trail in winter boots. Anyways... we were outside and gave it a go. We followed suit and walked along the trail that surrounded the pond. It was quite beautiful in the snow. There was also quite a few cross-country ski trails radiating off the main trail and we made a mental note to get cross-country skis in the future. Below are some pics of the solitude we found.
All in all it was a good way to spend New Years Day. Starting 2010 off right. Goodness, I can't believe it is a new decade!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Oahu, HI
For our 1st wedding anniversary we decided to do something special and take a trip. We found a great deal for Oahu, HI and jumped at the opportunity. After a 6 hour flight and 1 layover we arrived in paradise. The humidity hit immediately after walking out of the airport and into the warm Hawaiian night. We grabbed our luggage and headed straight for the shuttle to Waikiki beach. We checked in to the Marriot resort and spa and were lucky enough to be placed in a room with a breath taking view of the ocean. Since the night was still young we decided to head out onto the bustling Waikiki strip to find some dinner and see the sights.
Unbeknownst to us, we had scheduled our vacation during the Pan-Pacific Festival. The Pan-Pacific Festival is an event where all the Polynesian cultures from across the globe converge on Oahu to show their dancing, food and culture to tourists. There was a Hula show, parade, food and gift stalls among other activities. We lucked out with this as we now did not have to figure out which Hulu show to drop $100/person because the Pan-Pacific festival was the same idea and free. After a few days of relaxing on the beach we decided to rent a car and venture to other parts of the island. We hiked Diamond head which had amazing views of the ocean and Honolulu. We also explored the North Shore, where we found Turtle Beach, Shave Ice, and incredible under currents. We drove inland and saw the Pali lookout and the natural Hawaii. We also went snorkeling at Hunauma bay and saw hundreds of tropical fish.
On the 5th day of our vacation my Mom and Caral showed up at our hotel and surprised us. It was exciting because we had invited them to plan a trip with us but they had declined due to work scheduling. Little did we know that they pulled some strings and decided to join us after all. The rest of the vacation we spent lounging on the beach, visiting the Pearl Harbor memorial, shopping and swimming. What a wonderful 1st trip to Hawaii. We can't wait to go back!
Below is a slide show of our trip.
Mahalo,
Erica and Keo
Unbeknownst to us, we had scheduled our vacation during the Pan-Pacific Festival. The Pan-Pacific Festival is an event where all the Polynesian cultures from across the globe converge on Oahu to show their dancing, food and culture to tourists. There was a Hula show, parade, food and gift stalls among other activities. We lucked out with this as we now did not have to figure out which Hulu show to drop $100/person because the Pan-Pacific festival was the same idea and free. After a few days of relaxing on the beach we decided to rent a car and venture to other parts of the island. We hiked Diamond head which had amazing views of the ocean and Honolulu. We also explored the North Shore, where we found Turtle Beach, Shave Ice, and incredible under currents. We drove inland and saw the Pali lookout and the natural Hawaii. We also went snorkeling at Hunauma bay and saw hundreds of tropical fish.
On the 5th day of our vacation my Mom and Caral showed up at our hotel and surprised us. It was exciting because we had invited them to plan a trip with us but they had declined due to work scheduling. Little did we know that they pulled some strings and decided to join us after all. The rest of the vacation we spent lounging on the beach, visiting the Pearl Harbor memorial, shopping and swimming. What a wonderful 1st trip to Hawaii. We can't wait to go back!
Below is a slide show of our trip.
Mahalo,
Erica and Keo
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