I think that I am free Sunday and I am looking for a hike. Anything is cool, but a nice White Mountains hike would be cool.

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I'm aiming for the coming weekend. I am still trying to cajole some more people into going.

I'll drop you a line when I get a date set.

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How fit are you feeling?

I'm tempted to push the easy arethusa falls hike off a weekend, cuz Lynn (and maybe leaf??) can make it a week later, but not this weekend.

There are a bunch of different hikes I have on my 'to do' list, so lemme know what kinda mileage/elevation gain you feel like, and we can pick something out.

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I'm feeling pretty good about a hike, to the level that I would do Washington.

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Here's what I'm thinking of:

Do you know where Crawford Depot is? The old train station where they are building the highland center?

Saturday or Sunday? You'd probably have to leave about 6AM, meet at the parking around 10AM.

~4 hour drive: Rt 93N -> 3N -> 302S

Avalon Tr @ Crawford Depot Cumulatives
->A-Z Trail 1.3mi 800ft 1h5m +1h5m +800
A-Z Trail
->Mt. Tom Spur 1.0mi 1000ft 1h +2h5m +1800
Mt. Tom Spur
->Mt. Tom 0.6mi 350ft 30m +2h35m +2150
Mt. Tom Spur
->Willey Range 0.6mi 350ft 30m +3h5m +2500
Willey Range Tr
->Mt. Field 0.9 650ft 1h +4h5m +3150
->Mt. Willey 1.4mi 400ft 1h15m +5h20m +3550

Willey Range Tr @ Mt. Willey
->Avalon Tr 1.4mi 400ft 1h15m +6h35m +3950
Mt. Field/Avalon
->Crawford 2.8mi -2400ft 2h35m +9h10m

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Hi Jon,

I will meet you at the Crawford Center. I do not know exactly where it is at the moment, but I will drop you a line if I am unable to locate it later today.

I may be meeting you solo, or I may have some friends, not sure at this point. I have yet to check the weather, etc.

Matt

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Look for my red ford explorer sport trac.

Make sure everybody brings their own:
-some kinda pack/bag
-at least 2 liters of water
-lunch
-plenty of snax
-something to protect you from the rain & wind
-somethign for if it gets cold
-sturdy footwear

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Will do, anyone who is coming will either be an experienced hiker or have a partner who is one.

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"Hiking" conjures up images of special gear and special skills, and a fear that I will lack both and thereby be unable to keep up.

If you said "hey, want to go for a walk," I'd follow you right up the side of some sizeable hill or something. But "hiking"... I won't be wearing the right shoes, or I'll be carrying the wrong pack, or despite being in ok shape I'll be winded in just the first minutes, and you'll mock me. :(

That's the fear, anyway, at least for me. Maybe your friends who are "out of shape" know that you go out regularly, and think that they won't be able to keep up?

I have no idea what "1500 ft of elevation" feels like. I do know that 4 hours of walking is something I do often enough that I'd be fine, but I doubt that is true for many people you know. I also know that New Hampshire isn't all that near me, and that my one pair of probably ok sneakers got rather wrecked by walking in the rain. Would I regret trying to hike in Tevas?

Oh, the other problem is that I have daytime plans Saturday and Sunday of both this weekend and next, which brings us to the 4th of July weekend.

Besides, you probably think I'm way too weird to be seen with ;P

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Hiking like this isn't much more than a stroll in the woods. I mean, you wanna have plenty o water, sunblock, sunglasses, snax, and somebody who knows where they're going (me).

By 'right' shoes you could wear hiking boots, but on something like this, you can probably get away with solid sneakers.

You would probably get a little bit sweaty, so stuff like cotton that retains water isn't gonna be much fun.

As for falling behind, that would be impossible, I move like a slug. Way slower than everybody else. You'd be mocking me, I'm sure!

1500ft of elevation gain is not that bad. It will definitely give your muscles a work out, but thats a good thing, right?

And you're DEFINITELY too weird to be seen with, but I'd want you to come anyway =)

Although I know where you probably saw my last post about this, I didn't particularly have those people in mind when I made my journal post. I have another group of friends I used to do this type of thing with, mostly when I lived in Brookline, and they've all gone sedentary. That last email I sent, I wasn't expecting a reply from anybody but Kevin really, but I didn't want them to feel left out if we went and they saw the pix later!

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Outdoor activities are bad. Sure, I love the fresh air and sunshine, but I get plenty on the walk from my house to my car, and then from the car to wherever I'm going. Every now and then a friend and I walk a few miles in an attempt at exercise, but it has to be very nice out for that to happen. If my friends really push me, I'll spend an afternoon at the beach. Otherwise, I'm not the kind of person you'd want on a hike: I'm allergic to everything, afraid of bugs and I don't like to get dirty. But if you ever need someone for a shopping trip or a dining adventure, let me know!

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Heh. I am trying NOT to shop until I'm employed again. As soon as I get another job I'm gonna need new clothes though!

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I go to the blues a lot. Usually during the week though when most people are working. Whats your schedule look like?

I always plan the whole thing and then announce it. Trying to get a bunch of people to decide on a time and place is impossible!

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Let me know when you are back, and we can zip around the skyline trail!

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It is supposed to rain all day up by the mountains. I will look for email from you in the morning before I depart, just in case you decide to cancel due to the weather.

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I was hoping it was going to clear up, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Lets hold off for another weekend.

Besides, I have that surgery on monday, so I'll probably be distracted and lead us off into the woods!

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Righto. Best of luck tomorrow!

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