North and South Kinsman. October 21, 2018

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Basin Cascades, Cascade Brook, Kinsman Pond and Kinsman Ridge trails, 3,450 feet of elevation gain, 11.0 miles

Alex and I had a lot of schoolwork to do on the day we did our hike of the Kinsmans, so we started at first light.  We went from the Basin instead of the usual Fishin' Jimmy approach, since we felt like having a bit of variety.

Along the first mile or so of the trail, there are many little pools and waterfalls; it is very beautiful.

We headed up...

The leaves made a colorful carpet on the ground all around us.

We reached Kinsman Pond Trail and did the rock hop along the stream/trail; there was moss everywhere!

Unfortunately, my phone battery died at this point.  Mom's camera is responsible for the remaining photos.

After climbing up and over many rocks, we reached Kinsman Pond.  The very top of the pond was mostly frozen over, and the trees around it were covered in frost; it truly felt like winter!

Photo by Trish Herr

We looked up toward the summit of North Kinsman...

Photo by Trish Herr

From here, we walked through the Kinsman Pond campsite and headed up to North Kinsman.  When we got there, we checked out the viewpoint but could only see cloud.

Photo by Trish Herr

Together, we went down to the col between North and South Kinsman.  There, since Alex and Mom do not need South Kinsman for the Grid and I do, I moved on to the mountain alone while Alex and Mom hung out near the col.  When I got to the summit, I could see frost on every tree; it looked like Christmas.

I reached the summit of South Kinsman.

I walked back to Alex and Mom, and we climbed back up and over North Kinsman, and then down to Kinsman Pond.  It was easier than we thought it would be to climb down the water-rocks-path of Kinsman Pond Trail, and before we knew it, we were at the intersection with Cascade Brook Trail.

Photo by Trish Herr

A short time after that, Mom, Alex, and I were at Basin-Cascade Trail, and then the huge Basin trailhead.  The hike had been the first one this season with near winter conditions as far as temperatures and wind chill go; we are officially heading into winter!

Moriah. October 7, 2018

Carter-Moriah Trail, 3,550 feet of elevation gain, 9.0 miles

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Mom, Alex, and I set off on the trail up Moriah in full daylight.  It was flat for a while, but then it started to go up moderately.

It was a cool October day, but we delayered quickly, as we were hot from the hard exercise.

The sunlight mixed with the beautiful fall leaves, which were in peak foliage, created memorable, gorgeous scenes whenever we looked up.

Mom took the lead as we headed up...

This leaf caught my attention.  The water droplets were beautiful.

Here are some pictures of fall foliage we saw on the trail.  These are just a few examples, however; there were many more.

We passed Mt. Surprise and continued up Mt. Moriah...

We eventually made it to Mt. Moriah to a cloudy sky with no views; however, there was a nice breeze that cooled us down. 

Photo by Trish Herr

Photo by Trish Herr

 After a short break, we headed back down.

Mom going down the ledges...

After a moderate decent, we made it to the flat part of the trail.  Breezing down to the parking lot, we took note of the colorful leaves that were all over the path.

Alex and I took out our school work in the car with new focus, as the physical exercise and nature had refreshed us and given us a good break.  The trek had been filled with good company and beautiful fall colors. 

Waumbek. September 30, 2018

Starr King trail, 2,650 feet of elevation, 7.2 miles

See Alex's blog post about her and Mom's hike; it will be posted shortly.

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On this hike, I went 15 minutes ahead of Alex and Mom, so I started in darkness.  The trail was relatively moderate, and it flew by. 

Eventually, I made it to Starr King.  There was a bit of an undercast (that seems to be happening a lot lately) and, paired with the early morning sun, the views were breath-taking.

I headed over to Waumbek...

Before I knew it, I was at the summit.  The path between Starr King and Waumbek is so easy and moderate it usually feels less than one mile long.

I continued to the view point and sat down to wait for Alex and Mom.  There was a view of the Presidentials, and I could even see the summit buildings on Mount Washington.

After a while, Alex and Mom came and we all said hello to each other.  I then started to head down the mountain while they had their summit break.

Looking through the woods at the mountains in the distance...

I continued down towards the car.

Yay!  I got to the car and waited for Alex and Mom to catch up with me.

When they did, we put our gear in the trunk of the car and drove away.  We talked about our experiences and agreed that it had been a chilly, but beautiful, morning hike.