Scenery Junkies

/ Andrew Szalay / Leave a comment

The majority of my time enjoying the mountains is through photos in coffee table books, Backpacker and Climbing magazines, and my own pictures — and the majority of my own shots are about ten years old now.  The photos the professional mountain photographers give me a glimpse of ranges I have not been to and a sense of the risks of the climb. 

Some of my photos fail to show the true depth of the features or give a sense of the vertical perspective.  I am often left apologizing to my friends when they look at my pictures.  Most of them have never climbed a mountain, so they don’t know what it’s like, so I say, “Well, the picture just doesn’t do it justice.”  But the photos in Backpacker and Climbing often seem fanciful or doctored to the non-hiker/climber.  So it is hard to express how those photos are often a better representation of what I saw.   

Regardless that I sound like a photo-loony to my friends, I appreciate those professional photos immensely.  I like the classic ones by done in black and white by Ansel Adams and Bradford Washburn that accurately show the dimensions of the mountain side with dream-like wonder.  When I flip through Alpinist, Climbing, gear catalogs and some other publications, many of those amazing photos come from mountain photographer Jimmy Chin. 

Chin has been climbing for years and continues to do so.  He’s made ascents in the Himalayas and elsewhere, but it’s what he shares that makes him special to the hiking and climbing world.  He is a gifted photographer that brings the depth, colors and sense of the place to me through his photos. 

He will be at the National Geographic Society headquarters tonight and I am looking forward to hearing his stories and taking in his slide show.  I will let you know how it goes. 

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Mount Washington: Take the Ambitious Way and Avoid Crowds

/ Andrew Szalay / 2 Comments

Despite some down-sides, Mount Washington (6,288 ft./1,917 m.) in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is well worth the visit.  While the crowds can be a bit overwhelming – and the summit itself underwhelming – for we hikers seeking wilderness scenery, the alpine ridges of the Presidential Range are among the longest exposed ridges in the region.  But to avoid the crowds taking the direct trails, rail or the auto road to the summit take the long way up via the Glen Boulder and Lawn Cutoff Trails and take-in an extended tour of the alpine zone.

It has to be noted that the majority of this route is above treeline and will expose a hiker to the threats of the mountain.  Mount Washington has been called the most dangerous small mountain in the world and for good reason: Here the highest recorded wind speed was recorded and many have fallen or suffered from hypothermia in all seasons.  It is recommended that hikers on the mountain know the safest, quickest route to get below treeline if harsh weather comes through.  Bring the Ten Essentials plus a full rain suite, gloves and a wool cap.  The first time I climbed in the range was during the month of August and I used the gloves and the cap against the wind; I was grateful I packed them.

This long route from the east avoids the popular Tuckerman Ravine Trail as well as the auto road well to the north.  The trailhead is located on Route 16 less than a mile south of the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.  The Trailhead starts at 1,829 ft./557 m. and within two mi./3.2 km. and an ascent of about 2,800 ft./853 m. the trees give way to the alpine zone.  The trail takes you over Slide Peak (4,806 ft./1,465 m.), a moderately prominent high point along the ridge.  Shortly thereafter, the trail comes to a tee at the Davis Path; going right takes you north toward the summit.  Continue walking along the field or “lawn” of boulders the size of love seats for 1 mi./1.6 km. to the Lawn Cutoff Trail junction.  If the weather is clear you’ll clearly the see the summit and know to continue north for just under 1 mi./1.6 km.  Returning by the same paths makes a round trip distance of 11.1 mi./17.9 km.

Alternatively, if you wish to avoid Mount Washington, its gift shop and antennae altogether, from the Lawn Cutoff junction you can take the Camel Trail to the Crawford Path heading south and bag Mount Monroe’s summit (5,372 ft./1,637 m.).  It is also a reasonably satisfying hike.  The total trip is roughly equidistant.

  • Roundtrip to Mount Washington: 11.1 mi./ 17.9 km.
  • Total elevation gained: 4,459 ft./1,359 m.
  • Roundtrip to trip to Mount Monroe alone: 10.2 mi./17.3 km.
  • Total elevation gained: 3,543 ft./1,080 m.
  • Best Map: AMC White Mountains Map 1 of the Presidential Range

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Medevac: Encourage Improvements Don’t Require Them

/ Andrew Szalay / Leave a comment

The USA Today reported on Thursday, August 19th that the medevac industry is resisting safety improvements to the helicopter fleet.   At first blush to a hiker or climber, the changes the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is seeking be mandated seem more than reasonable.  However, these could have server financial consequences that might limit rescue service, raise the rescued person’s expenses for being retrieved and increase insurance costs. 

Despite that a high number of deaths and accidents have occurred in the recent months involving medevac, the people entering the wilderness have assumed the risk (in my book) by going into the backcountry.  Hikers and climbers are very knowledgeable today about the risks and that even a rescue is dangerous. 

The NTSB wants to require that medevac helicopters all be equipped with night vision goggles and certain safety alarms regarding terrain.  These are costly and the medevac industry said they encourage them but do not require them because of the cost.  These are expensive purchases and would effect every medevac business’ bottom line. 

How would they pay for it?  By limiting other services by hiring less expensive pilots and medical technicians.  Or the price would be seen on your bill.  It is also like to raise the premiums of adventure travel insurance.  The NTSB is talking about a perfect world.  Unfortunately we live in an expensive one.  One that we as hikers and climbers should know the risks. 

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Geo-Cached Beer and the Prize: Trapp Lager

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The drink becomes locked in your mental-GPS cache.  You might remember the taste of a pint from the Sleeping Lady Brewery in Anchorage, sipping away just when Denali became visible for a moment and just as quickly vanished.  Or you might remember the Saranac Pale Ale in Lake Placid after running out of safe drinking water and hiking ten miles back to your car after three days in the Adirondack High Peaks.

While we in Peaklessburg can find many of the microbrews we look fondly upon nearby in the big box-like pubs, nothing compares to the journey of finding it at its source or in its native region.  Even better if you find it in a great destination and love it for on its own merits of texture, flavor, color and aroma.  During my recent outdoors road trip covering the northeast Maritimes and states, I tried a number of new beers in a couple of wonderful settings, including coastal Maine, Prince Edward Island and the Green Mountains of Vermont.  Gahan, PEI’s only brewery, did a fine job and produced some drafts that Charlottetown and the Island could be proud of.  But this trip’s prize came from a very new brewery that hasn’t even started bottling – not yet anyway.

Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont recently started brewing beer.  This is the same resort owned by the von Trapps of the Sound of Music-fame.  Their brewery produces four drinks: Helles or “bright” beer, an amber beer called Vienna, a dark beer with a malty complexion called Dunkel, and their darkest beer, Bock, which is aged in bourbon casks.  They are all special, but Trapp Lager Vienna was my personal favorite.  Named for the City of Music, it sounds a horn of malty flavors and surprised me with a substantive yet enjoyable encore of aftertaste.  If it was perfect as a beer to finish a ten-hour drive, I can imagine it must be just the thing for a long hike or climb!

Trapp Lager is now recorded in my mental-geo-cache for the eastern side of Mount Mansfield on Luce and Trapp Hills in Vermont.  It’s worthy of the mountains.  While it is far better to go to its source to try, I look forward to bringing a few bottles home to enjoy when city gets to be too much and I need to pull the hills a little closer for comfort.  Go try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

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Mountain Safety Improved: Galgary Herald

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The Calgary Herald reported today that data from the Alpine Club of Canada and the American Alpine Club show that mountain adventures have gotten safer in the 1980s and has remained at that level since.  A representative of the Calgary Scrambling and Mountaineering Club attributes this to improved gear and better training available to people going into the backcountry. 

The article also points out that the outdoor enthusiasts deserve a lot of the credit; we do our homework before going out there.  We have access to a great deal of information through the Internet, local climbing groups, hiking clubs and discussion groups. 

Safety always comes down to using our heads and not losing them (pun intended.)  So carry the Ten Essentials when you head out into the mountains.  Or, if you’re like me, take your Blackberry before leaving for the subway. 

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