Are you doing any winter hiking?

Recently, a fellow OTHH found this website with a great list of what to bring on your winter hike.  

https://sectionhiker.com/winter-day-hiking-gear-list/

And here is another great article too...

https://ownthewinter.com/what-to-wear-for-winter-hiking/

Check it out!  

Save the Date!

Hello, Over the Hill Hikers! 

With an outlook of optimism, I have reserved the outdoor pavilion at the Sandwich Fairgrounds for June 9th, 2021 for a "bring your own picnic” gathering.  The opportunity to reconnect with friends in an open air, as safe as possible atmosphere, providing CDC and state guidelines will allow. 

More to follow as we get closer, but please save the date of June 9th @ 11:30. 

We are currently undecided how to proceed with regards to the 2021 hiking season. We are keeping a watchful eye as vaccine rollout continues, as we struggle to improve our numbers here in New Hampshire, and as a more potent variant of COVID circulates the globe. No one knows what the summer will be like at the moment, but we do have hope. 

In the meantime, please call your friends, enjoy your walks and local hikes, skiing, puzzles, a good book and a fire… however you can enjoy these winter days.  Just know we are all excited to get together soon! 

Happy New Year. 

Sincerely, 

Tracy Ripkey

Honoring Claude

Hello again, I am grateful to have read so many beautiful replies about the friendship and admiration of Claude Cormier. He passed away peacefully the evening of January 20th. The family is planning a memorial in the spring as he wanted to be interred here at Vittum Hill cemetery. 

 If you would like to write to family to express your condolences or share stories, the address is: 

 Jean and Christine Cormier 

 179 Whitney St. 

 Northborough, MA 01532 

His obituary is at: https://www.haysfuneralhome.com/memorials/claude-cormier/4508757/index.php

Sincerely, 

Tracy Ripkey

Keeping Claude Cormier in your thoughts

(Pictured from Left to Right:
 John, Dick, Peter, Anne, Noel, Claude and Frank in front) 

 Hello Over the Hill Hikers,

This is not the desired first email I had hoped for in 2021, but an important one.  

Our friend and fellow hiker, Claude Cormier is in hospice care following a significant fall with injuries.  His family wished for me to pass this along to his hiking friends for positive thoughts of love and prayer.  

Claude recently celebrated his 80th birthday with his wife Claudette in Massachusetts.  Claude was an avid hiker with the OTHH, but has since retired his boots for a more leisurely paced life.  Claude started out hiking with the B group years ago, and later completed an impressive 12 ROUNDS of the 48 4'000 footers with friends in the A group.  Sandy, Sharon, Peter, Bert, Noel, Deb, John, Dick, Frank, Doug and Ellen to name just a few, are friends from his hiking circle of influence.  Others of course are the late Lib, Helen, Mary, Jim, Frank, and so on.  Please forgive me if I've missed someone, because Claude made friends so easily on the trail there are truly a number of people who supported him and encouraged him over his hiking years.

When I hear of any other news about Claude I will certainly pass it along.  

Sincerely,

Tracy Ripkey

Closing out 2020 Hiking season

 Hello friends and fellow OTHH,

As we prepare for winter, and come to less daylight, and more chilly days, I wanted to reach out and say hello to all of you.  And, to tell you that I have missed our gatherings on the trails, our potlucks, the trips we had planned, marching in the Sandwich Fair parade, and the overall group camaraderie of the OTHH.  

This year has been quite a challenging and difficult year due to COVID19.  In addition, we've lost some dear hiking friends, Carl McNall, Jim Twaddle, and Jeff Fleishman.  Our lack of physical connections with others have likely impacted all of us in some way or form.  

I do look to enjoy the beauty of winter here in New England, and I'm hopeful that in the spring we can reconnect and have a new way to manage group hikes even if in smaller outings.  Perhaps we will have an outdoor social gathering at the Fairgrounds pole barn in the spring vs. an indoor potluck to kick off the new season.

Many of us hikers bonded together to walk or hike with neighbors or friends in small groups during this past summer.  Some even accomplished great goals such as completing the New Hampshire 48 4,000 footers.  Dick Russell completed his 6th round (over the age of 70!), Doug Wright completed his 3rd round, Pam Alexander completed her 2nd round, and Larry Martin is just one hike away from finishing his second round.  

Some of us hikers endured injuries, or are recovering and building strength to resume our activity levels, but most of us all got our feet on the trail in some way or another.  

Cheers to the hiking season we're putting to a close... and I look forward to the upcoming adventures in 2021!

Happy Fall everyone, and Happy Holidays to each of you.  

Sincerely,

Tracy Ripkey

Carters Hike

 Several of us hiked the three Carters (Dome, South  Middle) recently. We also went to the summit of Mt Hight. The link to the YouTube video is included below and the video shows a 360 degree view. The video starts out with Washington where Tuckerman Ravine can be seen on the left and Huntington Ravine on the right, then looks southward to Wildcat A and Carter Dome, Chocorua, Kearsarge North, the Baldfaces, Shelburne Moriah, Moriah, Middle Carter, South Carter, Madison, Adams, Jefferson and finally Washington again. The fall colors were spectacular. Enjoy!

Mt Hight View

New Hampshire's 52 With A View - A Hiker's Guide (2nd Edition)

Ken MacGray  Writer, Author, Hiker has recently released his "New Hampshire's 52 With A View - A Hiker's Guide (2nd Edition)".  

It is a comprehensive guidebook for the New Hampshire 52 With A View hiking list, and it is a fantastic resource! 

To get your copy, or for more information, please check out Ken's website at http://www.kenmacgray.org/52/