Gunstock, Belknap, Piper - April 28, 2023

Six of us OTHH took a nice spring hike over three of the Belknap Range peaks, Gunstock, Belknap, and Piper. Below are Pam, Pat, Larry, Katherine, and Patsy at the rock "royal throne" near the top of Piper. Pic by Dick

Red Hill - April 19, 2023

 Seven of us OTHH took a quick hike up Red Hill on a cool, partly sunny day. All the snow was gone, except for one small patch high up and off in the woods, and a couple of minor ice patches. Until the raging rivers and badly post-holed trails of the still snowy trails farther north ease up, it looks like "low and local" is a good strategy for us. Below are Jane, Deb, Ginger, Dick, Ginette, Pat, and Patsy by the picnic table up top.

Fundraiser set to finish ‘Emily’s Hike’ in New Hampshire, Group to summit 48 peaks taller than 4,000 feet

 By ASSOCIATED PRESS | Direct link to article taken from the Boston Herald 

April 1, 2023 at 3:28 p.m.

Hikers will honor a young Westford woman who died in New Hampshire by climbing multiple peaks this summer and raising funds for a foundation created by her family.

The event, dubbed “Emily’s Hike To Save a Life” is set for July 29, with proceeds going to the Emily M. Sotelo Persistence and Safety Charitable Foundation, hiking safety initiatives and search and rescue teams. It’s being organized by Hiking Buddies NH 48, a nonprofit group that connects people interested in hiking the 48 mountains taller than 4,000 feet in New Hampshire.

Sotelo, of Westford, Mass., disappeared on Mount Lafayette on Nov. 20. Her body was found three days later, on what would have been her 20th birthday. Though she had nearly completed her quest to summit all 48 peaks, she had almost no experience with winter hiking, and officials say she was woefully unprepared for the brutal conditions that killed her.

Fog sits in the valley of the White Mountains in New Hampshire as leaves change colors, a seen from Milan Hill on Sept. 28, 2014. A group plans to hike all peaks in New Hampshire over 4,000 feet in honor of Emily Sotelo, of Westford, who died last November while attempting the same feat. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File) Boston Herald.

In a video to promote the fundraiser, Sotelo’s mother said the outpouring of support from the hiking community helped her in the dark days after her daughter’s death.

“I had a lot of support from work, from friends, from family. But the overwhelming support from people who did not know her, and their pain and their willingness to do anything for her, were empowering,” Olivera Sotelo said.

Emily Sotelo was a sophomore at Vanderbilt University who hoped to become a doctor. In an interview with The Associated Press in December, her family said she was determined to make the world a better place.

“Seeing people rally to save a life would make Emily very proud of the whole community,” her mother said in the video for the fundraising event.

Benjamin Pease, founder of Hiking Buddies, said Sotelo’s death shook his community, spurring calls for action.

“This is our opportunity. We’re going to finish Emily’s hike,” he said. 

Information about registration and donations can be found at: Q&A about Emily's Hike

Mt Avalon Friday March 24, 2023

Six of us hiked to the summit of Mt Avalon. The summit has an elevation of 3440 feet and is one of the 52 WAV peaks. The trail was firmly packed snow for the most part. The steep sections were icier. The micro spikes and trail crampons worked just fine as there were no falls on the way up or down. The weather was in the low 20s with some wind near the train station at Crawford Notch. Once we were in the woods, the wind wasn't an issue. Several of us did some butt sliding on the way down the steep section. Lots of laughing was heard. It drowned out the screams. The group enjoyed lunch at Yaya's near Twin Mountain after the hike.

The group consisted of Carol, Jane, Katherine, Pam, Patsy and Doug.

Guest post, by Meghan O'Neil

Hike to fight Alzheimer's! Participate in 48 Peaks, an annual hiking fundraising and awareness event benefiting the Alzheimer's Association. Almost everyone has been affected by Alzheimer's one way or another. Alzheimer's isn't stopping and neither are we. 

Hike any of the 48 4,000 foot peaks in NH or create your own hiking adventure from a 52 with a view, hiking in the Berkshires, or maybe a Pemi loop! Together, we will paint the mountains purple as we fight for our vision of a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia. Get started today at alz.org/48peaks. Sign up a team this summer and invite friends and family to join and donate! Reach out to Meghan O'Neil at maoneil@alz.org with any questions you may have! 

Thank you so much for your help! I hope people will feel inspired to put together a couple of their teams or maybe turn an existing plan into the 48 Peaks hike :) I really appreciate your help!

All the best,

Meghan

-- 

Meghan O'Neil (she, her, hers)

Manager, The Longest Day | Alzheimer's Association® Massachusetts/ New Hampshire | Waltham, MA | Phone: 617-393-2026 | maoneil@alz.org | alz.org/thelongestday | alz.org/48pe

Sandwich Snowshoe Friday March 17, 2023

Len and Diana hosted the day at their property in Sandwich, thank you both for the lovely day. We started with a snowshoe hike around the woods. The weather was perfectly warm. The route meandered through evergreens and hardwoods and over a couple of streams. There was plenty of snow on the ground so the snowshoes got a good workout. After the hike, we were treated to Irish themed soups and breads and cookies. All of it was great.

Mt. Jackson Sunday March 12, 2023

Tom and Doug hiked from Crawford Notch to the summit of Mt Jackson (4052') on Sunday. It was a picture perfect day. The temperature was in the 20s, the sun was shining, no clouds or wind. The trail surface was a solid packed powder. No ice. We used micro-spikes all the way up and down. The views were spectacular in all directions. Many of the Presidentials could be seen. We are pretty sure we saw Mt. Mansfield (4393') in northern Vermont. There were quite a few others on the trail enjoying a great hiking day.

In the picture above, you can see lots of cars parked along the road. It remined me of why I like to hike on weekdays!