M. J. Wild

"There is a place I go when life gets too static and civilization seems far from civil. It is a place where they all know me and everywhere is free. Where i can sit in solitude and feel the Earth's energy. Be at peace with everything around me. Where I can hear the voices of animals. A place where I can speak the secret language of trees." - Emelia The 9th 4,000 footer off the list and almost into the double digits. At the beginning of this year I never would have thought I w

I made a promise earlier this year that we would hike Mount Washington before the start of the school year. I cut it very close and was almost unable to keep my promise. Weather and other life circumstances almost did not allow this to happen. I was determined to keep my promise and this day seemed like an ideal day to make the trip. This mountain is the tallest of the 4,000 footers and is actually a staggering 6,288 feet! It is the tallest peak of New England and all of the

10th 4,000 footer! Officially in the double digits. This was another mountain part of the Presidential Range that offers some breath taking views. This day I wasn't sure I was going to be able to catch a view or not as rain was in the forecast. It turned out to be pretty decent weather despite a short down pour on the way back down. The hike itself was mostly in the woods until we left the treeline. From there it was nothing but rocks with only Cairns and faded markers leadin

This was my second time hiking Mount Willey just on a different trail. I chose this trail because it offered a view of Ripley Falls that I had been meaning to see, but had yet to make my way to see it. This trail started out very gradual with a very relaxed incline. The trail became very steep once the trail changed from "Ethan Pond Trail" to "Willey Range Trail." It was extremely rocky and steep and wouldn't be good for a beginner, young children or dogs. Closer to the top t

"You're off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way." -Dr. Seuss This was a wild trail to hike as most of the Vermont trails seem to be as they are not as traveled or as well kept up as the ones in the White Mountains. This was definitely one of the trails I almost expected to see some sort of wild life on. The trail was a little weird to locate at first when we arrived. The parking was to the right of the bridge and then was about a .2

"The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask." -Nancy Newhall 4,000 footers of NH are being checked off the list left and right. Here is yet another one in the books. This one was nothing short of difficult, but the reward as always was worth it. This 4,000 footer is also a ski resort in the winter with a running tram and lodge at the summit. The trail i decided to hike up with my son was easier than any of the others as far as I could tell. Accor

The Herbert Hawkes trail is a great trail for beginners and offers amazing views. The trail starts from the CC Road off of Route 5A in Westmore, VT. This is only the second Vermont trail this year. It was beautiful hiking in the summer with the lush green fauna all around us compared the last time I hiked this trail which was in the late fall last year. Last year when I hiked it snowed dusted the ground and the cool air nipped at me and there was a leaf last on a tree and I w

Another 4,000 footer in the books. At first the trail head was a little difficult to find, but after careful examination of my All Trails Map I was able to locate it. After walking North up 302 a short distance from the train station I was able to find a small staircase leading to the trail on the right hand side of the road. The trail going up to Pierce was the Crawford Path. It was a beautiful trail going up with a small but pretty waterfall on the way. It was pretty buggy

Hiking this trail was definitely a experience I recommend to everyone looking for a little bit of a challenge and beautiful views. The day I happened to trek up was absolutely beautiful which was a miracle because the majority of my hikes this year have been in the rain. I couldn't have picked a more gorgeous day! I started up the Falling Waters Trail which was impressive. It had a little bit of rock scrambling and river hoping but nothing unmanageable. The first peak i summi

4,000 footers number 2 and 3 are in the books. This was probably the most miserable hike i have done so far this year. Not because of the trail itself but because weather conditions were less than ideal. I hike rain or shine and it seems I have had more rain than shine this season. This day was a cold wet one. "Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing." -Barry Finlay The first summit was Mt. Avalon, which was the only one i was able to catch a view from. T

The North and Middle Sugarloaf trail was a pretty cool hike that was rather easy to complete and a great hike to take with kids and dogs. These are 2 small mountains located just out of Bethleham, New Hampshire. My son and I hiked this trail on Saturday and had a great time. It included glacial erratics (Really big boulders carried to their location by glaciers), rock faces and even a ladder in one section of the trail. Both summits offer fantastic views; Mt. Washington, Mt.

4,000 footer #1 for 2019. It wasn't until recently that I made the goal and decision of hiking all the 4,000 footers in New England. Mount Hale was numero uno of 67 summits. This was probably one of the easiest I will have to conquer and definitely not one with the best views, but hey it's on the list so it had to be completed. The hike was pretty moderate crossing Hale Brook and heading up some pretty rocky inclines. The trail was pretty wet and snowy closer to the summit, b

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity... and mountain parks are useful not only as fountains of timber but fountains of life." -John Muir This was a great trail for a quiet Tuesday morning. With snow in the forecast i was a little nervous about venturing into the white mountains, but of coarse i didn't let a little snow stop me. I decided on a shorter trail j

Life can be wonderful, a little weird and sometimes down right whacked. There is a lot I have learned over the past few years but nothing has taught me more than being alone with myself. Hiking in the mountains with only myself to face has definitely been a wake up call. It has also been an extremely rewarding experience. There is no one else around to motivate you or hold a conversation with. If anything happens to go wrong you have to be able to rely on yourself to figure i

This trail is definitely a amazing trail to hike. It can be pretty busy during the summer but if you get there early in the season you will have the trail all to yourself. The highlight of this trail isn't only the spectacular view from the top but the stunning waterfall about half way up. Arethusa Falls is over 200 ft tall and is the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire. It is absolutely breathe taking. That isn't all this trail has to offer. Continue around the loop to reach

This trail was the first trail in Vermont this year and the closest one to home. I've lived in the area my entire life and had never been up this trail until now. The view from the top was absolutely incredible and was pretty cool considering i could identify most of the surrounding lakes, mountains and towns. The hike up was a little muddy and snowy in some sections, but overall was a pretty well maintained trail. The trail was muddy most of the way but was easy to navigate

3rd solo hike of the year and it was a challenge. I'm a little out of shape after the long grueling Vermont winter and ready to get back at it. I've been sticking to 4-5 mile hikes and the first two I was already familiar with. I decided to step it up a notch and reach a little out of my comfort zone and try a completely new hike. I decided on Mt. Crawford. I read up on the trail and came to the conclusion that it was definitely doable for me solo. I was a little nervous abou

This summit was the very first one I hiked this year and one of the very last ones i did last year. I feel it is a fairly easy trail with a beautiful view at the top. I chose this one to start out my hiking season because i was already familiar with it and there was still a good amount of snow on the ground. This was my first solo hike where i would be trekking through snow and i wanted to be on a trail i was comfortable with. I started out with my snowshoes on but soon reali

I'm not sure what it is about the mountains that keeps me coming back for more. Maybe it's the grueling trek up that makes me go back time and time again. I've never backed down from a challenge. Or maybe it's the satisfaction of reaching the top and taking in the awe of the world around me; and how something like a mountain can humble me and make me remember how small I am and how much bigger the world really is. But in all honesty my greatest hikes are taken alone. It becom