The Summer of 2014

My wife and I took a nice little trip by car to the east coast. Our plans were not too solid, and we were planning only a few things on this trip. She loves the ocean, so the trip was planned around the ocean as much as possible. The one thing we did plan, was a bicycle trip on Nantucket. We didn't take a lot of photos on Nantucket, but this opportunity in Hyannis did present itself. We went to watch the sunset, from the beach which is near the harbour outlet. The colours of the setting sun filtered through the sail wing made for an interesting photo.

After Hyannis, we headed North for New Hampshire. We had been to the White Mountains previously, but when our kids were young, so this time, we had time to do some hiking. 

Lonsome Lake

We arrived in the mountains in the afternoon, and after getting some local info from the ranger station, we decided to hike up to Lonesome Lake. It is a nice little hike, fairly steep, but at the end, you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the lake. This was taken near the Appalachian Mountain Club's cabin. The trails up to the lake are well marked and easy to follow, but make sure you wear proper footwear have proper clothing as well. 

The next day, after speaking to our host from the local B&B, we decided to tackle Mt. Washington. On his advice, we took the Ammonnoosuc Ravine Trail from the west side of the mountain.

The trail is challenging, and at the start, quite easy, but after the Gem Pool, the grade changes dramatically and you must be skilled and prepared for bouldering, traversing rock face and fording streams. This is one hike you must be prepared for and must check the weather and must also be prepared to say, "This doesn't look good. It is time to return the way we came!"

Ammonoosuc Ravine and trail

This photo, (above) is a typical display of the 'lower' trail. The grade is lower and the trail well maintained.

The Gem Pool

As I said earlier, after reaching the Gem Pool, which is a really great place to have a snack and re-hydrate, you must cross the pool, and follow the near vertical path (just to the left in this photo), to continue "up" the trail. Depending on the temperature, this is also a great place for a swim!

Just off the trail, I found another 'pool' at the bottom of a number of waterfalls. This one was a little hard to get to, but worth it. It does not hurt to venture off the trail a little, if you are able, and careful, and find other views like this one.