Vertical Dreams is an indoor rock-climbing gym in Manchester, NH and is now the only one in an hour radius since Boulder Mortys (once located in Nashua, NH) closed down due to lack of funds sad.  

Vertical Dreams isn’t as big as Boulder Mortys HOWEVER it has this really cool thing called an elevator shaft.  Basically picture an elevator shaft, three stories high, covered in climbing holds.  Cool right? And hard as hell to reach the top, at least for climber beginners like myself.  

Even as a beginner, its easy to see that rock-climbing gives you one of the best workouts possible.  Some claim it to be better than running, cross-country skiing, and biking.  Climbing burns the most calories, and you’re using every muscle in your body, down to your finger and toe muscles.  

And it’s a workout for your mind; determining which hold to make next.  If I can save you from one rookie mistake it would be to pay attention to the colorful pieces of tape all along the walls.  The tape is a map of climbing routes, which are to be followed.

 If I had another tip it would be, don’t wear skanky short shorts or anything you can’t move in.  Rock climbing is all about staying close to the wall and keeping a balance between your arms and your legs.  The grip often is the least important part while its the legs that should do most of the work.  Keeping the toes pointed outwards and rarely standing completely erect will help to put the weight on the legs and keep your center of gravity close to the wall.

this is what you don't want to do - too far from the wall

And if you can… GET OUTSIDE TO CLIMB.  It is so intense and awesome and fall is the best time to climb.  Your hands (and the rest of you) won’t sweat as much.

Here’s some You Tube fun.  Trying to promote my brothers novice video making skills… 

and obviously my dancing skills, which are sick-nasty.

Mount Whiteface, 4,020 ft high lies somewhere along the Sandwich Wilderness Range.  Its another member of the white mountains and it on the day I hiked it with my younger brother Alex, it certainly lived up to its name. 

It was one of those nights (in May) where you just say, I want to go hiking tomorrow, pick a mountain, and go.  In our case, we picked a mountain we had never heard of but which had a reputation as a strenuous hike, “Mount Whiteface.”  We hopped in our mothers grey minivan, made a Dunkin’s run, and allowed our GPS to lead us further into the boondocks.  Luckily the drive was beautiful; various bridges over tumbling rivers with houses built along the sides, ancient water mills still hooked into large granite walls, and colorful flowers to top it off, peeping between the granite stones.  Picturesque is the word, and yet it doesn’t give justice to the naturalness of the beauty.

Mount Whiteface is the second peak.

It was almost disappointing when we realized we had reached our destination, a dirt parking lot near a small private white home.  The mountain loomed far…far…in the distance, and the hike started off very slowly and very flat.  So, if you face the mountain yourself, know that the flatness continues for some time, and it’s not necessary to call your father to double check on the directions in your white mountain guide book.  Also, enjoy the lack of elevation while you can, because when it hits, it hits hard.  The trail becomes very steep.   

So steep was the trail that although we started in a warm green climate, we soon began seeing traces of snow.  Those traces became 2-3 feet of snow covering every inch of ground.  And unfortunately for us, because it was May the snow was only strong enough to hold our weight in the very center of the trail, a safe stepping space of about 5 inches across.  Miss the mark, and you landed knee high in powder with an icey top layer (just perfect for scraping up your calf).

first signs of snow!

a lot more snow

We never actually reached the summit, but we did reach the white face. The only opening free from tree cover, a 10′X20′ area, leading to a cliff edge.  The views weren’t amazing and mount whiteface isn’t a mountain I will be rushing back to, but hiking in snow did make it an experience to remember.  There’s only one thing I wished I had had on this trip: gaiters!  If you don’t know what they are, gaiters are a water proof fabric that covers from your ankle to your knee and is put on over your hiking boots with a full length zipper up the back.  They are great for protecting that part of your leg from branch scratches, puddles, oh and falling through snow.

whiteface cliff opening. the highest we climbed

   A New England native, I grew up with the idea that Mount Washington is the largest, hardest climb I would find on the east coast.  So what did I do this summer? Climbed it…finally.  I was tired of waiting for people to go with me, so I took on the jolly giant alone.  Don’t think there wasn’t careful planning involved.  My unnecessarily overanxious father was more than worried about the journey and wouldn’t let me leave the house without 2 pairs of socks, 3 shirts, shorts, pants, gloves, a hat, a raincoat, and several water bottles.  And while that seems like a lot for a summertime hike, the weather on Mount Washington can change instantly and severely.  So much so that my trip was delayed one day because of a nasty hail and rain storm.

    However it was well worth the wait.  The day I went, early august one of the best times to go before it gets cold- I was told was one of the best days all year.  Visibility was impeccable and I got some great pics, as you can see below.

Things I did well:  

-Got there really early. The hike isn’t the hardest ever, but it takes a while to get all the way up there and back down, give yourself plenty of sun-up time.

-Had plenty of layers, which were NOT COTTON.  Once wet, your sweat can have a chilling effect if it’s soaked into your cotton clothing

-Tin-foil: kept my shabby Poland springs water-bottles cold by wrapping them in tinfoil…it works, really.

Things I would have changed:

-Brought more snacks.  I lost a lot of energy climbing up and didn’t have so much when it came to climbing down.  Some energy bars would have been nice.

-Sunglasses/ sunscreen should have been on my packing list.  There are a lot of very open spots along the trail and though I enjoyed the tan, I know it’s not good for my skin.

Overall, it was a goal I had to complete before I was 21, and its something I think anyone who is capable of hiking should complete in their lifetime.

myself

Hello world,

I’ve decided make use of the pictures I painstakingly and annoyingly insist on taking at every outdoor excursion. Also this blog can serve as a memoir to myself of the trips I have made/will make over the years. Perhaps some people will even find it interesting/will want to explore these places on their own, and if not…go f**k yourselves.

Now it seems I have some catching up to do. So, I’ll start from the first set of pictures I have on this computer. They’re from about a year ago when my brother and I went snowshoeing in the small town trails of Brookline, NH, our home town. The snow was melting, we were sweating like fat men in July, and it was great.

I feel like snowshoeing is often left underrated. After all, what looks so fun about strapping tennis racket shaped fins to the bottom of your feet? It’s the possibility for adventure, my friend! Snowshoes can take you through otherwise difficult terrain because of either deep powder or unstable snow. They allow you to forge the path less

trodden, and see sights you otherwise might have missed. Even a trail you’ve often traveled in the summer looks completely new and interesting when covered in snow and ice.

Before you go this site has some good/quick/basic snowshoeing tips: http://www.outdooreyes.com/snowshoeingtips.php3