Playing in the Snow

Denise, Allison R., Shawn, Dan and Allison on Osmore Pond

This past weekend Allison and I joined several family members and friends for a few days of snowy fun in and around Plainfield, Vermont.

Sledding on Bartlett Hill

The boys did some sledding on Bartlett Hill, then we all went snowshoeing at Osmore Pond in Groton State Forest.

Snowshoeing on Osmore Pond

In the evening, we traveled to Burlington where our friend Pam joined us for a delicious dinner at A Single Pebble.



Allison R. and Shawn on Church Street in Burlington
(photo courtesy of Dan F.)

Burlington holds many memories for me and Allison; we first met there while I was living on Church Street and working as a paralegal for a year between college and law school.

Hanging out with a cute chick, and random revelers, on Church Street in Burlington

The next day, we strapped on our snowshoes again for a trip up Spruce Mountain in the L.R. Jones State Forest (also discussed in an earlier post on America Out of the Box).

Snowshoeing on the Spruce Mountain Trail

Most of our guests were satisfied snowshoeing to a log yard half way up the trail, but Shawn was game for a greater challenge so he and I continued all the way to the summit.

Shawn at a cleft granite boulder on the Spruce Mountain Trail

We hope that our family and friends enjoyed their snowy weekend in Vermont, and that you have enjoyed joining us via America Out of the Box!

Shawn at the base of the fire tower on Spruce Mountain

Check In from Spruce Mountain in Plainfield, Vermont

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Mount Washington, New Hampshire



At the Lion's Head, summit cone in background

On February 19 I summited Mount Washington via the popular Lion's Head winter route. 

Headwall of Tuckerman's Ravine, from the Lion's Head

Mount Washington is the highest mountain in the northeastern United States, and frequently experiences very bad weather and high winds.  However, the 19th was a beautiful day on the mountain, with mostly clear skies and expansive views of the White Mountains.

Mount Washington summit, observatory instrument tower in background
 

The Mount Washington Observatory, a manned weather observation station, is located on the summit.  While I was there, a snowcat arrived carrying members of the observatory staff.

The northern Presidential Range from Mount Washington's summit

Although I was not making any special effort to climb quickly, I completed the route in a round trip time of approximately 6 hours and 35 minutes - one of my fastest climbs of Mount Washington. 

Wildcat and the Carter Range from Mount Washington's summit, cog railway tracks in foreground

Spruce Mountain in Plainfield, Vermont

At the base of the fire tower on Spruce Mountain

On Valentine's Day (February 14), I took a quick snowshoe trip up Spruce Mountain while visiting Plainfield, Vermont on some family business.  But fear not, I was home in time for a Valentine's Day dinner with Allison that night!

Noyes Pond from Spruce Mountain

Spruce Mountain is something of an "old friend."  I have hiked, skied and snowshoed the mountain many times on my frequent trips to Plainfield.  Most of the trail is located in the small L.R. Jones State Forest, which was Vermont's first state forest; however, the summit itself lies in adjacent Groton State Forest.

Vermont's Granite Mountains from Spruce Mountain

The mountain is not large (3,020') and the hike is relatively short (4.4 miles round trip), but there are excellent views of Vermont's sparsely populated Northeast Kingdom from the summit and fire tower. 

Check In from Spruce Mountain in Plainfield, Vermont

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We're Back from Hawaii!



Beach at Hanalei Colony Resort, Kauai

Allison and I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Hawaii!  We visited the Big Island and Kauai, and turned lemons to lemonade by extending our trip for several days due to a blizzard back home.

South Point, Big Island of Hawaii

Our first stop was a week long visit to the Big Island.  There, we accomplished one of the goals of our planned trip to the corners of America: a stop at South Point, the southernmost point of land in the United States.

Pololu Valley, Big Island of Hawaii

Humpbacked whales were visiting the islands on their annual migration from Alaska, and I saw many on several dive trips off the Kohala Coast.

Humpbacked Whale, Big Island of Hawaii

From the Big Island we took an island hopper to Kauai, the verdant "Garden Island."  Originally we had planned to spend only 3 days on Kauai, but an east coast blizzard prompted us to delay our return by several days to avoid air travel delays.  

Polihale Beach, Kauai

We used our extra days on Kauai to best advantage, exploring many hidden corners of this beautiful island.

Waimea Canyon, Kauai

We are still sorting through our many pictures, and will post a more detailed log of our trip very soon. 

Sunset at End of the Road Beach, Kauai