Are you a beginner looking to test your Winter School skills a bit more? Excited to get into the NH wilderness, but uncertain about spending the night in a tent or getting to the summit? Than this is the hike for you! We'll spend Friday night in the comfort of a farmhouse right at the trailhead. We'll set out Saturday into the forest at 9am. We'll explore the network of trails in the Kearsarge Valley Region, which is about a 1.5 hour drive North of Boston. The hike itself will be a minimum of 6 miles (more if we have time and energy) with an elevation gain of a 1000 feet, and an approximate timetable of five hours. It is ascent followed by descent with level sections interspersed.

The Plan:

Leave Friday (or you can come early Saturday morning) for New London, NH. Have dinner, hit the hay. Leave next morning by 9 am on the hike. Go on said hike. Finish hike around 2:00 at a base camp in the woods where we'll have a campfire. Return to house by 3:30, leave for Boston by 4:00.

Contingency plan:

If the weather is despicable, we can abbreviate the hike. There are plenty of trail opportunities. Right now, the weather looks great.

Educational Objectives:

Primarily to give beginner Winter Schoolers a chance to advance their skills without fear of biting off more than can be comfortably chewed. We can practice layering and using microspikes.

Gear: Wool layers, shell, hats, gloves, etc. Good Winter hiking boots. Microspikes are a must. Sleeping bag and pillow and mattress pad if you are spending the night (there are mattresses and couches available, but it will be a first come, first serve basis). Day-pack with snacks and water bottles and layers.

Expenses: In addition to the $5 per day Winter School fee, please be prepared to pay $10.00 per person to cover accommodation and food expenses at the farmhouse (we'll likely have a communal dinner or breakfast or both). Also be prepared to pay your driver about $20.

Weather: We'll probably be warm since the forecast for Saturday is 35 degrees. Even so, bring those layers.