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Wildlife camera

First efforts!

We are fortunate to live along the Connecticut River in a rural part of New Hampshire – in the town of Lyme, just a few miles north of Dartmouth College and the Town of Hanover. Surrounded by farmland and forest, and situated in that interstitial space between the forest and the river, we are regularly treated to wildlife sightings. Over the years I have seen and heard moose, deer, bear, fox, coyote, porcupine, skunk, raccoon, groundhog (woodchuck), beaver, mink, fisher (maybe), … not to mention birdlife like turkey, bald eagle, hawk, osprey, egret, heron, goose, duck, loon, and countless other songbirds and waterfowl. And yet, I am certain there is far more happening in our yard and around our house than I happen to see, especially at night. Sebastian, our cat, has surely seen it all… but he’s not talking. So I was pleased to get a pair of wildlife cameras for my birthday. I set up one by the river and one at the edge of a woodpile; here’s what I’ve seen so far.

The neighbor’s dog, “Timber”, caught on the wildlife camera.

A groundhog visits our yard, caught on the wildlife camera.

The gallery includes four captures, in still and video:

the neighbor’s dog, “Timber”, as shown above;
two deer (see below, and video);
a groundhog (at right, but see the video!).

I am still experimenting with locations for these cameras, and hope to capture something more interesting soon!

A deer visits our yard, caught on the wildlife camera.

Tecumseh

A quick hike to the shortest of the NH 4000-footers.

I wanted to go hiking this weekend, ideally somewhere new — but had little time. So I picked Mount Tecumseh, the shortest of the 48 NH peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation, because it is relatively close to home and only 2.5 miles from trailhead to summit. I had not been there since 1995, so it felt like a new hike!
As always, it’s a good day to be out… read on.

Whiteface & Passaconaway

A remarkably challenging loop over two of the smallest NH 4000-footers.

I could not remember the last (only) time I hiked Mount Whiteface and Mount Passaconaway, two non-descript peaks in the eastern section of the White Mountain National Forest here in New Hampshire. My records show that I climbed in 1996, when I was wrapping up my effort to climb all 48 of the NH peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation. Today, when I drove along the dirt road and approached the trailhead, a strong memory flashed into my head… a memory of the meadow beside the parking area, of remote farmhouses nestled between the road and the burbling brook known as the Wonalancet River, of plodding down that dirt road after a long hike with friends. Today, 27 years later, I was back because it seemed like a nice opportunity to revisit some trails and peaks I’d seen before but since forgotten. Read on!

The hike begins with a roadwalk beside pleasant meadows and farmhouses.

Peru – Lima

A gastronomic, historic, and artistic adventure.

After our visits to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, we returned to Lima for a Dartmouth Alumni event. We stayed in the beautiful Miraflores Park Belmond Hotel, overlooking the city and its coastline. Over the course of two days we had an opportunity to sample some of the gastronomic delights for which Lima is famous, and to visit some of the museums. Read on…

Breakfast with a view, from the Belmond hotel in Miraflores Park, Lima.

Peru – Cusco

The capital of the Inca Empire.

After leaving Machu Picchu we hopped on a train back to Cusco (Cuzco), a journey of several hours and passing through some of the most narrow ravines I’ve ever seen. In some places the train had to climb down switchbacks by going forward, backward, forward because there was no room for turns! Although we had only a few short hours in the city, it was fascinating. Read on!

The cathedral (left) and other churches on the main square of Cusco.

Peru – Machu Picchu

An incredible visit to an iconic site.

Machu Picchu is one of those world-renowned, iconic locations that has long been on my bucket list. Despite having seen photos, videos, and documentaries about this marvel of Incan engineering and culture, for decades, none of those things can possibly prepare you for being there. We were fortunate to visit on a beautiful day with a chance to spend a couple of afternoon hours exploring the grounds. They did not disappoint! read on, and check out the photo gallery.

Overview of the historic site of Machu Picchu, Peru.

Peru’s sacred valley

The start of a week-long journey in Peru.

Until this year I had never been to South America. Astonishing, I know, given the amount of travel I have had the good fortune to pursue over the past forty years. Now, in just this year I have been to South America twice: in February to Buenos Aires (Argentina), albeit only for one night… and now to Peru for a nine-day visit to both Lima (on the coast) and Cusco (in the highlands). Our trip had four parts – so I will report in four posts. Our first stop was in the ‘Sacred Valley’ of the Incan civilization, outside the historic city of Cusco. There, we passed through small towns, toured some archaeological sites, enjoyed fabulous meals, and met with the delightful people of a small highland faming community. Read on!

An elder of the Village of Qorqor, Sacred Valley, Peru.

Bondcliff backpack

An abbreviated but beautiful overnight hiking trip.

We had planned this outing for months, and I was jealously guarding these dates on my calendar. Alex and Jeff and I were determined to make a four-day, three-night backpacking trip in the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), here in New Hampshire. The weather had other plans, with heavy rain and strong thunderstorms in the forecast. We squeezed our trip into two days, and it all turned out well; read on!

Alex. David, and Jeff – ready to hit the trail. (Lincoln Woods, WMNF)

Mount Cube

Hot, humid, and muddy.

One of my favorite go-to hikes is to climb Mount Cube via the Rivendell Trail. Today, after three weeks of nearly non-stop rain, a friend and I planned an early start to avoid the forecast of hot/humid temperatures, and likely thunderstorms, later in the morning and afternoon. We arrived at the trailhead at 6:30 and climbed through the morning fog. The trail was extremely wet, requiring us to step over, around, or through many muddy patches, but the going was otherwise easy. We snatched brief views at the two outlooks along the way, but arrived on the summit in the clouds. After about 10 minutes, the clouds (really, fog) rose and allowed us a glimpse of neighboring smarts mountain.

It’s always a good day when one is out in the mountains.

Hike stats:
Distance: 4.1 miles
Time: 2h43
Gain: 1995′

Cardigan

Early morning is best!

Mount Cardigan is one of my local go-to mountains when I want to get up and out, without a long drive. It is extremely popular because it is a relatively short hike and offers a bare granite summit with long views in all directions. I tend to go early, to beat the crowds, but that was especially important today… at 7am the temperature was already in the high 60s and extremely humid, with thunderstorms possible in late morning and afternoon. Read on!