The Busy Lens

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

White Mountain Guide, 29th edition

White Mountain Guide, 29th edition

Trusted by hikers for over a century, AMC's White Mountain Guide is an indispensable resource for the magnificent White Mountain National Forest. With comprehensive coverage of the region's hiking trails, this completely updated and revised edition features detailed descriptions of over 500 trails, pull-out paper topo maps with trail-segment mileage, and recommended hikes.

Edited by Steven D. Smith and Mike Dickerman
ISBN: 978-1-934028-44-5

List Price:	$24.95
New:	from $15.76

Sample text:

Name	Moat Mtn Trailhead (south)
Elevation	550 ft
Fee Area	Yes
Parking	Yes
Shuttle Stop	no
Seasonal	no

Description
This trail traverses the main ridge of Moat Mountain, providing magnificent views from numerous outlooks. The south terminus of the trail is located on Dugway Rd. At the lights in Conway village, turn north (directly opposite NH 153) onto Washington St., which becomes West Side Rd. Go left at a fork, then at 0.9 mi. turn left on Passaconaway Rd., which becomes Dugway Rd. The Moat Mountain Trail (sign) leaves Dugway Rd. at a new trailhead parking area on the right, 4.1 mi. from Conway. Dugway Rd. continues and joins the Kancamagus Highway near Blackberry Crossing Campground (but the west part of Dugway Rd. is closed to vehicles from November to May).

Table of Contents
MOUNT WASHINGTON AND THE SOUTHERN RIDGES

1. Trails to Mount Washington from Pinkham Notch

2. Trails on the Upper Cone of Mount Washington

3. Trails North of Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

4. Trails on the Main Ridge of the Southern Peaks

5. Trails to the Southern Peaks from the West and South

6. Trails of the Dry River Valley

7. Trails of the Montalban Ridge

8. Trails of the Jackson Area

THE NORTHERN PEAKS AND THE GREAT GULF

1. Trails on the Main Ridge

2. Linking Trails on the North and West Slopes of the Range

3. Trails in the Great Gulf Wilderness

4. Trails on Mount Madison

5. Trails on Mount Adams

6. Trails on Mount Jefferson

7. Trails on Mount Clay

8. Trails on Pine Mountain

9. Pleasure Paths on the Lower North Slopes

THE FRANCONIA, TWIN, AND WILLEY RANGES

1. Trails on Franconia Ridge and the West Slopes

2. Trails on Garfield Ridge and the North Slopes

3. Trails on the Twin–Zealand Range

4. Trails on Mount Hale and the Sugarloaves

5. Trails on the Willey Range

6. Trails in the Arethusa Falls Region

7. Trails in the Pemigewasset Wilderness

THE CARRIGAIN AND MOAT REGIONS

1. Trails in the Mount Carrigain Region

2. Trails in the Mount Hancock Region

3. Trails in the Mount Tremont Region

4. Trails in the Moat Mountain Region

5. Paths on White Horse Ledge and Cathedral Ledge

CANNON AND KINSMAN

1. Trail on Main Ridge

2. Trails on the West Side of Franconia Notch

3. Trails on the Southeast Side of the Range

4. Trails on the West Side of the Range

5. Trails West of NH 116

THE MOOSILAUKE REGION

1. Trails on Mount Moosilauke

2. Trails on the Benton Range

3. Trails of the Stinson-Carr-Kineo Region

4. Trails of the Middle Connecticut River Mountains

THE WATERVILLE VALLEY AND SQUAM LAKE REGIONS

1. Trails on Mount Tecumseh and Vicinity

2. Shorter Trails Near Waterville Valley

3. Trails on Mount Osceola and Scar Ridge

4. Trails on Mount Tripyramid

5. Trails on Sandwich Mountain

6. Trails on Mount Israel

7. Trails in the Squam Lake Area

MOUNT CHOCORUA AND THE EASTERN SANDWICH RANGE

1. Trails on or near Mount Chocorua

2. Trails between Mount Chocorua and Mount Paugus

3. Trails on Mount Paugus

4. Trails to Paugus Pass and Vicinity

5. Trails on Mount Passaconaway and Its Ridges

6. Trails on Mount Potash and Hedgehog Mountain

7. Trails on Mount Whiteface and Vicinity

THE CARTER AND BALDFACE RANGES

1. Trails on the Ridge and West Slopes of the Carter Range

2. Trails on the Ridge and North Slopes of the Moriah Group

3. Trails of the Wild River Valley

4. Trails on the East Side of the Baldface-Royce Range

5. Trails in the East Branch Region

6. Trails on the Southern Ridges of the Carter Range

7. Trails on Mount Doublehead

8. Trails of the Kearsarge North Region

9. Trails of the Green Hills of Conway Range

SPECKLED MOUNTAIN REGION

1. Trails to the North and East of Speckled Mountain

2. Trails on Speckled Mountain

3. Trails South of Speckled Mountain

THE MAHOOSUC RANGE AREA

1. Trail on the Mahoosuc Range Crest

2. Trails to the Main Range from Success Pond Road

3. Trails to Old Speck from Grafton Notch

4. Trail to Mount Goose Eye from Ketchum

5. Trails to the Main Range from North Road

6. Trails to the Southern Minor Peaks

NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE

1. The Cherry-Dartmouth Range

2. Crescent Range

3. The Pliny and Pilot Ranges

4. The North Country

Monday, June 11, 2012

Do you have a moment to help reduce carbon pollution in our national parks?

Click Here to Send Your Comments!

Dear Reader,

Do you have a moment to help reduce carbon pollution in our national parks?

Carbon dioxide is one of the leading contributors to climate change, and power plants are among the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the United States. National Park Service (NPS) Director Jon Jarvis has called climate change “fundamentally the greatest threat to the integrity of our national parks that we have ever experienced.”

The NPS has documented multiple effects of climate change already unfolding in national parks around the U.S., from melting glaciers to the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires, to coastal parks threatened by sea level rise. All of these forces imperil the long-term health of park roads, buildings, and cultural treasures, as well as plants, fish, and wildlife.

June 25 is the deadline for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt a Carbon Pollution Standard that would require all new power plants to use technologies that limit their carbon pollution. This is a small but critical step in addressing climate change.

By lowering the amount of carbon pollution that future power plants can emit, EPA’s rule would likely result in the adoption of cleaner technologies that mean less haze, smog, acid rain, and climate change impacts in our national parks.

Take Action: Join over a million Americans who have already told the EPA that they agree with the Carbon Pollution Standard. Encourage EPA to finalize this proposal and require future power plants to use the best technology to reduce carbon pollution.

Thank you for helping bring cleaner air to national parks in the near term and for helping us address the serious threats that climate change poses to the long-term health of our National Park System. Future generations will appreciate your action.

Sincerely,

Mark Wenzler
Vice President, Climate and Air Quality Programs

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Bear captured in downtown Manchester: A? 140-lb bear was tranquilized by NH Fish & Game Sunday morning in downto...

http://t.co/9HQkoKYN

Sights and Scenes from Moat Mountain Trail Conway NH

Photo's were shot with an Android Casio G'z One Commando Phone
Video's were shot with a Blackberry PlayBook

Sights and Scenes of Diana's Bath Conway NH

Video's and Photo's shot June 9, 2012

The water flow was at peak levels as the day before was the end of an almost week long Nor'Easter for New England where many communities throughout New Hampshire and Maine are cleaning up from disastrous washouts and rain damage.

This particular location is handicap accessible, the trail up to the Baths has a fine clay and gravel surface hard enough and level enough to navigate a wheelchair. Not all areas are accessible by wheel chair but there is a nice outlook area that can be reached and still enjoy the view of the main attraction to the area.

Photo's were shot with an Android Casio G'z One Commando Phone
Video's were shot with a Blackberry PlayBook

Friday, June 8, 2012

@MassStatePolice: Missing Tewksbury boy reported found safe by Tewksbury PD.

BOLO: Missing Juvenile From Tewksbury MA

Missing Juvenile From Tewksbury

Name: Anthony McNeil
Age: 14
Height: 5’2″
Weight: 120

The missing juvenile was last seen by his father the morning of Thursday June 7^th when he dropped him off at the Wynn Middle School wearing dark jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt. Anthony called his father’s work phone from his residence at approximately 3:30 pm and informed him that he would be going down to the Livingston St. fields to watch the baseball games and that he could pick him up at approximatly 5:30 pm. The father (Dennis McNeil) went to the area numerous times between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Anthony was not there. If you have any information call the Tewksbury Police Department at (978) 851-7373 ext 0 or 911.

1.5 Million Acres Need to be Protected

Sierra Club

Dear Reader,

A vast stretch of roadless forest high in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho. Lush, alpine river valleys just a few hours from Seattle. The wild, rocky coasts of Maine.

Right now, Congress is considering a package of bills that, together, would permanently protect close to 1.5 million acres of amazing wild places like these.

Email your Senators and Representatives today and tell them to protect these majestic landscapes.

We all know that gridlock in Congress is a serious problem. In fact, Congress hasn't passed any legislation protecting wilderness in over three years. In that time, we've seen Big Oil, Gas and Coal get bolder and bolder, attempting to drill, frack and mine their way through our public lands.

This year, Congress has the opportunity to turn this around by pulling together these bills into a huge package of public lands protections. These proposals were offered by members of both parties and enjoy bipartisan support. But it's still difficult for good bills to see the light of day in this gridlocked Congress.

That's why your Senators and Representative need to hear from you – if they support a package of historic wilderness protections, you'll have their back.

This proposed omnibus wilderness bill would give greater protections to public lands in 12 states across the nation. One of these places is the Organ Mountains of New Mexico. These desert mountains are extremely diverse, and are home to species that don't exist anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, they are also threatened by mining and urban sprawl. Passing this legislation would protect these amazing mountains from the worst damage.

All around the nation, the oil, gas and coal industries are trying to open our public lands to be mined, drilled and fracked. But with this important legislation, some of our most special wild places can be protected for future generations.

Take action today to protect 1.5 million acres of mountain, desert, shoreline and forests for future generations.

Thank you for all that you do for our wild places.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hodgdon
Sierra Club Conservation Director

Sierra Club
85 Second Street, 2nd Fl.
San Francisco, CA 94105
membership.services@sierraclub.org
(415) 977-5653
http://www.sierraclub.org/

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Enjoy yourself (closing song on the HOUSE finale)

As House and Wilson ride off into the countryside.....

Louis Prima - Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)

Texting Drivers Beware!!!!!!

Haverhill Texting Prison Sentence: A Deterrent To Others?

WBZ-TV set to find out if a prison sentence for texting while driving will serve as a deterrent to others.

Classic Car Collection Up For Auction In Hampton, NH « CBS Boston

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Going on a Hike... Hike Safe.... It's your Responsibility!

Have a great time hiking in New Hampshire's vast wilderness but please prepare properly before you head out!
A. Plan your destination
B. Notify friends and family:

of where you are going
what trails and mountains you are hiking
who is with you
how long you expect to be gone (day or multiday)
map it out
check your gear

For Summer Day Hikes:

The Ten Essentials:
1. Map (Terrain maps can be found online or in many bookstores)
View Larger Map

2. Compass (know how to use it)

3. Warm Clothing:
■ Sweater or Pile Jacket
■ Long Pants (wool or synthetic)
■ Hat (wool)

4. Extra Food and Water (A healthy, average-sized person can produce as much as 32 oz of sweat during per hour of moderate to vigorous exercise. Trail bars or mix are great for a quick energy boost)

5. Flashlight or (Headlamp so your hands are free)

6. Matches/Firestarters

7. First Aid Kit/Repair Kit

8. Whistle (uses a lot less energy than yelling if lost, and is more apt to be recognized as a sign of distrress)

9. Rain/Wind Jacket and Pants and/or Poncho (Weather can change rapidly)

10. Pocket Knife

Pleasure trip or serious hiker? Please take the next 8 minutes of your life to watch this video, it could save you a lifetime. Expect the unexpected and be prepared, the conditions can change very quickly in the New Hampshire Mountains. You will enjoy your trip more with the peace of mind that you are prepared for what the conditions may throw at you.

"hikeSafe: It's your responsibility" highlights the experiences of three avid hikers and the lessons they have learned in the mountains of New Hampshire. Though the mountains are beautiful -- and hiking can be incredibly fun -- the mountains must also be respected, and hiking must be approached with full understanding of its demands. These hikers share their knowledge, sometimes earned through discomfort and even danger. Whether lost alone on a wilderness trail, buffeted by icy ridgetop gales, or forced to spend an unplanned night out by a raging river, the hikers speak earnestly and candidly so that others may benefit. The hikers stress the hikeSafe responsibility code, which encourages outdoor enthusiasts to be fully prepared for the challenges of the outdoors.

Some quick FACTS:

Three hundred twenty-one incidents involving 457 subjects were analyzed. The mean age of the subjects in the incidents was 35.6 years, with 64.5% men and 35.4% women; 73% of the subjects resided in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. At the time of the incident, 57.3% of the subjects were hiking. Injuries precipitated 39.3% of the rescues, whereas lost and missing persons accounted for 41.4%. Fractures accounted for 33.7% of the reported injuries; 49.7% of the injuries were to the lower extremities. Sixty-four of the subjects (14%) died; 32.8% drowned, and 23.4% died from cardiac events. Volunteers were used in 53.3% of the rescues, a rescuer was injured in 2.5% of the incidents, and at least 36.4% of the subjects were transported to a hospital.

FYI:

Three states besides New Hampshire – Hawaii, Oregon and Maine – have laws allowing agencies to bill for rescues!
$25,000 is the going fine in New Hampshire.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

MLB - BOS Home Run TOP 5TH - TOR 5 BOS 1 - K Shoppach homered to right center.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

NH man returns from climbing Mount Everest

Joe Pratt's accomplishment comes at a time when there's renewed concern about hiking Everest. With more and more people attempting the challenging feat, there are now bottlenecks on the most treacherous portions of the mountain.

Two adults and four children rescued near Little Haystack in NH.

Lost hikers rescued from Falling Waters Trail | Local News - WMUR Home

click for larger image

Conservation officers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department responded to the Falling Waters Trail near the summit of Little Haystack Mountain at about 9:15 p.m. Friday to rescue two adults and four children. The hikers were Josie Rogers and Christopher Kangas, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont., and children ages 8, 6, 5 and 2.

This is a very scenic hike but during the wet season should not be hiked without the proper gear. This trail is very wet during the spring and the nights are still very cool. Hiking regardless of weather and even if only going on a day hike should include a change of clothes, dry socks and without a doubt a flashlight or headlamp so your hands can remain free.

Sample video of the trail they were on:

Friday, June 1, 2012

NH Weekly Fishing Report – May 31, 2012

Stocking report: www.fishnh.com/Fishing/Stocking/current.html

FREE FISHING DAY is THIS SATURDAY! - June 2, 2012: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2012/news_2012_Q2/free_fishing_day_041712.html

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nhfishandgame

><> North Country

June presents an unusual paradox for New Hampshire anglers. The weather is picture perfect, with warm days, cool nights, and plenty of daylight hours in between. The only negative variable in this equation is the insects that spring to life in these conditions. After a particularly successful evening on a trout pond Saturday, I had more black flies stuck in my hair than flies in my fly-box. Mosquitoes dined on my arms while I was tying knots, and landing a fish was a daunting task as I tried to do so while slapping at hungry deer flies.

I suppose that, without insects and their sometimes inconvenient life cycles, fishing may not be the intriguing sport that it is. Mixed in with the no-see-ums are the caddis flies and mayflies that trigger aggressivetrout strikes. For every application of bug spray, there are even doses of dry fly floatant. Biting insects are almost always aquatic at some point in their development and trout have no hesitation eating black fly or mosquito larvae. When they hatch in great densities, a fly-fisherman can be less than perfect when choosing an imitation. Pheasant tail nymphs will resemble an emerging insect closely enough to fool a trout that is gorging itself.

There is no magical time of day when biting insects take a break. An angler is a constant target and, sometimes, the only cure is landing a beautiful fish and forgetting the bugs. – Andy Schafermeyer, Fisheries Biologist

><> Lakes Region

A recent trip on Lake Winnisquam produced a couple small lake trout, it certainly didn’t help that a southeast wind was present that morning. I noticed a great deal of “junk” floating on the lake’s surface, by junk, I mean tree pollen, and flowers from assorted trees. It meant that lines had to be cleaned frequently of this debris. I noticed some male smallmouth bass still sitting on nests; the eggs should be hatching any day now as the lake temperature is near 68 degrees. The flow at Lakeport Dam is approximately 800 cfs (cubic feet per second), and this means there are still good opportunities at fishing the Winnipesaukee River in Laconia, and at Lochmere Dam, at the outlet of Winnisquam.

Fisheries biologists Matt Carpenter and Ben Nugent are nearing the end of stocking river herring into Lake Winnisquam. We will monitor the progress of this species, as the YOY (young-of-the-year) alewives grow throughout the summer and into the fall as they prepare to leave the system on their journey back to the Atlantic Ocean.

Aerial pond stocking will occur the week of June 11. JBI Helicopter Services of Pembroke, NH will again be guiding us across the landscape as we stock fingerling Kennebago strain brook trout into 48 remote, high elevation ponds. Approximately 110,000 fingerlings are stocked in this one-day event. If you have never fished these ponds, you are missing out on some fantastic fishing, in remote, wilderness settings.

Don’t forget that this Saturday, June 2, is free fishing day in New Hampshire. Take advantage of this day with a friend and enjoy the wonderful outdoor opportunities we have here. – Don Miller, Fisheries Biologist

><> Monadnock/Upper Valley

Water temperatures in our local trout ponds are more like mid-June than the end of May. Fishing at Dublin Lake last week showed a surface temperature of 69 degrees! Despite these earlier than normal warm temperatures, reports I have been getting point to good trout fishing.

The Cold and Ashuelot rivers have been stocked heavily with brook, brown and rainbow trout. Anglers are taking notice -- and are also taking home some heavy stringers in the past week. Beard’s Brook in Hillsborough is also producing some nice catches of rainbow and brook trout. Don’t forget about the area where Beard’s Brook and the North Branch meet in Hillsborough by the Chinese restaurant, as this area has always produced a few nice trout for me. Anglers have been having good luck on these streams using Powerbait, worms, and small inline spinners such as Mepps and Rooster Tails.

For ponds, both Gustin (Marlow) and Newell Pond (Alstead) are producing some excellent brook trout, as is Smith Pond (Washington). Whittemore Lake (Bennington) has been giving up some fat rainbow and brook trout as well. A friend of mine relayed to me that the last couple weeks at Willard Pond (Antrim; fly fishing only) have been great. As he put it, “emerging insects, a North wind, and hungry trout make for a great combination on Willard.” There have also been some big smallmouth bass caught in Willard during the past week or so.

Finally, I received a report that anglers are already starting to catch walleye in the Connecticut River by trolling large crankbaits such as Reef Runners. – Gabe Gries, Fisheries Biologist

><> Southeast NH/Merrimack Valley

Anadromous fish species have begun to appear at the fish lift at the Essex Dam in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Already around 100 Atlantic salmon and 5,000 American shad have been counted at the fishway. Once our efforts to transfer river herring to Winnisquam Lake are over, we will begin moving American shad from Lawrence upstream to the Merrimack River in the Boscawen/Concord area. The same principles associated with transferring adult river herring are found with the movement of American shad. The mature adults trapped at lower sections of the Merrimack River will be trucked to more ideal spawning habitat upstream. The adults will leave shortly after spawning, while the hatched juveniles will spend the summer months in this stretch of river before returning to the Atlantic in the early fall. The juveniles will be utilized as a seasonal forage source in the river, benefitting several different sport fishes. – Ben Nugent, Fisheries Biologist

><> Seacoast Area

Well, the groundfishing has been slow this past week, but as the river herring runs slow, stripers are moving back down river and anglers are catching stripers in the Piscataqua and the bay. Mackerel are being brought in by the cooler full, most of these coming from the Piscataqua as well.

Winter flounder have had a really slow season so far, and it doesn’t seem to be picking up. One of our biologists took a flounder trip this past weekend down in Rye Harbor; he fished for 4 hours and only got 1 bite. I guess any day where you get to bring home dinner can be considered successful, even if it is a little disappointing. – Becky Heuss, Marine Biologist

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

"Round 8 Fishing Rod Rack"

FEDERAL AID IN WILDLIFE AND SPORT FISH AND RESTORATION: A User-Pay, User-Benefit Program. Researching and managing fisheries and teaching people about aquatic ecosystems are funded by your license dollars and by the Federal Aid in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. Your purchases of fishing equipment and motorboat fuels make a difference to New Hampshire's fisheries. To learn more: http://www.wildnh.com/SFWR_program/sfwr_program.htm.

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

LEAVE YOUNG ANIMALS ALONE -- KEEP WILDLIFE WILD

CONCORD, N.H. -- Young wildlife is in the news these days, as two young bear cubs, orphaned when a vehicle collision killed their mother, were caught and taken to a wildlife rehabilitator after days of anxiety about their fate. While this is a heart-warming story, it's worth noting that in most circumstances, if you encounter young wildlife – even young animals that appear to need help – the kindest and safest thing to do is to leave them alone and let nature take its course.

Reports have already begun coming in to Fish and Game and local wildlife rehabilitators from people who have picked up young animals, often mistakenly thinking they are orphans. "Picking up fawns, baby raccoons or young animals is an error in judgment," says Fish and Game Lt. Robert Bryant. "People think they're doing a good deed, but they are often removing the animal from the care of its parents and potentially exposing themselves to the risk of disease. In particular, your actions may result in the animal having to be euthanized for rabies testing."

Young wild animals (including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) typically have their best chance of surviving when they are in their own natural environment, says Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist Kent Gustafson. What should you do if you find a young animal? "Give wildlife plenty of space and leave them alone and in the wild, where they belong," he said. If in doubt, report the location of the animal to N.H. Fish and Game by emailing wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov or calling 603-271-2461.

Gustafson explains that seeing a deer fawn alone, for example, does NOT mean that it is orphaned or that it needs your help; it is normal for a doe to leave her fawn alone while she goes off to feed in the early morning and evening hours. In many cases, the doe will not return until nightfall.

"Fawns are not defenseless creatures. Their cryptic coloration, tendency to stay perfectly still and lack of scent are all adaptations that help them survive," Gustafson said. Does are easy for predators to detect because of their size and scent, so they keep a distance from their fawns, except during brief nursing bouts, so that predators don't key in on them. If sympathetic people repeatedly visit a fawn, it only serves to prolong the separation from the doe and delay important feeding.

"This hands-off and keep-your-distance policy also applies to bear cubs and moose calves," Gustafson continued. "It’s also worth noting that sows and cows can and do actively protect their young. In any case, if you're lucky enough to see a deer fawn, bear cub, moose calf or other wild animal, count your blessings and leave the area."

Only qualified people with special rehabilitator permits, issued through N.H. Fish and Game, may take in and care for injured or orphaned wildlife. Improper care of injured or orphaned wildlife often leads to their sickness or death. For example, under NO circumstances should anyone feed a fawn. Improper foods such as cow's milk invariably lead to severe diarrhea (scours), which is usually fatal. Unless you have rehabilitator credentials, it is illegal to have in your possession or take New Hampshire wildlife from the wild and keep it in captivity. For a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators, go to http://www.wildnh.com/Wildlife/wildlife_rehabbers.htm.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildnh.com.

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