Sorry for the long break, guys! I was busy, well, being busy – travelling and having guests, and hiking, and generally enjoying life! Luckily, this gave me lots of fodder for blog posts – just no  time to post them!

A few weeks ago, I hiked the Webster-Jackson trail and officially summited my first 4000 footer! (Webster, by the way, is only 3910 feet.  Most annoying.)  It was exhausting, exhilarating, and the best time hiking I’ve had yet.  I’m definitely going to get as many 4000 footers under my belt this summer/fall as possible.  Something about working so hard to get to such amazing views seems to be a little bit addictive.

A beautiful flower I found on my way up! New England definitely doesn’t have the wildflowers that Texas does, so I get irrationally excited when I see any flowers hiking.  I really loved the colors on this one, though.

About 2/3rds of the way up Webster.  I was extremely tired at this point (part of this had to do with me being an idiot and only bringing 1L of water – despite the advice of a serious hiker friend to bring at least 2L- so I was incredibly thirsty the entire time) but every time I caught a glimpse of the mountains through the trees, I got a fresh burst of energy.

The view from Mt. Webster. Isn’t it amazing? I just sat there, breathless, eating, and reveling in the sight for about 30 minutes.

From the top of Mt. Jackson – there’s a steep rock scramble up and then down.  I didn’t take a picture of it because I had put my camera up to attack it, but it was the most fun part of the hike.

More Mt. Jackson views.  So gorgeous!

One of my favorite things about the White Mountains is that there’s so much weather going on, all the time! One side of the mountain was clear though cloudy, and on the other you could just watch the fog rolling off the tops of the mountains.

A lovely waterfall/pool/stream I stopped to rest on – well, I sat on the rocks in the shallow end and ate some applesauce.  The water was cold and clear and I really wanted to drink it but, in a rare moment of common sense, refrained.  I can’t get over how much water is here in New England – I’m still so enchanted every time it rains or I see a stream or waterfall.

This is the view from Elephant’s Head, which is right at the trailhead (if you go Webster, then Jackson, which I did.)  It was an encouraging start, and I also ran into a few rock climbers scaling the cliff – so cool!

This was definitely the most challenging trail I’ve done so far, but it was also the most rewarding! And apparently, they just get better!