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Time to Ski New England

With six feet of snow on the ground in Boston, you can only imagine what the skiing’s like in nearby New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. In fact, a friend in Vermont just told me yesterday that this is the best snow he’s seen in 20 years. New Hampshire and Maine are also reporting exceptional skiing conditions. So if you have no plans yet for February school break, head to the mountains. Temps are expected to plummet this Friday and Saturday, so you might want to visit Okemo and ride on their new heated 6-passenger bubble chairlift. Or visit Jay Peak, where you can take several runs before bringing the kids indoors to their vast water park. If you need inspiration, here’s “Why I Ski the East.” 
 

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5 Favorite Travel Days in 2013, A Night at AMC’s Lakes of the Clouds Hut, New Hampshire

The conditions weren’t ideal when my wife, Lisa, and I decided to backpack hut-to-hut in the White Mountains in late June. The black flies were still biting and a daily dose of rain had slickened the trails, making that unforgiving White Mountain granite that much more treacherous. By the time we reached the third of the AMC huts, Mizpah Springs, after an incredibly humid day where I really felt my age, I was spent. I had more than enough material to write my story on hut-to-hut hiking in the Whites for The Washington Post and I just wanted to head back to civilization. Conditions needed to be ideal the next morning to walk the historic Crawford Path through the Presidential Range. Once you venture beyond Mizpah Springs Hut to Mount Pierce, you’re above treeline on a ridge walk, entirely exposed to the weather since there’s really nowhere to hide. 

 
Socked in to a large cloud with the threat of lightening the next morning, it was time to head down. Or was it? At a juncture just below the peak of Pierce, we had to make a decision—up or down. That’s when we ran into a couple we befriended the night before, on vacation from Beijing, happy to breathe in the fresh alpine air. “C’mon, I have sardines,” Micah said. The next thing you know we’re atop the ridge, the layers of mist disrobing, and we were treated to views of the bald knob atop Mount Eisenhower. It was like walking on a lunar landscape, bordered by velvety green sedge and moss, often staring in awe at alpine wildflowers in bloom like bog laurel, white bunchberry, and purple fireweed. 
 
Then we spotted the Lakes of the Clouds hut, our lodging for the night, and its lofty perch atop a 5200-foot ridge with stunning vistas of Mount Washington Hotel below and the Cog Railroad ambling slowly up to the Mount Washington summit. We spent the twilight hours looking at the glorious view and then peering at the twinkling stars above (no light pollution here). The next morning, after a filling breakfast, we climbed on hardscrabble rock the last 1.4 miles to the summit of Mount Washington, New England’s tallest peak. The winds subsided, the sun peeked through the clouds, and we were rewarded with wondrous views of Mounts Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. Lisa and I were elated that we made the decision to continue onward. 
 
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Hiking the Acadia Mountain Trail, Acadia National Park

With the highest mountains on the Atlantic coast north of Brazil, slicing fjords, deserted offshore islands, and 41 miles of rugged shoreline, it’s easy to understand why Acadia is the sole national park in the northeast. Take the hour-long hike to the short peak of Acadia Mountain, and you’ll be peering down at the lobster boats anchored in Southwest Harbor, captivated by the meeting of mountains and sea. Unlike the iconic national parks of the West, with their lofty five-digit peaks, everything in Acadia is on a human scale, creating the ideal family-friendly retreat. After the hike, treat yourselves to strawberry lemonade and piping hot popovers, fresh out of the oven, at the Jordan Pond Gatehouse. 

 
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Part III of My Week in the Canadian Rockies: Jasper

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches
 
From Lake Louise, take your time as you drive the famous Icefields Parkway all the way to Jasper. It’s 143 miles, with tremendous views (13 viewpoints). I can recommend stopping at the Peyto Lake Overlook, about ½ hour outside of Lake Louise. You are rewarded at the end with the view of the intensely colored lake. Also, stop for a snack at the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre, and walk on the trail to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. It’s not far, and there are a lot of people, but it does get you up very close. (Note: Skip the $30 pp Glacier Skywalk, a walkway over the Sunwapta Valley. No glaciers to be seen.)
 
In Jasper, we loved our hotel, The Tekarra Lodge. We stayed in a simple and adequate King Lodge room, above the Dining Room, but I’d definitely recommend the cabins. If you reserve well in advance, there are small, medium, and large cabins. Ask for one near the river. Then you can sit in an Adirondack chair, high above the confluence of the Athabasca and Miette Rivers, and watch the swirling blue water down below. Breakfast at Tekarra (included in the price) was great, and an elk conveniently graced the grass just outside the dining room window one morning. 
 
For meals, Jasper is a real town, with lots of choices for excellent food that isn’t fried tourist fare. We loved Syrahs so much, we went back twice. For starters, we enjoyed the elk carpaccio and the warm seafood salad, followed by the smoked Alberta bison brisket ragout, and the port and fig chicken. My husband Josh said the gin and tonic was the best he’s ever had. Make a reservation and enjoy. 
 
In terms of hikes and things to do, Jasper is in Jasper National Park, so you need a different trail map than the one for Banff and Lake Louise. Grab a Jasper map at the Icefields Discovery Centre on your way between Lake Louise and Jasper, or at the Parks Canada Visitor Center in Jasper (500 Connaught Drive). We didn’t really plan a longer hike on the day we drove into Jasper (we wanted to allow time for short walks off the Icefields Parkway during the long ride), but you could pre-arrange a hike on the glacier if you have 3 hours to spare. 
 
We enjoyed all our hikes in Jasper but it’s hard to top the Bald Hills Trail from Maligne Lake (5 hours round-trip), recommended by the host we met at Syrahs. It really had it all-forest, alpine meadow of wildflowers, mountains, a sweeping view back to Maligne Lake. It was our longest and hardest hike of the week, a "peak" experience, and at times a little narrow when you are up very high. We felt very pleased with our accomplishment and a wee bit tired. It was the perfect way to end our trip to the Canadian Rockies. 
 
Don’t hesitate to contact ActiveTravels and I’ll give you the scoop on Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff, including other exhilarating adventures, like rafting down the Sunwapta River. We’ll be back next week with a new slate of blogs. Thanks, as always, for spending the time with us!
 
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Acadia National Park Week: Hiking Acadia Mountain

Acadia National Park turns 100 in 2016. So if you need a good excuse to get here, their centennial should do the trick. But why wait? September and October, when the crowds are gone along with the black flies and mosquitoes is an ideal time to experience this breathtaking mix of mountains and sea. I always tell my friends in the Boston area to wake up early and try to leave by 7:30 am so you can arrive just in time for lunch. Grab your National Park vehicle pass at the Thompson Island Visitors Center and continue south on Route 102 bypassing the far better known Bar Harbor for now and heading straight for the quintessential Maine coastal village of Southwest Harbor. Turn left on Clark Point Road and drive to the end to reach one of my favorite lobster-in-the-rough joints in the state, Beal’s Lobster Pier. 

The food was just as good as I remember yesterday when my buddy Jeff and I entered the joint. My lobster roll was chockful of fresh meat from a lobster that was probably sitting in a trap that morning. Jeff ordered the blackened haddock and the fish was just as moist. Both dishes were accompanied by tasty cole slaw and chips, both made in house. We sat outdoors on picnic tables overlooking the water and enjoyed our meal. 
 
Energized from our food, it was time to play in arguably my favorite outdoor playground in the northeast. One of the best introductions to the astounding beauty of this park is a short climb up Acadia Mountain. This area of the park is also known as the Quiet Side, since it’s on the island’s far less popular western side. The trail weaves slowly through a forest of birches and pines before crossing a fire road and continuing straight up a rocky path. Here, the quick ascent to the peak begins. A series of flat ledges overlook Echo Lake—each plateau offering a slightly better view than the last.  
 
When we reach the top, the vista becomes a glorious panorama, a wonderful reward for a climb that’s not more than 45 minutes. Fishing boats and yachts were anchored in Southwest Harbor, the Cranberry Islands looked more like green peas in the distance. We followed the blue dashes and continued down the rock stairs to the easternmost point of Acadia’s peak for another mind-blowing view. Norumbega Mountain practically plunges into Somes Sound creating the only true fjord on the Eastern seaboard. Resting on a bare summit overlooking this majestic sight, I started to realize why so many people are drawn to Acadia. Everything is on a human scale. Mountains and forest, oceans and fjords are all within grasp on this compact island. Everything seems manageable, even climbing a mountain after a hearty lunch. The intense bond between nature and nature lover grows even stronger when you find yourself sitting on a bare summit on a cloudless September day all by your lonesome.
 
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Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

At the southernmost tip of Costa Rica, Lapa Rios is a 1000-acre private rain forest perched above the Pacific Ocean. 16 spacious bungalows feature hardwood floors, bamboo walls, and vaulted thatched roof ceilings created from local palm trees. Yes, those outdoor showers are solar-powered and more than 70 percent of the materials used are renewable, but take a look at the big picture. Nearly 1000 acres of valuable rainforest have been saved from deforestation and the wildlife within those borders are free from poaching, pollution, and real estate development. More than 45 local families are employed on the property and the resort has been instrumental in providing primary education for children in the area. Rise and shine on a three-hour morning hike with a naturalist through the rainforest to a waterfall and swimming hole, stopping to view spider and howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, parrots, and many other native birds. In the afternoon, sea kayak in the ocean around Matapalo Point, surf the Golfo Dulce, or saddle up on a horse. Rates start at $245 per person, including all meals and guides into the rainforest.  
 

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Consider the Briarcliff on Your Next Visit to the Berkshires

I’ve always loved the location of the Briarcliff Motel, even when it was called the Briarcliff Motor Lodge and I was reviewing the property for the Lonely Planet Guide to New England back in 1999. The motel sits on a quiet stretch of Route 7 directly across from historic Monument Mountain (the hike Herman Melville once took with Nathaniel Hawthorne) and within an easy five-minute drive of the restaurants and shops in Great Barrington. Now under the more than capable watch of Londoners Clare and Richard, the lodging is much more stylish, comfortable, and homey. Breakfast, included in the price, features freshly made scones and muffins, yogurt, fresh fruit, and a tasty homemade granola (no, Richard, won’t give you the recipe). At night, there’s a fire pit to share stories with other travelers about your day at the Clark, Tanglewood, Norman Rockwell Museum, Naumkeag and many other sites in the Berkshires. But don’t miss the opportunity to climb Monument, only a 90-minute round-trip trek that rewards you with a glorious vista of the valley below. 

 

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