Summit New England Challenge - 6 states and 6 summits

So you want to the best views in New England?

Well dear reader, you are going to have to work for it.  As someone who loves the mountains I may be biased but in my opinion, some of the best views of New England are seen from her highest summits.  A year ago today, I was standing on top of Mount Katahdin, Maine's highest summit and my last New England peak to conquer.  Conquering all six New England summits took a lot of planning (like a lot, a lot).  But let me tell you, that feeling on the top of that last mountain, surrounded by awesome friends and the most amazing views of Maine knowing I had just planted my hiking boots on each New England state's highest summit felt g-o-o-d.  It's worth the planning, every hour in the car, and every uphill climb, even over those boulder fields. 

Overlook Mountain Hike - Ruins, Fire Tower, and a View - Catskills, NY

By the beginning of the summer of 2018, I had finished my New England High Peaks and I vowed to venture out of the six states we refer to as New England.  Until this summer, I paid little attention to the Empire State outside of trips to New York City, days spent watching the horses race at the Belmont, or to spend some time at the beach in the Hamptons.  When July rolled around, I wanted to spend some time in the woods of New York - I wanted to soak in the streams, float in the lakes, hike wooded trails, and drive through those quiet back roads.  Dreamy, right?

 It all started with the Adirondacks as I convinced my parents that this part of New York was worth four days during fourth of July.  They enjoy anywhere with a 50 amp service for their RV, so off to Ausable Chasm in New York we went.  We spent the holiday hiking, eating, camping, rafting, biking, drinking, and swimming through northern New York.  After this trip outside the city and Long Island limits, I was hooked. 
Gimme all those mountain views and lazy streams.

Turning 30 (A Recap) and 13 Pieces of Advice for 20 somethings.

This blog is full of trail guides, trips to breweries, scuba diving spots, and travel itineraries.  But once in a while I find myself sitting behind my Mac, typing out events going on in my life behind the veil of summit photos and casual candids.  I've written about lessons in losing, yearly recap posts (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017), and even my thoughts on 28.  Given my occasional dabble into things that are serious and often hard, I knew I had to commit to something good for 30.  I will let you be the decision maker if this is that "something good".  

I had been planning on writing a post on turning 30 for a long time, but 30 came and went and I still wasn't finished with this post (can't hit publish, can't hit publish).  I am glad I had writers block because as it turns out,  I learned a whole lot after the day I turned 30 (I learned a whole lot more these past two months.....).  I suppose leaving your 20's isn't as transformative as you think.  Lesson 1a?

Bingham Falls - Stowe, VT

Picture this, a short scenic hike to a beautiful waterfall with an emerald pool in Stowe Vermont.... a swim in the refreshingly cool pool below included.  

Places like this, and mornings like this one, are some of the reasons why New England is such a beautiful part of the planet.  Trying to describe New England to my friends out west was always a challenge.  Sea level is not as inviting to people who strive to conquer Colorado's 14 footers, or people who love to sneak into the backcountry sight unseen for 5 days.  We may not always have those classic deserts, insane summit views, or towering prominent peaks.  BUT, what we do have is amazing bodies of water, ranging from woodsy waterfalls to beach coastlines.  And the green.  Here in New England, there is just so much green... oh how I missed this level of green. 

Idletyme Brewing Company - Stowe, VT

If you have been following Katie Wanders for a while, you probably know a few things to be true:  1) I love to be active and 2) I love to park my behind at a brewery immediately after said activity.   Hike/Ski/Run, Beer, Repeat.  And if I am being honest, it has to be good beer - preferably local, preferably new to me.  As some may tease, I have a loose set of rules when it comes to boozing in various locations.  You can drink a Narraganset on the Block Island Ferry... you can drink a PBR on a ski mountain, but in about every other situation, it has to be good beer. 

After a great hike up Mount Hunger, three silly sweaty hikers left the trailhead and immediately drove to one of the local breweries to drink cold beer (and cider, and vodka) and order everything on the menu that was deep fried or smothered in sauce and cheese.  A few hundred calories burned and a few thousand consumed.  It was a weekend for the books, just not the scales.