We went hiking in Pisgah State Park in New Hampshire. It was an 8 mile hike with 1152 feet elevation gain/loss.
Maybe you notice it is not much elevation gain we usually do. That is true, we wanted to do a little leisurely walk.
First as our ritual we stopped by a coffee shop. This time we choose a local coffee shop in the town of Kneene, NH, on the way to the Pisgah park.
Their coffee was great. I got Colombian decaf coffee. I am a decaf drinker, so there is always limited option. Usually normal brewed coffee in the pot prepared has only one kind decaf. This place has 2 kinds decaf available!
Another exciting fact about the pot is that they use Zojirushi pot. That is a Japanese best brand for pots. That made my day.
New Hampshire culture is different. Usually baristas are very friendly. It seems that local people interact and chat a lot more than big cities like San Francisco or Boston.
Coffee shops are good places where those culture can be seen.
One of the baristas asked us, "Are you guys on a little adventure?"
She asked so, probably because we were wearing hiking pants and shoes.
Mr.N answered, "We will go hiking."
The barista asked, "Nice. Where are you going?"
Mr.N answered, "Pisgah State Park."
The barista was excited and "Nice. I went there last week. It is beautiful this time."
We talked about the trail there. It was nice.
Then we started hiking from trailhead. We started from Kilburn loop trail, then went to an unnamed trail. According to the map on the Alltrails (the App I use), there are no names on the trails except for Kilburn loop trail. Also there are many more trails in addition to trails showed on the Alltrails map.
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| Peaceful forest |
Hikes are pleasant. Not many people there but some local people. We hiked up to the hills and found a viewpoint. So we decided to have lunch there. A couple with a dog also stopped nearby and had a snack. Probably because of the dog they sat down relatively far, but we heard the dog moving since the dog had a bell. Sometimes the doggy came near us for food smell, but then the dog was called by owners. It was cute and funny.
The couple left earlier than us, then we passed them. At some point I went to the "restroom". Mr.N went to the toilet as well, but guys are much faster than girls. I left my backpack along the trail and went far, because it was hard to find privacy. While I was on business, I heard the bell ringing. The doggy passed Mr.N standing by my backpack.
When I came back to the trail, Mr.N laughed and told me, "The lady with the dog said, ""We don't look at. Everybody does."" hehehe"
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| Frozen Lake |
All the ponds we passed were frozen. Despite those facts, it was not so cold, probably because elevation was less than 1500 feet above sea level.
Around the lake were marshy. It was a pretty view. We stopped by a lake and sat on the rocks. It was peaceful.
１１月後半のとある週末にニューハンプシャー州のピスガー州立公園にハイキングへ出かけた。この日はカジュアルなハイキング。やく６キロ、４００メートルの高低差。
まずは近くの街でコーヒーを飲んだ。ニューハンプシャー州のカルチャーとして人々がフレンドリーでいい人達というのがある。この日もコーヒーを飲んでいるとバリスタが話しかけてきて我々が行くピスガー州立公園が綺麗だよと教えてくれた。
そしてキルバーンループトレイルからハイキング開始。私たちが使っているアップ、 Alltrailsには載ってないトレイルが次々と出てきて間違えそうになったがとりあえず予定したルート通りに行くことができた。
ここピスガーの森はとても静かで綺麗だ。そしてローカルの人が少し歩いているだけでほとんど遠くからここまで歩きに来る人はいないようだ。そのためかとてもピースフル。
途中でベルをつけた犬を連れたハイカーに会った。途中でお昼のサンドイッチを食べていると匂いにつられてか犬が近くまで来たが（笑、飼い主に呼び戻されていた。可愛い。
このハイキングではいくつか湖を通り越したが全て凍っていた。冬の到来を感じさせるハイキングではあったが、海抜３００メートル程度のためそこまで寒くはなかった。
ハードコアなハイクもいいがたまにはこういったカジュアルなハイクも楽しいなと思った日だった。
A day after thanksgiving is the hiking day. Well, not officially, but why not?
We hiked up to Mt.Flume and Mt.Liberty in the White Mountain National Forest. It was an out and back, total 12 miles. I am not a big fan of out and back, but in the winter it is important to know the trail is safe to go back. So winter hikes are usually out and back.
Since it is a long distance for a winter hike, we decided to start hiking as early as possible after sun rises. To do that we left Boston at 4 a.m.
We stopped by Starbucks. This Starbucks is on the way to White Mountains, so we always stop by before hiking. This branch is in the outlet mall. If you go there before 10 a.m. hardly anybody there, because outlet shops are closed. However, today was completely different. It is Black Friday. Before 6 a.m., outlet malls are decorated with shiny little lights, already many cars were parked in the parking lot. Wow. People are so eager to shop.
Upon arrival at the parking lot of trailhead, I was surprised. There were a couple of cars already parked. A couple drove in next to us with a huge camper while we were getting ready in the car. The camper had many stickers including 4000 footers of NH, 52 NH peaks with view etc. They left slightly earlier than us. We passed the on the way 2 miles after starting point.
Trails are all covered with snow. Nice thing is that snow is soft. I like winter snow much more than spring snow which is hard and icy.
Snow covered trees are pretty.
As you can imagine from these pictures, it was very cold, but the view from Mt.Flume was good. Although clouds mostly blocked the view for down, half part of the sky at the top was blue sky. In that direction the blue clear sky contrasts white winter scenery. The clouds were moving very fast, so the view was changing second by second. It was dramatic. However, standing there was dramatically cold, so we headed for the next peak.
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| Mt.Flume |
To head for the next peak, the trail descend about 500 feet, then ascend 600 feet. Because of out and back hike, that means 600 feet descend and 500 feet ascend were waiting ahead. Mentally those kind of hike is tough, especially in the snow, but it is what it is.
The top of Mt.Liberty was completely in the clouds. It was also an extreme scene. At the same time it was freezing cold and we headed back immediately.
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| frozen water bottle |
When we came back to Mt.Flume we saw a camper couple reached the Mt.Flume. Considering the sunset time, I thought that they should head back instead of Mt.Liberty, but they might go there. I took out a water bottle and tried to open a lid, but it was frozen and took some time. COOOOOOOLD. It was too cold for me to have a lunch at the top. So we ate sandwich by standing.
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| Trail condition |
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| snowshoe hare track |
Trail is covered with soft snow not hard, so it was fun sliding down to go back. When it is icy, I need to be slow and cautious. Also soft snow I can see many bunnies' foot tracks. I want to see snowshoe hare someday.
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| sitting pad |
After we descended for a while, the temperature was a little higher, so I ate the rest of sandwich. It was too cold to finish at the higher elevation.
This time I brought a small sitting pad. I got it with 20% off at REI's thanksgiving sale. It was so comfy to sit there, instead of cold snow.
Although it was cold, the view was nice.
At the beginning of November, we went hiking in Mount Whiteface area in White mountains, New Hampshire.
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| Whiteface |
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| Whiteface |
Now daytime is getting shorter and shorter, so we had to leave Boston around 5 a.m. in the dark to start hiking early. We did a loop including Mount Whiteface, 12 miles with +/-4380 feet. To the top to the Whiteface is only 3 miles from the trailhead with 2800 feet elevation gain via blueberry ridge trail. It was a nice sunny day and blue sky with sun and clouds are beautiful (left pictures). The objects on the sky made an attractive 3D structure.
Then the trail continues to the next viewpoint. This one doesn't have a mountain name, but there is a view. To the viewpoint is a spur of 0.2 mile. There is 200 feet elevation loss in the 0.2 mile, so it was kind of steep. I was thinking, "Ah I will have to climb up this to go back, I hope it was a good view to worth descending/ascending."
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| Viewpoint |
Well, view was good actually, but it was very windy, so I sat down along the bush and ate some snacks: banana and M&M chocolates.
On this hike I tried a new pair of shoes. Lonepeak 4 from Altra. I have wide feet, so I had been looking for good shoes for wide feet. When I was at a great outdoor shop in Pindale, Wyoming after finishing backpacking in Wind River range, I found a nice pair of trail running shoes. They looked good for wide feet. I couldn't buy them there since I was on travel, so I took a picture and I bought at REI after I came back home.
I didn't get extremely excited, but I didn't have any problem with the new shoes for 12 miles with +/- 4000 feet. That is a good sign. The good thing about Altra Lone Peak shoes are waterproof. Not many trail running shoes are waterproof. They are more designed to be breathable with mesh.
Hiking with trail running shoes are new to me. I don't know it is good, but I found that sturdy hiking shoes are too sturdy and heavy for me sometimes, especially for multiple day backpacking. Trail running shoes should be good for being on trail, and they are lighter than hiking shoes. Maybe stability is less good than hiking shoes, but I will see.
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| dusk |
Due to the very rocky terrain with short day time, the last mile was a little light. It was pretty at dusk in the forest. Nobody was hiking at dusk, so it was very peaceful.
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| Moon |
As sun set, the moon rose. It was half moon. Moon between trees at dusk was beautiful.
１１月の初めにニューハンプシャー州ホワイトマウンテンにあるマウントホワイトフェースへハイキングへ出かけた。
今回は１９キロのループで、高低差は１３１０メートル。
１１月ともなると日が短いのでハイキングに行くとなると朝早く出発しなければならない。今回も約５時にはボストンを出発。
トレイルヘッドから約５キロ、ブルーベリーリッジ トレイルを歩くともう頂上に着いた。ここまでは８５０メートルの登り。なかなかの眺めだった。この日はよく晴れた土曜日で青空と雲と太陽が魅惑的な立体感を出していた。
さらに５キロほど歩くと山の名前はないのだがビューポイントがある。そこまで行くのにはスパートレイルで６１メートル降らなければならないので、行く価値があるかどうか迷ったが（行ったらそのぶん登りで元の場所に戻って来ないといけないので）、せっかく来たのでチェックすることにした。眺めはものすごくよかった。ニューハンプシャーの連なる山々を一気に見渡すことができるのだ。しかし風が非常に強くブッシュの脇で風を避けながらチョコレートとバナナを食べた。
今回のハイクでは新しい靴を試してみた。 アルトラのLonepeak 4。トレイルシューズだ。私は足の幅が広く、幅広の靴を探していてこのモデルを見つけた。トレイルシューズはメッシュのものが多くなかなかウォータープルーフのものが見つからないのだがこれはウォータープルーフ。特に１９キロの工程で問題は無かった。後何回か使ってみて判断したいと思う。
日が短くなって最後の２キロは少し薄暗い中を歩いた。その時間の森はとても静かで美しい。 日が沈んでいき、月が昇ってきた。周りには誰一人おらず静かで美しい時間だった。
At the end of October, Ms.L visited us and we went for a walk near Walden Pond.
Walden Pond is a lake in Concord, Massachusetts. It is famous because of a writer Henry David Thoreau. He lived in a cabin along the Walden pond. He lived in a cabin for about two years for a simple living in the woods. Later he published this experience in "Walden" or "Life in the Woods".
You can actually see the place where exactly he lived. It is now just a place marked by stone, but there is a replica near the parking lot (so that people don't even need to walk to the shore from a parking lot....).
The cabin is quite small. Stuff inside is a fire place, a small bed, and a small desk. No restroom, no sink, no mirror. No iPhone, no TV, no video games. Only woods around. Interesting. I am sort of interested in a simple life: hiking and writing about adventures. However I am not confident if I can live like this for two years, without stuff.
Walking around the shore is nice, especially at the end of October when leaves are colored. I heard that swimming Walden pond from one edge to the opposite edge is a thing to do in Mass. I saw several people swimming in summer when I was there last time. I was surprised to see swimmers even at the end of October in Massachusetts. It is not warm like California in October here.
Another point to write about is the fee. I don't like to pay fee to hike. Hiking place should be open to everybody for free. Walden pond parking lot has fee. It is $8 if you are a Massachusetts resident. It is a rip off. However, there is a way to enter for free. If you hike from adjacent park, there is no fee. Of course we hiked from nearby park. Actually it is nice in the next park, since nobody is usually there. Interestingly, the sign on the tree in that park has "amble". I didn't know the meaning of the word, but I learned from Mr.N and Ms.L. I am a little wiser.
Lastly these are some picture of fall colors. It was the last weekend in New England when the fall colors were still alive.
ウォルデンポンドへちょっとしたハイキングへ行ってきた。このウォルデンポンドはわりと有名な地元のウォーキングスポットだ。なぜならここはアメリカの有名な作家ヘンリー・デイヴィッド・ソロー（Henry David Thoreau）が住んでいたところだからだ。そう、彼は湖のほとりの小さな小屋で”シンプルな生活”をするために2年ほど住んでいたのだ。今はその跡地が石に囲まれる形で残っている。
レプリカも駐車場の脇に作られている（跡地までも１キロ程度歩きたくない人は駐車場から数メートルのレプリカの小屋を見るだけで済ませられる＾＾；）。小屋はいたってシンプルで小さなベッド、机、薪のストーブがあるだけ。マサチューセッツは寒いので冬はさぞかし大変だったろう。たとえ薪を燃やしたとしても。。。
私はここを訪れるまで ヘンリー・デイヴィッド・ソローのことは全く知らなかったが（言い訳としては理系、文学が大の苦手）、日本語訳の本も出ているみたいだし日本人のファンもいるようでびっくりした。
英語だと昔の英語ですごくわかりづらい。数々の引用が石に掘られていたり、ビジターセンターに飾られたりしていたのだが。。文学的すぎて分かりづらい。。。日本語で読んだ方がいいかもしれない。
この１０月末の週末が今年は最後の紅葉を観れた週末となった。
Stay in shape is the key to enjoy climbing mountains. However, I want to enjoy training as well.
BODYPUMP is the most fun training I have done in my life. My training style is stated here at How to Stay in Shape for Big Hiking
BODYPUMP releases new versions every three months So now here I will review version 111.
So far I did 111 four times. At first I thought, "Wow, this is not really hard! Especially squats tracks and biceps track. It seems that I am not wrong. My instructor said that it was a good chance to increase a little heavier weight than usual, which implies 111 is not as tough as other versions.
So, I increased the weight. For example, usually I use 25 Kg for squat tracks (each side 2 plates of 5 kg, and 1 plate of 2.5 Kg). This time I used 27 Kg (each side 1 plate of 10 Kg and 1 plate of 2.5 Kg and 1 plate of 1 Kg). For biceps tracks, I used 9 Kg instead of 7 Kg. As a result, grrr, it is tough version. The reason why I titled this entry "easiest version ever, but..."
BODYPUMP is always hard.
So now, each track's review.
Track1: Warmup
Music: Speechless (Nicolas Haelg Remix) by Robin Schulz feat. Erika Sirola
I like more as I listen to the song every time. This is a medium hardness of warmup, but including slow clean and presses.
Track2: Squats
Music: Chase The Sun (Extended Mix) by Hardwell & Dannic feat. Keli- Leigh
At first I thought this is really easy, because only first half is done with a bar. Even with a bar, there are not many bottom halves. There are a number of repeats of "2 singles, 3 bottom halves", but not like 8 bottoms, which is a butt-killer. This is why I added a baby plate each side from the second time I did 111. Although just 2 kg increase, this has a real impact: you know this feeling if you are BODYPUMPer.
Second half is squats with plates and strengthen calves by standing on the toe. Once I had a big sore on my calves from other training, so that day was really tough. However, I am not sure this version. I still think this is too easy. Come on Les Mills!
I like the song.
Track3: Chest
Music: Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer
First of all, this music video starts with old Japanese couple's conversation saying thank you for 60 years. The rest of video is also apparently recorded in Japan. The dancing guys in Tokyo look a little weird, but I am happy to see Japan featured in American popular music.
This chest track can be done by chest flies with hand weights, or with a bar. My first instructor only gave us hand weights options, so I didn't know that bar is an option until I took another instructor's class. Using a bar is more difficult in my opinion. Again there are walking pushups, which is recent trend. This is not the hardest one I have ever done in the chest tracks, but it is good one.
Track4: Back
Music: Reserve by Egzod feat. Leo The Kind
It is not very hard, unless you increase the weight. The new choreography here is low-pull, high-pull, clean and press. This repeat (8 times) is hard! I am totally fine with previous weight I used at 110, but now I have 2 Kg more. HARD.
Also another new choreography is double dead rows. Doing twice is hard. Usually dead lifts and dead rows are inserted as a recovery from clean and presses in back tracks, but this time not.
Choreography fits very well with the song.
Track5: Triceps
Music: High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
This is a popular song in the U.S. and before 111 was released I listened to this on the radio so many times. Songs were on everywhere. So I heard this at BODYPUMP, I was like, "Ah! This was in the BODYPUMP!"
There is not really new movement here, and right intensity. Also it is fun doing with this song.
Track6: Biceps
Music: Walk Me Home by P!nk
Again P!nk. Les Mills loves P!nk to the level almost obsession. I like P!nk, but not much of this song, because the rhythm is not very good for doing BODYPUMP.
Actually this is not hard. There are many mini breaks between movement, and many biceps rows, which makes this track easy. I hope that next version is harder.
Track7: Lunges
Music: Face My Fears by Hikaru Utada, Skrillex
It is nice to see again Japanese-related song here. Hikaru Utada is Japanese (actually she might choose American citizenship), anyway Japanese name and speaks Japanese at least.
111 use a platform and there is new movement. Both squats and lunges are held with one foot on the bench and the other on the floor. Especially this squat style is a little unbalanced and not sure if it is good.
Track8: Shoulders
Music: Focus by Deorro feat. Lena Leon
There are a lot of side raises, mac raises, front raises. Front raises are recently not incorporated, so it is good to have a variety.
I usually shoulder tracks' "beat" music. This one is good, too.
Track9: Abs
Music: Foolish by Meghan Trainor
My instructor said that this is a weird song, but I like it. This track is all crunches and no harbors. Harbor, then crunch, then harbor....is usually too busy, so it is good to focus on crunches.
Track10: Stretch
Music: Imagine by Ariana Grande
Not much energy left by the time of stretch, so I don't really care about songs for stretch songs. This song is just okay.
Instructors at my gym usually play music before class starts. They usually play music from BODYPUMP45 min version. I think some songs from 45 min is different from 1 hr version. One of the songs from 45 in the version 110 is
This Feeling (Tom Staar Remix) The Chainsmokers feat. Kelsea Ballerini. I like this song a lot. It is a great "pre-pump up" song to start BODYPUMP.
LOVE BODYPUMP!
