June Recap
If there’s one thing I’m learning about my relationship with summer, it’s that time seems to slow down. Part of me is grateful because, in the winter, I feel like I’m living ski trip to ski trip, one storm to the next — and before you know it, winter is over. May lasted forever. June lasted just as long.
The cool, rainy spring meant that much of this year’s spring greenery and flowers lingered longer—like watching summer unfold in slow motion. In the first week of June, I hiked Monadnock with my friend Sharon, and there were still lady slippers in full bloom! Many years, they are done by mid-May. During some rainy days early in the month, I decided to take on a bathroom renovation. I’m not usually one for home improvement projects—they often take longer than expected and keep you from being outdoors, doing what you love. But I’m proud of how it turned out—much better than the peeling ‘80s granny wallpaper and linoleum that were there before.
Mid-June, I made sure to head up north to camp for a couple of nights and visit the beautiful lupine fields in Sugar Hill. Since the peak of COVID, many landowners have continued their “tradition” of mowing the lupine fields to deter crowds of tourists. It’s a sad example of what over-crowding can do to communities.
This camping trip was a special one. After years of leaving Mojave at home, I decided to introduce him to van camping. He did remarkably well. The first day, he was a bit skeptical of the noises and wasn’t sure what to make of being in a metal box all day. But towards the evening, he relaxed, cuddled in bed, and watched outside the window with curiosity the following day.
The lupine blossoms at Sugar Hill were a treat, as always. The full strawberry moon, along with strawberry picking, was sweet as well—pun intended, since this year's strawberry crop was extra sweet! I’ve also discovered a new lupine field not far from home, which I visited a couple of times to enjoy the beautiful blooms at sunset.
One of the highlights of June - was
Backpacking in the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
Between van adventures over the past few years, tent camping became rare. I did one brief backpacking night in Colorado last summer, but that was it. Thankfully, a lovely couple booked Natalie and me for their BACKPACKING elopement! Their vision was to marry on Bond and Bondcliff at golden hour, with photos the next morning. A dream come true. I’ve photographed many weddings and climbing elopements, but this was something I’d always wanted to shoot.
We set off on a cool June morning from Lincoln Woods, following the Pemi’s rushing waters and ascending to the stunning vistas from Bondcliff and the ridgeline to Bond. One thing I’m still working on is reducing my backpacking gear load. Despite years of switching to lightweight gear, my pack was still over 50 lbs for ONE night! Much of that was cameras, lenses, batteries, and such, but my pack alone weighs 6 pounds, and I brought some unnecessary items. The hike was long; the heavy pack made it grueling.
That weekend, between hiking out, the elopement, and hiking back, we covered OVER 33 miles. I was tired—and resolved to get lighter gear for future trips. Lesson learned: all AMC campsites in the White Mountains have bear boxes, so no need to bring a bear can.
I will link the elopement photos in a post here once they are edited — it was a dream! The month wrapped up with some kayaking adventures on my new plastic kayak, which, by the way, is so much more practical than my inflatable. Yes, the inflatable is portable, but I’ve noticed I’m getting out on the water a lot more now that I don’t have to inflate, deflate, then inflate again to dry it.
