The October issue of Backpacker magazine arrived in the mail yesterday. That pretty much put a hold on anything else I had planned for the evening. I sat right down and read the thing from cover-to-cover.

The article on secluded hiking routes in the White Mountains was particularly good. It listed three overnight trips (Northern Presidential Loop, Pemigewasset Wilderness Loop and Sandwich Range Traverse) and three day hikes (Mt. Carrigain, The Baldfaces and Mt. Avalon). I was familiar with all of them, but it was nice to be reminded that, yes, there are some trails in the Whites that aren't overrun with people all the time.

I've been a faithful subscriber to Backpacker magazine since it started sometime in the early 70s (with the exception of a few years in college when I needed all available cash for food and shelter). It's a consistently good read with inspiring articles, useful hiking tips and gear reviews.