Dated: 09/18/2021

Narrated by Talal Khan

Our new adventure takes us to New Hampshire where we set out to conquer the nine-mile, seven-hour Franconia Ridge hike that traverses Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln, and Little Haystack, along the second-highest range of peaks in the White Mountains. This hike was on my list for a long time as it is included in National Geographic “World best Hikes: 20 Dream Trails”.

We set out on Friday, September 17^th to Franconia, a sleepy town in New England. At advice of Mr. Intellectual and one of the smartest men I have met, we booked a bed and breakfast by the name of Franconia Notch Inn. I met Zubair Bhai, neurologist in chief and the founder of one of the best stroke programs in the country at the Islamic Center of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield. I must admit that I do not agree with some of the COVID restrictions in place at the house of Allah and had been staying away for some time but going for Jumma was an essential boost for my spiritual side.

We boarded his Honda Ridgeline truck and dopped of my car at Holyoke Hospital. The ride up north on I-91 was serene as usual and the discussion invigorating. I quenched my thirst on many subjects but found discussion on finance especially gratifying. Enjoying the conversation, we reached Franconia in good time and pulled up at our rustic bed and breakfast. The bed and breakfast was nice and had a cool veranda, a stable with horses, a heated pool and tennis courts. Set up in background of majestic White Mountain range of New England, there was a beautiful field with small planes. Incredibly I saw people disassemble their planes and put them in trolleys that they could put in the cart behind their cars and tow them away. SubhanAllah. The ingenuity of the west is impressive.

The other members pulled up later. Fahim, Atif, Sher Shah and Masih came together. Shaukat, the father of outdoor activities in western mass came with son Zohair and had chosen to stay in style in newly constructed cottage right next to the stables at the Inn. The cottage was comfy with a Jacuzzi and a kitchen. We decided to go the neighboring Littleton and get some groceries from Shaw’s to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the morning hike. Masih rightly pointed out that in order to start early and avoid the rain forecasted for afternoon, it was best to make our own breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Fahim and I were in favor of a more gourmet experience and were reminiscent of our breakfast when we hiked Mount Camelhump in Vermont. Littleton turned out to be a typical American Suburban town. Some of us also were able to have pizza at Dominos before heading back, to sleep on time.

Everyone was up early and met at our rendezvous point at Shaukat’s Cottage.  We packed up and jumped in our respective cars and it was a twenty-minute drive to the trail head. We were there by 7 am and the parking lot was already more than half full. In keeping with our tradition of taking pictures in the parking lot before the start of the hike, we snapped a few before we started up deciding to do the loop counter- clockwise with less steep incline. Shaukat in typical style challenged an older ranger woman that he would beat her son’s time of four and a half hours. We all had a good laugh and started light heartedly up the falling waters trail that does justice to its name as there is water coming down throughout the trail making it scenic from the start.

Despite the sabbatical I felt that almost everyone was in better shape than last time. My star of the hike was Masih Farooqi, a prodigal oncologist with stellar reputation in western Massachusetts. He seemed at ease and had the energy of a teenager while going up. Fahim was his usual steady self and while we missed Qasim, who has moved to California, we were happy to include Shershah, the son of our rugged mountaineer, Atif. Shershah works at Aljazeera as a producer and is a prolific soccer player.  Also present was Zuhair Matin, Shaukat’s son who shares his sense of humor and love of the great outdoors.

We made our way up quickly and reached the cloudless falls which are 1.4 miles away from parking and looked inviting to cool off on a hot summer day. The weather was cloudy and murky as we continued up at a brisk pace. Zohair had cramps nursing an old knee injury while snowboarding and had to finish the hike behind us. Showing great grit, he conquered the cramps and was able to finish with Shaukat. Rest of us marched up. There were a lot of students on the trail and Indians as a part of a desi outdoor group. We also met some families with younger kids. We made it up to little haystack and took our first food break and devoured our delicious home made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I was expecting that the hike is nearly over as usually reaching the top means a descent but, in this case, I realized that the loop gets its name from ridge which is 1.7 miles long and extends from Little Haystack to Mount Lafayette. Offering beautiful views on both sides it is somewhat similar to the knife edge at Mount Katahdin.

The ridge snakes up and down and we soaked up some sun breaking through the clouds occasionally. The valleys emerged almost shyly when the mist lifted giving was to Allah’s majesty that was all around us. I could not help but notice how the mountains are just like waves of the ocean, standing frozen as if in some sort of cosmic spell, waiting to break free one day. Taking several stops we reached Mount Lincoln. The up and down reminded some of the seven sister hike we did a few season earlier. We finally made it up to mount Lafayette which stands at 5260 feet, proud of summitting two 4000 feet peaks in New Hampshire. Basking in our glory, we started our descent which is always challenging and taxes my cerebellar system. Zubair Bhai came into his own at the descent and started galloping down as me and Fahim struggled to keep us. Going down at a good pace we met the rain which came out fast and made the rocks even more slippery. Conquering the fear of wet rocks, we slowly made our way to the AMC Greenleaf hut.

The hut is perched majestically on the mountain and has restrooms, a restaurant and snack shop, a water filling station and lodging which is basic with bunkbeds that can be shared by hikers on multi-day hikes. The kitchen was manned by a desi guy and was serving turkey sandwiches and lentil soup. Shershah and I were hoping to get some hot soup but were too full by the calorie heavy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We stayed for a while and then started our descent back down. The descent was long and almost never ending. There was another shower that came and made things hard. Persisting we made our way to the parking lot.

Everyone was exhausted as we reached back. We said our farewells and quickly decided to drive back to our warm beds and a shower. The feeling, going back was surreal. I felt gratitude for having the ability to do this and with a group of people who shared my passion for the great outdoors. Feeling tired, one always wonders why we punish our body but writing this blog and looking at the pictures makes everything come together and reignites the lust for future adventures. As I was dropped at Holyoke hospital, I hugged my partner in these hikes and prayed that Allah gives him the health to keep coming back with me on these adventures.

Oct 3, 2020

 The Western Massachusetts outdoor group came out of its hibernation as coronavirus pandemic had brought everything to a halt. We decided to leave for Vermont, to do the camel hump trail that is located near Huntington, Vermont. We decided to do a 6 mile loop via Burrows Trail.

Eight of us decided to join the hike this time. We made reservations at Best Western plus at Waterbury Vermont. I decided to leave with Dr Zubair Kareem and we met at the mosque to offer Friday prayers and then left directly from there. I parked my car at the mosque. Zubair Bhai shares my passion for local cafés and coffee places and we decided to have lunch and coffee at Eselon Cafe  in Hadley. I realized that it was an awesome choice as we feasted on Mediterranean salad with hummus and sipped on our coffees. We then set out for Vermont. The discussion was enlightening as expected and I greatly benefited from the intellectual depth of my companion. I’ve always felt that you meet some people in life for a reason. It is hard to describe but sometimes it feels like that you are destined to meet people in your lives with whom you share a special bond or lineage. There is something to be said about energy. We are, after all made up off energy. Some people espouse positive energy and you always feel energized after spending time with them.

As we neared Vermont we were so caught up in our discussion that we missed our exit which would cost us another 30 minutes. Both of us did not mind the drive as the fall foliage was at full display here in Vermont. We made it to our final destination and the best western hotel was surprisingly better than most of its contemporaries. Perched majestically on the top of the hill, the hotel looked amazing, especially with clouds flying low. Mountainous and hilly areas always remind me of my time spent growing up around Murree and Nathia Gali.

Checking in was a little hard due to surprisingly long lines. The people from Vermont are amazing and welcoming. After checking in, we were soon joined by Qasim. He’s a great young man and was going to be my roommate as well. Next up were two of the Habib brothers. Beating to their own tune they are always the life of the party and reminder of why Lahoris  are special people.

We decided to have dinner at local Pizza shop and feasted on chicken wings and vegetable pizzas. Zubair Bhai ordered the Zubair special with pineapple which turned out to be pretty good. We were later joined back in the hotel by Masih Bhai, Atif Lala and Fahim Kazi. They drove up from Longmeadow and ended up having dinner at Battleboro where they were able to enjoy some desi cooking at an Indian restaurant. We were all able to gather at Lala’s room at night and made plans to leave early the next day and have breakfast at the motel.

All of us were up on time. As usual the staff continued to be excellent keeping up with the Vermont tradition for niceness. Our hostess offered us egg and cheese sandwiches without Sausage and ham. Having had breakfast we decided to leave quickly to get our lunch sandwiches at a local deli called crossroads. It was on 52 Main St. and was a nice main street café as well. We had our picture taken and then set out to the trail head which was about 30 minute drive. The Vermont countryside is exquisite. If there is Jannah then it must be close to Vermont countryside. I discussed with Zubair Bhai how we would both love to live there and maybe have a farm at the back. Amazing thing about Vermont is that even in rural Vermont you are able to see signs for progressive causes like Black Lives Matter, and even smaller homes have renewable energy sources as far out as our trail head.

Reaching the trail head we decided to leave immediately to give us ample time to reach the top. Qasim suggested that we do a counterclockwise loop. We followed his advice and as we started going up we quickly fell and into a rhythm. It seemed like everybody was ready to resume hiking after a long time. It was a rainy day in the beginning and everything was slightly wet. There were clouds everywhere as we ascended and it was not that slippery in spite of the water and we felt that weather was actually good and were enjoying the hike and the cool breeze. Due to the rain in the morning we also did not encounter many hikers earlier on. We made a few stops as we went up enjoying the fall foliage and the clouds blowing past us. The hike itself seemed a bit easier than our previous hike up Mount Mansfield.

There were parts of the hike where it became rocky and we had to actually do some climbing which in hindsight was fun as well. We all acknowledged Allah’s blessings on how lucky we are to be able to do these things together. Several members of the group were over 50 and did better than even the younger members of the group. As we reached the top we decided to take a detour. We split up into two groups. Myself Zubair and Bhai and Qasim decided to take a detour to go visit a place where a World War II plane had fallen down. We were able to find the wreckage and it was a surreal moment to be near a piece of history. We could only imagine what had gone through the pilots mind when the plane actually crashed at the site.  We quickly made our way back and join up with the rest of the crew who had already made it up to the top of the mountain and were chilling out. We had 360° views of the valley. The sun had come out by Allah’s grace and it was an amazing site. We could see the Green mountains with Lake Champlain not too far away. The fall foliage was especially beautiful at this time. At the top we also meant a lot of younger hikers which seem to be local students.

 We all had our lunch at the top of the mountain and enjoyed the scenery. We descended quickly in the descent wasn’t hard. We met more students along the way as we made our way down to the parking area. It was one of the easiest descents so far. As soon as we got to our cars, we decided to quickly drive back home so we can be with our families in good time. I was already planning our next trip as we came home.

As Zubair bhai drove me into an empty parking lot at our mosque, I was relieved to see that my car was parked without any overt damage. As I looked into this beautiful structure that is the house of Allah in Western Massachusetts, I could imagine how it would be for decades from now. I saw a young man playing basketball and I’ve envisioned a time when the community center will become home to the youth of the future.

Keeping up with tradition we all shared our pictures after we got home. After all the memories we made together are what life is all about.

Adventure Name: Cheshire Hill Trail

Dated 3/15/2020

Talal’s take

Our first real climb of 2020 took us back to Mount Greylock in Adams, Massachusetts. We had previously done the mountain in 2019 on the hottest day in the summer when everyone was asked to stay indoors. I had some fond memories of going up the Gould trail. Today’s climb on March 15^th, 2020 will forever be remembered for the breakout of COVID-19 virus which has brought the world to its knees. Western Mass Outdoor group as usual chose to hike as the peak of pandemic is coming. Maybe we were running away from the virus to sanctuary of Mount Greylock.

I started the day early. After seeking Allah’s blessing, I proudly made my hot chocolate in REI thermos and peanut butter sandwich with Vermont maple syrup. Jumping in my Accord, I set out on 1-91 North going through the beautiful Northampton taking route 9 towards the Berkshires. The setting in the morning is pristine and the drive is tranquil as no one else seems to be on the road. Snaking along the Deerfield river, I made my way up listening to rap from Sarim’s playlist. I was pleasantly surprised by a call from Zubair Bhai who was initially not planning to come but decided to join this morning. He suggested that we meet up for breakfast in Adams.

Adams is a beautiful town in northern Berkshire and home of Mass Moca which is very famous museum. We ended up in a local diner which is always my favorite thing. We were joined by Qasim, Shaukat and Dr. Barry Rodstein who is incharge of physical medicine and rehab at baystate medical center. Shahid and Zahid also drove up from South Hadley and gave everyone the new corona shake. We ate a warm breakfast before heading over to Cheshire harbor trail. We drove pass the Gould trail which we used last time,to drive up to Cheshire hill trail head which is rated as moderate on Alltrails.

Dressed for the winter in several layers and equipped with crampons we embarked on the trail. The trail was packed with ice which was melting and lots of water on it. It was almost like walking up a brook for part of the trail. The cool crisp air went through our lungs, washing away impurities and giving me a high which makes us keep coming back to these hikes. Going up in company of good friends is always special. There is something about going up a mountain which increases my spiritual index. We practiced Saying Allah Akbar while going up and Subhan Allah while going down, a lesson from our Quran study group.

Shaukat always amazes me. He continues to have the energy of a teenager. He is such a role model for all of us. Praying for his health, we started going up. The hike was easier but made hard due to the layer of snow. There is not much scenery till you reach the top. Slowly we made our way up to the Greylock tower. It was very windy, and the wind chill made many of us wear our wind breakers again. We took out our snacks and warmed ourselves with hot chocolate. Taking some pictures and soaking up the scenery of the Berkshire valley we rested for a few minutes before deciding to go down the Gould trail for a change in scenery.

Gould trail has a sharper descent and the trail is narrower. Going down was faster. We made our way quickly and only one area was challenging where we had to cross the stream and some of us had to sit down to descend. There is a connector that leads from Gould to Cheshire Hill trail. We divided into separate groups while going down and I enjoyed the company of Qasim. We talked about private and public schools as we descended. Always a leader, he stays behind with those who are left behind. I was also amazed at Zahid Bhai also who wills himself to come to these hikes and makes them more enjoyable with his jokes in real Punjabi.

As we reached down, we quickly split up, said our farewells and drove home. Zubair Bhai gave me a ride back to my car which was parked downtown. He was happy about his new truck which he recently leased and intends to keep. Pulling up in Adams, I had some nostalgia about my time living in Berkshires. On my way back, I listened to a lecture on Corona virus which was eloquently explained by me spiritual leader and wondered what sort of challenges laid ahead personally and professionally in lieu of COVID-19. One thing is for certain, our group will soon be getting together for another hike, Allah willing.

Adventure Name: Seven Sisters

Dated: Nov 15 2019

Talal’s take

The latest adventure of western mass outdoors club was at the seven sisters. The 7 Sisters Trail is a a 6 mile one-way hike that runs along the ridge of the Holyoke Range in Massachusetts from Mount Holyoke to the Notch. The sisters are a series of basalt ridgeline knobs between Mount Hitchcock and Mount Holyoke. Basalt is a type of volcanic rock that makes the seven sisters and the highest sister has an elevation of 1005 feet.

We had planned this hike on our last trip to Mount Mansfield. Fall had come and gone in new England. The trees stood naked and the wind chill warned of old man winter slumbering along to engulf the valley. We had been forewarned by our planning executive, Zubair Bhai to be prepared for the harsh conditions. Everybody was ready on the day of the hike which turned out to be cold but beautiful and sunny.

I met up with Zubair bhai, qasim, and Shaukat at the mosque. The fajar prayers were led by the spiritual Sheikh Wissam who just returned from a sabbatical in Lebanon. Quenching our spiritual thirst with his melodious reading of Quran, we enjoyed a festive breakfast made by our brothers at Islamic Society of western Massachusetts. Feasting on eggs, french toast and tea, we thanked Allah for the opportunity and than started out to our rendezvous point on 43 Hockanum road in Hadley. We sped on the highway and met the legendary Atif Lala, Fahim liberal kazi and Massih rich Farooqi. Massih Bhai ofcourse camein his Tesla wearing a patriots hat. Fahim who was supposed to come with his better half, showed up without her with lala.

The free spirited habib brothers did not show up to the meeting point and decided to meet us at the Notch Visitor center which is just north of Mount Holyoke. We left most of the cars at Hokanum road in skinner state park and decided to take two cars to the Notch at 1500 west street in Amherst. We met up with Habibs in the parking lot.

The cold air took everybody’s breath away. Eager to start the hike, we were made to wait by Hamid Habib who shows a middle finger to circadian rhythm and normally sleeps at day time. Regardless, we were able to start hiking at 8 :30 am. We got on the trail by crossing the road and than following the white blazes. There is an immediate incline which is steep as we made our way up the first hill which is called Bare mountain and stands at around 1000′.

The cold immediately was felt as several members including myself felt our hands freeze. Zubair Bhai needed to borrow some hand warmers as his $100 plus gloves from REI failed to provide the warmth in early part of the hike. Lala had to borrow $18 gloves from Costco that saved his hands. Shauki gave us a lecture on proper gloves and rightly pointed out the need to pack more than one pair of gloves.

Fahim took an early lead with Shahid and Zahid Bhai. Qasim, showing leadership and mercy stayed with those that were left behind. The hike is mostly up and down as you go from one summit to another. We were on the metacomet- monadnock trail and following the white blaze to the summit house. We would stop at each summit to take pictures and fuel up. There are total of 10 hills including the seven sisters on the trail as you go toward the summit house. Some of the vistas that were particularly impressive were near Mount Hitchcock, that included views of Connecticut river and the pioneer valley. It is named after Edward Hitchcock, a former professor of geology at Amherst college.

Going further, we finally reached near the summit house which has breath taking views. There are great picnic areas and hopefully barbecues for next summer. As we reached there, it was time to offer Zuhar prayer. Shaukat was eager to give Azan and all of us gathered together humbly prostrating in front of Allah. There is something to be said about doing sajda before the Almighty on a top of a mountain. For me, its very emotional as I can sense the divinity all around me. Feeling thankful, we made our way to the beautiful summit house. This was actually a hotel in the nineteenth century which was later shut down and is now a historical building. As we got there, I proudly took out my new REI thermos which had kept the hot cocco that i made at 4 30 am, real warm. We all warmed up with its sweet flavor and than began our descent behind a very much in love couple, to the trail head where our cars were parked.

As we made our way down, a race broke. We decided to do some trail running. There is actually a spring race every spring is which trail runners blaze the trail and run in both direction and have to complete the 12 miles in 5.5 hours. We completed 6 miles, gaining 3600 feet in elevation in about five hours but took mutiple breaks.

Finally, we came to Barstow’s dairy store and bakery for lunch. Set in Longview farm, it is a beautiful spot to get fresh food in a quintessential New England town of Hadley. We all sat together, tired and humbled by the hike and shared a sandwich. Some of us were already planning our next adventure. Sharing this great moment together with a sense of deep gratitude, we said farewell till our next adventure.

Western Mass Outdoor Group

Adventure Name: Goose Pond

Dated: 10/26/2019

Our latest adventure took us to goose pond lake in Lee, Massachusetts. Goose pond is located on the border between Lee and Tyringham.  There are summer homes along half of the lower larger pond while the upper pond seems almost wilderness like there are Appalachian Mountain Huts, one large and 3 small, on the north shore.  The upper lake intersects the Appalachian Trail and the AMC hut has both weekend and through hikers as visitors.

We decided to start early. I met Arminder and Kerry at Starbucks sharp at 6 am. Arminder and Kerry are outdoor enthusiasts and have a wild spirit. There kayaks looked new perched on Kerry’s car, looking majestic, almost royal. We had the traditional Chai Latte with Sausage egg and cheese. Note to myself is to bring food from home as starbucks is just not that good. I need to invest in a good thermos. REI will soon be earning some business.

The ride to Lee was sleepy. I listened to some podcasts as I followed Kerry behind in my Subaru. Once you pass the Lee outlet mall, look for a small road called forest road and than take a left on ridge road about a mile into forest road. This brings you to the trailhead. Arminder shared with me an app called gopaddling, which is amazing for those looking for paddling spots. This will be great for future adventures.

We reached the lake exactly at 7 am. The sun was just coming up and mist was blowing up the lake as if smoke was leaving the earth for a more celestial respite. Shauki, our fourth member got lost and I had to go find him. He came full of energy and ready to conquer. The paddle up the lower pond was breathtaking as the breaking light set the foliage alive with vibrating colors. Allah’s canvass was at its full display as we treated ourselves to shades of yellow, orange and red.

Slowly we got into rhythm. The thing about paddling is the slower pace and there is a recreational component to it. Sipping my not so hot chai latte, i sank deeper into my seat and started taking a few deep breaths. There was no one else but our group on the lake. Each breath was like meditation, the ibbadat of our Rabb as we connected with a bigger force.It is this lust for the divine that drives me to the great outdoors. It is my worship and also nourishment for my soul.

Kerry led us to the narrow channel that takes you to the upper pond. The channel was particularly shallow at this time of the year. Feeling like I was in the Amazon rain forest, I followed my kayak buddies up stream to the upper goose pond. This area is even more serene as there are not many houses around the shore line. The Appalachian range runs by it and some of the resting cottage on the trail can be seen in the woods. We also met a young woman who was camping there alone for the first time. This is something I want to do some day. Backpack the Appalachian trail!!!

Further up the lake we came upon some ducks and geese. We also saw a lonely fishing boat parked up. As we went up the lake we saw some decoys. These were being used by a duck and geese hunter. I unknowingly passed right through them. The guy got really mad at us and did not even return our greeting. Shaukat had a theory about him being a serial killer and he did fit the bill of Hannibal Lecter and apperared to have a creepy side.

Further up we ran into marshland. This was beautiful in its own right and some of our kayaks got stuck but we were able to wrestle them out. The sun started rising as it was now close to mid morning and the warmth want through my body energizing it and touching the soul. I basked in the warmth of this heavenly body recognizing how it could have been worshiped by the early humans. Feeling blessed we started the paddle back home at a leisurely and enjoyable pace, looking at vistas which looked duller as the majestic white light of the Sun was at its full display.

Reaching back to the launch point, we helped each other take the kayaks out. Without saying much, our eyes gave away the gratitude that we shared to have made such great memories together. These outdoor adventures have a way of bringing you together. A bonding which is unique of spirits that yearn to roam free.

Already planning our next adventure, we left on the ride back home. Driving back and further soaking in the fall foliage in the Berkshires, I was appreciative of the place that we call home and of the Creator who gave us this and much more.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton