It's a Long Way From Blue to Here

coming soon

String Bean (aka Midas) and Bag Balm

Hasty Celebrations

PB&J

coming soon....

Bears and Berries

coming soon...

Granite State of Mind

Well the day finally arrived; July 17, 2011.   Weather for the weekend was fantastic on Saturday and forecasted to remain the same, but slightly warmer for Sunday (no rain, 60’s on the higher summits and 80’s in the valley).  The "traverse" was on!!  

Dave picked me up at 5pm Saturday and we headed to Lancaster, NH to spend the evening with Duck and her husband.   The skies were so clear as we drove thru the Notch and continue north on Rt3, one could easily see the towers atop of Mt Cannon and Mt Washington.  

Once at Duck’s house, we organize our gear, studied the map and set a plan.   Plan A was to run the ridge from Madison to Eisenhower.   Gary would drop us off in Randolph and pick us up at the designated trail head on Rt302 around 6pm Sunday.    

Our trip kicked off at 5am and wrapped up on schedule at 6pm.   However…Madison did not happen because we were so focused on getting to the top of Adams.   By the time we arrived at the summit of Mt Washington around 1pm, Duck was feeling really ill.  It took almost everything she had to even make the summit.  The weather today was about as perfect as we could have possibility been dealt.  A summit bid had to happen and we were especially grateful to our Mom (Duck’s running nickname), for working through her pain!

Personally, I had no interest in coming back at a later date to hike Mt Washington. 
Mt Washington is not the prettiest or most spiritual of summits (this time of year).   For me, it is also far too industrialized/populated.  First time I had the opportunity to hike Mt. Washington was almost 10 years ago.   The friends I was with opted for a ride down.  To complete the hike today, felt as if I finally got that proverbial monkey off my back.

So…not about to abandon our Mom, once at the Lakes in the Clouds Hut, as a group we chose to take the low goat path thereby avoiding the summits and ridge line between Eisenhower and Monroe.  Dave initially suggested that I summit Monroe since it was staring us in the face;  while he photographed me from below.  As thrilling as that idea sounded, I declined his suggestion and stayed with the team.  Monroe and Eisenhower can be accessed easy enough as an out and back ….I will do them another time; with or without companions.  

Best investment:  a camelback

Mistake: not changing my socks ½ way thru the hike

Seeking Wisdom in Extremes - Going Solo

The past two weekends brought rain. We had grand plans to take in the Presi traverse and then on a subsequent weekend, OwlsHead.  Both unfortunately were postponed due to rain.  One of the things Sue and I firmly agree on; is safety first.  The mountain will be there.

Plan B this past Sunday in lieu of OwlsHead was another below treeline hike. Duck, Bucky and SkinnyMini + their extended families were to meet at the Gale River trailhead in Bethlehem, NH. Regardless of the hour, Duck always calls me while we are making our respective ways to the trailhead. This particular morning I did not hear from her via voice, Email or Facebook. In the North Country, although cellular service is improving, I never assume I'll have a proper connection. Praying that Sue and crew were OK...after an hour wait and no contact I decided to head on up. Alone! 

on the way to Mt. Lafayette

During one of our early April hikes I purchased the book "Solo: On Her Own Adventure" and made a pack with myself that I would gain the confidence, experience and knowledge to hike alone.   One step toward gaining the necessary education was attending a NOLS Wilderness First Aid course.  Told Duck once I had the course under my belt that I would embark on a solo journey.

Had kind of assumed the very popular/highly trafficked Lincoln and Lafayette mountains in the Franconia Notch would be my solo hike.  Instead, Duck, Bonnie and I took advantage of a beautiful clear Sunday and hiked that particular ridge together.  WOW!!!  After Moosilauke and now this, I CAN NOT wait for the opportunity to get above treeline again!

Even with the forecasted afternoon rain on July 3rd, I was not concerned about hiking alone.   We've been wet now more than once.  I could do this.  

Even without a companion, I was carrying enough water and food + medical supplies and a change of clothes to get by for a night if need be.  Mind you, I do not carry a pad or sleeping bag but knew there was a hut near the summit of this trail.  With plenty of cars in the parking lot upon my arrival at 6:30am, knowing most would be making their decent this morning...after leaving a note on the truck dashboard and an itinerary on Facebook, I put aside the jitters and awareness of an upset stomach and headed out into the woods.

This trail was a slow, gradual climb with the last 1800 feet being a series of rock stairs and then a single goat track to the summit.   Conditions were so nice, that without a full backpack, I may have entertained doing a bit of trail running.  I don't think I could have chosen a nicer trail as my first solo.  This was not at all technically challenging.

Some folks, including my husband have asked...why...why am I doing this.   Guess it's hard to put into words (perhaps failure to complete the CanAm 250 has alot to do with it).  A few years ago I sent friends a book entitled "Solitude:  Seeking Wisdom in Extremes".   I'd like to think that is what I am doing out here when making my way thru the list of 48 four thousand footers?!  

You can not spend time dwelling on much other than your breath and where you will be landing your next step.  

Till next time my friends...put one foot in front of the other.
- Pigeon

say hello to SkinnyMini

A few weeks ago, Sue invited another friend of hers to join us.  Sue often speaks fondly of Julie.  From the first moment of our meeting, it was not surprising that I felt as if we knew each other quite well.  During our commute north, we traveled in Julie's adorable mini Cooper.  In between singing along to the iPod, she inquires about other mutual friends.  Coincidentally....Julie met Bob and I many years ago while training dogs at one of the local hot spots :)  

Like Duck, Julie is another HHF gym rat.  SkinnyMini as Julie will be referred to from now on, is super fit...don't let her tell you otherwise!

Nicknames

......the first year running Reach the Beach with a team out of Sandown, NH one of the runners nicknamed me Twinkle Toes.  I thought it was so cute, I've since had the name embroidered onto a running warm up jacket.  AT hikers also are dubbed nicknames.  Twinkle Toes as a nickname, fits me well for hiking too as there is not a year which goes by I am void of a black toe.   Hot Rod could also work as a nickname...but my current hiking buddy kind of dubbed me one.   It's not as attractive as those formally mentioned, but it will do.  For the purposes of this blog, I will be known as Pigeon.

During one of the hikes Sue and I shared this Spring, I continuously got hung up in the microspikes.  Infamous snow snakes was my excuse...but Sue walking behind me said otherwise.  My pronated right foot would catch the inside of my left and tug at the strap of the spikes.  Hence the nickname.  I immediately became Pigeon, and she, the Duck. 

weathered but not worn out

Last year I found a new appreciation for hiking and wish to chronicle my adventures.  This season alone Duck and me have already bagged five 4000 footers.   For years I tracked road race stats via a traditional HTML coded website, but that is labor intensive.  Rather than store choice photos on a harddrive, never to be seen or shared, or in my case, accidentally deleted, I've decided to go the route of using a blog.   On a date we decide to host a virtual hike for those of you at home, we will post photos taken along the route via my Blackberry to this blog.

I hope you enjoy the trip as much we do.  Be well my friends!