#52 Boston - Are we in Italy? June 1 2006
Greetings from Atlanta, Georgia! I just landed here a short while ago, and while waiting for my hotel room to become available, I thought I bother you a little bit. I have quite a weekend to report and boast about, and despite the enticing title, my adventure did not take place in Europe.
Franconia, New Hampshire, is where we ended up, we being Steph and I. After a somewhat wild and crazy car ride our dynamic duo had joined Rick and Phoebe up in the White Mountains, and we had serious plans for hiking.Serious with a capital S. Balance sheet for the weekend: five 4000-footers, one mountain of lesser height, and (for me only) six miles of running. Needless to say come Monday morning, my whole body consisted of lead, and it would have taken major earthmoving equipment or an industrial-size crane to lift me from the couch, but you know what, I had fun!
First a little bit about the obsession with climbing all these mountains - there are 48 4000-footers in New Hampshire, and it has been the goal of many to become members of the 4000-Footer Club of the AMC (http://www.amc4000footer.org/) - formed in 1957 to get hikers interested in some less well-known sections of the Whites. In order to become a member you must climb on foot to and from the summit of each of the 48 peaks, in winter you can use snow shoes, I believe. With this past weekend I am to 12, not too shabby.....
This major peak-bagging adventure started off on Friday morning with a trip to the Hancocks, North and South, two distinct mountains right off the Kancamagus (pronounced "kanga mangas) Scenic Byway, a 26.5-mile stretch of roadway and one of the most picturesque rides in the White Mountains. Of all the hiking we did this weekend, this first day was probably the most difficult, as the mileage was the longest, and the elevation gain all happened in the last 3/4 of a mile. I guess the fact that the guide book called it "unrelentingly steep" should have been a warning. Stupidly enough I was wearing my winter hiking pants that day (bad bad idea) and was sweating like a hog all the way up the mountain. The views were spectacular (http://hikethewhites.com/hancock.html) and so was our mood. My altitude-craziness continued and Rick and Steph are now convinced that I do indeed need a hearing aid (in addition to having my head examined). When Stephanie posed the question of the day "Are we middle-aged?", I heard "Are we in Italy?" which honestly is the question I would prefer to answer. At some point I threatened to throw my hiking poles over the edge, and Steph asked if I had mumbled about cliffs in Rome - so you can see that I was not alone in my confused state of mind. No wonder no one wants to go hiking with us any more, we seemed like genuine nutcases out there..... ("There's that toad again, Steph! Quick!)
Stephanie, the good girl, fit right in and joined our quest to identify anything horticultural and we came up with an impressive list that included Trillium, Bluets, Hobblebush, Tamarack, and also some cool animals like the Blue Azure butterfly and a grouse (which Phoebe appreciated very much).
Upon returning home the real fun started, since a certain someone had forgotten some very essential pieces of clothing of the undergarment variety, and the group spent Friday night going to Wal-Mart and browse the delicates section. Boston Friends, see what you are missing?
Saturday was a power day for me, my marathon training plan required that I run 6 miles that day, so around 7 AM, I lugged my tired self downstairs to the treadmill and started going at it. Steph and Rick meanwhile lazied around having a leisurely breakfast while I slaved away during 2 1/2 episodes of Dharma and Greg. The minute I was done I was handed a banana and a dry English muffin, and chased out of the house and up the mountain. This time our exploits took us to Crawford Notch, and Mt Tom (http://hikethewhites.com/tom.html) and Mt Field (http://hikethewhites.com/field.html), two more 4000-footers, which even on a clear day don't provide much of a vista as their summits are very wooded, but that day it was fog city all the way. It actually made the woods look mysterious in a "Lord of the Rings" kinda way, which we enjoyed very much. And just for the heck of it, we did add Mt Avalon (3442), which on this day provided the only good view and made it even more worthwhile. This effort deserved some definite rewards and the three of us headed straight for the Seafood and Dairy Place in Franconia, where I learned all about waffle bowls and the 5 million calories contained in them.
Highlights of the Day:
We saw a Red Fox on the top of Mount Field!!
I tried to burn the house down with an English Muffin and also exploded some egg whites, both in the microwave, so I am now no longer allowed near major appliances in Rick's place.
A strange story told by a fellow hiker and librarian, something about librarians covered in bubbles (don't ask)
We almost lost Rick on the top of Mt Tom when we ran into an almost-all female contingent of the AMC 40+ group, but managed to hold onto him, promising a home-cooked meal and grapes......
Monday we joined our friend Kimball and his merry band of European hikers up mountain number 5, Mount Moosilauke, 4802 ft (http://hikethewhites.com/moosilauke.html) - its name stems from the Native American word for "bald place". The Appalachian Trail passes right across the mountain and it was a most gorgeous day with stunning views all around, and some excitement over a glider that kept circling the mountain. A botanical highlight was provided by the Purple Trillium, also known as the Stinking Benjamin, and the day was topped off with a visit to the Conehead Ice Cream shop in North Woodstock, which has fantastic flavors such as "deer tracks" and "peanut butter Iditarod".
No hike is complete (at least when Steph and I are around) without a good amount of sarcasm and judgmental behavior and boy did we have fun. Of course, being the experienced hikers we are, we made fun of everyone, in particular what we call "the sneaker people" , but you have to forgive us for that, because WE ARE INSANE. Mountain Madness! Fuel to our fire was added by the Northern New Hampshire radio station, WHOM, which unfortunately features a show by and with John Tesh (of all people) called "Intelligence for Life" or as Steph called it "Trivia for Morons". She started feeling quite homicidal after listening to his disgustingly shameless self promotion. Well, we learned that "humming clears your sinuses, that it is good to be germophobic and that putting up family photos next to your computer reduces stress". No comment. Really.
Monday, due to my complete exhaustion ande utter loss of motivation, we laid low, with only a brief visit to the Sugar Hill Sampler (http://www.sugarhillsampler.com/) and the Robert Frost Museum (http://www.frostplace.org/), a most wonderful outing, where you can walk through the woods, read poetry and collect ticks on your legs.
All in all, I had a fabulous time - Rick, Steph and I were great hiking companions, similar pace, and same wicked sense of humor. At times I laughed so hard, my stomach hurt and I had to stop hiking. That is happiness for me!!
So, I have to go check in, run a few miles on the treadmill and then head to a meeting - I hope this email finds you well. Go out and hike, laugh and whatever else makes you happy.
Love ya.
Pet:)
Franconia, New Hampshire, is where we ended up, we being Steph and I. After a somewhat wild and crazy car ride our dynamic duo had joined Rick and Phoebe up in the White Mountains, and we had serious plans for hiking.Serious with a capital S. Balance sheet for the weekend: five 4000-footers, one mountain of lesser height, and (for me only) six miles of running. Needless to say come Monday morning, my whole body consisted of lead, and it would have taken major earthmoving equipment or an industrial-size crane to lift me from the couch, but you know what, I had fun!
First a little bit about the obsession with climbing all these mountains - there are 48 4000-footers in New Hampshire, and it has been the goal of many to become members of the 4000-Footer Club of the AMC (http://www.amc4000footer.org/) - formed in 1957 to get hikers interested in some less well-known sections of the Whites. In order to become a member you must climb on foot to and from the summit of each of the 48 peaks, in winter you can use snow shoes, I believe. With this past weekend I am to 12, not too shabby.....
This major peak-bagging adventure started off on Friday morning with a trip to the Hancocks, North and South, two distinct mountains right off the Kancamagus (pronounced "kanga mangas) Scenic Byway, a 26.5-mile stretch of roadway and one of the most picturesque rides in the White Mountains. Of all the hiking we did this weekend, this first day was probably the most difficult, as the mileage was the longest, and the elevation gain all happened in the last 3/4 of a mile. I guess the fact that the guide book called it "unrelentingly steep" should have been a warning. Stupidly enough I was wearing my winter hiking pants that day (bad bad idea) and was sweating like a hog all the way up the mountain. The views were spectacular (http://hikethewhites.com/hancock.html) and so was our mood. My altitude-craziness continued and Rick and Steph are now convinced that I do indeed need a hearing aid (in addition to having my head examined). When Stephanie posed the question of the day "Are we middle-aged?", I heard "Are we in Italy?" which honestly is the question I would prefer to answer. At some point I threatened to throw my hiking poles over the edge, and Steph asked if I had mumbled about cliffs in Rome - so you can see that I was not alone in my confused state of mind. No wonder no one wants to go hiking with us any more, we seemed like genuine nutcases out there..... ("There's that toad again, Steph! Quick!)
Stephanie, the good girl, fit right in and joined our quest to identify anything horticultural and we came up with an impressive list that included Trillium, Bluets, Hobblebush, Tamarack, and also some cool animals like the Blue Azure butterfly and a grouse (which Phoebe appreciated very much).
Upon returning home the real fun started, since a certain someone had forgotten some very essential pieces of clothing of the undergarment variety, and the group spent Friday night going to Wal-Mart and browse the delicates section. Boston Friends, see what you are missing?
Saturday was a power day for me, my marathon training plan required that I run 6 miles that day, so around 7 AM, I lugged my tired self downstairs to the treadmill and started going at it. Steph and Rick meanwhile lazied around having a leisurely breakfast while I slaved away during 2 1/2 episodes of Dharma and Greg. The minute I was done I was handed a banana and a dry English muffin, and chased out of the house and up the mountain. This time our exploits took us to Crawford Notch, and Mt Tom (http://hikethewhites.com/tom.html) and Mt Field (http://hikethewhites.com/field.html), two more 4000-footers, which even on a clear day don't provide much of a vista as their summits are very wooded, but that day it was fog city all the way. It actually made the woods look mysterious in a "Lord of the Rings" kinda way, which we enjoyed very much. And just for the heck of it, we did add Mt Avalon (3442), which on this day provided the only good view and made it even more worthwhile. This effort deserved some definite rewards and the three of us headed straight for the Seafood and Dairy Place in Franconia, where I learned all about waffle bowls and the 5 million calories contained in them.
Highlights of the Day:
We saw a Red Fox on the top of Mount Field!!
I tried to burn the house down with an English Muffin and also exploded some egg whites, both in the microwave, so I am now no longer allowed near major appliances in Rick's place.
A strange story told by a fellow hiker and librarian, something about librarians covered in bubbles (don't ask)
We almost lost Rick on the top of Mt Tom when we ran into an almost-all female contingent of the AMC 40+ group, but managed to hold onto him, promising a home-cooked meal and grapes......
Monday we joined our friend Kimball and his merry band of European hikers up mountain number 5, Mount Moosilauke, 4802 ft (http://hikethewhites.com/moosilauke.html) - its name stems from the Native American word for "bald place". The Appalachian Trail passes right across the mountain and it was a most gorgeous day with stunning views all around, and some excitement over a glider that kept circling the mountain. A botanical highlight was provided by the Purple Trillium, also known as the Stinking Benjamin, and the day was topped off with a visit to the Conehead Ice Cream shop in North Woodstock, which has fantastic flavors such as "deer tracks" and "peanut butter Iditarod".
No hike is complete (at least when Steph and I are around) without a good amount of sarcasm and judgmental behavior and boy did we have fun. Of course, being the experienced hikers we are, we made fun of everyone, in particular what we call "the sneaker people" , but you have to forgive us for that, because WE ARE INSANE. Mountain Madness! Fuel to our fire was added by the Northern New Hampshire radio station, WHOM, which unfortunately features a show by and with John Tesh (of all people) called "Intelligence for Life" or as Steph called it "Trivia for Morons". She started feeling quite homicidal after listening to his disgustingly shameless self promotion. Well, we learned that "humming clears your sinuses, that it is good to be germophobic and that putting up family photos next to your computer reduces stress". No comment. Really.
Monday, due to my complete exhaustion ande utter loss of motivation, we laid low, with only a brief visit to the Sugar Hill Sampler (http://www.sugarhillsampler.com/) and the Robert Frost Museum (http://www.frostplace.org/), a most wonderful outing, where you can walk through the woods, read poetry and collect ticks on your legs.
All in all, I had a fabulous time - Rick, Steph and I were great hiking companions, similar pace, and same wicked sense of humor. At times I laughed so hard, my stomach hurt and I had to stop hiking. That is happiness for me!!
So, I have to go check in, run a few miles on the treadmill and then head to a meeting - I hope this email finds you well. Go out and hike, laugh and whatever else makes you happy.
Love ya.
Pet:)
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10:52 AM
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