January 1, 2009
Happy New Year everyone! Last spring I helped Cath Goodwin start the 48 in 1 winter website. As I helped put the site together it didn't take me long to start thinking about the goal for myself. Besides, as the webmaster for the site, it's just not right for me to NOT be one of the finishers of this game. Well, I'm going for it! My goal between now and the last day of winter will be to hike all forty-eight 4000 footers. I was on call at work during the first week of winter so I'm getting a late start, but the first day of the new year is a great time to start a project like this. When I told Cath, a winter enthusiast, in an email that my winter hiking season wouldn't begin until Jan 1st, her response was, "That just isn't right." Cath has completed this game several times, and I'm hoping to tap into her experience as I attempt this. In fact, she's the one who helped coordinate today's hike. Thanks Cath!
I always plan extra time to get to the different trailheads in the winter. But today the roads were fine so I got to the trailhead 20 minutes early. Being so early, I was the first one there. A few minutes later, I was joined by MEB (Mary Ellen BaRoss). We were later joined by Larisa, Mountain Drew (Andy), Cath, and Unfrozen Caveman (Steve). Each state of northern New England was well represented: Drew and Caveman from Vermont, Cath and Larisa from New Hampshire, and MEB and myself from Maine.
It was just 1° when I left the house this morning. It was even colder in the mountains. We bundled up and headed into the woods. About a mile into the hike I had a 'duh' moment. At the first stream crossing I went to step on a block of ice which turned out to be all slush. I should have tested it to see how solid it was, but I guess after 12 days of not hiking you lose a little of your common hiking sense. My foot went right through the slush and into the stream which was about a foot deep. With the temperature now below zero, this was not a good thing. I feared my first winter hike was over already. But as I reached the other side and shook of my boot, I only felt one small wet spot on my sock. I knew it wouldn't be a problem, so we continued on.
Larisa, Cath, and the MEBster.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We regrouped after another stream crossing. I did much better on this crossing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was such a cold morning.
"With all these clothes on I sweat just standing still," said Caveman.
"Well, you are lucky that you are like that," said MEB.
"Are you saying, I'm fat?" said Caveman.
"Oh no. I didn't mean it like that," said MEB defending her remark.
"Yes, she did. She's mean like that," Drew joked.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MEB at yet another stream crossing.
MEB was tough to keep track of during the day.
"Every time I look at you, you have a different color of clothing on," I remarked.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cath and Caveman
This was a great way to start my 48 in 1 winter season. Drew, Cath, Caveman, and MEB have all played and won this game before.
Larisa and I are attempting it for the first time. I'm just starting, but Larisa has waisted no time. She is new to winter hiking but has hiked nearly every day since winter began. I believe today's peaks will bring her total up to eighteen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well, we decided to do something a little different today. We would do a bushwhack. Why you may ask when there was a perfectly good trail. Why not? I guess just because. I was all for it. As I work on the Grid I will be climbing each of these peaks a minimum of 12 times, so I'm always open for something different. Drew was really pushing the idea.
"No guts, no glory," he said (paraphrased). "We'll put Larisa and Cath out front," he added.
"I see," said Cath. "You want to do this if we break trail for you."
We began the bushwhack which was quite open. Caveman stood at the trail for moment, hesitant to get off the trail. He took out his camera. "I've got to get a picture of this," he said. "This is where we messed up." (paraphrased)
Off we went. Drew broke trail for a while. Then Larisa who is young and strong broke trail for a long time. You could tell from the smile on her face that she loved every minute of it. Then Cath brought us up to the ridge. We then rejoined the trail.
We stopped briefly at the junction with the Scaur Ridge trail.
"Would someone look at the camera please!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We got a little break with a flat section before one more steep push to the summit. Larisa got there first. I noticed that she didn't step on the highest point. I jumped over to it. I joked with her, "I got to the top before you did." She took this picture of me on the 4180' summit.
I'm holding up 1 finger representing 1 peak down, 47 to go. Not only am I attempting the 48 in 1 winter, but I'm still working on the 48 in ANY winter. This was a new winter peak for me #22.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Drew on the summit.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Partial view over to Middle Tripyramid and South Peak
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Taking a break
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We began the hike over to Middle Tripyramid. We dropped our packs at the junction with the Sabbaday Brook Trail and enjoyed a little freedom hiking up to the 4140' summit of Middle Tripyramid. It was my 4th time here but my first time not in the clouds. Cath's thermometer now read -10° F. Brrrr.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Looking over to Tecumseh
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Osceolas
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mount Passaconaway with Chocorua behind it and to the left.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cath took this picture of us at the summit.
So this was winter #23 for me and #2 for this winter. Congrats to MEB. This was her 476th Grid peak. She has 100 to go.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Time to head back to North Tripyramid.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Once back on North Tripyramid, Unfrozen Caveman was starting to become frozen again.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We took the same bushwhack route down, although we didn't exactly stay in the same tracks. We had more fun than hikers should be allowed to have as we each made our own zigzag route all the way back down to the trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We then walked the remaining 2 miles or so that we had left on the trail. On the way, Caveman set up his camera and took this group shot. We thought we were so tough.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
What an awesome day we had!!! Thanks everyone for coming!
| 
