‘List’less hiking

[jmegillon149]

No, I don't intentionally *not* hike a peak so I don't finish a list. QUOTE]

met a guy on Bond who got up to 47, then never finished the 48. His reason: he decided that his getting caught up in peakbagging was starting to detract from why he started hiking. He's still hiking plenty, he just won't go to isolation; though he said he'd consider it when I let him know how cool it was. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have a friend who looked at the 48 list and realized she just so happened to have done them all. Another friend thinks I will eventually finish the 48x4 without realizing it, considering how I pick my repeat hikes.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I'm not motivated by the homage angle, as I figure the first white European to climb the various peaks did it probably several thousand years after the first native American did it, and maybe there were people in North America before that. It seems like every month there's some archeological discovery which indicates humans may have inhabited the planet for much longer than we were taught in school.

We all hike and climb for a variety of reasons, and homage is as good as any. Just isn't what motivates me.

Edit: Just wanted to add that at times I'm a list person, and at other times I'm not. When I'm working on a list, I love it. When I finish it, I'm struck by the 'power of the list', and am a bit disgusted with myself. Right now I'm in "non-list" mode. That could change, however...

 

[sapblatt]

Edit: Just wanted to add that at times I'm a list person, and at other times I'm not. When I'm working on a list, I love it. When I finish it, I'm struck by the 'power of the list', and am a bit disgusted with myself. Right now I'm in "non-list" mode. That could change, however...

Well, you may not be a list person, but Brutus is certainly a list dog!
I still marvel at his winter accomplishments!

 

[carole]

I have been following the replies with interest yet find when I’m free to make a response myself someone has already responded similarly before me. Let’s see if I can add some comments:

First – as I started reading the posts this afternoon I was struck with Albee’s comment (post #60), “If the thread is about hiking without a list, why do people that like lists feel the need to post and defend themselves? That wasn't the question!” Exactly what I was thinking except then Albee went on to defend his hiking a list!! That had to be the funniest, no offense Albee. You have to admit it’s funny.

Second – several comments relate to ‘non-listers’ as some how missing out…example: “don't you think there are other similarly rewarding places that you are missing out on?” I don’t understand why a list is needed in order to not miss something. There are maps, guide books and trail signs. When I first hiked Lafayette it was because I looked up and said, “I want to go up there.” I knew nothing of a list. Some trails I hiked were because I passed the trail sign and made a mental note to come hike there sometime. Some places I’ve hiked had no trail but I was interested enough to go exploring. The lists, yes, as some stated, are like menus but not every interesting place is on the menu.

Third - In post#57 the question is asked, “Who's avoiding finishing the list for fear of a let down?”, a reply in post #58 “Like any goal, there is exhileration in finishing a list, but there's also the letdown that follows.”, and in post #78 “One could easily avoid the let down by moving on to another list.”
I ask why the letdown? I was exhilarated when I finished each list I started. I am still exhilarated when I think about what I did, what I learned, how far I’d progressed, how much fun I had. I knew I could do so much more and there was much more to learn and more fun to be had and I didn’t need another list to make that happen. I think of it like any goal – excited to have accomplished it, not let down. Example: the goal to lose weight. When one reaches their goal is there a letdown? I haven’t seen that.

 

[albee]

You got me. I'm a big hypocrite.

 

[sapblatt]

I ask why the letdown? I was exhilarated when I finished each list I started. I am still exhilarated when I think about what I did, what I learned, how far I’d progressed, how much fun I had. I knew I could do so much more and there was much more to learn and more fun to be had and I didn’t need another list to make that happen. I think of it like any goal – excited to have accomplished it, not let down. Example: the goal to lose weight. When one reaches their goal is there a letdown? I haven’t seen that.

Nice post Carole - are you a lawyer?
sometimes - for some people, after the goal is attained the joy is gone, the motivation is gone etc...not everyone, not with all things - but I have seen it happen. I guess if that happens the question is "why was I hiking?" I enjoyed the 48, but I realized I loved being outdoors and in the Whites particularly...so motivation for peakbagging and list was somewhat gone, but motivation to hike was stronger than ever!

 

[Pig Pen]

I hike because it's fun and good exercise.

I use a big list because it takes me to places I haven't been and wouldn't have known about.

I try not to over-think things like this. (Like it's possible for me to over-think something)

 

[Neil]

I hike because it's fun and good exercise.

I try not to over-think things like this.

Then you obviously don't belong on this web forum.

 

[Artex]

I knew I could do so much more and there was much more to learn and more fun to be had and I didn’t need another list to make that happen. I think of it like any goal – excited to have accomplished it, not let down. Example: the goal to lose weight. When one reaches their goal is there a letdown? I haven’t seen that.

Interesting point. I think with weight, it's a goal reached that keeps on giving. The weight is lost and now what? You feel better, look better, and people notice. As a result, many people leave the weight off (I put myself in that category, and have the before and after photos to prove it). But to KEEP the weight off, you have to maintain certain goals, even if they don't seem like goals because they've become engraved into your lifestyle.

With a list of mountains, it's less tangible. You finished the list and now what? You get some little patch. Much better to not stop there and set some new goals, whether it be lists, going faster, redlining, hiking three out of four weekends a month... whatever.

Just my two cents.

 

[king tut]

My favorite hikes besides Katahdin and the Presidentials have been little mountains on the Maine coast near Camden and other peaks like Tumbledown Mt and all the hikes in Acadia. I have found some cool climbs while climbing the 4,000 footers, some peaks that people have said are awful. I really loved climbing Owl's head and visiting the entire Pemi valley and seeing all the pretty waterfalls. I would never have gone here if not for a list. I will finish up the 67 sometime in a year or two, but I have no desire to wrap this up quickly. I have not hiked in about a month or so, but I want to go check out a little remote peak somewhere in Northern Vermont this weekend to check out the foliage. The lists will always be there, but for now I would rather check out some leaves, see some waterfalls, and watch the Pats go 16-0. For some people, climbing all 48 within a year is an accomplishment, for me, just enjoying each peak and hiking it when I feel like it and not feeling like I need to hike something each week is an accomplishment. My favorite movie is Office Space and my favorite line is when they ask Peter what he would do if he had a million dollars, and he replies, "Nothing, I would do nothing." I don't feel obligated to finish a list like it is a goal oriented objective, I just can't define success like that anymore. I define success as climbing ten 4,000 foot peaks in 2 days but also sleeping until noon on a saturday and seeing your college roommate's first son for the first time ever. I love the mountains, and I love them even more when I have not seen them for a while. I never want to get to the point of hiking and asking myself, "why am I hiking this mountain, because it's on a list and I will feel better about myself when I have completed another goal?"

Oh and the "4,000 footer that I will never climb again award" goes to ...Waumbek. Zealand comes a close 2nd. If I had spent 1/2 a day to knock of either of these peaks, I would not be a happy camper. So that's why I don't like lists and I love lists all at the same time.

 

[cooperhill]

Nice post Carole - are you a lawyer?
sometimes - for some people, after the goal is attained the joy is gone, the motivation is gone etc...not everyone, not with all things - but I have seen it happen. I guess if that happens the question is "why was I hiking?" I enjoyed the 48, but I realized I loved being outdoors and in the Whites particularly...so motivation for peakbagging and list was somewhat gone, but motivation to hike was stronger than ever!

I'm at 47 of 48 with Isolation left to go. Its been that way since 2004. For me the motivation to finish (or to just hike Isolation) just wasn't there. Maybe I was waiting for the right time. I also stopped hiking for a few years. Now I just hike, some 4ks, some sub-4ks. I hike locally a lot and now that I've moved closer to the Whites, I get up there more often. If I get a peak on a list, so be it but a list isn't the dominating factor in my hiking. Most of the time its just getting out there, enjoying nature - the different seasons, enjoying the physical challenge of hiking and the enjoyment of finishing a hike. I can't say when I will finish the 48k list and I'm perfectly ok with that.

 

[Mike P.]

Dr. D. I agree on the Zealand Sign, although Time & time again may be an overstatement, just 4x so far.

Like Pete H. i keep many versions of my the list, I keep an annual list of places I go so a peak that might be list-less like Baxter (in ADK's) is on my list it does have a view so it might appaear on an ADK view list.

i would think the only way to truely go list-liss would be to just walk in the woods. If you keep a log of where you've been haven't you created your own list.

At this point I have list for:

each Northeastern State, Sans RI & NJ

List by year

Top 10 by month

working on 48 x 4 seaosns, have done all in two different & almost done with three different season, yet have not completed all 48 in a season yet (45 in Spring so Spring 2008, I'll wrap up Spring) (after this 1'd probably be close to 40% done with 48 x 12months but 12 Owl's Head trips sounds like punishment to me.

The 115 or 111 (18 ADK's left)

part of the annual list is the list of new peaks I visit

Have been to the Catskills twice this year & may be almost 1/2 done there, no interest yet to try some of their viewless bushwhacks, thinking I'd head South to do the 6K's (have six so far)

Think I will toy with a list to see if I've hiked on 365 (or 366) days

 

[RoySwkr]

Think I will toy with a list to see if I've hiked on 365 (or 366) days

Me too.

There is already a guy who has climbed a certain peak every day of the year, and another guy who has climbed a 4k peak every day and is nearly done with the second round.

I'm 3 short of doing a different peak every day (Is this a list carole, and if so of what?)

 

[tallguinness]

Nope

About ten years ago I completed the NH 48 and have not considered following or maintaining any sort of list since. If I'm not up for a specific peak, I don't hike it. Some peaks I've visited multiple times, others I visit once and don't go back. I don't document my summits and couldn't tell you how many times I've hiked what. It's all in the season, the crowds, the meteorological conditions, and time involved. I've enough lists at my workplace.