Periwinkle
Active member
When I chose this mountain as my finish over two years ago, I doubted I would make it. I was pushing 40, out of shape, a city girl afraid of her own shadow.
Tecumseh was a dream, but a known reference point. It’s the closest 4000 Footer to my home, the one I see every day. A bizarre choice for most, but a logical decision for me. As this summer progressed, I started to think I might make it. When I recently decided that I would be moving away from the Whites, I pushed harder to finish. I sit here a bit awed and amazed that the adventure is over….
As usual it was a late start. What else is new? Then again, I was yet again blessed by the weather gods: blue skies, a slight breeze, warmer than expected temps. I set off with my excellent entourage from the ski area, walking through an open fall forest.
Just above the viewpoint, winter conditions greeted us with ice and a base layer of snow. We all made it up bareboot without a problem, hopping from rock to rock and along the crusted edges.
Just before the summit, I had the worst overwhelming urge to turn back. Part of me just didn’t want it to be over with. I can now understand why some hikers continue on to other lists. The adventure cannot end. But, I needed to finish this to move on, so I kept forward around the last bend.
I was greeted at the summit by a lone bottle of the Doctor gift wrapped on the summit cairn. No one in the group would admit to having planted it. No problem. We dubbed it the “spirit of VFTT”, cracked the sucker, and warmed our souls! We followed this appertif with a genuinely civilized repast of crackers and cheese, hot soup, and a bottle of champagne. It took toe and hand warmers to remain on the summit for that long, but what a sporting group accompanied me!
Instead of being toasted, I recognized those with me: my husband, Jack, for being supportive and understanding in accepting my desire to make this journey (and for redefining true love -- hiking Owl’s Head so the wife can peakbag it); my hiking buddy, Mike, for starting me on this adventure by suggesting hiking Moosilauke, afterwards pointing out that it was on a “list”, then doing a lot of the tough stuff with me (including bagging the Bonds on a whim instead of a day hike); Michael J, as my VFTT representative of supportive encouragement and good advice; and SkiMom, my latest VFTT buddy, who embodies so much of what is positive about this site that the “spirit” of VFTT was on the summit.
The group started down with varying levels of footwear for the descent, from 10 points (me) to bareboot (SkiMom and Mike). It was an uneventful decent and another usual stroll out for me – complete with Michael ribbing me about trying to make this a two day event.
But, hey, we made it out at dusk, with out a single headlamp blazing. That’s a push for me!!!
The true celebration for me was back in the parking lot. Another 4 safely done. The last….
An excellent celebratory dinner followed with friends at the local tavern. It was great to have a nice relaxing end to the day.
So, I am done. I finished a stronger woman, both physically and mentally. I am no longer afraid of my own shadow or things that go bump in the night. I have confidence in my own ability and can trust my own judgment in the woods. It may just be a “list” to some, but it became more than that to me along the way. It was a learning experience, a physical challenge, and an exploration of the beauty of the Whites.
In numbers (which I added up for giggles), it took two years, two months, and 14 days. I hiked over 60% of the list solo. I have hiked almost 300 miles – from Earth to the Space Station. I’ve done 102,915 feet of elevation gain (which very coincidentally is exactly nine hikes up Everest from base camp).
But, what I will remember is each mountain, each unique experience, from first reaching treeline on Moosilauke; my first solo of the Osceolas; my surreal experience on Jefferson; meeting a fox on Carter Dome; being buzzed by an A-10 on West Bond; my first moment of thinking I might seriously be in a world of hurt on No. Tripyramid; attempting to amputate my finger on my first solo overnight on Liberty; sunrises from Lakes of the Clouds and the summits of Cabot, Carrigain, and Madison; sunsets on Wildcat, Bond, Cabot, Carrigain, Liberty, and Moriah; and one last moment alone on the summit of Tecumseh, listening to the wind blow through the trees.
Each hike was another adventure with its own beauty to be discovered. I’ve come to realize that life is like that too. I’m off to my next adventure….
Last, but, not least, thank you all for reading along and helping me reaching this goal. I appreciate your sharing your own journeys which spurred me on, your excellent advice, and encouragement.
Tecumseh was a dream, but a known reference point. It’s the closest 4000 Footer to my home, the one I see every day. A bizarre choice for most, but a logical decision for me. As this summer progressed, I started to think I might make it. When I recently decided that I would be moving away from the Whites, I pushed harder to finish. I sit here a bit awed and amazed that the adventure is over….
As usual it was a late start. What else is new? Then again, I was yet again blessed by the weather gods: blue skies, a slight breeze, warmer than expected temps. I set off with my excellent entourage from the ski area, walking through an open fall forest.
Just above the viewpoint, winter conditions greeted us with ice and a base layer of snow. We all made it up bareboot without a problem, hopping from rock to rock and along the crusted edges.
Just before the summit, I had the worst overwhelming urge to turn back. Part of me just didn’t want it to be over with. I can now understand why some hikers continue on to other lists. The adventure cannot end. But, I needed to finish this to move on, so I kept forward around the last bend.
I was greeted at the summit by a lone bottle of the Doctor gift wrapped on the summit cairn. No one in the group would admit to having planted it. No problem. We dubbed it the “spirit of VFTT”, cracked the sucker, and warmed our souls! We followed this appertif with a genuinely civilized repast of crackers and cheese, hot soup, and a bottle of champagne. It took toe and hand warmers to remain on the summit for that long, but what a sporting group accompanied me!
Instead of being toasted, I recognized those with me: my husband, Jack, for being supportive and understanding in accepting my desire to make this journey (and for redefining true love -- hiking Owl’s Head so the wife can peakbag it); my hiking buddy, Mike, for starting me on this adventure by suggesting hiking Moosilauke, afterwards pointing out that it was on a “list”, then doing a lot of the tough stuff with me (including bagging the Bonds on a whim instead of a day hike); Michael J, as my VFTT representative of supportive encouragement and good advice; and SkiMom, my latest VFTT buddy, who embodies so much of what is positive about this site that the “spirit” of VFTT was on the summit.
The group started down with varying levels of footwear for the descent, from 10 points (me) to bareboot (SkiMom and Mike). It was an uneventful decent and another usual stroll out for me – complete with Michael ribbing me about trying to make this a two day event.
But, hey, we made it out at dusk, with out a single headlamp blazing. That’s a push for me!!! The true celebration for me was back in the parking lot. Another 4 safely done. The last….
An excellent celebratory dinner followed with friends at the local tavern. It was great to have a nice relaxing end to the day.
So, I am done. I finished a stronger woman, both physically and mentally. I am no longer afraid of my own shadow or things that go bump in the night. I have confidence in my own ability and can trust my own judgment in the woods. It may just be a “list” to some, but it became more than that to me along the way. It was a learning experience, a physical challenge, and an exploration of the beauty of the Whites.
In numbers (which I added up for giggles), it took two years, two months, and 14 days. I hiked over 60% of the list solo. I have hiked almost 300 miles – from Earth to the Space Station. I’ve done 102,915 feet of elevation gain (which very coincidentally is exactly nine hikes up Everest from base camp).
But, what I will remember is each mountain, each unique experience, from first reaching treeline on Moosilauke; my first solo of the Osceolas; my surreal experience on Jefferson; meeting a fox on Carter Dome; being buzzed by an A-10 on West Bond; my first moment of thinking I might seriously be in a world of hurt on No. Tripyramid; attempting to amputate my finger on my first solo overnight on Liberty
; sunrises from Lakes of the Clouds and the summits of Cabot, Carrigain, and Madison; sunsets on Wildcat, Bond, Cabot, Carrigain, Liberty, and Moriah; and one last moment alone on the summit of Tecumseh, listening to the wind blow through the trees. Each hike was another adventure with its own beauty to be discovered. I’ve come to realize that life is like that too. I’m off to my next adventure….
Last, but, not least, thank you all for reading along and helping me reaching this goal. I appreciate your sharing your own journeys which spurred me on, your excellent advice, and encouragement.
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