Puck
New member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
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After getting on the road at 5 am my son and I stopped in Licncoln for breakfast sandwiches. We were on the trail by 9:30. The ride up was already in the 70's and showing a haze. Whitehouse trail had a good chorus of woodland songbirds. I took the lead to hury us along at a fast clip to make time. By the time we left Liberty Spring Trail for Flume Slide trail my son was dragging himself along. He had a headache, legs felt like wood, upset stomach and red face. So far it was an easy grade. I thought that the exertion came to soon after eating and had not had time to let his meal digest so he was low in blood sugar. It was hot etc. So I had him eat half a Cliff bar and drink a half liter of water. He sat down a few times. I told a few korny jokes that only a father could tell. Gradualy he started to feel better. We passed through an area that was sprayed down by a skunk. Soon he was chatting again and there was a spring in his step. By the time we we hit the slides he was feeling 100%.
At the sight of the slides he had a surge of excitement and energy. A swarm of black flies greeted us there and were our companions for the rest of the hike. Half way up the slide he said it was the best hike ever. (He has said this after Mooselouke and Lafayette also.) We stopped for pictures a few times. I asked him if he had hit the slides feeling the way he felt earlier what would happen. He thought that he could have fallen. I pointed out that because he had this experience of feeling bad and recovering that he will make a great trip leader in the future becasue he will know first hand what could happen if you don't mind your calories and water. Near the top after the intersection with Osseo he stopped for a picture down a slide and realized he was out of film. Once at the top we had a snack and water. There was a small group we had met in the parking lot. Somebody told him the peaks won't count because we had no pictures. The view was very hazy but a big improvement over last Saturday. The breeze was nice but not enough to carry away the black flies.
We went into the col where there was no movement of air and soon we where on top of Liberty. We started our ascent and stopped at Liberty spring. We chatted with a some AT section hikers. They started at the half way mark and continued north. One was wearing a bonnie red kilt. We made good time to the brook crossing and splashed water in our faces. We met up with a single hiker who accompanied us down. My son was leading the hike and he flushed out a grouse and some fledglings. There was a pile a feathers and bones were another grouse had become a meal. We were of the trail and at the station house for a burger before the drive home.
Flume and Liberty was #14 and 15. I promised my son that I will only count the peaks that I bag with him toward our goal of the 4K.
At the sight of the slides he had a surge of excitement and energy. A swarm of black flies greeted us there and were our companions for the rest of the hike. Half way up the slide he said it was the best hike ever. (He has said this after Mooselouke and Lafayette also.) We stopped for pictures a few times. I asked him if he had hit the slides feeling the way he felt earlier what would happen. He thought that he could have fallen. I pointed out that because he had this experience of feeling bad and recovering that he will make a great trip leader in the future becasue he will know first hand what could happen if you don't mind your calories and water. Near the top after the intersection with Osseo he stopped for a picture down a slide and realized he was out of film. Once at the top we had a snack and water. There was a small group we had met in the parking lot. Somebody told him the peaks won't count because we had no pictures. The view was very hazy but a big improvement over last Saturday. The breeze was nice but not enough to carry away the black flies.
We went into the col where there was no movement of air and soon we where on top of Liberty. We started our ascent and stopped at Liberty spring. We chatted with a some AT section hikers. They started at the half way mark and continued north. One was wearing a bonnie red kilt. We made good time to the brook crossing and splashed water in our faces. We met up with a single hiker who accompanied us down. My son was leading the hike and he flushed out a grouse and some fledglings. There was a pile a feathers and bones were another grouse had become a meal. We were of the trail and at the station house for a burger before the drive home.
Flume and Liberty was #14 and 15. I promised my son that I will only count the peaks that I bag with him toward our goal of the 4K.
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