Joe Comuzzi finishes his 12x48 on Jackson

[Bob Kittredge]

Yesterday, Joe Comuzzi, an inveterate peakbagger, bushwhacker and hike leader for the Boston chapter of the AMC, finished doing the NH 48 in each calendar month of the year on Mount Jackson. On a gorgeous, chilly day, such worthies as Ed Hawkins, Mohamed Ellozy, John Lisker, Judy Dillman, Ellen Cullen, Kevin Fredette, and many others accompanied Joe together with his wife Kate Harper and dogs Porkchop and Paprika up the Webster-Jackson Trail. Two cakes, several bottles of sparkling cider and numerous brownies, congo bars and the like were consumed in celebration. Several gray jays joined the festivities.

On the way down, Joe regaled us with straight-from-the-horse's-mouth versions of his famous "helicopter evacuation on Mount Madison" and "disasterous February bushwack off West Bond" stories.

The clouds had cleared off in time for Joe's arrival, and the rime ice on the summit spruces together with vibrant fall colors at lower elevations made for spectacular views. Unfortunately my camera batteries died after just a few shots.

 

[HikerDoc]

NH 4000 peaks in every month

Congratulations to Joe. I've hiked with him a few times over the years and he is a great guy. How many does that make that have done this feat? I can quickly think of five others but there must be more: Gene Daniell, Sue Johnston, Cath Goodwin, Ed Hawkins, Bob Williams. Thom Davis and Guy Jubinville are almost there.

 

[Snowflea]

Hearty congratulations to Joe Comuzzi! I never had the pleasure of meeting him--nor the infamous Porkchop--but knew he'd been plugging away at the 12x48 for quite some time. Bravo!

HikerDoc, I do not believe Frodo has completed the 12x48... unless he's been doing an awful lot of stealth peakbagging of late. As far as I know, Gene was first, Ed was second, and I was third (and first chica... w/many dear friends and two bottles of champagne on the summit of Madison).

By the way, I would love to hear Joe's Mt. Madison helicopter-evacuation story.



Stinkyfeet (Sue J.)

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

NH48x12

"Midnight" Mike Bromberg completed the NH48x12 in the summer of 2005, so I believe that he may have been fifth, after Cath Goodwin, who was fourth.

Congrats to Joe!

Dr. D.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Thom -

Hasn't Ed completed a second round as well? I haven't seen him in awhile, but those who do told me he's working on 3 and 4 concurrently.

Also - it's been several months since I've seen Jim Towle, but I think he's close to finishing, if he hasn't already.

 

[HikerDoc]

48x12

Hello Stinkyfeet,
I well remember being on Madison with you and the champagne. Guy Jubinville had told me that Frodo finished, unreliable source. Kevin, Hiker.Ed has finished several rounds of the 48. Guy told me he is going for 48x48! Congrats to Mike Bromberg; have not had the pleasure of hiking with him.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Madison helicopter evac

Some years ago (Joe could only remember that it was "before 9/11") Joe was leading a summer moonlight traverse of the northern Presies. Starting around 4PM from Appalachia, they head up Valley Way and then Watson Path. An older woman in the group starts to lag. Joe falls back to keep her company, and she says she has a "sharp pain" in the very pit of her abdomen. This rapidly deteriorates until she is on the ground in a fetal position and nonresponsive. Hell of a place to be dealing with a very sick person. However, they have heard a helicopter landing on the ridge up above them! A scout determines that it is a honkin' big non-military chopper carrying a bunch of wealthy French-Canadians who have come to view the sunset. Needless to say, they had not been given clearance to land on the mountain. While they want to help, they don't want to end up having to answer embarrassing questions from authorities. As a compromise, they agree to find some (occupied) farmhouse where they can land, hand over the woman, and take off before the constabulary arrive.

By the time Joe and the party get back to civilization, having aborted the hike, the woman is ensconced in Berlin hospital, doped to the gills and feeling much better, thank you, having passed a kidney stone.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I believe that Ed has around 46 rounds completed now, and I cannot imagine he would stop at the 48x48; not sure if he has structured his later rounds around the 48x12 (i.e., 4x12x48). I heard that Guy should finish next month (or next?). Peter Crane from the MWO is also really close, I think, and there are many, many others, according to Ed.

I believe that Ed has completed the NE4x12, which was a real trick considering that Baxter State Park is closed the entire months of April and November.

Gene once wrote me that he felt the rest of us going for the 48x12 were not being very creative, or words to that effect, and that we should be pursuing other goals. But, I think that the 48x12 is one of the neatest lists out there, as each NH4 can be so different in each month of the year.

 

[MichaelJ]

Yes, Ed has completed the 67x12, using that elusive 1 day in April each year that Baxter is open.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Hiker.Ed has finished several rounds of the 48. Guy told me he is going for 48x48!

The license plate on Ed's truck indicates he's completed 2 rounds of the 48 in all 12 months. I met him and Guy on Isolation (my 1st, their 47th IIRC)... So he's probably well into the 48th round at this point. Quite a character.

Tim

 

[David Metsky]

Way to go Joe!

 

[RoySwkr]

Gene once wrote me that he felt the rest of us going for the 48x12 were not being very creative, or words to that effect, and that we should be pursuing other goals. But, I think that the 48x12 is one of the neatest lists out there, as each NH4 can be so different in each month of the year.

Because Gene was an AMC trip leader and had several family members he wanted to get up the 4k, the 48x12 was a natural for him, even April became more attractive after his girlfriend took to snowshoeing topless. Of course having to get each subsequent group to the summit made it tempting to stick to the easier routes; although he did toss in a few strange ones I've done more different routes on many of the 4k than he has - I don't know about later finishers.

Surely the "4 compass points" used by Guy Waterman was far more imaginative and as far as I know never repeated much less 8 or 16. I suppose one problem with the 48x12 is that it's such a big goal you don't want to make any hike extra tough or you may miss it.

 

[Frodo]

First of all, congratulations Joe!

Secondly (for the record), I have NOT completed the NH48 x 12. I am not even actively working on this list. I just hike a lot in the Whites and have been doing it for so long that I am now about 75-80% of the way there... I imagine that when I get near the end I will actually try and finish it...

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Congrats to Joe - haven't hiked with him in years but did a few when he was about midway thru his list.

I do recall this tidbit re: the Isolation bushwhack off Engine Hill during one summer - Joe was leading a Boston group to Isolation using the trails, and I was leading a NH group. We became aware of each others groups (or "trips" in AMC parlance) near the top of Engine Hill. I fully expected that since we were taking a shortcut we'd get to the summit well before Joe's group. Even though I had a solid group, we actually arrived there 5 or 10 minutes after Joe. So, that bushwhack might be shorter, but at least in summer it's not quicker.

Who's the ADK'er(s) who's done the 46x46? Kowolski (sp?)? Pinpin?

 

[Double Bow]

I suppose one problem with the 48x12 is that it's such a big goal you don't want to make any hike extra tough or you may miss it.

Hiker.Ed, myself, and many others who are working on this would respectfully disagree. If you're going to be doing the same peak 12 times, you're going to want to do it different ways to keep things interesting. That's why I've done Tecumseh six different ways and have a couple more variations planned!


I had the good fortune to join Joe, Porkchop, and Paprika a few years back for a fun trip up Isolation in October. Congrats Joe on a job well done!!!

 

[Rik]

Who's the ADK'er(s) who's done the 46x46? Kowolski (sp?)? Pinpin?

I think you mean Wayne Ratowski and Pinpin (Alain C.)

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I think you mean Wayne Ratowski and Pinpin (Alain C.)

Yes, thanks Rik. I knew it had a "ski" in it! Have never met him on the trails, but did have the pleasure of meeting Alain on one rather cold winter day atop Giant. He seemed to appear/float from nowhere, and after a few pleasant minutes of conversation, was on his way to Rocky Peak Ridge.

 

[blacknblue]

Okay, I know this is a bit of a thread hi-jack, but this has bugged me for over five years now...

I hitched a ride from a guy in March 2002 who claimed to have hiked all the NH 4Ks in each month. At the time, I barely understood the term peakbagger, much less "48x12," so it didn't really register with me how unique this individual was/is. I remember telling somebody about it (my brother?) and remarking how crazy, yet admirable, it was. Now that I appreciate it more fully, I'm curious who it was. Anybody want to step forward and/or venture a guess?

I'm pretty sure it was a lift from Lincoln Woods, down the Kanc to Lincoln; I was coming off an overnight on the Bonds, March 2002.

Oh, and whoever you are, thanks for the lift!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Okay, I know this is a bit of a thread hi-jack, but this has bugged me for over five years now...

I hitched a ride from a guy in March 2002 who claimed to have hiked all the NH 4Ks in each month. At the time, I barely understood the term peakbagger, much less "48x12," so it didn't really register with me how unique this individual was/is. I remember telling somebody about it (my brother?) and remarking how crazy, yet admirable, it was. Now that I appreciate it more fully, I'm curious who it was. Anybody want to step forward and/or venture a guess?

If it was a red Toyota Tacoma 4x4 with a cap, then that would be HikerEd. His last 2 vehicles have been Tacomas. Haven't seen him in a year or so, but in '02 that's what he was driving. (I drive the same thing, so unless you saw the plate, it sometimes confused people.)

 

[blacknblue]

But, I think that the 48x12 is one of the neatest lists out there, as each NH4 can be so different in each month of the year.

I haven't made any attempt to pursue the 48x12, but I agree that it is a neat list, and for that same reason. I made a decision some time ago to hike my local mountain, Cardigan, every calendar month, just to watch the progression of the seasons. I forget how many consecutive months I'm at now, but it really is remarkable to witness the same landscape, even the same trails, at all the various stages of the year, not only the ice and snow and deep snow, but also the various stages of vegetative growth and bloom throughout the summer. (And about seventeen different varieties of rainy days!)