Mt Chocorua takes on new meaning for us...
As Magic mentioned above, yesterday I took the day off and a group of us hiked Mt Chocorua, elevation 3500. It was a really pretty day weatherwise and of the whole 8 of us, I only knew two people, Magic and Lisa. Met the others and right away I bonded with Maggie especially and offered her use of my extra hiking poles. However, she opted for my single walking pole instead.
We took off on the 3.8 mile hike up, moderate grade, day was sunny with light breezes though a bit humid. I noticed Maggie seemed to be having a bit of a hard time from the onset and perspired profusely. I heard through the grapevine that she was an RN so I kidded with her and announced that we all were in "good hands" with her. She seemed to require frequent stops to rest and at one point, I seriously wondered if she would make the whole hike. Later on to encourage her, Magic asked her to lead and promised we'd go at her pace and it was sometime after this that she abruptly turned around and announced, "I am doing this hike in memory of my husband, Todd who was killed in Iraq 3 years ago on September 1". All of a sudden, there was complete silence, Magic vowed his head and I was in disbelief of what I had just heard. Now my heart really went out to Maggie not only for how she was physically being tried on this hike but especially for what she emotionally must have been enduring up until now. Apparently, Mt Chocorua was the last hike she and her husband had been on prior to their marrying and his being shipped off to Irak. She later explained to me that they'd been married only one week prior to his deployment and 7 months later, before she could again see him, he had been killed. During our summit lunch, I sat by her for awhile and filled her in on some of my personal tragedies and how, by the Grace of God, I had overcome them. I hoped that she'd find some strength from hearing my experiences.
It was a long day's hike after that which included seeing poor Maggie get stung by a bee! She was a real trooper though! She marched on and all the while, I thought and even said to her, "Todd would be so proud of you!".
Just this evening while surfing the net I came across a tribute to Maggie's "Todd"... I hardly still know Maggie, but you know, for some reason during this day hike, Maggie and her husband-hero, "Todd" became such a part of me and now whenever I think back to yesterday's Chocorua hike, I think of Maggie, smiling, sweating and pressing on if only step by small step, stopping here and there but still pressing on. In the distance, I hear Magic saying "you can do it!" "Take BIG steps". Maggie stopping, perspiring, smiling back at us and moving forward with renewed strength.
During this hike, Magic had recounted the history behind why the mountain was named Chocorua (after the infamous Indian chief that had cursed the "white man" and jumped to his death in avoidance of being killed first). Today, it is so clear to me that this mountain, Chocorua holds many a story, indeed.
(In honor of "Todd" and Maggie:
http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/caldwellcharlest.html)
Also, our hike's pics...
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/553656544AfdFQV
