MadRiver
New member
By the time we reached Boott Spur the girls were in full revolt. The rocks had taken there toll on their knees and it was getting increasingly more painful with each step. There wasn’t much we could do except continue down Boott Spur. We turned on our walky-talkies and I hiked ahead to give them updates on what to expect since we had never hiked Boott Spur before. Half way down the section of Boott Spur before you reach the Boott Spur Link Trail I met the caretaker at Hermit Lake, who was heading up. I told her about Susan and Lydia’s situation and asked if it would be faster to take the Boott Spur Link Trail down to Hermit Lake and then head down Tuckerman’s or to continue down on Boott Spur. Although the Boott Spur Link Trail was steep, she felt that it would be quicker to take the link trail and then continue down Tuckerman’s rather than to hike down Boott Spur proper. I thanked her for her guidance and continued down to where the Boott Spur Link Trail began.
While I waited, Susan would occasionally get on the walky-talky and described how a certain part of my anatomy was going to be sacrificed to the mountain gods. Her description became increasing more violent and graphic as time passed and my only recourse was to regale them with a lively rendition of “my bologna has a first name”, which didn’t go over well at all. By the time they reached the bolder at the trailhead for the links trail they were not happy campers. Lydia gave me a look that only women know how to give and said,”next time you are on my table, you are toast!!”
We rested a few minutes and soaked up the magnificent view of the ravine and Lion Head and the upper part of Huntington’s. In all honesty, even though the girls were having a hard time on the rocks, they had to admit that the view was absolutely breathtaking. After throwing myself on their mercy, I told them what the caretaker said. Even though the hike down to Hermit Lake was going to be steep, they at least knew what to expect once they arrived. Before we headed down, it was agreed that I would go ahead and not wait for them. Once I got to the car, I would drive to Grant’s supermarket in Glen and pick up dinner and then get wine at the liquor store and finally coffee at Dunkin Donuts and return to Pickham and wait for them to emerge from the woods.
By now it was 4:30pm and I hoped that I could make the car by 6:00pm and be back at Pinkham by 6:30pm if I really hiked fast. Most of the time I hike with either Susan or my friend John, so I usually hike to their pace so we all stay together. Occasionally, however, I am placed in a situation were I can hike as fast as my body will allow me and this was just that occasion.
Even though I too was a tad fatigued from the long day, I was on a mission from God and I needed to summon every fiber of my being to accomplish the task at hand. I bid farewell to the girls at 4:30pm and headed down the link trail. Much of my journey was uneventful. I simply put my head down and hiked as fast as I could without placing myself in danger. The caretaker was right, the link trail is steep and parts of it reminded me of North Carter and Six Husband, but I got down it without incident and once I reached Tucks I picked up the speed. I didn’t have a watch, so I couldn’t gauge my time during the hike and would only learn my time once I arrived at the car.
I must have passed twenty people on the way down and only stopped twice, once to say goodbye to the family we met earlier and second to offer assistance to a hiker who had fallen. After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the car and looked at the clock on the radio, it read 5:36pm. To you young pups that might not seem all that note worthy to cover that distance and steepness in 1:06 minutes, but to a 50 year old with bad knees it was like I just won a decathlon. I’m sure some people in the parking lot were wondering why this old guy was jumping up and down screaming “I rule”. After I regained my composure, I headed south to complete my mission.
Shopping is always so much more fun when every muscle in you body is frozen stiff and you walk like you have a load in your pants, such was my experience shopping in Glen. After what seemed like an eternity, especially after the twenty minute wait at Dunkin Donuts, I arrived back at Pinkham at 6:25pm to await the arrival of my child bride and Lydia. Several times while waiting I would hobble up the Tucks trail and call Susan on the walkie-talkie, with no response.
Just as I was about to put my boots back on and go search for them, they emerged from the trail. They were a little tired and in a little pain, but in great spirits. Susan being the great host and all round good person hobbled into the Pinkham and bought Lydia a shirt and hat combo to commemorate her hike. Somewhere in the middle of our second bottle of wine while sitting around the campfire and listening to the river, we came to the conclusion that it was a day well spent.
While I waited, Susan would occasionally get on the walky-talky and described how a certain part of my anatomy was going to be sacrificed to the mountain gods. Her description became increasing more violent and graphic as time passed and my only recourse was to regale them with a lively rendition of “my bologna has a first name”, which didn’t go over well at all. By the time they reached the bolder at the trailhead for the links trail they were not happy campers. Lydia gave me a look that only women know how to give and said,”next time you are on my table, you are toast!!”
We rested a few minutes and soaked up the magnificent view of the ravine and Lion Head and the upper part of Huntington’s. In all honesty, even though the girls were having a hard time on the rocks, they had to admit that the view was absolutely breathtaking. After throwing myself on their mercy, I told them what the caretaker said. Even though the hike down to Hermit Lake was going to be steep, they at least knew what to expect once they arrived. Before we headed down, it was agreed that I would go ahead and not wait for them. Once I got to the car, I would drive to Grant’s supermarket in Glen and pick up dinner and then get wine at the liquor store and finally coffee at Dunkin Donuts and return to Pickham and wait for them to emerge from the woods.
By now it was 4:30pm and I hoped that I could make the car by 6:00pm and be back at Pinkham by 6:30pm if I really hiked fast. Most of the time I hike with either Susan or my friend John, so I usually hike to their pace so we all stay together. Occasionally, however, I am placed in a situation were I can hike as fast as my body will allow me and this was just that occasion.
Even though I too was a tad fatigued from the long day, I was on a mission from God and I needed to summon every fiber of my being to accomplish the task at hand. I bid farewell to the girls at 4:30pm and headed down the link trail. Much of my journey was uneventful. I simply put my head down and hiked as fast as I could without placing myself in danger. The caretaker was right, the link trail is steep and parts of it reminded me of North Carter and Six Husband, but I got down it without incident and once I reached Tucks I picked up the speed. I didn’t have a watch, so I couldn’t gauge my time during the hike and would only learn my time once I arrived at the car.
I must have passed twenty people on the way down and only stopped twice, once to say goodbye to the family we met earlier and second to offer assistance to a hiker who had fallen. After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the car and looked at the clock on the radio, it read 5:36pm. To you young pups that might not seem all that note worthy to cover that distance and steepness in 1:06 minutes, but to a 50 year old with bad knees it was like I just won a decathlon. I’m sure some people in the parking lot were wondering why this old guy was jumping up and down screaming “I rule”. After I regained my composure, I headed south to complete my mission.
Shopping is always so much more fun when every muscle in you body is frozen stiff and you walk like you have a load in your pants, such was my experience shopping in Glen. After what seemed like an eternity, especially after the twenty minute wait at Dunkin Donuts, I arrived back at Pinkham at 6:25pm to await the arrival of my child bride and Lydia. Several times while waiting I would hobble up the Tucks trail and call Susan on the walkie-talkie, with no response.
Just as I was about to put my boots back on and go search for them, they emerged from the trail. They were a little tired and in a little pain, but in great spirits. Susan being the great host and all round good person hobbled into the Pinkham and bought Lydia a shirt and hat combo to commemorate her hike. Somewhere in the middle of our second bottle of wine while sitting around the campfire and listening to the river, we came to the conclusion that it was a day well spent.
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