MonadnockVol
New member
I know I'm a slow hiker, but this is ridiculous: I went up Monadnock and didn't get down until the following decade!
A solo winter nighttime hike up Monadnock to end the old year and ring in the new decade. I went up the White Dot. An inch or two of light new snow had fallen around noon on the 31st but was already well-trodden into the older snow (snowshoes would have been completely superfluous). I used my microspikes and was glad for them but at least one person barebooted it to the summit.
The weather was ideal: mid-twenties and absolutely no wind lower down and less than 5 mph on the summit. The moon was bright enough to cast shadows and although I had brought four separate headlamps, moonlight was enough and I didn't turn them on.
There were 9 people on the summit at midnight, including Larry Davis (the fellow who hiked Monadnock every day for eight years). We looked DOWN on fireworks in three towns. It was an interesting perspective: we were above the clouds and the fireworks were below: the clouds lit up with flashes of green, yellow and red ... like lightning on acid.
Most people hightailed it off the summit after we wished each other a Happy New Year. I went slowly down the White Cross. I was taking my time: I'm supposed to go dancing tonight and my partner would have killed me if I had wrenched a knee or turned an ankle.
Happy New Year and a peaceful 2010 to you all.
Monadnock Volunteer (aka Steve)
A solo winter nighttime hike up Monadnock to end the old year and ring in the new decade. I went up the White Dot. An inch or two of light new snow had fallen around noon on the 31st but was already well-trodden into the older snow (snowshoes would have been completely superfluous). I used my microspikes and was glad for them but at least one person barebooted it to the summit.
The weather was ideal: mid-twenties and absolutely no wind lower down and less than 5 mph on the summit. The moon was bright enough to cast shadows and although I had brought four separate headlamps, moonlight was enough and I didn't turn them on.
There were 9 people on the summit at midnight, including Larry Davis (the fellow who hiked Monadnock every day for eight years). We looked DOWN on fireworks in three towns. It was an interesting perspective: we were above the clouds and the fireworks were below: the clouds lit up with flashes of green, yellow and red ... like lightning on acid.
Most people hightailed it off the summit after we wished each other a Happy New Year. I went slowly down the White Cross. I was taking my time: I'm supposed to go dancing tonight and my partner would have killed me if I had wrenched a knee or turned an ankle.
Happy New Year and a peaceful 2010 to you all.
Monadnock Volunteer (aka Steve)
