marysgirl
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I went into Lincoln woods on Sunday the 27th of May to get my 47th 4,000 footer, Owls Head. I had missed the trail up on my first try, I went with another first timer and apparently we walked by it at least two times. We bushwhacked our way up thru the woods and had to turn around at 3400 feet because of cliffs and thick spruce. This time I went with someone who had been there before, we had to get it, I had made plans with friends to go to Moriah for #48 on Monday....it took quite a bit of shifting, but I got everyone to go with me for my 48th!! I was so excited to get #48 and knew I couldn't miss #47 being that I was with someone who had done it before. We went in, despite the water levels (it had rained the entire week before), we made the water crossings very carefully, we were in. Now where is the damn trailhead to go up the mountain? There were three birch branches set up as a tripod so we thought this must be it and we started to climb rocks with a small stream running over them. We realized pretty quickly that it wasn't the trail but kept going because it seemed pretty clear and easy to climb and we figured if we headed northeast we would at some point hit the trail, problem was that we had already passed the trail by maybe 25 feet at the bottom. We made it to 3,600 feet before we had to turn back. It was snowing when we were walking flat on trails, but as we started to climb the snow turned to rain and we were soaked, the rocks were getting slippery and the spruce was getting thick. We got ourselves into the same mess that me and my friend Scott had gotten ourselves into months earlier! I couldn't believe it was happening again! When we reached the bottom I needed to change my top I was shivering and needed to get dry. Jay was polite and gave me space, he took a little walk and guess what he found? Yup, the trail! But I had no more dry clothes and it was getting late so we left, I was so sad walking out of there!! So, Memorial day and Moriah was my 47th and not my 48th, but my friends, most of them, still took the hike with me and we tried to eat and celebrate at the top but it was sooooooo cold!! On June 1st Jay and Scott and I went into Lincoln Woods for my 48th, this time I was certain where the trail was and there was no way I wasn't going to get it!! Black pond and the whack was very wet, but doable, the black flies and misquitos were relentless. The trails are in good shape all the way out, the water crossing was a joy compared to the week before! Believe it or not there is now no tripod, but if you look to the right, about 2 tenths of a mile after the last crossing and the water is now on your left, there are rocks, sort of a cairn (we piled them back up) and the trail is a little indent of flattened rocks heading east, if you follow it you go first into the woods, then out of the woods and onto an open slide. It was a beautiful day, very warm. The top is a mess of down trees and there are several trails around them and it seems a managerie of paths but if you keep heading north eventually you find the large cairn!! I did it!! I ended on Owl's Head!! Not what I planned but I did it!! And I cried like a girl! On the way down we met several people who were heading up to bag thier "peak", but not their 48th!! No, I was the only, and I was telling everyone that it was my 48! Whether they wanted to know or not!! Even the waitress at the restaurant and the guy at the gas station and everyone at work and..... Well, and all of you!!
So in January of 2007 my mom, Mary, passed away from Alzheimer's, I knew she was heading up to heaven and I missed her so I wanted to get closer, I started climbing Greylock in Western Mass to be closer to her. I climbed it almost every weekend for years until someone told me about the White Mountain 48 four thousand footers. I wish she was here so I could see her reaction....but she knows, and as Wilson70 said I think she would be proud!! Love you mom!!
So in January of 2007 my mom, Mary, passed away from Alzheimer's, I knew she was heading up to heaven and I missed her so I wanted to get closer, I started climbing Greylock in Western Mass to be closer to her. I climbed it almost every weekend for years until someone told me about the White Mountain 48 four thousand footers. I wish she was here so I could see her reaction....but she knows, and as Wilson70 said I think she would be proud!! Love you mom!!
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Here are some pictures from the event, been waiting for the report to show up..
