LRiz
New member
I was determined not to start this thread before...
After a whirlwind 54 days of hiking, starting on Christmas Day last year and ending, today (quite fittingly) on Presidents Day, I realized my goal of climbing all 48 NH four thousand footers in one winter season. Cath and Tim were there to accompany me on my final seven peaks - namely, the Northern Presidentials on Sunday (thank you, Cath
), and Pierce through Washington today. We could not have asked for better conditions. The winds remained calm, the clouds and lighting wonderfully varied, the company... well, just marvelous!
It's been a long, tough, yet infinitely rewarding journey for me. Initially, I didn't believe myself to be strong enough (nor tenacious enough) to even attempt such a conquest. I was told by some that it's simply too ambitious a goal to strive for. Nevertheless, as improbable as it may have seemed at the time, I was hell bent on at least attempting the "single season" challenge.
I'm glad that I did. Over the past two months, I've had the pleasure of meeting so many extraordinary people, and have come to realize that it's truly possible to accomplish anything when you set your mind to it. Previously an adamant solo hiker, I quickly learned that hiking in the company of others is fun - in fact, I infinitely enjoy it over hiking alone (my only solo hike this winter - Waumbek - was certainly strange and lonely)... and most surprisingly to me, I actually grew to love my snowshoes, after tripping over them countless times on my first winter hike and angrily stating that I would never climb a mountain again whilst wearing them!
To all of you who have made this dream of mine a reality - I cannot thank you enough. Here are a few pictures from my final four peaks today. I hope to post additional photos, and to write up more detailed accounts of my final two hikes as the week progresses...
Pierce (just a bit awkward) and Eisenhower:
Monroe and Washington:
...and what's a TR without a few silly pictures:
Now, what to do next?
- Sorting through the hundreds of pictures that I took this weekend
- Gathering my thoughts and taking the time to write a detailed trip report
After a whirlwind 54 days of hiking, starting on Christmas Day last year and ending, today (quite fittingly) on Presidents Day, I realized my goal of climbing all 48 NH four thousand footers in one winter season. Cath and Tim were there to accompany me on my final seven peaks - namely, the Northern Presidentials on Sunday (thank you, Cath
), and Pierce through Washington today. We could not have asked for better conditions. The winds remained calm, the clouds and lighting wonderfully varied, the company... well, just marvelous!It's been a long, tough, yet infinitely rewarding journey for me. Initially, I didn't believe myself to be strong enough (nor tenacious enough) to even attempt such a conquest. I was told by some that it's simply too ambitious a goal to strive for. Nevertheless, as improbable as it may have seemed at the time, I was hell bent on at least attempting the "single season" challenge.
I'm glad that I did. Over the past two months, I've had the pleasure of meeting so many extraordinary people, and have come to realize that it's truly possible to accomplish anything when you set your mind to it. Previously an adamant solo hiker, I quickly learned that hiking in the company of others is fun - in fact, I infinitely enjoy it over hiking alone (my only solo hike this winter - Waumbek - was certainly strange and lonely)... and most surprisingly to me, I actually grew to love my snowshoes, after tripping over them countless times on my first winter hike and angrily stating that I would never climb a mountain again whilst wearing them!
To all of you who have made this dream of mine a reality - I cannot thank you enough. Here are a few pictures from my final four peaks today. I hope to post additional photos, and to write up more detailed accounts of my final two hikes as the week progresses...
Pierce (just a bit awkward) and Eisenhower:
Monroe and Washington:
...and what's a TR without a few silly pictures
:
Now, what to do next?
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