Scary, but inevitable...

[sweeper]

I will be outwalking both my sons (Knock-on-wood-no-injuries)
for a long time. The oldest is a Bull and I have never been able to teach him any finesse. The younger is a salesman and his idea of a night in the Woods is at Foxwoods playing poker all night. He does well but has a larger wasit then I.

I'm not rushing off to complete major hikes thou.

For my mother's 75th birthday We hiked into the GG, camped at the base of 6 Husbands, Next day up the Buttress, to Madison Spr hut, Day 3 LOTC, Day 4 out the Crawford Path.

Last year for her 80th birthday I booked a room at LOTC and we summited the next day. We did ride out on the Cog but then there were people half her age bailing out on both sides of the mountain that day.

This year it was Galehead, next year it's Carter Notch, the only hut she hasn't been to. Then I guess we'll start over.

I'm figuring on, (counting on), on another 30+ years of hiking.

 

[Artex]

My father is 59, and he still runs marathons and in the past few years has gotten into ultramarathons and has completed a few. He also has Parkinson's Disease, but the doctors have told him his physical fitness is helping to dramatically slow it's onset.

He also zoomed up the face of Mt. Washington with me a few months ago. While he opted to take the shuttle van down because of nervousness about balance issues (from Parkinson's), he hiked up strong and made it with ease.

The dude is awesome. I look at him and I really don't fear growing older. Age is but a number. The right mindset and staying active is a fountain of youth.

 

[audrey]

Mad Townie,

Don't ever use the word "totter" around me! I think that's what I do when the dog wakes me up to go outside.

I agree, it's the recovery time that is lengthening, and the aches in the ankles have become chronic. But it's satisfying to hike a long hike just to know I can, damn the consequences.

I find that I've become extra careful when descending, don't jump off blowdowns, etc.

 

[Tuggy]

I don't worry about keeping up. I just go along at my own pace. I still spend the same amount of time out in the woods, I just don't cover as much ground. The younger ones can loop ahead and go at their own pace. Eventually I'll meet em somewhere or see em back at the car. I've never hiked in a goal oriented way. I just enjoy being out seeing the sights. Now I might sit and just look at something longer.

 

[DougPaul]

I'm in my mid-50s and I have done some of my longest day trips in the past few years. All solo so they were done at my own pace. And I carry a good headlamp or three.

The hardest part of the long trips was the 3hr drive home...

Doug

 

[Quietman]

Interesting topic. My father is 74 and had a knee replaced a couple of years ago. Every fall for many years, we've done a 3 day White Mountain trip with my brothers, one or two of my sons and sometimes my father. Hiked Moosilaukee with him last year, camped 1/2 way up on the Benton trail and was still too much for him. He made it to the top, didn't complain, but we could tell. So when I asked him this year if he wanted to join us, he said to let him know what our plans were and he would decide whether to join us. I replied that our plans were to spend time with him doing whatever he wanted. He said "Thanks, that will be nice". So we will either camp at a campground and do day walks or walk into the "wilderness" camping area in Mt. Washington State forest in SW Mass and do some easy day hikes.

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Three weeks ago, I was in King Ravine with my 14 yr old son 1/2 way up the Great Gully when my son said that his legs were hurting a little but he said "don't worry, I'll make it." I said that I'd rather go back down and play in the boulder field because my legs were sore too. We had a great day.

Bottom line, the mountains will always be there for another day, fathers and sons are much more important!
Hopefully my sons will take it easy on their old man as we get older together.