To GRID or not to GRID that is the question...

[summitseeker]

Hello All,

In light of some old injuries and new surgeries I have been debating whether to actively pursue finishing the grid. For those who may not know it is all 48 NH four-thousand footers in each calendar month (x 12) [does not have to be in one year's time span or in order].

I would like to begin this thread bearing in mind that I am in admiration of any GRID finishers or those who attempt it. So let's not go down the "gridiot" road and respect each other first and foremost (for some, not all)

After searching the archives I had no luck finding this thread discussion exactly but I am sure it is a long running conversation. This is not a debate, merely an opportunity for anyone to reflect on what this manifestation of peak-bagging entails. I, myself, am conflicted between setting a lifetime goal for something that is truly impressive and acknowledging that to non-hikers the very concept of repeating ascents for each month is insanity.

Thoughts?...

Thanks

Z

 

[Raven]

Hello All,

In light of some old injuries and new surgeries I have been debating whether to actively pursue finishing the grid. For those who may not know it is all 48 NH four-thousand footers in each calendar month (x 12) [does not have to be in one year's time span or in order].

I would like to begin this thread bearing in mind that I am in admiration of any GRID finishers or those who attempt it. So let's not go down the "gridiot" road and respect each other first and foremost (for some, not all)

After searching the archives I had no luck finding this thread discussion exactly but I am sure it is a long running conversation. This is not a debate, merely an opportunity for anyone to reflect on what this manifestation of peak-bagging entails. I, myself, am conflicted between setting a lifetime goal for something that is truly impressive and acknowledging that to non-hikers the very concept of repeating ascents for each month is insanity.

Thoughts?...

Thanks

Z

Zac,

This should be the start of a good discussion.

I am a 'half-assed' gridder. I'm not going to commit to always doing a grid hike and lock myself in because that's not really my personality. However, I do use the grid to help plan hikes throughout the year in the Whites. There are places that are special to me that I will keep hiking regardless of month or number of ascents (Adams, Madison, Jefferson, Monroe for example). I balance hiking with trail maintenance days that could be grid days. I balance it with hikes where I want to join friends in their plans or quests. Ultimately, that means I hike "grid hikes" about 50% of the time. I also keep track of 52WAV hikes which I will plan for on days I want to see a mountain I haven't done. I am about done with the Trailwrights peaks as well so look at those sometimes. I track rounds of the 48 so sometimes I'm doing hikes on a round. Sometimes I just go up a mountain and don't check any lists.

As a suggestion, one thing I do since the grid is a long term goal, is to work on the four season 48. If I see I haven't hiked a mountain in fall, I might choose to do that first. This is like doing 25% of the grid and allows for seeing all 48 in all seasons. Since all the hikes would count for the grid anyway, it may be a way to continue working on the grid while having a goal to reach along the way in case your desire to grid wanes for some reason.

Basically, I hike because I love mountains. If I find myself hiking out of some sort of obligation, I will change my approach. For now, I'm pretty content with this plan. For me, if I felt like every hike had to be a grid hike (or HAD to be anything), I would probably need variation.

I also try to take new trails to summits on the grid to see new routes, and to be honest, the variety of the seasons and conditions is enough to give me plenty of variety when hiking the same mountains multiple times. Tagging multiple summits on novel or longer routes to test myself also drives me.

Basically, I love to hike in the Whites. I use the grid, TW, 52WAV, etc. to help me focus my plans. I never leave for a hike I am not excited about. That's the key for me. Not every hike is fun, but every one has meaning.

Hope the surgeries went well.

 

[peakbagger]

I guess I am the antithesis of a grid candidate, I stopped keeping track years ago of when and where I hike and with whom. About the last "list" that I did was figuring out what I needed to section hike the AT.

A major part is the realization that despite the equipment and ability I lack the motivation to go out when its crappy weather. Thus I tend to be a fair weather hiker and my observations of grid folks are that in order to fill in the grid the need to fill in a box takes precedence over the weather. This probably goes back to when I did the original 4000 footer list, after rushing to fill in the boxes, I ended up going back and revisiting the summits where I didn't have a reasonable view the first time around before I applied for the patch.

More power to the folks who do the grid but it doesn't really interest me .

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Like Scott, I am "not not doing the grid", by which I mean I keep track but don't become a slave to it.

Tim

 

[RichS]

The keyword in your question is "lifetime". It's an obsession, but not one that precludes hikes that don't fit the mold. Not being a winter hiker, the grid is for gridiots, in my opinion. But I'm a redliner who doesn't realistically expect to finish in my lifetime. It drives my hike choices but doesn't keep me from adding a familiar peak to the mix. So my advice is to keep at it. if you complete the grid, great. If not, you'll have experienced many areas of the Whites in many seasons and many conditions. That's an impressive accomplishment, and for those who don't get it, so what?
As some wise person said, hike your own hike.

BTW, I finished the 48 long ago, but never sought recognition. So that's where I'm coming from.

 

[summitseeker]

Thanks All,

At first I thought that out of a shear and earnest love of hiking finishing the grid would happen organically on its own after decades of ascents. I had to take a more serious look and have a gut check when I did not attend a family hike so that I could close out a peak for the month that didn't get accomplished due to bad weather.

It was this sort of shift in focus that made me question what would ultimately dictate the peaks I chose for a particular month. Obviously the weather plays the greatest role what I select for a given day.

I really appreciate Scott's take on things and share Tim's approval of the "I'm not not doing it" statement.


Thanks guys,

Z

 

[NorthShore]

Zach,

Hike the hike you want to hike. No harm in keeping a "journal" while you are at it. Which is sort of what Tim and you just said.

Ed

 

[akafuzzjones]

I think having a goal to finish the grid and using that to help guide your planning of where to hike and when is a good thing. Letting it interfere with redoing "unnecessary" peaks with friends or familiy or doing a peak in dangerous conditions because you need to "check the box" isn't.

If you get out and hike often enough it will eventually happen - I didn't worry about finishing the "season grid" and it happened on its own. I redid peaks that I didn't need so I could accompany friends on hikes that were important to them. Same for the "monthly grid" - just hit 60% and am still redoing peaks if it means hiking with friends.

 

[Mike P.]

Hike your own hike.....

For me that means, I'll try and finish the 48 in all four seasons but doing Owl's Head 12 total times seems to be just punishment. (I have about 8 left in summer and eight others in winter, all done in Spring and Fall and all either in Summer or Winter with 32 done in all 4)

Also trying to finish the 115, just seven in the ADKs left but I'm enjoying my time repeating and doing hikes with my kids and (14 & 11) Boy Scouts to have it be a big deal. Self-confessed view junkie so not interested in the NE 100 (I have about 10 or those including the BSP ones) but some of them, along with the Catskill 35 (about 1/3 done) are unlikely to ever hit my radar.

I did put together a list of the 48 that I like, about 30, and am looking at doing them in each month but it's not a big deal at the moment. Maybe when the kids are a little older, left a few easy summer ones to do with the kids, did Hale in late June.

 

[Snowflea]

Wait a minute... aren't you, like, 30-something? You've got plennnnty of time to complete the 48 in every month.

I think it boils down to this: For those of us who like to hike--A LOT--and also like having concrete goals to pursue and/or like documenting things--whether it's checking off peaks on hiking lists, completing long-distance trails, or even crossing off items on to-do lists--we will be drawn to the allure of climbing the 48 in every month or season. Personally, I like seeing the peaks in their different seasons and moods. Yes, even Owls Head.

And FWIW, I can think of much better examples of "insanity" than pursuing a goal that encompasses doing what one loves.

Sue (Gridiot #3)

 

[sierra]

Ive been hiking my whole life, Ive logged 38 yrs in the backcounty. I hike because I love it, I love the trails, the summits, but most, I love the freedom I get as soon as I set foot on a trail. My personal take on this issue. I only count first ascents, after that, I do not record anything. My journal is non-existent, except for first ascents. That being said, I have three list in my journal, The 4k's (done) and the 14ers in CO (halfway done) and some ramdom Sierra peaks. Ive wondered lately if in fact social media has driven the Grid and many other pursuits, that frankly might not have been taken on if nobody else knew what they were doing. I mean as an example, the posting of trip reports in general like on netrailconditions. Now in the winter these repots have incredible value, but in the summer? The trails either wet or dry. Now I get hiking is social for alot and thats cool if thats your bag, I just wonder if the driving force to report summits is the joy of the hike or the joy of the reporting. Anywho, just food for thought, Im not saying any of the above is right or wrong, just offering the perspective of a slightly off centered, introverted, long time peak bagging fool..... Hike on.

 

[TCD]

I agree with Sierra. We did the ADK 46 (summer) and were (almost) done with lists. Now as it turned out a friend was working on the 46 about ten years later, and we went along for support on some of the more remote trips. Combined with re-climbing our favorites over the years, we found ourselves with only about ten left for a second round, so we did those. That was 15 years ago. Now we just go where we want. What with climbing, biking, skiing, remodeling a house, etc., there's just no room for a list.

I think the value of a list was getting us to places we would not have gone otherwise. And I can see the value in the "summer and winter" thing, because these places are very different in the winter. And I have been up certain mountains many times just because they're handy for exercise (when we lived in Glens Falls we probably logged about 200 trips up Buck Mountain in Lake George, for example).

But gridding, or 46 rounds of the 46, or 46 trips up Algonquin just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[RoySwkr]

The problem with this like any long list is that you tend to wind up with a lot of less-favorite ones left. Before the WMG was split, I had hiked over 80% of the trail mileage but was left with ones that were unattractive for various reasons so never finished. Similarly, after over 40 years of hiking in the Whites I have well over 576 (=12x48) total ascents of 4000-footers but probably won't finish the every-month because what is left is my least favorite peaks in my least favorite months.

Consider what will happen if you find yourself in that situation - will you be able to step away, will the goal be so important that you will just push on, or will you just have a miserable period of unpleasant hikes?

I remember when a certain famous individual announced his ambition to climb each 4k each month, a later FTFC chairman who was present said that would not be his goal but he would try to schedule repeat hikes for different months. If you do that rather than emphasizing the finish, you may have more fun for now.

 

[Raymond]

How close to finishing the list is summitseeker? That seems to be the bottom line. If he only needs a few climbs to finish, then why not do so. If he’s only done one round of the peaks and doesn’t know if he can hold up over the long haul, then why bother.

 

[Stan]

I generally prefer not to go back to the same peak but there are many exceptions to that rule. Those exceptions are called "favorites". My feeling is that that there are so many places to hike (or paddle), try something new and find more "favorites".

If anything, I do seek to redline and some "favorites" become part of an undocumented seasonal grid. Both strategies can be like seeing a place for the first time.

Having said that, in my retirement I am able to travel quite a bit and there are some destinations that are targeted for a calendar grid (which I may never achieve but it is fun trying): 1)Rocky Mountains of Wyoming/Montana, 2) the Colorado Plateau (UT, AZ, NM, CO), 3) undeveloped or sparsely developed barrier islands off Georgia, 4) estuaries of Florida, and 5) the woods of Maine.

 

[summitseeker]

How close to finishing the list is summitseeker? That seems to be the bottom line. If he only needs a few climbs to finish, then why not do so. If he’s only done one round of the peaks and doesn’t know if he can hold up over the long haul, then why bother.

Hi Raymond and Sue,

Yes, I am in my 30s. No, I am not even remotely close to finishing. I didn't start peak-bagging until August of 2012 and have some knee issues from years of tennis and now, hiking as much as I can.

With knee surgery and a new addition to the family I have been evaluating the likelihood and motivation to complete the grid. Today, for instance, I did a solo ascent of the Kinsmans because they are two out of my remaining 7 peaks for this round. Once I saw how high the water table was and removed my shoes for almost every crossing I debated just zipping up to Crawford Notch and banging out Jackson, again.

As silly as some people may think it is to be a goal-oriented hiker this was the only reason I picked the Basin ascent on a day that I knew would probably be pretty wet. Of course, it was wet and slippery but it was also a great experience to have most of this route all to myself. The last time I did the Kinsmans the snow obscured the view to next to nothing. Today I was rewarded with breathtaking views and a truly meditative walk.

Whatever gets you out on the trail is what should be credited with bringing joy to your life. Whether it is a list, a personal goal, or just an invite, the end result is the same. You got out there and did it.

Thank you for your responses, see you out there...

Z

 

[DMOutdoors]

Cool to see some others' thoughts on pursuing the grid. I started Jan of 2011, 53%. I'm about to turn 30 this fall.

I like Raven's comments "I never leave for a hike I'm not excited about", and "...using the lists to plan my hikes.." This would be true for me also. When you hike the grid, you will obviously go through lots of rounds, finishing peaks, different seasons, and a variety of other extremes (weather and just overall differing experiences). It's pretty exciting heading out for ...say a 4th round sunset finish, or 5th round sunrise summit. I like to go a little nuts sometimes, but to piggy back on Raven's comments, incorporate that excitement into your planning as you look at your lists for your next hike. Every next hike can be a lot more meaningful than just another grid hike, but its simply what you want it to be, when and how you want to hike your next peak. Doing the grid also keeps me thinking as I can choose different routes. I find myself planning my hikes to prepare for future hikes too.

Since only gridiots really understand what I was trying to do, I'd love to share my Grid-Inspired Double Presi Traverse trip report here. (HERE). Presidential Traverse to get the 8 peaks each in 2 separate days, 2 separate months, with an attempt to do it sub 24hrs. (16 grid peaks) This has to be done on the last and first days of a month, with precise timing. The only problem was that since I had tried this twice already, only 5 of the 16 counted for my first grid.

Happy Trails!

 

[rocket21]

I mean as an example, the posting of trip reports in general like on netrailconditions. Now in the winter these repots have incredible value, but in the summer? The trails either wet or dry.

I respectfully disagree. Firstly, 3 season trail conditions vary significantly based upon trail. If you've hiked the Mt. Tecumseh Trail a few times for the grid for instance, you know what to expect. However, if you've never hiked a certain trail before, it's nice to know if it's going to be a mudpit (ie do I wear Goretex trailrunners?), how bad the bugs are at that location, is there a problem with bees, is a trail closed, etc. Beyond that, it's an important place to communicate with trail maintainers (some of whom watch the site like a hawk). There are a lot of folks who watch over multiple trails...knowing that one trail is all clear and that another has X blowdowns of Y size at Z location helps make trail maintenance trips much more efficient. And beyond that, it's a great place to share information about lesser known trails and peaks, because there are more than 48 mountains in New England.

 

[sierra]

I respectfully disagree. Firstly, 3 season trail conditions vary significantly based upon trail. If you've hiked the Mt. Tecumseh Trail a few times for the grid for instance, you know what to expect. However, if you've never hiked a certain trail before, it's nice to know if it's going to be a mudpit (ie do I wear Goretex trailrunners?), how bad the bugs are at that location, is there a problem with bees, is a trail closed, etc. Beyond that, it's an important place to communicate with trail maintainers (some of whom watch the site like a hawk). There are a lot of folks who watch over multiple trails...knowing that one trail is all clear and that another has X blowdowns of Y size at Z location helps make trail maintenance trips much more efficient. And beyond that, it's a great place to share information about lesser known trails and peaks, because there are more than 48 mountains in New England.

The above examples you give do have merit, the point on trail maintainers actually does make a lot of sense. I guess after doing the 4k's as much as I have, maybe I do take certain things for granted. Some times our perspective needs a little adjustment.

 

[akafuzzjones]

Beyond that, it's an important place to communicate with trail maintainers (some of whom watch the site like a hawk). There are a lot of folks who watch over multiple trails...knowing that one trail is all clear and that another has X blowdowns of Y size at Z location helps make trail maintenance trips much more efficient.

Sites like NewEnglandTrailCondiitions and TrailsNH are definitely a very useful tool for volunteer trail maintainers - while we may get up to our adopted trails 3-4 times a year knowing what needs to be done (and where) makes our trips more effecirient. Before a recent trip to Caps Ridge I checked the sites to learn there were several huge blowdowns further up that were causing people to venture off trail so these were the focus of our trip.