In celebration of half a century of hiking and NEHH peak bagging, allow me to offer a few memories. Here, two of the most colorful characters I have known in the mountains.
John was a great companion on many an early climb. He had a quirky personality that others could find strange. Some called him Crazy John though not to his face. He would bring out his hiking photos and exclaim, "See that dot? That's me!" One of his favorite phrases was, "Look behind you". Pay attention if you wanted to find your way back home. He is the only person I know who eschewed carrying a flashlight in order to save weight. To me carrying a flashlight (today a headlamp) is a safety issue and non-negotiable. John and I were both students at UVM. In 1970 the Outing Club conducted its annual fall climb and slumber party on Camels Hump. Dozens of students unrolled their sleeping bags on the open summit and alpine plants. By the way, that was the last year the club slept on top. Anyway, I didn't join in on that trip but I later heard what happened. John was up at the crack of dawn and woke the multitude to see the awesome sunrise. His shouted exhortations irritated or enraged many a weary sleeper. After graduation the two of us climbed some of the Hundred Highest in Maine, which was to be my most memorable peak bagging experience. John went on to an interesting career as a professional naturalist in Paraguay.
And then there is the King. Elvis? No, Gene Daniell. I call him King of the Hardcore Peak Baggers. Gene and his merry band of enthusiasts and fanatics led many, many trips to out-of-the-way mountains, and I felt privileged to accompany him and them on a few of them. I took a photo of Gene standing next to his car with license plate "Peakbagger". The vowels were struck to make it fit on the plate. I remember him drinking obscene amounts of soda pop. He liked carrying and consuming two-liter bottles of the fizz. Gene is well known as a long-time editor of the AMC Guide to the White Mountains. He also wrote up directions for climbing the trail-less peaks on the Hundred Highest list. No doubt many of you will have consulted it. Read his words and you quickly realize this is a strongly opinionated man, disdainful of flagging tape, GPS units, and "unethical" herd paths like one on Peak Above the Nubble. His convictions led him to refuse being drafted into the Army, for which he served jail time, as recounted in an interview published in the AMC journal Appalachia. Sadly, Gene suffered foot problems that forced him to give up hiking. But he maintains an active interest in the outdoors. Yes, he is still a king. King of the Armchair Peak Baggers. Long live the King!
John was a great companion on many an early climb. He had a quirky personality that others could find strange. Some called him Crazy John though not to his face. He would bring out his hiking photos and exclaim, "See that dot? That's me!" One of his favorite phrases was, "Look behind you". Pay attention if you wanted to find your way back home. He is the only person I know who eschewed carrying a flashlight in order to save weight. To me carrying a flashlight (today a headlamp) is a safety issue and non-negotiable. John and I were both students at UVM. In 1970 the Outing Club conducted its annual fall climb and slumber party on Camels Hump. Dozens of students unrolled their sleeping bags on the open summit and alpine plants. By the way, that was the last year the club slept on top. Anyway, I didn't join in on that trip but I later heard what happened. John was up at the crack of dawn and woke the multitude to see the awesome sunrise. His shouted exhortations irritated or enraged many a weary sleeper. After graduation the two of us climbed some of the Hundred Highest in Maine, which was to be my most memorable peak bagging experience. John went on to an interesting career as a professional naturalist in Paraguay.
And then there is the King. Elvis? No, Gene Daniell. I call him King of the Hardcore Peak Baggers. Gene and his merry band of enthusiasts and fanatics led many, many trips to out-of-the-way mountains, and I felt privileged to accompany him and them on a few of them. I took a photo of Gene standing next to his car with license plate "Peakbagger". The vowels were struck to make it fit on the plate. I remember him drinking obscene amounts of soda pop. He liked carrying and consuming two-liter bottles of the fizz. Gene is well known as a long-time editor of the AMC Guide to the White Mountains. He also wrote up directions for climbing the trail-less peaks on the Hundred Highest list. No doubt many of you will have consulted it. Read his words and you quickly realize this is a strongly opinionated man, disdainful of flagging tape, GPS units, and "unethical" herd paths like one on Peak Above the Nubble. His convictions led him to refuse being drafted into the Army, for which he served jail time, as recounted in an interview published in the AMC journal Appalachia. Sadly, Gene suffered foot problems that forced him to give up hiking. But he maintains an active interest in the outdoors. Yes, he is still a king. King of the Armchair Peak Baggers. Long live the King!
