The weather in October in the White Mountains can always be fickle, especially above tree line. It can be 50 degrees with clear blue skies and calm winds or 10 degrees with heavy snow, whipped by 60 mile an hour winds. I was waiting for one of the former days and I got it.
At noontime on the summit of Mt. Washington it was 43 degrees with winds of 10 mph and visibility of 110 miles. The summit was not as busy as I thought it would be as I hit the top at just the right time. Three cog trains had just left the station minutes before I made it to the summit. I touched the summit, took a picture of a couple on the summit with their camera, and then headed to the cafeteria to have a slice of pizza. Part of a summit visit always includes a chat with Guy J. if he’s working that day and he was. We chatted for a while and then I headed out to fill my water bottles and point my boots to Mt. Jefferson.
Heading down the Gulfside I passed a few strollers who had braved the trail down from the summit a short distance and were headed back up. I passed two hikers also heading up. I did not see anyone again until after I had summited Jefferson and was well down the Jewell trail.
I took the scenic route over Mt. Clay since the day demanded I do so. Views were incredible. Prior to heading up Clay, I had noticed the new wind turbines on Mt. Jericho in Berlin. Five more wind turbines to look at in addition to the 33 wind turbines on Dixville Peak, Kelsey, Owlhead Mountain and Fishbrook Ridge.
Hiked my way over to Jefferson wearing a light zip tee and pants (could have/should have worn shorts) as in spots there was no wind with bright sunshine with a very light layer of clouds overhead and very comfortable temps for hiking. Made my way up the last scramble that is the summit of Jefferson and touched Brad Washburn’s summit pin.
Done. Done three ways. Once I made it back down to the car of course. Mt. Jefferson was my final 48 winter peak many years ago (and has always been one of my favorites) and today it serves as my final peak once again. Summiting Mt. Jefferson finished my second complete round of the 48x12, the 576, the Grid, whatever one wants to call it.
This was also the concurrent finish of a complete round of the grid over the age of 60. I started my second grid (G2) with a hike up Mt. Waumbek on my 60th birthday. I remembered my (at that time) blank spreadsheet where I entered the date for Waumbek, hit enter, and it automatically tallied up my totals. The totals read 1 hiked with 575 remaining peaks to hike. Hiking the grid seems impossible when one starts with a blank slate.
Time passes. I keep plugging away on G2 in addition to working on other hiking projects, trying to maintain a sane balance of fun. After all, I had the time, the desire, and the health to get it done. After all, it’s just hiking. There is no incredible superhuman set of skill sets necessary. It’s just time, desire, and health.
And here I am three years and ten months later, entering the dates for Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson. The spreadsheet does its magic totaling. Washington, 10-5-15, enter, total 575/576. Jefferson, 10-5-15, enter, total 576/576. Done.
Almost as an afterthought, I remember summiting Jefferson also finishes 30 complete rounds of the NH48. Little did I realize when I hiked my first two 4k’s (the Osceola’s) back in 1974 that I would still be hiking all these years later.
My G2 was fun and definitely worth doing. My G1 was better though since I hiked all 576 peaks with my wife, June Rogier. I am truly blessed to have her support although she still thinks I’m crazy for doing a G2. She joined me on many of my G2 hikes as well as other hiking projects I’m working on as well as working on lists of her own. Thanks, June!
I’ll also give a quick shout out to the man who first completed this crazy hiking game now known as the grid. He doesn’t like the name of the game (the grid) and prefers not to be listed on the finishers list therefore I’m not going to state his name here even though most people probably know who it is or have certainly heard of him before. Thanks for inventing this crazy game!
Even though I hiked many of my G2 peaks solo, I still hiked many G2 hikes with many different people over the last three plus years and I thank them for being part of my endeavor even though they may not have known it. Thank you!
For my G2, I did hike with a core group of strong hikers that I spent many long days and long miles hiking with and sharing our love of the mountains. I’ll recognize them here with pictures. I hope they don’t mind. Thank you!
My favorite hiking partner, June Rogier.
Carl Rosenthal’s Wednesday hiking group where they prove every Wednesday that 70 is the new 50.
Jeb Bradley, grid completer.
Mike Lynch, almost grid completer, trail maintainer extraordinaire.
Bill Cronin, grid completer, trail maintainer extraordinaire.
Steve Moore, grid completer, trail maintainer extraordinaire.
Diane (Princess Di) Schor, grid completer.
Bill Schor, grid completer.
If you the reader made it this far, thanks for reading this. I hope it didn’t bore you.
As for me, I have to get my pack together. I have a hike planned for tomorrow.
John
At noontime on the summit of Mt. Washington it was 43 degrees with winds of 10 mph and visibility of 110 miles. The summit was not as busy as I thought it would be as I hit the top at just the right time. Three cog trains had just left the station minutes before I made it to the summit. I touched the summit, took a picture of a couple on the summit with their camera, and then headed to the cafeteria to have a slice of pizza. Part of a summit visit always includes a chat with Guy J. if he’s working that day and he was. We chatted for a while and then I headed out to fill my water bottles and point my boots to Mt. Jefferson.
Heading down the Gulfside I passed a few strollers who had braved the trail down from the summit a short distance and were headed back up. I passed two hikers also heading up. I did not see anyone again until after I had summited Jefferson and was well down the Jewell trail.
I took the scenic route over Mt. Clay since the day demanded I do so. Views were incredible. Prior to heading up Clay, I had noticed the new wind turbines on Mt. Jericho in Berlin. Five more wind turbines to look at in addition to the 33 wind turbines on Dixville Peak, Kelsey, Owlhead Mountain and Fishbrook Ridge.
Hiked my way over to Jefferson wearing a light zip tee and pants (could have/should have worn shorts) as in spots there was no wind with bright sunshine with a very light layer of clouds overhead and very comfortable temps for hiking. Made my way up the last scramble that is the summit of Jefferson and touched Brad Washburn’s summit pin.
Done. Done three ways. Once I made it back down to the car of course. Mt. Jefferson was my final 48 winter peak many years ago (and has always been one of my favorites) and today it serves as my final peak once again. Summiting Mt. Jefferson finished my second complete round of the 48x12, the 576, the Grid, whatever one wants to call it.
This was also the concurrent finish of a complete round of the grid over the age of 60. I started my second grid (G2) with a hike up Mt. Waumbek on my 60th birthday. I remembered my (at that time) blank spreadsheet where I entered the date for Waumbek, hit enter, and it automatically tallied up my totals. The totals read 1 hiked with 575 remaining peaks to hike. Hiking the grid seems impossible when one starts with a blank slate.
Time passes. I keep plugging away on G2 in addition to working on other hiking projects, trying to maintain a sane balance of fun. After all, I had the time, the desire, and the health to get it done. After all, it’s just hiking. There is no incredible superhuman set of skill sets necessary. It’s just time, desire, and health.
And here I am three years and ten months later, entering the dates for Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson. The spreadsheet does its magic totaling. Washington, 10-5-15, enter, total 575/576. Jefferson, 10-5-15, enter, total 576/576. Done.
Almost as an afterthought, I remember summiting Jefferson also finishes 30 complete rounds of the NH48. Little did I realize when I hiked my first two 4k’s (the Osceola’s) back in 1974 that I would still be hiking all these years later.
My G2 was fun and definitely worth doing. My G1 was better though since I hiked all 576 peaks with my wife, June Rogier. I am truly blessed to have her support although she still thinks I’m crazy for doing a G2. She joined me on many of my G2 hikes as well as other hiking projects I’m working on as well as working on lists of her own. Thanks, June!
I’ll also give a quick shout out to the man who first completed this crazy hiking game now known as the grid. He doesn’t like the name of the game (the grid) and prefers not to be listed on the finishers list therefore I’m not going to state his name here even though most people probably know who it is or have certainly heard of him before. Thanks for inventing this crazy game!
Even though I hiked many of my G2 peaks solo, I still hiked many G2 hikes with many different people over the last three plus years and I thank them for being part of my endeavor even though they may not have known it. Thank you!
For my G2, I did hike with a core group of strong hikers that I spent many long days and long miles hiking with and sharing our love of the mountains. I’ll recognize them here with pictures. I hope they don’t mind. Thank you!
My favorite hiking partner, June Rogier.
Carl Rosenthal’s Wednesday hiking group where they prove every Wednesday that 70 is the new 50.
Jeb Bradley, grid completer.
Mike Lynch, almost grid completer, trail maintainer extraordinaire.
Bill Cronin, grid completer, trail maintainer extraordinaire.
Steve Moore, grid completer, trail maintainer extraordinaire.
Diane (Princess Di) Schor, grid completer.
Bill Schor, grid completer.
If you the reader made it this far, thanks for reading this. I hope it didn’t bore you.
As for me, I have to get my pack together. I have a hike planned for tomorrow.
John
