Date: 2005-09-18
To: A Year and a Day
Miles today: 0.0

I never had any intentions of finishing the four thousand footers in New Hampshire. To be honest with you, I never had any intentions of "really" hiking the AT before the notion kept popping into my head and I was bumping into people who had done it and friends lent me books about it. So there is no such thing as a "life time dream fulfilled." I just go with the flow, which is true about almost everything in my life.The intentions to finish the 4K's was never stated like the AT. Volunteering with the infamous AMC, I am constantly bumping into fellow hikers who have managed to hike all 48 peaks, and have gone onto hike the 4K's in Maine and Vermont, and then the highest 100 in New England, and then the 48 in the Adirondacks, etc. etc.I know at one point that I considered it as a feasible goal, especially in 2000. Hiking the 4K's of NH is not an easy task. For one thing, I'd like to achieve them on beautiful days so I can rate the view and decide whether it is worth visiting again. It took me two failed attempts before I reached the Kinsmans. It took me three attempts to reach the Bonds (on a beautiful day). I hiked up Waumback with a few friends and we turned around less than a mile from the summit because we were bored and cold.Somewhere in the last year, I sat down with my White Mtn Nat'l Guide and checked off all the mountains I managed to peak during my AT journey. There were nine left. The Bonds, successfully traversed on the 4th of July weekend, were my last addition. I bumped into Camel up there. That was a neat reunion. Considering I got three peaks out of the way, I would be motivated. Not really. Too much going on and not enough weekends.Now...let's see if I can make this as interesting and convaluted as an entry as possible. After all, events just don't happen in succinct order. In fact, I write this entry on 10/04/05 and I'm thinking about how I was at the last Red Sox game on Sunday watching Manny hit a crucial home run in the 4th inning that made the stands jump clear out of their seats with joy. I thought to myself, "How did I get here?" If you asked me six months ago whether I would be sitting in Fenway watching the Yankees against the Red Sox, I'd scoff and laugh. It made me think about how things just happen--no rhyme nor reason--just happen.So I guess I should say that I got an email from my brother with a forwarded message from his friend Susan. It was from her friend Craig (are we confused yet?) pleading with all his friends to apply with him for the show The Amazing Race. I had never seen or heard of the show. A coworker remarked that I should apply. I certainly would have the guts for it. I watched the first episode of the last season...the one with Ron and Amber. This is too intense, I thought. Too much pressure. I met up with Craig and Susan and mentioned that the race is a little different from hiking the AT. Somehow out of that conversation, Susan mentioned that she wants to hike the 4K's of NH and ski Tuckermans Ravine.It is easier to get motivated when someone else has the same goals. I told Susan that I need to finish a few nasty peaks and if she were interested, we could be hiking partners. But first, we decided to ski Tuckermans together. We, of course, chose cloudy, white-out, cold weather on May 1st. Half way up the mountain, donned with 30 pounds of gear on her back, Susan admits that this was her first time hiking in the Whites. Uh...okay. Trial by fire is usually the best way to learn.Tuckermans is a story for another time, but we managed to climb up the left portion and ski down. I was taking a huge risk with no short term disability insurance. If I break something, I'm outta work with no help from any employer. My skiing techniques with my 20 year old pair of wooden skis lacked grace but I would say I managed to reach the bottom in one piece. And I managed to film a little bit of this excursion too.Consequently, Susan and I agreed to bag some peaks this summer since we managed to survive this harrowing adventure without killing each other. Meanwhile, Amazing-Race-Contestant-Wannabee Craig helped me visit a few Red Sox games, something I missed last year while hiking the Trail. Although I managed to arrive home in time to enjoy an outstanding playoff series and then the World Series, it just isn't the same without a few summer games at Fenway. I even got my chance to sit in the coveted Monster Seats which have a fabulous view of Johnny Damen waiting for fly balls. We tried to get his attention but, alas, he would not heed our calls. Such willpower, Johnny.Around August Susan and I started knocking a few peaks off our list...Osceolas, Field, Willey, Tripyramids, Cabot, and Waumbak. With the exception of Waumbak, I found these peaks to be rather rewarding in views and challenges. I also taught Susan the fine art of stealth camping. Finally, it was just Owl's Head--a nine mile slog through deep woods, fording some wild streams, and up a slide to a woodsy view. Oh joy. The last time I tried to hike Owl's Head, NH had just received three days of downpouring rain. The rivers were very high and rough. There was no crossing them and my goal to peak bag Owl's Head was put on hold for two years. A friend told me about how you can bushwhack from Black Pond. I kept that in mind.Meanwhile, contraversy arose in the wilderness as some hard core ranger, attempting to make the Pemi Valley more remote and scary, removed all blazes and cairns from the Wilderness Trail. He is ready to fine anyone who breaks the rules, especially stealth campers and, I'm sure, bushwhackers. Regardless, we embarked on our journey at 7:45 am. with the intentions of avoiding the stream crossings and bushwhacking a short cut.Let's just say this was not a great idea. The trek was two hours of ups and downs and endless sorting through brush. Because I oriented us a little more north west to avoid any possible stream crossing, we finished our woodsy walk with a very steep, loose-dirt descent through evergreen after evergreen until we finally emerged on the trail. A gentleman we passed three hours ago hiked passed us just then. He told us the streams were mild and you may have to remove your shoes, but very easy to cross. Okay, bad decision but we moved on.The cairn to the head of the Owl's Head trail had been demolished. As a result, we walked about a half mile passed the trail head. After a bit of lunch, we decided we had passed it and headed back. We were fortunate to find our turn because some other hikers left their backpacks there. It was one in the afternoon, we were 8 miles from our car, and we still had to bag a peak straight up a cliff a mile away.The climb was, fortunately, dry and in the sun. And despite all the desparaging remarks made about Owl's Head, it was a beautiful sight as we climbed the slide. The trees were turning and there wasn't any civilization in view. It was one of the few places in the Whites where I felt I was deep in the woods. Around 2 pm, I reached the dark, dank peak of Owl's Head. For a celebration, Susan gave me a cupcake with a candle in it. But celebration was short because we wanted to reach the car before sunset. So we made our way down and took the regular path home.The man was right, the stream crossings were easy. I rock hopped them both.So, in a year and a day, I managed to bag all 48 of the 4K's in New Hampshire, ski Tuckermans, hike the West Highland Way Trail, and see a Yankees/Red Sox game.What next?