Date: 2016-07-22
To: Rob's 46R Hike 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

My latest trail adventure took the form of day hikes in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. The trip had deep roots in family history: my (late) father loved hiking those peaks. As a teen, my older sister, and 2 similarly aged boy cousins, Bruce & Rob, accompanied him, with various combinations of us along. My introduction to backpacking involved an old-school oversized exterior frame surplus piece. My attire consisted of cotton jeans and sneakers. We slept in a tent without benefit of air mattress. We drank water straight out of the streams and brooks. In July of 1984 Bruce, Rob and I were with my dad on Redfield when he completed his 46R (hiking the 46 4000' or higher ADK peaks). Sadly, the significance if the occasion was completely lost on me. Later, the 3 of us "kids" went on to climb Cliff Mt., while dad hiked back to break down camp. Whether the bad trail, the discomfort of camping, the intense blackflies, or a combination of all, I left the woods nearly in hysterics, and vowed never to go back. Similarly, Rob arrived home, dropped his boots and gear on the porch, and told his mother (my Aunt Marcia) to burn it, sell it, give it away, he was done. Fast forward to 2003. I was given a box of things of my dads, including some ADK hiking mementos. I started discussing the 46 with my Aunt, who had since hiked them all with my Uncle Malcolm. Bruce had long since become a 46R also. I decided to continue where I'd left off with them, despite the long distance between Ohio, where I now live, and the ADK park. Along the way, Bruce's wife Stephanie caught the "bug" too. She finished in 2008, after a summer of hiking most weekends there. I completed my 46R in 2009. After finding that I loved walking in the woods, I started looking into my next challenge, which ended up being a 2015 northbound thru hike of the AT. During that trip, when I arrived in Maine, my cousin Rob helped me out as a trail angel extra-ordinaire...putting me up at his home, shuttling me to and from the trail, slackpacking and feeding me, and then finally, joining me on my final trek to the summit sign on Katahdin. By then, he had caught the hiking "bug" too, and inspired by my journey, decided to go back and finish his 46R by 2016. He chipped away at some of the list last fall and again in May, leaving 3 remaining. End of June, my daughter Allison and I met him to hike the Santinonis (a 3 peak ridge of which he only needed little Couchsachraga, but hiked all 3 for Allison's sake, as she is now pursuing her 46). 2 days later we climbed Marshall. Then on the 4th of July, as is recent tradition in our family, we (also joined by my other daughter, Melody) hiked Allen Mt. Allen is my dad's name, and he was born on the 4th of July. It seemed fitting, and come full circle, for Rob to complete his quest in this way, in tribute. A fabulous time was had by all, over the weekend, as other family was in attendance nearby. The weather was perfect, the hiking great, the views grand.Congratulations, Rob! For more details about the individual hikes, and lots of photos, visit my other blog: Www.coloredpiecesblog.wordpress.com There are 4 entries, all starting with the title "Adirondack Trip".