At Four Thousand Feet

I’ve finally sorted through the pictures from my Thanksgiving vacation. What strikes me the most about this particular set of images is the wonderfully apparent transitioning of the seasons. Since my previous post on the topic shamefully did not admit the mountains that I climbed, here’s a brief synopsis:

• 11/21 – North Twin, South Twin, Galehead, and Garfield
• 11/22 – North and South Hancock
• 11/23 – Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume
• 11/24 – Tom, Field, and Willey
• 11/25 – Zealand, West Bond, Bond, and Bondcliff
• 11/26 – Pierce, Eisenhower, and Jackson
• 11/27 – Waumbek
• 11/28 – Moriah
• 11/29 – East Osceola, Osceola, and Tecumseh

It certainly was a week of milestones for me. Not only did I reach my halfway point – and my 300th peak! – on the grid, but also ended November with a total of 44 4,000 footers climbed.

Below are a handful of my favorite images. The entire gallery may be viewed here…

“To go up into the desolate isolation of mountains into what one can only call the mountains’ truest interior is to know the nature of isolation itself — that ineffable, unmappable place where the tree will sometimes fall, and space and time recede. Where knowledge, and the urge for knowledge, falls away.” – Tim Muskat, Appalachia (Winter/Spring 2006)

Image courtesy of my friend Tim Charboneau

9 days.
112.3 miles.
35,050 feet of vertical gain.
25 peaks climbed.

As may have been apparent due to my deplorable lack of updates, last week I was on vacation. Spare the occasional check of the higher summits weather forecast from my cell phone – (okay, and I’ll admit the near daily mobile updates to Facebook) – I was entirely without internet. What a marvelous experience it was.

The week began in trail runners, and ended in snowshoes and insulated boots. Glaze ice gave way to mild temperatures, and then feet of heavy wet snow. After nearly a month of unseasonably warm weather, winter has finally decided to pay a visit to the mountains. I, for one, could not be happier.

More to come, as I painstakingly sort through the 300+ images that I captured over the past 9 days…

Distance: 16.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 7,800 feet
Trails Used: Valley Way, Osgood, Star Lake, Lowe’s Path, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Clay Loop, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop, Ammonoosuc Ravine

Trails masquerading as rivers? Check. Deceptively slippery above treeline rocks? Check. 100% fog cover from Adams to Washington? Check.

Yesterday’s visit to the Presidentials was undertaken strictly as a peakbagging mission. The weather forecast called for fog and drizzle, and we were wholly expecting to be stuck in a cloud for the majority of our hike.

However, upon hitting the ridge we were suddenly faced with some of the most tremendous undercast I’ve ever encountered. Although the clouds quickly engulfed us on our way up Adams – and did not break until our descent from Monroe – it was a trade off I was willing to make.

The ever-changing nature of the mountains – and the views that we witness from their summits – never cease to amaze me.

Distance: 14.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 4,750 feet
Trails Used: Nineteen Mile, Carter Dome, Carter-Moriah

People are often surprised to hear that the Carters (not just one, but all three) are my favorite 4ks in the Whites. In all honesty, I can’t even provide a good explanation as to why this is the case. To many, the Carter-Moriah Range pales in comparison to its lofty Presidential neighbors on the other side of Pinkham Notch. The summits are mostly wooded, there is little above treeline exposure, and the best views to be had are from a peak – Mount Hight – that does not even “count” as a 4,000 footer per the AMC’s guidelines.

Nevertheless, there’s something magical about these three mountains – something that resonates with me on a very deep level. It’s a feeling that I cannot easily describe; a sense of calm and belonging, if you will.

This past weekend, things were no different. I was as happy as could be, having the opportunity to visit my favorite mountains for the first time in nearly three months – on a stunningly lovely day, no less. I couldn’t have asked for more.