Ruby on the 48

2010-09-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT!

Me and Ruby on top of Mt. Liberty: Meena's 47th!

2010-09-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

#48 Mt. Cabot 9-18-2010

After four intense years of hiking, Ruby completed the 48 on a warm September day with friends! Joining the entourage: Dan, Meena, Peter, Dave and Neil. Also tagging along, Maggie and Phil, dog companions keeping the pace. What a day. After camping in Whitefield we awoke early and packed up the cars. A 4 car caravan drove through Gorham and Berlin and then through the fish hatchery where we stopped to park. York Pond Trail to Bunnell Notch Trail to Kilkenny Ridge to Mt. Cabot . The fog cleared as we neared the summit, meeting up with others for photo shoots! Meena also finishing her 48 on the same day. Meena prepared a pinic for us and we feasted on New York sausage and spicy cheese , PB&J and neil's favorite-lemonade. This peak marked the end of Ruby's quest to hike New Hampshire's 4,000 footers. The end is bittersweet. But there is a silver lining: Neil still needs 28! Throughout this journey, I have made new friends along the way and for thatI am grateful. Thank you everyone!

2010-08-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

TECUMSEH! Again, this time in summer. Wild Flowers are here!

2010-08-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

#47 MT. Madison

Me and Mike leave Appalachia Trail Head Sunday August 17th with humid temps. Head up Valley Way to Osgood Trail to summit. Lots of hikers along the way including a few that we passed going up, and still going up while we headed down! What a beautiful day. Hit the Madison hut for blueberry pie and lemonade. So good! We hit the summit around 1:00 just as a dozen Cornell University students arrived with lots of photos, lunch and big gray clouds rolling in. Madison was awesome, I am going back. First time doing Madison was a bitch. This time-piece of cake!

One more peak and Ruby is done. Cabot Mt. Weekend September 18th. It will be a party!!

2010-08-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

#46 This is it: OWL'S HEAD

This was a 19 mile adventure I won't soon forget, and neither will Ruby. She is still a little pooped after the journey, but was bounding about today on the trails at Mine Falls.
Saturday August 8, our team of 6 met at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Area at 6:00 am, by 6:30 we were on the trail. Me, I'm still fuzzy from camping out at Big Rock while a bear cruised through the campground all night! I was afraid to leave the tent to pee!
We made steady progress the entire day crossing 4 tricky river crossings, and everyone staying within pace. We met others along the way in similar pursuit with two guys leaving their 200 pound packs at the base of the slide. (Meena lef them some lemonade, that should help). Next: The Harrowing Slide! Our team of Dan, Neil, Chris, Meena , Eileen , me and Ruby fuelled up on snacks and unloaded just a bit. Dan tucked a Pepsi in the river for later refreshment. We are about to take on the Slide! What an adventure, every step of the way. Ruby has no trouble hopping from crevice to crevice, but I fear for her safety on the way down. Will she be too scared to navigate the steep awkward rocks? Here, we find tremendous views, that is , if you have the courage to turn around and look ! At last, exhausted, the Slide comes to an end and we are meandering around the top of this mountain where we encounter a group at the old summit. We are told that just .2 miles we will easily find the marked new summit. It takes a bit of trial and error in staying on the trail, we reach the summit by 12:45 and enjoy peanut butter, cheese, gorp, apples and of course LEMONADE! We take memorable photos and pose with the official "summit rock". It gets chilly. We re-group and begin the descent of the Slide wich now appears 2 times longer and more dangerous. Slowly, we make our way down to a safe landing.We are ready for 8 miles and 4 brook crossings back to the car. The last 5.4 miles I feel weighted and my feetand back are aching. My neck is sore-it appears I've been madly bitten by a blood thirsty insect. The only pain is in my back. I think of songs to put on the soundtrack for this day: "Slip Sliding Away", "8 Miles High", "When will it End...?"

We are only a few miles from the trail and begin to encounter tourists and bike riders once again. The longest mile....It has taken 12 hrs to complete. Hunger, soreness, and fatigue hit. I retrieve my camping equipment from Big Rock and head back to Nashua where clam chowder and a cold Mike's lemonade await. Ruby got roast beef.

The O.H. crew

2010-07-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

#45 Mount Moriah

We are getting close. So close that I'm beginning to worry. What happens when we're done and there's no more hikes to do? When we finish 48, then what? Our list is over. For now we are happy and in miserable suffering shape at the same time. It all equals out. Me and Leah head out to Gorham Sunday morning to take on Moriah. It is a little hill at barely over 4,000 ft. but it is a haul getting there. We get to the parking lot a little after 12:00 noon with LOTS of traffic in North Conway. We have no food. We hit the trail running and it is a lovely trail, with few rocks and ample side trails to the brook where Ruby bounds into the water many times. We go up and up. We hit the Moriah-Carter junction and take photos. We encounter one thru hiker named CLOUD from Arkansas. It is another 1.4 miles to Moriah's summit, but there is a difficult pass for Ruby. Me and Leah pick her up and carry her up. We are at the summit. Weather is great and cloudy skies turn to sunshine, only the wind blows from the south. No bugs. Stomachs are growling and there is no food. I forgot to pack food again. . We share 2 chewy bars and an old plum. It was good. We head down, hungry. FOOD is the inspiration.I promise Leah we will go to The Moat for dinner only when we get there it's a 45 minute wait. So, screw that. We found an excellent Thai-Indian restaurant on Rt 16 with excellent curry dishes. We ate every grain of rice! An excellent day!

2010-07-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

#44 ISOLATION!!!

I needed a good dose of ISOLATION!!!

28,883 steps and 14.6 miles to reach this lonely pile of rocks and back again!

Joined by Dan, Meena and Neil , we set out to tackle New Hampshire's remote 4,000 footer Isolation! This was a peak that I had put off due to intense fear of hiking out to this daunting peak. Now, I am pleased I put this off for so long-what an excellent day it was as we sloshed up the Rocky Branch, dodging anacondas, crocodiles, swamp rats and water moccasins. It took true grit, lots of bug spray, and even before the half way point, my fave Adidas hiking shoes are soaked through. It may be the last time for them, but they did me right by Isolation, Adams and many more if I look back through the albums. The thunderstorms, as predicted by the forecasters, all held off and only a few rolls of thunder jangled the nerves. Dan said, "if your poles start vibrating, it's time to worry!"

All in all what a fabulous day with excellent company. Best of all: a cold mud puddle at the summit for Ruby to bathe in. Bliss!

2010-06-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

#43 ADAMS

This was it: Mt Adams on Saturday June 26th in the cold, wind and rain. Joining in spirit friends Dan and Meena (and company) in their pursuit of a Presidential Traverse. Originally, I thought we could do Adams AND Madison, but the weather held us back. We left Appalachia parking area at 7:45 and approached Airline Trail on the ascent. Here, the temps and winds were fine! I thought the sun might break through, but NOOOO, we hit treeline and it was all down hill from there. (No, actually it was really UP hill to the extreme.) I was very proud of Lynn and Leah for conquering this mountain and helping Ruby navigate the tough terrain. We were nearly blown off the summit and I'd say winds were 50 - 60 mph. We took Gulfside to the hut where we met black dogs Mrs. Katy and Mrs. Lady who cruised by Ruby having some serious problems descending the sharp rocks. This was a difficult climb for her and it took time for her to get back to the junction from the summit. Once we arrived at the hut the rain started coming down heavily. It was 1:30 and at that point decided to return via Valley Way to Appalachia. All in all it was a great adventure, and we climbed a very difficult peak in challenging conditions!

2010-06-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

#42 Wildcat A
August 2009
Mike and I conquered Wildcat A in the FOG. There were no views, there was nothing on the summit but a popsicle stick that read "Wildcat". We came, we saw, we turned around.

2009-09-06T20:18:00.001-07:00

Mt. Moosilauke- AGAIN! Septemeber 2009

Labor Day weekend, Septemebr 6th 2009! What a fabulous day, me and Mike hike to the summit via Gorge Brook Trail Summit is busy with many hikers. Ravine Lodge is closed due to Freshmen Orientation. We meet Jan and Chloe on the summot, Chloe, a Newfoundlander, has completed 38 of the 48. Ten to go. We have done Moosilauke already, but it feels good to be up on the ridge with no fog or clouds. Ruby sprayed by as skink the night before changed plans.

2009-09-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

#40 and #41 Carter South and Carter Middle Septemeber 2008

Last hike of the 2008 season. Cold and windy, but beautiful September day for hiking. Just me and Ruby, stayed up in Intervale. Passed Middle carter without even realizing I passed over the summit. Oh well!

2008-09-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

#38 and #39

Eisenhower and Pierce-August 2008

On Sunday August 17th Leah and I headed up the Edmands Path for Eisenhower. What a fabulous day. Clear skies emerged following a cloudy and overcast morning. By the time we reached Crawford path the gray skies disappeared. We followed the Eisenhower Loop to the summit and ate some lunch with lots of peak baggers from all over. There were many musicians from a traveling folk festival from NY. At the summit cairn, cameras passed hand to hand so everone got a shot with a view in the back drop.

Pierce - August 25th

This trip included Lynn, (3rd 4K) and Leah (4th 4K) and of course Ruby her 39th 4K. Another fabulous day to hike up the historic Crawford Path to Pierce. We ran into so many hikers along the trail-lots of dogs and lots of kids. Wetook the Webster Cliff Trail back to Mizpah Hut and looped back to Mizpah cutoff to crawford again. About a 7 mile hike, with great views along the ledges of Pierce. I have only remembered this mountain in agrim dark fog, so it was nice to see it in the open.

2008-09-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Mt. Washington - June 30th 2008

Monday, June 30th we hit the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail to summit Washington. It was a cold , raw day and Steve's 50th birthday. We had a crew-Dick, Steve, Charlie, Jimmy leading (or following) the younger crew of Curran, Flannery, Riley, Leah , Lynn, Wesley and Austin. Summit temps were 50 degrees and it was so cold I needed mittens.We descended via Jewell Trail and lost Curran, Wesley and Austin who went down the wrong path at the end. Check out the boys feeding the Canada Jays on Jewell. Afterwards, we went back to the Intervale motel and ate pizza. First time on Washington for most of the kids. They sang, played games and shouted and whooped the whole way down. A very memorable day.

2008-06-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

#37 Carrigain- June 22, 2008

How about a dose of more extreme weather? The crazy storms on Carrigain were more than I care for, but at least we made it to another peak, number 37 for Ruby. Met up with Nancy and Chuck-thank goodness- who saved my ass from the get-go. Started this hike off reluctantly with threatening storms , but decided to go for it. Could not locate the first brook crossing- and in searching for it found myself head over heels in the brook. So, went back to the car to put on new dry shoes and socks. That's when I hooked up with Nancy and Chuck and hiked with them most of the day. We lucked out for most of this hike- reaching the fire tower after ditching our packs just below the summit. Thunder boomed in the west and lightening flashed. We began to pick up the pace. Then, before I knew it, black clouds hovered above and flashes of lightning lit up the dark sky. I nearly crapped my pants - The rain came down hard. Ruby and I ran full force as fast as we could down the mountain for the last 3 miles. At the very last brook crossing- I once again fell into the brook, but was so soaking wet it didn't matter. After crashing from an adrenaline induced high similar to a crack experience, I drove to the Notch and changed into dry clothes at the Willey House. Get me off this god forsaken mountain, is all I could think. I have never had a pleasant time on Carrigain. I heard the views are nice, but all I've ever seen is a bunch of dangerous thunder clouds. Thanks Nancy and Chuck!

2008-06-23T17:41:00.001-07:00

34, 35 and 36 Tom , Willey and Field -June 15th

This day was hotter than hell. No , wait I'm putting you on. It was hotter than the earth's inner core-which taps out at about 7,000 degrees. Good thing I wore boots or the soles of my feet would have scalded into black flakey embers. It was that hot, where merely running into other hikers on the trail would elicit comments like, "hot enough for ya?"

"Why no, since you ask, it's not hot enough for me, would someone please crank up the heat in this place?"

Well, it was still a great day hiking with Millie and Ruby even though I sweated gallons of perspiration and wanted to roll in the huge pile of snow on top of Willey, but I let the dog do that to her heart's content. Millie and I exchanged "lost key" stories- seems we both have our share, and Millie was on the look out for mountain birds. Millie is an amazing hiker, orinthologist, thru hiker and an even more amazing 4th grade teacher. It was fun to hike and our pace was pretty moderate due to the heat. She is leaving soon for the Long Trail, but wanted to get in a few climbs. We spotted some Canadian Jays on the top of Field, but they were reluctant to come too close. I think Ruby's presence held them back. We finished at Willey and I was tempted to tell Millie the story of the poor Willey "ghost" story, but she's not quite ready to tackle the ghosts. But, she's more than ready to tackle the rest of the forrested world! You Go! The poor hot dog finally collapsed in Kendron Brook and wouldn't budge. I didn't blame her. After the hike , Millie raced home and packed up her bird monitoring equipment and spent the night on North Kearsage in the fire tower. Wow!

2008-05-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

#32 and 33 The Hancocks-North and South

May 25th-2008

OK, so the winter of dilly dallying around has finally caught up to me. It's been a tough winter with foot problems and surgery and being off the nuisance recovering foot for a few months while things healed. But it's back in business for the summer with hiking, so long as I don't go broke driving back and forth. Memorial day weekend headed for the hills and met "Uncle Randy" and dog Molly along the Hancock Notch Trail. Ruby spooked the daylights out of them at the 3rd brook crossing. Or was it the 33rd brook crossing?We encountered people coming down from the loop trail who advised us to hit South first because of all the snow. That's just what we did , but it was brutal going up. No special gear taken, so this meant post-holing and sliding in the slush and ice to the top of South Peak. I was wet head to toe. We reached South Peak and snacked out on peanuts, cheese and pop-tarts. Randy was motivated onward by visions of McDonalds hamburgers and Dunkin Donuts"extra extra" iced coffee. I was motivated by a red steak and red wine to polish it off.

The day was great with awesome weather. Views from North were amazing and again we stopped at North for more photos and snacks. Molly and Ruby got along well. Got off the trails at 4:30 and took the long drive back to Nash. Was I sore the next day: The Hancocks kicked my ASS!

2007-08-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

#31 Carter Dome August 19th

These silly AMC croo members don't know a thing.

Here I am trying to figure out a good starting point as an alternative to the 19 Mile Brook Trail. I wanted to try the Wildcat River Trail, but couldn't figure out where to park. The AMC Trail Info girl says to me, "Well, I don't know where you park. I don't know about that trail at all." That's what I get from the AMC lately: just a lot of blank stares.So I gave up on that idea after pursuing the trail head along Carter Notch Rd. The road simply ends and turns into a fire road. But I could not find where to park. Screw this. Ended up taking the 19 Mile Brook Trail to haunted Carter Hut and met lots of people along the way. Guys from Wisconsin, a mother and son from Pennsylvania, lots of hikers and stories. Went up a very steep Carter-Moriah Trail to the summit of Carter Dome. A group of thru hikers passed us in a hurry. This was a tough climb!A total 5.2 miles to the summit- no views from the top, but some awesome views from the ledges. Just stunning to look down through the notch and see the hut and lake hundreds of feet below. A total 10+ mile trip up and back and we were tired. Walked back down the trail with Charlie Diamond from Bath. What a great guy. He needs just 2 more to complete his 48 peaks and he is well into his 70's. And let me say that he hikes FAST. It was hard for us to keep up! Next week we shoot for the Hancocks. Summer is almost over-where did the time go?

2007-08-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

#30-Passaconoway

Finally reached a mile stone on our 30th peak on beautiful Mt. Passaconoway in Wonalancet. Originally, the plan was to hike the Edmunds Trail in Crawford Notch. But driving north, the weather looked bad. And it was according to later reports.I bailed out at exit 25 and headed east toward the Lakes region. Lots of traffic but at least the skies were not rainy. We climbed Dicey's Mill Trail to the top and met lots of cool dogs and people on the way. Two kids had just completed #42! The summit is a tangle of trees and no view. very cold and windy and the reports from Whiteface were astonishing. Later- met up with family in Twin Mountain once more for beers and dinner. Fun-Fun-Fun!

2007-08-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

#29 Mt. Liberty August 10,2007

Not a great day for my car. An over-extended mailbox took out my passenger side mirror on the way to Lincoln . Glass everywhere-big mess. Cranked up Liberty with not much day light to spare. Great views and lots of campers at Liberty Spring tent-site. Meteor showers would be fantastic from this vantage point. All in all a good day. Saw the meteor showers later in Twin Mountain with friends.

2007-07-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

#28 Wildcat D

On June 30th Ruby and I left Bartlett and parked at the Glen Ellis Falls parking area. Originally the intention was to conquer all the Wildcats, but, I got a late start.This was a chilly and windy day on the mountain , and there were only a handful of people hiking up the steep Wildcat Ridge Trail to the summits. This was seriously, a steep trail-with lots of huffing and major sweat factor. Finally reached the first peak which is an open ledge presumably Wildcat E. The next section went over to the chairlift, then up to the short distance at the look out tower. The look-out deck was closed off, so we turned around. With the steepness of the descent looming ahead, I opted to take the ski trail down to the bottom. This worked out great. I took "Catapult" then "Wild Kitten", it was a long walk down the trails , but it was very lovely with the trails covered in wildflowers and no one in sight. Mt. Washington, just ac cross the way looked stunning! I snapped a picture of Ruby laying in the tall grass with Washington behind her. From the Wildcat lot, it was a long haul back to the car down Rt. 16. Lots of traffic. All in all- a great day, and we managed to find yet another bandanna on the mountain. I'll explain. I suppose that it isn't too difficult to lose a bandanna while hiking- I'm sure it happens all the time. I've come across some nice ones, and we found a very cool hot fuchsia "Hawaiian style" bandanna, crisp and new, blowing down the ski trail. Perfect for the dog, who is continually labeled as a male. "Oh whatta good boy!" They all say. Not anymore, with this hot pink scarf. I have found some great bandannas. My favorite is a navy blue one I found on Moosilauke. Then I found a very strange "1970's style" one on Bond. Someone can have that one back-if they lost it. But I'm keeping the others.

2007-06-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Whiteface #27

The McCrillis Trail is no walk in the park. Overgrown, blaze-less,marked by blow-downs and engulfed in pure wilderness. Leaving Flat Mountain Pond Trail, a very nice wide gravel road from the Intervale/Whiteface Rd., the McCrillis Trail becomes simply unfathomable. Dense, thick with brush and poison ivy, it is a trail to become lost upon. I went in thinking this would be a fine trail to recommend to others , but I wouldn't even recommend this to anyone. Nope. Reading the description in the AMC, the trail is described as "lightly used."It is lightly used- by mice, and no one else.There was a lot of poop on the trail: bear poop, moose poop. I was knee deep in poop. I became lost on the trail a few times and had to turn back and re-trace my steps to re-claim the blazeless trail. I did not run into a single hiker on this trail all day. So there- we shall update the AMC guide to state that the the trail is indeed lightly used, by mice and other woodland creatures. But not by people.

With the tons of luck that I seem to seep at every pore, I ran into a father and son team from Andover, MA. This was indeed a lucky break, for it was with dreaded anxiety that I began planning my descent of the McCrillis Trail back to the car. They offered to take Ruby and I back to our parking spot from their car parked at Ferncroft Rd. I had at first avoided the Blueberry Ledge Trail becaue of the steep ledges. I was afraid Ruby would not be able to scramble up these challenging ledges on the south summit. After a few snapshots on the Whiteface "summit"- which appears to be somewhere smack dab in the middle of the Rollins Trail, we descended. It was a great day all around, and I was so appreciative of the company and the ride . As it was a warm day, the boy, a 14 year old scout, submerged himself in the cold Wonalancet River . Ruby joined him, quite happily, and I also dunked my head. The threat of thunderstorms seemed to pass, and the day cleared of the haze and muggies that had brought in the mosquitos.

2007-04-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

#26 Mt. Tecumseh
April 8,2007

Easter Sunday was cold with off an on flurries. Ruby and I headed to Waterville to jump start the 2007 hiking season in the snow. Plenty of it. Lots of skiers on the hills today and from the Tecumseh Mountain Trail I could hear kids yelling and whooping . This trail is much steeper and twice as difficult in snow shoes. I can remember practically running up this mountain one night a few years ago. What a difference a season makes. I saw only 4 people on the trail, coming down, in two seperate groups. Both made the same comment: the top was beautiful, and it was. I did end up losing my camelpack's hose nozzle, but found it on the way down. Ruby was psyched to be on the trails again, but I could tell she was pretty beat on the way home. So was I.

2006-09-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

#25 Garfield
Garfield Mountain needs a sign at the summit. If you give it to me, I'll carry it up and hang it myself. I will bring some nails, power tools, whatever it takes. Maybe just a little marker even, indicating that the one small trail leaving Garfield's georgeous summit, branches into 2 distinct trails , leading to 2 different destinations. After the long 5 miles up Garfield which was cool, cloudy and autumn-like, I relaxed with some folks from Paris Maine. For a half hour we talked, took pictures and laughed as the dog cuddled up on a stranger's lap. Reaching the summit of Garfield, the clouds lifted to reveal a stunning cool fall day. A man and wife were staying at Galehead : with them , 2 bottles of wine and a radio for listening to the 1:00 Pats game against Buffalo. I wish I had a bottle of wine , a radio and a reservation at Galehead! Instead, I needed to dash down by 11:00 to catch the game on BCN for the drive home. Here is where the necessary sign comes in. I mistakenly assume the Garfield Ridge Trail is the trail I need to get down to the bottom of Garfield Mountain Trail. So, I'm soon climbing down Garfield on my way to Lafayette. I do encounter unfamiliar steep rocks. I then question myself, "I don't remember this part," I say. I turn around when a guy shows me the map and sure enough I am ascending Lafayette. So I turn around and climb back up Garfield. It is here that I wish to burst into tears but I don't. In reality, I am lucky. Instead I enjoy the trip down the mountain and meet lots of aspiring couples and their eager dogs. I want to be at my car at 1:00, but I have lost over an hour. It's well into the 2nd quarter when the station picks up the game in Plymouth: we're losing by 10! Crap!
By the trime I'm home we've turned the game around. Pats win it!

2006-09-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

The flag flies on cannon 9/9/06

#24

Jefferson
Here we are on Jefferson - its Flags on the 48 day! The day when 48 flags fly from 48 peaks to memorialize the anniversary of 9/11. I got to the KOA campground late Friday night and hung with a bunch from the Flags crew . Cool part is meeting people I know only as SherpaJohn - DirtGirl- and Mountain Drew.Drank some wine and kicked some butt in Scrabble - it was a hoot. Also learned a new word game with some fanatically word-game crazed individuals like myself, so that was probably the highlight of the night. As Ghost Dog was aggressively prowling the campground, Ruby cowered in the car most of the night. I brought up some scrap fire wood and hung out till the last of them hit the hay. I knew Saturday's weather was looking like crap - I got up early around 6:00 to head over to Caps Ridge trail and started around 7:30. I met up with Tom and Atticus, the famous dog of Rocks on Top lore - and stayed with them for awhile. Amidst the fog I lost the trail at one point and saw Tom's crew heading toward Pierce. By back-tracking and scrambling over huge rocks toward Jefferson Loop, I made it back around again. I got to the summit with the mist and wind arriving on cue. A group put up a marine flag with a father dedicating the moment to his son, stationed in Iraq. It was cool - but my digital camera froze up and the lens wouldn't open. I had to change the batteries and trouble -shoot the camera in my mittens. Only one picture came out. I left the summit early around 11:00, just as the flags crew arrived carrying the pole in about 8 sections. I ran as fast as I could down the mountain, thunder rumbling in the background. Ruby got stuck on "middle" cap and I had to pick her up and carry her down. On this trip I ran into a bunch of people, including a hippy carrying a bongo drum up the mountain, asking questions about the presence of the flag. Here, I handed out lots of business cards with the FOT48 mission. "OOOOOhhhh, " they all said. A couple from Hollis remarked, "I thought it was a holiday we didn't know about.Now we know." It was 12:30 at Base Road, and I thought of which mountain I could get to the quickest and get up the fastest by 1:30 so I could be part of some Flag experience. Calculating that by driving 85 mph and hi-jacking the Tram, I'd make it to Cannon in under 1 hour. Maybe if the weather cooperates, I could catch a view. At the tram station, I talk the ranger into giving me a free ride , which he obliges. I was at first the only person waiting to go up the tram in the pouring rain and thunder. But wait! Up to the station pulls a sleek black limo with a bridal party crammed in tight! It's Rachel's big day and the wedding atop Cannon - in the snack bar- is at 2:00. "Hold the Tram!" The photographer shouts, who then proceeds to hold up the whole show snapping pictures of the bride and her maid of honor in various poses as they frolic in the station. The mother of the maid of honor arrives complaining about the tiny size of the tram, "Its like a little bus!" She cackles. She then leaves the line to fetch her cigarettes causing yet another delay. Finally, we board with the ranger explaining the whole trip will take 7 minutes, along with some mild turbulence. "Oh my God, you're shittin' me, right?" barks Bride-maid mama, clutching Camel filters.There were other educated questions like, "Does this thing ever lose power?" and "Why is it good luck to wave to the passing tram?" The quick thinking ranger was cheerful with his answers. As the wedding party exited the tram, the ranger called out, "good luck!" To which a confrontational father of the bride demanded, "why did he say that? What - do we look like we need good luck or something?!" The awkward moment was met by an even more awkward silence. The summit was pouring rain and I dashed to the observation tower quickly. I didn't see the flag...with a breif respite, Jenni emerged with her partner and raised the flag for the final 40 minutes of the afternoon. There were a few admiring stragglers, but the summit was empty and no views in sight. I came down the tram with a few others who were stranded in the snack bar but were told to leave because of the wedding. There was a collective sense of feeling tremendously ripped off. At least my ride was free.

2006-08-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

#23 Mt. HALE

In 2001 I climbed Hale while piggy-backing my 4-year old up and down this the 4.6 round trip of Mt. Hale. No wonder my only memory of this mountain ammounts to 5 miles of dirt and pebbles I recall from staring at the ground. August 27th was cold, rainy windy and wet. I had first planned to try another hike, ( Owls Head) but switched after setting the "O.H." alarm for 4:30 and looking out the window in Nashua. Rain and fog awaited this day. Plan B was Hale, and I knew I could get up and down it easily, even in the rain. I met some nice people on the trail; Craig the sky diver , Rick, in the bright yellow boots and a hitch hiker from NY, Denny, who reminded me of my red-headed brother. I couldn't stand to see him hitch hiking in the pouring rain so I gave him a lift to the Willey House parking lot. He and I both arrived at the bottom at the Zealand Campground. Denny coming from the Bonds. Wow. All in all, I tagged the pile of rocks on top and swiftly marched back down as fast as my soaking boots could take me. Ruby did not mind getting wet, in fact she now relishes the muddy conditions. For her rugged male peers, I'm sure her "wet dog smell" triggers as an aphrodisiac. For me, and I think for Denny the hitch hiker, it signalled," Whew! That is one dirty dog!" Yesterday, she finally got a bath and was smelling quite fresh . Even sporting a shiny black coat. This was only to be ruined hours later while running in Mines Falls Park where she had to take a dunk at the boat launch. Now she smells like a day old tuna in a blistering heat wave.

2006-08-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ruby on the 48
www.rocksontop.com

2006-08-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Waumbek #22

What a wuss. I caved in and bought a knee brace at the Gorham Rite-Aid along with a package of band-aids, along with some bacetracin and cotton balls for the blisters on my poor toes. Ok, so I’m not heading up Moriah today but since I am on Rte 2 I will catch Waumbek and then drive home. It is an overcast day, and I pat myself on the back for not going the extra distance. I will sack Moriah at another time. Waumbek was a fine alternative and I met a very nice couple from Connecticut, Debbie and Mark, who had hiked Mt. Adams the day before. Was I jealous? Adams is my most feared mountain, though I know I must conquer it once more. This hike up Starr Mountain then over to Waumbek was a breeze and we made it to the summit in no time at all. We all took pictures and their company and conversation were awesome. They have 2 boys attending camp in Cape Cod. I talked about my 2 girls and how much excitement is generated on climbing the 48! Oops, I forget to take the unattractive knee brace off and my picture is snapped while wearing it. Oh well. We are back in Nashua at 6:00 pm: just in time for some Mike’s Lemonade Low-Carb Lights and steak on the grill with mushrooms.

2006-08-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

18, 19, 20 and 21: Zealand, West Bond, Bond and Bond Cliff

On Friday night I headed up to Twin Mountain after a grueling night at the state liquor store. Lots of Jack Daniels and Kahlua sold. Now that I’ve discovered the smooth taste of Starbucks liqueur, there’s no going back to Kahlua. Starbucks slams Kahluah in taste, quality and price. More bang for your starbuck And ya know, I’m not buying all that Starbucks right –wing propaganda. They make damn good coffee products and I for one am gonna buy more. So there. Only problem is that the North Country hasn’t caught on yet, and if I ask for a StarBucks sombrero, they just shake their sorry heads in utter ignorance.
OK, so I packed up the car and arrived at Zealand Campground at 11:30 at night. Every camp site was filled to capacity. I had not expected this and it forced me to turn around and camp at the Tarry-Ho campground down the road on 302 which was not cheap. In fact I felt pretty ripped off . It was 12:30 when I set up the tent and Ruby didn’t sleep much at all. Neither did I, even after a couple of Michelob Ultras and Bachman’s tasty pretzel rods. MMMMM! My favorite midnight snack!
At 6:00 I awoke and had about a half gallon of iced coffee and some bagels. Arriving at the Zealand Trail at 7:00 I started out with major ambitions. The day was cool and blustery! I had my wool Red Sox hat and fleece mittens. Was I was thinking, or what!? At the Zealand hut I tied the dog to a post and chatted with some croo, meanwhile Ruby chewed through the leash. That is the 4th leash she has destroyed. We can’t waste any time with idle chit-chat and we hit the ground running once again. I’m on Zealand summit at 10:30. The weather turned cold on Guyout , hitting the open exposed trail on the Twinway. The wind was strong enough to knock me over and I pulled out the hat and gloves and tied my hood tight under my chin. West Bond was next, and I met some cool guys from New Ipswich and their dog Pablo; they too were bagging all the Bonds. We took pictures and I tried my best to keep pace with them. They past me at Bond but I caught them again at Bond Cliff with lots of groups shooting photos. Again, powerful winds made for difficult communication. It was 1:30 when I arrived at the Cliffs. So many times I just stopped dead in my tracks to take in the awesome beauty of the surrounding scenery. Through out the day I monitored the time knowing the trip back would be just as long if not even more tiring and the wind was becoming a challenge: on Guyout, a teenage kid propositioned me: “I’ll give you a 32 ounce package of peanut M&Ms for those mittens!” Was I smart to bring gloves – my fingers would have fallen off if I hadn’t. On the ascent back to Bond I bogged out. I had become real tired at this point, only eating a couple of Atkins power bars. I took a 20 minute break and ate an apple, some cheese and my last bit of Nature Valley oats –n-honey bar. Even the dog curled up in a ball and slept. I am always consumed with the notion that I will be starving to death on a huge hike- but once I’m on the mountain I seem to lose my appetite. I am never hungry. It’s more habit to stop at a restaurant and order a big steak after its all said and done. Finally, my engine is refueled and I make it back to Bond. A very nice father/son team are snapping photos on Bond and exchanging stories of their last venture to this spot. I take their picture- they take one of me. They are getting a ride from Lincoln Woods – but still talk about this “long way to go” before the day is done. After Bond, its back over Guyout then back up Zealand once more. I wanted to be at Zealand at 3:00 – but its now after 4:00. I have to scoot. It seems to take forever to get back to the hut once more and I’m convinced that I’ve meandered off trail. Finally I hear voices -it’s supper-time at the hut. By now my knees are sore and I have blisters on my toes! I make it to the car at 6:15 pm. It has taken 11 hours – to hike what I guess to be about 20 miles. Ruby is instantly asleep the moment we reach the car. I soak my feet in the river and drive the 20 miles into Gorham where we stay at the Colonial Fort Inn behind Hikers Paradise. This is definitely a cool motel – but Bruno yelled at me three times and I nearly burst into tears. I am scared of him. I got take out steak and tried to stay up and watch SNL but fell completely into a zombie state of exhaustion by 10:00. I woke up with my contact lenses suctioned to my eyeballs. On Sunday the plan was to do Moriah but my knee was killing me. I opted for Waumbek instead.

2006-08-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

MT. MONROE #17
By far the best hike ever. Mt. Monroe via the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail was awesome considering I had my 2 girls with me for the first time. I have made hikers out of them and now, their souls are committed. I have never seen the dog more enthusiastic jumping into the laps of mere stragers on the trail. The day was cool and windy! Upon reaching the Lake of the Clouds Hut, we drank hot cocoa and ate peanut butter sandwich lunches. The summit trip to Monroe was awesome: rock scrambling and above the tree-line sights! I was so happy to savor this day with the dog and the girls. We make a great team! And the girls want to do much more!

2006-08-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

MT. Washington #16

The Big W! After a refreshing night at The Intervale Motel and 2 Dunkin Donuts iced lattes we hit Tuckerman's Ravine Trail with intense energy. I've never climbed Tuckerman's - only reaching Washington by the Ammonosuc Ravine or Jewell Trail. I was apprehensive. What a perfect day for this trip. Behind me, a teenage couple ; a girl in flip flops and a Red Sox shirt. They will never make it, I think. I decide to take the Lions Head Trail for a greater challenge. Upon the head coming to view I say, "Oh my God, I have to climb over that?" Indeed yes, and we scurry over the rock face and regroup with the flip-flopped hiker couple. Now, here is a cute kid who believes she can climb Mt. Washington in her flip flop sandals, and she actually does. She is from Pennsylvania on vacation and forgot her sneakers. Mt. Washington is swarming with tourists and Ruby is crazed with the stimulation. I had wanted to bag Jefferson, but that will have to wait. The trip down Tuckerman's was absolutely stunning. The cascades, the views over to Boott Spur were outstanding. I wish I had a longer day to spend.

2006-08-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Tripyramids North and Middle, 14 and 15

For once I get up early and drive out to the Kanc. highway toward today’s goal – Tripyramid! I have scaled the North Slide Trail up North Tripyramid before, much to my deepest regret. The first time it was my father tricking me into taking “The scenic route” up the mountain. It was here, back in 1993 that I was stung by a dozen angry wasps right on the slide trail. So, I will not take the North Slide up this mountain as I did before, instead opting for the more relaxed Pine Bend Brook Trail. What a nice trail – lots of babbly brooks for the thirsty doggy. No one is on the trail. I reach the Scaur Ridge Trail cut-off and I know we are closing in on the summit. I reach what appears to be the summit – there’s nothing here! No cairn- no sign of anything! Are we at the top? Another woman comes huffing up seconds later. “Is this it?” she asks. Ummmm, yup, pretty sure it is. It’s Lisa from Maine, a very cool girl going off to grad school in flat-land Michigan. We team up and tackle Middle Tripyramaid together. Again, no discernable summit perch. Is this the summit? Maybe its here. We search around the mountain top. Hey Lisa, does that look like the top? We trek back to the North Peak and munch power bars. Lisa is great company and we begin to discuss the complexities of male relationships. We discuss ex-boyfriends. Behavior patterns that make no sense. And of course the ex who drunk dials at 2 am. What the dilly-oh we say. There are no answers. We make a deal to take on Mount Moriah together. Hope we can!

2006-08-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Osceola and Osceola East: 12 and 13

Once more I stagger out of bed at 11:00 and the weather is overcast and gloomy. I am forever staggering from deep slumber at weird morning hours because I never can sleep at night. Nevertheless, I pack the car for a trip to Waterville and head for the Osceolas. Whenever I dig the backpack out of the closet, Ruby instantly begins bounding for joy. By now she's attuned to all the signs that indicate a hike is imminent. Though the skies appear threatening, it actually does not rain a single drop until I am safely back into the car 8 hours later. There is no one on the trail today and I am able to free my mind from mental clutter. In fact, I am making up new lyrics to the Cracker song "What the world needs now...is another Steve Buschemi - so I can laugh at his teeth." This is the kind of space-out zone I love to be in when I'm hiking. And let me say, I can only achieve this through mountain hiking.
There are a few muddy spots, and as many times as I've climbed this mountain , one particular area always stands out. This is where the long ledges on the Osceola Trail become slanted, making for some tricky footwork. There's a group of hikers from Boston gathered at the top eating their turkey subs from the Mischievous Moose Deli. They talk about alternative protein sources. I snapped their picture and there was a subdued level of excitement that goes with the possibility of having your picture printed in the newspaper.
Now its time to decend the trail via 'The Chimney',scooch over to East Osceola, and cap off the day. My first impression of the Chimney came from a friend Gina who described carrying her dog down the chimney. " Oh my God, Marianne, the dog was afraid to go down the chimney. I had to pick her up and bring her down!" Holy shit! What is this chimney you speak about? I imagined a vertical chute- much like a real chimney. Enclosed by brick and perhaps a safety screen. What if I got stuck in the chimney like a fat grinch? Thankfully, there's a pussy way around the chimney and you need not venture down its' steep scary darkness. Even on the pussy trail, Ruby had a hard time managing the extreme drops. Still, we got over to East, with no soul in sight. I snapped some pics and we headed back to the parking lot just as the rains headed in. Heading down 93 south I stopped in Campton to enjoy a beer at the Sunset Grille . Jess the drumming bartender was there and I showed Paul, the restaurant owner , my Hippo-Press review of his establishment. Given my positive feedback in print , my tab was on the house.Thanks Paul!

2006-08-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

GaleHead, North Twin and South Twin 9, 10, and 11

This day just can’t decide what it wants to do. This is the theme of the march up to Galehead. Starting out at the Gale river Trail, I first met a guy who asked, “heading up to Garfield today?” Hmm, you don’t get to Garfield from here…..later, he realized he climbed the wrong mountain. “Jeez, I always get these mountains mixed up.Hope we don’t get any thunderstorms!”
Each and every hiker descending the trail made somewhat of the same comment: “What is this weather doing?”
As if the weather could just make up its big silly mind and either clear up or be crap. The weather finally "chose" to clear itself up, and when I hit the Galehead Hut the clouds vanished to reveal a glorious blue sky. I dropped my pack at the hut and ran the half mile to tag Galehead. Suddenly, the muggy damp air lifted and blew out. Three guys at the top, Dave Bob and Steve were headed over to conquer both North and South Twin. They promised a ride back to my car in their Mitsubishi parked at the bottom of North Twin. I scrambled way ahead of them and found myself on South Twin amidst a horde of ornery biting flies. I waited around for the 3 amigos, but they must have fallen behind. I didn’t want to be too far ahead – that would just suck. Well, unfortunately I did end up too far ahead, realizing this on North Twin. I waited and waited – no sign of the guys. I shot down North Twin, crossing the three river crossings and leaving the leash at each crossing on the other side of the brook. Naturally, this forced me to cross back over each brook to retrieve the leash and promise myself that I wouldn’t forget the leash at the next brook crossing. That plan worked out real well. At the bottom I just began walking down Haystack Road hoping that eventually , the guys would show up. Within about 45 minutes they drove by and picked us up , Ruby sopping wet and covered in mud, and me stinking like an enormous sweat blob.

2006-08-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

CANNON MOUNTAIN # 8
Let’s climb Cannon!
Since I slept way beyond 10:00 a.m. Saturday July 15th- it was going to be an easy baby mountain for me. We shot up I-93 passing by Profile Lake. Look! A huge white tent was erected upon the shores of the lake and the limos were just pulling in for a grand scale wedding. I parked at the tram parking lot and shot up the Kinsman Ridge Trail in no time. Though steep and sandy in spots, before I knew it, we were on the breezy ledges overlooking the Interstate. That’s where I left the dog leash, though I hadn’t realized this until we began climbing the steps to the observation tower. I tore of some rope from the tower’s scaffolding and this made do for a leash. A leash was much needed as a dozen or so young children coming from the tram crowded Ruby wanting to pat and feed her. From the summit we took the Lonesome Lake Trail over to the lake for a dip in the water. Very steep going down this trail – many tricky crevices and rough! We skirted the trail around the lake watching the swimmers at the hut. Finally, we dove in! It was great, though I appeared to be the only one daring enough to go under-water. After I dried off and changed, a woman asked, “Was the water leachy?” Was she implying the presence of possible bloodsuckers? Or was she referring to some kind of alkali? I checked my self for vampire worms; I seem to pass the test. We cruise down Lonesome Lake Trail passing a lot of people heading for the hut. The Lafayette Campground is once again filled to capacity as I see when I reach the bottom. Now, I need to get back to the car and I do this by following the Pemi Trail , a very cool bike trail I never knew existed. Soon, I pass by the wedding ceremony in progress. What a lovely place to get married, but probably a better place to become ankle deep in muck. Naturally the dog barks at some squirrels and I imagine the bride cursing me under her breath: “Get that damn dog to stop barking! You’re ruining my day you lousy mutt!”

Once finished, I drove up to Twin Mountain to stay the night at Lyons Hospitality. My favorite cheap digs for only $20.00 a night. Usually I have a whole unit to myself, but not tonight. The place is hopping. At midnight, the hostel keeper, Doug, knocks on the door to ask if I mind sharing my bunk with Jessie. No problem. I pour her a glass of wine and we start talking. She seems a bit out of place, a 23 year old just-married girl going off to boot camp. Seems she visits her husband in the NH State Prison 30 miles up the road in Berlin. She’s been married 2 days. What a way to start a marriage – with your husband in the slammer. But she’s optimistic, “Oh, everything will work out after I get back from boot. I know he’s going to change.” He’s going to change all right. He’s going to change his brand of soap to one he won’t have to bend over for in the clink house showers. She is up at 5:30 a.m. for her conjugal visit in lovely Berlin. And I think I have it bad.

2006-08-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

North & South Kinsman #6 and 7

Following a busy holiday working at the NH State Liquor store on July 4th, I headed back to Lincoln for a day of hiking with my friend Magic. I check in at the Pemi Motor Court in Lincoln on the 5th, with a plan to meet Magic, an on-line hiking friend at the Kinsman Trailhead. The morning was bright and warm; with an early start I eagerly search for breakfast in Franconia at the Dutch Treat. It was anything but a treat. I ordered coffee - and that's all I got. A cup of black coffee. No spoon, no cream or sugar, just a cup of luke warm coffee that tasted like warm water with a brown crayon in it.The waitress shuffled off and I was forced to get up off the stool and go behind the counter for a spoon . I was hoping for a morsel of baked goodness: a muffin maybe - some warm cinnamon toast. When the waitress came back she reportedthat the kitchen was out of everything. "How 'bout an english muffin?"
I left feeling cheated and robbed out of a good meal. I had a fig newton instead and drove down Rt 116 to meet up with Magic. Only he wasn't there. I waited for about a half hour. Little did I realize he was parked down the street waiting for me. We completely missed each other by about 20 yards of parking lot. I set off without him and headed up the Mount Kinsman Trail .Though a fine day for hiking, the bugs nearly drove the poor dog batty. Not many on the trails today, and we hit North Kinsman without anyone else at the summit. We headed over to South, snapped some shots then headed back to North again.
It was here that I heard Magic's unmistakable voice . Ghost Dog, his hiking canine companion was with him and I became nervous about Ghost Dog and Ruby together . I have hiked with Ghost Dog before, and she can be intimidating. I believe she's a pit bull, and as her owner puts it: "she's just so weird!"
Sure enough Ghost Dog and Ruby spent the remaining time at North Kinsman summit growling and posturing. It was hard to determine who was the tougher dog, certainly G.D. had the sharper chompers, but I thought Ruby composed herself with a bit more class.

"Control yourselves, girls!"

Another hiker from the Rocks on top website spent time chatting but the commotion between the dogs and all our loud conversation drove away a group of boy scouts. Magic says, "Jeez, I'm glad those kids left. I wouldn't want them to witness a scene with the dogs!"

Here, I attempt to hold off Ruby from tearing into ghost Dog.

2006-08-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Mt. Jackson #5

Accompanied by the hyperactive Schnauzer duo of Ralph and Duncan, Ruby and I set out to conquer Jackson! What a fabulous day. With the exception that Ralph and Duncan took far too many risks for their owners to be comfortable with, the dogs all enjoyed the scenic hike. Sean and Dawna were great company as we headed up hill and communicated over walky-talkies. (“CCCCCCCHHH! Over!") At the Webster Cliff junction Ralph and Duncan turned around. This was after many attempts by Ralph to boulder–dive onto unprotected wildreness. Hence, his short lived career as a trail dog. Thankfully, many calories were burned along the way. The previous night was held in much gluttonous revelry with me drinking and eating my way through a huge fajita and about 5 Sam Adams Summer Ale at my fave North Conway pit stop, The Moat. The Moat is a great place to eat and drink, and I visit them every time I stay in town. There’s only one place to stay in North Conway – The Intervale. A cheap motel that accepts dogs.
Though I was really looking forward to having Ruby take her summit pose with the two schnauzers, we still managed to have a great day looping over Webster Cliff and then up over to Jackson. There is one tricky pass heading down Jackson and Ruby had difficulty navigating. A British woman, carrying her little corgi dog, realized the dog was in trouble and began coaxing her down through the steep crevice. Her accent further aggravated the situation and I ended up lifting the dog up and over this challenging rock ledge. All in all, a lovely day on this easy mountain. But I only wish that Mt Webster would count for something.

2006-08-08T18:52:00.001-07:00

MT. Moosilauke
A funny thing happened on the trip to Moosilauke. As in, 4th of July traffic sucked- so I took an alternate route off 89. The drama that unfolded in Canaan was unspeakably jaw-dropping bizarre. As I filled my tank with expensive back country gas, a Buick Le Sabre pulled up next to me . A woman hopped out for quickie-mart groceries. The passenger in the Buick then positioned himself in the drivers seat, put the car in reverse, erstwhile the woman screamed for him to stop: “Bobby, don’t do this!”
The boy payed no attention , instead he proceeds to knock the woman down as she attempted to stop the car. He peeled out of the lot at about 80 and headed south down Rt 4. She is sent airborne, along with her purse. The contents of which fall like confetti onto the parking lot. She lay bleeding next to me and I react at once while the locals stare with jaws agape.
“Do we need to report a stolen car?” I ask.
“No, that was my son! He’s not in his right mind!”
As if that was not glaringly obvious.
“He’s not thinking straight!”
What straight thinker would run down their own mother?
“I think he’s on something..."
Might I suggest crystal meth?
The police come and again the locals are inept in their lackluster response to providing assistance.
A man asked me, “Do you think she wants a Diet Coke?”
Finally the hillbilly police come and ask questions. The woman is given some ice for her injuries. She is lucky to be alive.
Finally I am on my way to hike a mountain! YES!
Only, it’s too late to bust a move up the big Moosilauke and I am forced to deal with “PLAN B”. The thunderclouds hovered overhead threatening a downpour. Sure enough it starts to rain, but the rain shower quickly comes to an end. I say , “Well, here’s a fine looking trail out of Benton State Forest, Hurricane Mountain Trail. One crap little mountain is better than none at all.”
A regrettable conclusion this was.
If you like wading knee deep in mud and having your ass bit by 10,000 mosquitoes, Hurricane Mountain is the one for you. Otherwise, avoid this aptly named natural disaster of a peak which seems to be waiting for FEMA to come along and clean up the mess.
Now head to toe in grime, I head for the campground off Rt 118. As I head east on 118, I am just moments behind a car accident involving an SUV which careened off the road and landed nose first in a cluster of pines. There is a party across the street and the party goers converge onto the road with worried looks and half empty bottles of Corona. All traffic has pulled over to assess the damage and a sober guest calls 911.
“There’s a boy trapped in the car!” Screams a Marlboro smoking party guest.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Lets get him out!"
Two teens stumble into the road, bewildered, yet unharmed.
“Yes!" say the teens, “Joe is still in the truck!”
Finally, the 3rd passenger,Joe, emerges from the wreckage, ironically sporting a “Life is Good” T-shirt.
I want to ask him if Life is still good, or if today is an exception .
“I’m all right, I’m All right!!” He yells, discouraging any rescue attempt that may have been dreamed up by the Corona drinkers. Finally, the local rescue vehicles arrive and the road is blocked off; I stay and watch as gravity takes effect and the SUV tumbles from the trees.

Dave Pettelle, owner of Camp 118 in Warren has heard it all before, as i speak of my encounters with danger. "You need to kick back and relax!" For a mere $10 , I camp at the luxurious facilities known as “118". Here is a campground situated on 15 acres in Warren with river side sites and free firewood. There is often live music and a “Comfort Station”, for when bladders and bowels need comforting. Then there’s the Leaky Tiqui Bar, where Dave and Bridgette host parties and social events. This is an ATV-Trail camp with loads of trails. There are a lot of ATV-ers making a racket. I set up the tent and join the hosts at the bar where Bridgette serves me fresh trout. There will be a fireworks display of great magnitude, $800 worth! When the fireworks go off at 9:00 , Ruby freaks out and runs away. For 45 minutes I search for her unsuccessfully .
By now, the other Campers are well on their way to becoming heavily intoxicated and I report to Bridgette that the dog is missing. A full ABP was issued by the office crew and I can hear the campers calling for the dog, “RUBY!!” There is much searching, but there is no dog . I am worried. A biker babe, who appears quite inebriated, says to me, “ Ya know, I saw a dog on the roof of that house…maybe that’s your dog.”
Good Lord, woman, you are high as a kite - there’s no dog on the roof.
I dismiss her at once, only to be told again that, yes indeed; a dog was spotted on the rooftop of the main office. As I follow up on this tip I can see from the distance a scared dog pacing the rooftop as firecrackers snap in the background: it's Ruby on the roof. I retrieve her by climbing the ladder to the roof and coaxing her down. As we return to the tent, the Leaky Tiqui bar has spawned a new star. Perhaps it’s Neil Diamond’s nephew, Squeal Diamond, on guitar wailing, “I am I said” much to the approval of every drinking idiot. I talked with a few people then went on my way. Brian, from Warren stood out as an example – he and his wife, and new baby lost their home in a fire. He was working double time to make it all work.
July 2nd was foggy and overcast but I set out to finish the job of peaking Moosilauke. I met 2 women on the Gorge Brook Trail smoking cigarettes. I never did see them again. The only other hikers I encountered were a couple of guys from Natick. We had a nice talk and I waited for them at the summit. They were far behind. I waited at the Ravine Lodge for them. They did not show. Still, me and the dog got in a good day of hiking but the views from the summit were elusive. Some day I will hike Moosilauke and the weather will be outstanding. Until then, I will associate Moosilauke as being a gray , wet mountain.

2006-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

FLUME Mountain #3

On June 17th I met my Dad at the Lincoln Woods Visitor center. We didn’t really plan to meet there, but by coincidence, I saw his car in the parking lot at the same time I was pulling in. My Dad wants to keep hiking but glaucoma has left him with failing vision. He and his wife Chris rode into the lot just as I had, though we planned on meeting later for dinner. That was the In Sync moment number 1.
We all set out for the Lincoln Woods Wilderness Trail at 11:00. I was to head toward Flume Mountain up the Osseo Trail. Though we all set out together, I gained a pace that left my father behind. At 71, he is still hiking in despite some minor challenges. That’s where I want to be in 2036.

I meet several other hikers and overly frisky dogs along the Wilderness Trail. A young guy, his girlfriend and their chocolate lab raced past us on bikes and I catch them later as they descend Flume. The man is hollering and WOOOOP-ing down the trail and I think its coyotes or loons. “I’ll have what he’s on,” I say to his girlfriend, she rolled her eyes with a look that said, “no shit”.

The trip up the Osseo was fairly ubiquitous. Typical forested landscape and nice trail. No one around. Went for a pee off trail in the woods and left the doggy leash by the tree where I took a leak Dammit!

I reached the summit in no time. We stretched at the summit, took some pictures and snacked. A man fell asleep and began snoring loudly. The laughter that followed jolted him wide awake, and he fumbled around with his backpack then left. Though it was late , I thought to race out and snag Liberty. As I contemplated this, a woman, perched out on the ledges of Flume moaned loudly, “Is there any other way down this God forsaken hill?”
A man and his girlfriend, Ed and Miriam, had , quite literally, come up the Flume Slide Trail without a clue. The woman , Miriam, was not in the best of shape. And though I don’t like using the descriptive “ out-of-shape”, Miriam has not seen the inside of a gym in a long time. The boyfriend seemed desperate. “Can’t we get to The Flume parking lot another way, other than going down the Flume Slide Trail again ,or do we have to go back over Mount Liberty?” The woman moaned louder when hearing the mention of climbing another mountain to get to her car. “That’s the only way back, I’m afraid to say.” Again, moaning, “No, No…”
“Which way did you come up?” He asks, and I tell him I came up from Lincoln Woods. “Is it hard?”
“No, but it’s nowhere near the parking lot for Flume.”
“Crap.”

“No, we can’t go back to Liberty, and down that trail, we’ll never make it.”
Moan
The compassionate soul within me takes over and I offer them a ride if they follow me down Osseo Trail. I explain that its not difficult , but slightly long.
“And you’ll give us a ride?” says Miriam. “Yes, I’ll drive you to the Flume lot. I’ve also climbed the Flume Slide. And by the way, you people are idiots. What were you thinking!?”
“We’re from Boston”
“I see.”
En Synco momento numero dos.
We head down together, though within minutes they have trailed far behind me. I mean very far. They are in no rush to get to the bottom. I stop and wait a few times and they still don’t catch up. Maybe they changed their minds and turned around. I see a couple of guys heading up trail and say, “Hey if you see a couple – blonde woman, tall intellectual boyfriend, would you tell them to put a move on? Jeez!”
There is enough time to begin searching for the dog leash . Now where’s that tree? Ruby bounds into the woods after a chipmunk – leading us to the tree with the leash beside it. In sync moment 3.
They finally catch up and apologize, and we maintain an easier pace to the Lincoln Woods Visitor center lot. She is in the field of education. In fact she’s a big wig with the Massachusetts Department of Education. We blast George Bush. I drive them back up Franconia Parkway and they are grateful.
Dad and Chris are staying at the Kancamaugus Motor Lodge on 112. I jump into the pool covered in mud and grime. AH!
Topping off the day – prime rib- at the Common Man. Excellent. Though we can barely read the menus from the 25 watt lamps placed on the table for quaint ambience. The waitress was a lively old gal. I remind Dad that Sunday, tomorrow June 18th, is Father’s Day. Gee, I haven’t had time to go Hallmark card shopping.
“Don’t even fucking go there!”

2006-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

2006-07-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

Lincoln and Lafayette Franconia Notch NH
Peaks 1 and 2

Let me begin by saying that I am not a glamorous hiker. I ‘m grit and grime. Not to mention bug bites , bruises and mystery rashes. It amazes me to no end that I encounter women – and even some men- on New Hampshire trails who are able to retain an intense level of freshness. Its beyond human. Have they stepped out of an LL Bean photo shoot? Women who breeze past me and sweat in fragrances. Men who huff by in spiffy EMS gear and there’s hardly a trace of perspiration. I can even catch a whiff of cologne, hair gel or sunscreen.
Me, I sweat quite a bit, in amounts that can later be measured in beakers. Most likely, this would be unpleasant to encounter. I have seen pictures of me on mountain tops with enormous unflattering perspiration stains on my tank tops. I probably stink too. Imagine the place in your house where you keep the dirty laundry. Think of that, and then toss in some old dish rags that have been festering for a week or so. The dish rags would be sopping wet. OK, now add a layer of spoiled ham. Try to imagine what that smell would be like. It would be absolutely repulsive. I think that this is probably a close equivalent to how I must smell like at the end of a long day of trail hiking. Its no wonder I don't meet to many men on the trails.
Here is a day that I sweated huge buckets - right up Mount Lafayette. In my state to over prepare myself for this venture, I wore a long sleeved polyester sports top and black hiking pants. And it was 88 degrees on the summit of Lafayette. Lafayette, and Its sister Lincoln, have always made my adrenaline do jumping jacks. This mountain could kick my ass! It has claimed lives. My brother Steve had the unforgettable occur heading down Falling Waters in 1993. A man had a heart attack and died on the trail! He was asked to help carry the dead man down. Could he say no? Another woman died on the summit during a winter storm in 2003. This is a mountain that chews up hikers and spits them out across the horizon like watermelon seeds. I stand before it, with much fear and resignation before I begin. It is May and the Lafayette parking lot is near full capacity. I 'm ready today– ready for harsh winds and cold temperatures. About a half mile up the Bridle Trail I begin sweating profusely. Realizing the long sleeve shirt was not a good choice, I elect to lose it. I roll up my pants and hike in my sports bra. I am getting a few looks too. The day gets hotter. Did I mention its 88 degrees and I have a sunburn after an hour?I am not alone in my mortal mistake to come "prepared for the elements", and soon others begin disrobing. There goes a sweatshirt! A hat! Damn its hot! Finally we reach the Greenleaf Hut and a nice man says, “That’s one hot looking dog.” Indeed the dog is panting. I have a Frisbee packed in my back pack for her water and I’m almost out. “There’s snow on the summit!” He reports.
“No way!”
“Way!”
The lure of cold piles of snow was the exact inspiration I needed to plod on and capture this giant in the Franconia Notch. This was to be the first of many peaks and summits for me and Ruby , my black lab pup. Looking ahead, beyond Walker Ravine and up towards the summit, I knew I had begun an unusual journey. It would be the first of many trips up north. The mile trudge from the hut to the summit was nearly exhausting. "Where is this snow? You promised snow!"
Finally, upon closing in on the final feet to the summit I spotted thewhite stuff. Snow. Ruby stops to inspect . Its dirty - but cold. She eats some. She lies down and makes a bed in it. Then, she does not move from the position while I eat my power bar and walk around the summit. By now, I’ve tied my sweat soaked shirt to my back pack hoping it will dry out and I can wear it without too much embarrassment. On Lincoln , a girl snaps our picture, but I insist on putting on the shirt, and dealing with the heat rather than expose my fleshy gut to the camera.
The stunning beauty of the Franconia Ridge can not be easily compared. Even the dog seems to be soaking up the awesome views. I come across a “me” - look-alike, moving in the other direction. Look! Its me, or a flashback of me from 10 years ago. I am slender and attractive. The dog takes notice too. After the gushing amount of attention she receives from this group, and the me-look alike, the dog follows them back toward Lafayette, as I head over down from Lincoln. “Hello…! Doggy, what the hell are you doing?” This causes some confusion to her dog mind.

Here, I consider taking on Liberty, merely 2 miles south. But we're out of water. The trip down Falling Waters Trail was eventful as other hikers and dogs encountered obstacles preventing the dogs from moving forward. Other upward hikers – overstressed from the heat, questioned, “Am I almost there?” I try to be encouraging. But they are way off. " Oh my god, you are soo not almost there!"
Some folks have just stopped dead in their tracks and do not go further. They are lamenting their poor choices to wear jeans,flip flop sandals, sweatshirts. The sheer amount of inappropriately dressed people on the mountain outnumber the black fly bites on my neck. A gypsy couple argued in front of the cascades. Profanities were exchanged. Clearly the wife had the upper hand. I reach the end of the trail and check my watch: 6 hours. I have climbed 9 miles in 6 hours. That's not too shabby. It is still so goddam hot that I feel the need to jump in some cold water. I take the Campton exit heading down 93 and jump into the ice cold Pemigewassett River. The dog looks on, but does not take the cue .
As I am driving in the traffic clogged artery of Rt 93 South I am basking in the well-deserved praise I hand myself for buyng an E-Z pass. I snicker at the cars lined up at the toll booths to pay their fare. Those chumps! Look at them, scrounging for loose change! There's a guy who has to break a twenty! HA! HA!
Not me, I have pre-paid at a homely Department of Transportation trailer on exit 6. My summer tolls are "good to go" if I might recite a cheezy Taco Bell commercial. Sometimes I have to stop and give myself an inkling of credit: I might sweat like an overcooked pig, but I'm always thinking ahead.
I awoke Monday late - 11:00 am, Memorial Day, I am sore , sunburned, bitten and smell like an Iraquai Soldier. The pain is a stamp of inner approval. And I can't wait to go back for more.

Ruby soaks up snow