Hello!

That's it, the North East swing of our highpoint adventure has been successful! As a team, we've successfully climbed seven peaks in the region and are going to celebrate our success in Boston for a day. Here's a description -

What a long strange trip it's been. . .

06.30.06 - 07.02.06 Maine
Mt. Katahdin near the charming town of Millinocket, Maine was our first climb earlier this week- and by far my favorite. There were a few very small sections of class 3 to contend with and the exposure was hidden by the mist of clouds on the ascent. Finally as we descended, the lush greens and vibrant blue views of Maine opened through the thick fog. I'm in love with this place. The visit here wasn't limited to climbing- we took advantage of every opportunity to eat lobster and fresh scallops. The campground we used gave us a map of places we were likely to spot moose and we sure did! It was my first encounter with these animals. We also had the pleasure of meeting three hikers who were just finishing the Applachian trail. Contrats to Paburt, Do-rag, and Taco for over 2100 miles of trekking! If you have a chance, ask John about the special ketchup recipe in Maine. AND- I'm not sure but I think I contracted poison ivy here. Yuk!
07.03.06
Mt Washington is near Gorham, NH. When we arrived to the campground and trailhead, we learned that Mt. Washington was actually closed earlier in the day due to 99 mph wind gusts. This news was obviously disconcerting to us considering we planned to be hiking above treeline for small portion of the climb. At 5am the next morning we opted for the Tuckermans Ravine route and hoped that the wind wouldn't become a factor. The route we chose was perfect for ascending steep terrain quickly. We met a super nice guy named Pete near the summit who had actually read about our adventure online- thanks to a link included on Charlie and Diane Winger's website. As we reached the summit the windspeed was a constant 50 mph with 54 mph gusts. Because we were on a tight schedule to meet a participant of the Whitney Mountaineer's Route- Ms. Abby Bronson, we opted to break Mt. Washington park rules and hitch a ride down. I found it obscene how such a beautiful mountain has become controlled to increase profits for the park. A round trip cog ride was $42 and simply driving the auto road was $28. They also discourage drivers from picking up hitch hikers.
07.04.06
Mt. Mansfield in Vermont was short, but fun. We were honored that Abby Bronson and her dog, Otto were able to join us. It was fun to have dinner with Abby the night before and hit the trail the next day. We opted for the Auto Road because the main trail didn't seem very challenging. The hike itself lasted about 2 hours including the leisurely summit visit. Thanks so much to Abby and Otto for making the short journey to join the 50 for Tibet team again and look forward to seeing you on the Mt. Elbert fundraising climb.
07.05.06
Mt Marcy near Lake Placid, NY was a great hike. The trail was easy on the feet even though it was 15 miles and muddy. I'm glad we've made it a habbit of waking at 4am and starting our climbs early. Weather wasn't an issue aside from the summit view being obstructed by clouds. Overall, an enjoyable hike. Afterwards, we stopped by the 1980 olympic bobsled track and all four of us- Steve, John, David and I took a ride on the modified (wheels and no ice) bobsled. We all screamed the whole way. Upstate New York in the Adirondacks is really a beautiful place. I highly urge anyone who is contemplating the visit to go for it.
07.06.06
After Marcy we stayed in Pittsfield, Mass in a hotel. I took this opportunity to wash my soiled pant legs which were caked with mud and grime up to my knees. Turns out my clothes didn't dry by the morning which forced me to be resourceful by closing them in the window of the car and driving down the highway. I think the guys are used to me by now and didn't give me too much grief over it. Today we decided to consolidate the last three peaks into one day. We woke up early and drove to Mansfield. I've been suffering from an old achilles injury and managed to go the entire trip without hurting too bad- until today. When we arrived on Greylock the tower on the summit called our name and we ascended the stairway to the top where I shifted weight onto my toes. Not good. I walked away with little pain. We drove to Canaan, Connecticut and parked at the trailhead. It was a 2.4 round trip but a lot of rocky terrain. David and I decided to be cool and attempt the entire climb without using our hands. There were a few spots where we needed assistance. My achilles throbbed up most of my leg. In the past it has been restricted to my ankle area, but not today. Good thing our last peak of the trip wasn't a peak at all, but a stop in a residental area slightly inside Rhode Island on the CT border. Just a step off the highway and we were there. This concludes our extreme northeast swing. All 4 of us were successful on all 7 peaks. Whoo-hoo!
The northeast is amazing! It's very humid and thankfully we just missed the wicked storms that wrecked the region. If you have the opportunity, check out the quaint town of Kennebunkport, Maine. Despite the fact that the Bush vacation home is here, the ocean port is lined with fishing boats and all the lobster you can eat can be found in the local restaurants. I love fog, the rain and of course the ocean is magical.

Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you to Onix who is watching Manny and Odie for the week and a half (we did manage to find a maple syrup farm in Vermont for you) and also to Terri, Renee, Nichol, and Thanos for providing assistance while we've been on the road. We couldn't have done this trip without you or anyone else who has participated in the project. In addition to our success, we're all acutally getting along well and enjoying each other's company. It's a great feeling to know we're all a team and take care of each other. We'll post pics soon.

Peace and Love,

jennifer

P.S. Congratulations to Janet and Chris on their new born baby boy- Miller!

Comments:

Comment from: Bob Hingstrum [Visitor]

Wow, Kiddo, It sounds like you're having a great time! I hope you have some pix to send along so I can see some of the things you mentioned. I can't begin to tell you how proud of you I am!

07/07/06 @ 13:36

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