Is this Everest?

....Cold. Mind numbing cold. The kind of cold you imagine lurks in the Antarctic or on top of Mt Everest, or maybe how it feels on Mars. The kind of cold that actually hurts to breathe, if you are able to take a breath that is. The kind of cold that feels like it is burning your skin.

This is the kind of cold that makes you wonder why you woke at 4 AM and purposely drove an hour and a half in the pitch dark Winter morning, and toiled up 4.7 miles of mountain trail to a summit socked in with clouds and fog. The kind of cold the makes you question your own sanity. 

It's not only the cold which conspires against you. It also also the wind. A wind that sucks the air away before you can even breath it, and is so strong that you can barely keep to your feet. A wind that drives the ice and snow on the summit into a blast zone of tiny shrapnel, threatening to tear into your skin. A wind that makes a simple cold day potentially deadly should mishaps occur. Wind that plunges temperatures below zero and causes chance of frostbite to exposed skin in minutes.

This is the reality of the high peaks in New Hampshire's White Mountains. This is also why these mountains are so deadly. The casual hiker will underestimate them and find themselves in trouble because they were unprepared for the changing conditions, but I jump ahead...

We should begin at the beginning as they say.

I had always wanted to hike the Skookumchuck Trail to the summit of Mt Lafayette (Mt Lafayette is the 6th tallest mountain in New Hampshire at 5,249′)

I planned this hike a week before and followed the weather predictions religiously throughout the week. I also monitored the Higher Elevation Forecast put out by the good folks at the Mt Washington Observatory. 

The weather forecast showed that the weekend would continue its unseasonably warm trend with partly cloudy skies, light winds and temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s. This was December 12, 2015. The weather is not usually this warm in New Hampshire this time of year. This was definitely a chance for a mid December hike. The Higher Summit Forecast called for high winds, and fog.

For this hike, I was going to accompanied by my Friend Baha and his dog Xena, a rarity for me since I mostly solo hike. We met in a dark, lonely parking lot at 6:30 AM. It was pitch black out and deathly quiet.

We didn't waste time, and quickly got on our boots, applied the right amount of layers, made last minute checks of our gear and hoisted our packs. The wind was calm at the start and the temperatures were in the low 40s. Very pleasant. Limited layers were required in the beginning.

Once we were all set, we stepped on the Skookumchuck Trail for a 4.7 mile walk to Lafayette summit. Xena was immediately in her element, running all around checking all the interesting smells! No matter where she was, she was always in eye shot of Baha.

The trail is very gentle at first, and we made good time, while the sun slowly made its way over the ridge in front of us. As the light slowly crept it's way along, we could see that it was a nice hard wood forest. In fact, a sign indicated that it had been selectively harvested to open up the habitat.

This was my first hike with Baha and Xena. I was a little nervous that I would be too slow for them. They are both considerably younger than me. I needn't have worried because we settled into a comfortable pace, that wasn't not too slow or lung busting fast

The trail continued at a nice grade, although the snow began to make for a little slippery conditions.  The trail was easy to follow. There was only the one trail for 4.2 miles to Garfield Ridge, so we had little chance of getting lost on this trail. 

Eventually, we began to emerge from the tree line, providing us with typical December mountain views.

It was here we began to feel the temperature change and started to hear the roaring of the wind. Up until this point, we were well protected from the elements, being among the trees.

Considering we were going above tree line into that tempest, we chose this opportunity to add layers, including a shell to ward against the wind. I also chose to put on my micro-spikes for better traction. Baha choose not to use his.

The micro-spikes definitely helped me with my traction on the snow and ice covered rocks, but created a bit of a challenge on those sections that remained ice and snow free. Micro spikes DO NOT grip rock. It was at these times I had to take more care of where I placed my feet. I also found the they kept slipping from the front of my boot, which may have been from the rock surfaces or hitting roots.

Of course my micro-spikes were no match to puppy power. Xena effortlessly bounded up the trail, only to look down on us with pity at our inability to hike like her!

Once we were fully committed above tree line, the full force and furry of Mother Nature was there to greet us.  Although down below it was a nice, warm day, up here was another story entirely. This was sub-arctic like, with winds blowing 35-40 and gusting MUCH higher. Visibility was very limited, and due to the howling of the wind, conversation was nearly impossible.

Quickly, my fingers began to get so cold, they hurt. This was a bad sign, since on a high school ski trip, I had suffered some frost bite.

I took shelter behind a large rock and was at this point that I began to question in my mind whether or not I could stay here while Baha went on to tag the summit or if I would die of exposure if I stopped moving. I was THAT cold!!!

I stuffed my gloved hands in my pockets to try to bring some warmth back. This didn't seem to work, so I switched over to ski mittens, and that made all the difference. Fortified again again the cold, we carried on.

Slowly, we picked our way across the frozen landscape, all the while leaning into the wind, to avoid being blown over.

Eventually, against all odds, we made to the summit. It felt like being on a much higher summit. These mountains are very dangerous and can never be taken lightly. Conditions can and do change at a moments notice, and can be drastically different from the conditions at the car.

Considering the current weather conditions, and the fact that there were no views at all, we decided to begin our decent of the mountain immediately after summiting. I usually like to spend some time on top, but with the conditions as they were, this would be at minimum, uncomfortable and on the extreme side, could be deadly.

So, with Xena leading the way, Baha and I began to descend the trail. Visibility was still limited, so great care was needed to avoid wandering off trail.

Shortly after the summit, my legs began to suffer painful cramps. Normally if this happens, you stop and hydrate and stretch. With this weather, the only option was to grit my teeth and suck up the pain and move on...and that's what we did.

As often happens in the mountains, the conditions drastically change with the loss of elevation. Soon the sun was out, and some blue sky could be seen. The wind was considerably reduced, and the temperature was much more comfortable. We eventually had to remove some of the layers we applied for our ascent of the summit.

One of the really cool things about New Hampshire is that it is a small hiking community and with Facebook groups, many of us know each other, if only through Facebook Posts. 

On the way down, we met fellow hiker Chris Dailey going the other way. We sat and chatted for a moment, and than Chris continued on his way up, while we continued down to the car. We met a few other hikes too.

The remaining miles of the hike were quite uneventful and passed quite quickly. The lower we got, the warmer it became, until there was no more snow to be seen. Xena's obvious enthusiasm for the trail never wavered, although mine was severely tested on the summit!!! 

Soon enough we were close to the car and could hear the intrusive sounds of civilization rising up to meet us.

No matter how difficult or uncomfortable a hike may be, it always beats sitting on your ass on the couching wasting the day away!

Thanks for reading and happy hiking!!

Over the river and through the woods...

The alarm on my Fitbit activated at 3:30 am. It was a hike day and today I was hiking up and over Mounts Liberty and Flume and through the Pemigewasset Wilderness out to Lincoln Woods.

It was to be a solo trip of 10.63 miles. I wasn't worried about the mileage because I hike this distance without too much difficulty. I also wasn't concerned with going solo, since I have hiked many, many hikes solo, and in fact really enjoy my time alone in the woods.

I was pretty excited about this hike. This would require dropping my car off where I was finishing the hike and getting a ride to the starting trail-head by my wife. (Hikers call that car spotting) There was no room for error or mishap, because my car would be 11 miles way (over two mountain summits and about 7 additional miles of wilderness.) This would also be one of the longest solo hikes.

We arrived at the pitch black and empty parking lot at the Flume Visitor Center where I put on my hiking boots, strapped on my backpack and put a headlamp on to battle the darkness of the trail. I said my goodbyes to Leslie and was off. The temperature was around 28 degrees, but I had on gloves, a hat and sufficient layers to combat the morning chill.


The first thing I noticed was that I really, really wished I had more coffee. The second thing I noticed was that it was very quiet and I was all alone. It is kind of spooky in the dark woods. You immediately imagine there are critters just beyond the beam of your light watching you.

Another thing I noticed was that the light on my headlamp was not very bright at all. I first thought that my eyes had not yet adapted to the darkness. That thought was quickly dispelled when the headlight went out completely, plunging me into absolute, total
 darkness. I should have checked the batteries!!!


We'll, being a responsible hiker, I had a back up head-lamp with fresh batteries. I also had replacement batteries and a small flash light. I believe in redundancy!

Once I swapped out the headlamps and put my gloves back on, I headed up the bike path to the hiking trail. My first objective was the Liberty Springs Tent Site where I planned to eat a snack and enjoy my hot tea.

The first thing you come to on the hike is the Bridge of Darkness (not sure what the name actually is, but this will do for now).

It looked very spooky to me. In the darkness, I couldn't see the other side, nor could I see the river below it. Since Leslie left about 20 minutes earlier, I had no choice but to cross it and continue on.

Eventually, the darkness gave way to the dawn, revealing that Old Man Winter had settled in the mountains. While the snow was un-troubling in the beginning, the higher I got, the more snow I would encounter, until it became necessary to put on micro spikes for additional traction.

The early morning forest has a quality all its own. As the light slowly creeps over the distant ridge, more and more details come into view.

There was barely a sound: just the wind and some birds, and the crunch of my boots on the crusty snow.

Up and up I climbed, at a steady pace. When I solo hike, I tend to push myself to make it both a good workout and enjoyable hike.

The higher I got, the more light there was. One tell tale sign that you are nearing the summit is that you can start to see light through the trees up ahead. That is a most welcome sight to a hiker, because they know the summit is near.

Eventually, I made it to the summit of Mt Liberty and was rewarded with unending, fantastic views. This was one of those rare December days, where the wind is light, the temperatures reasonable and the sky a brilliant blue affording unending views in all directions. Its for days like today that I am willing to wake at 3:30 AM and go hiking on less than 4 hours sleep. You can't really put into words what this view is like in person. Some of the views are below.

Mount Cannon

Mount Lincoln & Mt Lafayette (Franconia Ridge)

Mount Garfield

Once I took in the sweeping views from the summit of Mt Liberty, I headed toward Mt Flume to continue my journey. Mt Flume is only a mile from Liberty, so I made quick time of my hike over there and made the summit in no time at all. Once again I was rewarded with spectacular and expansive views that are as good as anywhere else in New England.

Even though I had already climbed two different mountains, my hike was far from over. I still had to go off the backside of Mt Flume on the Osseo Trail and walk approximately 7 miles through the Pemigewasset Wilderness to Lincoln Woods where my car waited for me.

One of the fun parts of the Osseo Trail is the several different sections of ladders. These ladders, although helpful in the Spring, Fall & Winter, can be a bit treacherous when snow covered.

Although you can't see it in this picture, some of these ladder sections can be very steep. This was one such section. There were several of these sections, which made for a slow decent.

The ladder section was what put this trail on the Terrifying 25 List. As you may recall from a previous post, we hikers love lists of mountains

to climb. This list is the 25 most "terrifying" trails in New Hampshire. That is why, even though I have done this hike before, I decided to do it again. With the weather I had, it was a great decision.

Another great thing with going through the wilderness was that there would be a good chance I wouldn't see another soul. I was not disappointed. I had the wonderful solitude I search for in my hikes.

I have seen many critters on my hikes throughout the years, from bears to moose to deer, turkeys, foxes, birds, bobcats and Gray Jays who will eat out of your had. This little red squirrel was very inquisitive and played peek-a-boo with me for about 5 minutes. I finally tired of the game and bid goodbye and continued on my way.

The hike out for the last couple of miles is very flat and forgiving, allowing tired muscles the opportunity to cool down before getting in the car. This particular part of the hike, Lincoln Woods Trail, is an old rail road grade, which remains flat all the way to the parking lot at Lincoln Woods.

The draw back is that it seemingly goes on forever without end! As my good friend and sometimes hiking partner likes to say "Every hike is two miles too long!"

Another con is that it is so flat, that many, many tourist use to stroll into the woods, which can make it seem crowded at times.

Finally, when you cross the river, you are done with the hike and there is much rejoicing. It was a fabulous time alone in the woods for 6 hours. I always feel peaceful and rejuvenated whenever I visit the forest.

Happy Trails and thanks for reading!!

#DaleyStrong ...

The call came at 5:30 PM on New Years Eve, just as our annual party was about to begin. It was my son Sam's doctor, reporting back MRI results from earlier in the day. It was news that no parent is prepared for. Sam has a brain tumor!

Nothing hits you harder than receiving such horrible news about your child. It was like being kicked in the stomach. You don't want to believe it. Surely they meant to call someone else. My son is young and strong and a college athlete. This can't be happening to him...

To tell this story properly, we need to go back a bit. When Sam was six years old, we enrolled him in a learn to skate program in Henniker, NH. While still struggling to learn to stand up on skates, Sam told his coach "I want to be a goalie," and the coach's response to him was, "Well, you've got to learn to skate first, Sam." ...and learn he did.

By the age of 12, Sam had been named to the New Hampshire select team for his age group, an honor he received again when he was 14. Throughout youth hockey, Sam was always the starting goalie. However, when he got to high school, there were three sophomore goalies ahead of him in the competition for the starting position. Sam wouldn't have had a chance to play significant minutes until his senior year.

It was near the end of his Freshman year that Sam got a call from an old coach. The coach told him that the starting goalie for Bishop Brady (the local Division 1 Catholic School) was not coming back. He wanted to know if Sam would be willing to come to the school and try out, although the spot was not guaranteed. Sam was willing to give it a try.

Sam won the spot of starting goalie his Sophomore year. By his Senior year, Sam had been named New Hampshire's Division I goalie of the year, and finished second in the state's player of the year voting.

After a year of playing junior hockey with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs, Sam decided to start his college education as a  biology major at New York University. Sam wants to be a dentist, a curious profession for a hockey player.

Sam tried out for the NYU hockey team and became starting goalie his Freshman year. In the three years with NYU, he has a .921 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average in 44 career games.

Sam's problem showed itself in October of last year. He began to feel occasional numbness and tingling in his left arm and forearm, which eventually spread to his left hip and leg.

Sam eventually went to Beth Israel hospital in Manhattan, but there he was only told to  see a specialist. A Beth Israel neurologist did a workup in early November, but, like the emergency room physicians before him,  told Sam that the numbness was likely either a result of a pinched nerve or an issue stemming from his sleeping position.

When the issue continued, Sam decided on his Winter break from college to take matters into his own hands. He called his Primary Care Doctor and requested an MRI. That was the day of New Years Eve. That was the day we got the call. Needless to say, none of us were feeling very festive with such uncertainty hanging over us like a dark cloud. Luckily, we were surrounded by close friends who helped us face this news.

We were immediately referred to a specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the leading hospitals in neurosurgery in the world. Sam's surgeon, Dr. Brian Nahed, scheduled the surgery for January 7th. During a 6½-hour procedure, Dr. Nahed removed the tumor, which was roughly the size of an apricot, from Sam's cerebellum and spinal cord stem. This was a very tricky and delicate operation.

Sam's Coach, Chris Cosentino first learned of Sam's condition via text message over winter break. He'd sent a note out to his captains regarding the team's return to practice in January, and Sam responded with a message that simply said, "We have to talk." Word of Sam's tumor flashed like wild fire to the rest of the NYU team, which banded together to create a video in support of Sam. They got this to him the night before his surgery. NYU Hockey Team supports Goaltender with Brain Tumor .

The team also started a social media blitz in support of Sam using the hashtag #DaleyStrong on Twitter.

The response from the hockey community was immediate and overwhelming. NHL Teams, college teams, former teammates and bitter rivals all began to Tweet their support to Sam using the #DaleyStrong. It was truly amazing and so helpful in keeping all of our spirits up during this difficult ordeal.

Sam's story even gained national attention. He received a shout out on NHL Live and had articles written by ESPN ESPN: NYU Goalie fighting Tumor and Fox Sports Fox Sports: Family and Friends Rally around NYU Goaltender. The Boston Bruins, Sam's favorite team, will be sending him an autographed photo from their goalie, Tukka Rask, along with some other things. NYU's biggest hockey rival, William Patterson University even sent Sam a cookie basket. Rivals on the ice and family off. The NHL even sent him a box of stuff! The hockey community really looks out for their own.


Three days after brain surgery, Sam returned home to begin his recovery which could take up to 8 weeks. He is really looking forward to getting back to school in New York City and being with his team, even if he can't get on the ice yet with them. He could possibly be back on the ice for light workout at the end of the 8 weeks. For now we're taking one day at a time. Thanks for reading!

Tuckerman's Ravine...Where it all began.

What many people know about me is that I love hiking. I find solace and peace among the trees and mountains. What most people don't know is how I came to be a hiker. It all started innocently enough, as most stories do.

However, in order to tell the story, I need to let you know that another passion of mine is photography. I like to photograph everything. I take thousands of photos a year. While I don't consider myself an expert, with today's fantastic digital cameras, I am able to take some great shots. That being said, it was late Spring in New Hampshire (USA), and for skiers, that meant the annual pilgrimage to ski Tuckerman's Ravine .

Two of my friends, Doug & Craig, were back country skiers and  wanted to hike up to Tuckerman's and have me take photos of them. This sounded like great fun. I have always dreamed of skiing Tuck's, but never had the skill level. This way I could go, and not have to worry about skiing, just take photos. I figured this hike would be a piece of cake. I was in good shape from being a cyclist and I had hiked Mt Monadnock (the 2nd most climb mountain in the world) before, so I had hiking experience. This was going to be easy, or so I thought.

So, on April 28, 2009, the two of them met me early at my house and off we went for the two and a half hour ride. I got more excited with each mile closer. Finally, we made it to the parking lot (which was already quite full). This is the first place that my total inexperience began to show itself. Both Doug and Craig looked at me incredulously, as if I had completely lost my mind.

The problem? I was wearing all cotton, and according to them, COTTON KILLS. What they meant was that you will sweat on the hike, and cotton does not dry quickly. This could be very dangerous if the weather turned bad, and as I have learned through the years, on Mt Washington, things can change quickly. Thankfully, Doug had spare, non cotton hiking clothes, and we were close enough in size.

Finally, once properly attired, we set off. The going was smooth, and the trail was wide at the start. There appeared to be a lot of other hiker/skiers going up as well. They day was cool, not cold and blue sky prevailed. I was getting excited with every step.

Soon, I began to realizing that hiking shape and biking shape were not the same thing. I was using totally different muscles and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. I was really struggling with this walk up the hill.

Well, after what seemed like a 100 miles of walking straight up, we eventually arrived at the Hermit Lake shelters and took a break. Well, they took a break. I thought I was going to die. I eventually came to the conclusion that I was not going to make to Lunch Rocks, which is the traditional spot to hang out and watch the folks skiing and boarding the Ravine.

I told Doug and Craig to go on without me. I was so disappointed in myself and very embarrassed that I was struggling so badly.

I could see Tuckerman's Ravine from where I sat and if I looked really hard, I could see the skiers hiking up the head wall.
 

I was so close, but so exhausted that I might have been 100 miles away. I simply could not go on. Well, while my friends and many others, enjoyed the day hiking and skiing, I wallowed in self pity. Then made a decision. This would NEVER happen to me again.

I decided right there and then that I would hike every one of New Hampshire's 48 4000 foot mountains.

I finished in a little under two years, and now, after 5 years of hiking, have summited over 150 of New Hampshire's mountains, many of them solo hikes. I now consider myself a child of the forest and going hiking seems like going home to me now. It's a place I belong...my happy place.

The moral of my story is don't let disappointments destroy you. Take those are as a chance to improve, to go a new direction, to try a new plan, to walk a different path. Just make sure some of those paths are dirt. Cheers and happy hiking. Thanks for reading!

Success is how you look at it...

So, I have more cuts, scrapes and bruises from yesterday's hike than I have ever had from any hike before. Our destination was Mt Success, and a little past the summit, the remains of Northeast Airlines DC 3 Flight 792 which crashed on Mt Success November 30th, 1954.  Once compete, I would have six of the 52 With A View mountains remaining to complete the list.

We would hike 2.4 miles on the Success Trail to the junction of the Mahoosuc Trail (part of the Appalachian Trail), go South another .6 or so on the AT to the summit of Mt Success, and then on another short bit to the crash. It seemed simple enough.

The hike started easy enough and we quickly made it to the first outlook. We were rewarded with some tremendous views. It was well worth the little side trip off the main trail.

This wasn't a big mountain, but things went downhill quickly. First, Richard Easterbrooks and I mistook the AT Boundary for the AT trail, and went about 3 miles out of way.

The AT Boundary, for those who don't know, is placed on either side of the Appalachian Trail, marking the boundary of the Appalachian Trail system.


Realizing we were going the wrong way, we tried bushwhacking our way to the summit, but found the going impenetrable. I was lucky enough to get a signal on my phone and through the miracle that is Facebook, reached out to my friend Darcy Davenport. 

With her help we were able to figure out where the trail actually was. Since this was his first hike since injuring his knee, Rich implored me to continue on to get the summit. He had had enough of being lost and decided to wait for me at the trail junction to give his knee a rest, while I continued on.

Not wanting to keep Rich waiting, I ran the entire way to the summit. It was steep in some spots, and I was very winded when I reached the top. 

After summiting, I decided to try to find the crash site. A nice couple I met on top told me it was only about 2/10ths of a mile away (it wasn't). 

After continuing on, I finally found the remains of the wreckage of Northeast Airlines DC 3 Flight 792. 

To get to the wreckage, you need to leave the trail a little. After taking photographs of the wreckage, I decided to head right back to meet Rich.

However, on the way out, I got turned around and had no  idea which way to go.

I walked for 2-3 tenths of a mile and realized I was going the wrong way. I retraced my steps to the crash site so I could try to find the trail again. After a short time, I still found myself going the wrong way. 

The thought of needing rescuing mortified me!! Although I would be fine if I had to stay the night in the woods, I knew that I would never live it down with Rich.


 
I had now been blundering about the wilderness for nearly an hour and was becoming extremely tired from all the extra up and down trying to find my way. While I won't say I was beginning to panic, I was getting a bit concerned I would be spending the night in the woods.

  

I decided the best course of action was to go straight up the mountain to find the summit. I knew that the trail would be definitely there. I clawed my way through some thick, nearly impenetrable scrub growth. I can't remember how many times I got scratched, stabbed, tripped and fell over branches or had the trees grab at my pack and get me tangled. I even lost my GPS in the process too!

After considerable effort, and brute force, I broke through and made my way to the summit and found the trail again. Having now been over 1.5 hours since leaving Rich at the trail junction, I immediately began running the trail to make up time. After many slips and slides down some of the steeper sections, I finally made it back to Rich. 

At this point, we began the slow, 2.4 mile slog back to the vehicle. The remaining walk, although long, went uneventful and we eventually made it back.





I definitely have to say that Mt Success was not my favorite mountain, although it was worth seeing the crash site.

Thanks for reading.