Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Ok, so this trip didn't really go as planned. Originally, we were supposed to drive in, stay the night, hike out to Lake of the Clouds the next day and summit Mt. Washington. Then, the day after, we were supposed to hike to Mitzpah and do a couple of summits along the way. Then, we were supposed to stay the night, and hike out and back to Pinkham Notch, drive back to town, shop, sleep and then drive home.

So much for plans.

We arrived in North Conway and checked into our chalet type thing with the other family we were hiking with. We had some time to kill, so we drove up to the outlet mall. That was much fun. We did some shopping, and I ended up with a Roxy sweater, some spiffy t-shirts and 3 pairs of jeans. I got two pairs of what are most likely the most awesome jeans I have ever owned. Coincidentally, they're 'boyfriend fit' Someone's got a sense of humour. Oh, and I got this awesome pair of pj shorts for Aeropostale.

Ok, so we're all back at the chalet thingie just playing games and having a good time. We had this awesome lasagne for supper and slept in an uber-comfortable bed. We had to get up the next morning at like... 6 to get our packs all ready and drive up to Pinkham Notch.

Now I guess at this point, I should mention some details about the other family. We've known them for ever... like, the two sets of adults met eachother when my parents were like... newly married. They're all awesome, but one of the daughters has a diva/princess/MONSTER streak. She complained almost the entire time we were there about EVERYTHING. She very nearly ruined the trip for everyone, especially for her family. She was combattive, cruel, obnoxious and just plain rude. I was the only one who didn't get into a spat with her, only because I've got so much practise ignoring the obnoxious (three guesses as to who wink )

DAY 1:
So, our first day up we had to ascend above the treeline. That part of the hike is my least favourite because it's usually the sharpest incline and a lot warmer. I was sweating after like... 5 mins The girl is causing so much drama, that me, my dad and the other dad all start picking up the pace. Eventually we're going so fast that she has to stop talking to keep up. So smart.

Our ascent was up a trail called 'Tuckerman's Ravine' It was a pretty decent hike. After we got above the treeline, it started to get really steep. Then, we came to this scramble (you have to scramble over the rocks. They're too big to step/climb over in 1 or 2 steps) That part was tough, but cool. We passed this huge waterfall, and at one point had to climb over a branch of it. The rocks got fairly slippery, so the going was tough (at least, thats what I thought at the time... oh the fun to come...)

After the scramble, we reached a plateau type thing, and had to cross about a mile and a half of rock field. Now that we're on the ridge, we're completely exposed to the weather, which was over-cast and foggy. You could see maybe 50yrds infront of you. Eventually you could see the hut emerge out of the fog. It's such a wonderful sight. Your feet ache from the rock and so as soon as you see the hut, you think of how you can eat, and sit down and take your boots off. Suddenly, the hiking isn't so draining.

Once we (Sarah and I) got to the hut, we had to wait for everyone to catch up. We went and checked in, dropped our packs, changed into sandles and then I had 2 bowls of lentle soup. Normally not a huge fan of lentle, but everything is wonderful after hiking.

We decide to try to make the summit of Mt. Washington before the looming bad weather sets in. We moved our rain gear and some cash into a day pack (which I somehow ended up carrying) and headed out. I was just flying up the mountain, being 20 pounds lighter and all >.<, and so I had to keep stopping and waiting. I was kinda the guide up the mountain since I'd been to the summit before. I'm proud to say that I guided us up with no problems. Perhaps I was a sherpa in a past life? lol jk Anyways, the clouds and the wind got worse as we got closer to the summit, and by the time we got there you could hardly make out the huge buildings/tower on the top. After finishing off the summit, we went into the little tourist shop thing. I admit, my sole motivation for climbing again in the bad weather was the nachos and iced tea waiting for me at the summit. It was kind of a kicker. In 5 minutes, I ate back probably all of the calories that I'd burned off during the 4 hours of hiking. Still, it was so worth it.

While up top, the weather got worse so we all geared up before going back down. I could only see to one cairn infront of me, which made the hike a lot more difficult.


To Be Continued
[I've been delegated thank-you card duty. Laters]