MARCH 12 - Mount Monadnock

Successfully summited Monadnock yesterday with Mandy, Ben, and Beth! We started around 11:30 with a cloudy sky, and fairly warm temps. Down to 2 layers by the first 1/5 mile. We took the white dot to Cascade link and up the Red Spot trail, which meets up with Pummelly to the summit. Trail was mostly packed snow, although Red Spot was slightly less traveled and if you stepped off the main pack you could sink to your knees or more in the snow! Red Spot was a really nice trail, we hiked next to a bubbling stream most of the way up, and lots of great views to the valley below! As we reached tree line it got icier and windier! Glad to have my microspikes today! I took them off as we reached the rock near the top, where the wind has blown all the snow off, just leaving pockets of ice here and there. We didn't stay long at the top. It was beautiful but VERY windy! The clouds broke just as we left the summit, and we enjoyed a few seconds of bright blue sky :) before starting our descent down the White Dot trail. A slippery hike down! We made it back to the main parking lot in just under 4 hrs. A great hike!

FEBRUARY 12 - N. Pack Monadnock

Hike planned for this Saturday! Be there or be square. Post here, email or call me if you want to come. We'll be heading out in the morning (hopefully by 9am) Weather is supposed to be in the upper 30's! Balmy! Get yer gators on and let's climb a mountain!

JANUARY hike - Mt. Major - Jan. 29th

Hike was a success! I was joined by Benny B. Ben C. and Mandy and we climbed all the way to the top :D It was a great inaugural climb. Pretty easy and lots of fun. The snow was deep in places. B.B. was up to his thighs when he ventured off the trail! Snowshoes helped a lot (Thanks for the borrow, Erin!) I'm thinking I'd really like to get some of my own before the next winter! The morning fog burned off and we could see quite a ways from the top. Snowmobiler's like little ants scooting around on the lake below us. It took only a little over an hour to reach the top, a little longer going down a different trail. Wildlife tracker: 1 little red squirrel, 1 super-arctic spider walking along the snow at the top. (aren't spiders supposed to hibernate or something?)

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.” - Dr. Seuss

I suppose I've been hiking most of my life. I don't really remember a summer without a summit, a spring without sloppy muddy hiking boots or a winter without an uphill snow climb (usually just to sled down the other side!). But it wasn't until recently that I realized what a life-giving pursuit a climb can be. There's nothing like the great outdoors to calm the nerves, clear the head, and soothe the soul.

After a brief hiatus from summiting (due to babies, back injuries and other likely excuses) I am excited to announce that things are looking 'up' (small pun intended)! I have set a goal for myself of getting back in shape and climbing Washington in the fall of 2011. I am pretty slow right now (and I need a lot of gorp to keep me motivated). I am working on building strength and endurance over the next months and part of my workout plan includes hiking a peak at least once a month. This is probably way ambitious...as I'm prone to having lots of ambition and a lack of gumption when it comes down to it. But I know that mountain top is worth it! Anyway, people think you're crazy when you tell them you're going hiking in February. It makes me feel special ;)

A lot of people have asked me about hiking and what mountain I'm doing next, and can they come along? I'm always looking for hiking partners, especially brave winter hikers :)

So my hope is that this blog can be a place where I will post upcoming hikes, times and dates and pictures and stories to encourage you to come climb a mountain with me!