Red (Sox), White (Mountains), and Blue (Skies?)

[Rik]

As usual on holiday weekends Charlene and I planned to head into New England for some hiking to take advantage of our extra time off. With some advanced planning I bought a couple of tickets to see the Mets play the Red Sox at Fenway on Thursday. Good game but a tough loss for my Mets. After a night in Boston we drove up to the Whites for a little backpacking. The forcast looked OK and the drive up was dry. A little scary when a trailer had a blow out right in front of us on I-93 but a little after noon we were in Lincoln and after a few quick stops we were at the Lincoln Woods trailhead by 1pm. So we packed up and it started raining. We decided to wait for it to blow over which it did and so we started across the river and down the old railroad bed. After 45 minutes it started raining again. We ducked under some spruce which kept us dry for most of the shower. When we came to the Black Pond trail we turned off the Lincoln Woods trail onto a nice path. Pretty quickly we arrived at the lovely Black Pond. We had a snack and took some pictures wondering when the next shower would start. We had chosen to go this way to avoid some of the stream crossings we would have encountered had we taken the Franconia Brook trail and Lincoln Brook trail. The brooks were raging so this was a good decision except that the woods were so wet we ended up pretty soaked bushwhacking from Black Pond to Lincoln Brook. When we came out on Lincoln Brook there was a herd path along the bank that took us up to the trail a few minutes after meeting the brook. There we met a father and son that had been on Owls Head in the thunder storm. We walked up the trail following Lincoln Brook until we heard thunder. At this point we headed into the woods and found a relatively flat spot to throw our tent. Of course the rain started before we got the tent up but we got in and waited it out changing into dry cloths. This storm stopped and we had a break to cook some dinner and hang our food. It showered a little during the night but in the morning the sun was out. We packed up camp and went down to the brook for breakfast. Meals were made pretty easy using Eric's Jetboil which I borrowed. (thanks Eric) After breakfast we packed up to the Owl's Head path. It was marked with rocks spelling out the word "OWL" with an arrow. We filtered some water and left our packs except my small summit pack. At that point we saw our first hikers of the day that had come in that morning. The climb up the slide was great. Franconia Ridge getting bigger behind us and coming out into the open with the sun shining. Beyond the slide the herd path is pretty boring so after reaching the summit we headed back down to the slide for lunch. At this point several day hikers were coming up. The clouds started to slowly roll in during lunch. Soon after picking our packs up and heading further up Lincoln Brook it rained again. The trail between the Owls Head Path and the 13 Falls campsite was pretty messy and the going was a little slow. We met two couples one of which told us they had come up Franconia Brook trail and thought it to be a swampy mess. So much for our bail out trail. At 13 Falls the campsite was crowded and the caretaker wanted to put us on a platform with another tent where both tents would not fit. We decided to backtrack the required 1/4 mile and plunge into the woods again to find a spot. The bugs were a little annoying on Saturday night but not terrible. They would never get too bad all weekend. During the night it sprinkled a few times and just before daybreak on Sunday it poured. We waited in the tent in the morning weighing our options and hoping the rain would stop. Charlene was not a happy camper at this point and the plan for me to finish the NH48 list was about to be abandoned. If the hiker the day before had not told us the Franconia Brook trail was a mess we may have gone down it back to the car. Instead we decided to head up the Twin Brook trail to the Galehead hut as originally planned. We figured we would reassess the weather and our plans from the comfort of the hut. The pack up was tiring but the trail was very nice. We could hear the weathervane on the hut for some time before actually arriving at the hut. We took our boots off on the porch and went in to enjoy some bread and cheese from our packs along with a bowl of mushroom soup and lemonade from the hut. The weather was looking better and everyone at the hut was pretty hopeful the worst of the weather was gone. Spent some time talking with "drewski" from VFTT about his run with Tim Seaver and Cath Goodwin over the whites this past winter. Feeling refreshed we scrambled up the Twinway trail to South Twin. We had both been on this trail before and although it's a stiff climb we agreed that people make a bigger deal out of it than it is. Before you get too tired you are on top with the wind blowing and the skies clearing. Fun to look back at the way we had come. I remember going down that trail as being much worse than climbing it even with a full pack. Finally got to take some more pictures and look over our entire route. The going was good along the Twinway and the sun was in and out of the clouds. It was pretty windy but felt great after climbing. When we got to the junction with the Bondcliff trail we dropped our packs again. Charlene switched to sneakers since her boots were bothering her. The views from the shoulder of Guyot were great and it was fun being above treeline for a spell. The wind was strong. We took the Twinway down off Guyot and over to the side path with Zealand. The summit was uneventful and we didn't stay long. We did find a place to filter water on the way back which we needed at that point. The climb back over Guyot was tiring at this point in the day. After grabbing our packs we started down the Bondcliff trail and over the summit of Guyot. Can anyone tell me why it is on my copy of the Swanson 770 list? If it "counts" there it should count on the NH48 no? Anyhow, it is a spectacular open summit and is worth the visit regardless of any lists. We could see the sun heading down behind the Franconia Ridge with little Owl's Head between and now Garfield and South Twin and then in the east and northeast the rest of the Whites laid out under clearing skies. After dropping of the summit and coming to the sign 1/4 mile before the campsite we again decided to drop off the trail and find a place to throw the tent. It was a little tough finding a spot up there but we managed to find a legal spot. As we set up camp the sun was setting through the trees. I had to convince Charlene that it was the sun and not a forest fire as that is how it looked through the forest. The wind remained strong all night. We had climbed quite a bit with our full packs and sleep came easy. It was very nice to wake up to sunshine and blue skies for a change. The air felt drier and we knew it was going to be a fantastic day for the famous Bonds. After packing up camp we dropped our packs at the side trail to the campsite and went down to get some water. After loading up on water we packed up to the side trail to West Bond. We dropped our packs for the walk over to this amazing peak. Great views all around we lounged there for a while taking photos and enjoying the weather for a change. A quick walk and we were back to our packs for the climb over Bond. It was pretty easy and before we even got out of breath we were on Bond with our second summit of the day to ourselves. Come to think of it we had been on Owl's Head alone before anyone had caught up with us, South Twin we saw no one, Guyot no one, and West Bond we had for several minutes before being joined by a couple guys. Not bad on a holiday weekend.

[Rik]

After leaving Bond we could see our whole route out to Bondcliff. The going down was a little rough with packs on but the weather and views made you forget about everything else. In fact I must have been hallucinating because along comes a backpacker wearing his pack, his boots, and a speedo. At first I thought " what the hell is Neil doing out here?" and then I had to ask Charlene if she saw what I saw. Sure enough he was real and getting one hell of a tan up there above treeline. When we came up to the top of Bondcliff there were people taking the obligatory cliff photos and we waited our turn for some pictures on the cliffs. Charlene spilled the beans to others that it was my final summit of the NH48 so there was some congratulating and hand shaking before we sat down to have lunch and enjoy the great weather and views in all directions. We sat with the map identifying peaks and remembering previous trips to various peaks over the last several years. I had actually climbed 5 of the peaks in the presidential range in 1995 before Charlene and I met. I didn't go back until 2000 and since then we have been making one to three trips a year over to climb peaks. So now Charlene has done 43/48 with only the 5 I climbed before we met left unclimbed. The weather was trying for the first couple of days and most of our stuff was at least damp if not wet but the final day for the Bonds was one of the best hiking days I've had in a while. The trek out to our car was long. The downhill, especially with a full pack, just beats on my feet. I would much rather climb than descend. By 4:30pm on Monday we were at the car and a half hour later we were in Lincoln eating pizza and drinking a Pig's Ear Brown Ale. The drive home felt long but uneventful. After a shower and more rehydrating I finally felt human again. Had to check out report on the Highest Hundred finishers to know they made it but figured my report could wait until after a good night's rest.

[Eric]

Congradulations to you Rik on your quest for the NH48. Glad to hear the Jetboil was useful on your trip. The rain just doesn't seem to want to go away. Also congradulations to the first place Red Sox for comfortably sweeping the Mets.
When I was in NH 2 weeks ago for a week I was lucky. It rained 2 days in a row but in the evening, not just rain serious thunder storms. Good hiking in the day, rain in the evening.

New hiking gear (wear) speedos and backpack :eek: . Sounds comfortable

[Rik]

Congradulations to you Rik on your quest for the NH48. Glad to hear the Jetboil was useful on your trip. The rain just doesn't seem to want to go away. Also congradulations to the first place Red Sox for comfortably sweeping the Mets.
When I was in NH 2 weeks ago for a week I was lucky. It rained 2 days in a row but in the evening, not just rain serious thunder storms. Good hiking in the day, rain in the evening.

New hiking gear (wear) speedos and backpack :eek: . Sounds comfortable

Thanks Eric for the Jetboil, the congrats, for taking Dali hiking, and for rubbing in the Mets losing.

And thanks to Alan too.

[Antlerpeak]

After grabbing our packs we started down the Bondcliff trail and over the summit of Guyot. Can anyone tell me why it is on my copy of the Swanson 770 list? If it "counts" there it should count on the NH48 no? Anyhow, it is a spectacular open summit and is worth the visit regardless of any lists.

Rik---- First congrats on finishing the 48! And you did it on the same great summit I did.

Second--- I can't answer that question about Guyot. Having gone back and forth over that thing a few times I had the same question. As you know if you travel from the Twinway over to Bond then back you are climbing Guyot from both directions. When I finished on Bondcliff we had hiked over from Galehead Hut and descended via Zealand Hut, so it was another over and back.

The question you asked was nagging me so armed with two altimeters both of us measured the ascent from the Twinway and from Bond. In both directions both altimeters measured more than the paltry 200 foot required ascent. On the Bond side it was over 300 if memory serves correct.
My guess is they simply missed it so don't be surprised if at some point the list becomes 49 :)

Again congrats on Bondcliff a worthy summit to finish on. Oh those 4000 footers in Maine are waiting. Not a lot of them but they are great. The Bigelows are awesome, in fact my wife and I spent a week in the caretakers cabin in Bigelow Col and one night we scrambled up Avery to be on top at midnight. What an incredible view of huge Flagstaff Lake complete with shooting stars and all. When do you expect number 115?

[Rik]

Again congrats on Bondcliff a worthy summit to finish on. Oh those 4000 footers in Maine are waiting. Not a lot of them but they are great. The Bigelows are awesome, in fact my wife and I spent a week in the caretakers cabin in Bigelow Col and one night we scrambled up Avery to be on top at midnight. What an incredible view of huge Flagstaff Lake complete with shooting stars and all. When do you expect number 115?

Antlerpeak,
Thanks for the congrats. Bondcliff is an incredible peak. For that matter so is Bond and West Bond.
I have plans for a trip to Rangeley/Stratton, Maine in August which will bring me to 114 and then hope to go back over Labor Day weekend to climb Old Speck for 115.

[Antlerpeak]

Old Spec is decent but you do need the platform ( used to be fire tower ) for summit views. If you have time East Baldpate north of Grafton Notch is awesome. Goose Eye and Mahoosuc Arm are darn nice too both of those in the Mahoosuc range just south of Old Spec. Speaking of Mahoosuc leads to another have you been to the Notch yet? Nothing like it anywhere around here.

[Dick]

Old Spec is decent but you do need the platform ( used to be fire tower ) for summit views. If you have time East Baldpate north of Grafton Notch is awesome. Goose Eye and Mahoosuc Arm are darn nice too both of those in the Mahoosuc range just south of Old Spec. Speaking of Mahoosuc leads to another have you been to the Notch yet? Nothing like it anywhere around here.

After doing Goose Eye (windy!) we sampled the notch. What a fantastic jungle gym! Time didn't permit anything more than going half-way in and out, but I'd love to hike all the way through it some day.

And Rik: CONGRATULATIONS on your 48!

Dick

[cantdog]

Congratulations on #48! Is it also #115? As for Guyot, I believe the disqualifying reason is an insufficient col of <200'. Nice open summit with a big quartz cairn.

[masshysteria]

O.K. Rik, who are you related to, that you got tics for that game? Ted Kennedy or Coco Crisp? Sweet on 48!!

[Rik]

O.K. Rik, who are you related to, that you got tics for that game? Ted Kennedy or Coco Crisp? Sweet on 48!!

I just had to wait in an online waiting room for a day. No wonder you Sox fans are so nuts.
Didn't see Ted but John Kerry was there and that catch by Coco was amazing.

PHOTOS (http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=551981040&security=yiGdmK)

are here from the hikes. Scroll past the Snowy Mountain ones for the Whites.

[Mark Schaefer]

Looks like you picked a great summit and day to finish the NH 48.

Not that I knew this. But I just saw it a VFTT "Mt. Washington - The Hard Way" TR by J&J. Your mystery flower is Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum) (http://community.webshots.com/photo/551983446/2128432820069303360RDUQKF).

[TFR]

Also congradulations to the first place Red Sox for comfortably sweeping the Mets.

I must concede the Sox victory, but GO METS!!!!!

And go Rik!!! :D

[AlpineSummit]

Way to go Rik. Really good report and Congrats on a good trip.

Must say tho, I am a little disappointed that you're a METS FAN!
And yet, you've always seemed so nice.........