uphillklimber
Member
We try to make sure that we hike up one of New Hampshire’s 48 peaks over 4000 feet elevation, every year this weekend. It is an event held in commemoration of the victims of 911. From noon until 2 pm, a flag will fly over each peak in memorial to them.
This trip started out a few weeks earlier. There was the usual planning and anticipation and hemming and hawing over which peak we would do, etc… The last couple years, we had been part of the team to bring the flagpole up and were locked into Carrigain (2006) and Cabot (2007). Since all the peaks had teams to fly the flag this year when we signed up, we figured we would just go and be part of the event this year. Finally, we settled in on doing Eisenhower, and if we could spot a car at both ends, we would also do Pierce. Our neighbors came with us, and since we could spot a car, we chose to go up the Edmunds path, across Eisenhower, over to Pierce and take the Crawford path back down to the car.
The day starts at 6 AM. We pull out of the driveway, and our neighbors, Bird dog and Mrs. Birddog are in the driveway ready to follow. The trip to the trailhead takes some 2 ½ hours and is uneventful. We see all the clouds on the way up, but the radio forecast tells us it will clear out. We drop one car at Rt. 302 and head into the Edmunds trailhead. At the trailhead to the Edmunds path, there are lots of folks, but I can’t see a sign. I ask some of the other hikers and this is the Edmunds path.
Soon we are heading up the trail; it’s about 8:30. We plan for 3 hours of trudgery up the hill. We make steady progress, passing some, and in turn getting passed by others. This is our third major hike of the year, and we really don’t have our hiking legs. Bird dog is a hunter and used to this kind of terrain. However, this is his wife’s first attempt at anything resembling this. We are hopeful this trip does not overdo it for her. Just in case, their car is at the Edmunds trail head, should they need to turn back. She did quite well and there were no problems.
After about 2 ½ hours, the trail emerges in the Alpine zone. It is a whole different world up here. No litter. Clean fresh air. There is different flora. Just beautiful. The clouds are dissipating a bit and we get some awesome views of the valleys below. We can see Washington, Monroe, Franklin, and just over our shoulders, we can see Eisenhower. Come 11:30 and we are at the peak. Wet t-shirts come off and dry shirts go on. It is downright windy up there and the sweat dries off quickly. Everyone bundles up against the cool wind. We are snacking and decide to be here for the flag raising, and head over to Pierce to see that flag before it is taken down. (Typically, the flags are to fly over the 48 peaks from noon until 2 PM.)
I have heard that Silent Cal is carrying the flag pole for Eisenhower. He is one of the co-coordinators for this event, and I would like to meet him. We watch him set the flag and pole, then lend a hand piling rocks around the base and tying the ropes to secure it against the wind. After it is set, everyone takes pictures and poses for them. Cameras are handed around freely. It turns out the Silent Cal just married Mrs. Silent Cal one week ago. This is their honeymoon hike! As things settle down, we introduce myself to Silent Cal and New Hampshire and thank them for coordinating this event.
We decide to eat our lunches first and head on over to Pierce. As we are eating, Suzie, our 13 ½ year old dog, is lying in the grass, being petted by a lady. At that time, a very energetic bird dog is bounding about. Suzy starts to get up to meet the bird dog, and I ordered, “Suzy, down”, as I didn’t want a dog confrontation, and the bird dog’s owner was nowhere to be seen. Remember the lady petting Suzy? Her name is Suzie!! She scootches down and says “okay, I’ll sit down; my name is Suzie, too!” I apologize to her and we have a laugh over that.
As we are leaving Eisenhower, we see a real pretty hilltop, and soon realize the trail meanders over that hilltop. The trail between Eisenhower and Pierce is just a nice trail with great scenery. At this point, it is too cloudy to see other peaks and the flags flying there. We constantly look around and finally can see a flag on Monroe. Then we can see the flag on Pierce. As we get closer to pierce, we can see the flag on Eisenhower. We are glad to be able to see three flags at once.
At Pierce, there is a lady passing out peanut butter and chocolate fudge! What a treat! Turns out Boy Scout troop 97 is flying this flag. Again, there are the pictures and we take a good break. The view is pretty good now as most of the clouds are dissipating. Soon we decide to leave and head down the Crawford path to the car. This trail is a wet trail, with streams running down the trail much of the way. We take our hiking poles out and use them to ease the strain on our knees, as downhill puts a good deal of extra stress on the knees. In a couple hours, we come to Gibbs falls, just off the trail and near to Rt. 302. What a nice little waterfall!! We take a bunch of pictures, but the trip is about over and we want to head back home. So, off we go.
We drop off our neighbors at their car and we head back separately. We didn’t make it past Burger king, we are so hungry. This trip, it seems none of us came up lame, and except for a minor ankle twist, there are no injuries. A good day, held in commemoration of the victims of 911.
__________________
This trip started out a few weeks earlier. There was the usual planning and anticipation and hemming and hawing over which peak we would do, etc… The last couple years, we had been part of the team to bring the flagpole up and were locked into Carrigain (2006) and Cabot (2007). Since all the peaks had teams to fly the flag this year when we signed up, we figured we would just go and be part of the event this year. Finally, we settled in on doing Eisenhower, and if we could spot a car at both ends, we would also do Pierce. Our neighbors came with us, and since we could spot a car, we chose to go up the Edmunds path, across Eisenhower, over to Pierce and take the Crawford path back down to the car.
The day starts at 6 AM. We pull out of the driveway, and our neighbors, Bird dog and Mrs. Birddog are in the driveway ready to follow. The trip to the trailhead takes some 2 ½ hours and is uneventful. We see all the clouds on the way up, but the radio forecast tells us it will clear out. We drop one car at Rt. 302 and head into the Edmunds trailhead. At the trailhead to the Edmunds path, there are lots of folks, but I can’t see a sign. I ask some of the other hikers and this is the Edmunds path.
Soon we are heading up the trail; it’s about 8:30. We plan for 3 hours of trudgery up the hill. We make steady progress, passing some, and in turn getting passed by others. This is our third major hike of the year, and we really don’t have our hiking legs. Bird dog is a hunter and used to this kind of terrain. However, this is his wife’s first attempt at anything resembling this. We are hopeful this trip does not overdo it for her. Just in case, their car is at the Edmunds trail head, should they need to turn back. She did quite well and there were no problems.
After about 2 ½ hours, the trail emerges in the Alpine zone. It is a whole different world up here. No litter. Clean fresh air. There is different flora. Just beautiful. The clouds are dissipating a bit and we get some awesome views of the valleys below. We can see Washington, Monroe, Franklin, and just over our shoulders, we can see Eisenhower. Come 11:30 and we are at the peak. Wet t-shirts come off and dry shirts go on. It is downright windy up there and the sweat dries off quickly. Everyone bundles up against the cool wind. We are snacking and decide to be here for the flag raising, and head over to Pierce to see that flag before it is taken down. (Typically, the flags are to fly over the 48 peaks from noon until 2 PM.)
I have heard that Silent Cal is carrying the flag pole for Eisenhower. He is one of the co-coordinators for this event, and I would like to meet him. We watch him set the flag and pole, then lend a hand piling rocks around the base and tying the ropes to secure it against the wind. After it is set, everyone takes pictures and poses for them. Cameras are handed around freely. It turns out the Silent Cal just married Mrs. Silent Cal one week ago. This is their honeymoon hike! As things settle down, we introduce myself to Silent Cal and New Hampshire and thank them for coordinating this event.
We decide to eat our lunches first and head on over to Pierce. As we are eating, Suzie, our 13 ½ year old dog, is lying in the grass, being petted by a lady. At that time, a very energetic bird dog is bounding about. Suzy starts to get up to meet the bird dog, and I ordered, “Suzy, down”, as I didn’t want a dog confrontation, and the bird dog’s owner was nowhere to be seen. Remember the lady petting Suzy? Her name is Suzie!! She scootches down and says “okay, I’ll sit down; my name is Suzie, too!” I apologize to her and we have a laugh over that.
As we are leaving Eisenhower, we see a real pretty hilltop, and soon realize the trail meanders over that hilltop. The trail between Eisenhower and Pierce is just a nice trail with great scenery. At this point, it is too cloudy to see other peaks and the flags flying there. We constantly look around and finally can see a flag on Monroe. Then we can see the flag on Pierce. As we get closer to pierce, we can see the flag on Eisenhower. We are glad to be able to see three flags at once.
At Pierce, there is a lady passing out peanut butter and chocolate fudge! What a treat! Turns out Boy Scout troop 97 is flying this flag. Again, there are the pictures and we take a good break. The view is pretty good now as most of the clouds are dissipating. Soon we decide to leave and head down the Crawford path to the car. This trail is a wet trail, with streams running down the trail much of the way. We take our hiking poles out and use them to ease the strain on our knees, as downhill puts a good deal of extra stress on the knees. In a couple hours, we come to Gibbs falls, just off the trail and near to Rt. 302. What a nice little waterfall!! We take a bunch of pictures, but the trip is about over and we want to head back home. So, off we go.
We drop off our neighbors at their car and we head back separately. We didn’t make it past Burger king, we are so hungry. This trip, it seems none of us came up lame, and except for a minor ankle twist, there are no injuries. A good day, held in commemoration of the victims of 911.
__________________
I coulda done with some of those PB goodies! 
