Flags On The 48 - Coming soon!

You can't sign up yet, but just a heads up for Flags, to be held 9/8/7.

Details are here: http://flagsonthe48.org/

Signups will be in Mid-July on the Flags site. The exact time and date will be determined in the near future and posted here.

Just a small word of advice to all: Have a backup peak or two confirmed with your group in case the peak you wish is selected before you get a chance to sign up for it. Peaks do go very quickly as we had 30 peaks spoken for within two hours of signups starting.

Non-hikers that wish to participate can PM me for details on Mt. Washington, Wildcat D and Cannon. These peaks are usually held in reserve for 14 days after signups to allow non-hikers a chance to participate.

Should you have any questions about the event, feel free to drop me a PM.

Can't wait. It's a great event. And the IPA's and friends at the KOA aren't bad either.

Liberty 2007:



(a popular choice for FOT48, no doubt...)

We also did Flume that day but were gone before the flag and crew arrived. We hiked down the Liberty Springs Trail in a good rain, with thunder not too far away.

Tim

2006 Flags Event was an amazing day to be out on Franconia Ridge!

MichealJ and I traversed the ridge and bailed with the Lafayette crew when the thunder and lightning began.

It was short and sweet, but to see all the flags unfurled along the ridge was a view I will always remember!

Can't wait for this year!

Special thanks to the FOT48 Steering Committee for working hard year round to keep this organized!

I've been thinking about the FOT48 hike for September '07 lately, only five months away. Franconia Ridge was um.. "interesting" last year, to say the least. The weather I witnessed with the rest of the Flume crew approaching us over the Kinsmans was unique... I've never seen such rapid deterioration from relatively calm overcast skies to outright downpour and full-on thunderstorm violence ever before. Being on a bare summit with a 20 foot metal flagpole with an approaching lightning storm was a bit overwhelming. We'd been quite fortunate the first few years with excellent weather, but as wounded-knee said on the FOT48 website, even though we were soaked to the core at the end of our hike, it didn't take long for us to remember why we were there, and the long hike out in the pouring rain didn't seem so painful after all. After remembering the sound of our flag flapping freely in the wind, standing out straight and proud just minutes before, and seeing numerous other flags from neighboring summits, I think we'll always remember our hike out as a bright and sunny exit from a successful event. SherpaJohn said after slogging his way from Owl's Head that he'll hike for this event in any weather. So will I. I look forward to seeing new faces, hear new stories, and raise our flag once again at this year's Flags on the 48.

That was quiet a storm, Dirt. I remember all the lightning and it was pretty scary, even lower down in the woods.

una_dogger:

the storm was especially bad down lower. I remember our group hiking out on the railroad bed of the wilderness trail when the skies opened up and poured rain like I've never seen before. It was like a flood and the thunder and lightning was crazy, I was a little nervous with metal pole sections sticking high out of my pack, even though we were well in the trees. And the WIND, it must have gusted down low to 30 or 40 mph, and I just hoped that everyone was below treeline at that point. The summit gusts were probably up over 50 mph at least. I know that Washington received 80 mph peak gust that day with 0.9 inches rain. Thankfully it seemed that everyone made it out of the worst. Sunny skies this year, I promise.

We were off Jackson and driving through the Notch on our way back to the KOA by the time the storm hit. It was like being in a hurricane wrapped in a war zone next to a bass-cannon inside the trunk of some kid's low-rider. It was BAD !
Anyone up high at that point must have been nervous, we were nervous for them.