chinooktrail
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2004
- Messages
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- 165
After standing me up on Friday night for dinner and a movie, my sister and her husband graciously offered to go on a hike with me on Sunday. She picked Arethusa Falls, because she had been there several times when she lived here in the valley, and thought her husband, a Colorado native, and a not so very happy transplant to Maine would enjoy it.
Well, we met for breakfast and that went ok, and then we started to head up to Bartlett. Rain pelting my windshield. I kept trying to be optimistic and say 'hey, I think the sun is coming out', sis I mention, this was my last day of a weeklong, rainly, vacation?
In Glen my sister said 'hey, why don't we drive up Mount Washington?' I thought, well, #1 because the road isn't open, but I thought my friend may be working there, so I agreed to go have a look.
We arrived with only a few cars, but one was my friends new convertable beetle, so in we went to Great Glen. We had a nice visit, and chated for a spell, and then hit the road again.
We arrived at the parking lot around 12:30, in rain. As I pulled in and parked it stopped. We grabbed some water and our rain coats and headed up the paved driveway to the trailhead. I thought they were going to turn around before we even hit the trailhead, but pride and ego won out, and we hit the trail. I hung back and let them set the pace and off we went.
It may be a vacation week for Canadians, or perhaps just Quebec, because all the people we ran into were from Quebec. Interesting.
I am so used to hiking with people who, well, hike, it was very interesting to watch people who never hike, or even have much contact with 'nature' out there. They were very present, and very interested, if not thrilled at what they were doing. Now, this is an hour max to the falls. And we were pretty much at book time, even with all the stops where my sister panted how she was going to quit smoking.
The falls were of course amazing, huge and roaring and impressive and stunning in their beauty. But even more impressive to me were these two people who had no desire to be there, other than they knew it would make me happy. And even though they REALLY wanted a smoke, and had blisters, and were not in touch with the surroundings in nature, they seemed genuinely happy to be there, because they knew it meant a lot to me that they were.
We hung out at the falls for a spell, then headed down. My sister kept asying "I think I always took the Bemis trail up and the other one down" i kept saying, hum, I don't think so, maybe the other way around. Well, ont eh way out she insited we take the Bemis Brook Trail, I said ok, but it is your choice. Well, after the first hundred yards or so she remembered that no, she had NOT been on this trail. But, I have to say, It was very stunning and interesting, although very untravelled and slippery. There are so many places along the brook that beg to be returned to and investigated further with a swim suit on...
Finally back at the car, a mere 2 1/2 hours later, they both lit up and regaled in their achievements of the day. I was encouraging and impressed with their stamina and endurance in this hike. BRAVO!! Once they finished their cancer sticks we got back in the car to head out, The rain started immediately. We had the EXACT window we needed.
Someday they said, they may come and hike with me again. That was all the encouragement I needed! One quick stop at a store for Boston Cream Pie Coffees, and we parted ways.
It was a glorious day to be out and be on the trails with people who normally would NOT be there. It was grreat to be introducing my Rocky Mountain Relative of the wonders and joys of the White Mountains.
It was a good day to be alive.
Well, we met for breakfast and that went ok, and then we started to head up to Bartlett. Rain pelting my windshield. I kept trying to be optimistic and say 'hey, I think the sun is coming out', sis I mention, this was my last day of a weeklong, rainly, vacation?
In Glen my sister said 'hey, why don't we drive up Mount Washington?' I thought, well, #1 because the road isn't open, but I thought my friend may be working there, so I agreed to go have a look.
We arrived with only a few cars, but one was my friends new convertable beetle, so in we went to Great Glen. We had a nice visit, and chated for a spell, and then hit the road again.
We arrived at the parking lot around 12:30, in rain. As I pulled in and parked it stopped. We grabbed some water and our rain coats and headed up the paved driveway to the trailhead. I thought they were going to turn around before we even hit the trailhead, but pride and ego won out, and we hit the trail. I hung back and let them set the pace and off we went.
It may be a vacation week for Canadians, or perhaps just Quebec, because all the people we ran into were from Quebec. Interesting.
I am so used to hiking with people who, well, hike, it was very interesting to watch people who never hike, or even have much contact with 'nature' out there. They were very present, and very interested, if not thrilled at what they were doing. Now, this is an hour max to the falls. And we were pretty much at book time, even with all the stops where my sister panted how she was going to quit smoking.
The falls were of course amazing, huge and roaring and impressive and stunning in their beauty. But even more impressive to me were these two people who had no desire to be there, other than they knew it would make me happy. And even though they REALLY wanted a smoke, and had blisters, and were not in touch with the surroundings in nature, they seemed genuinely happy to be there, because they knew it meant a lot to me that they were.
We hung out at the falls for a spell, then headed down. My sister kept asying "I think I always took the Bemis trail up and the other one down" i kept saying, hum, I don't think so, maybe the other way around. Well, ont eh way out she insited we take the Bemis Brook Trail, I said ok, but it is your choice. Well, after the first hundred yards or so she remembered that no, she had NOT been on this trail. But, I have to say, It was very stunning and interesting, although very untravelled and slippery. There are so many places along the brook that beg to be returned to and investigated further with a swim suit on...
Finally back at the car, a mere 2 1/2 hours later, they both lit up and regaled in their achievements of the day. I was encouraging and impressed with their stamina and endurance in this hike. BRAVO!! Once they finished their cancer sticks we got back in the car to head out, The rain started immediately. We had the EXACT window we needed.
Someday they said, they may come and hike with me again. That was all the encouragement I needed! One quick stop at a store for Boston Cream Pie Coffees, and we parted ways.
It was a glorious day to be out and be on the trails with people who normally would NOT be there. It was grreat to be introducing my Rocky Mountain Relative of the wonders and joys of the White Mountains.
It was a good day to be alive.
