Garfield, Nov. 7, 2009 -- arm saves the day

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TrishandAlex

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White Mountains, NH
Cut and pasted from http://trishandalex.blogspot.com
Accompanying pictures and videos can be found there.
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Garfield Ridge Trail, 10 miles roundtrip....plus an unexpected 3+ miles....

It looks like Alex and I will continue to ascend the 4Ks on a regular basis, since we both get antsy if too many weeks go by without a good, solid dose of the Whites.

Except for the very end, this was an enjoyable, routine hike....so I'll let the pictures and short videos tell most of the story.

Alex noticed these groups of fungi during the descent and thought they looked like open mouths. She tried to mimic them, but couldn't stop herself from laughing when I tried to take a photo.

We had enjoyed ourselves on this beautiful, fine day, and were about a mile from the car when we noticed that Alex's custom-made hiking stick was missing. Horrorstruck, we realized Alex had left it at our last rest stop, 1.7 miles up the trail.

Neither of us wanted to risk losing it. If we came back the next day, it might not be there. So we turned around and set back up the mountain, me laying into Alex more than was necessary (bad mom) and Alex crying because she didn't want to go back up, but she didn't want to lose it either. Every once in a while she would sit down to rest and wail loudly about not wanting to lose the stick, but also not wanting to hike back up. We were both tired, and again, I snapped at her impatiently, which didn't help matters. I kept pressing us onward, knowing that it was better to deal with this now than to go through weeks and months of sadness over losing the hiking stick. I figured if Alex ran out of steam, we'd sit and rest until she was okay to move on. I had three sets of headlamps, water, and lots of layers/chemical warmers/etc. We'd be alright -- once we both chilled out, anyway.

We were almost all the way back up -- and Alex was really getting tired -- when arm from VFTT came down the trail with the stick on the back of his pack. I thanked him profusely and explained the situation. He was very nice and waited with us while Alex took a good rest and had some water and chocolate. The three of us hiked out together, Alex's spirits much recovered with the hiking stick in her hand and her legs going downhill instead of up. I apologized to Alex for my impatience -- and also for not making sure she had it with her all the time, since she is still a young kid and shouldn't be expected to remember everything on her own. She apologized to me for forgetting about it. Then life went back to normal -- her speed picked up, she chattered happily, and all was again well with the world.
 
Trish,
Just the right amount of snow on the trail and summit to give it that wintery feel. The views from Garfield are something you don't want to miss second time around. Glad to see that you and Alex are, once again, on the trails. Good recovery!

Donna:)
 
Oh yes! Going back after something that was forgotten--that's one of hiking's unfortunate experiences that we all have to learn sooner or later.:(

I'm glad it all worked out right for you.:D

I'm also glad that you're back on the trails. I guess your back must be doing better.:)
 
I'm also glad that you're back on the trails. I guess your back must be doing better.:)

Thanks, Ed!

I had the valium with me, just in case something went out of whack on the trails and I needed to deaded pain in order to hike out. Hugh was also at the ready to come in with a posse should he not hear from me by a certain time.

Things certainly appear to be much better. The only time it bothers me now is when I sit for more than an hour at a time (which isn't often, since I'm on my feet with the kids most of the day).
 
Beautiful pictures!

Really nice Tr and pics, Trish! I really love the shot of Franconia Ridge all dusted up! we've lost things on the trail, and returned for things we've left behind. It's never a fun thing to turn around for something, but it happens. Good learning experience and from what you've written you've got your mind around it very well and that will help both of you to have fewer similar experiences. It happens to everyone. :)

Glad you're feeling better!

KDT
 
What a difference a day will make. You captured a picture of Franconia Ridge blanketed with snow on Saturday. We hiked it on Sunday and there was no snow at all - just a few icy sections. We found it very strange because it looked like it was covered in snow Saturday afternoon on our drive up. From Lafayette, Garfield looked bare on Sunday too.

Glad to hear that Arm rescued Alex's hiking stick.
 
[Q]also for not making sure she had it with her all the time, since she is still a young kid and shouldn't be expected to remember everything on her own[/Q]

I hear that. When your six-year-old is like yours, you can sort of forget she's a six-year-old.

Good to hear you're getting out. We're getting impatient for snow over here.
 
Hey, thanks folks!

Mirabela -- I should have emphasized that more. It was, in the end, my fault, for not making sure she had it with her. I apologized to Alex for my impatience, shouldn't have snapped at her for leaving it there.
 
on the way up, i left my fire rake right where Alex ended up leaving her hiking stick, figuring there weren't many water bars above conifer line
Actually there were a number of smaller water dips above, with both outlet channel and pond above frozen - you needed an ice ax :)
 
Kids will be kids - adults too

Reminds me of the time years ago when my son was about Alex's age. We visited Paris. When we arrived at the Louvre it was being evacuated. We heard a boom and it was explained that they had blown up a backpack that they'd found. We explained that to my son, but a few minutes after we rested on a bench, I noticed his backpack with all his treasures in it wasn't on his back anymore. His eyes were as big as saucers as we raced back to the bench. Fortunately, it was still there and not getting blown up.

Also, this weekend we arrived at Guyot campsite and my wife noted her camp shoes were missing. I reminded her that leaving shoes in the trail did not meet the spirit of "leave no trace". When we went back out Sunday, they were sitting neatly on a rock on the side of the trail.
 
Setting an incredible example...

Wow, Alex is one lucky kid! Beautiful girl, incredible relationship, awesome story.

Wowser (Nancy)
 
It is certainly understandable about forming an attachment for a favorite piece of equipment, especially if it has been a part of many memorable hikes. I think you did the right thing by turning back to retrieve Alex's hiking stick. Speaking just for myself, I think that any short-term inconvenience is worth avoiding any long-term lasting regrets about not making the effort to fix a situation as soon as it happens.

However, as far as hiking poles go, I rarely get a chance to form any lasting attachment. I have the worst luck of either losing them, or breaking them.:(
 
Shoes to Views -- wow, blowing up a backpack -- am imagining your son's saucer-eyes when that sound went off. :eek: :) Glad it wasn't his.

Wowser, thanks for the kind words. We do have a great relationship, I am grateful. Typical mother-daughter stuff comes up sometimes, but we usually have fun. She looks forward to winter hiking, that's become her favorite season.

1HappyHiker, short-term inconvenience is definitely better than long-lasting regrets, I completely agree. She would have been upset for weeks, if not months, if we had left it behind.
 
Another great story. I was behind in my reading and had only enjoyed the summit video before now. A journey from great to awful to "all's right with the world" - gotta' love a story with a happy ending. Glad to hear that you're feeling better too. Hope the back continues to improve. Wouldn't want to see anything keep you guys down - particularly going into Alex's favorite season.
 
Glad everything worked out OK.

As another lucky owner of a genuine Professor Drewski's Custom-made Hiking Stick, I can attest to the sadness of misplacing it. I left mine halfway up the Potash trail, and was delighted to find it waiting patiently on my return.

Remember kids, "If it ain't a Professor Drewski Custom-made Hiking Stick... it's just a pole."
 
when is a pole just a pole???? not sure on that one mcrat..

but----drewski still makes the famous custom sticks...handmade in vermont..
hundreds sold nation wide....no really...sent 2 last week to the chocolate lady in detroit....
 
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