mirabela
Active member
So ... I know I don't post much, but this hike felt like a pretty big deal. It seems like yesterday Isidora was climbing her first big mountains, and here we are a few years later closing in on 48. I've been holding at 46 (just Isolation & Carrigain left) so we can finish together. We're both hoping to wrap it up before mid-winter.
All season we've tried to get over to the northern Presies. We came within 100 vertical feet of the top of Jefferson in August, but lightning turned us around. Every weekend we've had it penciled in this autumn has turned out kind of crappy, and while we've done a few good hikes, it seemed like these three were going to be the key to finishing this year. I've done Adams in winter before, and it's not something I take lightly. Isidora has spent enough time above treeline in winter to know the score too. So -- when Friday's forecast came along, we jumped at the chance. I put in for a personal day, we filed a flight plan for her to play hooky (admittedly easier since making the jump to homeschooling with Mom), and off we went. Out the door at 4:20 AM, boots on trail at 6:10, and we were off and running. Randolph Path from Appalachia to Edmands Col, out and back to Jefferson, up and over Adams (Gulfside->upper Israel Ridge->Lowe's Path->Airline), down to the hut to refill on water, up to Madison to watch afternoon turn into a glorious evening, and then the long trudge down Valley Way & out of the woods around 8:30 PM.
Friday was unbelievable up there -- sunny, low 60's, and dead calm. Maybe the most benign conditions I've ever experienced on those peaks in any month of the year. There were very few people around, and it felt sort of eerie; between the absence of crowds and the reality of the season, it had the feeling of a trap about to spring shut (which I would not want to be around for), but while it lasted -- what a day! This time last year, we were slugging it out through half a foot of fresh snow over boilerplate ice in the Hancocks.
I'm pretty stiff today, but to look at her you wouldn't know yesterday was anything unusual. Eight left, six trips if all goes well, and we're both looking forward. Happy deer season & winter, everybody.
Last edited:
