kerry13
Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2005
- Messages
- 345
- Reaction score
- 11
Ever have one of those hikes where the hike was relatively uneventful but the hiking partner was just great. I've had plenty where the hike was great but the partner, oh well. And we won't go there. This is a positive story. Well I happen to have one on 8/13 while hiking Mount Tecumseh. I really didn't know what to expect. I had placed a thread a few months ago looking for hiking partners. I usually hike alone because I generally appreciate the solitude, setting my own pace, I like to stop check out anything that interest me. For me it is the journey, not so much the conquest. But, unfortunately I had an accident a few years ago that cost me 75% of my sight and my family actually goes into panic mode when they know I am heading off along. So, for their sake I must say I have made an effort to hike with others, but I have found it difficult to find someone who I find compatible. It is not to often that I am faster than anyone so when speed is the issue I am the one usually lagging, not by choice but circumstance. Then there's the personality issues, and what to talk about and sometimes it is age issues. Anyway I have found it dificult to find a good person to hike with. Well that all changed yesterday.
I recieved a response to my original thread for hiking partners. He indicated he was a member of the 4 ker's club, enjoyed getting out but didn't know how much time he would have this year but would give me a call if and when. We traded adresses and I noted I travel right through his town on my way north which would make it convenient for us to ride up and back together. We agreed to get together. Well I didn't hear from him and then suddenly last sunday I got an email that said "I need to get out for a hike, interested?" I thought to myself, "well hell ya, doesn't a bear ___ in the woods." I was just coming off an achilles injury but had been treadmilling and cycling for a few weeks and planned on doing Osceola's on tuesday so I responded and said, "let me see how I do tuesday and if everything holds together we'll do something this weekend." Well all went well tuesday and I contacted this guy. I didn't want to do more than 10-11 miles and end up injured again so we settled on Tecumseh. This guy needed the horn as part of his quest for the hundred highest and I need the summit for my 48 so we were both satisfied.
We met a 06:30 in Hillsboro and headed north. Immediately we seemed to hit it off. We both had military time, he worked in the post office- I spent a lifetime their one summer during my college days, we both did recreational camping, skied, we both had dogs as best buddies, of course we both love hiking and on and on it went. We talked everything from hiking wildlife experiences to politics and I can say I couldn't have enjoyed my day more. It turned out to be one of those days I guess I wish I were doing a hut to hut hike rather than spend 5 hours on Tecumseh. It was a pleasure.
I don't know how many of you have had a chance to hike with "Sweeper". He is rather quiet till you get to know him but he is a pretty fascinating person to spend some time with. He hikes a lot a along so I feel pretty lucky to have had the opportunity and hopefully I'll get to do it again. He has been hiking longer than most of you fellow VFTT guys and girls have been around. He started at nine. His mother took him up Washington and he really hasn't stopped. He has the New England 4 ker's to his resume and is getting close to the 100 highest. He has hiked out west and in Europe and has just a treasure chest of stories to tell that will keep you on the edge of your seat. He is more into trail bagging now than peaks but will grap something of interest if it's there.
Yes, Sweeper is accomplised in his own right, but you'll never him out there making an issue of it. He is pretty quiet, but get to know him if you have the opportunity. He'll do anything with you from 5-25, he is like an ole diesel that just keeps on going. And as accomplished as he is, his story is kinda pale in comparison to his mother, who I learned about. Yes, he comes from good stock. In his email to me on sunday he mentioned he had gone out the other week. Spent the night at Galehead with his son, nephew and mother. When I read it I kinda laughed and thought it must be a mistake. I knew from his profile that Sweeper was in his 50's, but then again maybe his mother was very young when she haing children. I had to ask for an explanatio while we were on the trail. Sweeper said it was no mistake he had taken his mom up to Galehead for the night. So of course the next logical question was "how old is your mother." Sweeper quietly replied "eighty-one". "Did you say 81", I asked to confirm. "Oh yeah" he said. Now he had piqued my interest so I let him go on. Seems his mom now lives in Florida and comes up just about each summer and just loves to hike. Originally she was from Littleton, NH so she grew up in the Whites. She walks 5 miles a day still and gets ready for her trip north on her stair stepper. Sweeper takes her wherever she wants to go. This year was the overnighter at Galehead. Sweeper and his mom went up the Galehead River Trail, after some disagreement, I might add. Seems his mother wanted to go with Sweeper's son and nephew up Garfield Trail, grab Garfield and then head over to Galehead Hut. Fiesty ole gal I would say. "So what else has she done of note", I had to ask. Well for her 80th she did the ole rock pile and for her 75 she wanted to do a Presi-traverse that began at Madison with a trek up through the Great Gulf and they even lucked out and were able to witness a good ole thunderstorm first hand from the top of Mt Adams. I could go on and on but I think you get the point. We should all be so lucky or ambitious at 81. If you want to hear more you'll just have to hook up with Sweeper sometime. Like I said at the beginning, sometimes it is the company we are fortunate enough to keep and by george I hope next year when Sweeper's mom comes north I have the opportunity to join them on their hike. I couldn't think of a more wonderful way to spend a day.
For those of you who are wondering what is the oldest hiker in the Whites is I did do a search and found reference to old hikers in a thread from last year on hiker heaven and there was mention of an 82 y.o. Not sure if it was a man or woman, but who the heck cares. I tip my hat and bow at the feet of anyone over 80 still logging the miles.
I recieved a response to my original thread for hiking partners. He indicated he was a member of the 4 ker's club, enjoyed getting out but didn't know how much time he would have this year but would give me a call if and when. We traded adresses and I noted I travel right through his town on my way north which would make it convenient for us to ride up and back together. We agreed to get together. Well I didn't hear from him and then suddenly last sunday I got an email that said "I need to get out for a hike, interested?" I thought to myself, "well hell ya, doesn't a bear ___ in the woods." I was just coming off an achilles injury but had been treadmilling and cycling for a few weeks and planned on doing Osceola's on tuesday so I responded and said, "let me see how I do tuesday and if everything holds together we'll do something this weekend." Well all went well tuesday and I contacted this guy. I didn't want to do more than 10-11 miles and end up injured again so we settled on Tecumseh. This guy needed the horn as part of his quest for the hundred highest and I need the summit for my 48 so we were both satisfied.
We met a 06:30 in Hillsboro and headed north. Immediately we seemed to hit it off. We both had military time, he worked in the post office- I spent a lifetime their one summer during my college days, we both did recreational camping, skied, we both had dogs as best buddies, of course we both love hiking and on and on it went. We talked everything from hiking wildlife experiences to politics and I can say I couldn't have enjoyed my day more. It turned out to be one of those days I guess I wish I were doing a hut to hut hike rather than spend 5 hours on Tecumseh. It was a pleasure.
I don't know how many of you have had a chance to hike with "Sweeper". He is rather quiet till you get to know him but he is a pretty fascinating person to spend some time with. He hikes a lot a along so I feel pretty lucky to have had the opportunity and hopefully I'll get to do it again. He has been hiking longer than most of you fellow VFTT guys and girls have been around. He started at nine. His mother took him up Washington and he really hasn't stopped. He has the New England 4 ker's to his resume and is getting close to the 100 highest. He has hiked out west and in Europe and has just a treasure chest of stories to tell that will keep you on the edge of your seat. He is more into trail bagging now than peaks but will grap something of interest if it's there.
Yes, Sweeper is accomplised in his own right, but you'll never him out there making an issue of it. He is pretty quiet, but get to know him if you have the opportunity. He'll do anything with you from 5-25, he is like an ole diesel that just keeps on going. And as accomplished as he is, his story is kinda pale in comparison to his mother, who I learned about. Yes, he comes from good stock. In his email to me on sunday he mentioned he had gone out the other week. Spent the night at Galehead with his son, nephew and mother. When I read it I kinda laughed and thought it must be a mistake. I knew from his profile that Sweeper was in his 50's, but then again maybe his mother was very young when she haing children. I had to ask for an explanatio while we were on the trail. Sweeper said it was no mistake he had taken his mom up to Galehead for the night. So of course the next logical question was "how old is your mother." Sweeper quietly replied "eighty-one". "Did you say 81", I asked to confirm. "Oh yeah" he said. Now he had piqued my interest so I let him go on. Seems his mom now lives in Florida and comes up just about each summer and just loves to hike. Originally she was from Littleton, NH so she grew up in the Whites. She walks 5 miles a day still and gets ready for her trip north on her stair stepper. Sweeper takes her wherever she wants to go. This year was the overnighter at Galehead. Sweeper and his mom went up the Galehead River Trail, after some disagreement, I might add. Seems his mother wanted to go with Sweeper's son and nephew up Garfield Trail, grab Garfield and then head over to Galehead Hut. Fiesty ole gal I would say. "So what else has she done of note", I had to ask. Well for her 80th she did the ole rock pile and for her 75 she wanted to do a Presi-traverse that began at Madison with a trek up through the Great Gulf and they even lucked out and were able to witness a good ole thunderstorm first hand from the top of Mt Adams. I could go on and on but I think you get the point. We should all be so lucky or ambitious at 81. If you want to hear more you'll just have to hook up with Sweeper sometime. Like I said at the beginning, sometimes it is the company we are fortunate enough to keep and by george I hope next year when Sweeper's mom comes north I have the opportunity to join them on their hike. I couldn't think of a more wonderful way to spend a day.
For those of you who are wondering what is the oldest hiker in the Whites is I did do a search and found reference to old hikers in a thread from last year on hiker heaven and there was mention of an 82 y.o. Not sure if it was a man or woman, but who the heck cares. I tip my hat and bow at the feet of anyone over 80 still logging the miles.
