WildPeaks
New member
Well, not real sure where to begin or how to put it all down on paper, but.....here goes.
I first want to thank God, for allowing me to be alive and able to do it!!
Back in 2007 I was getting so close, I could taste it. However the taste was getting pretty sour as I tried to get those last 3 peaks and met with continued stop signs. The most notable was the Valentines Day Storm, that had Pucknuts & I breaking trail up to Zeacliff in waist deep snow. We could have made it to Zealand, but no way beyond. So we turned back after a little more trail breaking up top.
As it got close to the end of the season, more weekend snow storms said no.
I was really mad at this point.
So, it took a while to let it go, but it passed.
2008 was almost a no hiking time for me, other than a few small fun trips, the most notable, a bushwhack up to S. Moat.
2009 came & I knew it would be tough to get things going again, so started with Jackson in Dec.. Oh this s____. I wanted to turn around in the first half mile. Yes, that bad. Didn't do anything til Feb. Went with Jerry & his son Steve & did the Kinsmen. Better, but sore. Then I had a brainstorm to kick it in the butt & did Owl's Head. It kicked me. But it did get rid of all the cobwebs. So after that, things were ok.
3/7 was a date we started aiming for. Leaving us other options if that failed. Failure??? Ya, after a while, you start to think like that.
Sat. came & the wind was howling up top as we headed down the second leg of the WT. But the clouds were breaking up. BTW we = Jerry (76) veteran of vets. Lost track of 4K winter completions. 3 since 60 & well underway since turning 75. His son Steve, a chip off the ole block and Pucknuts, (Bill) a great friend & hiking companion that anyone would want on there crew!
Up the BCT we started to see other groups now & played leap frog a few times & then just below Bondcliff they left on a mission. We took our time & enjoyed the area, but moved ahead, knowing better. The only mistake was not putting on the crampons soon enough. Then leaving them on too long through the spruce traps on the way up to Bond.
It was still windy but dying down at this point. Out of the wind & into gorgeous sunshine on the way up Bond. Everyone stayed on the same path to the top & got swallowed up by the traps. "Oh look, that one got a couple of hikers at the same time". Funny, but one got Bill good. Ouch. Time to put on the snowshoes. Way too late, again.
Bond came soon (#46). Didn't stay too long & the sunshine was saying bye. It was windy & colder down from Bond. Dropped the packs & headed to W. Bond. Wow does that look far & tough. No way. There in no time. (#47)
The 360 views were amazing & held us captive for a while. Enjoyed our time with another group at the top. Then we were reminded that we were a long way from.....well, in the middle of nowhere, so we had to leave. Ran into another group heading through from Zealand and could see them on W. Bond as we looked back at one point. Ya, I don't think they wanted to leave either.
On Guyot in no time, and on the way to Zealand.
I have to admit, Zealand was at the very bottom of the list for me & was bummed that it would all end on a summit I hated.
Not so!!! I was amazed at how good the views were. (It was raining the last time), only time, I was there & vowed, never again. This was a real turn around.
Well, I knew we were there. Bill had a huge SMILE
Out we went & out came the hugs, bubbly, & cameras.
#48 Winter!!!
Yes we did stay there quite a while. But all good thing....
As we hit Zeacliff we could see the lights of Cranmore Ski area?? & the moon trying real hard to poke through as it was getting dark. But wasn't gonna happen. Half way down to the hut, light frozen precip started that turned into RAIN soon after. Enjoyed some rusty water & off we went.
Started to run out of steam half way to the road. But just had to keep on pushing in little bursts, trying not to think too hard about it. But I'll take the road over the WT that grows x3 at the end of a long day.
We were soaked, but the car looked real good.
Wouldn't have had it any other way. Thank God for all the failures to make it, because that just set up a perfect finish to the Winter 4K.
I wish I could mention all the great people I've met along this quest, but I'm afraid I might forget someone and that would bother me. So just want to say, you know who you all are & I wish you could have been there. But actually you were, because it wasn't just this one trip, it was the whole journey.
I first want to thank God, for allowing me to be alive and able to do it!!
Back in 2007 I was getting so close, I could taste it. However the taste was getting pretty sour as I tried to get those last 3 peaks and met with continued stop signs. The most notable was the Valentines Day Storm, that had Pucknuts & I breaking trail up to Zeacliff in waist deep snow. We could have made it to Zealand, but no way beyond. So we turned back after a little more trail breaking up top.
As it got close to the end of the season, more weekend snow storms said no.
I was really mad at this point.
So, it took a while to let it go, but it passed.
2008 was almost a no hiking time for me, other than a few small fun trips, the most notable, a bushwhack up to S. Moat.
2009 came & I knew it would be tough to get things going again, so started with Jackson in Dec.. Oh this s____. I wanted to turn around in the first half mile. Yes, that bad. Didn't do anything til Feb. Went with Jerry & his son Steve & did the Kinsmen. Better, but sore. Then I had a brainstorm to kick it in the butt & did Owl's Head. It kicked me. But it did get rid of all the cobwebs. So after that, things were ok.
3/7 was a date we started aiming for. Leaving us other options if that failed. Failure??? Ya, after a while, you start to think like that.
Sat. came & the wind was howling up top as we headed down the second leg of the WT. But the clouds were breaking up. BTW we = Jerry (76) veteran of vets. Lost track of 4K winter completions. 3 since 60 & well underway since turning 75. His son Steve, a chip off the ole block and Pucknuts, (Bill) a great friend & hiking companion that anyone would want on there crew!
Up the BCT we started to see other groups now & played leap frog a few times & then just below Bondcliff they left on a mission. We took our time & enjoyed the area, but moved ahead, knowing better. The only mistake was not putting on the crampons soon enough. Then leaving them on too long through the spruce traps on the way up to Bond.
It was still windy but dying down at this point. Out of the wind & into gorgeous sunshine on the way up Bond. Everyone stayed on the same path to the top & got swallowed up by the traps. "Oh look, that one got a couple of hikers at the same time". Funny, but one got Bill good. Ouch. Time to put on the snowshoes. Way too late, again.
Bond came soon (#46). Didn't stay too long & the sunshine was saying bye. It was windy & colder down from Bond. Dropped the packs & headed to W. Bond. Wow does that look far & tough. No way. There in no time. (#47)
The 360 views were amazing & held us captive for a while. Enjoyed our time with another group at the top. Then we were reminded that we were a long way from.....well, in the middle of nowhere, so we had to leave. Ran into another group heading through from Zealand and could see them on W. Bond as we looked back at one point. Ya, I don't think they wanted to leave either.
On Guyot in no time, and on the way to Zealand.
I have to admit, Zealand was at the very bottom of the list for me & was bummed that it would all end on a summit I hated.
Not so!!! I was amazed at how good the views were. (It was raining the last time), only time, I was there & vowed, never again. This was a real turn around.
Well, I knew we were there. Bill had a huge SMILE
Out we went & out came the hugs, bubbly, & cameras.
#48 Winter!!!
Yes we did stay there quite a while. But all good thing....
As we hit Zeacliff we could see the lights of Cranmore Ski area?? & the moon trying real hard to poke through as it was getting dark. But wasn't gonna happen. Half way down to the hut, light frozen precip started that turned into RAIN soon after. Enjoyed some rusty water & off we went.
Started to run out of steam half way to the road. But just had to keep on pushing in little bursts, trying not to think too hard about it. But I'll take the road over the WT that grows x3 at the end of a long day.
We were soaked, but the car looked real good.
Wouldn't have had it any other way. Thank God for all the failures to make it, because that just set up a perfect finish to the Winter 4K.
I wish I could mention all the great people I've met along this quest, but I'm afraid I might forget someone and that would bother me. So just want to say, you know who you all are & I wish you could have been there. But actually you were, because it wasn't just this one trip, it was the whole journey.
