Mount Monadnock with Andy
Where: Mt. Monadnock
When: 7/3/98
With: Andy
When: 7/3/98
With: Andy
Andy's first real mountain climb. It was the start of a 10 day vacation for us and I thought I'd kick it off with a hike. Jane took the opportunity to visit with friends while Andy & I packed up a few supplies and headed to New Hampshire. We missed one turn and wound up taking a rather scenic back road into Jaffrey. We emerged from the woods onto the main road with the mountain looming directly ahead of us. Cool.
It was a beautiful sunny day as we pulled into the parking area, paid our fee, and found a spot for the car. It had only taken us about an hour and a half to get there, so we had a nice early start for our hike. We smeared on sunscreen/bug repellent, checked the pack and the maps and were on our way.
I had intended that we take the White Cross or White Dot trails to the summit, since they were the most direct paths. We left the parking lot and headed toward where I thought they started, skirting the end of the reservoir. After a bit however I realized that we'd gotten on a different trail. We could've turned back, but a check of the map showed that our present route might be a nice hike too, so we just kept on going.
The trail was an easy, pleasant path through the woods and I decided it was probably a better route anyway. A bit longer, but not as steep as the White Cross/White Dot routes. It was also much less crowded. Certainly we saw others - unavoidable on the 2nd-most climbed mountain in the world - but often we hiked alone. Andy kept us to a nice slow pace and we spent a lot of time checking out the chipmunks, birds, trees, etc. that we saw as we walked.
After a bit of walking on the relatively level trail we were following, we came to a junction and started on a route heading more toward the summit. The climbing got a bit tougher, but Andy did a great job of scrambling up each incline. We started to notice voices behind us and discovered a small family was tailing us. They passed us as we took a water/gummie treat break and for the rest of the hike we played leapfrog with them, moving ahead as they rested and vice versa.
Finally the trail emerged on a shoulder of the mountain and views stretched away from us for miles. Both Andy & I were impressed at how much elevation we'd gained already. The views became common as we continued and moved into an area with more rocks and fewer trees. We also started to encounter some more difficult climbing. Sizable steps and small rock faces that had to be scaled in order to proceed. On one section Andy tripped and cut his knee, so we stopped for a little first aid break.
All patched up, we walked up the trail a few hundred yards before Andy realized that he didn't have his stick any longer. This was a small stick he'd been carrying as a hiking stick all along...just a twig really, but it meant a lot to him. I knew just where it was - back where we'd put on the bandage - but I was reluctant to go back. I started to try to tell him we'd get another stick but he'd have none of that and he became quite upset. I quickly grasped the importance of the stick and agreed to return to retrieve it. We made the return trip quickly, found the stick, and were on our way again.
By this time we were both getting pretty tired but the summit was getting closer. We started passing small spur trails and then emerged on Bald Peak. The summit loomed before us and Andy was game for the walk up, so after a water break we continued on. The trails were a good bit more populated now and a number of folks commented on how well Andy was doing. I was one proud Papa!
At last we arrived at the base of the final slope. The going was very rough in this section, with vertical sections requiring handhold climbing and some careful route finding. Andy did a fantastic job of keeping track of the trail and he led us up the final pitches (though I assisted with an occasional "elevator" lift up some of the steps). We made one last turn and suddenly we were on top, about 3 1/2 hours after beginning. Exhausted, we trudged over to the summit marker, where I recorded Andy's achievement on film before we sought out a spot for lunch.
As expected, the summit was a mass of people, but we found a place to ourselves anyway and sat to eat. We munched on sandwiches and fruit and Andy had the special Batman gummies he'd been saving for the summit. As we ate, a glider circled above us. Then suddenly Andy began to get weepy. "I can't stop crying Daddy," he said, "because I miss my Mommy." It suddenly occurred to me just how tired he was, and that this emotional reaction was his way of expressing it. I quickly packed us up and got us moving down hill. I reassured Andy that we were taking the fastest route home that we could and I carried him as much as possible. Unfortunately, the steep rock meant he still had to walk a good bit.
Finally we reached the tree line again and established trails and I hoisted him on my shoulders for a ride. This calmed him down a lot and I was able to make good time, since I was walking at my pace, not his. I explained that I'd carry him as much as I could, but that he'd have to walk on his own from time to time. A few folks we passed commented on our arrangement and I explained that since he'd made it to the top on his own, I felt he deserved a ride down.
For the most part I was able to carry him, though the weight was a bit of a stain, but a few times we came to steep, rocky sections where I made him get down. I was worried about slipping with him on my shoulders and having him get hurt in the tumble. On one especially rough stretch he wound up walking for quite a ways, but I was able to resume carrying him at the bottom and that's how we stayed until the trail turned back to dirt. At that point I had him walk on his own and a short time later we trudged out of the woods, back at the parking area. We made it back to the car, removed our boots, and settled in for the ride home. A great first climb for Andy.
More pictures
It was a beautiful sunny day as we pulled into the parking area, paid our fee, and found a spot for the car. It had only taken us about an hour and a half to get there, so we had a nice early start for our hike. We smeared on sunscreen/bug repellent, checked the pack and the maps and were on our way.
I had intended that we take the White Cross or White Dot trails to the summit, since they were the most direct paths. We left the parking lot and headed toward where I thought they started, skirting the end of the reservoir. After a bit however I realized that we'd gotten on a different trail. We could've turned back, but a check of the map showed that our present route might be a nice hike too, so we just kept on going.
The trail was an easy, pleasant path through the woods and I decided it was probably a better route anyway. A bit longer, but not as steep as the White Cross/White Dot routes. It was also much less crowded. Certainly we saw others - unavoidable on the 2nd-most climbed mountain in the world - but often we hiked alone. Andy kept us to a nice slow pace and we spent a lot of time checking out the chipmunks, birds, trees, etc. that we saw as we walked.
After a bit of walking on the relatively level trail we were following, we came to a junction and started on a route heading more toward the summit. The climbing got a bit tougher, but Andy did a great job of scrambling up each incline. We started to notice voices behind us and discovered a small family was tailing us. They passed us as we took a water/gummie treat break and for the rest of the hike we played leapfrog with them, moving ahead as they rested and vice versa.
Finally the trail emerged on a shoulder of the mountain and views stretched away from us for miles. Both Andy & I were impressed at how much elevation we'd gained already. The views became common as we continued and moved into an area with more rocks and fewer trees. We also started to encounter some more difficult climbing. Sizable steps and small rock faces that had to be scaled in order to proceed. On one section Andy tripped and cut his knee, so we stopped for a little first aid break.
All patched up, we walked up the trail a few hundred yards before Andy realized that he didn't have his stick any longer. This was a small stick he'd been carrying as a hiking stick all along...just a twig really, but it meant a lot to him. I knew just where it was - back where we'd put on the bandage - but I was reluctant to go back. I started to try to tell him we'd get another stick but he'd have none of that and he became quite upset. I quickly grasped the importance of the stick and agreed to return to retrieve it. We made the return trip quickly, found the stick, and were on our way again.
By this time we were both getting pretty tired but the summit was getting closer. We started passing small spur trails and then emerged on Bald Peak. The summit loomed before us and Andy was game for the walk up, so after a water break we continued on. The trails were a good bit more populated now and a number of folks commented on how well Andy was doing. I was one proud Papa!
At last we arrived at the base of the final slope. The going was very rough in this section, with vertical sections requiring handhold climbing and some careful route finding. Andy did a fantastic job of keeping track of the trail and he led us up the final pitches (though I assisted with an occasional "elevator" lift up some of the steps). We made one last turn and suddenly we were on top, about 3 1/2 hours after beginning. Exhausted, we trudged over to the summit marker, where I recorded Andy's achievement on film before we sought out a spot for lunch.
As expected, the summit was a mass of people, but we found a place to ourselves anyway and sat to eat. We munched on sandwiches and fruit and Andy had the special Batman gummies he'd been saving for the summit. As we ate, a glider circled above us. Then suddenly Andy began to get weepy. "I can't stop crying Daddy," he said, "because I miss my Mommy." It suddenly occurred to me just how tired he was, and that this emotional reaction was his way of expressing it. I quickly packed us up and got us moving down hill. I reassured Andy that we were taking the fastest route home that we could and I carried him as much as possible. Unfortunately, the steep rock meant he still had to walk a good bit.
Finally we reached the tree line again and established trails and I hoisted him on my shoulders for a ride. This calmed him down a lot and I was able to make good time, since I was walking at my pace, not his. I explained that I'd carry him as much as I could, but that he'd have to walk on his own from time to time. A few folks we passed commented on our arrangement and I explained that since he'd made it to the top on his own, I felt he deserved a ride down.
For the most part I was able to carry him, though the weight was a bit of a stain, but a few times we came to steep, rocky sections where I made him get down. I was worried about slipping with him on my shoulders and having him get hurt in the tumble. On one especially rough stretch he wound up walking for quite a ways, but I was able to resume carrying him at the bottom and that's how we stayed until the trail turned back to dirt. At that point I had him walk on his own and a short time later we trudged out of the woods, back at the parking area. We made it back to the car, removed our boots, and settled in for the ride home. A great first climb for Andy.
More pictures
