Quite a week in the world around us - email outages, air travel grounded, and any number of other world crises that can make any news feed seem overwhelming and heavy on the doomscrolling.
But luckily, this week, in the dead center Hump Day of the week, on a day that deservedly celebrates our Veterans, a four-pack of friends and family were able to unplug from civilization proper and squeeze in one more mountain climb a day before the arrival of a Nor'Easter that was forecast to add ice and slippery conditions to the rockface atop most of the White Mountains.
The weather was perfect, as was the company. Three guys with friendships that span more than five decades, and a second generation E Streeter who loves to spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible.
Life throws any amount of surprises at you. The work and office will always be there waiting for you. The yardwork, laundry, the food shopping, the errands, they'll be there every day as well. But with health and fitness still thankfully on our sides, and families that support our efforts to maintain that health as much as we can, it's critically important to still carve out time to feed our bodies, our souls, and our mental health. And I can't say enough about how cathartic an experience it is to make a climb, and to do it in the company of such amazing lifelong friends, and family, to boot.
After our last outing up Mount Paugus (see previous blog post), Andrew and I were all in for tackling a mountain we'd never climbed before - Mount Major, in the Belknap range in Alton, N.H.
Both Barry and Mike had previously climbed Major, so were veterans on this climb, but were more than eager to conquer it once again. Mount Major is less than 1,800 feet high, about 1,300 fewer feet than last month's Paugus undertaking.
The beginning of the climb was one of the more unique trails we've ever been on, with more than three dozen slab staircases recently built into the side of the mountain. (See photos down further).
Been climbing mountains for decades as a father and son tandem, and there's nobody I'd rather continue scaling these mountainsides alongside
A pretty decent scramble gets you to the summit, but as always, it's usually the most interesting and challenging part of any decent climb
Earlier in the week, this same foursome hit the meandering trails of the Blue Hills in Milton, with all of our spouses alongside us. The four ladies took a pass for this climb, but gave all of their blessings for us to get out and spend the day with our friends and family and tackle a mountain mid-week without them. While they weren't with us for the summit, they were with us in spirit, and we know and appreciate how much they unflinchingly continue to support us getting out there for these jaunts and friendship experiences.
Always take the time to appreciate what you've accomplished, and soak in the rewards of your hard work
Andrew probably would have spent a couple more hours up top absorbing the views, if not for the biting wind that definitely made the temperatures feel a hell of a lot colder than it actually was
A pretty decent size cairn awaits you up top
Numerous people who've previously conquered Major have raved about the panoramic views from up top. They were absolutely spot on, and here's Exhibits A and B, The first picture shows Lake Winnipesaukee, including in the center of the lake, Rattlesnake Island, which in years of late, was the summer home/escape for Scott and Sue Spence.
On this particular Wednesday, a group of high schoolers also climbed to the top of Mount Major likely seeking some peace and quiet. When we're involved, that's probably not going to happen. (In actuality, the roles were reversed, but mountaintop decorum/courtesy is a post for some other kind of blog, not this one.) Barry gave them the thumbs up anyways.
These two guys first met one another 53 years ago, and we're still trucking and climbing
Things leveled out on the bottom half mile, with more than a handful of brook crossings, an always welcome and refreshing interruption on otherwise-straight out pathways.
Make sure you use the rocks to cross, and avoid getting your footwear wet
Home stretch
Not all mountain climbs have built-in staircases. These were among the most impressive you'd find. Can't imagine the work that went into installing these along the hillside.
The granite slabs were installed about two years ago as part of a a major trail restoration and erosion-control project performed by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Afterwards, we made a detour to the somewhat nearby Yum Yum Shop in Wolfeboro, N.H. For anyone who grew up in the Greater Lowell area, you absolutely know what Yum Yum Shops were famous for - their incredible Crimp Bread! Unfortunately, on this day, tragedy struck as Barry was greeted by the bad news that said loaf of bread is only available for special orders in advance. That left Barry contemplating his life - and consolation pastry choices - moving forward.
Round trip, it was less than eight hours total carved out of our busy weeks, but it was a drop in the bucket for a much needed time out and physical and emotional recharge for everyone before the winter weather sweeps in and impacts our climbing opportunities. We all knew we had our home and work routines waiting for us to slide back into when we got back to the Merrimack Valley, but on this particular Veterans Day, in the middle of an unseasonably warm New England November, this foursome of veteran climbers got exactly what the doctor ordered: a Major League recharge.
