A Delawarean came to us with a little time in her schedule and a desire to be in the know when up here, out there, amid our Forest… and others. She wanted to be one who is oriented and sufficiently armed with knowledge so as to eventually open the doors of exploration.
She came to us for this, and we delivered by presenting our one-day wilderness navigation class, demonstrating the unrealized power of the topographical map and magnetic baseplate compass. And that amazing computer we carry between our shoulders.
Here are some photos from the first day…
Then, to further awaken her senses, she wanted to get her hike on. A winter 4000-footer would become her objective. We offered the 4313-foot Mt Pierce as it is a good starter mountain offering a glimpse into the future on those days when you can see the other southern Presidential peaks stretching out to the north. These all need to be climbed, so this is number one. To awaken herself further, our guest wasn’t satisfied to just hike the mountain, she wanted to experience sunrise from the summit.
Redline Guide Mike Cherim served as instructor for the class, then Redline Guide Phoebe Seltzer led the sunrise hiking trip. The challenge with sunrise hikes, especially in winter — because you get cold once you stop moving — is not getting to the top too early or too late. Phoebe told us they almost timed it perfectly. Ten minutes earlier would have been ideal, but we’re impressed. And it looks like it was an epic anyway.
Here are some photos from the second day…
