When hikers finish summiting all of the New Hampshire 4000-footers they can apply to the AMC to become a “member of the club” taking home a scroll and a small patch, affirming their successful endeavor. It’s an honor-system thing, lightly regulated by the committee in charge by way of board members asking for a list marked with the dates and details and a personal essay from the applicant about the experience. What follows is an excerpt from one such essay, published with permission.
[…] We then lost the trail (despite many hikers that day). I told him [her husband] we could turn back. We were about 1/2 mile from the [Owls Head] summit. I wish the trail could be marked. I decided I would continue the list but not apply for the patch or join the club, it was about the journey after all. We went on to hike up Carrigain and celebrate on the top on July 20, 2023. We went home and I tried to go on with life. Of course, I just kept thinking about Owl’s Head and how I almost completed the list. In early October, I reached out to Arlette Laan from Redline Guiding and shared my story. She was so supportive and I booked an overnight hike for mid-October. I tried to cancel several times, as my anxiety grew over the weather, cold, miles, etc. She talked me off the ledge every time and I showed up at the Lincoln Woods trail head on the morning of October 14th, 2023. I had never camped in cold weather and I was nervous! We started hiking and the miles fell away as she shared stories of her many adventures around the world. Before I knew it, we had passed the steepest section to the summit of Owl’s Head and we reached the “false peak.” We then hiked a relatively flat 1/3 mile to the “true summit.” I had done it; I finished the list after 5 long years! We camped overnight at 13 Falls, the scenery was amazing, it was a perfect weekend, and I didn’t freeze! I am so thankful for Arlette. She is truly a light in an often dark world. —Excerpt from Guest Essay
While we’ve aided many finishes, being named in an applicant’s final essay is just extra special. Kudos go to our guest for seeing it through and kudos also go to Arlette for helping her make it so. What a great team!