Arrival happens only because a departure occurs. And to get there, as is so often the case, one must take a series of steps. And when arrival occurs in the mountain realm, the series are steps taken are both literal and often many. Our guests on this occasion are returning to us after having had one recent hike with us. We could call it Step 1 — at least in our presence. This trip, an overnight in the Presidentials, we could refer to as Step 2. Leading it was Redline Guides Mike Maciel and Pat Ferland. So what’s next, you may wonder. Take it away, Mike…
Three of our four guests have a big trip coming up this fall, as they plan to take a trek through Nepal to Everest Basecamp. They reached out to us hoping we could set up a series of adventures as part of their ongoing preparation so they will be ready to go when the time comes.
Last month, their first objective took them up South Moat in less than ideal conditions. Over the weekend they came back for round two. Redline Guide Pat Ferland and I took the lead on this two-day group adventure into the Southern Presidentials.
It’s no secret in the mountain community that some people from higher elevation areas look down on our ‘little hills,’ but things are not always as they seem. And only focusing on a number like 4000 feet does a disservice to the fact that we have some pretty rugged trails. Small does not equal easy. They lack nice grades, gentle footing, and ample switchbacks. This makes them a great training ground for bigger objectives.
This group contained a mix of ages, stamina, and preferred pace, so we used the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut as a ‘basecamp’ and with two guides, we could provide more logistical options — we let them choose their own adventures, so to speak. They could get to the hut on Saturday, call it a day, and lounge around all afternoon if they wished (nobody chose this option). They could head over to Mt Jackson for a summit lunch and beautiful views (everyone chose this option). If anyone wanted a little more, Mt Pierce was waiting for a late afternoon out-and-back (two chose this option). Anything was possible, as long as the guides didn’t miss dinner! (Shoutout to the hut ‘Croo’ for their amazing work and hospitality, even at the very beginning of the season it’s already a well oiled machine.)
Well rested and well fed, Sunday provided more paths to choose. Following a morning ascent of Pierce, our crew could go big and head up to Mt Eisenhower or they could take the easy way out and head back down the historic Crawford Path. They chose to push themselves, and they chose wisely. It was an amazing day up high in the alpine. Flowers blooming, plenty of smiles, and lots of friendly familiar faces out and about. With Mt Washington in sight, there was talk of adding another training session in the future for two of our crew and perhaps even a sporty ascent up Huntington for the fastest member of the team.
Best of luck on your trip and thanks for letting us help with the pre-work! —Mike Maciel
Now it’s time to check out some photos. Most of these images were taken by Mike with Pat having a hand in some. Two other images were offered by a couple of our friends and followers, namely Ron A. and JoAnn H. Thank you for that guys!
