Some people are focused on racing along trying to finish their 48 4000-footers of New Hampshire in one push or in one season or in every month of the year. Other people, on the other hand, just want to take their time, stopping to smell the flowers as they say, and enjoy a more casual process. The 48 in one lifetime, for example, is plenty for some. Some will argue that their way of doing it is the right way. But, to be clear, there is no right or wrong. And sometimes the methods are mixed. Sometimes the fast people end up slowing down due to circumstances or a change of heart. Conversely, sometimes the more casual crowd gets pushed to hurry things along due to other circumstances.
Such is the case on this trip. A woman approaching 80 wanted to finally finish this thing. She had one mountain remaining — Owls Head — and, thanks to the temporary closure of Lincoln Woods Trail, she needed to get it done now. She didn’t want to wait until next year. She wanted to get it while the getting was good so it had to be done this past weekend to stay ahead of the impending closure. Thankfully the planets aligned and with the help and support of her loving daughter, a family friend, and the oversight and encouragement of Redline Guide Debra McCown, she was able to summit this final peak and complete her list. As usual we have some photos to share, but first, here’s a summary from Debra.
It was a goal three decades in the making: Hike all 48 of the 4000-footers in New Hampshire. But for this 79-year-old guest, life got in the way of her last peak for 7 years: The Covid-19 pandemic, family care commitments, and medical challenges including two knee replacements meant that she had to wait. But after the long effort and the long wait, she finally accomplished her goal this past weekend with her daughter — who she’d first brought hiking in the White Mountains at the age of 10 — by her side.
They also had a friend along to help carry her gear and provide an additional helping hand. I was lucky enough to be their guide for the two-day trip with a legal camping overnight on the summit of Owls Head. The group had great weather and a great attitude. They were cheered on by lots of fellow hikers. And the guest even got interviewed by a blogger, who writes about aging and adventure, on the way down!
There was a lot of joy, a lot of gratitude, and happy tears from our guest when she finally completed a goal that she wasn’t sure would still be possible at her age. She did it through positivity, determination, and putting one foot in front of the other — and it was a delightful trip to victory. —Debra
