Hike Report
Let me start by stating it was my idea, but I did not pick the route. I wanted two more high peaks before the end of the year, to hit double digits. The weather would be fine. It would be fun. This is my hike report, not quite what I envisioned.
The plan was walk 1.5 miles up the Whiteface road, take a "gnarly" bushwhack up Ester Mountain, walk across the ridge and then up Whiteface and take the road down. Piece of cake, bag two high peaks,get a cup of hot coffee at Stewart's, eat some awesome pizza in Schroon Lake and go home to celebrate the new year. Even better, Ben joined Neal, myself and Ryan, a friend of Neal's. I was feeling good about the day.
Turning up the mountain to start the bushwhack didn't seem so bad at first, almost comical at times, and when I didn't think I could stand one more minute, I did. Eventually we got higher and higher until we got to a boulder and no matter what I did I couldn't get up it. So I backtracked and tried to go around it, but I couldn't get up that either and the guys, though close, weren't within sight. I felt totally alone and the task of getting up seemed impossible as I fell over and over again trying to get up the boulder. Eventually I crawled up but found myself stuck in thick branches. I freaked out, couldn't breathe and the tears started. I needed to get the fuck out of the woods that second. Even writing this I can feel the fear and the tears threatening. Ryan came back to my screams and gently, patiently guided me out of the thicket where he and Ben waited for me. Bushwhacking was no longer tolerable and we still had not reached the peak. I continued to fall, break through the thicket and scream in frustration eventually reaching the peak in complete exhaustion and low on fuel. But the problem with hiking in the winter, there is no good place to stop and eat and it quickly becomes too cold to stay still. My sandwich had frozen, my water had frozen and I forgot all my snacks at home. Now I was exhausted, thirsty, and hungry and we had a long way to go.
The ridge was beautiful, snowy and magical. We had no views because of the snow, but it was peaceful and quiet with only our footsteps breaking the silence. On one downhill portion, I sat down and slid on my butt and laughed out loud for the first time in hours. Eventually we started back up a steep, seemingly never ending section, each step agony on my left knee which I had banged on the way up and I knew I was done for the day. A second peak was not going to happen and once again I felt the tears threaten. I hate failing, but physically I was done. Eventually I made my way to the road, where the guys waited. The choice between the trail up to the peak or the road leading to the truck was painfully easy. I think the guys would have done the second peak, but they headed back down with me, half a mile from bagging our second mountain for the day.
At one point Neal pointed out a bushwhack short cut, but there was no way I was ever going to enter the thicket again. I just couldn't, the fear and panic rising up just looking at it. Instead I lowered my head against the wind and put one foot in front of the other and slowly, painfully made my way down. Ben took my poles because I didn't have the energy to hold on to or use them. I trudged along 50 to 200 yards behind them, peeking up once in a while to check out their position and to gaze at the beauty around me. The trees were full of snow and the ice coming down off the boulders was impressive. Even if I had a camera available, I could not have captured the depth and glory of the winter mountain environment. Ben was a physical marvel, hiking easily and happily and I found myself getting a peek at the man he was becoming.
I never got my coffee at Stewart's, but I did manage to change out of my snow and ice encrusted clothes, put on something warm and treat everyone to hot, crusty and baked to perfection pizza. Snow had come down most of the day and Neal safely got us all back to his house and I drove the rest of the way home with Ben.
So I failed, I didn't get my second peak for the day and my eleventh peak in 2013. I made so many mistakes that added to my misery, poorly packed and not enough food, no fluids once my water froze, allowing myself to attempt something I was not physically capable of doing and freaking out, wasting much needed energy. With mistakes come learning opportunities and there is much to gleam from the experience, but today is not that day. Today I am licking my wounds and hobbling painfully around on knees that are bruised and achy. It will be a long time before I feel good about that hike, maybe never. Maybe I am not meant to do high peaks in the winter or maybe I learn and go forward, but I do know this.......it is far easier to hike on a gorgeous summer day with blue skies and sunshine and I will NEVER, EVER BUSHWHACK AGAIN.
The plan was walk 1.5 miles up the Whiteface road, take a "gnarly" bushwhack up Ester Mountain, walk across the ridge and then up Whiteface and take the road down. Piece of cake, bag two high peaks,get a cup of hot coffee at Stewart's, eat some awesome pizza in Schroon Lake and go home to celebrate the new year. Even better, Ben joined Neal, myself and Ryan, a friend of Neal's. I was feeling good about the day.
Turning up the mountain to start the bushwhack didn't seem so bad at first, almost comical at times, and when I didn't think I could stand one more minute, I did. Eventually we got higher and higher until we got to a boulder and no matter what I did I couldn't get up it. So I backtracked and tried to go around it, but I couldn't get up that either and the guys, though close, weren't within sight. I felt totally alone and the task of getting up seemed impossible as I fell over and over again trying to get up the boulder. Eventually I crawled up but found myself stuck in thick branches. I freaked out, couldn't breathe and the tears started. I needed to get the fuck out of the woods that second. Even writing this I can feel the fear and the tears threatening. Ryan came back to my screams and gently, patiently guided me out of the thicket where he and Ben waited for me. Bushwhacking was no longer tolerable and we still had not reached the peak. I continued to fall, break through the thicket and scream in frustration eventually reaching the peak in complete exhaustion and low on fuel. But the problem with hiking in the winter, there is no good place to stop and eat and it quickly becomes too cold to stay still. My sandwich had frozen, my water had frozen and I forgot all my snacks at home. Now I was exhausted, thirsty, and hungry and we had a long way to go.
The ridge was beautiful, snowy and magical. We had no views because of the snow, but it was peaceful and quiet with only our footsteps breaking the silence. On one downhill portion, I sat down and slid on my butt and laughed out loud for the first time in hours. Eventually we started back up a steep, seemingly never ending section, each step agony on my left knee which I had banged on the way up and I knew I was done for the day. A second peak was not going to happen and once again I felt the tears threaten. I hate failing, but physically I was done. Eventually I made my way to the road, where the guys waited. The choice between the trail up to the peak or the road leading to the truck was painfully easy. I think the guys would have done the second peak, but they headed back down with me, half a mile from bagging our second mountain for the day.
At one point Neal pointed out a bushwhack short cut, but there was no way I was ever going to enter the thicket again. I just couldn't, the fear and panic rising up just looking at it. Instead I lowered my head against the wind and put one foot in front of the other and slowly, painfully made my way down. Ben took my poles because I didn't have the energy to hold on to or use them. I trudged along 50 to 200 yards behind them, peeking up once in a while to check out their position and to gaze at the beauty around me. The trees were full of snow and the ice coming down off the boulders was impressive. Even if I had a camera available, I could not have captured the depth and glory of the winter mountain environment. Ben was a physical marvel, hiking easily and happily and I found myself getting a peek at the man he was becoming.
I never got my coffee at Stewart's, but I did manage to change out of my snow and ice encrusted clothes, put on something warm and treat everyone to hot, crusty and baked to perfection pizza. Snow had come down most of the day and Neal safely got us all back to his house and I drove the rest of the way home with Ben.
So I failed, I didn't get my second peak for the day and my eleventh peak in 2013. I made so many mistakes that added to my misery, poorly packed and not enough food, no fluids once my water froze, allowing myself to attempt something I was not physically capable of doing and freaking out, wasting much needed energy. With mistakes come learning opportunities and there is much to gleam from the experience, but today is not that day. Today I am licking my wounds and hobbling painfully around on knees that are bruised and achy. It will be a long time before I feel good about that hike, maybe never. Maybe I am not meant to do high peaks in the winter or maybe I learn and go forward, but I do know this.......it is far easier to hike on a gorgeous summer day with blue skies and sunshine and I will NEVER, EVER BUSHWHACK AGAIN.
Comments
Post a Comment