Tamworth, NH, July 5th

I’d like to say today was a fun relaxing day which it started out as with everyone sitting on the front porch looking at Mount Chocorua in front of us, the problem is someone thought it’d be a good day to climb it. The first crew of Jeff, Wendy and Alyse riding Jeff’s back left at 8:30 that we figured we’d meet up with them a couple of hours after we got going. Well, George, Niki and I headed to the mountain around 11:00 and it should only take us a couple of hours to get to the top.

That 2 hour trip to the top turned into 2 and ½ hours and I think, or better yet, know that I slowed George and Niki up a bit, but like I told them, my excuse was not only do I have a few years on them, but I was carrying more weight…I know, no excuses. I was thinking about how much it hurt a couple of years ago when I did concur the mountain that part way up I was wondering what am I doing to myself because I have nothing to prove and don’t need to kill myself. Well, for those that know George, there’s no way he would let me live it down if I didn’t make it and like he said, you don’t want to get a post card of the mountain laughing at me because it won…that and you should be able to keep up with a woman. Ok, but again, not only do I have a few years on Niki, but am not nearly in the kind of shape she is, plus the weight.

Part of the reason that a 2 hour climb took 2 and ½ wasn’t only because I was crawling at the end, but when we started out we kept going straight thinking we were on the right trail when we should have taken a right. Right is always right and left is usually wrong that we had to make the hike back to the right that we should have taken. When we did hit the boulder above the tree line and I saw how far it still was to the peak, I thought for sure I was done, but again, you gotta know George and I would never live it down. Well, we finally hit the marker that read .3 miles to the top, but wouldn’t you know it, it was probably the toughest part of the entire climb over the rocks and boulders, that like I said, I was crawling from that point on. If anything, I did make it and can once again say that I defeated the mountain, even though the mountain may be getting the last laugh for as much as my body is hurting. We never did meet up with Jeff and Wendy, but we also didn’t miss them by much. They called when they were close to the top to let us know they wouldn’t be making the peak, but when you have a little one strapped to your back trying to make a climb like this, it’s very understandable.

I can say coming down didn’t seem to hurt as much this year as it did a couple of years ago and maybe that was because I had burnt myself out just climbing the damn thing that anything other than going up wasn’t going to hurt as much. I’m also not sure what they are trying to do to me around here taking me on one of the tougher trails to climb the mountain on, the Brooke trail. Either they’re trying to kill me or they really want to give me a hard time about the mountain winning, or in this case that I have a tough time keeping up with the woman in the group…again, age and weight baby. Oh, and with a name like Brooke trail, you can imagine how rocky it was and there were too many times we’d see a steep climb of rocks to navigate over…it HURT!

Well, after defeating the mountain everyone decided to go to the lake to cool off and enjoy more of the great day and it was a perfect day for a swim in the New Hampshire Mountains. With the swimming and showers out of the way it was time to make a late night dinner, dinner at around 10:00pm, but with some great Blue fish, venison and grilled vegetables, which made for a tasty filling meal. And a little trick that Chris taught us while frying the fish, you’ll know when the oil in the pan has reached 375 degrees by throwing a match in to it and when it lights it’s reached its temp. You do have to keep an eye on it though cuz it’s just a flash, no, it doesn’t stay lit.

Maybe one more day, but we’ll have to see cuz the Cat from Portland or Bar Harbor Maine to Nova Scotia doesn’t run every day and when it does, it leaves earl, much earlier than I’d want to get up and try to make it from here.

Stay Tuned, when I finally find a high speed connection to update you with.

Tamworth Day Two pix.