View from Mt. Jackson
Thank god it's Tuesday! You see, due to the inconsiderate fact that plants pay no heed to traditional weekends, our farm has staggered weekends, so there will always be farmers able to provide some tender loving care for our vegetables. As you may have guessed, my weekend is Wednesday and Thursday, making Tuesday really Friday. So hallelujah, it's Tuesday!
Anyhoo, this past weekend marked the beginning of my crazy weekend marathon for the next three weeks - starting with (dramatic pause) The White Mountains.
After driving up to New Hampshire while serenely listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book on tape and successfully remembering to fill the near-empty car tank before entering the middle of nowhere, void of gas stations, I arrived at the Appalachian Mountain Club lodge and met up with my friend, Scott. Scott works at the Mizpah hut, an Appalachian Mountain Club hut at the base of Mt. Pierce that provides lodging and meals for hikers. There, he works with a small crew which cooks, cleans, and packs food in and out.
But first we had to get there.
Now you think this would be no problem. I'm fairly athletic, have backpacking experience, work 12 hours a day on a farm, and heck - am planning on hiking the damn Appalachian Trail! Well, think again. Ten minutes into our 3-mile hike, and I fall behind Scott. Well, here goes nothing, I think.
An hour later and you could find me by myself, lugging a heavy pack, drenched in sweat, and cursing everything from the humidity and the trail, to Scott Brown (because who doesn't like to blame him?). I had a permanent glazed look in my eye as I gazed up the steep incline that went up forever. You know, the kind you get when your coach tells you to do another sprint, or when your watching tv and you really really want that donut they are advertising? That kind of glazed look. I couldn't shake the thought of "how in the world am I supposed to thru-hike the entire AT" from my head.
Luckily for me, when your hiking in the middle of the woods, stopping isn't exactly an option. It's not exactly like reading a book that you can put down and pick up again at your leisure. Nope, if you decide to give up, you are suddenly at the mercy of the elements. And bears.
And so, I kept going, albeit, slowly. But another hour later and I was strolling into the Mizpah hut like I hiked mountains everyday. Piece of cake.
After driving up to New Hampshire while serenely listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book on tape and successfully remembering to fill the near-empty car tank before entering the middle of nowhere, void of gas stations, I arrived at the Appalachian Mountain Club lodge and met up with my friend, Scott. Scott works at the Mizpah hut, an Appalachian Mountain Club hut at the base of Mt. Pierce that provides lodging and meals for hikers. There, he works with a small crew which cooks, cleans, and packs food in and out.
But first we had to get there.
Now you think this would be no problem. I'm fairly athletic, have backpacking experience, work 12 hours a day on a farm, and heck - am planning on hiking the damn Appalachian Trail! Well, think again. Ten minutes into our 3-mile hike, and I fall behind Scott. Well, here goes nothing, I think.
An hour later and you could find me by myself, lugging a heavy pack, drenched in sweat, and cursing everything from the humidity and the trail, to Scott Brown (because who doesn't like to blame him?). I had a permanent glazed look in my eye as I gazed up the steep incline that went up forever. You know, the kind you get when your coach tells you to do another sprint, or when your watching tv and you really really want that donut they are advertising? That kind of glazed look. I couldn't shake the thought of "how in the world am I supposed to thru-hike the entire AT" from my head.
Luckily for me, when your hiking in the middle of the woods, stopping isn't exactly an option. It's not exactly like reading a book that you can put down and pick up again at your leisure. Nope, if you decide to give up, you are suddenly at the mercy of the elements. And bears.
And so, I kept going, albeit, slowly. But another hour later and I was strolling into the Mizpah hut like I hiked mountains everyday. Piece of cake.
Mizpah Hut
The "Croo" Room
| 
The Rat Lounge
|
That night and the next day I just sort of chilled. My days consisted of eating, sleeping, hiking, and talking to other hikers. Top that off with a super cozy cabin, and beautiful weather, and the weekend was pretty close to perfection. Scott and I summited Mount. Jackson (4,052 ft), and I fell in love with the hut jobs. Being a crew member is now a "must do" on my life agenda. I mean what could be better than living in the mountains with cool people your age who like to hike and have fun? Beats me, that's for sure.
Scott and Me from the summit of Mt. Jackson
RSS Feed