Making up for lost time

[Tim&Val]

Well, these three days of relentless rain have allowed me to catch up on trip reports that I've been putting off! That, and the fact that I need to chirp about my nephew, Will's, accomplishment - completing his first 4K-footer this past weekend!!

Will is 10 years old and has done Monadnock, Major and Cardigan in the past, but this was a whole new level. We did Mt Lafayette. He did really well and is looking forward to his next mountain hike. His goal for this summer is Mt Garfield. (Psst, don't let him in on the fact that if he can do Lafayette, he can do Garfield. We're trying to impress upon him that each mountain has its own challenges... none of them are "easy").

I was surprised at some of the comments from other hikers on the trail. While hiking up, it was "Oh, are you staying at the hut?" and on the way down, it was "Oh, did you stay at the hut?" over and over again. We just told everyone that we were on a day trip to the summit, then back to the car. I think they were surprised that a 10-year-old was doing it all in one day, since no one has ever made comments like that when it was just us adults day-hiking. Trish, I assume you get this when you and Alex set out on a 12-mile day. :D

Regarding the new reports, I'm going to put my disclaimer out there right in front... I'm not nearly as good as others on this forum for identifying birds and flowers. If I got something wrong, let me know and I'll update it. Disclaimer #2: we're practicing with new cameras, so some are just plain out of focus. Oh well, that's why it's practice.

Thanks!
Valerie

http://www.barkeater.ws/nh48/

[TrishandAlex]

Congratulations to your nephew!!!! Lafayette is a huge accomplishment, expecially for a first 4K!! That's fantastic. Garfield will be a breeze after that, as will many of the other 4Ks!

Yes, keep hiking with a kid and you'll hear "are you staying at the hut" or "are you camping out somewhere?" at least twice on every hike.:p

Congrats on getting your nephew out there and having such a good day!

ETA: just clicked on the link and saw your pictures. They're great!

[mtruman]

You definitely have caught up on your trip reports! Lots of nice spring hikes so far. Makes me quite jealous. Feeling the pull of the mountains... Sometime in the next couple of weeks I hope.

The couple of slightly fuzzy images from the new camera didn't do anything to detract. Lots of great wildflower shots and the usual great hike documentary.

[krummholz]

I enjoyed the Lafayette report and the photos, which did a fine job of transporting me to the Old Bridle Path! What's really nice is that it looks as though Will has a lifetime of enjoying the mountains ahead of him.

[CHRIS]

Glad to see you got caught up I mist reading your trip reports. Just got done reading them and they are as great as ever and the pictures were perfect. I also am trying to get North within the next couple of weeks so I can get in a few good hikes before STP. Thanks for sharing.

[Tim&Val]

Thanks for all the kind words! I'll try to keep up in the future so I'm not five or six trips behind!!! Today, we did Mts Pierce and Eisenhower and had the excitement of our first HAIL SHOWER (I hesitate to call it a "storm"). Trip report and pictures coming shortly! More in-focus shots of the alpine flowers!:D

Valerie

[CHRIS]

Just read your T/R on Pierce/Eisenhower. Great report as usual and excellent pictures. The trail looks so much different without snow. Thanks for sharing.

[KD Talbot]

Checked out your last few trips. Nice job! Love the picture of hikers leaving Pierce into the clouds! If you look real close at the pictures in that set you can see Judy, Emma and me waving on Mount Chocorua. We watched those squalls pass over the Presidentials. They looked intense!

KDT

[Jimmy Legs and Little d]

Tim and Val,
We are actually catching up too after spending last week in Maine. It's good to see your trip reports and pictures again. Look forward to more down the road. And more on the adventures of Will.
Little d