claaky23
09-29-2009, 09:10 PM
Well after about 10 consecutive weekends of my fiance wondering what this little hobby/weight-loss tactic was all about, we decided that it was time I drag her on a hike. My first attempt at this involved dragging her up a 1/2 mile hill on Mt. Wachusett with 600 ft.. This didn't go so well, so I was very glad she'd give it another try.
My first idea was a simple trip up Monadnock, but then on the advice of MTruman and Anna Leblanc I decided to switch plans on Jen while she was sleeping in preparation of her big debut.
While she slept(she goes to bed very early) I was puttering around packing and realized that I had no idea how long this would take Jen, so I packed enough food for multiple meals. I knew she wanted to go very slow or else she wouldn't enjoy it, and I didn't want to ruin this experience since it was my last chance to get her interested.
I was carrying a very heavy pack, full of layers(she gets cold easy) and tons of food(I'd be hungry if I were out there for a long time.) We headed up the trail around Noon, on our way to Dickey. We went at a nice leisurely pace and were getting passed by just about everybody, but for once it didn't bother me. We got to some ledgey sections which Jen thought were fun, and also a section that was attempting to be restored and blocked off by fallen branches.
I started explaining to Jen as best as I understood that alpine plants are fragile and sometimes above treeline take years and years to just grow an inch. I also told her that they help hold soil in place so that someday the whole mountain isn't just one big rock(I'm not sure if that was true or not).
We got to a wide open clearing where there were a lot of people and I tried to point out whatever 4000 fters I could but it turned out that a father was doing the same for his son right next to us so I told jen to listen to him, he'd know better.
The rest of the hike is basically on ledge all the way to the summit. Some sections made Jen a little nervous being so exposed, but I told her you get used to it. It was also extremely hot without the protection of shade or breeze. Once at the top of Welch we ate an enjoyable lunch looking West and headed over to the other peak. Descending Welch had a section that Jen thought was comical because of the appearance of how steep it was(and it actually was steep). Climbing Dickey also had a few difficult sections for a new hiker(Jen) and for a person that had trouble squeezing between the rocks. Eventually we made it and I explained to her the Franconia ridge in the distance, as well as the hike from a few weeks before. She was a little more interested in my hike now that she was out enjoying the views for herself. The descent was uneventful except for a really nice section along the ridge that has a pretty steep cliff. I don't do well near heights so I stayed clear and advised Jen to do the same. The trip down was nice and Jen was doing much better than I thought.
All in all I think it was a very successful first trip. Now that she doesn't mind joining me I like scowering everybody's trip report to look for more hikes that give you "bang for the buck"
John
My first idea was a simple trip up Monadnock, but then on the advice of MTruman and Anna Leblanc I decided to switch plans on Jen while she was sleeping in preparation of her big debut.
While she slept(she goes to bed very early) I was puttering around packing and realized that I had no idea how long this would take Jen, so I packed enough food for multiple meals. I knew she wanted to go very slow or else she wouldn't enjoy it, and I didn't want to ruin this experience since it was my last chance to get her interested.
I was carrying a very heavy pack, full of layers(she gets cold easy) and tons of food(I'd be hungry if I were out there for a long time.) We headed up the trail around Noon, on our way to Dickey. We went at a nice leisurely pace and were getting passed by just about everybody, but for once it didn't bother me. We got to some ledgey sections which Jen thought were fun, and also a section that was attempting to be restored and blocked off by fallen branches.
I started explaining to Jen as best as I understood that alpine plants are fragile and sometimes above treeline take years and years to just grow an inch. I also told her that they help hold soil in place so that someday the whole mountain isn't just one big rock(I'm not sure if that was true or not).
We got to a wide open clearing where there were a lot of people and I tried to point out whatever 4000 fters I could but it turned out that a father was doing the same for his son right next to us so I told jen to listen to him, he'd know better.
The rest of the hike is basically on ledge all the way to the summit. Some sections made Jen a little nervous being so exposed, but I told her you get used to it. It was also extremely hot without the protection of shade or breeze. Once at the top of Welch we ate an enjoyable lunch looking West and headed over to the other peak. Descending Welch had a section that Jen thought was comical because of the appearance of how steep it was(and it actually was steep). Climbing Dickey also had a few difficult sections for a new hiker(Jen) and for a person that had trouble squeezing between the rocks. Eventually we made it and I explained to her the Franconia ridge in the distance, as well as the hike from a few weeks before. She was a little more interested in my hike now that she was out enjoying the views for herself. The descent was uneventful except for a really nice section along the ridge that has a pretty steep cliff. I don't do well near heights so I stayed clear and advised Jen to do the same. The trip down was nice and Jen was doing much better than I thought.
All in all I think it was a very successful first trip. Now that she doesn't mind joining me I like scowering everybody's trip report to look for more hikes that give you "bang for the buck"
John