Mt. Jackson, Flags on the 48, 9-13-08

[Acrophobe]

I am continually amazed that a child that small can climb those mountains - I didn't climb Washington till I was seven. I love to see it.

And you got a new camera, I see. What is it?

[TrishandAlex]

Thanks, Acrophobe. Keep in mind she didn't do all of Washington at one go. That would have been way too much for her this year.

The Ammonoosuc trail has to be the easiest way to summit Washington, in my very inexperienced view. Being able to spend the night at Lakes of the Clouds made that trip possible. I don't think she could have done it this year otherwise.

Also, I've been keeping the hikes to within a range I know she can handle. 8 to 9 miles, with 3000 feet elevation gain tops. Many mountains will have to wait until her legs grow a bit longer.

From birth, my daughter has been a very energetic, all-over-the-place kid. We quickly learned that for her to act "normally," she needed a lot of outdoor time and plenty of exercise. There was a 5 minute period where I thought she might have Aspergers, but I now know that's not the case. She's just a very bright kid who NEEDS to move a lot.

My husband and his family were outdoors all the time when he was growing up. He went on many hikes as a young child. He was taking short winter solo hikes when he was 8, and he accompanied his older brothers and sisters on long hikes when he was Alex's age and maybe younger. So I'm guessing it's in the genes.

The new camera is a Sony, and very similar to what I had before. I don't know enough about photography to purchase anything expensive, so I just get the basic digital thing.

[BlueDog]

Glad to hear there were other forum members out for the Flags! I love your report and the pics of Alex somehow always make me smile. The last one of her by the trail sign just cracks me up. :P

[TrishandAlex]

I love your report and the pics of Alex somehow always make me smile. The last one of her by the trail sign just cracks me up. :P

Thanks, BlueDog.

She ALWAYS wants to make a silly face for the camera. It's very hard to take a "normal' picture of her. She's probably be 12 before you see a trip report with her smiling normally in it.