Day 111: Peak Bagging

Awesome Z’s

For the first time in a long time, we had a wonderfully chilly night, a quiet location, and a perfectly flat parking spot. I slept like a rock. I didn’t wake up until 6:05 a.m., but still hit the trail just before 7:00 a.m., anxious to get started on what promised to be an excellent hike.

My goals for the day included bagging Connecticut’s high point, entering Massachusetts, and getting one day closer to Katahdin. I’d also get some real climbing in today, with over 4,200 feet of total elevation gain that included a few steep ascents.

Lion’s Head

The climbs started right at the van, with an 1,100-foot ascent up the Lion’s Head that left more than half of the elevation gain for last ¾ mile. The final 40 feet turned into a New York-style scramble. I’d like to say the view was worth the climb, but the overlook was surrounded by trees, occupied by Saturday hikers, and socked in with low clouds. Instead, the climb itself was worth the climb.

I added some extra fun after getting lost in thought and walking almost a half mile down an unmarked trail after missing a turn. Eventually, my subconscious poked my conscious about not having seen a white blaze for a while, not to mention a suspicious flattening of the trail.  Fortunately, the trail back to the AT was relatively flat, so I didn’t have to lose and regain a lot of elevation.

Bear Mountain

The Lion’s Head is only a blip on the bigger climb up Bear Mountain, Connecticut’s highest peak. And it felt like a mountain, with nice views off the ridge between the Lion’s Head and the summit, steep climbing, and a change in vegetative cover near the top.

While craning my neck to see over the scrubby trees near the summit, I heard something largish move in the brush by feet. I jumped back and watched a porcupine waddle across the trail and disappear on the other side. I’ve only seen one other porcupine in the wild, though I used to take care of one that lived at a nature center in Grand Rapids.

They’re fairly docile, unless threatened, so I’d let that one wander around the nature center during visiting hours. It spent most of its time sleeping on the wood pile by the stone fireplace. Today’s porcupine seemed to have the same mellow attitude as my old friend.

What Are the Odds?

Bear Mountain’s summit is marked with a huge cairn, big enough for a dozen people to stand on and look out over the trees into the surrounding valleys. Today, four day hikers stood there pointing out Twin Lakes peeking through the dissipating clouds across the valley. I climbed up to join them and check out the view.

One of the young men looked over at me and stared. I gave him a little nod, but he kept staring, and then asked, “Are you Natalie J’s father-in-law?” I’ve climbed a lot of mountains, and hardly ever get asked that question. But in fact, Natalie J married my youngest son last October.

I’m from Arizona. Natalie and my son live in Oregon. As I stood there, I couldn’t think of a single person I knew in Connecticut or anyone who knew I’d be here today. Then I remembered that Natalie grew up in Connecticut. Still, what are the chances that I’d meet her best friend’s husband, his father, brother, and friend on a mountain peak in the middle of nowhere? Or that they’d recognize me. I would never have recognized him.

But we’d met last fall at the wedding. Weird. We stood there swapping Natalie stories and chatting about his upcoming Grand Canyon hike until his crew hiked south, leaving me alone with the view.

State #11

I crossed the Connecticut-Massachusetts state line after practically parachuting down Bear Mountain’s steep descent (500 ft/0.3 mile). According to trail signage, I entered Massachusetts twice and must have been in disputed territory for about a mile. Either way, I’d completed state #10. Only four more to go.

Mt. Race/Mt. Everett

Almost immediately, the trail started ascending 1,700 feet up Mt. Race (2,361 ft.) and Mt. Everett (2,605 ft.). FarOut calls the trail up Mt. Everett grueling. I’d put it down as steep, but not particularly grueling.

I’d read lots of complaints online about the steep climbs on today’s hike, but I found them much more enjoyable than anything I’d done in New York. Then again, I’d read most of those complaints during the heat wave I complained about when I was in New York. Perhaps the cooler weather was the difference.

A Nerd-Fest

As I reached Everett’s summit, an AT Ridgerunner was just telling Pony and Soup that they should read Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind. “Don’t do it!” I said as I walked by, “Rothfuss will never, ever finish Book 3 of the series and you’ll be left forever wondering how it ends.” It really is a fantastic read, if you like the fantasy genre, but Book 2 (The Wise Man’s Fear) came out in 2011. It’s been 12 years, with only rumors of a future release date.

Well, that led to a nerd-fest about our favorite fantasy/Sci-Fi titles, during which Pony and Soup happily escaped, though Samwise and I hardly noticed. Always nice to meet a fellow nerd, especially one named for my favorite Tolkien character.

That Sure is a Tiny Pack

On the descent back down to Undermountain Road, I met a pair of trail maintainers clipping back the brush. When I slowed to thank them for their efforts, the woman asked me if I was out hiking for the day. Again, why do people ask me these kinds of questions when I’m hot and tired? Let’s see…

• I’m on a hiking trail, so yes, I’m hiking today.
• I have a bright purple AT thru-hiking tag on my shoulder strap in plain sight, so no, I’m not a day hiker.

But I smiled and cheerily replied that I’ve been hiking for a lot of days, but I knew what was coming next. Sure enough, she followed up with the usual comment.

You Should Have Used a Kayak

When I did my solo canoe trips down the Verde and Gila Rivers (It’s been a while since I’ve shamelessly plugged my books), it seemed like every person I met along the way offered the advice that I should have taken a kayak instead of a canoe. And not a single one of them was a boater. But they felt free to offer their expertise, nonetheless. It got to be a joke.

At least on the AT, most of the “tiny pack” comments come from hikers, if not backpackers. Still, I may have to print up a t-shirt or button with my standard answer. Or better yet, make up an uber-lighter story that I carry nothing in my pack but protein powder, a shower curtain tarp, and my k-bar.

Yeah, I’m going with the uber-lighter idea. I’m open to suggestions on what items I should carry in my tiny pack.

Daily Stats:

• Start: Undermountain Road (Mile 1,508.5)
• End: Undermountain Road (Mile 1,525.4
• Weather: Sunny, humid, not hot.
• Earworm: Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police) – it’s back.
• Meditation: Lk. 12:15
• Plant of the Day: Goldenrod
• Goal: Massachusetts
• Best Thing: Chance meeting on Bear Mountain
• Worst Thing: Got off trail twice, added ¾ mile. Pay attention, dude.