Harvest Party 2009

We finally pulled the photos from our annual Harvest Party off the camera. Thanks to all who joined us – we look forward to seeing you again next November!

Bill, Jeff, Rob

Jenna and Crystal

Matt, Scott, Keith

Loren, Bravo, Emily, Evan

Summary of Mount Washington Trip

View of Mount Washington from Bed & Breakfast

The greatest and most simple summary of our trip was uttered by our guide Jim, “Matt’s sick and Sue’s out of shape but it’ all good”. We should probably note here, that Jim has the patience, inner-fortitude and physical strength of a Greek god.

We started the trip in a bitter cold snow storm, swerving our way up Route 2 in New Hampshire. We arrived at the beautiful Mount Washington Bed and Breakfast around 2 a.m. Not only was the light left on for us, but the innkeeper’s father waited up to show us to our room. There were freshly baked brownies on our dresser and warm, clean cotton sheets to crawl into – we loved the inn immediately. (Check out our shameless plugs to find out how to stay there, it is well worth the drive!)

We woke to a clear New Hampshire morning on Friday and decided to check out the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, spend the rest of our life’s savings at EMS buying my new, sweet North Face jacket, and drinking coffee at Starbucks. We ended the day at Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewery, where we had good beer and things that have been smoked. I have never been so happy to be a carnivore. It is a beautiful thing.

Matt enjoying coffee and the view at Starbucks

Saturday morning found us back at the visitor center, checking out the avalanche reports and meeting our guide Jim. We spent 2 hours unpacking and repacking our bags. This involved countless trips to the gear shop to, again, make additional purchases. All were well worth the money, since we didn’t freeze while on the mountain. We set out around 11:00 to reach our tent site.

Pinkham Visitor Center

En route, I realized that walking in winter hiking boots and snow was less enjoyable than it looks in movies. I promptly had what Jim and Matt diagnosed as a panic attack and had to rest on one knee. It turns out that I am not in as good of shape as I believed.

Beginning of trail, when I realized it was all uphill

After a lot of walking, we came to the trail head for Lion’s Head. We opted to follow the fire road, set up our tent and do a winter mountaineering course for the rest of the afternoon and evening, then summit on Sunday morning.

We set up the tent and I was able to practice using snowshoes to stomp down a place for us to sleep.

Flattening campsite

Unfortunately during this process Matt came down with a nasty fever and we were forced to take him into the caretaker’s cabin (know as Harvard Cabin). This is where our adventure took a most interesting turn. While Matt was able to recover from the fever and hike the next morning, his illness allowed us to take respite overnight in the cabin with George the Caretaker and a gaggle of French Canadian climbers. As the only female of the group, I was subjected to sights, stenches and sounds not fit even for the web. Viva la Harvard Cabin! George turned out to be an invaluable resource and one of the kindest souls I have ever met – if you happen to travel to Harvard Cabin this winter, please bring him a bottle or two of wheat beer. We will gladly reimburse you for your trouble.

George, caretaker of Harvard Cabin

Matt sleeping as Jim takes care of him

Up bright and early the next morning, Matt was well enough to make us both a delicious cup of oatmeal. The water was pulled from some a nearby stream using buckets that at some point probably contained pool cleaner… I just hoped there was enough bleach left in them to cure whatever else they might be hosting.

Buckets for drinking water

The trail to the top was more difficult than I thought it would be and warranted many breaks on my part. The good news is that we finally were able to rock the crampons! Crampons are the coolest invention ever and they make you feel like a real mountaineer, however out of shape and clumsy you might be.

Learning about crampons

We were also able to use our mountaineering ax. Interesting fact: a mountaineering ax is different than an ice ax. We learned several ways to climb using different steps and ax techniques. It was difficult, but so much fun.

I had decided somewhere along the trip that I had reached my limit and would stop at the top of the Lion’s Head and turn around. Matt and Jim were very supportive of my decision, even though it meant they would not summit that day. After reaching Lion’s Head, I was coaxed into walking along the Alpine Garden, which I had read about online and was anxious to see. It is so beautiful! Once at the Alpine Garden, it was less than a mile to summit and I was coaxed into going to the top – albeit without my backpack, which Jim put on his back and carried for me.

Taking a break in the Alpine Garden

Trail for summit

The hike to the summit was amazing. A storm came in and we had snow showers. As we climbed higher, I kept my sights on Jim’s bright yellow jacket and my feet as firmly as possible in his snow prints.

Snow showers en route to summit

We reached the summit at 1:35 p.m. The temperature was 12 degrees with a -12 windchill. Winds were 40 mph. The view was not very clear due to the snow, but it was interesting to see the structures at the top of the mountain.

Reaching the top of Mount Washington

Snow-covered structure at top

Summit

Summit

Coming down, we were hit by more snow. I was afraid coming down some of the steeper routes, especially when groups in front of us were able to use ropes to go down. Jim taught us the correct way to move down the mountain in the snow, and while I was literally shaking in my boots, I am glad to now have the knowledge of how to do this safely without a rope.

Coming down from summit

Sue, covered in snow

Matt, covered in snow

After a tedious hike down the mountain and stop at the Harvard Cabin to collect our things and bid farewell to George, we walked out of the woods in darkness. The trail was beautiful at night and, barring a few small pairs of eyes peering at me through the trees, very peaceful.

Coming down from Harvard Cabin

Some Subway sandwiches and a quick shower later, we were safe, sound and asleep at the B&B.

Thanks, Jim, for getting us up (and down) the mountain!

Sue, Jim and Mat after climbing Mount Washington

We did it!

Just crawled into bed at the B and B – our room is beautiful and a bed has never felt so great.

We made it up to the summit at 1:35 this afternoon thanks to our amazing guide Jim. It was so much harder than I expected – Matt just told me it is time for bed, stop clicking the blackberry… More tomorrow. Rest assured we are safe, sound and warm!

40 lbs of gear and ready to climb

Today is the day we hike Mount Washington. Our bags are packed, we just need to add the things we are borrowing from our guide: the tent, sleeping bags that go down to 0 or below, and winter boots. It is amazing to me how much a simple winter hike up a 6,200 mountain can cost. We established yesterday that my Marmot ski jacket would not cut it for the hike. After an hour conversing with EMS staff and several guides, we found a shell and fleece (both 40 percent off) that would work. Even with the discount, we walked out of the store a few hundred dollars lighter.But Matt assures me that I will now be warm on the moutain. I believe he is trying to lay the groundwork for climbing one of the 13′s in the near future…

Mount Washington Update

We made it to New Hampshire – but had to drive through some pretty nasty snow showers along the way. In New Jersey, last night would have been defined as a blizzard, but who are we to split hairs?

The bed and breakfast is beautiful, and we woke to baked maple pears and stuffed french toast for breakfast. After yet another trip to EMS, we are finally sitting in Starbucks and contemplating tomorrow’s hike. The mountain is MUCH larger in person, and after reading the avalanche reports, I’m feeling nervous… Wish us luck and courage! Photos to come – we’re off to play in the snow!

Mount Washington Trip

Photo from www.mooneymountainguides.com

We are packed and somewhat prepped for our trip to Mount Washington. Our itinerary is as follows:

• Meet our guide Jim bright and early at the base of the mountain
• Gear check (this is where Jim tells us what we’ve forgotten…)
• Hike to 4,500 ft (this sounds a lot easier than it will be to actually do, given that the temperature will be below zero)
• Establish a base camp and go through winter mountaineering course with Jim
• Freeze all night long in our subzero sleeping bags on the side of the mountain
• Wake up, eat breakfast and summit
• Crawl down the mountain and into our bed at the Mount Washington Bed & Breakfast

I just checked the weather on the mountain:

Temperature 8.2°F
Wind 61.2 mph
Direction 167° (S)
Gust 64.4 mph
Wind Chill -21.4°F

That is pretty cold. I wish I had thought ahead and surprised Matt with a cruise to the islands instead of a frostbitten night in New Hampshire.

I had been hoping to post from the mountain, but it turns out my Blackberry will most likely freeze by the time we get to see anything interesting. We’ll take photos with our camera, which our guide suggested we keep next to our skin to keep it from freezing. Awesome. When we get back to the B&B, I’ll upload photos to the site. If you want to keep updated on conditions of the mountain while we are there, go to www.mountwashington.org.

Wish us luck and good weather!

Cold Weather Camping with Danny

In preparation for our hike up Mount Washington, we opted to go camping on the coldest weekend in January. It was good preparation. It was very cold and the ground was very hard and our packs were very heavy. Our good friend Danny came with us. I’m not sure what he was thinking in accepting our offer, but I have to imagine it was not sitting around a fire in the freezing cold with less brandy than initially anticipated. Did I mention what a good friend we have in Dan?

Highlights from the trip:

Watching Dan and Matt putting on their 1,000 lb packs

Watching Matt and Dan find kindling for the fire

The building and careful maintenance of the fire

After what seemed like 12 hours

we realized it was only 5 p.m.

– too early for bed –

so iPod Karaoke broke out between Dan and Matt

After too much Iron Maiden iPod Karaoke,

I began to look (and feel) like the Blair Witch

And finally, Matt woke up to snow while camping.

One more thing he can cross off the ol’bucket list

All in all, it was a fabulous and freezing weekend spent in the great outdoors… we’ll not mention any of the frantic phone calls made to friends around 10 p.m. when the boredom and brandy set in…

As we prep for Mount Washington (did we mention it is only a few short days away?), we will try to post additional photos. Also, I’ve set up my Blackberry to post to this site. Provided that my phone does not freeze on the mountain, I will either a) be posting photos as we summit or b) calling ski patrol and/or the people who own the big St. Bernard rescue dogs to get us off the mountain!

Hi friends…

As always, the new year has hit us like a bus. Our best intentions for baking you some delicious cookies, sending a thoughtful holiday greeting, or even a not quite thoughtful email have come and gone. At any rate, HAPPY 2009!

After escaping to our cottage at Moosehead Lake for Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a lovely holiday season with family and friends. New Year’s found the two of us on the couch, sharing a bottle of good champagne while watching bad movies. We love 2009 already, dear friends!

We hope to use this blog as a way to communicate with those we love on a more regular basis. Over the past year, we have found that we barely have time to talk with each other, let alone update friends and family on the adventures of our daily grind. While most posts will be written by Sue (shocking, we know), please understand that at some point our beloved Matt will make his voice heard – your comments and taunts can only help to inspire him.

As always, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to post on the site, or stop down for a visit in beautiful Pilesgrove, NJ.

With love,

Matt, Sue and Joey