Tags
aging, disappointment, failure, hiking, Mount Mansfield, Mount Washington, mountains, New Hampshire, summits, Vermont
Over the hill, past my peak, on my last legs, going downhill: all of these hackneyed expressions for aging floated through my mind – quite appropriately for a mountain hiker, I might add – as I tried and failed last month to reach the summits of two of New England’s highest hills.
J and I were on an 8-day road trip around New England, starting in Stowe, Vermont. Our goal was to hike for at least five of those days and attempt to reach the tops of Mt. Mansfield, the uppermost point in Vermont, and Mt. Washington, whose elevation of almost 6300’ is the highest in New Hampshire and all of the Northeastern U.S.
The first was in our grasp – easily in J’s, and probably in mine with another thirty minutes of good, hard slogging. With a slightly too-late start, intermittent rain, and my exasperatingly slow speed on the steeper, rougher ascents, though, we found ourselves on the final pitch above Taft Lodge in the early afternoon, calculating how long it would take to finish getting up, maybe slip and slide back down, drive back to the hotel, take showers, and waltz into a wedding on time.
Our guess was “too long” and we were correct, showing up only shortly before the bride came down the aisle. While I was very exasperated with myself for this failure, and remorseful at holding J back, I grudgingly gave myself props for kicking off the hiking boots after all those hours and managing high heels for the remainder of the day and night!
Between Mansfield and Washington, we did not just sit around eating Ben & Jerry’s, Cabot cheddar, and maple candy (and looking in vain for cider doughnuts) although those fuels may have been consumed in larger quantities than usual. But we worked them off, and more, on other trails in the two states, all in an effort to prepare for the big one – a hike up Mt. Washington, an assembly of tree root- and boulder-strewn paths with about a 4000’ elevation change to reach the summit. As it turned out, all those hours going straight up and down in the woods may have burned me out.
Juggling my absolute desire to at least BE on the top and to reach it on my own two feet, I vacillated on a plan. We contemplated going up on the first cog train of the day even though everything we’d read said we were going to need 9-ish hours to climb up and back down, and this would delay our start. We toyed with hiking up and catching the cog back down, but that’s the only ticket they will not sell you because there is never a guarantee the train will run if the weather changes suddenly, and it often does. Attempting the hike first and failing might mean we’d not see the view from the top at all as the trains stop running at 2:30 pm.
Dilemmas, dilemmas … and we’d already shot our chance to take the cog train the day before because we just didn’t want to rush through our shorter hikes and other rural sightseeing. We were there to relax and enjoy the scenery as well as conquer heights, we reminded ourselves.
And so we didn’t conquer heights, at least not fully and on foot, the way I’d wanted to. J didn’t even care that he hadn’t reached the summits, which he could have readily accomplished; he was thrilled to simply be out in nature and exerting himself. I, on the other hand, radiated disappointment and felt an impending doom, a portent of trail failures to come. I was always the hiker; I’d walked up iconic mountains all over the world, and J got dragged along the first few times. Now he was whizzing up the trails while my backpack felt heavier, my knees more quivery, my confidence shakier.
“It’s the journey, not the destination,” say books, friends, and inspirational posters. Bah! I enjoy the woods; I love the fresh air, and I adore walking all day long. But I don’t pant and scramble, claw and sweat for an entire day just for exercise or for fun. When I work that hard, it’s for a peak, or at least some target. By the time I realized we would not summit Mt. Washington on foot, I set the goal of simply getting above treeline, but we failed – I failed – even at that, spending hours and hours in the long green tunnels that characterize a lot of eastern hiking. We’d been wrapped in the woods for four days straight at this point, and I was sick of it. The forests that I generally love began to close in on me, and then my thoughts did the same, rendering me a crabby old lamenter of my departed youth.
We had ultimately elected to take the cog train that morning, which was a consolation prize of sorts. While it probably cost us the chance to chug to the top under our own power, I’m thrilled that we saw the summit views and meandered on the upper slopes for a short time on one of the sixty or so clear days the mountain gets per year. Score one after all.
Irene said:
Amazing captures of beautiful scenes. 😊
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lexklein said:
Thank you! All of the places we drove in New England were incredibly picturesque.
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Irene said:
Hoping to get to that part of the US one of these days.
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Elaine Bryan said:
Too much for me, Mary! (Family joke). Mom
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lexklein said:
Ha – good one, Mom; I actually laughed out loud!
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restlessjo said:
Past my peak too so you’re in ok company. My favourite shot is that wonderfully tranquil one of water and clouds. Just leave me there xx
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lexklein said:
And did you see the huge old hotel in that photo? There apparently used to be dozens and dozens of these grande dames in the White Mountains, but now they are down to just a few. It was like going back to a gentler time to walk around in there.
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restlessjo said:
I read this on my phone on the way to visit friends. Back on the laptop now, I’ll come and have a proper look. 🙂
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restlessjo said:
It’ll do nicely 🙂 🙂
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Yeah, Another Blogger said:
Lexie, you can count yourself as part of an elite (and small) group: People who went mountain hiking shortly before a wedding!
Take care —
Neil S.
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lexklein said:
Well, now I am feeling much better about myself! 🙂 It WAS a little aggressive, but we had so many trails and mountains we wanted to see and hike, and we hated to waste even part of a day!
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Cheryl Capaldo Traylor said:
Departed youth, my foot!! You are amazing to attempt all that you do. And accomplish! (Plus, you can wear high heels 🙂) Be proud. I want to visit that area some day. Bucket list, for sure. What breathtaking views! What kind of camera did you use? These photos are so crisp and vivid.
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lexklein said:
It’s all relative! I do stay pretty active and can keep up with most hikers, but I feel like I’m getting slower and more impatient. Maybe it was just a bad week …
They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and in this case, it was just my iPhone! I have given up on my “better” cameras while hiking most of the time, especially if I will be clambering over rocks. Sometimes it does an amazingly good job; other times, I do wish I’d had my real equipment. I’m happy to hear these looked so good to you!
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Cheryl Capaldo Traylor said:
I, too, have taken to using only my iPhone. It certainly is hit or miss, though. But keeps the baggage lighter.
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Mabel Kwong said:
Pity about falling short but you still managed to see great views all round. Sometimes our bodies afwnt physically up to it…just one of those days. Sometimes you might want to keep persisting because you never know if you will come back for another visit.
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lexklein said:
I did regret squandering such a perfect day and not making it up Mount Washington on foot because who knows if I’ll ever get back there, for one thing, and whether the notoriously bad weather will give us a break at exactly that time again. Oh, well. I’m glad we did take the train up to see the views, though!
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carolinehelbig said:
As a fellow hiker who is also past her peak I feel your frustration Lexi. Your heartfelt lament is beautifully written (had a few chuckles) and your photos are lovely. I go through these phases too. Just the other day, another over-the-hill friend and I climbed a local peak and we realized we were quite a bit slower (and it hurt more) than a few years ago. It is a drag but at least we’re all still out there. I suspect you have more peaks left in you!
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lexklein said:
The key is definitely that we are all still out there, and I need to look at this in relative terms and realize I am still capable of quite a bit of long, hard hiking! This sounds terrible, but I also do not hike as well with my husband, who sees a hike as a sprint instead of a marathon. I am always scrabbling to keep up, and the more I have to do that (i.e., on the harder, steeper sections), the crankier I get. I’ve hiked harder trails fairly recently, but at my own pace, and I’ve been much better. I can walk for three weeks in a row, and he is done after a few days max. We have discussed this little problem (haha) but have yet to find a solution!
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carolinehelbig said:
You and I might do well together. My strength is definitely endurance and not speed.
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lexklein said:
Well, if I ever make it out your way, we may have to give that a try! 🙂
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Dave Ply said:
There’s exercise, and aerobic exercise. For me at least, I get the first but not so much the later, and when trying to climb hills or mountains that difference expresses itself quite distinctly.
Of course, it may just be life expressing itself more distinctly as we age…
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lexklein said:
I run and do other aerobic sports, and I can walk for weeks straight. However, on a day hike, especially on a steep trail, my husband leaves me in the dust! Given enough time, I will generally meet my own goals, but I think I was trying too hard to keep up with him on this trip. Plus I’m getting old …! 🙂
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J.D. Riso said:
It’s been a while since I’ve hiked a mountain. Id like to think I’m still in shape for it, but who knows. I miss my weekly hikes in Slovakia. I can understand your frustration and I can understand the arguments for hiking to reach a goal and hiking just for the pleasure of being in nature. I’ve done both, it depends on the time available and also mood. It really looks beautiful there. I’ve never been to New England.
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lexklein said:
I also enjoy both kinds of hikes; in fact, more recently, I have taken lots of pleasure-in-nature strolls. But sometimes I like a challenge, so when I set one and it involves lots of hard work, I want to get it done. (See Veľké Hincovo Pleso! 🙂 ) I keep throwing my poor husband under the bus in my latest comments, but I can’t do these harder hikes as sprints and never have been able to, even when much younger. I’m a marathon kind of trekker; I don’t care how long it takes, I will keep plodding. But J does not plod, so I have to scramble to keep up when I’m with him, and I just get frustrated and quite crabby!
New England is incredibly picturesque. I had not been in some of these states (VT and NH, mostly) since I was a child, and they are laid back, nature-filled places. Pristine woods, gravel roads, old barns, and flinty people. I think you would love it.
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Coral Waight said:
Greta story and lovely photos.
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lexklein said:
Thanks! It was a great trip overall.
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Green Global Trek said:
Lex, how harsh you are with yourself!! Our perspective is slightly different, in that we relish what we can do today, what we might not be able to do five years from now haha!
We can relate to this post as we just finished hiking up a hill with our oldest son and his girlfriend in Southern France. We were at a remote beach location they had researched and were determined to visit… but no one told us we would be hiking there and back! up the mountain and down the side. We are in decent shape, but still huffed and puffed under the hot sun and were oh so proud of ourselves for keeping up with the kids. That said, our hike was WAY shorter than your brave attempts.
Love your photographs of the forest (which came closing in on you) and the vistas, and particularly the field of yellow wildflowers. We say Kudos for you for even attempting such a daunting task!! Followed by a wedding in high heels, no less! Yikes!
Peta
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lexklein said:
I must agree, Peta – I am ridiculously hard on myself and always have been. That has meant some successes but it also creates some unnecessary frustrations. I am working on tempering my expectations of myself and others! I do know that relatively speaking, I’m in great shape and very active *for my age*; I just don’t like reminders that I need to add those last three words!
I’m glad you liked the photos. The whole region, especially the Green and White Mountains, was just so crisp and pristine. I felt like I was on another continent, which is what I often say in different places in this incredibly varied country. So glad to go back to New England again for the first time in decades.
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thirdeyemom said:
Beautiful Lexi! I road the train up years ago and thought it was stunning. There is so much to explore in the east coast.
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lexklein said:
I spent the early part of my life on eastern beaches and in eastern cities, but I’d never spent much time in VT and NH in New England. The hiking was just fabulous! We were even able to sneak in three days on Nantucket where we have three sets of friends. Great escape from the Houston summer heat, too!
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Heather Glenn said:
Lexi, if you are ever up there again my sister owns a maple syrup farm just at the base of Mt Mansfield – Runamok Maple. I had to laugh at your comments about keeping up with J because I remember being amazed how quickly he trekked in Patagonia.
Your photos are beautiful.
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lexklein said:
Heather, what great fun to hear from you! J has indeed continued his sprint-like hiking style and without others to hang back with, I am forced to (try to) keep pace. 😦
I would have loved to stop by your sister’s place – darn! – I wish I had known. Hope things are good with you … are you still in RI? We took a loop through Newport just for fun on our way from Nantucket to Boston at the end of the trip but never made it to Providence, which I think is where you are. Speaking of Nantucket, we stayed with Rick and Kathy from our Patagonia trip for part of the time there! We have stayed in touch and met up in Deer Valley, Chicago, and DC over the years. We had a good group in Chile! Take care and thanks for reading and commenting.
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Bama said:
I understand your frustration, but don’t be too harsh on yourself, Lex! Being in the woods is a luxury for someone like me who lives in a megalopolis that is the Indonesian capital, with the traffic jam, air pollution, smelly rivers, etc. Your story reminded me a little bit of my first mountain hike back in 2012. James asked me if I wanted to join him to climb Mount Rinjani — Indonesia’s second highest volcano. I said yes, not understanding how hard it would be. On my first day in the mountain my feet cramped twice, so the day we were supposed to go to the summit I decided to only go as far as two third of the trek to the summit while James kept going on with our guide. I was waiting for him and everyone else in solitude, but it was probably among the most peaceful moments in my life. The views of the crater lake on one side and the adjacent small islands on the other side were so majestic I couldn’t have asked for a better place to rest.
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lexklein said:
I love your story and its outcome, Bama. Allowing yourself to stop, and then not beating yourself up over it, but rather taking the opportunity to realize how lucky you were to have that peaceful solitude is the right attitude to have … and I need to work on getting there psychologically myself!
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Sue Slaght said:
I think you deserve an award for attempting a big hike before a wedding! Wowza I know that would be a no for me. I look Elly would have slept through the entire celebration. Gorgeous photos as always Lex.
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lexklein said:
And it was a 4:30 wedding no less! You know, we always seize on empty hours and half-decent weather and try to fill them to the max when we travel. In this case, we bit off a little too much, or we should have started an hour earlier … but we were theoretically on vacation, so I didn’t want to leap out of bed at the crack of dawn either! I wasn’t really tired, but my knees and calves did not love being up on heels for 7 hours after the steep hike down (and in the mud – the wedding was outdoors and it rained almost the whole time. 😦 )!
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Sue Slaght said:
The whole day sounds epic! Sorry to hear about all the rain at the outdoor wedding. Ugh.
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AndysWorldJourneys said:
a wedding after a hike… that sounds challengibf!
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lexklein said:
Nahhh, the wedding was a snap. I’m a late night person, so I was wide awake; I was just a little achy being up on heels after a steep hike downhill a few hours earlier!
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Hoarder Comes Clean said:
The forests, the streams, and especially the moss covered rocks – it all looks heavenly. Yes the summit is beautiful, but I seem to be obsessed with moss. This is a part of the country I haven’t seen yet, and you have inspired me, though I think I’m past strenuous hikes and I know I’m past carrying a pack. Thanks for letting us all tag along visually.
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lexklein said:
I find moss pretty amazing, too, Sandy! It is almost preternaturally green, and the texture is fascinating. The only problem I had with it on this trip was that its rampant growth usually means lots of moisture and some level of sun obstruction, and I got really tired of being in the dark-ish, dripping woods for hours and then days on end without a good view of the sun and sky. Guess I need to head out west for my next hike and get some good old rock climbing in! 🙂 (I’ll even settle for a prairie right now … just no more deep woods!)
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James said:
Oh my goodness Lex – I would never even consider a multi-hour trek to scale a peak just before a wedding! Reading this reminds me of your disappointment in Ecuador and in Patagonia, and I do hope this is the last in an unlucky streak. But I also agree with previous comments that you were definitely too harsh on yourself.
I think one thing I really do miss about Hong Kong is all the hiking opportunities within easy reach of the city. In fact there’s a trailhead just a 15-20 minute walk from my parents’ home. I haven’t had the chance to spend time in the mountains to the south of Jakarta since moving here; a lot of that is down to the terrible weekend traffic jams heading out of town and the woeful state of public transport.
Reading Bama’s comment also gave me a chuckle. He is in much better shape than I am now, and had we gone back to Rinjani today, he would surely have made it to the summit. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t given my current lack of fitness!
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lexklein said:
Believe it or not, I never thought twice about hiking for 6 hours before the wedding! The hours were empty, there was a mountain 10 minutes away, so …! As I read people’s comments, I realize we are perhaps a little bit nuts in the head. 🙂
I have heard fabulous things about the hiking opportunities right smack in the middle of Hong Kong; I had a friend who lived in the most urban of environments and yet she left her apartment and hiked up amazing hills every day. I must go there for both experiences!
I bet you are more fit than you think or that hiking up a mountain depends on more than fitness. I always find that my current level of fitness does not always translate into success or failure; often it’s a psychological hurdle or some weather luck or another external factor. I’ve been working out a lot and my legs are super strong right now, but being in those wet, drippy, dark, muddy woods with someone going at warp speed just did me in!
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Liesbet @ Roaming About said:
Well, I”m glad you made it to the top of Mt. Washington after all. For a moment there, I thought you’d totally fail. Sometimes, we need a little help. 🙂 If it is of any condolence, I totally recognize your feelings, efforts and disappointments, and I’m only 42. I have come to realize that summitting mountains is a part of my past, when I pushed way beyond my limits and managed to survive. Now, with bad knees, excruciating headaches when exercising hard and multiple disappointing moments of reaching tops of mountains, only to find fog, clouds and rain, I’m OK not reaching my “top” goals. But, I agree with you, after all that effort, anticipation and energy, there has to be a reward. Sometimes, it comes the next day, with a tram ride and beautiful weather.
By the way, “It’s the journey, not the destination,” is one of the most overstated expressions ever. I, for one, enjoy the destination much more than the journey, especially when sailing the rough oceans. 🙂 And, I’m not shy to admit that.
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lexklein said:
You are always so wonderfully positive! I do view my ride up to the top of Mount Washington as a “win,” and I have accepted that maybe the summits on foot on this particular trip were just not meant to be. At a month’s distance, I am OK with that!
I’m sort of half and half on the journey and the destination thing. I am definitely goal-oriented, but on some adventures, I really do savor the lead-up to something spectacular. Now, if that thing were on high seas, I would be 100% focused on the destination! (I was just warning Lisa that I have some sailing fears, but she assures me the west coast of Madagascar has been calm and safe … I’ll be there in 12 days, so I hope it stays that way!)
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Suzanne said:
I understand your disappointment in not making it to the top of Mt Washington on foot, but in retrospect, you may be glad you got there the way you did! I summitted Mt Washington last September on the last day of a Hut-to-Hut through the Presidential Range, which means I only had to climb about 15% of it, then get back down in a single day. I ran out of time and ended up hiking down the last stretch after dark! I hadn’t accounted for the Volkswagen-sized boulders I would have to hop…all the way down! It was brutal. Almost a year later, I am still trying to decide if it was worth it.
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lexklein said:
Funny, I just read an article about the hut-to-hut through that range yesterday. That’s how we should have spent our three NH days, but instead we stayed in one spot and did day hikes, and obviously Mount Washington would have been a better one to tackle in stages. My husband hates camping (and probably huts), so maybe I’ll just go back someday on my own and walk at my own pace, too! (The boulders really were on steroids!)
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twobrownfeet said:
I can understand that feeling of not reaching the top. I’m not even a hiker and felt terrible for aborting many hikes due to a bad knee or nerves. Looking at all those gorgeous pictures (above), I think J was right. I would have loved to just spend days in the woods observing plants, even moss growing on those roots (reminds me of the forest in Mongolia), and insects/birds (if there were any). I think you did very well! Anyone who can kick off a pair of hiking boots and trade them for heels, in couple of hours, deserves a pat on the back! I know I can’t do that. 🙂
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lexklein said:
I’m usually quite happy to just enjoy nature, but there are times I have a more defined goal and that’s when I can get disappointed! In hindsight, we did an enormous amount of hiking in a few days, and one of our hardest days was the multi-hour climb right before the wedding (we are so silly to have crammed that in there, especially in the rain).
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Bespoke Traveler said:
Oh, I’ve felt that aching disappoint and frustration myself while trying to summit! So happy you were able to view the top of Mt. Washington. I find that the journey is only enjoyable when I don’t have a destination in goal. On the plus side, New England is looking as lush as I remember it. Your talk of maple candy and cider doughnuts has me thinking about autumn orchard trips around the area.
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lexklein said:
New England overall was a complete joy. I hadn’t been to VT or NH for decades, and even though it’s still the same mountain range I grew up in, it’s different enough to feel foreign. (Truly foreign at times – parts of Vermont were so reminiscent of last fall’s trip through Austria and a few other Alpine countries that I almost found English to sound out of place!) We will not let so much time pass before we go back, so there’s always a next time for the ascents!
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Jolandi Steven said:
I love this piece of writing, and the photographs are gorgeous. Although I love just being out walking, I also understand how disappointing it can be to no reach a goal, especially after slogging it out for many hours. Good decision on taking the cog train, though, as those views are truly spectacular.
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lexklein said:
Thank you! I think your use of the words “slogging it out for many hours” capture the crux of my disappointment. I do very much enjoy nature for its own sake and often walk for the pure pleasure of it, but in these two cases, we worked so damn hard for so long with (at least in my case) a clear goal in mind, so it was just more upsetting to have to turn around twice and head back down without (properly) bagging a peak. Getting to the top of Mount Washington by train, though, was a thrill, especially on that unusually gorgeous day. I’m so glad I insisted we do that!
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Lisa Dorenfest said:
Stunning picture after stunning picture Lexie. Mouth agape the whole way through. You are making me homesick. But the next best thing to being home is having a little bit of ‘home’ come to me. Can’t wait for your visit in mid-August and to see Madagascar through your lens. You are going to put my photos to shame, but its worth it to have you here by my side :-).
PS – in my opinion, your youth has far from departed…you are just getting going. And I promise that my physical capabilities (or lack thereof) will make you feel like a spring chicken. I am great on the ascent but growing ever slower on the way down. You’ll see what I mean when we descend Nosy Komba after we’ve procured fresh vanilla
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lexklein said:
For some reason, you have a mistakenly high regard for my photography skills! I aim, try to compose in my own completely amateur way, and snap. Sometimes I fiddle with a setting and sometimes I play with an editing tool (whatever came free on whatever device I am using) and voila – photos that occasionally come out well enough to post online. YOU have the true talent and I plan to take some lessons while bouncing around the seas off the coast of Africa one short week from today! Wooohooo!
I’m not the oldest hen pecking along, but spring chicken may be going too far! Maybe on the inside – I swear I’m still 30-something in my mind! – but time marches on in my bones, and the road map of my adventures seems to be printed on my face as well as my memories these days! Let’s plan to amble up and down Nosy Komba, taking time to smell the vanilla and not test each other’s deficiencies going up or down!
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Lisa Dorenfest said:
Well it’s a mutual admiration society then because I think my snaps pale in comparison to yours. It will be fun to learn from each other while your here.
On the inside, I range from 5 yo to 30 yo depending on the moment, but on the outside I’m like 70 even if I’m really only 56. How’d that happen.
Anyhow, the best vanilla is to be had up the hill. We can either take it slowly or we can remain at sea level and charm some young sailor in the anchorage to go get some for us 😀
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gallivance.net said:
Lexie, I don’t know what all the trails were like, but the two rocky, rooty photos I see are more mountain goat territory. You should at least get a merit badge for not twisting an ankle or falling and chipping a tooth. You’re being pretty hard on yourself, but I’m sure that you’ve spent enough time in the outdoors to know when it’s time to call it a day. BTW, nice photos for a cellphone. ~James
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lexklein said:
True enough – the hiking was rough (and for hours on end), but I still felt like I’d done that so many times before and that I was being a slow wimp this time! It’s funny you mention mountain goats because I’ve often been called that very thing for my sure feet. I guess it’s not the feet but the lungs!
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Golden triangle with Jodhpur said:
It is looking such a creative blog and you are explained your blog in details, I have no words for say I just say thanks for sharing this post.
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lexklein said:
Thank you! Maybe someday I’ll have the pleasure of writing about your part of the world!
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thefolia said:
Looks like another planet…happy trails!
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lexklein said:
I never thought of it that way, but yes! – as you climb out of the trees and onto the rocks, it’s like a whole different world up there.
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Jules & Verne said:
I can relate to the frustration of missed goals, but while reading through your post I kept going back to the wedding part. A big hike before a ceremony that will most certainly entail hours standing up and perhaps copious amount of stairs? Well done 🙂
– Verne
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lexklein said:
I felt certain your sentence was going to continue “and perhaps copious amounts of …. WINE!” As it turns out, we had both: a set of irregular stone stairs leading up and down from one part of the outdoor wedding to the other, as well as an open bar. To add to the fun, it poured rain and those high heels were sunk into the mud half the evening. Oddly, we did not even think about skipping a full day of hiking before the wedding; we had the time and the mountain was there …!
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Jules & Verne said:
Haha, in retrospect copious amounts of wine would have been more appropriate. I think I was thinking about my own experience a couple of months ago, where a hike to similar heights left me incapable of doing stairs for a couple of days. Didn’t try heels, but the mere prospect of it seems daunting 🙂
– Verne
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Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
Oh man… I would be super frustrated by this too. Never mind the journey haha. My brother was just a little ways away from summiting Kilimanjaro when his wife was struck by altitude sickness and they had to go racing back down the mountain. This after trekking for 6 days straight…. can u imagine???
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lexklein said:
Yeah, my disappointment pales in comparison. I’ll one-up you! 🙂 We have a friend who attempted Everest and got within 200 feet of the summit when his oxygen delivery system failed. A tiny valve got stuck and ended his second attempt and a 4-5 month stay on the mountain. UGH. I feel positively whiny about my dopey little hill!
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Manja Mexi Movie said:
It is all relative so I won’t comment on your thoughts of “failing” and “departed youth” and instead tell you that yesterday I went up a mountain for the first time in about 15 years and that we walked for full 20 minutes in blistering heat to reach a lovely chapel with amore and my parents who each carried a big stick to help them walk and that today mom is so tired that she can’t go to the concert of her favourite singer in the next town, while I’m beyond any heels to speak of as it is and today in particular.
In other news I hear you’re off to meet Lisa which must be just about the single most satisfying thought one could have. I wish you an excellent get-together and make a tiny toast for me as well. 😉
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lexklein said:
Oh, it certainly is relative, and I do know it. Every once in a while I get cranky and need to whine a little, though. Thanks for indulging me. 🙂 In general, I am blessed with good health and strength, and I know I should not take any of that for granted.
And yes, I will put myself to the test again in a different way starting tomorrow as I begin the 2-day journey to get myself to the little island off Madagascar where Lisa is anchored. I have my small worries about the itinerary and its pitfalls, but I’m very excited to arrive and see the sailing world for a short time! We shall make a BIG toast to you also!
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The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
You went there, you hiked, you saw amazing scenery – give yourself a pat on the back! 😀
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lexklein said:
With the benefit of hindsight, that’s exactly what I am doing! 😀
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FastPam@thelifebus said:
First and foremost Miss Lex, you are NOT past your peak. You may not be able to scramble up a mountain as fast as you once could – but the fact you were out there hiking for hours and hours is testament that you “still got it”. The same thoughts cross my mind and then I stop to give myself a break and remember that we are more fit than a majority of the population! Also don’t forget you all live at sea level without even a hill in sight – Makes it very hard to stay “mountain” fit! Second, the pics are gorgeous :-).
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lexklein said:
Giving myself a break is something I am only good at part-time! 🙂 I did ultimately come to terms with the fact that we were there for a wedding and a “vacation” and that every day did not need to include a summit or even a summit attempt! We tried to cram too many hardcore hikes into a few days; while I can go days and weeks on a trail when that’s the whole trip, this one was a weird combo of road trip, social event, and trail outings, and the hybrid did not suit me, I guess! It really was a gorgeous area, though, and the fresh cool air was a such a great respite from the Texas summer heat. Awesome trip at the end of it all!
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FastPam@thelifebus said:
I hear ya on all fronts! We do the same – life would be dull if we didn’t though right? Never change!!
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