Getting Cheesy on Cabot, it was kinda easy.

Do I really have time to check my moose?

So, I finished my 48.  No fanfare, no balloons, no booze, no tiara.  Just me, a cheesehead, and the mountain.  Honestly, the way it should be.  Sometimes, you need to go up 4120ft to see the real world.  I had grand plans for this trip back in July.  Yeah, that worked. So much has gone on in the last two years, I was beginning to worry that I might not be able to finish.  But I did.  I may have a polish a few of the trophies, you know the ones I spent so much time cursing on, I never found the markers, or I just trudged right past them.  As much as I wanted on a few, I never kicked any over.  OH, it was tempting.  One mountain in particular.  I know I am not alone in wanting to lets the gods know what I thought of it.  

Finally got a picture of the sign

It has been a journey. There was frostbite, a few burns, tears, lots of DNA left on the trail, bone bruises, plain old bruises, all sorts of insect bites, a strange blister, purple toes, camping, hutting, faile summits, untold gallons of gas, 2 cars, some tires, the early wake ups, tired drives home.  Yup, it takes a lot to hike the 48s.  I would say Lysol and Febreze are some good tools to have.  Especially in the car, which right now is a bit ripe.

Somewhere there is another picture, but this will do.

Notice where the arrow points

Finishing my 48 does not make me an expert hiker or some master.  I am just Karen from MA.  I teach, work at REI, and sleep in between.  I may know a lot of stuff and some awesome people, but I am not some special hiker.  I am just Karen.  Several of my friends have finished their 48s within the last few weeks and one brilliantly expressed what I never could.  In the end, the 48 is just a list.  There are many lists and many trails and mountains that are not on those lists.  Finishing the 48 does not mean an end.  It is more a gateway to the mountains.  It is a gateway to beauty, adventure, challenges.  So many long distance hikers suffer from severe depression when they finish their hikes.  I am lucky, I have a playground a few hours away.  On my way home, I stopped by the Mountain Wanderer and got some ideas for a new adventure.  If you are lucky, Steve Smith remembers you. If you have pleased the universe, he introduces you to amazing people. I met two awesome ladies, BeccaHiker and Nordic Gal, who just fueled my desire to spend lots of time in the Pemi.  Thanks ladies.  :)  You might have given me an idea for a dissertation, you know, in case I decide to get one.  

Pretty

OH, is there a story to this

So Cabot.  Really a nice mountain with some great trails.  BUT, the main way to get there involves accessing the Berlin Fish Hatchery.  Hours 8-4.  YUP.  8-4.  So unless you can do book time or plan to camp, you risk having the gate closed before you finish.  So if you are day hiking, you are on the clock.  If you are a slow hiker like me, you can’t take the time to enjoy it all.  Plus it is up to 4 hours from Boston.  See why many do not choose it for their 48.  Plus it does not have those fancy views  OH, it has some awesome views, just not many from the summit.  People will say that you need a view for your 48, that that will make it more worth it.  Horse pucky.  Finishing makes it worth it.  Yes, even on Owl’s Head.  But if you survive the slide, that kinda does make it worth it.  And the blowdowns, and the mess of herdpaths, and the two summits.  I preferred Cabot.  

Because in case you are so delighted, you may need it.  Or you had the vegan chili.

The red tapes kinda kills the buzz, but Cabot is a nice mountain with some beautiful trails, especially in Fall.  There are plenty of views.  Not Franconia Notch views, but nice ones.  It can be kinda close in some areas, and you need to pay attention in others, but they are not bad.  When I first tried it, we were in a drought and people wondered how I slipped on dry dirt.  Now I know why they wondered.  Lots of water on Bunnell Notch, but once past there, not much to speak of.  If you are staying at the Cabin, you will need to fill up before a big climb.  The Killkenny Ridge Trail is nice.  But the PUDs are not appreciated on the way out.  The upper part of the Mt. Cabot Trail is steep, but nothing terrible.  It is a bit ledgy and strewn large rocky, but not bad with some nice views.  I missed the viewpoint on the way out.  It seemed nice.  Of course, when you are rushing up, it seems like it sucks.  Then I finally get to the hut, sit for the first time in 3 hours, fix my hat, leave my pack just because.  Then I ran up to the summit.  Yeah, I kinda ran with a cheesehead on my head.  I looked and there it was.  It was over.  I was done.

It's a cabin, I think I would find a place to tent instead

This must be the place

I take the obligatory pictures, jog back down, take some more pictures, grab my pack and run.  Well my version of running.  I had less than 3 hours to get back down and beyond the gate.  I took just over two.  When I realized why I was in so much pain (“running” + rocks = ouch), I slowed down and took some pictures.  Since I was all by myself, I had some music to hike out to.  I choose Achilles Last Stand, which I thought was quite appropriate.  Epic, classic, and well, Zeppelin.  OK, maybe The Ocean, but Achilles was perfect.  I could have done Dazed and Confused, but that is more of a Presi or Pemi Traverse or, gah, Owl’s Head trailhead song.  Since I had so much time, I took the obligatory foliage pictures. I will spare you the leaf peeper rant.  The Kanc on a bluebird Columbus Day weekend is a cluster and that is the understatement of civilization.  Good thing, I left my poles and the rangers caught me before I left.  So off to home, with a side trip to Lincoln for some stickers, my passport, and a handshake from Steve Smith.  I could not think of a better way to celebrate.  

Selfie

Any questions?

Yeah, I suck at selfies

Awesome view

Another awesome view

View from cabin

All you need to do is look

Aflac approved.

OHHHHHHHHH

AHHHHHHHH

So that is all she wrote.  Done.  Time to go back to teaching, learning how to fit backpacks, and sharing my sleep with a space hog, opinionated Snowshoe Siamese and needy Maine Coon.  My story is not over by any stretch.  I often say hiking saved my life.  It has at least kept me out of prison and the mental ward.  So I guess I better keep doing it.

Yeah, I had to reposition a whole set because I forget the order

He may not have written it, but his guidebooks helped me finish

Willy approved

Every new beginning starts with some other beginning's end

Isolation

I have needed to get out.  For a long time.  I have not slept outside since June and it is evident.  Hiking has been minimal and not very successful.  With the cooler temps and lack of irrational stress has helped.  But new stresses abound to risk my nature therapy.  And my confidence is still shot.  Did I mention the extreme exhaustion and now a cold (which started while hiking).  But to help relieve some financial stress, and have some fun, I will be working at REI starting next week.  YAY.  I figure I am there so much already I might as well work there.  If nothing else, I can live vicariously from the people I sell tents too.  

When I kayaked with the former CEO, I never thought I would be working at REI.

I did take two Sunday excursions.  The first was about 3.5 miles to the two Moose Mountains outside Hanover NH.  Hello AT miles.  Still huffy and puffy, but I did it and man was it worth it.  I was sore the next day, but who cares.  My kids were awesome that week.  Engaged and OK even with my tech issues.  Honestly, I am saying they were awesome just because they handled the tech challenges like champs.  How will they handle a normal week?  Pray for me.

Yes, this is a privy.

Cool cairns

THIS is the water source for the Moose Mountain Shelter.  It has been that dry.

On the way out

Then last Sunday I did Isolation.  14.6 miles in less than 12 hours.  I wanted 10, but all the damn rock hopping and mud avoidance slowed me WAY down. The Presidential Dry-River Wilderness is Presidential, but far from dry. Very far.  Then it got dark. I overslept, debated whether or not I was going to do the hike at all, and didn’t get on the trail until 8.  The trip from Rocky Branch has less elevation gain, but it is longer and well, Rocky Branch and Isolation Trail are wet, muddy, and obnoxious.  This is after weeks of little or no rain.  I saw a bear though.  Heard a very loud something.  Looked, saw the bear, he saw me, clicked my poles, and he made more noise running away.  He was a good 20 - 30 feet from me.  Now that is how you deal with a bear.  

The hike won

Dry?  Who named this wilderness.

I am not kidding, Rocky Branch and Isolation are awful trails.  I would probably say the same thing about the Cedar Brook Trail if I ever did it without the snow covering the crud.  But the other way included a 1600ft climb out.  UM NO.  But honestly, I need to find a better way to this mountain.  There are plenty of legal campsites along the way.  But Rocky Branch Shelter #2 is now just a memory.  Sad really.  The other issue is access to water on Davis and Glen Boulder.  I will say that the colors were nice on the way up.  But that is the only nice thing I can say. 

Off Rocky Branch Trail right before crossing.

Rest in Pieces Rocky Branch Shelter 2 

Not much dryer.

Davis Path is another story.  It is fabulous.  Plus I met one of the maintainers.  Let me tell you, he does some amazing work.  Ok some of the bog bridges need replacement, but things like that are hard in the wilderness.  I made quick work of it.  Then the spur to Isolation, up, but not bad, even when tired.  Then the prize.  Isolation.  Spent an hour up there.  Said I was going to leave at 3.  OOPS. Really did not want to leave.  But I am sure the Jays were planning some kind of attack as I would not feed them.  Oh, they tried, even gave me the cute face.  Did not work.  I reluctantly left for the obnoxious hike out.

Very nice trail 

No need to drop packs unlike other trails.  This one is nothing.

NOT on the Isolation Trail

This must be the place

I was all by myself, isolated.  Loved every second of it.

No, bad birdy. 

Did I mention the supermoon eclipse?  Well it did not start until I got to the Kanc.  I realized it had just started and went to one of the turn offs to watch it.  Very cool, but slow.  I napped a bit, changed my clothes, tried to get warm.  When it ended, back to MA I went.  Saw it come back at a rest area where I napped again, I think.  I was so tired I really do not remember driving home.  I got home around 2 and right to bed.  No shower.  Yes, you read that right.   No shower.  And still got to work the next day.  

Really need my Lumix

I was stupid to think that stress would go away and life would be normal.  Very stupid.  It just changes and becomes more acceptable.  But at least I have an outlet to my happy place.  It will just be a bit different.  I refuse to be hopeless as things are better.  Much better.  Just harder.  But I am up for the challenge.  Now sleep.  It is past hiker midnight.

Passaconaway: Just what I needed.

I needed a good hike.  As in I was wondering if I had it anymore.  There was a failed Osceola hike.  Ok, I was sick.  Then the really bad words on Whiteface.  I so wanted to love that mountain.  And of course, Owls head.  I don’t know if I wanted to die or was afraid to.  Don’t get me wrong, it is an awesome hike, well except those 2 miles going up and down the slidey, scree-laden slide complete with a zillion blowdowns.  On Owls and Whiteface, I dropped my pack praying it would make the trip easier.  NO, and it is not good to go without water and emergency signalling.  I counted.  From mid-August to mid-October I did 16 new peaks not including 2 that are not counted.  From Feb to now, 6 and 1 took 3 tries in 2 seasons.  That 16 was after I sprained my ankle.  See why I am concerned?  With all that is going on in my life, I needed a real victory.  I wanted to love the mountains again.  

Passaconaway blessed me with what I needed.  There are some who diss woods summits as if they are not as worthy as other summits.  Ok, some as boring as Hell, or make you work ridiculously hard for nothing.  But really, they all not bad.  Sometimes wooded walks allow you to focus on what is important.   It’s not all about the view.  It is about pushing limits and discovering who you are.  We all need time to reflect.  That’s what I got.  I took the lovely Dicey’s Mill Trail.  Wooded, great footing, not too steep, but pretty consistent ups.  Even the water crossing was a rock hop.  Meaning that I would not have to channel the gymnast me.  

I got a late start, but as you will see, it was perfectly timed.  I saw all the happy young people (and a few more mature folks) finishing up and here I am huffing, puffing, sweaty.  Plus the trail runner.  Did I really want to do this?  But I kept walking and walking and walking.  I thought about how hard it was and how it had been so much easier last year, etc.  So I sat down and thought.  Sun coming through the forest, the sound of a brook somewhere, it was perfect.  While I wanted to be mindful of all that was around me, I took some breaks to think about life.  I switched back to hiking on inclines, than back to life.  I came to some catharsis about things past, even halfheartedly did some forgiving.  You have to do what you have to do.  

It says it for a reason

I pushed on with no real idea of where I was or how much more I had to hike when I heard voices.  I had this passing thought about whether it was the nice women I met when doing Owls Head.  And guess what, it was them.  How crazy is that?  We caught up a bit, discussed the hiking forums, and gave each other trail reports.  They did the Whiteface/Passaconaway loop.  You know I might hike faster if I didn’t have so many conversations.  OK, but I would miss so much if I didn’t.  Yeah, I might not make book time, but who cares?  Why would I miss out on making new trail friends?  And if I am lucky, we might help each other, and maybe that friendship will extend beyond that hike.  The hiking community has some good people in it.  You should get to know some of them.

As it happened, I was at a junction.  No pic because I though I took on on the way up.  Oops.  They said the trails get confusing and they took another trail up.  It sounded like the trail I wanted to avoid.  I payed close attention to the signs and pushed on.  I passed a nice campsite and got a bit confused by some herdpaths, but went on instinct and pressed on.  Lots of switchbacks on this trail.  For 750ft in .7, it seemed easy.  I thanked Passaconaway, but asked what he was hiding.  Well I found the rocky, bouldery section.  I had to do some thinking.  It hurt.  It wasn’t too hard, but you have to be creative to get over some sections, again, my inner gymnast made an appearance.  I got the ledge with the AWESOME view and saw a sign that showed the way to that other trail.  i didn’t see a cairn, so I took another path and there it was.  The little piddly, obnoxious fire with the crappy ring built right next to a tree.  Read this post by Section Hiker to see why this is such a bad thing, but I think you already know why: http://sectionhiker.com/root-fires-and-leave-no-trace/ .  

These lovely Indian Pipes were spared.

After I spent some time fixing up and attempting to cover it up, I got to enjoy it.  It is a nice, peaceful wooded peak.  Kinda like Galehead.  I took a few silly selfies with the cute little cairn and then hit the ledge.  I had a snack, posted about the fire, and just took it all in.  I honestly did not want to leave.  I knew I had only about 90 minutes of daylight left, so off I went.  I made it down pretty quickly, but the darkness did hinder me.  Don’t be hardheaded like me, put the lamp on so you don’t faceplant.  But then I got slower because I could see all the faceplantable rocks just waiting to trip me.  When I got out of the woods, I turned off my lamp.  Now that was pretty cool.  The moon was not up yet, but the light colored rock made a nice path and going through that little wooded section it the dark, just pure awesome.  As I got closer to my car, I saw some flickering lights.  Lightning bugs!!!!!  It had been so long since I saw any.  There were not many, but still amazing.  I danced back to my car.

I love you cairn.

Again, don't know how this happens, but I like it.

Yummy fuel

The trip home was great too.  Found a better way there that does not involve roads with grass growing on them, but no epic frost heaves.  No interesting signage on the way, even at the gun shop.  Then I got to Meredith.  There are some strange pieces by the lake, but the moon reflecting on the lake was priceless.  It may not have been full, but it still looked awesome.  Yeah, this was what I needed. And I want to get back out there.  I just need to wait for a time when the storms will not get in my way.  Hail hurts.

No clue

Pretty