OUTDOOR AWARENESS

Taking my family into the backcountry has been an enjoyable and rewarding part of my life. My children have developed a sense of pride and accomplishment in achieving success in the backcountry and developing confidence in their physical skills. Having taken my son on backcountry trips, I was anxious to do the same with my daughter. Mt. Washington presented an extremely challenging objective that with the nearby hut system included a civilized approach to the adventure.

We flew into Manchester, NH on Wednesday, and visited a nearby college. On Thursday, we returned to the White Mountains, and stayed at Joe Dodge Lodge at the base of Mt. Washington. The lodge and hut system in the White Mountains is phenomenal, and a great adjunct to exploring the backcountry. On Friday, we made the ascent of Mt. Washington. A 4000' elevation gain, and 4.2 miles. The headwall following Tuckerman Ravine is impressive. It's a massive impediment to the base of Mt. Washington. Once we surpassed the headwall, we still had the 1.2mi steep, scramble to the top. Full, heavy fog was present, and diminished our motivation to reach the top. Finally, we reached the foggy top of Mt. Washington, running into the abundant, motor-assisted public at the summit. We entered the restaurant, and very generously warmed up and nourished ourselves. Once recovered, we took a number of obligatory photos at the summit. Now, we were ready to descend to Lakes of the Clouds Hut, near Mt. Monroe. At first, it was a cold, windy, foggy experience at the summit. However, after descending 30 minutes, we dropped below the clouds, and became extremely warm in the newly discovered sunlight.

After another hour, we reached Lakes of the Clouds Hut. It was an amazing gem. Wonderful home cooked food from scratch. A camaraderie and fellowship with our fellow hiker. Finally, there was the entertainment and stories of the numerous AT through hikers. It was a wonderful, civilized experience. The sunset views and colors were amongst the best I can remember. Sharing that time with my daughter was extremely special. We sleep very well in the community bunkhouse, and enjoyed the hearty breakfast. After eating and packing up, we summited Mt. Monroe. It was a wonderful, sunny, clear view. Then we angled toward Mt. Washington, and descended the same headwall, and returned to the Joe Dodge parking lot.

From Joe Dodge, we drove to Manchester, NH and obtained a room to cleanup and rest for our return flight on Sunday. With a massive amount of rest, we returned to Chicago on Sunday.