random thoughts – Day 1,259 – (Monday) – climbing

On the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail,
New Hampshire.

When I first moved back to New England, there was some time invested in hiking. Having grown up in a really hilly city with lots of nearby mountains (not to mention the nearby ocean), the hills were were something I missed while living in Middle Tennessee (the ocean was another thing I missed). In twelve years, there was only one trip made east to the Smoky Mountains, and even then, X2 wasn't into hiking, so we walked about 25 measly feet on a trail so we could say we at least stepped on The Appalachian Trail.

Once back home, there were hikes with Moose to Mt. Wachusett (Winston had a bad knee and couldn't go), and with assorted combinations of friends and sometimes my middle niece (aka Chowdah) to local bumps including Wachusett, Watatic, and Monadnock. They were all great hikes, but one hike was more memorable than the rest for a couple reasons. 

In August 2017, Chowdah and I went hiking one day on the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail (which features two peaks) in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. A colleague had recommended it and it did not disappoint. We set out for the day and the drive took longer than I expected, or maybe it's that I don't like driving and was anxious to just get there. I had on my red hiking boots which had taken me up and down several mountains and through NamSang Park in Seoul several times. I loved those boots.

Flip flop boot #1.

We were barely a half mile into the trail when I kept hearing a slapping sound like flip flops. A trailside investigation led to the discovery that the left sole had detached from the boot upper from the heel to about mid-arch. Some clever redirection of the shoe lace crossed under the arch and the boot was sort of all set. 

Things were working mostly okay with the repair job until the 2.5 mile mark when the sole of the right boot separated at both the heel and the toe, adding a fresh degree of trip hazards and difficulty to the already challenging hike. The right boot also got the MacGyver treatment to keep the sole somewhat attached to the boot upper. 

The other challenge on the hike, besides the boots issue, was crossing a ridge where the wind was blowing just strong enough to make it feel like we would be blown from the face of Mother Earth. Thankfully, this did not happen. 

A few times we paused, and sat, and looked at the view. The hike was only around four miles, but it was steep with a lot of rock, and it took us a smidge less than three hours (2:57) to complete it, my busted boots and all. It was great.

After that hike, there was an investment made in some new boots. Sadly, they haven’t been used much. Schedules, obligations, and my fickle knees and poor planning all conspired to limit the hiking activity. 

Maybe someday there will be more mountain hiking. Or not. Maybe it should start with more flatlands walking than pointy hill climbing. We’ll see.