Elevation

So, there I was, wondering what to do to fill up the FBR’s final few days with us. In a moment of pure lunacy, I suggested we climb Mount Monadnock again. After last year’s climb I was convinced she would decline. Boy, was I wrong. She enthusiastically endorsed the plan, so I was stuck. I based my initial thoughts on the almost continuous complaints I endured on the trail last year as we came down. Apparently, I was a lot more successful than I thought as she was genuinely proud of and thoroughly enjoyed the climb. Go figure, there are some New Hampshire roots in the gal after all. Both she and her mother enjoy spending time in the woods so there’s that.

Heading up the Hill Yesterday

Blue Moon Photos

Wednesday night before the climb, we let her stay up past her bedtime (shhh, don’t tell her parents) so she could see the blue moon that lit up the night sky. This won’t happen again until the FBR is 21 so we felt it would be cool. I don’t know what she enjoyed more, staying up a little later or the moon which, being 17,000 miles closer to earth, was incredibly bright. It was fun sharing it with her. I thought it would mean we’d sleep in a little later Thursday morning in preparing for the climb, but alas, that was not to be.

Up the White Dot

C'mon Grandpa, Keep Up

Breaking the Tree Line

My Favorite Panamanian’s arm was acting up so she decided not to accompany us to New Hampshire. The arm must have really hurt for her to avoid tax free shopping while the FBR and I were climbing. I changed tactics this year. Instead of taking the Old Toll Road to the White Arrow trail we parked at the state park headquarters and used the White Dot trail that I had fond memories of from my days as a Camp Wakanda camp counselor. I also remembered it being much easier than it was yesterday. The advantage here was no mile long trek along a dirt road which was the FBR’s major complaint from last year.

I Caught Up

The Pack Was Heavy Enough

The Great Cairn Protector

It worked. She was in her element from the get go, charging up the hill, since there was no road to navigate. She apparently has heard something about poison ivy because she asked me no less than 947 times yesterday if a plant she walked near was the ivy. I told her exactly what it looked like but that didn’t stop the questions. It’s weird that I was hoping we would run across some just so I could point it out to her. It was a perfect day to climb with base of the mountain temperatures in the 60s. There were a lot more mountain streams than usual based on the rain earlier this week. It made for some slippery moments which the FBR handled with aplomb (regrettably much more than her grandfather).

Almost There

Atop Mount Monadnock

Nutella Time

Exploring the Top

I was sneakily proud to kind of keep up with her, for the most part. It helped that she wanted to take a break about every ten minutes. When we broke out of the tree line the views were incredible and a nice mountain breeze cooled us down. The FBR was especially psyched to discover the many cairns that marked the trail. She’d seen a sign at the base of the maintain that asked people not to mess with them. She repeated this warning to me at each of the many we passed. She must think I’m some sort of serial cairn abuser.

We reached the top and learned why some of the people we passed as they came down were garbed for cold weather. We’d packed (or I should say, I packed) some warm clothes which were immediately employed. Speaking of packing, since I was charged with carrying everything up and down for both of us, I’m going to buy a much smaller bottle of Gatorade for her next year. That damned thing was almost full when we got down and I felt every swish and swirl during the climb. We found a good spot to knock out lunch with the awesome mountaintop views as the FBR tried to cover her entire face with Nutella (reminding me so much of her mother at the same age). The winds were really cooking which reduced the amount of time we spent on top.

At The Very Top

On the Way Down

As always, despite being less physically taxing, the descent was no where near as fun. The bad knee has robbed me of confidence to make certain jumps that I wouldn’t even thought about before. The FBR was patient as we made our way down, although she would glom onto my arm unexpectedly at times which turned out be a great agility drill. She only fell once and it wasn’t really a fall, she slid three feet down a granite slab and ended up with half her butt in one of those puddles. By the time we were down the mountain that “fall” had become a near death experience. We took the white cross trail down and this subjected me to a continual “how much further” question for the final hour of the climb down.

With Keene Friend Post Climb

It was still a great day spent on the iconic mountain I grew up next to with one of the most special people in the world. I was even able to simulate a normal walk instead of a pain influenced shamble afterwards. Keene Friend had invited us over for some post-climb ice cream which turned out to be whoopy pie sundae. A fitting end to a day spent totally immersed in New Hampshire (all that granite). Knowing me I’ll offer to make the climb again next year, I’m just a glutton for good times.

FBR's Parents on Their Way Home
Stopover in Paris!

Two movies fell in my A-Z watch, both keepers, Forbidden Planet, one of greatest Sci Fi movies ever made, loved this movie from my earliest days; Forever Young, sappy but heart filled romcom/time travel, last scene’s music is worth watching entire movie for.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course