UPDATE 5-16-07: Campground Selected
I have reserved a group campsite at Campton Campgrounds in Campton, NH. This is about 1/2 hour south of the trailhead for the Friday hike, so it seemed like a suitable location. Other considerations included flush toilets and showers (both are a short walk from our campsite), as well as pets (allowed, but of course you must keep them leashed and in control, and must pick up after them). For more info, go here and here. Note that we're in Group Site B, and that there's plenty of room for more people, so bring 'em!
Directions to campground: Super easy. Exit 28 off of I-93. Follow Highway 49 (Mad River Road) east 2 miles.
Cost: I paid $120 for the reservation, which covers two nights for up to 40 people. If you can throw me $5 for each night you stay, I would be most appreciative.
Check-in/-out: We can check in as early as 2pm on Friday. We must check out by 12pm Sunday.
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My best friend Nathaniel and I, along with my roommate Jeff and his girlfriend Diana, are in New Hampshire on a camping trip with a group of friends from Boston. We decide to go for a hike. Where? Lonesome Lake in Franconia Notch. Why? It seems like an easy enough hike. It ends at a lake complete with its own AMC hut. And, of course, it allows us to spend some amount of time on the Fishin' Jimmy Trail.
Along the way, Nathaniel invites me along for a 20-something-mile death march across the summits of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, also known as a Presidential Traverse . He had already tried it once earlier in the summer with some coworkers. Weather forced some of them to turn back early, and the remainders (Nathaniel and Boyd) finished the hike without any of the usual pomp and cirumstance such as nice views or actually reaching any summits. We decide to hike all the high points in the Northeast to prepare. Thus began our hiking adventures, which would later come to include the long term goal of completing the list of 48 mountains within the White Mountain National Forest that exceed 4,000 feet of elevation. The fun continues until.....
February 28th, 2005:
Nathaniel dies in a ski accident. I had the fortune of seeing him just one week earlier on our (ridiculously frigid) hike with Boyd and Brennan. We bagged Zealand and South Twin, and spent a night outside at -20F. A dogsled race planned for that weekend had been cancelled, supposedly due to "cold". Fast forward to.....
August 3rd, 2007:
46 down, 2 to go. Five years since the Fishin' Jimmy Trail. Five years since it all began. It's time for things to come full circle. It's time to finish the list.
On this day I will hike North and South Kinsman, following a route past Lonesome Lake and along the Fishin' Jimmy Trail. I'm hiking those two final summits rain or shine or snow or wind or whatever. Nothing is going to keep me off the mountain that day. Okay, maybe a thunderstorm complete with lightning straight from the bowels of Zeus himself, but nothing SHORT of that will keep me off the mountain. Are you in?
I won't lie to you, the whole hike may be too much for some. Few of the 4000-footers could be described by the non-hiker as "easy". This particular hike is 10 miles round trip with 3,550' of total elevation gain. It's not for everyone, but there are options. Lonesome Lake and its namesake AMC hut lie just 1.6 miles in (and 950' up). This can act as a good stopping point. Also, there's no shame in turning around at any point along the trail. I'm inviting you to join me in spending some time in the mountains remembering Nathaniel, not to overexert yourself and be miserable. For a little more info, go here .
The rest of the plan for the New Hampshire portion of the weekend is to camp out somewhere nearby on Friday night. Wake up Saturday and goof off in the mountains. Hiking? Biking? Kayaking? Sitting around camp chatting and melting beer bottles in the fire? All are viable options. If enough people sign up, I will try to find a place with a group campsite. Thus it is important for you to get back to me ASAP. Whether in or out, for all of this or just for part of it, please let me know by filling out the form.