Since 2018, I’ve been leading groups into the White Mountains of New Hampshire for some epic adventures. On every drive home, I’ve schemed ways to get back (pretty sure someone in my family lineage was a mountaineer). Unfortunately, life’s gotten in the way of those plans…until now!
After our most recent group trip to Carter Dome, I told my extremely beautiful and understanding wife that I felt compelled to return. I played the birthday card (you only turn the big 4-3 once!) and less than two weeks later, I was driving North again.
There’s something sacred about being in the mountains alone. It’s you, your breath, and your thoughts (or doubts). My pack was heavy with overnight gear (this old man prioritizes sleeping comfort over hiking comfort) and I set out on a trail that clearly #DGAF what I was carrying.
I was loving life for the first couple of miles and even let out a big “woohoo” for no one else to hear as King Ravine revealed itself. For whatever reason, I opted for a loaded scramble through a boulder field instead of the trail and immediately regretted it. I crawled, precision-jumped, shimmied, body-propped and bushwhacked through roughly 0.1 miles of rocky chaos, right before tackling 1,000’ of gain in 0.5 miles up the headwall. Not efficient, nor recommended. 👎
The climb was steep, loose, and morale-draining. But after reaching camp, setting up, and collecting myself, the mountain rewarded me! Golden hour washed over the ridgeline, and I sat alone, surrounded by stillness, expecting deep thoughts but got something better: a full body/mind/heart/soul awegasm! I went blank and lost track of time staring at a sunset that I thought would never end – this was definitely intensified by the earlier efforts in the ravine (and a touch of psilocybin).
That Big “A” filled me with gratitude, and I slept like a baby. I woke up sore but satisfied, summited the rock pile that is Mount Adams, and obviously dipped into Echo Lake to cool/clean off before heading home.
Back in the real world, the noise returned, but it’s all good! I got my mountain fix and plan to make this solo hike an annual tradition. In this middle-aged health professional’s humble opinion, regular adventures that serve all four of our bodies deserve to be scheduled!
What do you do to recharge your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual batteries?
