Only one week left from school. Before I tell you this weekend's story I make a list of the upcoming exams and presentations.
- Monday: Capstone - Presentation and 30 pages paper
- Tuesday: International Business - Exam
- Wednesday: -
- Thursday: Managerial Economics - Final paper and exam
Others think I should learn. I think I shouldn't compromise, so this is how I decided. I have time for all the finals, thus we went up to New Hampshire again but with a different much challenging purpose. We climbed Mt. Washington. The whole trip lasted less then 23 hours from leaving WV and arriving back home.
Our itinerary:
http://goo.gl/maps/jbTqW
Exhibit A Staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center warned 23-year-old Gabriel Gauthier that 1 p.m. was too late to start a summit bid. But sunny, 70°F weather in the valley convinced him otherwise, and on September 21, 2006, he and three friends hiked up the peak in little more than shorts and T-shirts. The mercury plummeted 40 degrees as they climbed, and Gauthier's body temperature dropped as well, ultimately rendering him unconscious. His pals continued to the summit and summoned help by breaking into buildings that had been closed for the season, but rescuers couldn't revive Gauthier. He lives–but with massive brain damage inflicted by profound hypothermia.
- Monday: Capstone - Presentation and 30 pages paper
- Tuesday: International Business - Exam
- Wednesday: -
- Thursday: Managerial Economics - Final paper and exam
Others think I should learn. I think I shouldn't compromise, so this is how I decided. I have time for all the finals, thus we went up to New Hampshire again but with a different much challenging purpose. We climbed Mt. Washington. The whole trip lasted less then 23 hours from leaving WV and arriving back home.
Our itinerary:
http://goo.gl/maps/jbTqW
Mt. Washington nagyobb térképen való megjelenítése
Distance:
567 miles/905 km
Time:
23 hours (from 4:30AM to 3:00 AM)
Climbing time:
Ascending - from 10:45AM to 16:15PM - 5:30 hours
Descending - from 16:55PM to 21:25PM - 4:30 hours
2x5288 ft elevation - 8.2 miles/13.1 km climbing
2x5288 ft elevation - 8.2 miles/13.1 km climbing
I want to describe you what everybody should know about Mt. Washington.
"AMERICA'S 10 MOST DANGEROUS HIKES - MT. WASHINGTON, NH
It'll blow you away
The Hike Known as the most dangerous small mountain in the world, 6,288-foot Mt. Washington boasts some scary stats: The highest wind velocity ever recorded at any surface weather station (231 mph) was logged here on April 12, 1934. And 137 fatalities have occurred since 1849. No surprise: Most are due to hypothermia–and not only in winter. "They call them the White Mountains for a reason," says Lieutenant Todd Bogardus, SAR team leader for New Hampshire's Fish & Game Department. "We see snow right on through the year." Several weather patterns collide on Washington and produce its notoriously foul weather, which can move in quickly. In 60-mph winds, hiking becomes nearly impossible: Traveling north along the Crawford Ridge from Washington's summit, hikers routinely–and unknowingly–get blown off course by powerful westerly winds, which shove them down off the ridge into the Great Gulf or the Dry River Valley. "It's human nature to go with the wind rather than into it," says Bogardus. Unfortunately, hikers often find the winds have steered them many miles from trails and roads, thwarting their safe return.
Exhibit A Staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center warned 23-year-old Gabriel Gauthier that 1 p.m. was too late to start a summit bid. But sunny, 70°F weather in the valley convinced him otherwise, and on September 21, 2006, he and three friends hiked up the peak in little more than shorts and T-shirts. The mercury plummeted 40 degrees as they climbed, and Gauthier's body temperature dropped as well, ultimately rendering him unconscious. His pals continued to the summit and summoned help by breaking into buildings that had been closed for the season, but rescuers couldn't revive Gauthier. He lives–but with massive brain damage inflicted by profound hypothermia.
Survival Plan Lots of New England's nor'easters are predicted well in advance, so check the Mt. Washington Observatory forecast (mountwashington.org/weather). And most accidents occur in shoulder seasons to hikers not expecting winter to last so long or summer to end so quickly. Plan for high winds and icy temps, and pack warm, weatherproof layers and an emergency blanket or bivy sack."
You can read about the highest wind story here:
During a wild April storm in 1934, a wind gust of 231 miles per hour (372 kilometers per hour) pushed across the summit of Mount Washington. This wind speed still stands as the all-time surface wind speed observed by man record. Below are excerpts from then-observer Alex McKenzie's book The Way It Was which accounts in detail the experience of documenting and living to tell the tale of a 231 mph wind.
And here about records on the summit:
When I told my brother where we are going, he said "Only 2000 meters?" Well, since then I can confirm that this mountain is dangerous, you can easily die or get injured on Mt. Washington easily, no kidding.
Many people underestimate the power of this mountain because of its low heights. Big mistake. Personally I have prepared for the worst. I am a big fun of any kind of survival series, survival books anything that does something with survival. I am an outdoor man but not in American standards. Here being an outdoor man means that you go to bed in camouflage, you get up in camouflage and you go shopping/working in camouflage. And I am not this one either: Doomsday Preppers
I would say that I am keen on survival practices.
These items are with me: pair of boots (Caterpillar), backpack with water tube, water tank (2 liters), sunglasses, energy bars (1800 calories), first aid kit with bandage, gauze, swaddling bands, pain release cream, anti-allergy spray, thinsulate hat, pair of gloves, scarf, three flashlights, 8 pieces of AAA batteries, rope, watch, compass, knife, fire starter, lighter, blanket, trailmix, three pairs of socks, two T-shirts, two long sleeves shirts, two sweaters, two pants, belt
Everything in the backpack - ready to roll
Aziz and Jing came with us, they were hiking a bit and hanging out at the visitor center but they didn't climb up to the summit.
Before we started our trip we went to the EMS store (www.ems.com) in North Conway and we bought some tools that we were missing. Both of us bought trekking poles, 45 ft 3mm rope, and a set of microspikes. The poles and spikes were essential to be able to climb on Mt. Washington.
I haven't seen microspikes or crampons before but now I am in love with them. Everybody who goes out in winter conditions should have one.
Microspikes - this is like a snowchain on your shows
Fantastic tool, it increased traction incredibly and enabled us to climb on snow and ice
First glimpse over Mt. Washington in North Conway, NH
Ready to go, we had no clue what is waiting for us
The Tuckerman Trail up until the Lion head trail intersection was constant steep (or at least we thought it was steep, later on the Lion head trail we noticed what steep means). There were many skiers who put the skies on their backpack and headed to the Tuckerman bowl (an old glacier basin) to sledge down one time and go home. I respect those people they had heavier pack than we had, although they carried only half way compared to us.
The way we climbed. You can see here Boott Spur, Mt. Washington, Pinkham Notch (Visitor center, where we started), Tuckerman Bowl, Herman Lake Shelter, Lion head trail
After 20 minutes hiking we reached snow and ice so we put the microspikes on and continued.
After 2.1 miles climbing we reached the Tuckerman - Lion head trail intersection. Tuckerman trail is the summer route and Lion head is the winter trail. We were about half way going up.
I knew that these photos just couldn't reflect how steep everything was. Maybe you can imagine on this one. This was the only staircase, I'd rather say a ladder.
Usual look of the trail. Narrow way among rocks; you really had to climb:)
Getting closer to the tree line here. You can see the Herman lake on the left side, this is where the Tuckerman/Lion head intersection was and the Boott Spur summit in the back as well.
This was the most dangerous point on the way back. It was about 60 degrees step, maybe more.
Long narrow half foot wide trail - the winter route
Traffic on the trail - scary meeting
Half way up to the Lion head and first glimpse over the Tuckerman Bowl
The last section of the Lion head, steep, muddy, slippery, snowy.
Video #1 - At the Lion Head
At the Lion head
View of the Mt. Washington from the Lion head
Sitting on the edge looking up on the skiers in the bowl
The next intersection that showed we were only 0.9 miles from the summit.
Video 2#
Video 3#
Video 4# - last 0.4 mile
Video 5# - arriving to the summit
Video 6# - looking around on the top
On the summit!!! After 5:30 hours we have reached the peak of Mt. Washington. Uplifting feeling, great achievement.
Before descending
This is Boott Spur and the Tuckerman Bowl in the middle. Those stone towers are markers, they show the trail for hikers in any conditions.
OK, now you can imagine the scales and steepness of the mountain. At the very top in the middle you may notice the peak of the Mt. Washington observatory.
This was the closest sign to the summit. 0.4 miles from the Lion head sign.
Drinking fresh "glacier" water while taking a short break - tired? at this point we had 3.6 miles to the visitor center
Right before sunset
The Lion head from the other direction
We reached successfully the Tuckerman-Lion head intersection before dark (that was key!) and did the last one hour in dark with flashlights. We almost used everything from our backpack except the lighter, rope and blanket.
As the sun went down I took my camera back into my pack and put a roll bandage on my left knee because it hurt so bad. I don't know what happened to it, but the pain was increasing from half way. I finished the trip with no bending left leg:) I felt like a soldier after a battle. But a winning battle!
We have made it! Pushed my limit further again. After 4.5 hours and 10 hours climbing Andris drove home and we arrived 3AM on Sunday.
What we have done was another chapter in our insane trip book.
Next Sunday is graduation! YAY!
(I didn't write about the people we talked to and met on this trip. I got many great stories about them. I save those for later.)
:)
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