Bleary eyed and armed with an assortment of Dunkin Donuts breakfasts and some contentious footwear, a sizeable group set off to conquer the White Mountains in New Hampshire (and, for the record, a small part of Maine according to Wikipedia). Thankfully the rain of the previous day had subsided, and we were met with wonderful sunshine as we sun-creamed up and divided into two groups.
Smooth melodies sung by those at the back of the pack kept up the ambience and did a good job of dispersing any dangerous local predators such as rabbits and squirrels, not to mention several disapproving fellow hikers. Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” made a timely appearance at what was deemed to be half-way there though this also reignited a debate over where on earth we actually were. Charlie lived up to the lyrics in stylish fashion, taking many a weary hiker by the hand to guide them over rough terrain and prove that not all heroes wear capes, but some are found sporting backwards baseball caps and shorts, though few would be surprised if the former FOP leader had such a colourful garment tucked away in his bag ready for any eventuality.
Gradually gliding upwards through the forest, we could be forgiven for failing to notice that the party had divided (apologies Greg). A short detour by the forward party at the only fork in the path vindicated the old mantra of “slow and steady wins the race” though the journey was anything but a mad competitive scramble and made all the better by good company and conversation, despite the questionable singing that this inevitably inspired. Even in the face of some spreading out on the trail, thankfully it was not necessary to test whether URAF’s budget extended to a $60 000 helicopter search for a missing research village member. Hypothesis = probably not.
Pushing on past waterfalls, other walkers and occasional examples of the former minus the water, the groups made it into the alpine zone and were greeted by phenomenal views as we edged closer to Mt. Lafayette. Many were blissfully unaware of the true location of the fabled peak a few miles further along the ridge from the first summit. Nevertheless, any doubts as to the whether the long ascent was worthwhile were firmly dispelled by panoramic views of the surrounding hills and peaks. Lunch and an obligatory photo shoot were well-deserved before the reunited group cracked on further along the ridge in the open air. Group photo captured, lest anyone accuse us of taking the easy path via the Lonesome lake (apologies), we made our way down the way we’d came, looking forward to a peaceful coach journey back and hopefully a shower for the particularly ambitious amongst us.
↓↓ To the tune of “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)” by The Proclaimers.
“When we woke up, well we thought that it would be, that it would be a day to cherish for a while. When we set off, on a journey that would be a mere two hours then we knew it was worthwhile. As we climbed up, through the alpine zone up high, oh yes we knew that we were so close to the top. Rambling on footpaths, climbing up rocks or sliding down, we were a team that truly escaped Cambridge town.
We almost climbed mount Lafayette, yeah we knocked on Lafayette’s door just to take in the views from mount Lincoln feeling grateful for our lucky lottery draw. Yeah the proctors, yeah the PAs, yeah Greg Llacer, yeah team leaders, as we really couldn’t ask for that much more. Yeah the sunshine, yeah the blue sky, yeah white mountains, yeah to Stanley, even though our legs are now still a bit sore.”