Exactly right! It would have been nice to see the views from the top, but our perfect day the next day in Vermont was nice. At least now I can say I hiked nearly all the way up the mountain with "the world's worst weather" in hurricane winds! I think based on my topo map, I got as close as two-tenths away from the top. Granted, I couldn't see more than 50 feet in front of me, but feeling that wind was absolutely exhilarating!
Your wife is either an awfully good sport or you're confident she'll never read your trip report on SP!
I really enjoyed your descriptive prose, especially the part that reads, "She quietly began to sob, then a snot trail began forming from her nose. The wind then got hold of said snot trail, and it eventually grew to roughly 3 feet long! The tears and Guinness World Record snot trail were too much for me."
You go on to quote some of her choice statements...I'm just imagining what my wife would do if she knew I'd written so descriptively about her... She might enlist help to sabotage my contributions to Summitpost.
Ha! She's a good sport. Luckily, she'll probably never read this trip report, but when that "thing" started from her nose, and seeing she was too upset to even care about it, I just felt so bad about it. Granted, I had to turn around so she couldn't see me laughing, but I did feel terrible for her. I made up for it by getting her a lot of cheese at the Cabot cheese plant outside Stowe, VT, the next day (she really likes cheese). That, and the views from Mt Mansfield, made up for a bad day the previous day. Thanks for reading!
Probably should have altered your plans and did Mt. Washington the next day! That mountain is not fun when the weather is bad! But when it is nice the views are worth it. Your wife was a trooper and hopefully you will be back to tackle Mt. Washington and beyond.
I was actually on Moosilauke (4802') leading a group of college freshmen up the summit right around the same time--even being a bit lower than you were, that was definitely some of the craziest weather I've experienced up there outside of winter!
Glad you made it safely back; Mt. Wash will be there another day. Visit the area for several days and pick a window of good weather--it'll be worth it :)
Your wife that is :-)
Been battered by them winds too, toping out into the Alpine Garden.
Very entertaining, used some of them quotes too.
silversummit - Feb 16, 2009 5:43 pm - Hasn't voted
I'm a bit like you maddie77777
If I have a chance I'll go for a summit but I learned many years ago that dear husband is not a hiker or camper. He tried for awhile but this (along with wallpapering) are grounds for divorce for us. But we have both compromised over the last 37 years....
Your story was both sad and funny! Did she worry about you when you were hiking?
Kathy
I just got back from hitting 3 more highpoints this weekend. My sister had to join me this time since the wife couldn't get Monday off, and now I think my sis caught the hiking bug too. You guys are right, Mount Washington will always be there, and if I had it to do over again, I'd do it all the same. That weather was incredible, and I'm glad I was there for it.
Everyone always talks about the calm before the storm, but the calm after the calm after the storm is always beautiful. I don't think i would have wanted to climb a mountain in the middle of a hurricane. Congratulations on making it back down safe.
is what my wife calls our highpointing "vacations". We have done 22 state highpoints together. I always tell her that she can plan our next vacation. My wife doesn't swear, but she has come close on some of our climbs. On Mount Marcy I forced her to climb up the final ledge in a driving rain storm with 60 mph winds. She reluctantly did because I told her, "you can't count it unless you touch the highpoint." Her summit photo was less than flattering. On Mount Frissell we took the "shortcut" back to the car and ended up in a different state after climbing down the very steep South Taconic Trail. Guess I should have brought a compass along as we ended up hitchhiking back to our car. We climbed White Butte in North Dakota in the dark and she thought we were going to step on a rattlesnake. Despite all of that she wants to go along on many of my remaining 15 highpoint climbs. Especially Hawaii!
maddie77777 - Feb 20, 2009 10:28 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Boot camp....
That's still great that your wife WANTS to touch the summit. Mine could care less about getting there. She always lets me know where the road is to drive to the top, lol, instead of hiking. She loves being outside, but the grueling aspect of the hikes she doesn't care for too much. She had some more choice words for me coming down the Taconic Trail as well, that was much steeper than we were ready for. Plus, the sun was setting as we came down, which only added to her anxiety. Good luck with the last 15!
TimmyTrekker - Feb 20, 2009 2:29 pm - Hasn't voted
very cool!
Storm shots are very interesting, very nice blog and pictures.
You have goaded me to contribute some hiking tales my husband and I have taken on Mt. Washington over the years. Similar situation, only he is slow (arthritis) and I am the over extending Billy Goat. One time we ended up bushwacking our way to the summit because I took a trail the ended a mile before.
Now that was a trip. Then there was the time he wandered off to explore Boote Spur and I lost an hour looking for him in a Ravine I thought he fell into.
Deltaoperator17 - Feb 11, 2009 2:56 pm - Voted 10/10
Dude!You are so lucky to be alive! Not for the dangers on the mountain but the weather storm from a Women who is not happy!
All my best,
Steve
Stu Brandel - Feb 11, 2009 3:50 pm - Voted 10/10
Married with ClimbsA great example of the under-reported 'hiking with a spouse' genre. Well done.
maddie77777 - Feb 11, 2009 8:41 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Next timeExactly right! It would have been nice to see the views from the top, but our perfect day the next day in Vermont was nice. At least now I can say I hiked nearly all the way up the mountain with "the world's worst weather" in hurricane winds! I think based on my topo map, I got as close as two-tenths away from the top. Granted, I couldn't see more than 50 feet in front of me, but feeling that wind was absolutely exhilarating!
Tracy - Feb 11, 2009 10:22 pm - Voted 10/10
Very entertaining accountYour wife is either an awfully good sport or you're confident she'll never read your trip report on SP!
I really enjoyed your descriptive prose, especially the part that reads, "She quietly began to sob, then a snot trail began forming from her nose. The wind then got hold of said snot trail, and it eventually grew to roughly 3 feet long! The tears and Guinness World Record snot trail were too much for me."
You go on to quote some of her choice statements...I'm just imagining what my wife would do if she knew I'd written so descriptively about her... She might enlist help to sabotage my contributions to Summitpost.
You are a daring and entertaining writer :)
maddie77777 - Feb 12, 2009 9:10 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Very entertaining accountHa! She's a good sport. Luckily, she'll probably never read this trip report, but when that "thing" started from her nose, and seeing she was too upset to even care about it, I just felt so bad about it. Granted, I had to turn around so she couldn't see me laughing, but I did feel terrible for her. I made up for it by getting her a lot of cheese at the Cabot cheese plant outside Stowe, VT, the next day (she really likes cheese). That, and the views from Mt Mansfield, made up for a bad day the previous day. Thanks for reading!
TJ311 - Feb 13, 2009 6:36 pm - Voted 10/10
Love the quotesfrom your wife!! She certainly sounds like a trooper!
EastKing - Feb 15, 2009 5:50 am - Voted 10/10
Wow!!Entertaining trip report.
Probably should have altered your plans and did Mt. Washington the next day! That mountain is not fun when the weather is bad! But when it is nice the views are worth it. Your wife was a trooper and hopefully you will be back to tackle Mt. Washington and beyond.
MarkDidier - Feb 15, 2009 11:28 am - Voted 10/10
An Entertaining Read!Very humorous & well written. My wife wouldn't have made it that far!
Hopefully you'll have better luck bagging Washington next time.
Mark
lcarreau - Feb 15, 2009 1:33 pm - Voted 10/10
We definitely needmore of this brand of humor on Summitpost!
I felt the humor factor beginning to wane, but now it appears to
be building up speed again. Thanks for this enlightening report!
imzadi - Feb 15, 2009 9:17 pm - Voted 10/10
Hurracaine IkeYup...Ike's the one that stopped us from hitting Kahtadin too!!!
Actually, sounds like you are lucky to have made it...having a hiking partner that isn't really into it...and is that discouraged can be very hard.
GREAT TR.
Dartmouth Hiker - Feb 16, 2009 12:26 am - Hasn't voted
Great TR!I was actually on Moosilauke (4802') leading a group of college freshmen up the summit right around the same time--even being a bit lower than you were, that was definitely some of the craziest weather I've experienced up there outside of winter!
Glad you made it safely back; Mt. Wash will be there another day. Visit the area for several days and pick a window of good weather--it'll be worth it :)
lcarreau - Feb 16, 2009 1:04 am - Voted 10/10
Cheese and chocolatemake great peace offerings! Hey, that makes me want to run to
the fridge and grab some cheese. Thanks for including the cheese!!
Larry
kpthomson - Feb 16, 2009 5:06 pm - Hasn't voted
What a trooperYour wife that is :-)
Been battered by them winds too, toping out into the Alpine Garden.
Very entertaining, used some of them quotes too.
silversummit - Feb 16, 2009 5:43 pm - Hasn't voted
I'm a bit like you maddie77777If I have a chance I'll go for a summit but I learned many years ago that dear husband is not a hiker or camper. He tried for awhile but this (along with wallpapering) are grounds for divorce for us. But we have both compromised over the last 37 years....
Your story was both sad and funny! Did she worry about you when you were hiking?
Kathy
maddie77777 - Feb 16, 2009 6:01 pm - Hasn't voted
Wow, thanks to everyone for commenting!I just got back from hitting 3 more highpoints this weekend. My sister had to join me this time since the wife couldn't get Monday off, and now I think my sis caught the hiking bug too. You guys are right, Mount Washington will always be there, and if I had it to do over again, I'd do it all the same. That weather was incredible, and I'm glad I was there for it.
bakesesale - Feb 18, 2009 2:41 pm - Voted 9/10
calm AFTER the stormEveryone always talks about the calm before the storm, but the calm after the calm after the storm is always beautiful. I don't think i would have wanted to climb a mountain in the middle of a hurricane. Congratulations on making it back down safe.
Holsti97 - Feb 20, 2009 10:03 am - Hasn't voted
Boot camp....is what my wife calls our highpointing "vacations". We have done 22 state highpoints together. I always tell her that she can plan our next vacation. My wife doesn't swear, but she has come close on some of our climbs. On Mount Marcy I forced her to climb up the final ledge in a driving rain storm with 60 mph winds. She reluctantly did because I told her, "you can't count it unless you touch the highpoint." Her summit photo was less than flattering. On Mount Frissell we took the "shortcut" back to the car and ended up in a different state after climbing down the very steep South Taconic Trail. Guess I should have brought a compass along as we ended up hitchhiking back to our car. We climbed White Butte in North Dakota in the dark and she thought we were going to step on a rattlesnake. Despite all of that she wants to go along on many of my remaining 15 highpoint climbs. Especially Hawaii!
maddie77777 - Feb 20, 2009 10:28 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Boot camp....That's still great that your wife WANTS to touch the summit. Mine could care less about getting there. She always lets me know where the road is to drive to the top, lol, instead of hiking. She loves being outside, but the grueling aspect of the hikes she doesn't care for too much. She had some more choice words for me coming down the Taconic Trail as well, that was much steeper than we were ready for. Plus, the sun was setting as we came down, which only added to her anxiety. Good luck with the last 15!
TimmyTrekker - Feb 20, 2009 2:29 pm - Hasn't voted
very cool!Storm shots are very interesting, very nice blog and pictures.
Forager - Sep 4, 2010 9:41 am - Hasn't voted
Thanks for a great story...You have goaded me to contribute some hiking tales my husband and I have taken on Mt. Washington over the years. Similar situation, only he is slow (arthritis) and I am the over extending Billy Goat. One time we ended up bushwacking our way to the summit because I took a trail the ended a mile before.
Now that was a trip. Then there was the time he wandered off to explore Boote Spur and I lost an hour looking for him in a Ravine I thought he fell into.
Excellent tale.