Mount Washington

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Mount Washington

8.4 miles
4,242 feet elevation gain
Every time I hike or ski tour on this mountain, it feels like such a slog. It’s gorgeous, but it can be very slow going for various reasons. When hiking, the issue is the endless piles of rocks that you have to maneuver.
We started at around 9 and the bugs were pretty much a non-issue. Trails were damp and there were puddles in spots. The Lion Head trail had wet rocks, but they were still easily managed on the way up.
At one point, Deb and I shared a @benthillbrewery Blood Orange IPA. It made me feel like Popeye after he takes his spinach. I was totally recharged. All these summer White Claws had me forgetting the performance enhancing benefits of beer.
We summited what felt like 10 years later and waited for our turn to take the selfie in front of the summit sign. Two people saw my Ski the East headband and started shouting, “Yeah, Ski the East!” and we all enjoyed the stoke.
I noticed a ot of people have this sticker that says, “This car climbed Mount Washington.” I kind of don’t understand that because your car should be able to do that. It’s not an accomplishment. But I digress.
The way down was easier psychologically and physically, but in terms of the bugs, all I can say is, “Holy shit.” They were vicious even with bug spray. It was so bad they’d be dying on my arms as I reapplied spray and more would come to replace the dead ones like some sort of fleshy battlefield. It was so uncomfortable.
The rocks on the way down weren’t as easy to grip as they were on the way up due to the dampness. As I was navigating that I thought I smelled beer. I realized one of my Devil’s Path IPAs had mysteriously exploded in my bag. That was a bummer as I was looking forward to it.
As we returned to the parking lot a girls’ camp was debriefing their adventure with their counselors. One girl asked, “Can we get Starbucks?” But she was quickly shot down. I really respect her boldness asking for that in the land of Dunkin’ Donuts.
Still a great day and Deb got to check off that she climbed the highest peak in the northeast.








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