Thursday, December 29, 2011

Mt. Marshall

Yes, I'm still alive - just busy, and neglectful of trip reports. Life has finally started to settle down to normal, and I'm playing catch-up before my winter hiking begins! I hiked Mt. Marshall way back in July so it's about time I do my trip report! Unfortunately, my body was in the High Peaks and my mind was at home where I left my husband to stay with my mom just a day after she was released from the hospital with heart trouble. Sitting down several months later, I don't recall much about that trip other than wanting to hurry up and back down to an area of cell phone reception.



There was such a big turnout for the hike that we were required to break into a faster group and a slower group and maintain a miles distance between us. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect. I was in the first group and we started about fifteen minutes ahead of the second group, maintaining spotty contact with radios. We had a fun, chatty group and a quick pace.



I love this picture of Colden from the Flowed Lands. I hear now that there was a lot of blow-down and erosion in this area since Irene. We stopped a few times to pull out the map and some guides once we turned off the marked trail on to the unmarked portion of the hike.





There were views near the summit, where we enjoyed lunch and cookies. I regrettably was "that girl" pulling out her cell phone to use the one bar of reception to call home to check on Mom, who was doing well. I felt better knowing that she was okay, but still wanted to rush back down to the car. I think we made it to the car around 5pm. This would be the last of my hiking for a while, within a couple weeks my mom had heart surgery, we got an offer on our house, we sold the house, bought a new one, and moved! It really was a great hike, I wish I remembered and appreciated it more. Maybe I'll just have to do it again in the winter!




All my pictures from this trip can be found here.