gulf of slides

the math does not begin to tell the half of it; sixteen hours in the car for forty hours in new hampshire, roughly eighteen of which i would sleep through. ninety-five songs on the ipod. a temperature swing of 45 degrees. i'd hop back in the car and do it again right now if the fates would allow it. alas, it is time to go back to work, and nearly time to go to france. the mountains will have to wait.

nearly everyone already knows the white mountains are one of my most favorite places on earth. i'd rank them in the top three, and depending upon what mood i am in, they are often atop the list. there is something about them that makes me feel at home; perhaps it is the countless hours spent there with friends, or the days camping on their flanks that allowed me to get to see them up close and personal. it has been a while since i was there in the spring and i am so glad we were able to pull this trip together.

though "they" had been forecasting overcast skies turning to rainy ones on sunday, we lucked out and had a bluebird day for most of the time we were outside on the hill. brad and i met lew at pinkham notch at 7 am, which is early by my standards. but there is a distinct difference between waking up early to go to work and waking up early to go to play. i can move a lot faster when i know it is going to be a fun day.

the hike to the floor of the gulf of slides is about 2.5 miles and thanks to awesome snow conditions we were able to skin up the entire way. we took our time, stopping to snack and chat along the way (and to catch my breath!). it was incredibly warm in the sun and i was left wishing i had packed shorts and a t-shirt for the hike up. the trail winds through spruce forest and every once in a while would give us a view up to the gulf or down to the valley. a few other parties passed us on the way in, but we only saw about 15 other people all day - a big difference from what's usually seen just a mile or so away in tuckerman ravine.

as we reached the bottom of the main gully we stopped to take it all in - it is similar to standing at the bottom of a steep run out west, nothing like the places we have to ski in the northeast. more snacking ensued, and we stripped the skins from our skis and packed up our gear to head up. brad very generously offered to hike up my skis, and i took him up on the offer. some more beers are coming his way the next time i see him. it is a steep boot pack up the gully and my physical limits would be well-tested on the best day, let alone with a pack and wearing ski boots. slow and steady was the theme for the day's ascents.

once we reached a reasonably flat spot for a lunch spot we ate some more (sensing a theme?) and took in the views of the mount washington valley, from wildcat ski area all the way down toward jackson and north conway. wispy clouds were beginning to blow in across the mountain from the west, and the wind was strong up above the trees. we put on our skis and readied for the trip down the mountain.

the phenomenally warm temperatures and sun had turned the snow to the consistency of mashed potatoes, a condition i don't often ski. add to that the weight of the pack on my back and it was like re-learning tele turns all over again. it was a great time, though, and i managed a couple of good turns before hitting the bottom of the gully and the run-out to our snacking spot from earlier. we were all smiles as we hit the bottom. what a day. after sitting around talking for a while, and admiring some pretty fancy new AT gear (christmas next year?) we headed down the trail we had hiked in on. it is tight and twisty so the going was a bit slow, but there were plenty of moments i wanted to let out whoops of joy as we made our way out of the woods.

it is amazing when you reach the parking lot and take a glance up at what you accomplished in one day. 2.5 miles doesn't seem like a lot but it looks like a lot when you see how much elevation was gained. everyone in the parking lot is smiling and recounting their days. it feels great to put clean socks and shoes on, and even though i only had a couple of sips, the beer always tastes better at the tail-end of a day like this. we had talked and talked about it for years and finally pulled it off. i can't wait to do it again next year.

i find a lot of peace in the mountains and the people with whom i share time with there are the ones i count among my closest friends. listening to the wind in the trees or hearing a bird high on the mountain or seeing trees' bark rubbed by moose... it is all in the details in the mountains. i really can't wait to be back up north.