I reference Howe's book on the many deaths upon Mount Washington and within the Presidentials with some trepidation. In five days we will be upon the Mountain given credit for the World's Worst Weather.
I am well aware that overconfidence and lack of proper preparation are the cause of most fatalities yet each of the last four days has had a local news story about a hiker needing to be rescued from the Mountains here in NH. Those hikers were not facing our exact challenges by any stretch and so we are being even more diligent in our preparation.
Does that remove my concerns? I feel good about my physical conditioning and many practice hikes. I've faced all the types of terrain already and solved all the challenges of each of them in concept and practice. I have the right gear through and through. I'm confident in Quinn's work, our team leaders and our team. We have a plan, emergency plans and the weather is reportedly looking very very promising. I've read trail reports dozens of times and almost feel I have the route memorized for turns, switchbacks, and significant terrain points. I feel ready which immediately makes me ask if there is any chance this makes me overconfident? That is where my very slight anxiety comes into the mix and I hope that's enough to keep me sharp and focused.
I want to have fun and enjoy the hike - part of the point of the Adventure is to enjoy it. I'm aware of how much work is ahead for me on a day I expect will involve more than 10 hours of climbing for us. I know I'll have that sense of accomplishment which bursts into exuberance if we meet our goal well. The harder the struggle the more that reward and I think it's well within reach. So once we hit Gem pool and the trail starts sending us steadily and steeply up I'll quell this anxiety and begin to savor the experience. I hope you will all get to follow us with the burst of video coming soon! I'm ready for it to begin!
Location: SinglePost
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