Wednesday, November 21, 2012

NH 4000 Footer Essay (Pt. 3): A Northern Presidential Traverse

What follows is part three of the five-part essay I'm writing for the NH 4000 Footer Club.  You can find part one here and part two here.

Sitting in a late-night Starbucks in Queens, my northern presidential traverse in New Hampshire's White Mountains couldn't seem further away... with required-Santa-headgear-tasseled baristas,  purposefully tacky holiday decorations and sombre Elliot Smith tunes pumping over the stereo speakers, the coffeehouse seems wrapped in a warm snuggie of self-aware commercial melancholy.  It's entirely self-reflection inducing and largely familiar in a city that seems dead-set on exuding just that feeling in anticipation of a long, cold winter.

On the presidential range in the summer of '07.
If one hones in though on that notion of reflection in the face of cresting anticipation, my tramp over Mount Madison, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson and Old Man Washington two summers ago was quite similar.  The seven years between my first summit of NH 4000 footer on Mount Pierce and my day on hadn't treated me that well.  Then a starry eyed high school grad burning with optimism, I had grown into a weathered hospital chaplain.. while my college years at the George Washington University in Washington, DC were largely good ones, near the end of my time there the clouds had certainly rolled in.  My mother and I had been diagnosed with cancer roughly at the same time during the spring of 2008, and while I would eventually receive news of my misdiagnosis with relief, my mom wouldn't fair so lucky... she ended up passing away soon after Christmas that year.  On top of these problems, facing a job search during the worst days of the Great Recession proved difficult, although I eventually was able to a land a less than enjoyably but fairly well paying financial position.  Eventually I figured out I'd like to attend seminary and become a Lutheran pastor, thus beginning what I'd consider a recovery period after the troubles of '08.

Zealand Trail, 2012.
As my brother and I pulled into Dolly Copp campground to prep for our hike two summers ago, it felt like that "recovery period" was ending... I had slowly regained my confidence in the intervening three years and began coming to terms with the anger I felt at the Divine for everything inflicted on my family and I in 2008.  My renewed sense of confidence had emerged in a quieter, calmer manner than that of the innocently joyful days of my youth, but that didn't mean I had lost my playful sense of competition at all... which meant that although my brother Darren had never hiked in the White Mountains before, I was taking him on an introductory march over one of toughest trails in the state.  Darren was probably in better shape than I was, so I knew he could handle it, but I also knew he had no idea what he was about to get into.  Since he seemed to always think himself tougher than me, I figured it was about time to put his notion to the test.  On the other hand, I felt deeply satisfied to be spending a long day hiking with my brother.  We had only become close after my mother's death, so I considered the trip a celebration of our new found closeness... the dynamics of brotherly relationships are interesting, right?

Near the summit of Mount Guyot, 2012.
Starting out around 6:30am, we made okay time up three and a half miles of the Daniel Webster Scout Trail, although Darren was lagging a bit more than I expected.  Once we got out of the trees near Osgood Junction though, he quickly picked up his pace.  Although we had hiked fairly quietly (the stoic awkwardness of two brothers who have not been close still lingered between us), once we attained the ridge, that quickly changed... It was a bright sunny day, and having never been above treeline before, Darren absolutely loved it, yelling out that he couldn't wait to tell his buddies back home in CT about the trip.  The bummer though was that he thought this was near the peak of our adventure, so when I pointed across the Great Gulf at Washington and told him we were following the whole horseshoe-shaped ridge-line all the way around to its summit, Darren wasn't too happy we had that long to go.

After quickly bagging Mount Madison, we headed down into the col to rest awhile and had a late breakfast at Madison Hut.  As familial awkwardness retook us, there was some brief talk about the views, a conversation to which my vain attempt at sounding like an expert about the AMC hut system made a grand addition.  Heading out of the col we passed by Star Lake and joined a large number of hikers heading up to bag Mount Adams.  With Darren once again lagging near the summit, I finally came out and asked him why he was going so slow... that's when an amazing blessing came in the form of a heavy gallon jug of iced-tea Darren thought would be a good idea to bring along on the hike.  As he pulled the jug out of his day-pack and dumped the full gallon out on the side of the trail, swearing his head off all the while, I immediately started chiding him about his mistake, as any good older brother would.  He remained pretty upset with me for the next hour or so, but event completely broke the ice between us- we realized it was okay to be vulnerable around each other for the first time in years, and our relationship has never again descended into silence.

Mount Washington, 2006.
We proceeded to the top of Mount Adams quite quickly, and after descending into Edmunds Col for a short rest, we hastened to summit Mount Jefferson... the ice-tea had definitely slowed us down, and I was increasingly worried we might not make it out to Pinkham Notch before sunset.  I don't remember much about the mad-dash across the final 2.5 miles of ridge line from Jefferson, past Mount Clay and up to the summit of Washington, outside of all the brand new curse-words I learned as Darren yelled most of the way.  We eventually made it to the final summit, and astounding all the motorists who had came up on the auto-road, triumphantly pointed across the Great Gulf toward Osgood Junction to indicate where we started.  Luckily I picked up a flashlight in the summit gift shop, as making our way down Lionhead's as it got dark without one (Tucks was closed for restoration work) would have been less than ideal.  With the awkward gulf between us now gone, on the ride home we were able to reflect about our mom, our emotional recovery process after her passing, and how much we greatly looked toward the future.

God's peace,
Dustin

Dustin is currently a vicar at the Lutheran Office for World Community and Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan, having recently completed his second year of a Masters of Divinity program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. While seeking ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, his focus is on the intersection between worship, service and justice building in de-centralized faith communities unencumbered by a traditional church building. In his free time, Dustin likes playing frisbee, hiking and pretending to know how to sing.

34 comments:

  1. There are no desperate situations because you have Helpwriter.com. at service

    ReplyDelete
  2. Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting?I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style. Thanks a million and please keep up the effective work. keepvid mp3

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. piso o apartamento nuevo o de segunda mano gratis en Cambalia.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. The initial step when working out how to write essays is to choose what your subject or topic will be. Knowing the subject of your essay empowers you to center your endeavors.best essay writing service uk

    ReplyDelete
  5. I curious more interest in some of them hope you will give more information on this topics in your next articles. help write my essay

    ReplyDelete
  6. That more often than not, you will not follow the multitude of other voices that call you to go, do, live, work, play, handle all that is other than writing a book.resume template

    ReplyDelete
  7. Acquiring inspiring action verbs is rather simple. In fact, provided free at the end of this article are 100 action verbs. These are key verbs triggering your clients inner emotions and implementing responses to your letter. essay writing

    ReplyDelete
  8. The hub allows several separate devices, like computers, to communicate back and forth. Helphub

    ReplyDelete
  9. I respect this article for the very much investigated substance and magnificent wording. I got so included in this material that I couldn't quit perusing. I am awed with your work and aptitude. Much obliged to you to such an extent. wm casino

    ReplyDelete
  10. Writing good copy will increase the conversion rate of any of your squeeze pages, sales letters, emails, videos, etc. Direct Response Copywriting

    ReplyDelete
  11. This was really an interesting topic and I kinda agree with what you have mentioned here!
    tutlance

    ReplyDelete
  12. Students should begin meeting with a guidance counselor at the beginning of 9th grade to ensure that all of the proper course work is taken, maintain a relationship throughout high school. how to write stanford roommate essay

    ReplyDelete
  13. Getting understudies over this hindrance was one reason I put pen to paper four years prior and delivered a book called Write That Essay! At that stage, I was a senior scholarly at Auckland University and a college analyst.501words

    ReplyDelete
  14. Then spray the glitter so there is a coat that evenly covers your bottle. Let the bottle dry for thirty minutes. After the glitter has completely dried, you can take your spray Modge Podge and apply a thin coat so the glitter has a protective outer covering. Glitter in bulk

    ReplyDelete
  15. Main body, which is an analysis of your topic. It will include the opinions, comments and findings. You can quote about some scientific research or media studies. essay writing service

    ReplyDelete
  16. As a college writing instructor myself, I have found it very easy to identify essays that students either buy online or pay someone else to write. It is not difficult and often very obvious when it happens. custom writing

    ReplyDelete
  17. A well begun stuff pushes the readers to keep on reading it. Though the middle portion of the essay bears the essence of your topic, the conclusion is not of less importance. In short, each and every part of an essay is next to nothing. Essay Help

    ReplyDelete
  18. I learn some new stuff from it too, thanks for sharing your information. essay writers

    ReplyDelete
  19. stunning travel blog with backpacking images. i liked the content you shared and i would like to read more articles. thanks for sharing essay writing help uk

    ReplyDelete
  20. Write out the scheme of one's essay type writing and abide by it when writing an essay. http://www.northwesteliteindex.com/the-many-ways-to-find-cheap-essay-writers.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the new stuff you post. Safe Way of Using an Essay Writing Service

    ReplyDelete
  22. Amazing topic with good image resolutions and are beautifully described throughout the blogs. I would like to read more on Subscription Billing Software

    ReplyDelete
  23. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) is fully devoted to meeting the needs of their employees quickly and easily. Rather than visiting their relevant state department offices just because they want important information such as payslip, employees can now access everything online. This is possible thanks to the DDO Request (DDOREQ) Andhra Pradesh State Treasury web portal ddo code request apcfss from where they can download their AP Payslip, GPF slip, Pension, CFMS, and DDO details. To guarantee the highest level of efficiency, the web portal is developed by the Institute of Electronics and Governance, Treasuries and Accounts Departments of AP, and the AP Technology and Services Limited. In this post, we will take you through some of the things you need to do if you’re to take full advantage of the new treasury website.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Essay is an array of thoughts and ideas. Right alignment of thought process with strong command over English develops a person from good essay writer to professional essay writer. dissertation writing services

    ReplyDelete
  25. A blog like yours should be earning much money from adsense..-.,” The Many Ways to Find Cheap Essay Writers

    ReplyDelete
  26. Everything has its value. Thanks for sharing this informative information with us. GOOD works! cheapest essay writing service

    ReplyDelete
  27. Today's content is being outsourced, but employing the best article writing service can make all the difference. With the rise of commercial blogs and content providing websites, these online services are quickly becoming some of the most profitable business ventures nowadays. best essay writing service reddit

    ReplyDelete
  28. wow, great, I was wondering how to cure acne naturally. and found your site by google, learned a lot, now i’m a bit clear. I’ve bookmark your site and also add rss. keep us updated. help paper

    ReplyDelete
  29. The KSEEB will soon publish the Karnataka SSLC Exam Model Paper 2022 for High School, as well as the Karnataka SSLC Hindi English Medium Question Paper 2022 for High School. The KSEEB released the Karnataka SSLC Hindi English Medium Question Paper 2022 for High School a year ago in January. Kar 10th Model Paper 2022 The Kar SSLC assessment consistently attracts a large number of pupils. It is expected that a similar trend will emerge with some variation this year. According to previous years' results, the board will release the Karnataka SSLC Hindi English Medium Question Paper 2022 for High School in January.

    ReplyDelete
  30. The look between a hub and a router are very similar Best Essay Writing Service in UK

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mmm.. good to be here in your article or post, whatever, I think I should also work hard for my own website like I see some good and updated working in your site. click

    ReplyDelete
  32. Online degrees in Essay writing service Hamilton are very suitable for adults who are not able to attend colleges of traditional setup. Online Degrees in education allows professionals to upgrade skills to make career move. Read and find out about all available online degrees available.

    ReplyDelete
  33. There is a guarantee that you will get satisfying results from the service. It has the best essayhave writers who are professionals in their field and will write about any topic. All you have to do is tell your details, place your order, relax and sit back for your article and pay when you are satisfied.

    ReplyDelete