This Body Climbed Mount Washington, New Hampshire

My hiking partner, Nick, thought it might be a good idea to climb Mt. Washington, located in New Hampshire for her 40th birthday last year. She didn't have to twist my arm, the thought of hiking the Presidential Range excited me. The Presidential Range is located in New Hampshire, it consists of many different high peaks name after, you got it, United States Presidents. At approximately 6288 feet, Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the range and also the highest mountain in the northeast. With our backpacks filled to the brim, we embarked on our journey. Little did we know that climbing one mile in New Hampshire is akin to eight miles in New York. We parked our vehicle in the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and hit the trail. The trail to the famous Tuckerman Ravine was anything but pleasant. Our packs were way too heavy and we were not prepared for the elevation change. It literally took us all day to reach the Hermit Lake Shelter at the base of Mt. Washington. Much to our chagrin, we were told that there weren't any more tent sites available, so we collapsed into a lean to shelter. My partner, Nick, didn't look too happy but I remained optimistic. Nick decided to pitch her tent inside the shelter (which we later learned was a HUGE no-no) but I intended on roughing it and went to sleep in my sleeping bag, gazing at the stars. Luckily, the first night we had the shelter to ourselves. After a pretty crappy breakfast and instant coffee we headed up the Tuckerman Ravine trail on our way to Mt. Washington. Now, Tuckerman Ravine is an awesome sight. It is primarily used for skiing, but it was a pleasant hike, until I noticed my partner lagging behind and stopping frequently. The elevation just got to her. We made it up the "Tucks," but as soon as we hit the Lion Head Trail, my partner quit. I made sure she was okay, grabbed a power bar, some water, took a look at the map and continued up to the summit of Mt. Washington. Now, you have to understand, I did ask her if she wanted me to help her down, but she was so busy being angry at me, I just left. The weather began to dramatically change; I went from shorts and a tank to a winter jacket, gloves, and a hat. The hike to the summit is very challenging, mostly rock scrambling and too many people in the way. When I reached the summit, I could barely stand, the wind was blowing so strongly. I poked around in the gift shop and again noticed that there were too many people around, so I left. For the rest of you "sane" people, there are two options to get to the top: the Mt. Washington Auto Road and the Mt. Washington Cog Railroad. I briefly thought about taking the railroad back down or hitching a ride with many of the French Canadian tourists, but thought better of it and trudged down the Lion Head Trail, back to the shelter. I picked up pretty good speed on the way down and enjoyed many awesome views. Gingerly, I poked my head into the shelter and was relieved to see my partner, Nick, cooking some dinner. She wasn't mad at me anymore, but she was tired. We celebrated her 40th by eating some crummy dinner and going to sleep. We also had two visitors who bedded down with us in the shelter that night. Nick and I were amazed as they headed up the trail as soon as the sun set. I strongly advise anyone who attempts to climb Mt. Washington to do some serious training. You need stamina to make it to the summit. You also need to pack as light as possible; I learned a lot, the hard way, that you don't need to bring everything. Just the basics; which do not include a full roll of toilet paper, then different sets of clothing and flip flops, although, my tattered copy of Jack Kerouacs "On The Road" didn't take up too much space and came in handy. The hike down from Tuckerman Ravine was more enjoyable; in fact, I've never seen my hiking partner hike so quickly! But in all seriousness, this was the hike of a lifetime for me and I highly recommend checking out Mt. Washington.