Ms. Yerande goes to Washington, Mt. Washington that is!

 Daphne Du Maurier’s famous novel, Rebecca, has this captivating opening line – “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” Just substitute Mt. Washington for Manderley and that was my line for the last three plus years.

Going to Mt. Washington is a dream for many as it was for me. For the past three and a half years after first reading about it in an article, I had dreamt of going there. Each year I would see this event posted on the Meetup Calendar, but something or other would come up and I could never RSVP ‘Yes’ to these events. But this year, on June 12th, finally all roads led to Rome.

Mt. Washington!

Fast forward to the post pandemic world of Desi Meetup and suddenly it seems there was renewed and vigorous interest in all hiking activities. When this event was first posted in Desi DOERS group, I and couple of my friends signed up quickly. I kept my fingers crossed that nothing would crop out to sabotage my intent. As we were all steadily bagging Catskills peaks since March 2021, I had some confidence that I could manage to not shame myself for my hike up this fearsome mountain.

Suddenly for the past two months, all conversations during our hikes and offline focused on this main event – How is the weather like in June? What if it rains? What to pack? How should we prep for this hike? On and on these conversations would go and every time Vivek Jain posted a comment in the Event, my friends (Vinita and Priyanka) would dissect it, discuss it and were soon back on Amazon ordering stuff or running to Woodbury Commons to the Arcteryx store. It really helped to have Vivek post the route map, and mentions Hotel Bookings and looking for car pools. 

Priyanka and Vinita at the Hertz Parking Lot

This event was billed as a one way trip up and down by Cog Railway. But being Desi Hikers, most of us opted to come down on our own. Alliances for the hotel rooms and car trip were formed, gear was bought and the final week dawned quickly enough and we started watching mountain forecast in all earnestness. I kept praying for no rain. As I had already done the Franconia Ridge Hike a month earlier and seen the beauty of the White Mountains, the anticipation of this hike was getting unbearable. I started wishing I had paid more attention to practicing breathing techniques taught in our Yoga class. Priyanka, Vinita and I had taken the day off from work and on Friday, we loaded all our stuff in the rented car and were soon driving North.  

We reached Twin Mountains by 4.15 pm and once we had checked in, decided to check out the parking and trailhead. Vivek had mentioned that we could start earlier than 7 am and we knew a lot of people were taking advantage of the good weather to get started early at 6 am.

Caroll Motel, Twin Mountains, NH

We checked out the trailhead and parking situation and came back to the Hotel to obsess on what to pack, what to wear and above all what not to take. Gaiters? Yes/No? Crampons, definitely No. And so on and so forth. We finally fell asleep and the next day all these questions started swirling again. We left on time and encountered a baby bear and a Mama Bear on our way to the trailhead. Looking at the mountain in front of us we kept marveling at the weather and our sheer good luck to get such a good day for a climb. 

Beautiful New Hampshire!

We parked at the trailhead at the Hiker Parking and soon members of our group started showing up. We quickly gathered our gear, paid the parking lot dues and lined up for the time honored tradition of taking a group picture. With butterflies in our stomach but raring to go like a bottle of champagne uncorked, were soon off after hearing Vivek’s final instructions.

Five Marathi Girls: (From L to R) Vinita Deo, Priyanka Gokhale,
Anagha Yerande, Seema Parkhi and Rajeshree Kulkarni

We were going anti-clockwise taking the Ammonoosuc Trail till the Lake of the Clouds Hut and from there onto the summit of Mt. Washington by the Crawford Trail. The total length of the trail going up is 3.8 miles with an elevation gain of 4k feet during the entire trail. The first two miles were scenic, wooded and the with the Ammonoosuc Creek running to our left. Many in the group were left enthralled by the tinkling of the water and the many waterfalls that kept us steady company almost till the Lake of the Clouds Hut. Soon everyone was delayering as they warmed up with the climb. Exposed tree roots, rocks and some steep climb kept our eyes busy. We were soon at a point where the trees turned to shoulder height shrubs and then suddenly the vista unfurls and the Hut starts showing up in front of us.

Mt. Washington seen from the Ammonoosuc Trail

All around us the beautiful mountain ranges were visible in unending undulating circles and to our left we could see Mt. Washington and it’s bare and rocky uphill terrain. The weather Gods were happy and the day just kept getting better with each passing hour. We had read so much of the unpredictable weather conditions and the gusty winds and the sudden fog that descends on this mountain that it was quite a surprise to see clear visibility without any haze or fog. This was the antithesis of The Perfect Storm and we could not have ordered this weather even if we had the money to buy it.

We were soon at the Hut and letting out a big hoop we started taking some pictures. The Hut is about 2.3 miles from the trailhead and we could clearly see Mt. Monroe 0.3 miles to the right of us. We decided to go to Mt. Monroe too.

Lake of the Clouds Hut

We saw Karthik’s backup outside the , so we dumped our backpacks there too we and were soon trotting off to reach the summit of Mt. Monroe, one of the Presidential peaks. A quick walk and a final rock scramble and we had bagged our first peak of the day. 

Mt. Monroe with Rajeshree Kulkarni

The unending vista with Mt. Eisenhower south of us, left us enthralled. You start wondering how it would all look in the Fall and especially in the Winter. With a quick shrug and after taking minimum pictures, Priyanka and I sped down to the Hut, picked up our backpacks and were soon off. Many people from our group had reached the Hut by now and we met Vivek Jain here again. 

Can someone take our picture?

Selfie time with Seema and Priyanka

Now began the last leg uphill to conquer Mt. Washington, but what a difference in the terrain surrounding us! It was a rocky, bare landscape with Spring flowers shyly peeking their heads begging us not to trod on them. 

There were no trees or shrubs for cover but just hardy alpine vegetation on the rocks. And did I say how many rocks?? It looked like a Giant's playfield. Rocky cairns dotted the path showing us the direction and path to take.  Else, you would not which direction to take as the rocks pretty much consistently dotted the hillside. It was around a 1.5 mile trudge up to the summit and at a certain point it felt like it would never end. The Hut started looking smaller and smaller and we were soon at the top of Mt. Washington!

To the right is a wooden structure held down by chains called the Tip Top house which has survived a fire and of course getting blown off the mountain. Here someone had conveniently hung up the Desi Outdoors banner and we saw Vinita (who had climbed up an hour earlier than us) waiting. We took our group picture and let our minds slowly digest the elation surging through our veins – We were up here finally! We had done it! We had looked into the eyes of this monster and survived to talk about it. There was so much to take in. I had never climbed a mountain that had a commercial business on its summit and it felt very different from my other ascents.

Thank you Desi Outdoors!

We had been told by others to stand in line for the summit pictures but my mind was on the Observation Deck, the structures and the train. How in the world did they get that train to come up there I wondered? The summit is pretty large and I wish I had time to examine the structures and just sit for a moment to take it all in. We soon had our pics taken at the Summit and then with the entire group near the Desi Outdoors Banner. As more and more team members had arrived by then, the group pictures were taken and soon the group broke into a Bhangra led by Rajeev and Charu.

At the summit of Mt. Washington!

The excitement was palpable and I could see the sense of relief and exultation on Vivek’s face as he greeted each hiker as they summited. Vivek was our glue, our friend and leader who made us believe in ourselves, educated us on the pitfalls and shared his commitment and dream of enjoying being outdoors. Very few people can communicate that level of enthusiasm and sheer persistence into a group, but he did. The group dynamics also worked in our favor – talking it out with fellow hikers, making our alliances and partnerships and picking fellow hikers who matched our pace helped. Vivek Jain’s leadership made this dream a reality for all – new and unexperienced hikers as well as the more experienced in our groups.

Soon we all dispersed again – some to eat, some to shop at the Gift Shop and some of the ladies had brought a change of clothes to take more pics. Soon Vivek came into the cafeteria asking up to wrap up as we needed to head down now. Soon we were saying our goodbyes to others taking the Cog Railway down or being picked up by family members for the drive down. Taking a last look around, Priyanka and I headed down the Gulfside Trail.

View from the Gulfside Trail: (L to R) Mt. Clay, Mt. Little Adams, Mt. Adams & Mt. Madison

Extremely rocky terrain and we had the pleasure of seeing the Cog Railway on its way down. Crossing over the train tracks I soon understood why it was called the Gulfside trail. A beautiful unending gulf/chasm formed between the southern Presidential range and Mt. Washington.

Soon the rockiness of the Gulfside trail dwindled and we turned left onto the Jewell Trail. Climbing down steadily with the full bright Sun shining down on us, we were soon glad to reach the tree line and be engulfed in the cool darkness of the Forest. The downhill walk became more manageable but also very buggy with lots of flies and bugs swarming around. We also realized that we were almost all out of water. Vivek and Rahul caught up to us and before Vivek continued, he reminded us to make a left on Jewell Trail when we came to a T junction. That reminder helped as we were only 0.3 miles till the end from that juncture. Our adventure, alas coming to a close very soon.

We were soon at the Jewell Link trail and crossed a small stream and the Cog Railway tracks to see Manu, Mona, Jaswinder and Kala hanging out. Boy, what a day I thought. Everything worked in our favor. Weather was perfect and so was the company. Though we were tired, none of us I am sure wanted the day to end or our adventure traipsing through the Whites. But all good things come to an end.

Looking back now and thinking of the lessons learned, I feel immensely grateful to the supreme being above that all of us from the group who ventured out came back home safely with nary a scratch on them. Everyone raised each other’s spirits or lent a helping hand and we all finished the hike the way we wanted to. A big hurrah and a shout out to Vivek Jain, Karthik k, Paresh Bhai and Dash for making this dream a reality for most of us. Happy trails everyone! Cheers to a job well done!

Hurrah!

Date of the hike: Saturday, Jun 12, 2021

Weather: In the 70s for most of the day, winds 5-10 mph, Sunny

Fellow hikers that I know: Vivek Jain, Swati & husband, Rahul, Charu, Vinita, Priyanka, Rajeshree, Seema, Mindy, Kala, Deepthi, Sharmila, Ranjeetha, Parul, Paresh, Niten, Karthik, Manu, Rajeev, Siraj, Abhinn, Ranga, Vineet, Shelly and Prsauna and many more whose names I don’t know.

Picture link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DVUwx9Y3YCYM8vNk9

White Mountains: Franconia on my mind!

If I have to lie, 
let me lie down in the Whites.
If I have to steal,
let the sight of the Whites steal my breath away.
If I have to cheat, 
please God, cheat away my sorrows in the Whites.

The day of our Franconia Ridge hike was warm, warmer than the mornings recently experienced in New Jersey and with crystal clear visibility. While driving up to the hotel the previous night, I saw the outline of the endless mountain ranges stretched around us as we drove, with the Sun setting on our left and was waiting eagerly to see them the next morning in daylight.

Our hike on this sunny May day was perfect for hiking unless the weather Gods suddenly decided to change their mind that is. We all reached the trailhead on time - just before 8 am. We all got busy gearing up. I was glad to see the parking lot was big and paved and there were a handful of cars already parked. We walked over to the trailhead where a Ranger stood at a makeshift table. He asked us where we had come from and what our plan for the day was. Karthik spoke to him and some of us took the paper maps he was handing out. 'Please make sure to keep crampons with you', he said.

The trailhead is the starting point for two different trails - Falling Water and the Bridle Path. Falling Water trail is wooded and takes you up the Little Haystack mountain whereas the Bridle Path is clockwise and you can see the entire Franconia Ridge clearly as you hike up through this trail.

We were going up anti clockwise via the Falling Water trail. What a beautiful name I thought, almost Native Indian.  Saying a little prayer to the Mountain Gods to keep us all safe, we were off. We could all hear the noise of the gushing and clear water as it came rushing down the mountain almost tripping over itself. It was hard not to stop and take pictures but the lure of the Ridge kept me going. The waterfall along the way was pretty and we did stop for some pictures, but the walk up was almost akin to being in a Secret Garden. The densely wooded trail wound up slowly but steadily and each curve was a tantalizing new possibility. Snow was melting and a couple of patches along the way were still snow covered and the crampons were a big help. There is a 0.1 mile offshoot on the way up where you can go and see the shining rock, but the entire trail was water logged and we came back to the main trail and kept climbing steadily.

The trail though not crowded was well populated and we ran into a family of five with a little girl, Scarlet, who was also five. Her grandparents who were with her, were from the White Mountain Search and Rescue team and we all had fun talking to Scarlet.  A lot of people were on this trail and at a certain point near the top, the trail became steep and you could start seeing the tops of the trees. We are coming up the tree line I thought and sure enough a pleasant vista opened up in front of us. We were almost there on top of Little Haystack!  

The vegetation around us changed, the pine trees were all below and suddenly you are surrounded by red, stubby and clingy alpine vegetation which was covering most of the rocks and ground in soft mounds. From Little Haystack, our first mountain, we could clearly see Mt. Lincoln and the ridge winding its rocky way past the lichen covered green rocks. After taking a breather here and marveling at the clear visibility which allowed us a clear 360 degree view of the White Mountain Ranges we were all hyped to start on our 1.7 mile 'Ridge Hike'. 

The visibility allowed us to see the snow covered peak of Mt. Washington too. We met a great number of like minded people all along the trail and met the little girl, Scarlet, and her family who were also on their way to Mt. Lincoln. It was so beautiful that I could not resist looking back from time to time to stare at the meandering path behind me. How could a place be so beautiful, so serene and majestic - all at one time.  How many feet had already walked the path that I was now walking? Will my child one day follow me here or maybe his children, I wondered?

We were soon at Mt. Lincoln and as this was my first Presidential Mountain ascent, I was happy. Mt. Lincoln sits between Little Haystack and Mt. Lafayette. From Little Haystack you can only see Mt. Lincoln and not Mt. Lafayette, so we were all under a misapprehension about the length of the hike. Once you reach Mt. Lincoln you can see the the ridge continuing all the way to Mt. Lafayette and beyond. So we still had some way to go!

We had our lunch on top of Mt. Lincoln and ran into our little hiker, Scarlet, again. She came over and took some pictures with us and seemed taken with our entire group. I don't know what I ate, the beautiful views stretching as far as the eyes could see had our complete attention. We were soon brushing off the crumbs off of us and were on our way to our final destination - Mt. Lafayette. While eating lunch at Mt. Lincoln, Karthik had shown us the Greenleaf AMC hut which we would pass on our way down. It was so far away and such a tiny speck that I started wondering how could we make it that far.

Soon, we were ascending Mt. Lafayette from the ridge and oh my! what a great feeling it was. The top is expansive and open on all sides. The mountain ranges surrounding it in all colors of green gracefully crested and troughed like emerald sea water around us. The white clouds on the pure blue sky, the verdant lush green mountains and for a moment it seemed that finally you were at peace with the Universe. There was very little wind and everyone who summitted around us had the same look in their eyes. Some moments stay with you for a lifetime and the feelings they evoke drench your mind anew.

Everyone started taking pictures. We met Scarlet here again and the entire family was soon on their way down. As the day was nice, we all spent more time than necessary on the top of Mt. Lafayette. Karthik made tea, which a Russian father with his  year old daughter, Mila, was more than happy to wait for. Mindy offered her Aloo Parathas to every passerby and three students from Boston (and a Bengali Babu) took up her offer. These are the memories which will remain etched in my mind.

It was hard to leave Mt. Lafayette, but we had to else we would face darkness on the way down. The perfect weather make it impossible to leave but possible for us to enjoy a leisurely descent. Again, once we reached the tree line we hit some icy patches but the crampons came handy. We were all headed down the Greenleaf Trail and soon reached the AMC Greenleaf Hut. From this spot and all the way down, you can see all three peaks and the ridge clearly. As I said earlier, it was difficult not to keep looking back and marveling at the way you had climbed. We even clearly saw the Shining Rock whose glimpse we had caught but could not go closer to it.

From the AMC Hut is was another 3 miles of winding and steeply rocky descent to the Parking Lot. There are a lot of viewpoints and I could just imagine how it would look in the Fall with all the colors dotting the mountains.  Before 7 pm we were all in the Parking Lot and on our way back to the Hotel. So what did I learn today - same as on all other hikes. Yes, I can do it. Being in a group makes all things possible. And there is no amount of money in the world that can buy you the sense of accomplishment, amazement and peace that climbing a mountain does.

A big thanks to Karthik for planning and leading this hike. I can't thank you enough. Happy Hiking everyone!

Date: May 15, 2021

Mountains Climbed: Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette

Weather Conditions: Sunny with Temps from 55-65 degrees; Great visibility

Trail: Falling water to Little Haystack; Franconia Ridge Hike to Mt. Lafayette and down GreenLeaf Trail to AMC Hut and then down the Bridle Path to the Parking Lot.

Fellow Hikers: Mona, Mindy, Srini, Karthik, Dayana, Manu

More Pics by Karthik: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FUQgFGJDuc2XBhpm9