long time, how've you been? Those pics of Switzerland were quite stunning..
Wow. Must have been some experience.
Definitely one to remember. I don't think we would have braved it if we knew what awaited us, but in the end am glad we did it.. Getting away from it all, to a place without electricity or running water, is really priceless..
Did you get to watch any of yesterday's ODI?
I saw some of it, nice to see CHawla and Flintoff bowling, but it seems a notch or two down in intensity from the test matches.. Looks like Twenty20 is here to stay huh?
Regardless of what you say you wish you could say you were doing, I wish I had been doing exactly what you did.
Katahdin is a great hike... who did you go with? While at the top, did you happen to see anyone coming from the Appalachian Trail (marking the end, possibly, of weeks of non-stop backpacking). It's kind of humbling, though, when you do... knowing that they barely consider the grueling hike you just did (that they're about to do) to be worth mentioning as part of the trek. A walk in the park for them... literally!
Yes, it really was awesome, although conditions were definitely less than ideal. I went with Revati & co. The wind was really really strong, both of us certainly really felt it on the exposed rock faces..
Did you cross the Knife Edge when you were up there? We didn't dare brave it with the wind, but someday.. I'm not sure if the folks who passed us by were on the Appalachian trail, but we sure got passed routinely by everyone from a 60+ couple, to a bloke with his 3 yr. old.. Most of the folks we saw seemed to have done it multiple times, Katahdin seems like a real serious hikers' mountain.. Would love to go back there again, will plan it better next time..
I can't remember what the names of the routes were. We went up the so-called "easy" way. The first two-thirds actually were easy -- my brother and I jogged it. Then we practically ran into a wall that was the last third, and it was much slower going. We occasionally had to use both hands and feet, grabbing bars that were installed in the rocks. We went down a more difficult route, which was along the top of a rocky ridge (it might have been fit to be called "Knife Edge", but I don't know if that was it). Steep rocks, no bars. We were both impressed with the difficulty enough early on that we made our parents turn back and go down the way we had all come up, suspecting that Mom might have had too much difficulty with it, especially considering she was already hiking with an injured knee. From your photos it looked like that might have been the route you took.
>We occasionally had to use both hands and feet, grabbing bars
Exactly, that was the trail we went down on.. It sounds like we took basically the reverse route that you took.. The ranger had primed us for the way up, but told us the way down was "easy" as well.. :-)
>Still have the lung power, after all that pulmonary abuse
Barely man, barely.. No coincidence I guess that I was panting the most, I should quit the abuse soon..
>somehow, the whole mountain climbing thingy humbles and fascinates you.
Seriously, the hike was really awesome.. Otherwise, it's just been nose to the lab bench-stone just trying to focus and graduate in the late Jan / early Feb timeframe.. We should try and do a gangue conf. call again sometime soon..
Wish the weather had been more conducive to appreciating that beauty.. :-) The dark clouds are pretty in photographs but not fun when you're in the middle of one.. 3 hr hikes are just perfect for a regular thing, 12 hr hikes- maybe once a year :-)
those are great pics, especially the first pic below the cut. Seems like the clouds are touching the mountains.Was it really that dark because of sunset or was it the overcast atmosphere?
I've been speaking to friends in Boulder,CO and they speak of hikes every weekend. How I wish I could take these breaks. Sounds like you really conquered yourself more than the mountain, cliched that it may sound.
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Did you get to watch any of yesterday's ODI?
Reply
Wow. Must have been some experience.
Definitely one to remember. I don't think we would have braved it if we knew what awaited us, but in the end am glad we did it.. Getting away from it all, to a place without electricity or running water, is really priceless..
Did you get to watch any of yesterday's ODI?
I saw some of it, nice to see CHawla and Flintoff bowling, but it seems a notch or two down in intensity from the test matches.. Looks like Twenty20 is here to stay huh?
Reply
Katahdin is a great hike... who did you go with? While at the top, did you happen to see anyone coming from the Appalachian Trail (marking the end, possibly, of weeks of non-stop backpacking). It's kind of humbling, though, when you do... knowing that they barely consider the grueling hike you just did (that they're about to do) to be worth mentioning as part of the trek. A walk in the park for them... literally!
Reply
Yes, it really was awesome, although conditions were definitely less than ideal. I went with Revati & co. The wind was really really strong, both of us certainly really felt it on the exposed rock faces..
Did you cross the Knife Edge when you were up there? We didn't dare brave it with the wind, but someday.. I'm not sure if the folks who passed us by were on the Appalachian trail, but we sure got passed routinely by everyone from a 60+ couple, to a bloke with his 3 yr. old.. Most of the folks we saw seemed to have done it multiple times, Katahdin seems like a real serious hikers' mountain.. Would love to go back there again, will plan it better next time..
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Exactly, that was the trail we went down on.. It sounds like we took basically the reverse route that you took.. The ranger had primed us for the way up, but told us the way down was "easy" as well.. :-)
Reply
This looks good! Still have the lung power, after all that pulmonary abuse of the last few years? ;-)
C and I climbed one of the Nandi Hills (again) earlier this year - somehow, the whole mountain climbing thingy humbles and fascinates you.
How're things otherwise? Been a long time...
Cheers!
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Barely man, barely.. No coincidence I guess that I was panting the most, I should quit the abuse soon..
>somehow, the whole mountain climbing thingy humbles and fascinates you.
Seriously, the hike was really awesome.. Otherwise, it's just been nose to the lab bench-stone just trying to focus and graduate in the late Jan / early Feb timeframe.. We should try and do a gangue conf. call again sometime soon..
Reply
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Wish the weather had been more conducive to appreciating that beauty.. :-) The dark clouds are pretty in photographs but not fun when you're in the middle of one.. 3 hr hikes are just perfect for a regular thing, 12 hr hikes- maybe once a year :-)
Reply
I've been speaking to friends in Boulder,CO and they speak of hikes every weekend. How I wish I could take these breaks. Sounds like you really conquered yourself more than the mountain, cliched that it may sound.
Reply
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