CANNON FOR #48!!

I started this journey on July 29th, 2017 with a hike of Lafayette and Lincoln.  I hiked this with Grace before she left to start her college journey on the west coast.  I finished today October 12th, 2019 across from Franconia Ridge on Cannon with Richard and and 8 great friends.  Some of my words as I started this journey:

Next year we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We are so excited to see all of our children begin their independent adults lives.  I feel like this is a great time for new beginnings.  I have always loved hiking but have not always had the time to climb as much as I would like.  Now I have the time!  I have decided to make a goal of hiking the 4000 footers.  I am beginning with just simply - climb all the peaks.  I will let other goals such as, when or how quickly naturally develop overtime.  For now I simply begin. 

During the 2+ year journey I have done the following: 

• Hiked with 13 different friends
• Hiked with each of my immediate family members except 1 - Conor you owe me 💗
• Hiked 10 peaks solo
• Completed a Single Day Presi Traverse
• Completed a sunrise hike
• Completed a sunset hike
• Saw a black bear - but not when hiking but when driving of rt 16 to the trailhead

So here are some photos from today. This has been and awesome journey.  For a while I will simply hike and now worry about lists. I will not call this an end but instead a beginning.

COMPLETION

AHHH #47 CABOT

CABOT

I have to admit that on Friday night I was not that psyched about squeezing my hike up Cabot into this fairly busy weekend.  Probably had a lot to do with the busy and emotionally draining week of finishing up my last days at my job of 10 years.  However looking ahead I knew this Saturday was the only time to get it done before my final group summit of #48 next weekend. I was unable to find a friend or family member who was available to hike so I was going solo.  I woke at 4 am to get an early start as I had plans with friends in the evening.  I was a bit slow getting out of the house leaving at about 4:45am on Saturday October 5th....my daughter's 20th birthday. 

This is a lesson that sometimes when you don't feel like doing something you can be surprised at how much you enjoy yourself once you get started.  The long drive to the trailhead was a bit of a negative but because this mountain is farther the foliage seemed to be peaking.  This was a beautiful hike in the forest on a brisk fall day which allowed me to process my thoughts about finishing up at Exeter Hospital yesterday.  I know this was absolutely the right decision every with my apprehension about what the future holds.  I had an awesome, quick hike, running down much of the descent.  Fall is definitely the time to summit Cabot 

The picture does not capture the peace of the woods...the quiet, the light and the sounds of the stream along the route 

Little bit of ice at the toward the top - was 32 degrees most of the hike 

Fire Warden's Cabin

View from old fire tower location

Love the reds

Was able to keep a good pace to get a workout!