Warm-up on Monadnock Mountain

Grand Monadnock, Dublin, NH, June 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/550 sec @ f4.5, ISO 50, no flash © Steven Crisp

Well, it was planned as a warmup hike in preparation for Mt. Fuji in July. As noted by my good friend Joe, "Going up Monadnock to tune up for a Fuji climb is like going out and getting a haircut to lose weight." Given that wisdom, I've concluded I need to shave my head ;-) More on that later.

So this is the destination. Most people call it Mt. Monadnock, but that is not its name. Either Monadnock Mountain, or Grand Monadnock. And it is either the #1 or #2 most climbed mountain in the world. The other is Mt. Fuji in Japan. Now to call these both "mountains" seems rather absurd. The peak of Monadnock is 3,165 feet versus 12,387 feet for Mt. Fuji -- barely a fourth in height. But anyways, that is what they say.

This turned out to be a solo outing -- we'll have to talk with the dedicated hikers off-line ;-) Best excuse I heard was contracting Lyme disease -- I'm going to have to remember that one (just kidding Bruce). Anyways, I loaded up my pack with about 40 lbs to see just what kind of shape I was really in (more about that later as well).

Let's Begin. The Dublin trail starts out very gradually in secluded woods for an ascent from the northwest. Though crowds are supposed to be a concern, this trail was virtually barren.

Rocky Ascent. The trail does get rocky rather quickly. Good hiking boots, with lots of support are recommended (more on that later). I also would suggest some trekking poles.

Granite Scrambling. Even more granite, and a little scrambling required. But nothing that presents any problems.

Training with a pack. I decided to hike with a bulky pack to make the hike a little more challenging. Hopefully I can take less up Mt. Fuji. But the only real problem was a hip-strap that was just too high.

View as you go. This trail does offer periodic views and some breaks in the trees for cooling breezes - very nice.

Getting above the trees. It doesn't take too long to get above tree level. I was hiking at what I thought was a VERY slow pace, but it turned out to take less time than advertised (about 1:50 to the top).

Summit Ahead. Then all of a sudden I heard people talking, and there was the summit, up ahead.

Summit benchmark. Here's my proof ;-) -- actually, you might be interested to know that the summit marker is not the highest point (but close).

Nice cooling breezes. Quite a breeze at the rocky summit -- which felt great on this moderately warm day.

Nothing but granite (and people). I expected actually to find it more crowded at the summit, based on what I had heard reported. But I guess compared to Mt. Fuji which only has a two month climbing season, we have lots of time to spread out the visitors. I even heard there is a local resident that has climbed Monadnock every single day for a couple of years -- wow!

Zen Monadnock. Tipping my hat to Mt. Fuji -- this arrangement made me think of the simple Zen gardens in Japan -- very relaxing.

Yes, that is my laptop. OK, here's the story: First, I needed a heavy pack for training. Second, I had taken my laptop up to the top of Mt. Fuji, so I thought this was the least I could do. Just call me a nerd and be done with it.

No doubt about the way down. They did a great job marking the trails -- no trouble making sure I found my car at the end of the trail.

Trail bottom. Almost down now -- only another 10 minutes to the car.

OK, so here's the rest of the story. You saw the trail on the way up -- somewhat rocky; it is even more treacherous coming down. At least that's what I was thinking as I was carefully navigating my way down. And I made it past all the rocks, boulders, and roots. This is what it looked like when my ankle gave way and I went down. Ouch! I heard something pop, and I knew it wasn't good. About 10 more minutes of hobbling to my car, and then about an hour drive up to our cottage. The end result -- torn ligaments (this has happened once before). Doctor says it is not broken, and hopefully, I'll still be good to go for Mt. Fuji in about a month. Needless to say -- be careful on the way down!