Mount Waumbek
This was a last minute decision on where we were going to hike this weekend. The last few weeks (since Mount Washington) my right foot has been bothering me so we decided to go for an “easier” New Hampshire 4000 footer, not that there is such a thing from my point of view. It was either Waumbek (6.7 miles), Cabot (8.8 miles) or Moriah (10.4 miles) so we decided to go for the shortest hike mileage wise but more elevation gain per mile. We were to meet up with a friend of mine at the trailhead parking lot around 6:30-7am but before he arrived we started chatting with a fellow hiker who was organizing a hike for Flags on the 48. This is a hike to honor the deceased and the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 with a tribute of flying the American flag on all 48 NH 4000 footers. I will 100% be a part of this going forward. This is such a phenomenal way of showing support and love for the people who lost their lives and to the families still dealing with the devastation of that day.
After a great conversation about hiking, electrical work (Kyle is in the electrical program at his High School) and heart disease, my friend Bryan pulled in to the parking lot ready to go. We jumped onto the trail around 7-7:15am on yet another dreary day in the Whites which at this point was no surprise to Kyle and I since we’ve only had one sunshine filled hike all summer. Not complaining, we are getting out and hiking but someone has to throw us a bone at some point! The trail actually starts with a steep ascent for the first mile, it is 1000 feet of gain in that initial mile then begins to turn into a more gradual climb for the next two miles. At mile 2.5 we hit the summit of Starr King which stands at just about 3900 feet. There is a fireplace that sits on the summit which is a remnant of a shelter that was built in the 1940’s and removed in the early 1980’s. Hikers actually still use this to build fires from time to time. There is also a fantastic view from this summit as well. It is part of the NH 52 with a view aka 52WAV. Not on this day though! We took a short break on Starr King and made our way over to the summit of Waumbek which was just one extra mile of mostly flat terrain. Waumbek sits at 4006’.
We hit Waumbek (#21) after an easy trek from Starr King, took a few photos and had a bite to eat. We could hear the gray jays in the pines above us but they would not come and eat out of our hands today. We met a fella named Andrew up top where Bryan, Kyle and I struck up a conversation with. He was working on the “White Mountains Grid Challenge” which is all 48 4000 footers in each month of the year. This is absolutely nuts and give this guy all the credit in the world. This winds up being 576 peaks. This is mind blowing to me. Bryan talked about his 35/48 peaks and they wound up knowing some mutual hiking buddies. We also talked about my journey and shot the shit a little more , all wished each other luck and started our descent down the mountain.
It was a very quick descent and thank god, because my foot was killing me at this point so I popped a few ibuprofen and that was that. We made a plan to grab a beer and some food at One Love Brewery in Lincoln, NH on our way home. The best thing about today was the people. Whether it be the gentleman from the parking lot, Andrew the Grid Guy, the people carrying the flags up or having the company of my buddy Bryan. To me, you can’t really have a bad day hiking when you are constantly surrounded by good people. We learn a lot from fellow hikers whether it be their own story or journey or finding out about trails and waterfalls that are not known to us at this point. I love having Kyle out there as well to socialize, and get some exercise even though he is a very active kid. In my opinion this is a huge deal and more kids of his generation should be doing the same. It doesn’t have to be hiking but our youth should be interacting and socializing a lot more than they do. It’s just healthy! Pictures of our latest adventure can be seen in the Gallery portion of the website.
