AmherstDavid
New member
Did my first Mt. Monadnock on 10/14 with my wife. Started at 11:30AM on Birchcroft then to Red Spot. The weather was perfect for hiking but the trail was a bit muddy in places. We spent quite a bit of time waiting in line about half way up and were always in sight of other hikers thought the day. The packs of screaming kids was almost unbearable and I was tempted a few times to bad things. We stopped near the top and found an isolated spot to have a PB&J and some fruit and enjoy a the views and some solitude. Dug out some warm fleeces to counter the cold winds and passed a few small patches of ice and made it to the top a bit past 2. There were only a 100 or so people at the top so it wasn't overly crowded but the views were fantastic. The highlight for me was the 2 A-10 Warthog jets that buzzed the top of the mountain (wish they used the guns
.
The hike down was about as long as the hike up due to long lines and terrified people. Some turd graffitied a rock about a ¼ mile from the parking lot which I did not notice on my way up but was a fitting end to the hike.
Is this the norm on a good weekend? Also, I'm fairly new too hiking and am looking for some goals/ guidance on how long a hike like this should take for a reasonably in shape person and how often and how long are your breaks? I want to attempt some 4k mountains next summer but I don't know what expect. I hiked Mt. Burk in VT(3200') this summer and almost did not make it to the top as I ran out of gas to the point that I would take 5-10 steps and have stop for a min. then continue. Since then I get out for at least 2 hours each weekend and, panting and wheezing I can get to the top of Pac. Monadnock in 40 min with two 3 min breathers.
Thanks,
David
The hike down was about as long as the hike up due to long lines and terrified people. Some turd graffitied a rock about a ¼ mile from the parking lot which I did not notice on my way up but was a fitting end to the hike.
Is this the norm on a good weekend? Also, I'm fairly new too hiking and am looking for some goals/ guidance on how long a hike like this should take for a reasonably in shape person and how often and how long are your breaks? I want to attempt some 4k mountains next summer but I don't know what expect. I hiked Mt. Burk in VT(3200') this summer and almost did not make it to the top as I ran out of gas to the point that I would take 5-10 steps and have stop for a min. then continue. Since then I get out for at least 2 hours each weekend and, panting and wheezing I can get to the top of Pac. Monadnock in 40 min with two 3 min breathers.
Thanks,
David