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Mountain: Chocorua
Date: 7/20/18
Time: 8.5 hours
Weather: Beautiful
Miles: 9.4
Elevation Gain: 2,868
Trails:
Bolles Trail - 3.8 miles
Bee Line Trail - 1.9 miles
Brook Trail - .4 miles
West Side Trail - .5 miles
Champney Falls Trail - 3.2 miles
This redlining thing has got me a bit lost. Not lost on the trail necessarily, although that has happened. And not lost in the logging of the miles and keeping track of the trail names and where they are, although that has had me stumped at moments too.
No, it's the lack of a summit goal that has me vexed. For so long I have been a peak bagger - hiking up to get to the top, loving the views, and then heading back down. Don't get me wrong. I love the journey -- the flowers, the sound of the water trickling in the creeks, the dew on the leaves, the wind at my back, the sun on my face, my friendship with Pat. But my goal has always been the top. Now, having set our new goal to redline the White Mountains (climb every trail in the White Mountain Guide) my goal is not always to get to the top, but to hike the trails I have yet to hike, making sure I grab every spur trail, every path to a campsite, checking every nook and cranny for a trail not yet traveled.
So instead of going up and coming down, the redlining goal is to go over and around and here and there to the very end from the very beginning. It is a totally different mindset.
I think it reflects my life in a way. My life has always been about getting THERE. Now I know Thich Nhat Hanh will tell you there is really no where to get, but in my mind there has always been a summit I was striving for - whether it was a mountain, setting the Guinness World Record for the largest number of lit jack-o'-lanterns at the Keene Pumpkin Festival, climbing the 100 highest mountains in New England or the 52 With-a-View (52 mountains in NH with great views), or publishing my books, It's Not About the Hike and Pumpkin Festival - 25 Years. Now I need to pay attention to HOW I get there and let go of reaching the top.
I'm feeling directionless in my life. I am not sure where I am supposed to be going and what's the point of going where ever that is. I can't find my next oh-that-speaks-to-my-soul-I-know-I'm-supposed-to-do-that thing, my next significant endeavor that fills me with meaning. I'm lost, and a little grumpy, like I feel when we go around a summit instead of toward the summit. I'll get my head wrapped around this red lining thing...just give me some time.
Pat and I are redlining on Chocorua Friday, grabbing the rest of the Bolles Trail and the Bee Line Trail, and checking off the West Side Trail and most of Champney Falls. We take a wrong turn when we reach the end of the West Side Trail and find ourselves heading to the top of Chocorua (Yeah! My heart is so happy!). We stop at about .2 miles from the summit at a perfect lunch spot, great rock seats and a tremendous view. Then we turn around and head down.
The Trails
The Bolles Trail from the Kancamagus Highway has about a mile of flat, a mile of up (maybe 700 feet elevation gain), a mile of down (losing all 700 feet) and another mile of flat. So glad Pat suggested that we start with the Bolles Trail. I would not have wanted to climb up 700 feet at the end of the day! There are lots of creek crossings that are easy because the water level is so low. It might be a problem if the water levels were very high.
The Bee Line Trail is up but not steep, a total of 1.9 miles. Nice pine woods, cool, under the bountiful cover of nature.
The Brooks Trail is straight up rock slabs, scrambling up the rocks for .4 miles. Not for the faint of heart! We have a nice snack at the intersection of the Brooks Trail and Liberty Trail and then head to West Side Trail, a trail designated for use during bad weather that avoids the summit of Chocorua.
After lunch at our almost summit view spot we head down the Champney Falls Trail. We will have to come back to get the side trail to the Falls - we'll go on a hot day when we are looking for some water fun.
I'm feeling lighter of spirit as we arrive at our car and I hope that going home to check off the trails traveled today will help adjust my red-lining mindset.
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