I’ve been doing a lot of hiking of late and I really need to catch up on documenting my hikes…….especially my 4000 foot hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

So on June 15th, 2018, at 52 years old, I have completed my first 4000 foot mountain. Mount Garfield’s summit is 4500 feet. I climbed it with my son, who is 15 and hikes a heck of a lot faster than I do!

We arrived to the trailhead I’m pouring rain and I’ll be honest, we came very close to turning around. Nobody wants a bad day for their first big hike, but we were counting on the weather clearing so off we went. I took a picture of my son at the trailhead and then one of him on the trail in the rain and fog. It was really cold and I wish that I had brought gloves.

After about a 4.4 mike stair master of a workout, we came to an intersection and I put my hiking poles away to prepare for the .2 mile climb to the summit. I knew I would need my hands and I did use them to scramble up the steep, rocky trail. Just as I got near he top of that climb, it got breezy and as if on cue, it looked like the clouds were going to break soon. My son had a big smile on his face so I knew he could see the summit. How sweet of him to wait for me!

Here are some pictures from the summit:)