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The call came into FSARS* HQ late Weds.
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Friday was a high stress day for me. Then I needed to work late. Between working late and just being wired in general, I didnt get to sleep until around midnight - and was pretty restless until the 4.30 am wakeup call to drive to Welch-Dickey for some recreational hiking.
I can be rather cranky when sleep deprived. Saturday morning was no exception. Add in that I missed my Dunkin Donuts breakfast and by the time we got to trailhead I was unfit company. Long before that, truth be told. Still, TLV put up with me and there we were. Hardly any cars in the lot, and a glorious morning, too cool and early for bugs ... eventually the grumpiness wore away in the cool air and bright sun.
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Like millions of others, I was captivated by the movie 'Gettysburg' and the book 'Killer Angels'. I was always a little interested in the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg but I never had much understanding of the battle, and was always a little puzzled by shorter accounts. Thinking about the action of the 20th Maine holding the end of the line on Little Round Top. That sort of stuck in my mind as I've hiked around various places in NH, so I started to want to see Little Round Top for myself. It turned out my son felt the same way ... hmmm ... road trip!
This past winter we started doing some planning. We settled on May as the best time for us - warm enough to be out walking or riding bikes, but early enough to avoid most of the crowds. Turns out to have been a very good choice, with the 150th Anniversary of the Battle, the area is gearing up for a big spike in tourism; hotel rooms are getting scarce and planners are wondering what they're going to do with the crowds.
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Champing at the bit all week with the clear weather; walks in Bear Brook were great but just not enough to satisfy the hunger for some views.
Not to mention the bugs are starting to get aggressive around here.
So with Saturday looking stellar I planned to head north. Reports of snow, mud and monorails made the higher summits less interesting. The interior Belknaps have been on my mind a while, particularly after a bruised tendon last fall shortened a hike out to West Quarry mountain. A new trail map available for the Belknap range added a bit more enticement.