Victory At Mount Monadnock

by Angela LaFave

Imagine trying to balance on the top of a mountain while 60-mph winds buffet you from all sides. Picture battling winds that can knock down a 200-pound grown man. That's exactly what happened on Thursday, April 29, when the eighth graders who stayed back from Washington DC had a memorable trip. We hiked Mt. Monadnock, which, at 3,165 feet tall, is the second most climbed mountain in the world.

The trail we took was called the White Dot Trail, which is shorter, yet steeper than its parallel trail, the White Cross Trail. There were many steep cliffs and walls we had to climb. Sometimes the cliffs were smooth from water runoff, and those were very difficult to scale.

As we neared the top, many were exhausted from carrying backpacks up the steep parts of the trail. Luckily, we had plenty of water and snacks to go around.
The terrain was getting rockier and much more slippery. Since it had snowed the previous day, there was a steady stream of water trickling slowly down from the summit, covering most of the footholds in cold water. We had to be careful not to slip as the climb grew steeper. A strong wind blew, which knocked some off balance. The wind was a dangerous enemy for those balancing precariously on narrow cliffs. Luckily nobody was hurt.

We were stopping to take a break when a man walked past, panting. The man was more than twice my weight. He said, “I was there for about a half hour but the wind was really throwing me around up there, so I came down.” This news caused most of the remaining hikers to turn back, leaving only me and my dad. We were exhausted after taking turns carrying the backpack, but we were determined with less than a mile to go. The wind knocked us over several times, and sometimes we accidentally stepped in small pools of water, unable to see the ground through the inch-thick blanket of pure white snow. However aggressive the traction on our shoes, it didn't matter because they were wet with slush.

We were supposed to turn back at 11:30, and it was 11:29. But the summit was in view, so near yet so far. Determined to reach it, we climbed faster up the steep rock face. Everyone who had made it was walking past. The “caboose” (Ms. Brown, guidance counselor) was right there in front, and you weren't supposed to go behind her.

This was it. We hadn't made it to the top. I turned around, defeated and exhausted.

Then Ms. Brown said, “Hey, the summit's right there if you want to keep going.”

When I heard those hopeful words, all the adrenaline rushed back and I sprinted for a few yards until I came to a steep chunk of rock with no footholds. It was surrounded by two walls of stone. With my back against one wall and my feet planted on the other, I crab-walked straight up the cliff.

Within minutes I was at the summit. I surveyed my surroundings, feeling triumphant. It was a beautiful view; the lavender mountains in the distance, the lush green of the golf courses, and the sparkling blue lakes. I could see every car on the highway below, and our school bus parked miles away – a tiny yellow line amongst thousands of miles of view. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, streaked with white clouds that were lined with golden sunlight. “Okay,” my dad said. “This has to be way better than DC.”

A wild gust of wind came out of nowhere and knocked me flat on my back. I quickly stood back up and positioned myself so that the next gust of wind wouldn't do the same as the last one. When the next gust came, I stood my ground. Tiny chips of rock and glass struck my face. I stumbled over to a flat rock and crouched behind it, where the wind couldn't do any more damage. After a few quick snapshots my dad followed, along with Ms. Brown.

We were ready to climb back down. Panting, my dad said, “I think going back down is even more difficult than climbing up!” All the twisted ankles we endured on the way up came back at once when pressure was focused on them.

It took less time to get down, but it seemed like an eternity of pain and strained muscles. Finally we reached the spring, which was a meeting point for all of us. Everyone around me was exhausted, even the people who hadn't even reached the halfway point. I asked how far my friend had made it. “I was within 100 yards of the summit, and I am exhausted!!” she boasted. She told me where she stopped and turned around... which was more like a mile from the summit.

The next day, most people who climbed the mountain were absent. All the people who did go to school that day went around Antrim to pick up trash.

Out of 20 who stayed behind from DC, only 14 actually tried to climb the mountain. Out of 14 climbers, only 3 boys and 2 girls made it to the summit. So, congratulations to:
Corrine Frosch
Sean Campbell
Aaron Lakus
Storm England
and me.

Anybody who hasn't climbed Mt. Monadnock should at least try. It's a big challenge, a beautiful view, plus bragging rights!

FUN FACT: There are many people, young and old, who set aside time to climb the mountain every day!