I broke one of my own rules this week– even though President’s Day was a company holiday, it sneaked up on me and I didn’t have my act together to make that 3-day weekend into a 4- or 5- day weekend. I still managed to get out for some fresh air though.
Having learned as an adult, I’m a relatively inexperienced skier. I’m also a life-long hater of crowds and of waiting, so my ultimate skiing goal is to be safe and comfortable in the backcountry, away from the lift service resorts. I’ve been gradually working toward that goal by seeking out less groomed terrain on my regular downhill skis. This weekend my goal was to get some experience with my touring skis.
It snowed on Saturday, but on Sunday morning it was clear and cold with blue skies and some hints of fresh snow in out of the way corners. I was going uphill at a resort and keeping to the extreme edges of the downhill routes so had the chance to shuffle through some fresh snow, some groomed corduroy, and some good old fashioned New England ice. I’m happy to say that on the (extremely moderate) route I took, my skis and skins handled it all with aplomb. I fancy that I handled with equal aplomb the not infrequent witticisms from other skiers to the effect that I was going the wrong way.
Did I mention it was a beautiful day?
Shuffling uphill in the sun was sweaty work, even though I delayered down to my base. There was a little bit of wind when I got to the top to turn around, but fortunately I found a somewhat sheltered place to add a few layers and keep warm while I took off the skins and reset my bindings to go downhill.
My AT skis are much lighter than my regular downhill ones. I’m sure there’s a technical description more advanced skiers or gear heads use for what I was feeling, but the best word I can come up with is that they felt floppier than what I’m used to. I’m really glad to have taken advantage of the en piste uphill route to get a feel for the downhill performance on easy mode before I found myself navigating natural, ungroomed snow.
When I got to the bottom I was tired, but still contemplated putting my skins back on to do another lap. A little voice inside my head told me it wasn’t a good idea to push myself to exhaustion– I should keep keep something in the tank. I’m glad I listened to that voice, because later that afternoon a call came in for my search and rescue team to assist an injured hiker. Fortunately it was a relatively simple rescue– the patient was able to walk and not too far from the trail head. It was a lovely night for a hike: not too cold (in the 20s) with clear skies and brilliant stars. So ends Sunday.
Monday, President’s day, I didn’t have to work. It was warmer and overcast that morning and I decided to do exactly the same thing as Sunday: skin up Green’s Peak and ski down both to get some exercise and some more experience on my AT skis. Not a stunning bluebird day like Sunday, but I felt better both uphill and downhill so a really good morning.
Little did I know that Monday would be an exact repeat of Sunday, right down to the rescue call. I got back to the house with just enough time to take a shower and make a sandwich when the rescue call came in. This patient was further from the trailhead, up much higher, and definitely could not walk.
To reach the patient we hiked up toward Lonesome Lake hut and across a frozen stretch of Lonesome Lake. Despite it being a popular hiking destination on a fairly busy day, the lake did indeed look fairly lonesome. Our patient was past the hut on Fishin’ Jimmy trail which is both steep and icy– not my favorite trail in any season.
It turned into a long and strenuous afternoon. The official press release claims that the patient was 2.2 miles from the trail head, but from the elevation and terrain where we met the patient, I put it closer to 3. Have I mentioned it’s not my favorite trail? I shouldn’t complain too much– the snow makes it a little smoother and easier to travel by smoothing out the foot bed and covering some of the rocks, but also makes the steep sections challenging for both up and down. In the end it was a successful mission: we brought the patient down off the mountain to an ambulance waiting at the trail head.
I would never describe a rescue mission as fun of any type, but at the end of the long weekend I felt a great sense of satisfaction both that I was able to help somebody who really needed it and that I am strong and capable in ways that have nothing to do with my career. No matter what my body looks like, I’m finding pride and satisfaction in the things it can do.
Privacy disclaimer– I will never post any information which has not been previously provided in a press release by New Hampshire Fish & Game department, who are in charge of all search and rescue throughout the state.