One step at a time

As everyone approaches milestone birthdays, I guess they start thinking of what they have achieved or what they want to achieve. A friend of ming told me that she wanted to visit five countries during her 50^th birthday year. That got me thinking. Should I also set a goal for something? And if yes, then what?

As I had just got interested in hiking, I thought why not climb five mountains that were 5000+ ft in elevation. That would be a good target to set for myself. If not, five, I would at least start extending myself to achieve this. One of our group leads, Raj Bhai, heard me say that once and immediately sent me a list of mountains in the upstate New York that I could climb. They all seemed very forbidding. And I thought to myself, I can never do that.

My 50^th year came and it soon became obvious that the world would shortly be turned upside down as it turned out to be a pandemic year. The biggest challenge mankind faced would be my bête noir. Our hiking stopped for a short period of time and because of the frequent travel restrictions to other states, it was difficult to plan anything. Soon it was the middle of the year and nary a 5000-footer climbed or in the horizon to be climbed. I myself turned my attention to finishing my Masters and getting at least something done. Plantar Fascitis in the left foot also did not help and in September I was soon starting physiotherapy to take care of the pain.

It was suddenly 2021 and I looked back at 2020 thinking I had not achieved my goal, not a single 5000-footer climbed or even seen! The pain in my left foot was under control with physiotherapy and I was able to walk again without feeling any pain. In the month of March 2021, my first hike in the Catskills area to Panther Mountain again prodded my brain into thinking about my 2020 goal and shortly thereafter I saw a hike that one of our Group Leads from Desi Meetup – Karthik – had put up for a weekend trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire to climb the Franconia Ridge. I was interested as this included climbing three mountains, two of which were at an elevation of 5000 feet – Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette.

And that is how I bagged my first two 5000+ft elevation mountains. The White Mountains were beautiful, rugged and simply mesmerizing. As I had also signed up to climb Mt. Washington (6000 ft elevation)  with the same group in the month of June, I soon was able to bag my third peak when I also climbed Mt. Monroe on our way to Mt. Washington hiking up the Ammonosuc trail. I am not counting Mt. Washington as it is a 6000+ ft mountain.

I did not know at that time in May & June that I would shortly be traveling to New Hampshire once again in the month of July for the Presidential Traverse hike. Although this trip did not yield the results that I wanted it helped me bag my fourth mountain – Mt. Madison – which was at an elevation of 5267 ft. This trip was cut short after our first climb to Mt. Madison because of hypothermia conditions predicted the next day at the summits. Our small group of hikers, returned back to the valley after climbing Mt. Madison. For me it was not a failure as I was one more step closer to my goal of bagging five mountains over 5000+ ft elevation.

I had also signed up to climb Mt. Katahdin in October this year but knowing how finicky the weather gets, I really was not sure if I would be able to do this climb. Katahdin should not be attempted if the weather is too windy or rainy/misty. You can attempt to climb Mt. Katahdin through the Pamola Peak but then you end up taking the Knife Edge trail which is no joke in inclement weather.

But the day turned out to be gorgeous, clear, sunny with almost no wind. Katahdin the dragon mountain was my finale 5000-footer and I was able to complete my goal a year late but finish I did. I also bagged another 4000 ft mountain – Mt. Pamola and a sub peak of Katahdin – South Peak during this hike.

For me there is always a learning moment in anything and everything that I do. What seemed like an unsurmountable goal in 2020 became a reality for me this year. In a span of exactly six months to the day, I was able to climb my five mountains. A big credit of this goes to my hiking group and leads too. Their perfect planning, the group’s collective can-do attitude and the enthusiastic hiking leads make you feel that everything can be achieved.

Never give up on your innermost desires and goals. Everything is achievable -If you can think it, you can do it.  Just take it, one step at a time.

Lincoln ( 5089 ft.) – May 15, 2021

Lafayette (5249 ft.) – May 15, 2021

Monroe (5372 ft. ) – Jun 12, 2021

Madison (5367 ft.) – Jul 30, 2021

Katahdin ( 5269 ft. ) – Oct 9, 2021

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