Mt. Tecumseh (4003′)
After 3 years in Boston, I’ve finally decided to stop being bitter about the weather and celebrate snow by participating in the MIT Outing Club’s Winter School.
To hike in the winter you need an assortment of equipment and heavy gear, none of which are found in a Texan’s closet. But after an email, scavenging for non-cotton clothing, 2 safety lectures, and a $15 snow boots/backpack/crampons rental, I was all set for my first snow adventure.
We headed off at 6.20am and drove for 2 hours into New Hampshire (near Waterville Valley).
Lessons learned:
- Nature is gorgeous and dangerous
- People in New Hampshire are country folk
- Snow boots > rain boots > cowboy boots (in terms of weight)
- Expect to gain an extra 30 pounds (nice workout on the rise)
- New Hampshire might be a nice place to live
- Slow and steady pace
- If you wear enough clothing, it is possible to sweat in the snow
- Don’t stop for more than 5 minutes
- Pee as much as you can before the trip (but pack toilet paper just in case)
- Must do again
The hike ended at around 3pm and our group of 3 undergrads, 1 instructor, and 3 grad students rewarded ourselves with a hearty dinner at a log cabin restaurant called “The Common Man”. It was amazing!
zest and all the rest 