The (m)Other Side of the Mountain

We took David for his first real hike -- up a mountain as opposed to three or four miles of city walking, which seems like it ought to be called strolling, no matter how heavy he’s getting -- on Sunday. We climbed most of Mount Kearsarge, a little west of here in Warner.

We would have made the summit, but the gate was closed at the bottom of the mountain. The trailhead starts three fairly steep miles up a switch backing road on the other side of the gate. We managed to hoof it about two and half miles up before we ran out of time and had to turn around. Had some great views nevertheless.

It was also interesting to observe the mess David could make with his new “biter biscuits,” tasty treats that leave fun, thick brown streaks on whatever you rub them against. The backpack in which I was toting him was well-painted; thankfully he couldn’t quite reach the back of my head.

The last quarter mile of the descent I got a break because he went fussy and demanded Mom, so she carried him in her arms. This is something we’ll have to get figured out before we tackle any of the bigger New Hampshire peaks. (Can I really haul this baby up Tuckerman’s Ravine?)