Twilight Comes After Sunset

Monday found me back on Hurricane Road.
Monday found me making another late start.
Monday found me doing the front side climb in 50 minutes instead of 75.
Monday allowed me to go up Hurricane Mountain Road from the front, the back, and the front again.

Then Darling Monday suggested I get on back to Coach Tim's place as sunset and twighlight were soon approaching. Upon arrival I found that Assistant Coaches Marc and Mary were just about done cooking up spaghetti and meatballs- and there was enough for everybody. There sure are loads of things about which one may feel gratitude and humility.

Tuesday withheld the BLT I'd set as my reward for making the 10-ish miles to the Bear Notch deli in Bartlett. Being not of a metropolis, the deli closed at 6pm.

At 5 past 6, Mischievous Tuesday directed my attention toward the Bear Notch Road sign. Me being me, and often shunning comen sense, I dismissed advisement that the road was 12 miles lon and accepted advisement that it was 2 miles long. In lieu of BLT, I raced down (up) Bear Notch Road as quickly as I could push, forever looking for its crest. 4 or 5 miles later, after sunset but yet before twilight, close but still not at the top, I acepted a ride to the Kancamagus Bear Notch intersection from a spontaneous volunteer rescue party. Thumbing it back to North Conway after dark went off without a hitch, well actually with two hitches.

And finally there was Wonderful Wednesday- Wonderful Wednesday where I wed the wonderment that is Mount Washington Valley.
Wednesday found me exiting a car beyond Bartlett, beyond even Hart's Location.
Wednesday found me making a (now customary) late start but gifted me with transport to resynchronise my schedule with the aproach of sunset.
Wednesday allowed me once again to travel through Crawford Notch but withheld the catharsis that had cleansed me the last time I had crested.
Instead Wednesday offered me the contemplative beauty of the grasses along route 302 approaching twin Mountain. Greens beneath, reds above, varied honey wheat throughout.

The Wednesday gave me Zealand Road. Liz provided support throughout the day. Assistant Coach Liz- Team Us member Liz.

On Wednesday, at sunset, Liz drove from Twin Mountain to Zealand while I ate a tunafish sub from Quizno's.
On Wednesday, at twilight, I had the oppurtunity to push as quickly as I could up Zealand Road, getting proper cardio on the shallow incline of the dirt road.
On Wednesday, well after twilight, for the first time ever, I finally linked up and identified the Little Dipper. If you can juggle four balls, juggling three might not seem like all that much- still, I saw the Little Dipper.

Finally Wednesday, just to show off its richness and generosity, gave me me: me lying down upon Zealand and looking up at all that is not Zealand and not New Hampshire and not myself or us or you. Wednesday gave me about the biggest shooting star I'd ever seen. Wednesday gave me the chance to make a wish. I tried my best to wish rightly. I attempted to wish with gratitude and humility, and maybe courage as well.

Exponential Pales

Last week- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday- I rolled my wheelchair from North Conway up route 302 into Crawford Notch.

Wednesday night I thought I went really far but that was okay because as far as I got was only half way since I rolled all the way back to North Conway.

Thursday I got that late start mentioned in the last entry here and gee but I thought I had gone really far because I went almost as far away from North Conway as I had the day before. Through luck and generosity and local people's "like-mindedness" I managed a ride back into North conway on Thursday night. Although in a certain sense the hiking and collaborating went on till quite late, in another sense I hadn't gone nearly as far as I thought.

This was revealed to me on Friday when I actually did travel from North Conway to the Appalachian Mountain Club's lodge at the top of Crawford Notch. Turns out all the really good uphill and all the really spectacular mountain scenery doesn't even start till a ways past my end point of the previous two days. Gosh but I was slightly embarassed to have been thinking I had just about knocked out the ride the past two days and for thinking I was justified in feeling that I had acomplished something. Route 302 through Crawford Notch is an exponential sort of journey. Every half mile is super awesome and super great-- but it all pales in comparison to the subsequent half mile.

I went from finally achieving strong focus and aggressive cadence to pushing even harder with clenched jaw. This went to hard push with jaw agape. Then I realised just how big my surroundings were and I surged onward sort of carrying my jaw in my lap. Finally the hills formed the road into something marvelously challenging in the midst of sublime beauty. I inched along working harder than I had all day. I wasn't even amazed looking anymore, I was simply wearing a giant smile, so happy to be there experiencing, so grateful for such a magificent possibility.

The crest of the hill drew me through itself. In the way of the spasmodic tumult of child birth I exited the mountainous containment of the notch and apeared upon a plain. Soft, serene, and sunny- I was quite moved, overwhelmed at first, but my calmness returned. In a sense this all was like being born- optimism, then hope, then commitment, then physicality, then agony, then release, and finally a sort of informed quiet.

Late Start

Today is Thursday, the 24th of August.

I have laundry to do, wheelchair cushion adjustment to carry out, Bach tickets to buy (???), lots of other organisational details to address, plus I want to go back up to Crawford Notch. I'd like to leave about three hours ago.

Clean up chores got pretty involved last night. Didn't lay down till past midnight. Got more clean up to do this morning before I head out. That's okay though because I am planning to get up around five this morning after going to bed around nine last night. Except I didn't lay down at 9. And I didn't get up till 8. Looks like the body is enjoying a rest morning while I get off to a late start.

Saturday and Sunday were actual rest days.

Monday was an adventurous trip up the service road at Cranmore Mountain Ski resort. I traveled up and down with a local woman named Sally. Saly is not very big, but turns out she is quite a power house. We had brought a tether on our walk in case she needed it to slow me down on descent. Turns out the way up was so chalenging that we threw on the tether and Sally "assisted" me on the upward journey. She assisted me on the way down at steeper places also. So I'm thinking that with this dynamo dragging me up steep grass and rock paths I won't get much of a workout. Totally wrong! I had to keep a pretty high cadence to keep the tether a bit slack. Sally was complaining about the excessive number of rest stops. I was a bit frustrated because we hardly stopped at all. All in all, I was fairly blown out that night. I had no problem sleeping in on Tuesday.

Wednesday, yesterday, was head up Route 302 as far as you care to day. In all I think I did over 35 miles. I got into a valley called Crawford Notch. I traveled as far as the Appalachian Trail connection on 302. Later I learned that their is an Appalachian Mountain Club building maybe 3 miles further uo the hill. I turned back when I did in order to get back to North Conway by dark. Hopefully in the next hour or so I will leave North Conway and make it to that AMC lodge. I have arranged a few possibilities for a ride back so that I can spend more time travelling northward, travelling uphill.

Rest Day

Yesterday, Friday, was a rest day after having pushed up the Auto road the previous day.

What do wheelchair users with very tender hands and partly depleted muscles do on rest day, when they actually do need rest?

Well me at least, I sat in a kayak and paddled up and down the Saco river just accross the New Hampshire Maine border. Jean Lee aranged to take her, her son, myself and a young friend of her son on a boating mission. We paddled quite leisurely. many who only floated passed us by. I paddled up and down the Saco a fair bit, saying hello to many of the parade of boaters out enjoying the peace and natural beauty. The SAaco was kind of a promenade yesterday, what with the excellent weather and all.

I had the chance to swim some- something I haven't done since last year's time in New Hampshire. We picked up over a hundred pounds of trash- a fair bit Jean snorkled up from river bottom. I even got to jump off a rope swing- this is something I haven't done in 15 years- since the last time I jumped into water and burst fractured a vertebra.

This time water entry was from maybe ten feet, instead of ten or so times that much. This time I wasn't so in over my head, though of course the water level was well over my head. Looking at my shadow on the water surface while falling after letting go of the rope reminded me of a time maybe twenty years ago at a rope swing on the Perkiomen Creek in Pennsylvania. That time the swing was much more dramatic. But just like yesterday, the water was refreshing and welcoming. Yesterday, just like that time from twenty years ago, the shadow I saw at rope release was me.

Tourist Attraction

Today I rolled my wheelchair from the base to the summit of Mount washington, the highest place in the north eastern United States. I started at 7:30 am. I topped out at 2:48 pm. many people offered me encouragement along the way. I actually had large vanloads of children cheering me on. At the top I had many people ask to have thier picture taken with me. I began to realise that maybe I was a tourist attraction for those who chose to drive up Mount Washington's Auto road.

Really though, it made an impresion on me as I realised, about a half mile below the summit, that a lot of people were deeply impressed by my little choic e of summer recreation. I was moved by all this. I regained my composure beore reaching the top and the round of apluase from the tourists who assembled to watch me finish up. I was grunting and wincing by the time I finished, more so from painfully tender hands than the steep final few hundred yards.

It did seem slightly like being Smokey the bear or Mickey Mouse or something- all the people who asked to have thier picture taken with me. I did my best to be gracious and friendly. It was fun, but it was also kind of like a responsibility.

Anyway, hopefully I'll take a few days to let my hands and muscles recover properly and then I'll do some more practice runs around North Conway. I'd like to go up Mount Washington again before I lleave New Hampshire. Maybe I could do the trip more quickly. Maybe I could start from further away than right at the base. Maybe I will.

Almost Ready

Today is Wednesday, the 16th of August.

Tomorrow, Thursday, I intend to get on Mount Washington's Auto Road and once again make a push for the top.

Today I am in he midst of a second rest day in a row. Today I am getting things organised for tomorrow's "ride".

Sleeping bag and cushion, camp stove and coffee, sport drink and water, energy bars and other stuff ...

Calls and hellos in to my North Conway suport crew, arrangements at Mount Washington, hopefully some quiet time for the partly neglected journal .........

Sunday was Intervale to Mount Washington's base, past Pinkham Notch; and then return to Dana Place. I could brag vaguely that it was 25 or 30 miles. I'm certain it was over 20 but 4 or more were downhill. I keep wanting to check distances properly on a map. I keep not doing so ................

Monday was four runs up Cathedral Ledge Road, after breakfast at Nere Ledge Inn- a bed & breakfast spot near the bottom of this road. I started with about four quarts of beverage, consuming roughly one quart per climb. All four pushes up were under fourty minutes. I was a bit lighter with each one. The last two required a bit of distraction pain and tedium-wise. Turns out the third run was about 1600 pushes of the wheelchair wheels. The final run was about 1500 pushes .....................

Yesterday my arms were burning just rolling up teh street from the Lee family's house. I had managed pretty good depletion on the Cathedral Ledge Road. That night, through the kind assistance of a recent acquaintance, I had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Last night I met up with Coach Tim martel and had chicken fettucini for dinner. We'll see what this evening brings. But presently I will be cooking up some afternoon pancakes ................................................. .

Training and Trying

I've been in New Hampshire for 7 days now. I come here specificaly with the intention of "cleaning up my act" and pushing my wheelchair along long distances and up steep hills to prepare to once again ascend the Autoroad on Mount Washington.

Sunday included an approximately four mile circuit, about a mile of it up a medium steep hill.

Monday was mostly easy highway grade, though it was over four hours and maybe 16 miles. The scenery was pretty good, New hampshire mountains and woodlands. I traveled from Intervale, just north of North Conway, to Jackson, further north, then back.

Tuesday was better. I went to Town Hall Road. Town hall allows one to push along five or so miles of dirt road, getting harder with looser stones as you go. Then there is the trip back.... I was tired after this one.

Wedneday was awesome. Right smack in the mountains and woodlands. Many beautiful sights. A good distance of pretty hard hills and even a smattering of very hard hill. By the end I was stiff and dizzy and ready for a rest day.

Thursday was rest day, clean up day, and a-bit of-organising day.

Friday was hard hill day. Hurricane Mountain Road has 2.2 miles of 15% grade up one side and 1.3 miles of 17% grade up the other side. Each side took about the same length of time. After doing the 15% side, ane getting ready at the bottom of the 17% side, I sat imagining doing the 15% side once again after topping the 17% side. By the time I did top out the 17% side, I was a fair amount more humble than I had been beforehand. The scenery was beautiful, cool shade from trees and a stream on the one side, daunting steep parts and a rewaeding view on the other side. I was pretty exhausted on Friday evening, yesterday.

Today, Saturday is rest day again. I am doing further organising, like trying to get pictures in order for the Kinetics page; also writing this entry to get the whole blog thing moving. A number of other points will hopefully be addressed today. Then by bedtime hopefully I will have an itinerary set for tomorrow.

Before I close I must mention the strong support I have received from Jean Lee. She had invited me to stay with her and her family to get this whole project started. I have been partaking of her family's generosity for a week now and I have them to thank for the wonderful experience so far.

Posting From Here, Whilst In New Hampshire

Love gives and love takes away

Love builds and love destroys

Together is and together is not

Giving gives and so giving rejoices

There is wanting

There is imagination

There is knowledge and hope and hopefully wisdom

There are the past, the present, and almost always the future

While we are here now

We also will have been and still we will want to be

Not before or after or even right this second

Just here now

The Second??

Okay, today is August 2nd. I'm still in East Lansdowne, sweating away and loving it. The only major problem is that I'm still in East Lansdowne, sweating away and loving it.

Got some mailings to get out. Got some people yet to visit. Got a trip to get started on- got my next quixotic quest to throw into gear.

Where is Sancho Panza and who is Dulcinea del Toboso?




Yesterday I wrote a few pages worth on the legal pad thinking to get a clever posting up. Today I think this is about it- where is my aide and who is my muse- .
Maybe soon I will add more.
Maybe soon I will pack and start North.