It has been about a month since my last post so I have finally decided to sit down and make an entry. Over the last several weeks I have been passing the time with some great friends by going on hikes and learning how to cross country ski. Our group started out basic with the "Castle Rock Loop" (9.8 miles) which included a climb to the summit and a nice pit stop at the Mars hut (a bit of an inside joke). It was an absolute blast and my friends took a lot of great pictures. It's difficult to do it justice, but the view at the summit of Castle Rock is absolutely amazing. It is something that I feel privileged to have experienced, so much so that it even made my eyes a little weepy (or it could have been the wind... yeah... definitely the wind). The next week we entertained ourselves by learning how to cross country ski, which actually went much better than I anticipated. As a matter of fact, things went so well that our "quick out & back" turned into four hours of exhaustion and burning joints (but at least I didn't fall). I know this all sounds like a decent workout (and it was to be sure), but the thing to remember is that this was all simply preparation for what is affectionately known as the "Ross Island Traverse".
For the third week in a row(and what started as the day before Thanksgiving), we decided to take things to the next level... all recreational trails on the island in one trip. This sounds like a daunting task to be sure, but please keep in mind that we had a few factors in our favor: The confidence of youth, excitement over a two day weekend, and reassurance that our ranks had bolstered from the original four into a whopping seven people. With that we set out, starting things off with a hike to the top of Observation Hill (cross photo), followed by the "Ob Hill Loop" (red marker photo), and Hut Point Ridge (nondescript group photo). With the completion of the third leg, three people headed back due to prior engagements and the original four continued on with the Castle Rock Loop (summit picture), a pit stop at the Mars Hut again (missing heads), and on into the Cape Armitage Loop (sign picture), before finally reaching town again and heading straight to day bar. I can honestly say that a 24 mile hike does wonders for removing any guilt about stuffing your face with turkey and potatoes.
After all is said and done, those 24 miles provided some of the most fun I've had in a long time... it really comes down to the company you keep.
Note 1: We helped pass the time by practicing our sledding (videos below).
Note 2: All photos & videos were made possible by everyone not named "Grant."
For the third week in a row(and what started as the day before Thanksgiving), we decided to take things to the next level... all recreational trails on the island in one trip. This sounds like a daunting task to be sure, but please keep in mind that we had a few factors in our favor: The confidence of youth, excitement over a two day weekend, and reassurance that our ranks had bolstered from the original four into a whopping seven people. With that we set out, starting things off with a hike to the top of Observation Hill (cross photo), followed by the "Ob Hill Loop" (red marker photo), and Hut Point Ridge (nondescript group photo). With the completion of the third leg, three people headed back due to prior engagements and the original four continued on with the Castle Rock Loop (summit picture), a pit stop at the Mars Hut again (missing heads), and on into the Cape Armitage Loop (sign picture), before finally reaching town again and heading straight to day bar. I can honestly say that a 24 mile hike does wonders for removing any guilt about stuffing your face with turkey and potatoes.
After all is said and done, those 24 miles provided some of the most fun I've had in a long time... it really comes down to the company you keep.
Note 1: We helped pass the time by practicing our sledding (videos below).
Note 2: All photos & videos were made possible by everyone not named "Grant."
