Ups and Downs

Well, here we are planning our next trip to the Adirondacks. Astute readers may recall that RunningBarb had set her sights on becoming an Adirondack 46-er. “What on earth is that?” you ask. Well, there are 46 mountains in the Adirondacks above 4000 feet. If you climb all of them you get to call yourself a 46-er. This entitles you to all sorts of special benefits, like being allowed to pay money to receive a letter certifying you as a 46-er, buy 46-er merch, shell out some bucks for a 46-er magazine subscription, and all kinds of other goodies. 

Mr. K had started climbing these babies when he was eight and dragged invited me along to climb a bunch so he could finish. So he has been done since 2009. I have been trying to catch up ever since. Sharp readers with good memories may recall my epic fail trying to climb Donaldson, Emmons, and Seward, then Haystack in 2023, then my fascinating and enthralling medical adventures and return to Seward (and Seymour) in 2025. Now I have nine mountains left. When, oh when would be the best time to tackle them? The answer, like the answer to most questions involving timing, is now. So – we have been preparing.

We will be backpacking for some of those days. We want to make sure we eat enough in the back country and also that the food we bring tastes good. Nothing is worse (well, to be honest, lots of things are worse) than to spend a hard day on the trail wrestling with mud, rocks, boulders, stream crossings, losing your way, then finding it again, and finally coming back to camp and getting a teeny weeny meal. We decided that our backpacking dinners would be tuna pasta. This would cover all the Major Food Groups: protein, fat, carbohydrates, cheese, mayonnaise, and Tabasco. 

Now, how do you bring mayonnaise in your pack? Well, any self-respecting backpacker will tell you that you can’t. But what do they know? Undeterred, we tried to find a way to make it work. We came upon a simple solution. You know those little packets you see in restaurants sometimes? We’ll just bring a few of those. Problem solved.

Turns out that the smallest number of packets you can buy is 200. Lemme tell you, I am at the point in my life where, if I want mayonnaise in the back country, gosh darn it, I’m going to have it. So we ordered a box of 200. Guess what – it’s really a lot! But I am already thinking about what to do with the leftovers. Maybe give them out for Halloween. All the boring houses give out full size Snickers bars, boxes of Mike and Ike’s, and bags of M&Ms. I think it’s time for a new trend. I’m sure the kids will thank me for it.

Even though we are regular campers and thought we had all the camping gear on the planet that two human beings could possible own, it turns out we didn’t. Camping and backpacking are not always the same. We needed more stuff. So we sprung for a new backpack for Mr. K, light sleeping pads for the both of us, a microscopic stove, featherweight pots for cooking, new trekking poles for me, and who knows what-all. For what we spent on equipment for a few days of deprivation in the woods we could have stayed a week at the Four Seasons. But no matter, it’s all about the experience.

We also had to train to be ready for those peaks. How best to get in shape for mountain climbing when you leave at sea level? Why, you go to Weverton Cliff! It’s the steepest place I know of in the area. Weverton Cliff is a section of the Appalachian Trail that offers a beautiful view of the Potomac River. To get there from the road you have to hike a mile up, with around 500 feet of elevation gain. So we took a few hikes there. That is up to the top, then down. Then up. Then down. Etcetera. My longest day on that trail saw more than 12 miles of hiking and more than 3000 feet of elevation. Our planned hardest hiking day in the Adirondacks was more than 14 miles with 3300 feet of elevation. That seems within reach. Of course, that does not figure in trail conditions, which, as has been made clear above include mud, rocks, boulders, stream crossings, and losing your way. Plus, there could be rain. And bears. But we can’t control everything. I think we are as ready as we will ever be. 

That mayonnaise sure is going to taste great. 

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