Mountain Passages The Newsletter of the New Hampshire Chapter of the AMC WWW.AMC-NH.ORG Volume 34, Number 3 May/June 2008 A Story of Survival at Sea off the Note from the Chair Massachusetts Coast Paul Berry The new temporary committee for AMC-NH Chapter Dinner Program Walks and Short Hikes has started. The Saturday, May 31 first event was an evening walk in Auburn on the first day of spring. On Canterbury NH Saturday afternoon March 22 we had Nationally acclaimed author Michael Tougias will present a spell-binding talk and our 2nd trip, also a walk, in Auburn at slide presentation on his new national bestseller Fatal Forecast: An Incredible the Audubon Center. We have more True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea. trips listed on our the AMC-NH Website. If there is interest and Using slides from the actual storm and participation this committee will rescue, Tougias will recount one of become permanent. the most remarkable survival stories ever recorded. Tougias will chronicle Initially there are 23 hikes that can be how, in November of 1980, two run on hills and mountains including fishing vessels, the Fair Wind and the Mts. Sunapee and Kearsarge. We will Sea Fever, set out from Cape Cod to also lead walks on trails or paths with catch offshore lobsters at Georges flat to rolling terrain with elevation Bank. The National Weather Service gain of 500 feet or less. had forecast typical fall weather in the This provides a lot of places to go area for the next three days—even anywhere in the state, but we need though the organization knew that its leaders. Currently, any NH Excursions only weather buoy at Georges Bank leader or NH Mountaineering leader, was malfunctioning. as well as NH Paddling leaders that Soon after the boats reached the have significant hiking experience, fishing ground, they were hit with can become a Walks and Short Hikes hurricane force winds and massive, leader by taking a short training sixty-foot waves that battered the session on submitting trips and trip boats for hours. The captains and reports for Walk & Short Hikes. We are crews struggled heroically to keep their vessels afloat in the unrelenting storm. in the process of defining the criteria One monstrous wave of 90 to 100 feet soon capsized the Fair Wind, trapping the for new leaders. I expect we will have several categories that will crew inside. Meanwhile, on the Sea accommodate the interests of our Deadline to register is May 24. Fever, Captain Peter Brown (whose members. father owned the Andrea Gail of See page 6 for a reservation See page 6 for a reservation Perfect Storm fame) did his best to continued on page 2 form, the menu and directions form, the menu and directions ride out the storm, but a giant wave to Canterbury Woods. to Canterbury Woods. blew out one side of the pilothouse, sending a crew-member into the churning ocean. continued on page 6 Note from the Chair Who's Who in New Hampshire continued from page 1 Initially I am leading this effort. When the group grows, we Chapter Chair [email protected] will establish various committee positions. This is a chance Paul Berry 603-423-1192 to be involved in shaping the direction of this new Vice Chair [email protected] committee. For more information please contact me. Eric Savage 603-772-6259 Not interested in walks or short hikes? Try trail work or Treasurer [email protected] Mitch Manseau 603-236-0619 excursions or mountaineering or paddling. We offer trips in all of these areas. Secretary [email protected] David Ross 603-224-6786 How about suggesting other areas that our chapter could Conservation [email protected] explore? Should we form a Biking Committee? Contact me Bob Harrington 603-524-1464 or any EXCOM member with your ideas. Mary Harrington 603-524-1464 Paul Berry Education [email protected] 603-423-1192 or [email protected] Excursions [email protected] Wes Tucker 603-529-1181 Hospitality [email protected] Mountain Passages Kathy Ratcliffe 603-456-3708 Janice Bremer Receive Mountain Passages via email! Membership [email protected] E-delivery saves the NH-AMC Chapter printing and Kathy Ratcliffe 603-456-3708 postage costs and helps the environment, too! Mountaineering [email protected] Jed Eliades 603-643-4556 Mountain Passages is distributed six times per year. The Newsletter [email protected] same day each issue mails, you’ll get an email alert with Renée Robertie 603-566-8270 a link to the members-only online version of Mountain Passages. Paddling [email protected] Karen Klawiter 603-623-5350 Members opting to get Mountain Passages online will Julia Steed-Mawson 603-635-2270 not receive a copy in the mail. If you change your mind Programs [email protected] and want to receive a paper copy, simply email Ron Janowitz 603-625-9848 [email protected] and we’ll switch you back. Louise Provan 978-821-3775 Trails [email protected] To receive your Mountain Passages onlineonline, send Bill Darcy 603-224-0709 your name, email address, and member ID, found Tim Doucette 603-332-6722 above your name on the address label of this issue of WebMaster [email protected] Mountain Passages, to [email protected]. Kim Rexford 603-497-2500 Karen Klawiter 603-623-5350 Advertise in Mountain Passages Young Members young [email protected] Advertise in Mountain Passages Ross Garofalo 603-644-4550 The AMC NH Chapter membership is over 10,000 Mary Schmidt 603-880-1875 strong. Members enjoy the outdoors year-round by Past Chapter Chair [email protected] hiking, paddling, skiing, backpacking, climbing and Sam (Ruth) Jamke 603-472-2536 biking. Regional Dir. NH/ME [email protected] John Dolloff 207-415-6702 If you have a product or service that New Hampshire AMC members would benefit from, consider Over 55 [email protected] advertising in Mountain Passages, published six times Nancy Seavey 603-586-7727 Linda Holton 603-433-4909 a year! Family Group [email protected] Display ad rate: $12 per square inch (4 sq. inch min.) Mark Goodearl 603-707-7311 Classified ad rate: $1 per word (20 word minimum) Michelle Goodearl 603-279-6464 Email [email protected] for a rate sheet. AMC-NH Chapter Website www.amc-nh.org The AMC-NH Chapter reserve the right to refuse ads Address changes and membership renewals that are not related to the mission of the AMC Contact AMC Member Services (outdoor adventure, education and conservation). 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108 617-523-0636 Ext 0 or www.outdoors.org/membership For more information, or to place an ad, email [email protected] or call 603-566-8270. Page 2 Thoughts from a Peak-bagger's "Widow" Or, Why I Wish I Had Kept My Mouth Shut By Anne Gwynne The last issue of Mountain Passages contained an article, Fourth: Oh, the laundry. Yes, loads of nasty-smelling long “Winter’s Work,” which talked about winter peak- johns, scads of socks, fleece vests, bandanas, and bagging. The author joked about feasting on frozen balaclavas from hiking three days a week for 13 weeks. peanut butter sandwiches while hiking 20 miles over 12 It’s a joy, let me tell you. hours, all with the object of climbing a bunch of mountains nobody has ever heard or cared about. Fifth: the computer, which sits on the kitchen table and is running from earliest morning to late at night. This The author intimated that this was all jolly good fun, but I apparently has become an essential part of planning and know from personal experience that there is a down side organizing a hiking trip. Checking various Websites to to this seemingly benign behavior. Let me count the ways. see if other people have done this hike; emailing back and forth with buddies, consulting maps. How can First: the entire house has turned into a sporting goods anyone spend so much time doing this? store—a messy sporting goods store. When I am not tripping over enormous boots in the hallway, I am Sixth: the absence from home. Many times the peak- stubbing my toe on a pack, inconveniently left beside the bagger leaves on Friday afternoon, often to return late bed. And the crampons: did no-one tell him that they are Sunday, with the highly anticipated loads of laundry and not to be deposited randomly under the breakfast table? spruce needles. Second: what is it about half-eaten Fluff® and peanut So, he’s not the only one glad to be done with winter butter sandwiches that they have to be brought inside? peak-bagging, I assure you. It’s nice to be able to talk The stuff sticks to everything. about something besides the approach to West Long, or whether the Morton Cut-off is plowed. It’s good to be Third: the piles of spruce needles and twigs that seem to able to give the Websites a rest from posting trip reports. be the main result of all this peak-bagging. They infest It’s good to have someone else to do the cooking around pockets, packs, gloves, hats, socks, and even the shower here. stall. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Anne Gwynne is a recovering peak-bagger. She has hiked the Northeast 115s in winter and has completed the 451 New England Three Thousand Footers.