Monadnock; a Hill for Anytime

In the years before & since the PhDs, Monadnock has been climbed by all of us on countless occaisions. The events which can classified as PhD hikes include:
1989 - Borb Tom & Charlie; hike to a fog enshrouded summit.
1991 - Codman family event; everyone & his kids.
1995 - Marlboro trail; including 1st timer, Matt; Borb with bronchitis fades on summit assault.
1999a - Cold weather assault with all 5 PhDs & Jewish food.
1999b - Family hike (no wives) on obscure Dublin Road path.

Topo of Monadnock

 

Rememberances by Charlie:
The earlier 3 hikes took place during the "borrowed" company video camera epoch of my image capturing career. Maybe someday they can become mpgs or avi video clips here on the site, but for now, the best we can do is the poor quality 320x240 images caught from the screen. The 99a hike was shot on 35mm film & later scanned. The summer 99 hike was the first hike recorded on digital, an old Sony @ 640x480; poor by 2006 standards, but good for its time. We've come a long way.

The 89 hike was one of, if not the first mountain climb performed by the fledgling PhD group; then only the original three members. The pictures show an early fall foliage background. My best memory vignettes are of a deteriorating weather as we climbed higher, finally met with strong continuous gale and clouds on the summit. On descent, we rested in a gully shielded from the wind. Borb resembled an Arab with his contrived headgear. On the video a dramatic scene resulted when Borb left to get a headstart on the trek down. In the cloud enshrouded air, he quickly faded to a ghostly silhouette then disappeared from sight, like the King of Denmark's apparition fading at dawn in Hamlet.

The 91 hike was a family/workplace event. Reluctant kids & wives braved the unaccustomed and unwanted exersion on an uncomfortably hot day. Carlton Southworth & his straw hat is my dominant memory. The kids followed Borb, as he was an unlimited source of candy & snacks on the upward climb. On the descent, the unity & cameraderie of the group vanished as everyone made for the bottom at their own pace.

The 95 hike featured the inclusion of Matt into the group. Having recently quit smoking, he was apprehensive. We chose the less frequented Marlboro trail, beginning from a mudhole on the west side of the mountain. It was late March, and winter was felt at the higher altitudes. The combination of cold air, polartek & sweat produced the now famous frosted head on Borb; a phenomemnon of great acclaim and exagerated significance. Above treeline, Borb faded & floundered due to respiratory compromise. Three of us summitted & huddled in the cold, using binoculars to admire the far off view of Boston, 60 miles to the southeast.

The early 99 hike was a classic PhD event, featuring all 5 members, and the theme meal; a practice that has been used on many subsequent events. The near summit celebration (Passover?) included lox & bagels, & some appropriate wine. The weather was poor, there was ice in the puddles.
Shot of Monadnock from the start of Marlboro, on a better day.

The later 99 hike was another family event, this time with willing kids. To give some novelty to the old mountain, a new trail was tried, the Dublin Road trail, from the north side. This time, the weather was good, the trail was unused, challenging & interesting; affording good views on the climb. The trail joined up with Marlboro trail at treeline. All made it easily to the summit for a group shot.