I intended posting this a couple of weeks ago, but things got in the way. So, without further delay, here is some Mountain Goodness. Clicking the thumbnails should biggify.
Here is the beginning of our epic hike. Please remember that I had cracked my rib only a few days earlier.
Muttboy taking a break before the climbing gets really steep on the Glen Boulder trail. He is a photogenic beast.
At timberline, with the Whites spreading out majestically to the east.
The rugged mountain man and his faithful canine companion.
The rugged mountain woman wending her way through the alpine scree.
On top of the world. It’s disorienting to climb all morning in a rugged wilderness to find yourself at a major tourist destination with a parking lot and fat tourists in flip flops wandering around the gift shop. Note the rugged mountain man look, complete with Julbo glacier glasses and a cloud colored bandanna.
In Tuckerman Ravine, Muttboy starts to show some signs of fatigue. He is a tough mountain dog, though, and soldiers on.
The way down Tuckerman Ravine is steep. It requires climbing from boulder to boulder as if walking down a giant, ungainly staircase made of stone.
The Bowl. A little photo miserably fails to capture the gandeur of the scene. You can easily see how the poets were inspired by the sublime sight.
At the bottom. Muttboy looks ridiculously fresh.
And here he is a couple of days later, begging a treat on top of Stratton Mountain.
And let’s end with a picture of serenity–Stratton Pond, one of my favorite places in Vermont.
I don’t know how you did this with cracked ribs! I’d have been at home on the sofa demanding snacks and drinks. But the scenery is gorgeous and you look like you had a wonderful time.
I said often when my rib was cracked that the only thing I couldn’t do was laugh. But I never even thought about climbing a freakin’ mountain! In fact, I think I said: Don’t take me anywhere near the Appallachians, again! ( I got over that, though, and have returned since.)
Great pictures. Love the one of Muttboy looking over the Whites!