35 Peaks in 30 Days: "The Adventure Continues..."

35 Peaks in 30 Days

With retirement quickly approaching, I needed to find something to challenge myself both physically and mentally. Since my first idea of a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail was out of the question, (sleeping on the ground every night for six months is not a just a challenge, it's slightly suicidal) I decided to attempt to hike all 35 peaks in the New York Catskill Mountains that are over 3500 feet in elevation in 30 days.

The Catskill Mountain 3500 Club awards certificates and patches to those who make all these required climbs.

Almost immediately after retiring, I traveled to New York and did manage to make it to the top of 32 of those mountains in the first 30 days including signing in at 11 cannisters on trail-less summits.

I later continued the quest by coming back after only a month away and finished out the last three "in season" hikes. The unique part of this quest is that in a departure from the requirements of several other such "peak bagger" mountain clubs, you have to return once again and re-climb four select mountains during the winter season.

Three of those winter climbs have been done. Only one remains. It will be completed in December 2011, hopefully with my close family standing on the top of the last mountain with me.

If you happen on this blog and find any of it of interest to you, please understand that each post shows up as most recent first but, the story actually began back in September-2010. Please scroll back and feel free to look at all of it...

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

"The Adventure Continues..."

One of the more prized gifts that I received when I retired was a leather bound photo album from my wife that she had engraved to say,

"Dale R. Mead

The Next Adventure..."

Since that time, with many mountains and miles behind me, I have filled it with pictures, written captions and memories of sore muscles to document this challenge so far. On Thursday, March 17th 2011 we will head back up to New York for the weekend to attempt the last four "winter climbs" necessary to complete my requirements for the "Catskill Mountains 3500 Club." If we can't finish them, I may have to send the book back out and have it engraved one more time to acknowledge that the "Adventure Continues..." So... with only four more mountains to go... in winter, with snow and a good bit of ice still on the ground... we venture on. No small task, even if it happens to be near the tail end of the accepted winter season for the club. (12/21 - 03/21) Regardless of where you may live, this wi

nter has been tough on everyone. (insert global warming theories here) Upstate NY however, has been pumeled by snow. The bad weather has continued and besides the fact that the snow in the higher altitudes has not yet decided to melt much, there has been a large amount of rain lately that has contributed to flooding conditions just like what I (we... Sandy and I) had back in early October. I have continued to keep track of the 3500 Club's message board on-line and paid particular attention to those posts that include, "deep snow, difficult conditions, and most recently, tough access to trail-head parking."

I do love a challenge.

35 Peaks in 30 Days