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...




Sunday, March 27, 2011

Wrapping it up for the season...


So... One more time, I'll pack this blog up for a little while and get back to reality. Even if we could have gotten the last mountain in, there likely would not have been enough time to submit my paperwork and still be able to receive my certificate and patch at this year's 3500 Club banquet in April. If everything works out as currently planned, I'll still be able to finish in 2011 which always was the original goal.


With that, on Monday (03-28-2011) I go back to work after a six month sabbatical which included, of course, my climbing these 38 mountains. Since I've known nothing but Law Enforcement my entire adult life, I'll return to it, but this time with a State agency working directly for the North Carolina General Assembly. Politics and mountain climbing do kind of go together. Either way it seems like you are always fighting gravity...
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