Tuesday Kayak

On Tuesday I went for a long kayak on the Charles.  There's a Waltham site for the kayak place that's right by the dam there, and you can go upstream (no real current) for 6 miles to Newton Falls, which is what I did.  It was a perfect day on the water - the sun was out and it was beautiful!  At one point I came across a bird fight - this swan was all puffed up and angry with this goose family, I think they got too close to mom goose and the babies (who were hanging out and watching).  Angry, puffy swan kept going after the geese, who were distracting him from the baby geese.  Finally all the babies got away, and the geese went in one direction, swans in another.  I would not want a swan to be angry with me, that dude was fierce!

For much of the time the water was completely flat - I love it when it's like that!  It took me like 4 hours, but I took my time, and had lunch, etc. Definitely will try to do that again!

So, my big news that I didn't mention in my last post:
1 - I defended my research proposal and passed.
2 - My IRB was approved
3 - I reached out to people to interview and have 2 scheduled for Monday, and 6 others who have expressed interest/willingness.  I need a minimum of 6 interviews.
4 - I have a job interview at Harvard on Tuesday!!  (Made it through their screening interview already)

Boom!

Galehead and South Twin

I did something to my elbow and I've taken a break from crossfit to let it heal.  I think it's starting to get somewhat better - I haven't stopped kayaking, hiking, climbing or paddle boarding, which I guess could slow recovery...?

Anyhow, it's Memorial Day weekend, and I decided to get in some 4000 footers.  The plan was Galehead and the Twins, staying at Galehead hut.  It's so cheap when it's not full service season, just $30!  You have to carry up your sleeping bag and food, though it turns out that there's coffee and home baked cookies (which I couldn't have because I didn't have any money. Sad.)

Because I was sleeping up there, I was able to get a little later start, I got to the mountain at about 9:30 and started climbing a little before 10.  Galehead is a pretty gentle climb for the first 2-3 miles, and it was nice just being out there, walking, not stressing too much.  Then, of course, it got steep.  The steep part was long, but not too hard, and I got to the hut in about 3.5 hours.  The hut's so nice, it's a little bit smaller, nice view, really pretty part of the Whites.  I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some gummy bears, and left my main pack in the hut, and left to do South Twin.  It's only .8 miles from the hut to the peak of South Twin, but man that was hard core!  I was huffing and puffing, and I could feel my heart beating!  About a half hour into the hike I got to the sign that said I was a quarter mile from the hut, and I thought about turning back and giving up, but then I reminded myself that it's a mental battle as well as physical, so I continued.  It took me almost an hour and a half to get the .8 miles!  It was an amazing view from the top, though, that's for sure.  I sat and ate and looked at the mountains and felt proud of myself.

I had the option to hike over to North Twin, which is 1.2 miles away, but I decided not to because #1 I could see rain in the distance and I didn't want to go down the rocky South Twin trail when it was wet and #2 I still had to summit Galehead mountain, and by the time I did the 2.4 miles, I was worried I would be too pooped.  It's a half mile from the hut to the top of Galehead, but I was a little worried that would be another couple hours.  So, I went down (much easier) and back to the hut.

I asked the caretaker about Galehead, and how hard it was, and he was like "it's easy, but not very interesting, and there's no view from the top."  He made it sound pretty unappealing, but I had to hike it anyhow, because that's what I do.  The top was just a cairn with no view, but there was a nice scenic overlook, so it was good.

I was so tired I went to bed at 8:30.  At 11 I woke up and thought I had slept a long time - ha! Then I went back to sleep.  I got up at 6:30 and started down at 7:20.  It was a little rough at first going down because it had rained and there were slippery rocks.  But I got down in about 2.5 hours.

After I went to my friends in North Conway.  We went climbing today - I did a 5.5, a 5.9, and a 5.10b, though I think I skipped the crux on the 5.10b, and my friend assisted me a little with her rappel.  I got to the top of the 5.10b, and my belayer went to lower me down, and I didn't move.  Apparently the rope was twisted.  I was shaking in my shoes.  So scary.  Because there was slack on the other end of the rope, and I wasn't moving.  I had some Dark Climbing Thoughts.  And it was a high climb!  But then they got me untwisted and down.  So, survived another long weekend!