Tuco gets 47 & 48 - November 10, 2007 - Views From The Top

sapblatt · 11-11-2007, 08:53 AM

I first met Eric (Tuco) about 2 ½ years ago on a day where novices were pretending they knew what they were doing on snow and ice on the Trypyramids. We also had the pleasure of meeting DoubleBow and Rols on that day which was an early hint at all of the death marches we would endure in the coming years. Eric kept plodding away at his 48 – getting some here and there, doing lots of traverses and repeat peaks. As all us 48’rs know, you eventually get to a point where you are so close to finishing you just get obsessed and will hike in any conditions to get done – Eric had earmarked this day and hiked on a pretty rough day a few weeks pack to get the Wildcats so he would be all set to finish today.

We gathered a small, intimate group of 12 (but we were never all together in a wilderness area at once, and if anyone took a group shot of 12 people, rest assured it was stitched together from multiple prints on PhotoShop!) Along for this day were Rols, LittleBear, Bobby, LarryD, Marty, Ray, Ridgewalker, Mad Townie, Andy(and his very cool rescued dog), and BigEarl – the last three I had never met before today. We met up at Ferncroft for 7 AM on the trail to hit Whiteface and Passaconaway via the pretty standard route of the Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail and Dicey’s Mill Trail. Temps were around 20 at the start and would get no higher than 25 except for part of the descent in the mid afternoon. Winds were light and nobody had any real issues with the weather except for getting a quick chill during breaks.

We took an early break and photo op on the first ledges and we continued up – Larry and I marveled at how we always forget how difficult a particular hike may be. The ledges on this trail leading up to the south summit ledges are amongst the most challenging areas in the Whites – especially with a mix of snow and ice on them. We all made it up and over and took a break before hitting the Rollins Trail – at this point everyone was wearing traction and would continue to do so until returning to the junction of Dicey’s Mill and the Rollins on the descent.

Everyone made it across the Rollins fairly quickly – it was a pretty easy shot with Stabilicers, YakTrax of Marty’s new, and proudly endorsed Kathoola MicroSpikes. We all pushed onto Passaconaway for Eric’s 48th and started our descent around 2:00 PM. We made exceptional time getting down the hill – we all got back to Ferncroft between 4 and 4:30 and made quick calls and enjoyed a 21 degree beer. Eight of us headed over to the Yankee Smokehouse to feast on various forms of meat – it hit the spot.

This was a great day with very nice early winter conditions and a tremendous group of friends who enjoyed a great day. It was nice to finally meet Andy, Peter (MadTownie) and BigEarl – I hope to see all of you again real soon. Lastly, congratulations to Eric – who really stuck with the 48 for a number of years while balancing work, family and a debilitating hiking obsession – I truly understand. It has been great being part of your journey and I look forward to many more future hikes.

I trust a lot of you took a lot more pics than I did - please post them - I look forward to seeing them all!

PICTURES
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8CauGbVozaKI1g

NewHampshire · 11-11-2007, 09:07 AM

CONGRATS Tuco!!!!! Finishing on Passaconaway, eh!? Hey, there are worse places than that to finish, and it looks like you had some good company to distratc you!

Brian

marty · 11-11-2007, 09:58 AM

Eric -
It was an absolute pleasure to join you on your celebratory hike. Now it's time to start focusing on Maine and Vermont! Hope I can join you on some of them...

I enjoyed the cool weather, the abundant sunshine and above all, the 11 great people I hiked with (that's 12 including Andy's wonder dog, now nicknamed Stablicer for her amazing ability to climb ice). I hope our paths cross again really soon.

Congrats on finishing the big list, Eric. Great TR as always Mike.

Marty

peakn · 11-11-2007, 10:25 AM

Congratulations Tuco. Beautiful pics Mike.

Bobby · 11-11-2007, 10:50 AM

Congrats again to Tuco. This was another great hike with a fine group of people. We had alot of fun, lots of laughs, if you can believe it. It's always nice to see old friends, and to meet new ones. I always wonder if Darren anticipated the personal relationships that have grown from VFTT when he created the site. Thanks Darren!

The post-hike protein replacement at the Smoke House in Ossippe was nice, super food as always.

We had a long, but fun day. I'm looking forward to the next one. Another great job of organizing by Sapblatt. Nice pictures also.

Pictures here

BIGEarl · 11-11-2007, 11:22 AM

Thanks for sharing the hike - I really enjoyed the day. We had a terrific group and outstanding hiking conditions. And, it's always a treat to make new friends.

Congratulations to Tuco for #47 & #48.

That was easy!

I've posted a few pictures from the hike.

BIGEarl's pictures.

Straight to the slideshow.

Rols · 11-11-2007, 12:37 PM

Eric and I have shared the trail on more than a few occasions. There were many times we hit conditions that were tough but his great companionship made all of the trips good ones. There were many others there who had had the same experience. This made being there to see him finish off the 48 extra special for a number of us. Eric, congratulations and thanks for all the great trail time.

The day was made extra special because of all the VFTT people who joined in on the hike. My thanks to Mike for being the master of ceremonies and making the day happen. I enjoyed hiking again with people who I had not hiked with for a while. It was also great hiking with people whose names I was familiar with but had not met before.

A great day in the mountains.

J&J · 11-11-2007, 04:31 PM

Eric- we met you a few years ago just down from the summit of Isolation just after you had finished Isolation with Rols. A big congratulations from the both of us! Just remember the more you hike the more fun it is so keep on trucking!!!

John & June

alpinista · 11-11-2007, 04:48 PM

Way to go, Tuco! Congrats on joining the NH48!

Nice TR, Sapblatt -- and I love your pics and Big Earl's. Looks like a great time was had by all...

Tuco · 11-11-2007, 05:04 PM

Boy, did Sapblatt have it right- we were lucky not to get killed that day on the Try's! There's been a lot of great hiking in between with Mike and Rols (Paul). They have been great hiking friends and boy, Mike and I can really relate to the non-hiking things going on in our lives

I didn't make much of finishing the 48- thats how I came to finish up on W&P. Whatever hikes the folks decided and sounded good was hiked, regardless of its effect on the list. But I will say that everybody on this hike made the day so great I'll never forget this hike- especially the conversation that broke out shortly after summiting

Bobby got it right, amazing how many friendships have been born of this site, and special thanks to Mike and Paul for introducing me to so many people. A hike with this many people and everyone of them made the hike better and so many different reasons. Laughs, laughs and more laughs for sure. And as always, still learned more about hiking from lots of knowledgeable people. Thanks again (and those ribs, awesome!) all and look forward to lots more hiking with you all.

Some more detail on my 48 at my site- plus a like to my pix. http://tucohiking.com/page7.html

Great to hike with Madtownie, Andy, Ridgewalker and BigEarl for the first time. And thanks Brian & J&J...

See you all on the trail soon, I hope.

Bobby · 11-11-2007, 05:38 PM

Billy Joel identifiies with us...."we ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud. We might be laughing a bit to loud, but that never hurt no one...."

TMax · 11-11-2007, 07:36 PM

Congratulations Tuco!
As I read between the lines of your post what I hear is "it's not the arrival, but the journey that counts." Ain't that the truth! You're right, lots of friendships have been "born" on this site but then "matured" while climbing the amazing peaks of the northeast

. Hope to run into you on one of them one of these days!

BobC · 11-12-2007, 05:47 AM

Congratulations Eric. Now that you've finished the 48, you can do whatever hikes you want, unless you're crazy enough to let another list take over your life.

arghman · 11-12-2007, 11:37 AM

congrats! (& thanks again for making that Owls Head trek possible back in '05)

Jay H · 11-12-2007, 11:43 AM

Hey, good to hear that Eric, stay healthy and happy...

Hope you are planning for the JMT,'08, the return..

Jay

11-11-2007, 08:53 AM	#1
sapblatt Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Massachusetts Avatar: "Heads or tails?!" Posts: 2,195	Tuco gets 47 & 48 - November 10, 2007 I first met Eric (Tuco) about 2 ½ years ago on a day where novices were pretending they knew what they were doing on snow and ice on the Trypyramids. We also had the pleasure of meeting DoubleBow and Rols on that day which was an early hint at all of the death marches we would endure in the coming years. Eric kept plodding away at his 48 – getting some here and there, doing lots of traverses and repeat peaks. As all us 48’rs know, you eventually get to a point where you are so close to finishing you just get obsessed and will hike in any conditions to get done – Eric had earmarked this day and hiked on a pretty rough day a few weeks pack to get the Wildcats so he would be all set to finish today. We gathered a small, intimate group of 12 (but we were never all together in a wilderness area at once, and if anyone took a group shot of 12 people, rest assured it was stitched together from multiple prints on PhotoShop!) Along for this day were Rols, LittleBear, Bobby, LarryD, Marty, Ray, Ridgewalker, Mad Townie, Andy(and his very cool rescued dog), and BigEarl – the last three I had never met before today. We met up at Ferncroft for 7 AM on the trail to hit Whiteface and Passaconaway via the pretty standard route of the Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail and Dicey’s Mill Trail. Temps were around 20 at the start and would get no higher than 25 except for part of the descent in the mid afternoon. Winds were light and nobody had any real issues with the weather except for getting a quick chill during breaks. We took an early break and photo op on the first ledges and we continued up – Larry and I marveled at how we always forget how difficult a particular hike may be. The ledges on this trail leading up to the south summit ledges are amongst the most challenging areas in the Whites – especially with a mix of snow and ice on them. We all made it up and over and took a break before hitting the Rollins Trail – at this point everyone was wearing traction and would continue to do so until returning to the junction of Dicey’s Mill and the Rollins on the descent. Everyone made it across the Rollins fairly quickly – it was a pretty easy shot with Stabilicers, YakTrax of Marty’s new, and proudly endorsed Kathoola MicroSpikes. We all pushed onto Passaconaway for Eric’s 48th and started our descent around 2:00 PM. We made exceptional time getting down the hill – we all got back to Ferncroft between 4 and 4:30 and made quick calls and enjoyed a 21 degree beer. Eight of us headed over to the Yankee Smokehouse to feast on various forms of meat – it hit the spot. This was a great day with very nice early winter conditions and a tremendous group of friends who enjoyed a great day. It was nice to finally meet Andy, Peter (MadTownie) and BigEarl – I hope to see all of you again real soon. Lastly, congratulations to Eric – who really stuck with the 48 for a number of years while balancing work, family and a debilitating hiking obsession – I truly understand. It has been great being part of your journey and I look forward to many more future hikes. I trust a lot of you took a lot more pics than I did - please post them - I look forward to seeing them all! PICTURES share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8CauGbVozaKI1g __________________ - Mike How bad can it be? Bobby

11-11-2007, 09:07 AM	#2
NewHampshire Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Goffstown NH, Avatar:Sending out praise for the Red, White and Blue Posts: 1,762	CONGRATS Tuco!!!!! Finishing on Passaconaway, eh!? Hey, there are worse places than that to finish, and it looks like you had some good company to distratc you! Brian __________________ Adopter: Wildcat Ridge Trail from Rt.16 to Wildcat "D". If you have any issues please contact me!

11-11-2007, 09:58 AM	#3
marty Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Boxford, MA. Avatar: One Step Beyond! Posts: 1,455	Eric - It was an absolute pleasure to join you on your celebratory hike. Now it's time to start focusing on Maine and Vermont! Hope I can join you on some of them... I enjoyed the cool weather, the abundant sunshine and above all, the 11 great people I hiked with (that's 12 including Andy's wonder dog, now nicknamed Stablicer for her amazing ability to climb ice). I hope our paths cross again really soon. Congrats on finishing the big list, Eric. Great TR as always Mike. Marty __________________ I walk along until my feet are sore I rest a minute then I walk some more There's no time to delay on the road to utopia And my destination is the unknown But I'm never far away from my home Song: Road to Utopia Album: Adventures in Utopia Artist: Todd Rundgren and Utopia Year: 1980

11-11-2007, 10:50 AM	#5
Bobby Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston, MA Avatar: on Owl's Head summit Posts: 631	Congrats again to Tuco. This was another great hike with a fine group of people. We had alot of fun, lots of laughs, if you can believe it. It's always nice to see old friends, and to meet new ones. I always wonder if Darren anticipated the personal relationships that have grown from VFTT when he created the site. Thanks Darren! The post-hike protein replacement at the Smoke House in Ossippe was nice, super food as always. We had a long, but fun day. I'm looking forward to the next one. Another great job of organizing by Sapblatt. Nice pictures also. Pictures here __________________ "Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic." Crash Davis -"Bull Durham" My albums

11-11-2007, 04:31 PM	#8
J&J Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: On the summit of Jefferson Posts: 259	Eric- we met you a few years ago just down from the summit of Isolation just after you had finished Isolation with Rols. A big congratulations from the both of us! Just remember the more you hike the more fun it is so keep on trucking!!! John & June __________________ J&J

11-11-2007, 10:25 AM	#4
peakn Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Waterville Valley, NH Posts: 182	Congratulations Tuco. Beautiful pics Mike. __________________ Never test the depth of the water with both feet!

11-11-2007, 11:22 AM	#6
BIGEarl Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Nashua, NH Posts: 1,216	Thanks for sharing the hike - I really enjoyed the day. We had a terrific group and outstanding hiking conditions. And, it's always a treat to make new friends. Congratulations to Tuco for #47 & #48. That was easy! I've posted a few pictures from the hike. BIGEarl's pictures. Straight to the slideshow.

11-11-2007, 12:37 PM	#7
Rols Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Worcester, MA Posts: 157	Eric and I have shared the trail on more than a few occasions. There were many times we hit conditions that were tough but his great companionship made all of the trips good ones. There were many others there who had had the same experience. This made being there to see him finish off the 48 extra special for a number of us. Eric, congratulations and thanks for all the great trail time. The day was made extra special because of all the VFTT people who joined in on the hike. My thanks to Mike for being the master of ceremonies and making the day happen. I enjoyed hiking again with people who I had not hiked with for a while. It was also great hiking with people whose names I was familiar with but had not met before. A great day in the mountains.

11-11-2007, 04:48 PM	#9
alpinista Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA; Avatar: Stone Mountain Posts: 870	Way to go, Tuco! Congrats on joining the NH48! Nice TR, Sapblatt -- and I love your pics and Big Earl's. Looks like a great time was had by all... __________________ Not all who wander are lost... "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." - Leonardo da Vinci Alpinista's Pix

11-11-2007, 05:04 PM	#10
Tuco Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: East Hampstead, NH Posts: 617	Thanks all! Boy, did Sapblatt have it right- we were lucky not to get killed that day on the Try's! There's been a lot of great hiking in between with Mike and Rols (Paul). They have been great hiking friends and boy, Mike and I can really relate to the non-hiking things going on in our lives I didn't make much of finishing the 48- thats how I came to finish up on W&P. Whatever hikes the folks decided and sounded good was hiked, regardless of its effect on the list. But I will say that everybody on this hike made the day so great I'll never forget this hike- especially the conversation that broke out shortly after summiting Bobby got it right, amazing how many friendships have been born of this site, and special thanks to Mike and Paul for introducing me to so many people. A hike with this many people and everyone of them made the hike better and so many different reasons. Laughs, laughs and more laughs for sure. And as always, still learned more about hiking from lots of knowledgeable people. Thanks again (and those ribs, awesome!) all and look forward to lots more hiking with you all. Some more detail on my 48 at my site- plus a like to my pix. http://tucohiking.com/page7.html Great to hike with Madtownie, Andy, Ridgewalker and BigEarl for the first time. And thanks Brian & J&J... See you all on the trail soon, I hope. __________________ Eric "Therefore we are all, in some sense, mountaineers, and going to the mountains is going home." John Muir "If you save your breath, I feel a man like you could manage it." Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez All Hiking pix Can be seen here My Trip Reports and Website Racetwitch.com- a worldwide resource for endurance athletes

11-11-2007, 05:38 PM	#11
Bobby Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston, MA Avatar: on Owl's Head summit Posts: 631	Billy Joel identifiies with us...."we ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud. We might be laughing a bit to loud, but that never hurt no one...." __________________ "Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic." Crash Davis -"Bull Durham" My albums

11-11-2007, 07:36 PM	#12
TMax Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Avatar is on Gannett Peak, Wyoming's high point. Posts: 565	Congratulations Tuco! As I read between the lines of your post what I hear is "it's not the arrival, but the journey that counts." Ain't that the truth! You're right, lots of friendships have been "born" on this site but then "matured" while climbing the amazing peaks of the northeast. Hope to run into you on one of them one of these days! __________________ TMax Going where the wind don't blow so strange Maybe off on some high cold mountain range. Robert Hunter www.tmax-n-topo.com.com

11-12-2007, 05:47 AM	#13
BobC Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Plaistow, NH Posts: 438	Congratulations Eric. Now that you've finished the 48, you can do whatever hikes you want, unless you're crazy enough to let another list take over your life. __________________ Pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/rcusolito

11-12-2007, 11:37 AM	#14
arghman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Goffstown, NH Avatar: No Once-lers or thneeds Posts: 1,313	congrats! (& thanks again for making that Owls Head trek possible back in '05) __________________ --Jason moose plates help conserve New Hampshire's natural heritage

11-12-2007, 11:43 AM	#15
Jay H Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: A:Evil lurks... Posts: 4,550	Hey, good to hear that Eric, stay healthy and happy... Hope you are planning for the JMT,'08, the return.. Jay __________________ You must go and you must ramble Through every briar and bramble Till your life is in a shambles Maybe then you will know -"You Must Go" - John Hiatt

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