I’m a Gridiot, the self-deprecating time period used within the White Mountains to explain the loopy individuals who’ve accomplished the White Mountain 4000 Grid. I’m the 179th individual to complete, which is fairly unbelievable contemplating the trouble concerned in finishing this peak record, ending on Might 20, 2024, with a solo hike to Mt Isolation.
Finishing The Grid (see my spreadsheet beneath) requires mountaineering 12 rounds of the 48 White Mountain 4000-footers as soon as in every calendar month of the yr (48 x 12). This entails mountaineering about 3000 miles with 1,000,000 ft of elevation acquire, together with shut to six months in winter situations with snowshoes and different traction aids.
Whereas I’m proud that I completed this record, it might have been inconceivable with out the companionship of my pals and the opposite Aspiring and Present White Mountain Gridders who supplied me with an infinite stream of inspiration, encouragement, and recommendation that made mountaineering this difficult peak record a number of enjoyable. I’d achieved a whole lot of solo mountaineering, backpacking, and bushwhacking within the Whites earlier than committing to ending the Grid, so usually peakbagging with companions, a number of days every week, was a brand new factor for me – one which grew to become extra significant than climbing the precise summits. Whereas mountaineering within the White Mountains is world-class, the Grid is particular due to the group of hikers who assist one another to complete it.
I owe particular due to John Sobetzer and Pepper (who’s not with us), who satisfied me to hike the Grid someday once we bumped into one another a number of years in the past whereas climbing Mt Cabot. I had not too long ago crammed out the Grid spreadsheet to see the place I used to be and located I had already accomplished 265 summits out of the 576 required. I’d been on the fence till then, however John, who’s accomplished a Grid himself, tipped me over the sting.
Whereas I hiked with many individuals through the subsequent 310 summits, I had a number of pals who have been common companions, together with Ken and Karen Robichaud, Lynn Kessler, Barbara Crane, Tom Ickes, and Hilde Getsch. We had a whole lot of nice hikes and even some backpacking journeys collectively, and whereas my reminiscence of these treks will fade, I’ll all the time keep in mind the camaraderie and friendship we shared mountaineering The Grid.
What’s subsequent? I’m headed to Vermont to hike and backpack a Lengthy Path side-by-side, which is a path record of all the paths that intersect with The Lengthy Path, which I hiked in 2008. I additionally plan to enterprise into the Adirondacks to pattern the ADK 46ers, maybe mountaineering all of them someday.
