We had a great turn out for our memorial hike up North Twin via the North Twin trail. Met most of the crew at McDonalds in Lincoln, headed north through the abyss (Franconia Notch) and found Carol, Greg and Jake waiting for us at the trail head. Frist had to attend to a little equipment malfunction – then we were on our way. Three river crossing made for some differcult footing and some anxious moments, but we had Brian “Splash” Withers leading the way. Bob Pelletier tried to loosen his load by throwing my favorite jersey into the river but Greg saved it by making an extreme effort with his hiking pole. We had great efforts from Bob, Greg, and John in carrying the heavy load of flag gear up the mountain. And a special thanks to George LeCours for his endless comic relief. Arrived to an overcast summit in record time and proceeded to assemble and raise Old Glory in appreciation of our fallen heroes from 911. As soon as the flag was raised the sky cleared to reveal an assemble of Old Glories magnificently rising from the peaks of South Twin, Garfield, Lafayette, Liberty and Galehead. A nice prayer was delivered by Brian followed by lunch, naps and treks over to South Twin. At 2pm we lowered the flag and headed down the North Twin trail. Brain, Ron and Rick took turns carrying the heavy flag gear down the mountain. Laura and Carol lead the way this time zipping over the river crossing with ease. We arrived at the trail head safe and sound, enjoyed some cold beverages, conversed with the crew from South Twin and exchanged pleasantries with Sheriff Bob. Some of us decided to head to the Woodstock Station to for a little hydration, nutrition and a visit from our Boomtown hero Rex Trailer.
A special thanks to all of you that participated in this memorial hike up North Twin. What a great event to share with such special people. Please keep in touch – and hope to see you all next year.
Dave
