Adams

While an army of ten was launching a bold assault on nearby Madison the mission on Adams would require a different strategy. The Adams team had been ravaged by injuries and other unforseen circumstances. I put out a call for help to a few fellow members of the PVSART team. Several members of the team had flown a large Flag on Friday from the cliff where the Old Man had looked over the valley for as long as any could remember. Some had other commitments, one was in Alaska and one planned to join me but cancelled at the last minute due to a family issue. With limited manpower the wisest plan seemed to be a stealth approach. An early start combined with a fast and quiet approach allowed time for a nice long R&R break on Durand Ridge. A high cloud cover and fog in the valleys along with a stillness in the air gave an eerie feeling to the morning. I had the forest and ridge to myself. Once I reached the junction with the Gulfside trail I had encountered numerous hikers from the hut and three enthusiastic young ADK peakbaggers from Rochester attempting a Presi traverse. Several small groups bounded past while I stopped to refuel before the last push. Folks kept asking about the large pole I was carrying. Told them I was trying to be the first person to polevault the 48. Kinda scary how many believed me. Clouds had enveloped the summit and were moving down the mountain. I pushed toward my goal and passed each of the groups I had seen earlier. A couple from Germany was coming off the top after an early start from the hut. They were fascinated when I told them of this day’s event. I reached the summit near 11:00. Plenty of time, but how to raise the Flag myself. I had been there for about ten minutes when the ADK peakbaggers arrived. One of them was a soldier on leave. He was pumped to see the Flag and hear what was going on. The four of us had the Flag flying in no time. The young soldier thanked me for bringing up the Flag. I told him he was the one who deserved thanks for being a real hero. Many groups came over the summit while I was there. I was surprised how many of them knew of the event. Several thanked me for my effort. One gentleman said he was on Liberty the day that the original Flag bearers started this event. I bet I saw between 2 and 3 dozen people while the Flag flew. At 2pm there were a couple of groups making their way towards the summit. I left the Flag up for an extra half hour so all could get pictures.

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