Zealand

[wtcobb]

#48159 |

I drove out to Zealand Rd. at 7:30am Saturday morning. Unfortunately the rest of the group couldn’t make it, so I was on my own for this one.

And up the mountain I go.

The firs half of the trek to Zealand Hut was relatively flat and easy – then started the climb. A 20-foot pole strapped to your back makes it a little more difficult than normal, but I forged on and made it to the peak by 10:30.

The setup proved to be difficult on my own, especially facing the heavy winds. I questioned adding the fifth piece for the full 20 feet, but I had come that far. Thankfully, Vin and Dan, who I met in the parking lot that morning, arrived right in time to help me finish up the guy lines and stabilize the pole.

Vin and Dan with the flag rig.

By 11:30 we had the flag fully flying. Vin and Dan soon departed, but several others came through during the day. I appreciated the visitors and, while some new about the event, many were surprised to see a flag and enthralled to hear about the event. All were thankful for our collective efforts. It made glad to be a part of such an occasion.

The winds remained fierce even on the wooded summit – but I managed to get her above the trees!

It took a lot of adjusting and fighting the wind throughout the day, but somehow the flag stayed upright until 2pm. I have a new respect for the tensile strength of PVC.

At 2pm I disassembled the rig and got the pipes back into an A-frame. Good practice hiking for ski season,I guess.

I had hopes of hiking Hale that day, but carrying that load – and the encroaching storm – made it unfeasible.

I stopped in at the hut again on my way down and met more people who were happy to hear about the successful flag flying. Despite the difficulty in carrying out the climb myself, I was glad to have others to share the day and glad to do my part in the event.

[SilentCal]

#55362

Excellent job on this particular peak. I always say the folks that do the viewless peaks are MVP’sof the event. Thanks :flag:

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