[Alpinista]

in reply to: Reports from the 48 Flagsites! #48731

I went with two friends of mine, hiking up Falling Waters and summiting Lincoln shortly after noon. One friend has never hiked before and the other has rarely hiked 4Ks, but both did really well with the steep trail and the windy conditions along the ridge. I gotta tell ya, it was one of the most beautiful days in the mountains — someone or some thing truly blessed us all on this solemn day.

We brought an American flag kite that wasn’t all that cooperative but managed to stay up in the air for a while anyway. We got not a single negative reaction or comment. In fact, quite a few people nicely asked what we were doing and why. I could only spot one other flag — the one on Lafayette — because of the haze. After a serious dive bomb by the kite, we retrieved it from the krummholz and moved on to Lafayette, where we hung out for a bit before heading back into the valley.

All around, it was an amazing, moving day. I was with a Brit who has since become an American citizen, and my other friend was one of the first people I spoke with after 9/11. The mountains are the best place, in my book, to spend quiet time (yes, even with the crowds on Franconia Ridge) and really reflect. It’s been a difficult, emotional year, and this really helped to soothe my soul.

Thanks everyone at AlpineZone for making this happen.

[Alpinista]

in reply to: Timing #48666

Thanks, Greg. Found all the info!

[Alpinista]

in reply to: Enthusiasm #48613

Please don’t cancel this event! I’ll bet your sensing a dropoff in enthusiasm that is only temporary. Once the date nears, folks will be looking for ways to commemmorate 9/11. For myself, whether there’s something “organized” or not, I plan on being on a mountaintop that day.

I’d recommend that in mid-July or mid-August you approach The Associated Press in Concord and the Union-Leader in Manchester to let them know what’s going on. A little advance coverage might help renew enthusiasm for the event.

[Alpinista]

in reply to: How do we promote this event? #48577

Word of mouth in the hiking community will certainly help the most with this event. The key question is: do you want the word out to get as many people involved as possible or to capture the interest of the media? If it’s the former, I would say BBS’ such as this one will do the trick. If it’s the latter, I would alert The Associated Press in Concord, NH, about a month ahead of time.

The AP has what is known as a “daybook,” which is a listing of public and newsworthy events that goes to just about every TV, radio and newspaper in the state.

I wouldn’t worry too much about a flock of media. It is logistically very difficult for to lug a TV camera up to a summit. My guess is that the media actually going along on a hike would be confined to an AP reporter and a scribe from the Union Leader. The rest of the media, if interested at all, would be content with shots from the valley below.

Gee, can you tell I’m in the media? 😉

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