Mt Greylock - Sept 12 - 6.5 miles

    It was only 57 degrees out at noon when Margaret dropped me off at the parking lot at the north end of the summit road.  Fortunately, the sky was mostly clear and the sun kept the chill at bay.  Still it was a frosty start.  Margaret took some pictures then headed to the top in the car.  She brought knitting to occupy the time while I walked.  The brisk air had at least one advantage - it was walk brightly or be cold. 

    The road to the summit rises steeply from the car park and a good portion of the vertical rise occurs in the first half of the climb.  As I tired, the road leveled out.  Traffic was very light.  I saw more motorcycles than cars and only one bicyclist as I hiked, although there were two or three at the top, when I got arrived.  Margaret and I stayed in touch by cell phone.  The reception was good all the way, and when I got near the top, I let her know.  Margaret walked down to meet me, and we both got to the summit together, about three o'clock. 

    We found a glorious spot for lunch-a picnic table indoors on the porch at Bascomb Lodge.  The sun shone in the windows warming the room to a very relaxing temperature and the view out of the windows was some of the very best vistas to be found anywhere on the summit.  The mountains and lakes went on until the limit of the air visibility.  It was terrific place to celebrate the completion of our goal for the 2014 Pure Water Ride-to climb Blue Hill, Mt. Wachusett, and Mt. Greylock, even if we did have to resort to plan B!

    Our heartfelt thanks go out to you, our supporters.  Your generosity truly makes a huge impact on the health of the people that benefit from the projects the Pure Water Ride supports in Cameroon, West Africa and the Dominican Republic.  We hope you will join with us again next year.  Until then, may God bless you richly!

Mt Wachusett - Sept. 10, 2014 - 3 miles

Following plan B, since my left arm is still far from being healed, and attempting to ride a bike at this time is ludicrous, today I walked up Mt. Wachusett along the access road.  Like last year, the only other time I had climbed this mountain, the tower landing was homequarters for a group of hawk-watchers.  With binoculars, spotting scopes, and cameras, they were observing, tracking, and counting the various kinds of hawks who frequent the area.  Mt Wachusett is one of the premier spots in New England for hawk watching and the tower landing has a level, firm floor and extends all the way around the tower, enabling a 360 degree view of the horizon. 

It was exciting to watch a group of hawks soaring but much more so in the company of the hawkers, whose commentary greatly added to the enjoyment.  They easily identified the type of hawk, whether or not it was migrating and had names for their every manouvre.

The top was a great place to enjoy the lunch of chicken fried steak I had packed up.  Despite what the website said, there were porta-potties at the parking lot at the top.  Very convenient!

Blue Hill/Bradley Estate - Sept. 8, 2014 - 3 miles

    Sunny, clear day with a hint of Fall in the air.  Hiked up Blue Hill to the weather observatory, then over to the Eliot Tower for views of Boston Skyline.  Also walked around the Bradley Estate, a Trustees of Reservations property in Canton, MA, on the cart path.  The Bradley Estate is a beautiful brick mansion with a formal garden in the front yard.  The grounds extend for about 90 acres, which is about 1/20 the size of Borderland State Park.

Blue Hill - Aug. 30 - 2 miles

Just two days after making this years first ascent of Blue Hill, we were back.  My wife, my daughter, and I took advantage of the cool, dry air and a sunny day and climbed Blue Hill a second time.  A large rock provided a resting spot at the top where we sat with the sun on our backs to keep the chill off.  As we rested, a steady stream of hikers, runners, and bicyclists completed their conquests.  Some turned around and headed back immediately, others lingered a few moments or explored around the observatory grounds, others, like us, hung around to appreciate the view and relish the accomplishment.