Cowboy (Camp) Up

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No. Nay. Nevah.

Pleasantly Awake

When the boys were little I would often spend weeks with them up in Vermont at various points throughout the summer.  They are no longer little.  The time I get with them is very different than it was.  Incredibly more fulfilling and awesome, but different.  They are building their own lives.  It's awesome.  But it's hard not to miss our time doing all the things in Vermont.

Cooper got back from Italy about 48 hours before we head up to Pinkham Notch to do the loop I nearly did 8 days before.  Some big changes, mainly the cowboy camp at Osgood Tent Site (note: next time I do this, because, shocker, it's an awesome loop/overnight worth repeating, absolutely going to go about one, STEEP mile past the official site to a cool spot I have locked in my brain to stay). Bug free, thanks either to the weather or the Thermacell, which at 6.5 oz, seems like a fine weight penalty to me if it saves me from bug attacks at night.

In the end, it is definitely not a run, but a beautiful day with my older son on his first crossing of the Northern Presis.  Started yesterday at 4:54, about 7 minutes before I started with Graham and Matt.  This morning we're up at 4:31, after the classic "this is not a sleep, but a series of naps" and on the trail in the dark.  Total loop is 17 miles and 8k of climbing.  As we descend Lion's Head to end the adventure, pass a dad with his two young sons around the halfway point.  The one who appears older asks Cooper, "Is this your first time doing this?"  Coop sort of laughs and I smile. "No, it is not." "It's my first time!" Tell him, "You're doing great buddy!"

We never pushed anything like this on Coop or Jacoby.  Cooper Katzman and I discuss this on the trail today.  I don't regret the decision as a parent.  He seems quite content with finding the things he loves on his own.  And it lead to a pretty darn amazing 24 hours with him before he drives cross-country to Boulder in about a week.

The White Mountains are an even more special place to me today than they were yesterday .

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Josh K

Cowboy (Camp) Up

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Cowboy (Camp) Up

Searching For Ulysses

No Alarm

No. Nay. Nevah.

Pleasantly Awake

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