Just so that people don’t think we’re saving all the excitement for our big trip south, we ventured the other direction on Columbus Day to tackle Mount Chocorua.   The parents in this family stress physical fitness as a key to getting the most out of our escapades abroad, so the girls are often being asked to test their mettle.  Once they saw Chocorua’s rocky top, they were giddy with glee at the thought of climbing all over it.  Mettle was evident in abundance.

There was the matter of the four miles or so of rather vertical travel to make it to the rocks on the summit, and there were many tempting boulders along the Piper Trail that beckoned the girls to expend energy on the way up.   The hike challenged us all, and people were astonished to see Lanie when she arrived at the top.  There weren’t too many people Nadia’s age there, either.  We were very proud of them.

At the wind-swept summit

The rock scrambling seemed to provide adequate payoff for those of us who weren’t concerned about being blown into the abyss.  For the rest of us, the fall colors and deep blue sky that smiled down for most of the ascent were worth the trip.  At the top we encountered dark clouds and gusty winds.  These, along with the general altitude and the general and tendency for girls to run in three directions at once, made that part of the journey a little too adventurous for more mature tastes.

We worked our way down, thighs burning, and set a course for pizza on the way home.  By the time we got to the van we had about nine miles under our belts, and, hopefully, some pictures that are worth sharing.