I have hiked House
Mountain 75 times! This Appalachian Irishman is three-fourths of the
way toward requesting that House Mountain be renamed after him!
The date is Sunday,
December 26, 2010. I love it when a good snow falls on a weekend!
Temperature: Mid-to-upper 20s Fahrenheit. Attire: Long-sleeve
T-shirt, sweatshirt, long-sleeve shirt, flannel insulated shirt, old
patched-up blue jeans, rugged hiking boots, quart canteen, trusty
camera, and old ball cap. No! I didn’t wear gloves! It wasn’t
cold enough!
I took the first three
photographs below along the west trail, near the west bluff. I have
passed by the tree stump, which had grown out of the rock formation,
many times. That tree, once alive and now dead, teaches me defiance
and survival against the odds!
The next three shots are
from the west bluff. A strong, cold wind was blowing snow in from the
north. I put my top layer back on and stayed a while. The camera
doesn’t capture the view that my eyes will always remember! Yes,
that’s Leak Rock! Yes, I did! Of course, as I headed east along the
ridge, I had to write (with my finger) “Appalachian Irishman” in
the snow on a large, smooth rock! Advertising is everything!
The first of these next
two images is a communications building that is located about halfway
along the ridge. Could someone give me a job running the equipment?
The second image is what is left of an old two-seater outhouse, which
has been hit with buckshot several times over the years. It leans
near the base of where the old fire tower used to stand. Remember,
the purpose of a two-seater outhouse is so two people can encourage
each other!
These next three
photographs were taken along the ridge toward the east bluff and at
the east bluff. The snow draped the mountain and the trees in a
brilliant white. The cold north wind blew snow from the laden trees
onto the ground and down my back. The old oak tree has stood proudly
for many years.
The final four images are
from the two north bluffs. One, where the flag stands, is just east
and higher than the other. I have not taken a shot before of the
small cave opening near the lower northern bluff. It looks like a
good place to take shelter!
Hum! This Appalachian
Irishman wishes he could hike, camp, photograph, and write for a
living! Thank you, House Mountain. I needed some exercise and some
time to think alone. I’ll see you again, but for tomorrow, it’s
back to the old grindstone.
