Mt. Israel

Submitted by Pat

Stats
Mountain: Mt Israel (2,630)
Date: October 9, 2016
Mileage: 4.1
Elevation Gain: 1,758
Trails: Wentworth Trail — Mead Trail — Guinea Pond Trail

  • red maple leaf on the ground
Fall view - Mt. IsraelLast week, Nancy and I did a car spot on “historic” Sandwich Notch Rd, a dirt lane through the White Mountain National Forest that was a challenge for my Rav4. On the way I realize that the drive to the Guinea Pond trailhead is a lot longer than I first thought and I have no service to call Nancy and let her know. I figure the poor road quality and the length of the drive (5.5 miles) may alarm her and I know I’m right when I see her come around the corner. I am so happy to see her, but she almost turns around a few times and is justifiably very stressed.

Great hike to the summit of Mt Israel in full fall foliage glory with Nancy. Cloudy and warm day — shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, with my big belly hanging over my hip belt. Up the Wentworth Trail for a moderate yet continuous 2-mile climb to the summit. There are too many people on the trail for our taste. A gaggle of them with dogs and babies hang out in front of the view. Nancy takes her time and positions herself for maximum picture taking joy while I sit near the summit cairn and watch.

On the way up Nancy and I talk about our weeks. I started radiation treatment for my breast cancer on October 3 and I am struggling to put myself first. I keep pushing myself to work longer hours instead of taking things slower and kinder. I need to prioritize my tasks. If something absolutely must get done in limited time since I am working half days, then fine, I’ll take care of it. But probably taking on a big project with a short turn around isn’t the best idea.

From the top we descend 1.5 miles of the Mead Trail. Beautiful trail and not too hard on my knees! A real treat! We arrive at the intersection of the Guinea Pond Trail and it is not a simple left turn. We see signs that beavers have been at work, damming up part of the marsh, putting the trail under water so we follow the orange flagged detour until we get back on the original trail. We aren’t sure if we’re on the right trail, a stressor for both of us, but I am pretty certain we are and work hard to be in the moment, outside in the incredible beauty of the best fall foliage I have seen in years.