LOCALadk Magazine

It was clear no one had been on the trail for days. Joe broke through the virgin snow for most of the mile and a half to Pyramid Mountain, the launch point to Gothics. e snow was so deep and so, he sank up to his knees and thighs with every stride, and for every two steps forward, slid one step back. ere was no letup in the snowfall as they summited Pyramid and debated whether to continue to Gothics or butt slide down from whence they came. "We've come so far already. Let's keep going," Ray said as a momentary break in the clouds revealed Gothics' breathtaking summit. Joe nodded in agreement. Aer a rest and a snack, they continued on, each taking turns in the lead, breaking trail through ever-deepening snow. e grueling ascent forced them to pause every five to ten minutes to give heart and lungs a rest. Contrary to their prediction, the snow fell faster, the temperature plunged, and gale-force winds reduced visibility to a few feet. Gothics lived up to its well-earned reputation as one of the most blustery of the High Peaks. Just below the summit the wind howled so obnoxiously that Ray and Joe had to shout to hear one another. "Hey!" Joe screamed at Ray, who was just ahead of him. "What's Mary (Ray's wife) making for dinner tonight?" "I'm not sure," Ray replied, perplexed by Joe's question given the circumstances. Joe wanted to make sure Ray was focused on surviving this hike and making his way home to his beloved wife. ey were so cold, so beat from breaking so many miles of trail, that a safe return was in doubt. ey were on their own. Cell phone reception was nonexistent. ey did have a paper map and compass, though, and knew how to use them. Joe's next question came as they paused for a final breather before pushing up and over Gothics' summit. e wind was now so intense the duo would have been blown off their feet if not for the stabilizing effect of trekking poles. "Hey, Ray! Are we going to die today?" Ray stopped, turned abruptly, and looked Joe in the eyes. "No one is dying today, Joe. We may lose a few fingers or toes if we get stuck out here, but we're sure as hell not dying." Knowing their packs contained food, extra clothing, space blankets, bivy sacks, and a shovel to build a snow cave, Ray was confident in his claim. ey also le word at home about their plan for the day, the route to be followed, when they should return home, and the phone number for the DEC Rangers just in case. All that being said, the emotional challenge of their precarious situation was now as daunting as the physical challenge. Once across the summit, they descended to a saddle between Gothics and Armstrong. It felt like they had been hiking for days. Joe and Ray oen share a cautionary phrase at precarious times like this when assessing risk and their next move. ere is a fine line between bold and stupid. It was time to surrender to the mountains. Checking the map, the Gothics Trail leading down to Beaver Meadow Falls looked like the perfect bail-out route. ere was only one problem: nothing resembling a trail could be found. Checking the compass, the direction back to the Lake Road was clear. Going in that direction entailed a steep, deep drop, however. What if they dropped down and got stuck or were devoured by a spruce trap? Ray descended first and started bushwhacking through the snow and trees. Joe followed behind. Even if they weren't on a trail, they knew each step brought them a bit closer to home. Aer considerable time breaking through brush and stumbling in the deepening snow, Joe spotted a small ladder, then a trail marker. Neither he nor Ray can say for certain if the going was easier from that point, but it sure felt that way, knowing they were likely safe. Darkness descended, and as Joe reached into his pack for his headlamp, he found a package of dark chocolate Raisinets, broke it open and devoured its contents. No food ever tasted so good as he reflected on what transpired on those mountains and what might have been. T.S. Eliot wrote, "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." True enough, as long as you don't go so far that you cross that fine line between bold and stupid. LOCALadk 24

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