When we heard that 3,165 foot Mt. Monadnock in southern NH called itself the second-most climbed mountain in the world after Mt. Fuji, we scoffed. What an absurd claim. Monadnock is an isolated mountain peak in a rural New Hampshire location. How many people actually drive to Jaffrey, NH for the express purpose of climbing over slabs of granite for 3-4 hours?
But after hiking Mt. Monadnock among literally hundreds of people this afternoon, I’ll believe the hype. Monadnock’s expansive views and central location draws altitude-seeking hikers from all over New England. It’s a challenging hike, but most physically active adults would have no problem, and kids love climbing over the trail’s rock slabs (low center of gravity sure helps). The longest stretch of solitude during the hike was for about 2 minutes. The rest of the 3 1/2 hour hike, we were passing families with young children, or being passed by groups of pre-teens and teenagers, or vying with comparably paced adults for breathing room.
I can’t say I enjoyed such a bustling trail. On most hikes, we run into maybe five or six groups of hikers. On a busy day, like at Mt. Lafayette last Memorial Day, we’ll see about 50 people and be bowled over by the popularity of our chosen hike. Hiking is about getting away from other people and their chatter, their whining, their self-congrulatory bragging about past hiking feats. When I reach the summit, I like to pretend that I have discovered something unique and powerful. I like to listen to the howling wind and contemplate the peace of a mountain summit. I don’t like finding an entire YMCA youth camp sitting around, eating sandwiches and hurling M&Ms at each other and just screaming. Mt. Monadnock made me feel like a sheep in a herd of humanity, looking to be entertained, enlightened, and fulfilled by the pursuit of a great panorama.
