In the summer of 1991 Al Sochard, Bill Parlette and Doug Mayer did the 48 New Hampshire 4,000 footers in eight days. Doug Mayer was kind enough to send me an old email that he had sent to some of his hiking friends before starting the second (2001) round of the 48 Fours in eight days. It includes the 1991 itinerary, and also shows the spirit of fun in which they approached the endeavor. I have made a table showing my estimates of the daily mileages and elevation gains, and added my comments on this achievement there.
Hike from Hell: The Reunion Tour
Dear Dubious Associates of Al, Bill and Doug,
It's been 10 years since our fabled Hike From Hell. Which, it turns out, is exactly the amount of time required for the memory of burning knee cartilage, toxic wool socks, and late nights spent stumbling off of North Twin, Jackson and countless other peaks, to fade from memory.
Which is why it's time for us to do it again.
And, this time, we intend to fully savor the agony—so as to fully imprint the experience, and thereby avoid a third Hike from Hell.
We hope you can partake in a little bit of our fun (we use that word in the loosest of senses), either as a driver, day hiker, masseuse or, if need be, a marksman to put us out of our misery. (We are also looking for Winnebago or large van... if you don't mind getting back a vehicle that will need to be fumigated or, possibly, incinerated.) Bill, meanwhile, will be looking for donated illicit painkillers, Doug for spare titanium hardware for his leg, and Al, for a girlfriend somewhere on the trail.
Seriously, we would love able bodied hikers joining us for a day of hiking, but would like only 1 or 2 folks at the most per section. Please sign up early, and send a completed registration form and a cashiers check (Tirey this means you—we're still trying to collect for that bogus check you sent us last time) for $500, to help defray our inevitable early-admittance nursing home costs.
This time around, we have the Internet—and you can follow our progress via a bulletin board we've set up, at ... (obviously long gone).
We'll post the grim details there. Add your e mail to the list, and you'll be sure to get some sordid tales each night, for 8 days.
Unfortunately, none of the previous 4,000 footers have eroded enough to make the list any easier. It's the same route as last time... Specifically:
Hike From Hell: The Reunion Tour
Friday, July 20: Arrive at Al's house in North Woodstock.
Day 1 Saturday, July 21
A driver would be nice-- for trip back from Tecumseh
Moosilauke North Kinsman South Kinsman Cannon Dinner, then Tecumseh Stay at Al's house
Day 2 Sunday, July 22
Driver needed to get us around Waterville, then meet us at the end of the day in Wonalancet
Osceola East Osceola North Tripyramid Middle Tripyramid Whiteface Passaconaway Stay at Al's house
Day 3 Monday, July 23
Flume Liberty Lincoln Lafayette Garfield Galehead Owl's Head Stay at Al's
Day 4 Tuesday, July 24
We need a driver to drop us off at the Kanc then meet us in the evening in Twin Mountain.
Hancock S Hancock Bondcliff Bond West Bond Zealand South Twin North Twin Stay at Doug's House
Day 5 Wednesday, July 25
We need a driver here too
Tom Field Willey Carrigain Stay at Doug's
Day 6 Thursday, July 26
Driver would be helpful
Moriah Middle Carter South Carter Carter Dome Wildcat Wildcat D Stay at Doug's house
Day 7 Friday, July 27
We need a (very?) late night pick up in Crawford Notch
Madison Adams Jefferson Washington Isolation (yea, you read it right) Monroe Eisenhower Clinton Jackson Stay at Doug's
Day 8 Saturday, July 28
Cabot Waumbek Hale
Day 9 Sunday July 29
Celebration party at Al's... starts at Noon, swimming, BBQ, sock burnings, maybe a little hike...okay, maybe we'll pass on the hiking. RSVP, so we have enough Power bars, morphine and Vicoden.