Tom, Field, Willey and a Tornado Warning

One of the things that has struck me as I scroll through my phone looking for photos from last year?
I did a lot of hiking. My girls don't hike so I do this when they are with their Dad so it seems amazing to me that I got this much accomplished all the while thinking I am not out there enough.

This particular weekend I remember the weather forecast being bad. I decided to keep my bunk at the hostel and maybe just sit on the porch with a book if I had to. Anywhere is better than at work right?
Look at this sky!! Beautiful as I enter the woods at 6:30 in the morning. My thought was I can kick this out before noon when the storm was supposed to hit.

One of the things I do remember is the beauty of these woods. So green and lush.

Clearly still sleepy eyed!!

Learning this water filtration thing. No one wants the barfs while hiking.

Mount Tom for #10

Again with the piles of rocks. Again I would really like someone to hand me a lollipop for making it.
I would also like the black flies to piss off so I can sit and enjoy a Summit but they didn't seem to care so most of these photos were taken while I ran by.

Mount Field for #11

I need to interject a funny but not to funny story in here. Somewhere between Field and Tom I bump into 2 people-a young girl and guy who look about 20. I always say Hello and sometimes exchange a few words. It helps me and other hikers pass info.
The girl passes with a hello but the boy says "Can you tell us where the Summit is, we are lost."
I ask "Do you have a Map?" He holds up a phone with a green map. Don't get me wrong web sites have tons of info and advice but this should never be your only source of navigation.
I ask if they saw a big pile of rocks and they says YES! Well that was your Summit.
Now the girl who has a Go-Pro camera strapped to her head says-Damn we have beer to drink on all the Summits.
 I ask if they know about the storm coming to which he says it is only some rain after 2pm. Umm, No. It is a big storm and it should be rolling in about noon. I hand them my printed map and explained the White Mountain Guide Online and we part ways as they are going the opposite way.
Now in previous posts I say Hike your own hike but when it comes to safety I need to just point out if you can afford a Go Pro and you have beer you should probably buy a $20 map.

Just after the Summit of Willy (#12 by the way) is a look out. It was 11:30am.
When I saw this view I knew if was time to rock and roll. I could have gone back the way I came and gone down the A-Z trail myself but I really wanted to be off a Mountain and decided to keep going.
A couple had just Summited Willey and seeing what I did they decided to just turn around and go back. Another reason I made my decision was I could tag along with them.

I am glad I went this way because I wouldn't have wanted to miss these ladders. The pictures don't do them justice. They looked like they just went straight down. I think I have heard you should go up them but the fact is when you show up and that is what you are faced with you just do it.

This is me looking back up. The couple I met worked together to get each other down. It wasn't for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

After the ladders the couple started pulling away. My pace was definately slower as I was getting a little tired at this point.

At about 1:30 I reached the railroad tracks and without the proper information made a slightly poor decision. I decided to walk the train tracks back to my car. 3 miles.
I should have gone the road. I could have hitched or gotten a ride from the couple on Willey if they were still around. Stupid on my part. There was a light rain and I was officially out of power on my cell phone. I loved seeing the train history along the way but did not know there would be a train bridge to cross.

I have read it is 100 feet up and the sidewalk was grated metal which I couldn't even put a foot on with the gigantic fear of heights. I couldn't fathom walking back to access the road so I made the huge decision to cross it via the train tracks.
I kept my eyes up and talked to myself the whole way-Scared Shitless. When the train went by I knew it would be coming back but i didn't know when and I hoped it would be traveling slowly like I had seen it.

Luckily I crossed it and got back to my car without ever seeing it. The last 1/4 mile or so I was in the heaviest downpour you can imagine and I was very grateful to see that little Subaru parked across the street.

I plugged in my phone first to make sure I could let my friend at home know I was safe. As soon as it powered up I was inundated with texts and emergency signals. I quickly changed into dry clothes and tried to get out of there.
Just down Route 302 I pass those 2 young kids from Field. I just couldn't leave them so I made a U turn and picked them up. As it turns out their car was parked in the opposite lot and they would have been walking the 3 miles in the pouring rain.
This storm on July 1st 2017 ends up being a devastating storm for the area. The radio is filled with tornado warnings for Conway and towns on the Maine boarder. I make my way across the Kangamangus Hwy at about 15 -20 mph. Roads are washed out and they experience extreme damage.
I had planned on staying until morning but decided to head home.