Rich, Craig, Kate, Rob, Jack, Noah, and Caleb set out with micro-spikes and snowshoes from our family rental in Elizabethtown; the rest of the clan hung back nursing the colds they got from being forced to jump into Mirror Lake the previous day by Kate (Child Services case pending).
Our trip almost got derailed before it started when Kate drove the van into a tree and got it stuck in the snow, but Rich and Craig rescued her and we were at the trail head by 9:15 with no speeding tickets this year. The walking was pretty slick, but the temperatures were heating up fast and the snow was melting quickly. Within 20 minutes everyone had shed their coats and hats, and thankfully Craig was there to carry the excess gear. Clouds were obscuring most of the sun, but they didn't diminish any of the view. By the time we got to the open rock faces, the snow and ice were non-existent and we had an easy scamper to the summit. We spent a little while on the summit admiring the views, counting off how many of the peaks we could name, and generally celebrating the first time that our entire family party made it to the top during a Thanksgiving High Peaks adventure.
Once the winds started to cool us down a little, we decided to keep our momentum going and walk the col over to Porter and have our lunch picnic on that summit. Other then the melting snow creating a slushy mess on the trail, the hike to Porter was quick and easy. We stopped a couple times to enjoy the views from the bare rocks en route, and every 45 seconds explained to Noah that we weren't quite on top yet. The peak was just emptying out when we got there, and we had a delicious peanut butter and jelly lunch prepared by Craig. The sandwiches were a little mushed from all the excess gear that Craig was carrying, but we decided to let him make it up to us by cooking dinner (again).
When we got back to the fork in the trail, we were delighted to see that someone had built a snowman. After a brief rest, we departed back down towards the car. The whole trail was a sloppy mess once we got within sound of the cars on Route 73, and we were stunned to meet a group wearing sneakers and just starting their ascent a little after 2:00 PM. Based on the way they gawked at our spikes, I doubt they were carrying the headlamps they would need if they actually made it to the top. It felt good to get the gear off and loaded into the car, but we were very happy with the successful day. Craig created a minor traffic disturbance on Route 73 so that Kate could back out of the trail head safely, but given her incident in the morning with the tree, it was probably a prudent move.
Back at the house, Caleb was seen reading a book about the 46ers, and examining a map with all the High Peaks. He said, "At this rate, I'll finish them when I'm in my 50s." The hike was about 6.2 miles and we finished in 5:15 (a land speed record for Rob).
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