Sage Turns 13, and the Girls Will Take It From Here

Sage is 13!  When I started documenting her first hikes, she was only 3 years old.  It's been ten years of hiking...wow.  What a great life we've had; I have ten years filled with great memories hiking with my kids up the wild mountains of New Hampshire and on beautiful trails around the country and in different parts of the world.  I am a fortunate woman.

Alex and Sage in August 2009, the day Alex finished her first round of the NH4Ks at 6 years old (on Moosilauke),
 and just before Sage started hiking 4Ks
 (she is 4 years old in the photo and was partially carried up on the day this photo was taken).

The girls on Moosilauke last December (2017).  They each now have accomplished hundreds of NH4K ascents,
 close to two hundred non4K peaks (NH and across the country), 46 state highpoints, and a handful of thru-hikes
(John Muir Trail, Cohos Trail, Camino de Santiago, and the Laugavegur Trek).  They are also responsible for the creation of the Terrifying 25 list, which they both now fully manage (and they moderate the Facebook page),
and, last year, they began the GraniteGals podcast.
A lot can happen in ten years!

When I first started documenting our hikes, the girls were of course not old enough to have blogs or their own online presences.  There is a minimum age of 13 in our house for participating directly in/with social media.  When Alex turned 13, she was allowed to start her own blog so she could be the one keeping track of her own hiking -- that blog is Alex in the White Mountains.  She's been documenting her hiking (and Sage's) since January 2016.  Now that Sage is 13, she too has her own blog in which she documents her own hiking (and Alex's).  That blog is Sage's White Mountain Treks.  From here on out, the girls will take turns writing the trip reports for their hikes...except, of course, when each hikes solo, and then that particular solo hiker will write her own trip report of her experiences.

This blog will continue to exist mainly as a way of keeping track of the Grid peaks, and as a way of having a published record of all the girls' hikes dating back to 2008.

Another transition is public speeches -- Alex joined me on our talks earlier this year at the AMC (Sage was supposed to as well, but she caught pneumonia and was out of commission for most of February).  Now that they are teenagers, it is appropriate both Alex and Sage speak for themselves about their childhood adventures.  I have been the spokesperson for years, but now they are the appropriate ages to have their own public voices.

Thanks to everyone who has followed us over the years, and thanks to those who read UP and then kept track of all our subsequent journeys.  We have always appreciated your support, and I am glad we have had an influence on some parents who want to facilitate their children's love of the outdoors.

Alex in the White Mountains
Sage's White Mountain Treks
GraniteGals podcast
Terrifying 25

Feb 21 talk, and January update

We have another talk coming up at AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center -- February 21 at 8pm.  Stop by, have a listen, and say hello!

Alex and I had a wonderful time at the AMC's 2018 Summit in Norwood, MA last month.  Alex gave a mini-talk at the end of my talk, and she answered questions from the audience.

Sage had prepared a mini-talk as well, but unfortunately she woke up with a 102 degree fever that morning.  A few days later she seemed better, but then she took a severe turn for the worse.  Turns out she had pneumonia.  She is doing better now and is slowly getting back out there -- and by that I mean doing regular things like karate practice and walking down the street.  It will be a couple more weeks before she is ready to hike a 4K, and when she does hike again, we will need to go slowly.  She will eventually be strong and fast and her usual self, but it will take a while for her to build back her strength.  During the next couple of weeks, Alex and I will have to hike without her.  She doesn't mind, as she has two more years than Alex does to finish the Grid; even if Sage doesn't hike at all during the month of February, she still has time to finish before leaving for college.  Alex, on the other hand, needs to get her hikes in sooner rather than later.  We hope to have Sage with us again on the trails in March.

You can find trip reports of the hikes we did in January on Alex's blog, Alex in the White Mountains.  Our January 2018 peaks were the Tripyramids (with Sage, three weeks before she became ill), and Lafayette/Lincoln (also with Sage, one week before she became ill).

Franconia Ridge in the clouds

Coming down the Tripyramids

Also, check out the GraniteGals interviews for January!  Alex interviewed Jen Lemire and her daughter, Bella Dalzell.

Alex keeps almost weekly updates on her blog now, so take a look over there for more steady news.  Also, check out Sisters Hiking for the Environment on both Facebook and Instagram -- Alex runs those completely on her own, though soon she will share those accounts with Sage.   I only update this blog once a month now, and with just the basics.