Jeanine and I had planned to climb Mount Washington today as a tune up for my upcoming Himalaya adventure. A quick check of the weather forecast, however, advised against it. Temperatures ranging from 7F-21F, 1.5 inches of snow and average winds of 50 mph with gusts to 100 mph were forecasted. While I may encounter these conditions on the Thorung La high pass during my trek, the goal of today’s climb is to verify that my calf muscle is up to the task while carrying my fully loaded pack and to test drive my new gear. We opted to climb Mount Monadnock instead with temperatures in the high 30s and no precipitation. We utilized the White Cross trail, a 4.2 mile round trip with a total vertical ascent of 1800 feet on grades up to 30%. It took us 2 hours to reach the 3165 foot summit where we enjoyed crystal clear views and could easily see the Boston skyline some 65 miles away. Windchill temperatures on top were sub freezing so we lingered there for only 15 minutes before starting the 2 hour and 15 minute descent. Going down took longer because of our aging knees and the icy conditions on the steep rocks. My calf held up well under the weight of my 30 pound pack and my new boots were extremely comfortable. I did discover several small gear issues which I will need to address. The bite valve on my hydration bladder does not provide sufficient flow (will replace with a better one), my down hat allows perspiration to drip onto my chest mounted camera bag (need some kind of sweat band or different hat), and I need to provide easier access to my toilet paper when needed for a runny nose. Maya is visiting several of her Farm & Wilderness camp friends in New York City this weekend so Jeanine and I enjoyed a nice date night at Paparazzi to celebrate our climb.