Megan had a work-related hike on Mt. Moosilauke with the Appalachian Mountain Club yesterday so Caleb and I decided to play hookey from work and school in order to join her (well…I took the day off and his school knew he would be absent, but you get the idea). The goal was the 4,802′ summit of Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire via the Gorge Brook Trail (taking a loop to the Snapper Trail on the way back down). Caleb’s longest previous hike clocked in at around 1.5 miles with 900 ft of elevation gain. This would be just a wee bit more challenging than that! (Click on the image to the right to see all of the photos from our trip! Also, if you don’t know Caleb personally, he’s three and a half!)

The total loop distance is 7.5 miles with 2,628 ft in elevation gain. We figured that a casual pace and ready-to-return attitude at any point in the hike would make the day enjoyable, even if we didn’t get any further than the first mile of the trail. With a few rides on my shoulders, I am very, very, very proud to say that Caleb did the entire hike!

All told, I probably carried him for just under two of the seven and a half miles (though I think it felt longer than it really was) opting to give him rests while I kept us moving forward in order to make sure we finished the hike with everyone else. Indeed, the only time he really sat down for more than a minute, aside from the rides on my shoulders, was for ten minutes on the summit! Using this method, and starting about fifteen minutes before everyone we gained the summit about 5-10 minutes after the main group, and finished about 5-10 minutes after the main group. Caleb finished with enough energy to run around while the adults chatted and said their goodbyes!

Megan and I are extremely proud of Caleb (and would have been even if we had to turn back at the beginning of the hike). Great job Boots!!!