Nunnemacher Cabin

February 12 -14, 2010

Our first winter retreat was held at the Nunnemacher Cabin, Lyme, New Hampshire.  The cabin is located on top of Dartmouth Skiway, and we did not want to carry our heavy backpacks (there is no water in the cabin) all the way to the top.  We were young and stupid, so we put on our skis and snowboards and loaded ourselves on the chairlifts.  It was somewhat easier for the guys to get off on skis, but I had a major crash trying to balance my 40 lb pack as I rode down from the lift.  Not to worry: at the end of the retreat we skied down with the packs, and I fell down hard yet again. The retreat itself was great; highlights included evening trips to the Darmouth Coop to buy provisions, and I cooked amazing steaks on the grill (beef first day and lamb the second day).  This was before Slava turned most of us vegetarian. The atmosphere was set: lots of therapeutic discussions followed by some genuine male humor. The fact that the trip took place during Valentine's day caused some consternation among our wives. But there is no Valentine's day in Russia! There is winter, skiing and male bonding.

Mt. Washington

September 26, 2009

Hike taken from the AMC "Discover The White Mountains" book: Mount Washington Via Boott Spur; below are excerpts from the book.
"The climb up New England's tallest peak provides plenty of above-treeline hiking and awesome views." 
Rating: Very strenuous
Distance: 9.5 miles round-trip
Elevation Gain: 4, 300 feet
Estimated Time: 8 hours

It was our inaugural trip together.  We started really early, parked at the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, and then took the Boott Spur Trail up the mountain.  Turns out it leads to Boott Spur, which is another mountain, and we were pretty much out of breath by the time we got there.  After a short break, we climbed up the Davis Path and Crawford Path to the peak of Mt. Washington.  We were totally exhausted and not prepared.  I crawled to the top...  Afterwards, we walked down via the Tuckerman Ravine trail.. the longest descent of my life! By the end, I started shaking uncontrollably and continued shaking during our dinner at the Flatbread Pizza.  Danya gave me his sweater, which turned out to be a trend of Danya saving me with his things. Notable moments: a woman climbing in a red mini-skirt; Skavish carrying a large Nikon camera with several lenses (last time); Slava screaming "come on, ladies" (a future refrain); Danya sharing "kotleti, ukrop i luk" for lunch; a long conversation about our emotional life on the way back.

OMG, how we are dressed!!!  But we made it, and it was a beginning of something truly special