Photos by the_pirate

These signs are at the trailheads along the Kankamangus Highway.

I darted up ahead of my group to snap this photo of our winter '97 ascent of Mt. Madison.

On my way down from the summit I turned to get a quick photo of my pals following behind. This was one hellish climb. Not because of technical difficulty, but due to the fact that I had spent the previous week on a road trip around the great lakes, with strep throat and a 105 fever. I had no intention of letting that keep me from a climb with my buddies though. The wind was fierce on the summit cone and I was bootlegging it down as it was blowing right through my woolen knickers. After making this exposure, I tucked the camera in my jacket pocket, and with ice axe in one hand and the other covering the jewels, I hobbled down the rocks and ice screaming, "Oh please, oh please, frostbite anywhere but there!!!"

This was my first trip to Seneca Rocks, WV. Oct.'95. The picture was taken just around the corner from the gunsite. We stopped for lunch on a ledge that was just barely big enough to fit a buttock. That's me with the green rag on my noggin. My buddy Chris snapped the photo right before he sat down on the ledge too. We sank a cam at either end and strung the rope between them, across our laps, like a seat belt. Fond memories.

Warn your children to stay on the path after dark. There is evil lurking in the shadows. Be afraid. Be very afraid.