During the weekend of September 23rd-24th, The Sturgis Outing Club traveled to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and climbed Mt. Monadnock, a National Natural Landmark. This mountain has an elevation of 3,165 feet and is climbed by 125,000 hikers every year. Fifteen adventurous students and four brave teachers from Sturgis reached the top in just a couple of hours!
I spoke with some of the mountain climbers and they had many great things to say about the trip. On Saturday morning, this eager group of students and teachers met at Sturgis East and took a van to the base of Mt. Monadnock. They made sandwiches and began their journey up the steep and rocky mountain. They took the hard trail up and found themselves using their arms to grasp onto the steep mountain. Cece Kane said, “Even though the hike up was arduous in the heat, as soon as we passed the tree line and could see the amazing panoramic view, our breath was taken away and we found new energy to keep hiking.” There was a clear temperature drop when they reached the high altitude of the mountaintop. Mr. McDonald brought a drone to take pictures from the mountain and they came out beautifully!
Once all of the climbers were ready to continue on with their expedition, they began to hike back down the mountain on the more gradual trail to their sites. The students immediately began setting up tents and hammocks on the campsites while other students volunteered to help make the well-earned burrito dinner. Afterwards, everyone sat together and ate while reflecting on their adventure, but the fun wasn’t over. S’mores, scary stories, and a campfire finished off the night as students started to fall asleep. Some campers were on edge as they started to hear far off noises in the woods. It was a beautiful night under the stars for campers sleeping in screen-roofed tents and open air hammocks. The sunshine woke everyone up and some students went on a peaceful morning walk. To finish off the amazing trip, the group broke down the tents and drove to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, a popular choice being the delicious iced cider. It was a very fun van ride back to the Cape, full of music and laughter.
At just under three hours from Hyannis, the Mount Monadnock State Forest is easily accessible for a weekend getaway. If you are looking for a healthy and fun way to spend a pleasant Fall day, a trip to this pristine destination is a great way to break free of your usual routine and see some spectacular sights. Outing club member, Kelly Wickham, highly recommends the experience stating, “It’s a great bonding experience between the participants and it’s a great way to try or experience new things.”