Box #53293

If Parker Mountain was Mount Everest (12) Hand-carvedWalkDogCompassExtremePlanters Choice

Parker Mountain Rd, Strafford, NH
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PlanterKollapsProfileContactLogbookNote
OwnerGargoyle GirlProfileContactLogbookNote
PlantedSeptember 2, 2007
ModifiedJuly 27, 2012
NameLast Found F-Summary Findability
1.
Trekking pole
by Kollaps
activeMay 9, 2021fffffffffffffffgood
2.
Crampon
by Kollaps
activeJun 16, 2013ffffffffxxchallenging
3.
Ice axe
by Kollaps
activeJun 16, 2013fffffffffxchallenging
4.
Harness
by Kollaps
activeAug 9, 2015fffffffffxaverage
5.
Rope
by Kollaps
activeOct 27, 2012fffffffffxchallenging
6.
Carabiner
by Kollaps
activeOct 27, 2012fffffffffxchallenging
7.
Ladder
by Kollaps
activeJun 15, 2019fffffffffffffffaverage
8.
Ascender
by Kollaps
activeJun 15, 2019xffffffffffffffaverage
9.
TNF Himalayan Suit
by Kollaps
activeJun 16, 2013fffffffffxchallenging
10.
Oxygen mask
by Kollaps
activeJun 16, 2013fffffffffxchallenging
11.
Summit
by Kollaps
activeJun 15, 2019xffffffffffffffaverage
12.
Buddhia
by Kollaps
activeOct 27, 2012fffffffffxchallenging
Photo Clue
Before you head out to do this series, please be aware that this is marked as an extreme letterbox series. I have had many people say that it was more difficult terrain than expected. You may not want to take small children on this one. There is one pretty long, steep and rocky section right in the beginning.

Directions to Parker Mountain, Strafford, NH:

From Rochester, NH, take Rt. 202A West to Rt. 126 North. The Spencer Smith Tr. begins at a wide turnout 2.5 miles from the 202A intersection (Center Strafford). Park at the turnout on the left.

From Concord, NH, take Rt. 393 East to Rt. 4 (Rt. 202E). Take Rt. 28 North to Center Barnstead. Take a right onto Rt. 126 and drive 7.4 miles to the turnout for the Spencer Smith Tr. on the right.

The Spencer Smith Tr. goes 1.1 miles up to Parker Mountain summit.

Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world at 29, 028', 5 ½ miles above sea level. The first men to climb to the summit were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay back in 1953.

The point of departure for Mount Everest expeditions is in Kathmandu, Nepal.

From Kathmandu, a Russian Cargo helicopter cannot make it to Base Camp, but it will take climbers up to 9000'. Now there is over a 30-mile hike to Base Camp.

From the parking lot (Base Camp) you will see a Spencer Smith Tr. sign. There will be a few Sherpa's carrying some gear and food for you and showing you the way. Now walk towards the front of the gate. Stand with your back to the gate, looking up the trail.

After that long 30 plus mile hike to Base Camp, you forgot your LEKI trekking poles.

With your back to the gate, look up the trail. Look for the first White Birch tree on the right and go to it. Looking at the White Birch, you'll notice another White Birch behind it to the left. Behind the second White Birch there are two small boulders. Your trekking poles are between where the two small boulders meet. After you get your trekking poles, head back up the trail.

The climb up Mount Everest (Parker Mountain) starts off easy. As you approach the Khumbu Icefall, the trail gets slippery.

You will see a newly constructed bridge over an area of Glacier runoff. The bridge is very icy so you need to get your Crampons. From the beginning of the bridge, look to your right for a White Birch rubbing against a pine tree. Your Crampons are at the base of one of them. Now that you put on your Crampons, you can make it safely across the frozen bridge.

Closer to the Khumbu Icefall, the trail is getting very steep. You need to put away your trekking poles and use your ice ax.

As you head up the trail, you'll notice a Serac (a downed tree that has been cut) has blocked the trail. Bear to your right and follow the new trail. As you get closer to the original trail, you'll see a red blaze on a tree to your right. Just past the red blaze, look to your left. See the remains of an old stonewall? Your ice ax is behind this wall.

With your ice ax, you head back up the trail.

As you head up the Icefall (trail), it's getting harder to use your ice ax. Now you need to put on your harness.

The trail veers to the left. Soon you will cross over a root in the middle of the trail. Just past the root, look for a large tree on the left. To the left of that, there's a fallen Birch tree. Look to the left of the base to find your harness.

Put your harness on and head back up the trail.

Now that you put on your harness, the trail gets easy.

All of a sudden there is the Khumbu Icefall that you have to climb up. You hand your rope to the Sherpa and he will set it up for you.

At the base of the ice wall (slide) there is a boulder on your right next to a few downed tree. Your rope is in front of the boulder.

The Sherpa has set the rope, so now you can climb up the Icefall.

On the way up the Icefall, you realized that you forgot to clip your carabiner onto your harness. Take a break at a flat spot and clip your carabineer to your harness and rope.

After you cross over three wood beams across the trail, you will see a tree across the trail helping to prevent trail erosion. Looking slightly to the left, you will see a little side path. Go towards the side path where there is a small fallen tree. When you get to the downed tree, you will see several large rocks. Go to the first rock and your carabiner is in front of the boulder.

Now you feel a little safer attached to the rope.

As you head up the trail, you'll notice a large downed tree over the trail. It's pointing towards a lookout. If you check it out, be very careful. It's a steep drop-off towards the end of the boulder. If you look way to the left, you'll see Blue Job Mountain's radio tower. You also may see the Atlantic Ocean.

Heading back to the trail, continue up and here's where the real climbing starts. This section is hard.

Near the top of the Khumbu Icefall, you notice a bunch a crevasses. Now you need to hand a ladder to the Sherpa so he can place it over the crevasse.

There is a downed Serac (tree) over the trail that a section of the tree over the trail has been removed. There's a few logs on the left. To the right, look at the base of the fallen tree for your ladder.

The Sherpa tells you that if you fall into a crevasse, you'll fall all the way to America. Continue up the trail.

After going over a few more crevasses using ladders, you are almost at Camp I at 19,500'.

On the trail before another climb, there is a rock in the center. To your left is Camp I. I built a small cairn to mark Camp I. Relax and spend the night.

After spending a sleepless night at Camp I, you put all your gear back on and head up to Camp II, Advanced Base Camp at 21, 300', which is a ways away.

While heading up to Camp II, there are a couple of openings on the trail. Follow the red blazes. Soon you reach Advanced Base Camp. On the right there is an old stone shelter. This is Camp II, not the summit.

Here at Camp II, you will spend a few weeks acclimatizing. As a climber goes higher, they risk altitude sickness. But if they ascend gradually, the body adjusts on its own to the lower oxygen levels. Also if they go too high too soon, they risk getting Edema, which is where your lungs begin to fill with fluid.

You also begin to drink more water. The dry air sucks moisture from each breath and also makes you cough.

After five weeks, you're acclimatized.

Now you leave Camp II and head for the Lotshe Face. It takes two days to climb this 4000' wall of ice.

Look for a red arrow and "Bow" under it on a rock, left of Camp II. Follow the red arrows. Careful, the 2 red arrows are faint, on the rocks.

At the third arrow, there's a pine tree on your left and just past that a curved tree. Your Ascender is behind the rock under the curve.

As you are heading up the Lotshe Face, you want to attach your Ascender to your rope.

Now clip the Ascender to the rope. This will help you get up the Lotshe Face.

Once over the Lotshe Face, you descend into the woods. Towards the bottom of the Lotshe Face, you will see a large boulder on the trail with a white arrow on it. Do not take a right, go straight. Soon you'll see a red blaze on a tree to your left. Soon you'll see a small lid to a can painted red on a tree to your left. This is Camp III at 24,000'. Look to your left. That's where you're spending the night.

After spending a night at Camp III, you get up and head up the Geneva Spur to Camp IV at 26,000'.

Continuing towards the summit, you see a red arrow pointing towards you and also pointing to the right. You pass a big boulder on your right, and then head back into the woods. You'll see a pine tree with a red blaze on your left. This is Camp IV.

From Camp IV to the summit is known as the Death Zone. Your mind runs in slow motion, you can't sleep, you can't eat, your brain is starving for oxygen, your body's deteriorating, and your muscles are wasting away.

Oh, I forgot to mention, you would need to leave at midnight because it takes 12 hours to get to the summit.

This morning we are heading for the summit. After leaving Camp IV, you put on your Himalayan Suit from The North Face. This should keep you warm for your summit push (it was only $1000).

Continuing on the trail, you will come to the base of the final climb. There is a downed tree on the right pointing you to the summit. Stop here and look to your left for a broken tree next to a boulder. Your suit is behind the boulder.

As you start up Everest, you notice it's very hard to breathe. You will need to put on your Oxygen mask.

After you put on your suit, you continue towards the summit. Soon you cross over two trees over the trail. Then you scoot around a downed tree on the left, then go over another downed tree. After crossing this tree, you will see 2 trees shaped like a V on your left. Behind the V is your Oxygen mask. Put on your mask, and then head to the summit.

Now you're heading up the Hillary Step to the South Summit at 28,710'.

In the last 100 meters, there is a sheer drop off of over a mile on either side of the ridge.

After the final little push, YOU MADE IT. You are on the summit of Mount Everest at 29,028'. On top of the world. (The summit cairn on Parker Mountain is at 1410'. Imagine looking up 27,618' from here to the top of Everest).

This is where you need your compass. Stand facing the cairn, near the left side so the two pine trees are on your left. Set your bearing to North (notice it points to the cairn). Mark 300 degrees on your compass and get your bearing. Then you will notice that the bearing is pointing to an Oak tree with a branch pointing to the left. Go to this tree. Look behind it for your summit prize.

So it took you about 9 weeks to make it to the top. It will take you only two days to make it back to Base Camp.

Be very careful on the descent because this is when most accidents happen.

When heading back, take a break at Camp II (lookout). For a bonus stamp, walk past the arrow and "Bow" and look for a faint blue blaze on a boulder to your right, not the blue blaze that has pink around it. Look for the small cairn on the left. There's a blue blaze on a boulder to the rights. This is the Link Tr. Look towards the horizon and go down the trail. Be careful. Right before the Link Tr. takes a hard left, there's a small tree growing behind a boulder. This is where the bonus stamp is.

The face is near the top of the Bodnath Stupa (shrine), Kathmandu, and the religious center for Tibetans living in Nepal. This face is on all four sides near the top. It is the all-seeing eyes of the guardian Buddhia. Traditionally, climbing groups bound for Everest pause here first and light a few butter lamps in hope of pleasing the gods with offerings and ensuring success and safety.

Be careful on the remaining descent and I hope that you enjoyed your journey to the top of the world.

Kollaps.

Hike Length: 1.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
NOTE: Before you set out you must read and agree to the Waiver of Responsibility and Disclaimer.