Mount Jefferson - New Hampshire, US

"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."

- Sir Edmund Hillary

I've always been intrigued by nature, epic mountains and those who climb them. Have hiked only a handful of times in the past. But nothing has compared to this experience. I will forever be grateful for Mt. Jefferson being the first mountain I got semi-roped into climbing.

I can't tell you how long I've been putting this off, but I can tell you I was tired of making excuses. So, when randomly presented with the opportunity to make the drive to hike the 3rd highest mountain in the state of New Hampshire, I decided to finally get up off my ass and just do it.

Given the state of the world and my state of laziness, I had found myself in a slump. Yoga was my only form of "exercise" and my mind and body was feeling it. So, what better way to get back in the groove of things than to throw myself into hiking one of the Presidential's, right? HA.

I knew I was going to struggle but didn't care. I was determined and needed the push. Given my setbacks - being fairly out of shape, having mild asthma and a slight fear of heights, amongst other shit - I knew I had my work cut out for me. 

Despite how crazy it all seemed, I said f*ck it. Adventure and a little challenge make for a great story. Struggle on, however weak or strong!

Caps Ridge Trail was equally terrifying as it was exhilarating. Starting on a moderate uphill incline canopied beneath the trees, as the moisture in the air hugged my lungs and my blood started pumping, I began to wonder how hard 5.3 miles could really be. My biggest obstacle was catching my breath, and it was by far the most difficult thing that I had to be mindful of and delicate with. So, unlimited breaks were taken and needed. God knows how much I hated this part of the hike, but seeing everyone pass us on their way down made me push through.

Climbing between the trees and moss to reach the halfway point wasn't my favorite part of this trail for many reasons, but scaling the bounders for the rest of the way up was.

Strategically looking for all the right nooks and crannies made this trail that much more worth it. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely sh*tting myself thinking of how the hell I was going to get back down, BUT being promised Bourbon at the top was my motivation. I mean, that and the killer views, of course.

​Many moans, groans, swear words and random songs that spew out of my mouth later, what felt like an eternity to get to the summit was finally over. 

​We did it.
I did it.
What a  feeling of relief and gratitude.

Andddddd, cheers; to tea and bourbon,
​of course.

In case you guys were wondering.. Yes, my legs were jello.
​Yes, the bourbon sure did help on the way down!..

.. and so did the butt-slides.

I must give a very special shout out to the man who had to suffer through every complaint and my terrible singing voice the WHOLE day - Thank you for pushing me just enough and believing in me along the way!

Tommy is a badass and has been hiking the NH 48. This was number 37 for him!

Follow him here on Instagram to check out the amazing shots  he's captured along his adventures.