Teaching in the White Mountains

In New Hampshire with My 8th Grade Students
Thursday, October 6

Around 8:00 am, we sat in the sunshine looking out on the still darkened valley of Carter Notch. We had just finished our breakfast (instant oatmeal made mushy with boiling water) and were preparing to hike up the Carter Dome trail, a very steep, almost cliff-like trail of about a mile. There’s a quiet, meditative spirit among the kids as they gaze across at the imposing hill we have to climb.

After a long, painstaking climb, we reached the top of Carter Dome around 12:20, and lunched in the bright sunshine on bagels, cheese, sausage, and Hershey bars. The weather was absolutely perfect – clear air and mild winds across the mountains. The kids rested in small groups as the winds whispered among the small fir trees.

After lunch, we took what was a comparatively easy hike over to Mt. Hight, a boulder-strewn summit with an astonishing 360 degree of seemingly endless mountains and valleys. We all felt a special peace and freedom up there, a feeling that made the climb up the precipitous Carter Dome trail that morning more than worth it.

After our evening meal at the Hut, we gathered for some cheery entertainment. The kids prepared skits in their groups, and we in the audience loved each of them. There was unrestrained laughter inside, and I suppose outside there was the ceaseless sighing of the mountain winds and the small nighttime noises of the forest.