2024-03-31 Having grown up in Massachusetts with a family that enjoyed car camping, I was used to hiking the docile trails of New England. As an early student at Dartmouth on the ski patrol, using my background as an EMT, I joined a group starting the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team hiking Owl's Head. My first 4000 footer was an experience in being in a new environment. I wore my EMT boots, carried car camping equipment totaling way too much weight, and suffered the blisters of the novice. I also experienced the awe of being in the wilderness of New England. Since it is nestled into the Pemi Loop, Owl's Head stunned me with an unobstructed view of the valley between the Lafayette ridge and the Bonds. My experience was one of novelty, freedom, presence, and pain. I was hooked. Considering the nearly 20 years between that hike and my completion of the 4000-footers, it is useful to look back with satisfaction on my growth as a hiker. I was apprenticed by Tony Plante as a winter hiker, I took the AMC Winter Hiking Series and a Winter Skills weekend at Cardigan. I also have done dozens and dozens of hikes, including dozens of winter hikes (list will be submitted soon, I hope). I've hiked with my family from Acadia to Zion, and many places in between. There is so much to be grateful for. One of my enduring take-aways is that by being just a few hours earlier or later, or just a few steps away from the overlook, solitude and relaxation are available to us, if we just chose to turn around and move away from the crowd. My experience on Cabot was of being at ease in the woods. My brother (now my main hiking partner) and I planned to finish in the winter, on the farthest 4000 footer. We got an early start, I was now seasoned in the logistics of a long hike on the short days of the winter. We completed the loop with ease, stopping for photos at the summit sign, exploring the cabin, and enjoying a peaceful day in the woods. We saw no other humans, were miles and miles from help, yet I was able to just relax, hike, and experience the trees, woods, and forest for what they are. The whole experience of completing the 4000 footers of NH has not been a strong goal of mine (obvious from the 8 + years between completion and submission). It's nice to see that just by being out there and enjoying the region, I've experienced it broadly enough to "earn the patch."