The Noreaster

(This is a poster I got from the Noreaster.  I then preceded to draw on it the horse insignia of the featured group: State Radio)

On September 27th, I went with two friends to see a series of concerts a Tenney Mountain, and to participate in some of the climbing and conservation activities taking place.  We did not know exactly what was planned for Saturday, but we know that State Radio was playing at 9:00, and that we might find some new talented groups that were previously under the radar.   Against my personal desire to sleep in on Saturday, we agreed to leave at 7:00 so that we would get there early as my friends, Sam and Laura, wanted to do some of the morning climbing offered.  However, when we arrived, we discovered that the climbing had been canceled due to the rain, and that the other activities were quite expensive.  Instead, we went downtown to get lunch and chill before the bands started playing at 1:00.  

When we returned, the air was heavy with the upcoming rain and Laura felt faint so Sam took her to her car.  She soon called me to say that she was going to take Laura home, and asked whether I needed a ride back with them.  The music was just beginning and I definitely did not want to head back to UNH yet, so I asked my roommate, Ben, if he would be able to take me back.  He had come up with some friends, but he said that I could catch a ride with them.  

I was glad not to be missing all the music, but rather confused at the same time as to why Laura had needed to get back to UNH so urgently.  She should have just drunk some water, and waited for the feeling to pass instead of wasting both she and Sam's time and money.  Maybe there was more to it, or maybe she was truly worried about her health?  I doubt I'll ever know.

Throughout the evening the music was incredible, and the bands better than I had expected.  By the time State Radio came on, it was absolutely pouring, but everyone was in high spirits, and having a great time.  That final concert was awesome, and afterwards everyone retired to the ski lounge for some heavy beats and chill dance music.  

Ben and his friends had some disagreements as we planned on when to leave because some of them wanted to spend another night, whereas Robbie needed to get home that night.  He wanted to leave around 10:30 to drop off people at UNH, and then precede to his school.  However, Ben wanted to see Glue play later that night, so the compromise was to leave at 11:30.  

The trip home was tough as we were all so exhausted, but the Noreaster event had been well worth it, and I was sure glad that I did not leave early.  As I reflected on day, and all that had led up to its successes and disagreements, I realized that it had been an adventure for all of us.  From first hearing about the EMS sponsored Noreaster from Ben, to arriving back at my Serc B at 1:30 in the morning soaked, drained, and happy, it had been an experience to remember.  

From a more formulated take on adventure, this trip certainly fit in the category.  According to Mitchell and his book Mountain Experience, an adventure requires planning, equipment, companions, conditioning, travel, technical points, talk, and debriefing, which were almost all encompassed in some form by the trip.  

In brief, I spread the word about the Noreaster three weeks in advance, bought tickets with Sam and Laura over a week ahead of time, and planned to take Sam's car.  We looked at the forcast and accordingly packed warm clothing and rain gear. We also brought detailed directions and a phone number, to ensure we could get there, and our ticket receipts just in case.  We also tried to keep our costs to a minimum by not participating in the expensive activities offered.  When I saw Sam and Laura again the following day, I described to them what they had missed and gave them some of the CD's I had brought back so they could get a taste of some of the groups.  

Looking back, there were areas where our planning could have been better, but at least for me, the trip was a success.