Zealand 2023

[Josh King]

#66066 |

Sorry for the delay in getting information out to the crew. The plan is as follows:

Meet time for this hike will be 0700 at the Zealand Trail trailhead at the end of Zealand Road. Our hike will start at 0730 sharp. Book time is roughly 4 hours to the summit, so please do not be late.

Our route will climb the Zealand Trail to Twinway and we’ll follow Twinway to the summit spur. At the summit, we will assemble the flag pole as close to the small outlook as possible. The flag will fly from 1200-1400. From there, we will break everything down and hike out as a group along the same route we hiked in.

The flag I bring on this hike has been flown at all my previous Fot48 events and was my personal flag flown during my deployment to Iraq in 2003. If you have a flag you would like to fly, please contact me so we can make arrangements.

Please make sure and be weather prepared for the hike and the 2-hours at the summit. I won’t preach about this, just be aware that this event is rain or shine so, barring unsafe thunder/lightning, we will hike.

A little background on me: This is my ninth time participating in Fot48 and I have been a peak coordinator multiple times. I have a well tested, lightweight 24’ flagpole that breaks down into 6 sections that has been used on most of my previous Fot48 hikes. I am an avid hiker throughout all of New England and very much looking forward to meeting everyone.

[Josh King]

#66113

WEATHER UPDATE:

For those of you that have been watching the weather for this weekend, the thunderstorm outlook seems better than it was earlier in the week. This afternoon’s MWOBS higher summits forecast states there is a slight chance in the afternoon along with scattered showers throughout.
Obviously, group safety is the most important part of our hike. I have no intention of getting caught in a thunderstorm carrying sections of an aluminum flag pole.
So, we will continue with the original plan to meet at 0700 and hike at 0730. As a group, we will continue to assess the thunderstorm threat as we hike. If the weather becomes unsafe, depending on how far up the trail we are, we will either shelter at Zealand Hut or turn around and descend to the trailhead. We will still fly the flag in some way, whether it’s at the summit, the hut, or at the trailhead – but we will do it in a safe manner.
That said, be prepared to get wet and hike in slippery conditions. We will likely encounter rain at some point and possibly throughout the day. Also in the interest of safety, we will stay together as a group. This makes it easier to communicate and account for everyone in the group. The last thing I want on my conscience is for someone to separate from the group and injure themselves.
Once again, I look forward to meeting and hiking with everyone in this group. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email or message me.

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