Nights 363-365 - Post 200 - I did it!

Hi and Happy New Year!

Sunday night: 36 degrees

Monday morning: 38 degrees

Monday night: 27 degrees

Tuesday morning: 18 degrees

Tuesday night: 22 degrees

Wednesday morning: 24 degrees

A year in a tent!

I have so much to tell you about. 

On Monday we had an end-of-the-year-in-a-tent party, and a bunch of our friends came over to watch the Royal Arches video, go for a group hike up on the hill, and celebrate the end of my year.

We had a fire pit out on our patio, we put lights up on the back of the house, and we got Tibetan prayer flags to hang over the patio.  Prayer flags are a Bhuddist tradition, and there are lot of them at Everest base camp.  They say that when the wind blows over the flags, it takes the prayers written on the flags up to the mountain so they have a safe climb.

Prayer Flags in front of Everest

We got a projector and watched the video on a huge screen in the back yard.  I was really proud and excited to see the video on such a big screen in front of a bunch of people.

After the video, we went for a hike all the way up the hill out back.  On the way up, the hill is divided into two parts.  There's a normal hill, and then a switchback trail through the woods. When we were on the first part, some of my friends and I went into the Christmas trees and were scaring the others when they would go by.

Eventually, the rest of my friends and I were chasing each other through the trees.  After that, we joined forces and hid along the trail until everyone else came down along the switchback trail from the top.  When they came down, we jumped out and scared them.  It was really cool seeing the lights going through the dark woods when everyone was hiking up and down.

After the hike, most of the adults went inside, and my friends and I sat around the fire.

I have to thank everybody who came to the party.  It was really nice of you to come, and thanks for the cards and gifts you gave me!

Two of my friends, C.S. and G.S., slept out with me and my dad on Monday night.  We stayed up pretty late, and even though it was pretty cold, we slept well.  In the morning, we went for a long hike out back.

Last night was night 365, and I waited until just after midnight to go out to bed.  I pitched the Alps earlier in the day, but even though it was really windy, I couldn't use the fly.  I just set up the tent body hoping there would be no wind at night, because it didn't protect us from it.  My mom decided to sleep out since it was my last night, but she only lasted about an hour and a half.

Mom and Me on New Years Eve

When she went in, my dad came out to finish the night with me.  Thankfully, the wind did die down, so it wasn't a problem.  I slept in the 5 degree bag I borrowed from my friend S.F., and I actually got a little hot in it, even though the tent wasn't trapping any warm air for us.

I know Mark Hudon slept out last night, and he said he was going to try to get other people to sleep out too.  I think he's going to send a picture, so I'll post that when I get it.  And if you slept out, let me know!

Since I'm done with my year in a tent, a lot of people have been asking what I want to do next. I'm going to reveal my next project now!  I'm calling it "Endeavor 50 Highest," which means I'm going to try to climb the highest point in every state in the U.S.A.!

I don't even know if anyone has done this before, but it would definitely test my skills and make me a better climber.  I would be doing everything from finding a point in the road with a GPS (in Delaware) to maybe even climbing Mt. Denali in Alaska.  This project would include Mount Washington in New Hampshire, which I'm going to do this winter, so that's a bonus.

My dad told Mark Smiley about it, and he said that we should think about doing it in the order that the states joined the union.  That means I'll start with Delaware, and if I make it, end with Alaska and Hawaii.

I'm planning to keep posting about these climbs, and also the other hikes and stuff we do in the future.  I hope you'll subscribe so you'll know when I post.

Thanks for reading!  It means a lot to me that you were interested in my year in the tent!

- Lyle