Long overdue, I know. It was a very difficult deliberation. In fact, only half of the awards are posted here, to keep the length to a minimum. The next half to follow shortly:
So, at long last: winners of the first half of the 2010 Chubi Awards:
Best Non-Summit Hike
- Grand Canyon Corridor Loop +(Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)
- Okay, so this one wasn’t too hard. All of the others were great, but come one . . . Grand Canyon? And the best GC trip yet, to boot. Canyons are growing on me more and more every time I enter one.
- Artist's Point Snowshoe (Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF, WA)
- Dolly Sods Traverse (Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV)
- Lover's Key Loop Dayhike (Lover's Key State Park, FL)
Best New Gear
- Merino Wool Buff
- So useful—a hat one minute, a scarf the next. A balaclava one minute, a pillowcase the next. However, I’m sad to report this award is being delivered posthumously. My Buff disappeared a couple months ago.
- TSL Backcountry Snowshoes
- Soto Micro Regulator Stove
Best Summit - East
- Mount Moosilauke, White Mountain National Forest, NH
- This one was a difficult pick. But Moosilauke’s otherworldliness wins out over Mt. Washington’s majesty. Hiked in the same month, Washington may have been the winner. But the snow up on Moosilauke was like nothing I’ve ever seen.
- Camel's Hump, Camel's Hump State Forest, VT
- Gothics, Adirondack Park, NY nuseance
- Mount Lafayette, White Mountain National Forest, NH
- Mount Moosilauke, White Mountain National Forest, NH
- Mount Washington, White Mountain National Forest, NH
Best Wildlife Encounter
- White Mountains Safari Adventure, NH
- Goats? Are you kidding me? Okay, so this one wasn’t really in the wild, but the numbers speak for themselves: 3 deer, 2 porcupine, a fox and 2 moose. All on one drive.
- Bald Eagle on Tamiami Drive, FL
- Bighorn Sheep near Truchas Lake, NM
- Grey Fox at Bright Angel Campground, AZ
- Goats in Chicago Basin, CO
The Challenger Peak Award for Best "Teachable Moment"
- Lost Tunafish (Grizzly Peak, CO)
- Lesson Learned: When there are only 2 of your climbing, always keep your partner in view, or within earshot at least. I got ahead while climbing Grizzly, and then somehow missed Tuna on the way down. He couldn’t hear me, I couldn’t hear him. With a storm cloud approaching and thunder booming I feared the worst. Fortunately, Tuna was okay and we both made it to the top. And back.
- Whiteout on Kaaterskill High Peak (Catskill Park, NY)
- Goat Attack (Chicago Basin, CO)
