Nervous but resolute, we began our Mt. Washington hiking adventure on a warm, sunny summer Sunday. My husband and I had the added bonus of having our 21-year-old son with us for the hike.

The hike was as expected, heavily trafficked, relatively normal hike until we reached the scramble portion of the climb. We had not experienced a climb like that before and found ourselves enjoying the scramble, despite the inherent challenge associated with navigating terrain of that nature.

We felt excited and accomplished when we reached the summit and took our picture at the top. The top was an interesting mix of hikers, and folks who either drove up to the top or took the Cog Railway to the top all mixed together. The Visitor's Center was a welcome respite from the incredible wind where we spend a few minutes eating lunch and regrouping before making our way back down the rock pile to the trail, and eventually back to our car.

It was a great day and I feel incredibly proud that we hiked Mt. Washington – a hike that had felt big, important, and just a bit scary all these months.