During the last mile of our 9.5 mile day hike to the summit of Mount Adams, Mr. Pinault turned to me and crowed “Mt. Adams is in the pocket!”
“In the pocket” is one of many French idioms that bares a strong, almost deliberate resemblance to its English counterpart, “in the bag.” Normally I would have grabbed a tree branch which which to fashion a switch and whipped Mr. Pinault while shouting “In the bag! Say it, in the bag!” It’s the only way he’ll learn colloquial English. But it was Bastille Day, so I magnanimously ignored his foible and agreed with his sentiment. “Yes, another Four Thousand Footer has been pocketed!”
Rewind:
Mount Adams (elevation 5774) is the second tallest mountain in the Northeast (its neighbor Mount Washington is the tallest ). The first 2 1/2 hours were a steady climb on the Air Line trail through the woods. When we finally reached the “Stop” sign, we knew good views lay ahead above the treeline. The weather was kind: blue skies with a few clouds, fresh air, no wind. Mr. Pinault was elated that we were not going to die.
