Hey, Violin...

“Do I understand correctly that you appear on NO ONE'S list of TT'ers they have met? Are you for real? ;-)

Why don't you join us a week from Friday on the AT northbound from Delaware Water Gap?

I'm not sure who is going but I do know Pennsy Hiker, SirPete, my son and I are going.”

“Violin,

GA/NC AT TT Hike

March 14-17

Be There!!”

“I saw that trip and it is really tempting. It's a nice section I haven't done in years but I don't think there is any way for me to make it - family obligations.

I may just sneak up on you guys and scare the crap out of you though.
=:-O”

“Is that your scary face?

How about March, 22,23,24 in Somedamn Wilderness, WVa?

Family, ha!
I run off to the mountains to ESCAPE from my family!”

“Tom, I always assumed that your family SENDS you to the mountains...

;-)”

“Hey, I wish we had SomeMoreDamn Wilderness in NJ.

Violin thinks that we are all undead flesh eating zombies, that is what he said when I invited him to the first WRT hike.

WE ALL have family obligations. I'm looking forward to getting mine out hiking with me more often. Just need a wee .. lot more gear..;)”

“Splash, you should be coming on that trip, too! Bring the girls. We'll all help carry their stuff.”

“I know you are all undead flesh eating zombies!”

“But we know you are too, therefore you are perfectly safe. (please refer to the virtual campfire thread for verification of this logic, if necessary)”

“No. Everyone there is an undead brain eating zombie.”

“You really are safe! ; )

Just kidding!”

“Fritz, I read something about 16 miles on one day. Would you be willing to help carry the girls as well as their gear?

Seriously, your twins are a similar age to my girls, we should have a family backpacking trip with lower daily mileage (like one third that number). What do you say?”

“I might make that one Splash. I want to take my 4 year old (girl) on her first trip. I waited until my 13-year-old was 'old enough' and now I can't convince her to go. She doesn't even want to day hike anymore. Perhaps if I used your psychological trick of taking her sister, she'd change her mind. How old are your twins, Fritz? Girls or boys?”

“In all honesty I was thinking EXACTLY that...

My guys could get up to Sunfish Pond one day and back down the next, but I think technically only "thru-hikers" are supposed to camp overnight. There is a "Camp Road" where we could possibly get off the trail...that would be 9 miles in two days, that could work.”

“Violin, my twins are going to be nine in two weeks.

I also have girls 11 and 13, and my older son (who you'll meet next weekend) is 17. ;-)

I couldn't bring them all at once. Either Ian and the twins, or Ian and the girls (if I could talk them into it) might be a possibility.”

“Fritz -

Little secret here - To the Park Service, a thru-hiker is anyone hiking from point A to point B (cars at both ends, no loops). I'd suggest more towards Rt. 206 to avoid crowds and permit camping at other than designated sites.”

“I was only looking at Camp Road (on the map, I have never been there) because of the distance. All the way to 206 would be quite a haul for younger kids.

It'll be a pretty good haul for me, too.”

“No, no. There are numerous cross roads in the area to make a shorter hike. You don't have to start at the Gap. I don't have my maps here but I could take a look.”

“Violin, I'm sure that you figured it out, but his twins are boys.

Fritz and Violin, let me know what route you decide to take, and I'll try to get there with my girls. But I have to keep the miles down, or they won't ever speak to me again, never mind hike with me. Plus the older one outgrew her hiking boots, so we may or may not have shoes by that weekend (we need to get sneakers and dress shoes as well, ouch!). Violin, I should send you my girls' outgrown boots for your four year old to grow into.”

“Do you want to plan a late spring/summer overnight trip?”

“How about just a dayhike in the Gap?”

“Weird, I was on another computer and couldn't remember my password, so I tried to login as my old name LyndyS, but it wouldn't let me. Here, on my regular computer, it let me login as LyndyS. I wonder what I did wrong?

Yes, we should plan an overnight in late spring/early summer but then you have to deal with poison ivy. This time of year is so nice because the ground is bare and covered with leaves. But leaves on the trees are pretty too.

Dayhikes would be good, as well. I try to take my kids dayhiking whenever they don't protest too much. We hike at Hacklebarney State Park in Chester (Violin, your kids would really love this place, creeks to play in, big boulders to climb in the creek and river). It has charcoal grills and picnic tables, but it pretty underutilized, and very picturesque. The longest loop is three miles, some gravel paths, some rocky paths.

I need to get the kids up to Jenny Jump, High Point State Forest, and some other local places. I also have a book with good hikes for the kids in the Catskills. I want to go to the Adirondacks too, but we probably won't make it there this year.”

“I took my twins up to Mt. Minsi (PA side of the Water Gap) last fall. They did pretty well, didn't complain much.

I will be taking them on more dayhikes this year, but would also like to plan an overnight. I think they'd get a real kick out of that.”

“Why yes, they do encourage me to GO.......hey, wait a minute!

My youngest son turned 7 on the trail in Cranberry Wilderness, WVa in Oct '97.

We spent two nights and covered 16 miles.

He was lovin' it when the going was easy, but died a thousand deaths when the goin' got uphill.

I had to carry his pack about half the trip.

His girl cousin, 1 & 1/2 years older, wasn't much better.
My brother carried her pack some.

On the last 5 miles....moderate up-grade.... those two took off like scalded dogs after eating a bunch of chocolate nuggets.
I had to hump it just to catch up!

My son is now 11 and I can get him out in the woods about once a year.”

“Violin. Yes, take your daughter now. I took both of my younger daughters, separately when they were pre-six, and those are some of the greatest memories we share. I can't belive that you would actually suggest backpacking to a 13-year-old girl. How uncool are you, dad?
I hope you get on the trail with the other TT'ers. That will leave me to prove my existence.”

“I haven't been up to Mt. Minsi, yet. Anyplace is fine as long as we aren't deep in the tree cover for long stretches with the path overgrown with bushes. We've done that a few times and my kids hated it. They like it better when they can see a little distance around them, at least part of the time. When I took them backpacking on a short loop of the Black Forest Trail, they were in a green close tunnel, and didn't enjoy the hiking much. But then we got to the fire tower and the older one wanted to climb it to the top. My husband and I were too frightened after the second set of steps and had to make her give it up. They both love climbing up a pile of rocks to sit and see the view. I think that there are a lot of places like that around the Gap, not at Sunfish, but at other places.”

“Violin.. I would luv to hike with ya sometime also.. by the way.. April 10-14.. me and son will be up in NYC.. do you live close?.. which side of NJ are u on?”

“TownDawg, I'm sorry that I can't be an ambassador to you, but I'll be in California during that time. I hope that you and your son have a nice visit (at the universities, right?)”

“TownDawg -

I live about 10 miles from Manhattan (as the crow flies). Perhaps I could offer you a guided tour of Campmor? It is a must see for you.”

“And over here we have the magnificant set up of tents...
Feel free to climb inside, take them and set them up...

Sir, please stop drooling on the tents...”

“Yeah, that tent room has to be the highlight of the Campmor trek. The kayaks are fun, too.”

“Hey violin.
You anywhere near Moorestown, NJ?

I might be going up there for a Design Review trip in a couple of months.

Like to grab a beer for an hour or so and talk trash about other TTers?

I promise not to beat you up.”

“i want pics and a trip report of this meetin of the minds!”

“Sorry sacco, top secret discussions only.”

“I’d like to witness this



from a distance.”

“As far as I know, no other TTer has ever met 'violin' in person.”

“Violin = StoveStomer ;-)”

“Damn it lumber! SHUT UP!
Can't let the others know the truth that we are both just trolls from matt.”

“Moorestown is about an hour from my house and even further from my office.

Thanks for the thought though.”

“

j/k
last edited: 3/07/06 2:07:49 PM”

“I've tried to get Violin out of New Jersey.

I think his mom won't let him go.”

“Well StoveStomper ... we tried! The trap was set but he did not bite.

bwu-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!
last edited: 3/07/06 2:12:44 PM”

“Well, crap.
Oh well, more beer for me! ;-)”

“SS if you're ever in my area, I'll have a beer with you. I hope you don't mind if I make you go through metal detectors and be under video and audio surveillance the whole time. ;-)”

“If you want to meet up in the Pinelands after dark, I'll bring a shovel and some lime.”

“I'll wear my best tin foil hat!”

“Besides... I figure we'd need a translator or something... especially after a few beers.”

““I'll wear my best tin foil hat!”

Good idea, then the tracking device will be blocked!!”

“Translator??

Not bad, them Gulf Coasters can be as hard to understand as Northern New Englanders.”