ECT Dates

“My Backpacking Dates for the rest of 2002


September
8-11 - AT someplace in North Carolina
27-29 - Sipsey

October
11-13 - Michigan (where are we going?)
25-27 - OPEN

November
15-17 - OPEN

December
6-8 - Titanium Chef at Big South Fork.


I remember someone asking what my BPing schedual was for the rest of the year. Here ya go.”

“Wd are you still going to be able to go with us to do the Knobstone Trail on Oct 18-20?

8)”

“Naw. That's the weekend after the Michigan trip. Can't do two in a row. Sorry bro.”

“Sniff sniff.......8(”

“Are you going on the Michigan trip?”

“I don't know if they would let me.

8|”

“What, they don't allow Crazy people in Michigan?!?! Are you worse than Birch or Sunshine?!?!”

“hey WD what the heck is Rudd gunna do next year. I'm thinking that maybe he's been talking to you......since he ain't talking to anyone else.”

“I am VERY CRAZY!!!!!

8p”

“I don't know what Rudd has planned. If he quits, I'll be a Jimmy Spencer fan.”

“FAT BOY!
MR EXCITEMENT!”

“Dat's da man! #26 himself.”

“Crazy Mike, of course you're welcome but it's a Michigan Mountaineer's trip, not a NWIHC trip, lol. We are planning on doing a chunk of the nct including Jordan River Pathway so far. Of course that could change if someone finds a spot we must check out.”

“Hey walkindude - where y'all planning on heading from September 8-11? I'm heading down to Durham for the Blues Fest and was gonna head west on Sunday the 8th to hike for four or five days. Got no place particular in mind - was up to Shining Rock same time last year - and am open for most anything. Lemme where you might be and we'll see about hooking up.”

“Steiny
Sirpete and I haven't got any plans down yet as far as exactly where we'll be walking yet. Maybe south of Wesser.”

“I might be down for this trip can you keep me up to date on it!

8)”

“Wait. Looks like it may be Newfound Gap to Fontana Dam.
Just got an E-mail from Sirpeteofmillwork.”

“I'll keep yall posted.”

“This sounds like it is going to be a fun trip please let me know what time and what trailhead we are going to meet at.

8)”

“Keep me posted and I'll get the necessary maps. I can be out of Durham by about 10 AM Sunday and into western NC by ?”

“hey dude, you want to try and get something going for the mount rogers area nov. 15-17? i'm off that weekend and wouldn't mind getting down there to hike with you. i could set up something if you want. there are many loop options or we could set up shuttles. let me know.”

“But Gissmo awreddy has walks planed for all them times.

He says I got to go on his hikes as the spessel gest and interpetter cuz I am perty good about walkin in the woods and sleepin in the woods (but Gissmos walks do not need no tent so we can run home and eet supper and sleep on the kweeng sides bed).”

“I'll probably kick off the season with a solo late next month, like last year. Like to catch the first of the cool nights and colors up high. Will try to make a trip with yall a little later, maybe November - on.

Love it in the mtns when the leaves are down and its overcast and cold.”

“I am going to check out about reservations at the shelters tomorrow. From NFG to Fontana dam it is 40 mile. the book says allow 3 days to traverse. That means 1 day for WD and 4 days for me....hehehe Seriously This will be the first hike of the season for me sooOOOOoo I will be a little slow but good for 15 miles per day. I believe if we get at NFG at some point on Sunday we can hike in 4.5 miles into Mt collins shelter. that would leave 3 days to travel 36 miles. That is certainly doable. Who's in????”

“I don't think I will be able to split PA until sunday early AM and it is like a 12 hr ride at least. I will work on the wife but it doesn't look good for an early arrival for me. It doesn't really change anything other than I would be hiking up to Mt Collins in the dark.”

“Baume66
That sounds like a good plan! I still have not done Mt Rogers yet.

As far as Newfound Gap to Fontana, That sounds like a great plan. That will also be my first trip of the year so I'll be trying to get back in the groove too. Just like New Hampshire last year. I bet shelters will be easy to get cause it'll be during the week. If we should get done early (which I doubt), I'd like to knock out the section between Fontana & Stecoah Gap.”

“Cool Dude. Not so for me though. I just spoke to my wife..............She is PISSED at me now, all I did was ask her to drive herself to the airport Sunday morning. You'd think I was asking for a pint of blood or something.

I may be able to leave late Saturday night, That would get me there sometime in the early afternoon on sunday. I will keep you informed as it plays out and she cools down a bit.”

“Trust me, I know how those things are.
I just showed Susan my Calendar of events and she only had one problem. I gotta go to the Sipsey thread for a min.”

“LMAO”

“I called the park today and all we need is a backwoods permit. we will need one for each person going and we can get them at the visitors centor on the way into the park”

“Coolness!!
I'm ready to go.
So has da wife calmed down yet?”

“still a bit of steam emiting from her ears. I am walking on egg shells and not talking about it too much. I want to let the seed sprout a little more before I go watering it again.”

“whats the dates of this trip??

I was looking at my calender and I have these dates off.

Sept 20 -23
Either Oct 11-14 or 25-28

Anything going on these dates??”

“are you doing Roan Mountain? I haven't made up my mind yet. Email me when you get a chance, or I will you.”

“evergreen,

wally~ and i biked up to roanoke, last weekend. we camped on the blue ridge parkway and ate in the huddle house, there in your little town! mmmm... waffles!”

“yo rad! did you guys start in cherokee? did you do it in three days? more details please.”

“we headed out of ATL on thursday morning. we rolled up 19, through north georgia, then along the nantahala and through wesser gap and into the cherokee reservation. we hopped up on the BRP and rooooolled along until we hit NW NC. we set up camp and ate at "cheeseburger in paradise" in blowing rock. the next day, we motored into boooooone and got waffled up. then, we headed up to roanoke, possibly the nastiest little #&%!$hole town on earth. we retraced the BRP until we got back to blowing rock, ate at mellow mushroom and then headed back to camp. saturday, we packed up and headed back south, stopping atop mount mitchell for a cup of coffee and a moon pie. we got home saturday night and washed up the bikes to go to outback for steaks and beer. gooooooood times!”

“and all that was on about $26 of premium gasoline!”

“oh! you though i meant a bicycle?!?! hell no! i'm too damned lazy for that!”

“Sounds like a great ride Rad..Should have dropped by and seen me..Would have loved to seen your new ride..”

“SmokyGirl..when is Roan Mtn??”

“yeah, i thought you meant bicycle. what bike do you have? what did you not like about roanoke (i am assuming you mean roanake virginia)?”

“HEY! raddy went to my hometown?? (where i grew up, anyway.) what do you mean, what's not to like about it, baume? there's nothing there...i get bored out of my skull when i get even near the general vicinity. seriously, when a glowing star on a mountain is all you've got going for you, that's sad.
;-)”

“i don't mind roanoke lyra, i was asking radagast why he didn't. i thought he was talking about it when he said "we headed up to roanoke, possibly the nastiest little #&%!$hole town on earth."
but now that you explained some of the historical highlights, i may see what he meant.

mmooooooooooohhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa”

“ok. ok. it wasn't THAAAAT bad. just old. old and not well kept. old and clean is good. old and dirty is crap.

it's a shame, too. it lies in a beautiful valley. it looks great from the mountains, but when you get down in it, you just want to go back up and look at it from a distance.”