Adirondacks Buttkicker II

“First off, I realize the dates for this trip (Aug. 6-9) are in very close proximity to the SYAO trip. I apologize. But the dates for the Buttkicker trip are best for my work schedule. I'd just go ahead and attend the SYAO trip, but I really want to hit the high peaks region, bag Mt. Marcy and as many other peaks as I can.

This trip is during the week, so the crowds won't be as bad.

If you can make it, be prepared for an intense, full-on, all out, physically exhausting, mind bending trip that will make you cry for your mama.”

“I'm in....and so is my teddy bear that I will cry to after a wicked day of hiking w/ artex and pennsy.....

How many days??/”

“Artex, will you carry my food again???”

“artex--i'd be in if it wasn't during the WEEK. some people can't take off any old time they want to!!”

“Soooo...you can just do both like Pennsy....”

“So Tea, it looks like you might bail from the SYAO trip now?”

“No No, I doped my self to a maybe on both of these trips, because I don't know what one I will do. They are so close, and I would like to do both, but its just too early. I have to get off work for them too.”

“Count me in (dougmurdoch@yahoo.ca). You won't much from me until mid June, but I'm in. Also, I checked the trips section and didn't find SYAO. Can anyone help? I'm planning my summer now.”

“gremlin, SYAO is the line immediately preceding BK2 on the trips page...

I have signed up as a maybe...would love to, we'll see....”

“hmm....very interesting...

I think I might just have to commit to this trip. My butt hasn't been hurting lately from lack of butt-kicking. Guess it's time for a good dose of it!”

“Any room left? I might.....might be able to join ya'll. I'm at work and have to get home and check the summer schedule. How many miles will ya cover? I've always wanted to hike the High Peaks region.”

“Lake Colden, The principal feeding station for Black Bear, make sure you bring your cameras.

From Colden you can easily reach Mt Algonquin 2nd highest, while up there might as well bag Iroquios (8), and dip down to get Wright peak(16).

Mt Marshall (25) a trailless peak is on the other side of the trail down to Indian Pass, but reachable from a Colden basecamp. No trail takes a little more time.

Colden (11) is good from L. Colden.

I do not have my map here but memory would suggest that you move the basecamp to go up between Marcy (1) and Skylight (4).

Take the packs up and over Marcy to Slant Rock shelter so you can wander up the Great Range; Haystack(3, Basin (9), Saddleback(17), Gothics (10), Armstrong (22) and down the bottom for Upper(29) and Lower Wolfjaw(30)

Hey that's 14 of the 46 time for a pizza and beer.”

“Manuka, "Adirondack ButtKicker I" was your "From Colden you can easily reach Mt Algonquin 2nd highest, while up there might as well bag Iroquios (8), and dip down to get Wright peak(16)" after which we went down to Marcy dam and back up through Avavanche Pass to Colden Dam where the day had started. That was a little over 14 miles in a day (if I remember correctly) with lots of vertical.

It was a great day. Oh, and then listening to the bears tear down the bear bags all night and eat everyone's food. :)”

“Yep, Manuka's right. It is nuisance black bear central. But they, all part of the adventure.

Just remember these four words, and repeat them over and over to yourself:

PAIN IS MY FRIEND!!!”

“Ain't this the trip for wood fairies???


Not that there's anything wrong wid dat!”

“I Know a lean-to whose name escapes me now that is pretty much bear-free. Relatively easy to get to from the North and from which Marcy, Skylight, Gray, Redfield and another that I forget are easy to get to. From the other side are Colden etc.

You get to it by Lake Arnold and Indian Falls. You can bag a batch o' peaks from there in a couple of days. I'll get back to you Monday.”

“Pain AND meet some TTer's. I'd like to try and get in on this.”

“pepsi...that's redundant. ;)”

“gotta check the dates at work”

“Does your wife know about your dates at work?”

“I'll have you know I just got special dispensation from the pope-ette”

“On the chance that you'll be leaving from Lake Titus, the approach from the North is the easiest. We went up From Marcy Dam on the Phelps trail to Indian Falls, the over to Lake Arnold to the first (Feldspar) shelter where Feldspar Brook meets the Opalescent River. It is relatively bear free. From there it's an easy hike to the base of Gray (which is short, but a beast) and the crossroads to Marcy on one side and Skylight on the other - one hard day, but far from the end of the world. The next day we could do Redfield and Cliff (tough). That would be five peasks in two days. Colden is also quite easy from this side and could be done as a side trip on the day out. Watcha think?”

“That's an idea, Gremlin. But the northern approach is easiest? That word is not allowed for this hike! Just kidding.. sort of. Not to sound like a deranged psycho or anything, but I actually want to be in an area with bears. I really want to photograph one, I've been wanting to for years.

Any routes you can think of where we could bag five peaks in one day? That's what we did when you and I did that trip in July of 2002 (Macomb, Hough, East Dix, South Dix, and Dix). Anything like that which incorporates Marcy that you can think of?”

“Artex, will you be hualing a sled this time??? Would you mind if I have you carry some of my extra food on the sled. And my favorite rocks that I find?”

“Artex:

You guys 'r nuts. Five peaks in one day?!

Just pick Marcy and add any four. Start before sunrise, and don't expect to be back before midnight.

Oh, and don't fergit yer flashlights.”

“Well shoot Mister M, I heard he took on SIX 200 footers in Florida in 1 day. This should be a cakewalk.

the sad thing is when he said 5 in one day, I'm making Beavis and Butthead noises; yeah yeah yeah, cool, 5 peaks rule!”

“I did the 5 4000' peaks on the Dix range in one day...one loooooooong and tiresome day!

A 5-peaker including Marcy is fargin' crazy!”

“Crazy? Hmmmm, I think I will have to look at getting some time off. Im definately doing the SYAO, but this is sounding like one hell of a trip. "If it dont hurt, it aint lovin" trips rule.”

“You'll see lots of bears over time if you hike in the Dacks, Artex. It's very difficult to photograph them, however, as they come out at night. There are accounts of bears raiding hikers during the day at Lake Colden and Marcy Dam and this is not a photo op., believe me.

The DEC were thinking about removing bear cables because they were not part of the action plan, but now the have changed their minds and are putting up steel ones. You can hear the bears bang at them through most of the night. It is highly recommended that one take only the food one will eat and hitch the rest back up immediately.

When I was up there, we did Gray after arriving at the lean-to. We did Skylight, Redfield and Cliff the next day, but we could have done Marcy too. All five could be do-able, however, but it would make for a very long day indeed and it would be necessary to camp at the Feldspar or Opalescent lean-to to make it feasible.

Just M(not so)HO.”

“hey when I go up to the Dak's and plan a trip I use this web page

http://www3.sympatico.ca/jgrimard/

this guy has done many trips up there. I find his routes are pretty good and his time is usually a bit better than mine but I think you may be able to get some good ideas from it. just click on the button for Adirondaks and then click on the mountain of you choice, in this case Marcy. there are several trips he lists including one with three peaks.

Just my opinion (heck I will go where ever you guys take me, well almost) but Marcy, Little Haystack and big Haystacks is a favorite of mine.

also from that side you can do Saddleback, Basin, Gothics Armstrong and the upper and lower works in one day from the great range. now that is an excellent tour of some peaks.”

“Will I need a bear canister for this???”

“only for your whole little self.”

“A day hike loop to Basin Mt., Saddleback Mt., Gothics, Armstrong Mt. and Upper Wolf Jaw Mt. for a total of 20 km in 9¼ hours including 1 hour of rest. The start is from the Lower Wolf Jaw Lean-to.

I did 3 of these peaks in a Thunderstorm once and it kicked my A$$! I'm sure you guys could handle doing all 5.”

“I thought I was bad, but you guys are in a whole 'nother catagory. I'm impressed.”

“Hey guys, I couldn't get those days off work, but I did secure time for exactly one week later for a trip for August 13th through 16th (Wednesday-Saturday). This would also allow some more breathing room for those of you doing the SYAO trip.

Is this cool with everyone? It better be, because that's when I'm coming up!!! :-)”

“"A day hike loop to Basin Mt., Saddleback Mt., Gothics, Armstrong Mt. and Upper Wolf Jaw Mt. for a total of 20 km in 9¼ hours including 1 hour of rest. The start is from the Lower Wolf Jaw Lean-to.

I did 3 of these peaks in a Thunderstorm once and it kicked my A$$! I'm sure you guys could handle doing all 5."
Adventurist
05:30:45 AM
05/28/03

Phew!!! That fatigues me just reading about it. Not no way nohow!”

“I think Adventurist has just picked our itinerary for one of those days. Now we just need another buttkicking route that includes Marcy.

So, are the new dates cool with everyone?”

“Sounds cool! I think I might have a wedding on the 16th but since it would only be me not the Mrs. I could probably atleast come up for the first days of buttkick'n and come back Friday night...”

“Artex....did you see the Queer Trip Report from this weekend in the 'Dacks?”

“Why do I get the feeling younz guys are biting off more than you can chew.”

“No way, Buddur!!! :-)

Adventurist, no I haven't. I'll check it out now.”

“The new dates are cool with me. This trip needs a theme, something like our HIKE MAINE! theme?

DIE IN THE DAKS! might be a bit extreme but we oughta come up with something.”

“So...will we be moving our camp atleast once?

I assume this trip will focus more on the peaks we will bag and less on where we will camp?

I'm just wondering because if we camp at Marcy Dam or Heart Lake we could do Wright, Alqonquin, Boundary, Iroquois, scoot down to Lake Colden and come back over Colden....

Another day could be Marcy, Skylight, Gray, Little Marcy, Little Haystack, Haystack??? Hey thats 6 peaks in one day!!! We could maybe do that out of Bushnell Falls or John Brook's Lodge???

Just making suggestions....”

“gremlin mentioned something about Lake Titus?

Artex, do you have a place on Lake Titus???”

“Not on lake Titus, but I do own property on Lake Titticaca.

Adventurist, that's what I was thinking. Once base camp, and bag peaks left and right. What you suggested sounds like a great plan. All in favor say Aye!

Aye!”

“Artex - we bagged Wright, Alqonquin, Boundary, and Iroquois last year. You don't want to do them again, do you?”

“There's always Marcy, Skylight, Gray, Redfield, and Phelps?”

“Adventurist another good place to stay on that side is at the lower wolfe jaw leanto, from there take the orebed trail from there over to saddleback and Gothic and come back. I have done that. that is actually not to bad a day. it's nice coming off the mt and having the shelter there at the bottom for ya.

by the way slant rock has a new leanto and you can get to Marcy and the Haystacks real easy from there”

“I might actually be able to make those new dates. I havent done any of those peaks, but Ive heard alot of good things about Marcy. Ill probably have to sit in a steam room for a month afterward from the sounds of it though.”