Unca Gremlin's Male Menopause Trip

“I would like to take about five days off from life to do a serious ridge walk in the White Mountains of New Hampshire next Christmas/New Year's. I'd like to leave NH Route 2 at Appalchia and climb to Mount Madison via the Valley Way trail and stay above treeline from Madison to Adams, Jefferson and then to Mount Washington via the Gulfside trail and out via the winter variant of the Tuckerman Ravine trail. If time permits, a walk to and from Clay might be possible.

I have a four man expedition tent, or we can use bivy sacks. It would take serious winter gear and skills and things would have to be planned and checked well before hand (see the 'What do you think?' thread).

I'll post it on 'Trips' later (the bell just rang).”

“We're in the library and I'm on the 'pooter. I'm looking at the calendar and I think that I'd like to do it between December 30, 2 003 and January 5, 2 004.”

“Now yer talkin'”

“I'm washing my hair that week.”

“Ridge-walking???

On skis and snowshoes, maybe?”

“Sounds like a helluva trip! However, my family would kill me if I didn't stick around for Christmas, especially since I live near them now.”

“Aw hell, they'll get over it!

Would you rather stay home and eat too much and be bored to tears with people you already know too well?
...............
when you could be risking death and frostbite with a cranky ole wildman from Quebec.”

“Down there families are still not talking after Thanksgiving and everybody's sick of Christmas by the end of November anyway, because the lights go up and the sales start right after Hallowe'en.

Anyway, it would start on December 30 and go to the end of the week-end on January 5. Lots of time to earn Brownie points and everybody's sick of everyone else then anyway.

Whatch'all say? Is it going to be just Tom Terrific and me (pssssst, Tom, don't bring beer)?”

“LOL! Sorry my friend, but I doubt it would happen. Besides, getting more than a day off from work around then would be next to impossible, since I'm the new guy and will likely be so for a while. Sounds like a heckuva trip though!”

“Asking Artex to go from Florida to a New Hampshire mountain top in the winter is like asking a whale to live on land.

I'd join you, but like I said, I have that hair deal that week.”

“Ugh, beer too heavy.

Violin, you got hair?

gremlin, I like your attitude about that holiday family stuff.

My little family stepped off into the Grand Canyon last Xmas day.
Oh yeah, I went with them......that sounds too much like I got "rid" of them.
It was the best Xmas ever.
Instead of gaining ten pounds, I lost a few.
My pack however, was only five pound lighter on the way out.
What's up with that?
Hey-yah mule!”

“put me in as a maybe. I'll check the dates at work”

“I knew it. Florida and that damn kayak has spoiled Artex. ;o)

I'm pretty darn interested. I don't have hair, so that won't be an issue.”

“going through "the change" can be tough....

too cold for this summer boy....”

“You're wrong. Christmas push no longer starts after Halloween, it's "Labor Day," the first Monday of September--nearly 2 months earlier! :-(”

“Hardassians only, please!

OK Pennsy.....ya better wear a hat!”

“I tried to post it on the 'Trips' page yesterday, but nothing showed up. I'll try again now.”

“Its there, gremlin, and Pennsy and I are maybes.”

“You people scare me = 8  .”

“Hoo ah!”

“I don't have it on my 'Trips' page and I've tried everything.”

“

(pssssst, Tom, don't bring beer)?"
gremlin

Do you inspect backpacks?

LOL

BTW, Christmas is the best day of the year for hiking or backpacking. I've done it and posted it here before. Some other holidays are pretty good, too.”

“That was Buddha Bear who brought the beer(and it promptly froze) on FYAO III.

I think a bit of something more potent, and compact, would be in order.”

“Alcohol loweres the body's core temperature by dilating the blood vessels and allowing body heat to move or return to the extremities. This is why it is so dangerous in really cold weather; doubly (or triply?) so because it gives the external sensation of warmth and clouds one's judgement.

HOWEVER, this very action of dilation also returns blood and warmth to the extemities and prevents frostbite.

The trick is the judgement between frostbite and death.

It's a fine line, chilluns, a fine line.”

“OK, we'll get Pennsy to haul beer in a tandem sled rig.

And bring a dog to sit on the beer and keep it from freezing.”

“Hey, there's a new product idea! A beer "warmer" to keep the stuff from freezing!”

“That's called your belly.”

“Yah, I could probably hide a can or two in the folds...”

“We just "borrow" Buddur.....heeeere poochie poochie!!!”

“Perhaps this would work?”

“Bottle warmers won't work. They're good only for an hour or two. I have them on my pack for the Nalgenes, but they froze in no time on FYAOIII.”

“Maybe those little "pony" size bottles”

“There is an engineering solution for this problem. Let me think...hmmmm......”

“What ever happened to Troll420?”

“I don't think he'd agree to let us burn his pot to keep our beer warm. Is that what you were thinking?”

“Awesome, Skully, but.....

BTW, the tip about carrying you Nalgenes upside down is bull. The water seems to freeze from the inside out. I know that in theory it has to have a surface to freeze on, but it just doesn't happen like that. You end up sucking water from around a block of ice.”

“Share with us your wisdom, oh Nanook!”

“LMAO! Love it.”

“The ACC clubhouse is about 5 miles north of Keene on the 9N, or about half-way to Upper Jay to-ward Ausable Forks. It is on the Styles Brook Road, which is well marked and right after the bridge that crosses the brook just before it flows into the East Branch of the Ausable River. It is the second right turn (there are driveways, however) north of Keene.

If you guys bring your favourite beverages, I'll provide the hmmmm curry. Yeah, yeah, a curry (EVERYBODY brings spaghetti sauce, so you know I'm not going to do that).

Then we can shoot the poo in the common room over an after-dinner libation.”

“This message was meant for the Adirondack Buttkicker threa.”

“What are we going to talk about 'tween now and then?

Time to start training.....NOW!!!”

“Old guys.....geez!”

“You know? There's this kick-@ss Enlish-style pub (but with a much better kitchen - this being Quebec) in my tiny hamlet of Rockburn. Joanne, the publican (I've always wanted to write 'publican') drives an antique MG and on Wednesdays offers a free pint to anyone who arrives in a classic car. I mean, have you ever seen a 1927 Rolls Royce limousine? One guy there is 73 and got divorced a couple of years ago. Apparently he told his wife that she could have everything, all he wanted was his monthly pension and his 1954 MG Roadster. He has the biggest smile you ever saw.

'Gord,' I told him, 'I'm finding out that the second childhood (mine) beats he!! out of the first one, but it looks like number three is really going to kick @ss.'”

“Good kitchen, huh?
That sounds like a good combo.
Certainly the English won't be doin' the cookin' in heaven.....leave the brewin' to them.

I'm going to try to get back to Vermont this summer for some swimmin' hole leapin'.
Maybe I'll see about Rockburn......

The second childhood is at hand for this here fool!
Monthly trips to West Virginia or any other place wild.
Friday the boys and I are goin' back up thar!”

“Gear sled TT? HA! If I were to take a sled up the Valley Way to Madison, it would have a motor. That's a buttkicker hike!

Dave Metsky has an excellent website on hiking in the Whites. Here's a link to his Winter Hiking Section. There are trip reports that include the sections we will be on and some awesome photos.

Gremlin (or Nanook?) - I'm looking forward to picking your brain about this trip during the Dacks trip. Get ready! :o)”

“Gremlin I think the idea of having your nalgene upside down is that the water doesn't freeze at the top and therefore freeze the treads to the lid, so even when the water does freeze inside it freezes from the bottom where the air is. This makes it easier to open them. at least thats how I always understood it.”

“Thanks, Pennsy. I'll get on it.”

“Thanks for the link, Pennsy - excellent stuff. I'll post a gear list in the future. It will include plastic boots, crampons, etc. I agree that a sled would just be a nightmare. My tent can be shared - body, fly, poles and stakes in different packs. For four, I think two stoves (mine's a Whisperlight), two cooking kits and four 1 litre fuel bottles for three days ought to be adequate to melt snow and cook, but I'll check out the literature.

What do you think?”

“Sounds like a great trip... it's one I want to do someday, but I'm not sure about ditching my kids and girl friend for New Years eve.

What Sirpete says about rationale for turning the Nalgene upside down is exactly what I heard - it doesn't slow the freezing, it just makes it easier to get at whatever doesn't freeze.

I also put some flavored electrolyte replacement mix in the water - I figure that the salts will lower the freezing point. Nothing beats keeping the water close to your body though.

Of course, I am the veteran of all of 3 winter trips - so you might wanna take my advice with some of those electrolyte salts as well.”

“Every littles bit helps, Ped.”