Rocky Peak Ridge TR

“It turned out to be one of the best week-ends of my life!

It turned out that I couldn't make Zac's trip to the Dix Range as our holiday is on the Monday and I needed to see my son on the Friday.

As most of you know, my son is manic depressive and his mother and I sometimes have to sort things out for him. This time it's about getting him connected by 'phone. I paid his bill for his birtheday and my ex got him a 'phone and I'll pay the monthly bill (but not long distance).

My ex had asked me to drive in to Montreal and bring him back to my place and drive him to her cottage in Constable, NY on Saturday morning. As it turned out he wanted to stay in town for a party and so we had a kick-@$$ Indian dinner at a local place near his apartment. It was a nice visit.

Well Saturday was free and I got my housekeeping done and even had time to wash my floor. That left the afternoon free for rugby. There were two home games, one women's and one men's. Now, half the players, both male and female, were introduced to rugby and coached by me at the high school level. It was like family and it is nice after so many years (and after a lousy end to an increasingly unpleasant relationship) to be among people who like and even admire you.

The day was topped of by dinner at my village pub with a beautiful young woman who also loves and admires me. We used to go out, but now the relationship has developped into one of deep affection and her daughter has become my virtual granddaughter as it does not seem that I shall have a natural one.

That left Sunday for the mountains. My Yorkshire buddy, Mick, who introduced me to peak bagging had wanted to do Saddleback and Basin. Highway 73 between Lake Placid and Keene is closed and that meant a long detour to Wilmington via the 86 and down through Jay and and Keene to get to Keene Valley. There were no cars parked at Marcy field and many on the main road in Keene Valley which meant there is no shuttle and a long walk from the village to the Garden. We decided we didn't have time to do what we had planned.

Mick was disappointed as he had wanted to do something he hadn't done before on the 46 list. We decided to do Giant (again). I suddenly thought about Rocky Peak Ridge and we settled on that.

We got going from Traihead at 11.0 am - very late for us. It was raining, but we were more or less sheltered by the trees. We hiked up to the ridge in the rain. As usual, Mick pulled ahead of me. It is our agreement that we meet at the top rather than have him wait for me. I seemed even slower than usual and spent most of the walk upbraiding myself for being out of shape.

I passed quite a few people, however. While still foggy the rain had stopped and it was very pleasant walking.

Well, when we put our pebble on the cairn I looked at my watch and, stunned, realised that it had taken only two hours and twenty minutes to do 9 km and 1277 metres altitude gain. It tok us two hours to get back down. It was a lovely walk and therapeutic for both of us.

I have had a terrible winter that started by wrecking my Jeep coming back from the Santanoni Range, my water freezing, a relationship for which I had had hopes degenerating into a series of mutual vituperation and problems with some students for the first time in my 27 year career.

Mick has serious business problems that are not of his doing and bleak prospects for the company of which he is a director and part owner. The hike did us both a world of good.

We had a few beers at the Cottage in Lake Placid and drove back to make dinner. When I got home, my best buddy was at his brother's place. The brother (the one who stole the pig at the fair) has just bought an orchard a small farm next to my village. He has a beautiful stone house and the secretary of the municipality has said that they're forming an Emergency Response Team now that the four of us and Bob down the hill are so close to-gether. Deer season will - once again - be a blast.

Anyway they were drinking red wine and cooking caribou on the barbecue. And so I didn't have to cook dinner.

Monday I awoke at 9.0 and had breakfast and went back to bed and got up at 1.0 pm. I didn't even feel guilty. A good friend called and invited me to dinner with his wife and her son with whom I sometimes ice climb.

A long week-end and not one dinner at home.

Also, to-day is a professional day and I get to go home at 4.0 pm because I won't have rugby practice. To-morrow and Thurseday I have practices after school and matches on Wednesday and Friday. THEN MY SEASON'S OVER! I won't have to train my kids on Sunday morning.

No sex, but otherwise a fabulous week-end. Just wanted to share.”

“Sounds like a you had a good time grem, good for you. Getting out is very therapeutic.”

“Sounds like you had a fun time. I take it you took the ridge trail up Giant and hiked over to RPR. If you ever have the chance to do it, there is a great weekend trip over the range. Hike in at New Russia; go over Blueberry Cobbles, Bald Peak, Rocky Peak Ridge, Giant, Hopkins Mountain, Spread Eagle Mountain, and the out near Keene Valley. You need two cars to do this trip, but the views along the way are amazing.”

“Speak in english, horn dog.

Glad to hear you're back on the trail (even if you're not bagging peaks on your 46er list). Haven't heard from you in a while. How long is Rte 73 closed, was that just for the day thing?

I may be coming up to the High Peaks for some peak bagging, thinking about Dial and Sawteeth and Street and Nye.

Take care gremlin.”

“Bobo,
I think they are doing some scheduled roadwork on 73. From what I've here it should be done before this weekend, but there is the possibility that the road may still be closed by then.”

“No, we just went up RPR from New Russia and back.

In April '99 a buddy (Jnywlkr) and I went up in warm weather and bright sunshine. After a bit of altitude gain, we got to packed snow on the trail through which we postholed constantly into water pouring down underneath. It was a nightmare with both of us too stupid to turn back.

We got to the top at 4.0 pm which did not leave us enough time to get back in time for me to get back and pick up my daughter who was working in a convenience store 20 km from my home.

We climbed up the ice covered back of Giant and down to the highway soaking wet and car-less. We got to the highway just as it was getting dark and hitch-hiked to the Mountaineer in Keene where my car was parked. The young fellow who picked us up was wearing shorts and a tank top coming back from a day on the beach with his girl-friend and had a jar of Kickapoo joy juice between his legs. We, however, were a pair of fifty-something wet rats.

I drove John back to New Russia to get his car and picked up my daughter 15 minutes late, dehydrated and exhausted. It was one of those wonderful days when you suffer horribly and laugh about often afterward.

A fine and pleasant misery.”