Bikinis, Bananas, & Blisters: A Trip re port

“Mapleleaf and our brand new backpacking Brit, Lovely V., managed to finally navigate their way to my new place Saturday morning around 9am. Only an hour late? I think that's some sort of a record for Maple... ;)

After making it past the dozen parading police cars in Brooklyn, the side trip to Jersey, and the flirty breakfast sandwich maker, we met up with Phantom Soul and Whitewater in the first parking area.

We exchanged greetings, dumped out and repacked the newbie's pack (I love them...they always bring so much yummy food!), and relocated to another trailhead where we could leave cars overnight (and which also added more miles and views to the original plans).

The new trailhead was a bit spooky. It was located next to a family cemetery dated from the 1800's and a gigantic transformer (the electric type...not the robot type). And it only got creepier once on the trail. At odd intervals the rusty eyes of 1950’s style cars would peering out from amongst the trailside trees and bushes as though the Whomping Willow, tired of Hogwarts, had taken a brief vacation in Harriman.

Weird. Sheboygan.

Maple and I immediately saw the remains of a small mammal – perhaps a fox? – which we had to stop and examine and photograph. We were a rowdy bunch going up the trail – except Whitewater who charged ahead of the rest of us (a move which eventually turned ‘Blair Witch”). After walking for quite some time without seeing any trail markers, Phantom realized that we’d missed our turnoff to the trail. We whistled, yelled, waited and even pulled out a cell phone to contact Whitewater to clue her in (she had no map) that we were turning back to catch the trail. All to no avail, which was way uncool (dude, she had the water filter because the rest of us geniuses assumed the other was bringing one!).

Anyway. We walked a half-mile back and started on the real trail. This was a fantastic section of Harriman. There were no other people on the trail and sections were so overgrown that we not only had to bushwhack through spider webs (ugh) but also through many a yummy blueberry bush. I think we hit three peaks – all with lovely views and huge beetle creatures. Slide please.

I should mention that after an hour on the trail my heels were bloody pulps of mangled flesh. Kill Bill Vol. 1 was mere child’s play in comparison. My boots can kiss my a$$. Good thing Maple had some hiking-type sandals because I had to do the rest of the trip in these. Down with boots! Long live sandals!

We made it to our shelter around 4:30pm – no sign of Whitewater whom Maple had managed to eventually speak with and said would meet up with us at the shelter. We assumed she had decided to head out and hoped she wasn’t lying dead somewhere and hoped that the waterfall wasn’t contaminated. How long before you know you’ve been tummy bugged?
We set up camp, lost a banana, changed into our bikinis and hiked over to the lake for a sunset swim. The plot to every horror movie made.



tbc...”

“somebody's gotta say it....




































pics?

:)”

“What an intriguing thread title....”

“I second the request.”

“Who was hiding the banana?”

“Cool so far. Can't wait to read the rest.”

“Banana? I thought it was a pocket rocket?”

“Teasers! ;-)”

“"The good, the bad, and the ugly"!

LMAO!


Nice Title and TR!

pics??”

“How can my trip report even compare to the title of this one?”

“Is that a banana in your pocket rocket or are you just happy to se me?”

“Quit beating around the bush and post some pics!”

“ewww @ you guys!”

“backpacking brit huh?”

“hmmm what ever happened to the naner?

no one will even know...

yes it was a great trip. we girls kicked butt up the mountain. I have to take a break from Backpacking and give my kneee time to heal. :(

best time: drinking half of the first bottle of wine on the way to swimming. then driking the other half on the way back. we were rock hopping like little bunnies..
if anyone ever goes to Pine Meadow lake, watch out for those evil little fish. I swear they were trying to swim up my bathingsuit bottoms.

pics will be up tonight..

as for our newbie, she did great. never moaned about anything.

note to whitewater, if your hiking with a group and you don't have a map, please stay with the group. I was a little stressed out by having no clue where you were. But am very glad you made it home safe. look foarward to getting wet with you this weekend :)

I had no plan of hiking that far and up three Mts, but like twinks said, I did not want to have to call treebeard sunday morning and ask him to get out car out of jail.

it was tough for me because of my knee. I think god is messing with me :(
after we dropped of twinks, myself and Lovley V almost got killed by some nut in a jeep at the red light who must have thought she was in gear because she started go backwards at warp speed. EEEKKKK

so between my knee and now my hand (yes only i can get my hand stuck in the subway door trying not to fall out cause some guy darted out the door at the last second)
I am sore.

but it was just wanted I wanted to do.

Phantom soul, great hiking with you. thanks for goin!!”

“Yeah, can't we be more polite like Lyra? She waits to get home before she pulls out the banana and pocket rocket”

“exactly, bearmagnet!

bizarre concept, huh, ynami? ;-)”

“I think we have some new candidates for the Out Of Context Thread ---”

“Bikinis, bananas, & blisters. In that order?”

“blisters, banana, bikinis”

“then booze :)”

“What were you drinking this weekend?”

“two kinds of wine and rum and orange punch”

“Skinny dippin? or did a ranger get you?”

“no skinny dipping. the fish scared me :(”

“Why hasn't the Soulman posted? What did you do to him?”

“Were you afraid of the dreaded NippleNibbler fish?”

“take my word for it, he left us with a smile on his face :)”

“Lookie here now!

When you guys all hikin again? I am there!”

“nope you all had your chance and blew it.”

“I should mention that Phantom left when we headed down to the lake – some bogus story about dinner with the grandparents….what’s next, you pass out in a furnace?

On the way to the lake my piece of crap knee decides it’s had it with backpacking (will I ever be able to do big peaks again) and has me doubled over in pain. Maple says to heck with the trail and storm-limps down through the forest to find a way into the water. Lovely V. soon follows. I get spooked out by being left alone in the woods near a half open old well shaft and quickly limp on down to the water too. The lake was gorgeous.
No other people out there with the lake spreading out before us ringed with forest greens and topped with the pastels of the arriving sunset.

Maple had a problem with the fish. But I’ll let her tell that story. “Bad fishies!!” *STOMP* *SPLASH* *SQUELL*

There are reasons not to completely skinny dip in forest lakes.

Then we headed back to camp. With wine. Lots of wine. Drunken backpacking – you should check it out. Bonuses to this style of hiking? No more aches and pains. You leap over waterfalls that would normally take you 5 mins to gingerly tip-toe over. And the trail somehow becomes shorter. Cons? It’s bloody difficult making sure you don’t blow your face off with the white gas stove when it’s time for dinner.

Big yummy chili cookup, rum punch, and a sweet fire rounded out the evening nicely.

I saw a fantastic shooting star, we all saw a neon metallic salamander, and a bat. Slept like a baby. Then the next morning we saw a deer, a bunny, lots of orange salamanders, and tiny little frogs.

What a blast ladies – we rock!

PS – don’t bugger off from the group and then go home with no word.”

“Alcohol is always first on my packing list.

Helps you
relax
fight pain
hike with out fear
gives you courage to do things you normally wouldn't”

“it's called Nerv Necter”

“A banana? I hear it's the new 'lightweight' backpacker food.”

“Phantom left when yall headed for the water? And he knew about the whole bikini situation?

{roam shaes head}

gotta have a talk with that boy........”

“I hear you Roam.”

“Yea, what's that all about. Cold water can make big Jim and the twins not stand at attention.”

“Does viagra prevent shrinkage?”

“Believe DAT!

I like that new viagra commercial with a bunch of guys running down the street to the song, "We are the Champions."”

“My wife hates that ad.”

“Does the ad hit too close to home? ;)”

“Actually it is pretty stupid!”

“I thought that musical selection was somewhat ironic.... Freddie Mercury?”

“It could've been worse, they could've used "The Hardest Part" by Blondie...”

“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do?”

“Your comments are annoying and childish...not to mention ill-informed. I walked ahead of you guys in the beginning because I was there to hike, not perform for the camera or whine about what someone or something else did that would give an audience soemthing worth tuning in for. I could care less about that #&%!$ and after about 5 minutes it became apparent that I would enjoy my hike more if I walked ahead and politely avoided sharing my comments.

TO WHOEVER COULD REALLY GIVE A BLOODY DAMN ANYWAY: I did call Maple....and Tree at home to make sure she would know I was OK since the first time I tried I didn't get reception. I told her directly that I was OK and if I didn't meet up with her to not worry that I was OK. I also asked her about the water filter issue and she said she was OK. If she said she wasn't then I would have kept calling until I could talk to the one WITH the map and find a way back to the group. I was hinestly happier just being mellow and not dealing with attention seekers.

So next time you want to call be a bugger, why don't you look in the mirror and reflecton how you bug others. Remember that DEET I gave you? Consider it an invitation to leave me alone and not offend me online ever again.

And if you were worried Maple, you shouldn't have said you were OK and agreed not to worry when I told you I had found a really cool spot and wanted to hang out for a while right after we got separated. I won't bother reminding you of our conversation or the one we had the next morning when I told you I had left the day before and decided not to stay overnight. You said you would call when you got home, but you didn't see me getting all #&%!$y and self-righteous because you decided to do something different? Don't worry about it happening again or teaching me some lesson because I already learned the one worth learnign and it absolutely will not happen again. I should have stayed home like I wanted to (I just started a really good book) and I only went because you were so excited and you sort of said please way to many times instant messaging for me to say no.

I wish I could say I'm looking forward to this weekend, but only if you can drop the past one.

This drama is BS!@#%$^$*(*!!!!”

“drama, drama, drama”

“Does the drama mean I should stop my childish innuendo's?”

“Bad Artex! Bad!”