Old Rag Mountain Revisited - Mid April T rip

“Earthling!!!”

“i am ready. sinus headache, no fever anymore though...it'll be gone tomorrow.”

“i be ready too”

“aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh....can we all have a group hug....”

“lets go back to talking trash - its more fun”

“i like talking trash much better... let's continue!

Buncha dorks!!!”

“I'm still in Illinois. My flight doesn't leave Springfield until tomorrow at 6 . So I won't be getting back to Harrisburg until 12midnight, provided no delays. Then I get to my apartment around 1am, saddle up, hit the road. I should be in SNP by 5am hopefully. Going to be a long night.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!!!”

“How are Homer and Marge?”

“you're not gonna bail on us ENS are you??

homer and marge huh? LOL
i am done for tonight...(work that is) gonna pack the rest of my stuff now.

lalalallalalala....
last edited: 4/07/05 6:55:19 PM”

“WoooHoooo!!!!!! It's finaly here! I got my MSR Micro Zoid Today!!! Can't wait to try it out!!!”

“oh gawd...i hope i didnt' forget anything.
I hope I have it all..

directions? check I think
packed? almost!
go to bank...in the morning
wake up? No problem
get some sleep? oh #&%!$...do I have to?

got to check the temps again...to make sure I don't underpack.”

“Homer's passed out in the pool and Marge is pissed. I'm a tad drunk right now after hanging out at Hooters (right next to hotel). Springfield surprisingly has nice female speciman. Blank stares when the subject of backpacking is brought up. My room will consist of me myself and I tonight unfortunately. Damn”

“Ugh, what a week... I just got home from work about 15 minutes ago (Yes, after midnight). Not sure what's happening yet this weekend... I'm going to try and make it on Saturday morning but no gaurantees... if I'm not there by 7, take off without me!”

“okay...really am PACKING NOW.
I am almost done. I figure I'm out of here by 9 or 10.

please don't let me forget the directions.”

“Alright chillin's,

I guess this be dee plan:

Techntrek, Gemini, PhantomSoul, and Backslacker will arrive tonight, work out a shuttle plan amongst themselves, and find a campsite along the trail. They will try to meet everyone else on the Summit of Old Rag, and if not there, then at the campsite on the Corbin Mtn. Trail.

Bison, Embear, ENS, Stratusloop, dlookout, and Fritz (and maybe Icarus) will meet at the parking lot at 7am and work out a shuttle, and get on the trail by 8.




Gem: DON'T FORGET THE DIRECTIONS!”

“Bison, you butthead, you tryin' to scare us all away? :-)

I talked to stratusloop on the phone 2 days ago and he's going to arrive late Friday, probably around 10-11pm.”

“So Strat and dlook will camp along the trail or what?”

“Bison....yep I spoke with techntrek on the land line the other day...we arranged to meet up with him and the others on Friday night....wait!....that's tonight!...whoooohoooo.....yeeee haaaaa!!!

Man....I just gave myself a headache yelling so loud.

Anywho....dlookout and I will meet up with the gang of 4 at the parking lot tonight....somewhere between 10 and midnight....hoping we'll have cell phone connections...otherwise...techntrek will leave a note on his Saturn.....then...hopefully we'll be able to find them and carry a keg at the same time...

Just a note to anyone else on this trip....I already mentioned this to Bison via email and to techntrek on the phone....Sunday morning i'm gonna make the hike a circuit hike and take the Robertson Mtn Trail to Weakly Hollow Fire Road back to the car so that I can git back home early enough to spend time with my little lady...Rebecca.

Peace out all.........”

“So for those arriving Saturday it will be just myself, Em, and ENS arranging a shuttle and possibly Fritz.

The rest of yous be on yo own.”

“Everybody have a safe trip!

Bison - I will call you when I am at the airport. Cant wait to be there!!!”

“Hate to do this but I won't be coming. I have some other things I need to take care of and I can't afford to be gone all weekend. Not happy about making this decision but it is the right thing to do.

Y'all have fun!”

“Too bad Fritz - you will be missed. I was looking foward to meeting you!”

“Alright, so just Em, ENS, and I need to arrange a shuttle Sat. morning and we'll meet the rest of y'all on the trail somewhere. Unless y'all get lost, which you will, and become stranded in the wilderness necessitating a massive search costing thousands of taxpayer dollars. Good Luck ;)”

“Thank you, embear, likewise...catch you another time, hopefully soon.”

“Bison - I thought we were meeting you at the trailhead at 7? That's been the plan all along.”

“Hmmmmm... My understanding has been that those who camped along the trail were just going to meet us on the trail. Unless you want to get up super early pack up hike back out by 7am and then hike back in again. It's up to you, just let me know.”

“For what's worth....prolly nothing...but my $.02...

Depending on how far this campsite is from the parking lot....then to go and meet wouldn't be a bad i-dear....

Otherwise....it does make sense for those camping on trail tonight to hit the trail when ready in then morning and meet up with everyone on trail or at the designated campsite......

I agree that I wouldn't want to pack up, hike out then hike back in....but again if'n the campsite is a stones throw, then its prolly not a big deal....”

“Well, I don't know where camp will be yet. I've read about at least 3 possibilities, and just talked with a friend here at work that suggested a 4th. Two of the possibilities are near the trailhead so it wouldn't be a problem to meet you there. How about this - if we aren't at the trailhead by 7, then we'll meet you up the trail.”

“Well you're gonna have to be at least 1/4 mile in, and probably farther than that to find a campsite.

That sound perfect iffin' ya ain't there when we're ready to go, we'll assume that we'll see ya on the trail or in camp.
last edited: 4/08/05 11:53:08 AM”

“What techntrek said.....”

“Yeah, I just brushed up on the regs, 1/4 mile from boundary, out of site of trail, 10 yards from water, no fires except at official shelters.

Might not be able to 100% comply to find a place for the group.”

“Shouldn't have a problem finding a site, just may have to hike in a ways...

Also the actual reg is 20 yards from a trail, out of sight is a suggestion, so don't let that one hang you up.”

“A. I wish to sincerely apologize for being out of contact with y'all.

2. I've been doing doubles at the restaurant since last weekend, spending 10-12 hrs there straight through, no breaks. Not finding another job within 2 weeks has severely stressed me out. This is my first day off.

C. I've been fighting some kind of respiratory ailment for almost a week. I have almost no lung capacity, been coughing up a lung in the morning, and my nose runs like Niagara and then becomes like The Sahara.

I'm 50/50 for Saturday if their is still room for me.

I bought an inhaler and some cough medicine and it has helped some. I sent word to my favorite backpacking EMT, MsKatiebear, hoping she could hike with me in case I get into serious trouble. I'm not sure that's the best way to invite someone on a trip. However, at this point I feel If I go and need to bail, I'm sure I could make it out alone.

I just found Bisons number this Afternoon so I'll try to call him when I'm 100%.

I wouldn't expect y'all to wait for me at the trailhead regardless of what I decide.

I'm off to REI to buy some Poles and Tarjay for food. After I read all the #&%!$ y'all wrote about me.

Peace. :)”

“Sounds good BM, let us know.”

“Bearmagnet....if ya decide to come out...I pack Albuterol....so if your in need of something a bit heavier than that OTC inhaler (i'm assuming) then you're more than welcome to a few hits....”

“Thanks. I really don't want to bail on my first trip with y'all. It's the Mornings when I feel like ass that I question whether or not I can make this trip.”

“yo BM - you could do what I'm doing - park in up off of Skyline Drive and walk down the fireroad to the campsite - should be an easy 2-3 mile walk down hill mostly if I remember it right. The walk in on Corbin Mtn. Tr. wont be much - sounds like about .1 in then look for a campsite.”

“good to hear from ya BM. Job hunting can be a beeyatch. Getting out of it for a while will be good for you.”

“Getting out for a while would be better for him if Y2 was going on this trip now wouldn't it?”

“I'll be on the park, but I could put a certain lady off backpacking for life if I take her on this trip. Big fire steaks and wine should win her over.”

“hmmm, no one seems to be begging me to go ;o(”

“That's cause we're all going or gone!

Since I'm still here (for another few mins), here you go: come on along!”

“You guys can at least come down to camp Sat. night.”

“HOI....since ya only have a small bit of a stroll mate...you think ya can tote along a case of Yueng Ling?”

“Bison....refresh my memory please....I recall a mention of a water source near or at the campsite?”

“Yes there is a stream that runs across the trail a little ways down from the campsite.”

“a freeking case!!! of Yueng Ling - well its not impossible but I suspect it might be unlikely - I've done stranger things but we will have to see about this one”

“Waiting on Backslacker; then we're outta here. C y'all there...”

“Or you guys could come up to big meadows and share a steak and a case of Hienie. ;o) You got my cell number Bison”