Wild Turkey Time In Adirondacks: Trip Re port

“Great Pics Pennslappy!!!

Will AmyG realllly go on my last peak bagging trip? Would that be awesome or what?!?!?
- GooooOOOOOOOOO AmyG!!!!!!
Yeay!!!”

“I will be there!

I smell a Catskills trip sometime soon.”

“Ooo-ooo that smell..............”

“Yo, great pictures! What's that stuff all over SirPete's face? Where did you guys camp at? And It looks like they repaired/rebuily Marcy Dam?

Ahhh.. memories! I miss the Dacks! And the dorks!”

“Dam! I look good in a man skirt.”

“Which one of you dorks took my white tarp home?

I can't find my white wool hat.

EarthNsky, sorry I forgot to take my blue chair.......”

“MarkO

Just an excuse to buy new gear, RIGHT?! :-)”

“Ha ha..............I really like my Merino wool hat.

Maybe the hat is in my stuff.”

“Hot pics! Looks like a fun sausagefest.
:-D
last edited: 11/28/06 9:27:11 AM”

“Bobo has the tarp. Idunno about the hat.”

“Yeah, the hat is probably in the stuff I haven't unpacked.”

“MarKo, I am slowly accumulating your gear, this is alot of fun and I can't wait to see what you bring next trip!!! I have your tarp, your rope (or at least some of it), your table, a stainless steel cup I assumed was yours cause noone else claimed it... but sorry, no White wool hat. Probably with the rest of yer stuff unless you left it in the rental car?”

“Ah yes, the steel cup is mine...............MINE I TELL YA!!!!!”

“Suuuuuureeeeeeee don't answer me!”

“adventurist, actually a ranger told us the dam never broke, but I've seen pictures to prove it.”

“She is a pretty ranger, too!!

Ain't she?”

“the ranger that came into camp thursday told us that.”

“Ooops, you're right!

I thought you were talkin' about the lovely Ranger Margaret!

I cain't get her out of my mind!”

“Well, it atleast leaked pretty darn bad then. I think Lumberzac had pictures after it broke?

Where did you guys basecamp at?”

“We camped at South Meadows near the ADK Loj.”

“I rolled into the area around 130am Friday morning.The capn is great at directions, its my listening skills that needed work. I drove round the Loj campground and didn't see the gang so I assumed they were camping up the uninviting (@ 130am anyway) dirt road I had passed. So I jumped in my bivy and crashed for the night. Sleep was difficult as the sky was fully magnificent with the remnants of the Leonid Meteor shower provided a splendid show and the little dipper was perfectly framed between two firs as if it was put there just for me.

I drove up the dirt road around 8 am and there were the guys. It's a pleasure arriving and having people glad to see you. Having just been to Staten Island I brought everybody Genuine NY Bagels and veggy CC.

We hit the trail about 9am which was a little late but the weather was fabulous. Highlights for me were going through Avalanche pass and the rock scramble along the lake that Pennsy aptly described as "the longest rock scramble he's seen with absolutely no elevation gain". After chatting with Ranger Margeret and my lame attempt to be funny: Me: Hey If we get back too late we can just crash here with you. Her response had something to do with a ticket.

The climb up to Uphill shelter was rocky and rooty and after stopping for a bite we proceeded up the Herd path toward the summit of Redfield.

This being my first ADK peak I was excited to see what the mountain would throw at me. It was a but kicker. One thing that has always impressed me about TT'ers is the support each has for the other hikers. It was only possible for me to reach the summit due to the people I had with me on the trail. The payoff was a stunning sunset on Redfield which I understand relatively few people have seen due to the difficulty of the descent in the dark.

Ten miles, SEVEN hours ,three spills (One of which Bobo gave me a 10 for airtime)a trail that dissapeared leaving a 30 foot drop into a lake, a twisted ankle, the rock scramble along the lake in the dark....

PRICELESS!!!

we made it back to camp.

It is arguably one of the most difficult things I've done. It was great!

Breakfast the next day in Lake placid. Hung around camp the rest of the day and drank beers.

Had the pleasure of assisting Iron Chef Bobo prepare a thanksgiving meal the would rival even the Best Grammas:
Turkey, stuffing (soux chef Sirpete), potatoes, cranberrie sauce (soux chef Pennsy), gravy (soux chef Pennsy),greenbean casserole, and yes Bourbon yams with pecans.
Pumkin pie and apple cake (Courtesy of MrsJackstraw) a fine Merlot and Beer

The turkey was succulent, the stuffing the kind you just cant stop eating, a full feast.

afterwards we sat around and enjoyed each others company although Marko had to split which I thought was Brave considering the huge amount of triptophan he had so recently ingested.

Breakfast the next day at the diner (to see Jess's tatoo?) and we headed home.

Nice meeting Sirpete and always great being on the trail with and outstanding bunch of folks. Congrats to Crazypace for hid first 46er. And thanks for making this on for the record books.

JS”

“My pics:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/556051318EmxzZd”

“super sweet pics Harry!”

“yeah those pics are great!

Adventurist your such a dork! Get over it just cuz you can't grow any facial hair...”

“Great Pics! Every Adirondack Album isn't complete without the ski jump!”

“What can I say Adventurist it was the Touron within me : )”

“Adv. posted the same time I did. He didn't get to see that I dissed him first!

hahahahahaha”

“Oh, thats what that stuff is on your face?

Its good to see you finally got your stove fixed.
last edited: 11/28/06 9:17:20 PM”

“Those are some noyce pics and TR jackstraw!

Adventurist, this was one of those trips you would have loved. sirpete had me laughin' my @ss off so bad I couldn't even look at him without bustin' up! The rest of the crew were just plain nuts as usual. Giving Thanks out in the woods with friends has got to be one of my most favorite things to do, just can't seem to do it enough!

Still working on my pics! Maybe tonight!!!
last edited: 11/28/06 9:21:21 PM”

“
by zenhikrbobo”

“More great pictures! I especially liked the ballet.

Its weird seeing trails that I've hiked on from long ago....”

“Nice pictures, Jackie!”

“Thanks MarkO,

LMAO at ENS as I didn't get to see his performance first hand.

Great Pics Capn, I especially enjoyed the poppin the cork pics as it was a momentus occasion!”

“Wow. 20 mile day trip with half in the dark. You guys are HARD CORE!”

“Nice pictures, Bobo!”

“Nice pix guys! Thanks.

Ummm... the "scaffolding" and "walkways" at Avalanche Lake are called "Hitch-Up Matildas" ...don't ask me why.”

“ENS knows the story to that one.”

““Wow. 20 mile day trip with half in the dark. You guys are HARD CORE!”

Um..............HARD HEADS!!

That was just about the hardest day I have ever had.
Quite a bit of those trails are hard to make two miles per hour on.
Hands as well as feet are required.”

“quote from elsewhere on web:

"Legend has it that an old time Adirondack Guide had to carry a wealthy lady named Matilda on his shoulders so that she did not get her feet wet. Hence, the name hitch up matildas have been give to these cantilevered cliff bridges allowing people to hike without getting their feet wet."”

“Ummm... the "scaffolding" and "walkways" at Avalanche Lake are called "Hitch-Up Matildas" ...don't ask me why.”
M Silver
10:13:01 PM
11/29/06

Back in the late 1800’s there wasn’t any ladders or walkways along the edge of Avalanche Lake. The only way to get to the other side one had to wade in the water. As the story goes on one occasion a guide (I believe it was Old Mountain Phelps) was leading a group through the pass. As they got to the lake one of the woman in the group, Matilda Fielding, did not want to get her long skirt wet, which was the style of the day. As the water deepened the guide told her to “Hitch up” her skirt to keep it dry. The result was Matilda being in a rather unflattering position as she waded across the water.”

“She was "buns-up kneeling"??”

“That was just about the hardest day I have ever had.
Quite a bit of those trails are hard to make two miles per hour on.
Hands as well as feet are required.”
MarkO
8:08:01 AM
11/30/06

The trail from the pass to the other side of the lake is often affectionately called the "Misery Mile." Although I think it's one of the most interesting trails scenery wise. I think somewhere around 1mph is considered the normal pace for that stretch. The other way to get close to Redfield from that side is the Lake Arnold Trail, but I’ve heard many a curse word when hikers have referred to that muddy mess of a trail.”

“Besides being one of the most difficult trails it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.”

“You should see it when it's raining. The first time I hiked through the pass there were threads of water coming down every slide on Mount Colden, which fell into the lake. I would have taken pictures, but everything was so wet that it would have ruined the camera.”

“Ah, The Adirondacks is/are a cruel mistress!!

Boy, but what a mind-blower she is!!”

“Sweet pics Bobo and Harry!
Ya know what is pathetic, though? The "ballerina" on Colden Dam was stone sober. How can a ballerina be serious without his beer?”

“Ballerina picture??

No #&%!$, whose photos?”

“The "ballerina" on Colden Dam was stone sober. How can a ballerina be serious without his beer?”
Pennsy


We did have Merlot at the campsite, maybe thats it.”

“maybe Margaret slipped me a mickey”