FYAO VII frosted trip report...

“First of all, the stats...

12 + 1 pooch Attending this year:
AmyG
Asherdog
Lthiker
Fridge
Sacco
Dlm
Marko
PhantonSoul
LilMountainGirl
GreenMonkee
Gremmypoo
Swampy
Bee

States represented:
PA, NY, NJ, CT, VA, MD, and our beloved Canada

Amount of snow on the ground: 36-50" depending on snowdrifts.

Temps: daytime high 22 degress; nighttime low negative 18 (as reported by weather underground for Indian Lake, NY, www.wunderground.com)

Pics:


by aimee_geee”

“For those of you without ADD, an actual trip report...

Asherdog and I drove about 6 hours to get to Indian Lake, where we were to rendezvous at the yokel diner. Soon after I was happily gnoshing on greasy diner food, in stumbles fridge, marko and phantom soul and lthiker and sacco pulled in right after.

After a hot, but otherwise unsatisfying meal, we all caravanned the 20-or-so minute drive to the trailhead. The road was plowed, but the trailhead at the dead-end was NOT ans there were already buried cars there waiting for rescue. We parked as best we could in an area that we hoped would not get buried and/or rammed by snow plows. We loaded up the sleds and there were a few casualties that the parties involved may divulge, but I'll just continue...

The snow was a steady 3 feet high in most places, but there were drifts in other areas, where the snow was nearly 4 feet high! The consistency was so light and powdery that even with snowshoes on, you would sink up to your waist!

Breaking trail was exhausting and the going was slow. Thus, after nearly 2 hours of humping our gear, we decided to just set up camp right where we were!

We proceeded to build a veritable snow city, complete with "his and her" bathrooms and a wrap-around sectional sofa in the firecircle. :)

With the huge snow piles around the circle, we were pretty well shielded ffrom the wind and the fire that night was a welcome glow, magnified in the surrounding snow-walls.

The usual food, drink and merriment ensued that night. :)

more to come...”

“That night, we were treated to the howling of coyotes! A some light flurries. The next morning, we were greeted with a sunny day. Lilmountaingirl and greenmonkee had come in and set up in the wee small hours, but they were so quiet that nobody even heard them! Of course, it could have been due to the TT'er snoring growling of grizzly bears around camp.

Me and the Asherdog, plus LilMtnGirl, GreenMonkee and PhantomSoul, decided to take a little snowshoe jaunt around the area, just to stretch our legs. Asherdog wasn't able to lead the pack, as he usually likes to do, since the unbroken trail was way over his head...
even with several snowshoer's tramps ahead of him, he was working pretty hard. The booties he had started with did NOT want to stay on with the deep snow, even though he lived up to his promise and did not assist in removing them. (this time)

After a while, Phantom and I turned back, since Asher's feet were bothering him a bit.

We got back to camp and discovered that Swampy had arrived. Greemypoo and Bee showed up later, separately.

After LMG and GM returned to camp, we had yet another campfire party. Some TT'ers got a little tipsy and there were many fall-down-go-booms on the slippery snow. I don't think the "shake yer booty" song applies to down booties on snow. ;)
Other TT'er got even a little bit more tipsy and caused a bit of a raucous...
we won't mention any names. yet.
:p
last edited: 2/19/07 1:14:25 PM”

“Sunday was a dayhike to Puffer Pond(finally) which had been our original destination for basecamp. Bee, Grems and Sacco, said their goodbyes that morning, since they all had other engagements.

As we set out for Puffer, the snow depth was quite impressive. GreenMonkee was a powerhouse, breaking trail more often than not. Others would rotate through to the front of the pack, but somehow GM always ended up back up there. That guy is a machine!! Once again, Asherdog's paws weren't doing so well. The "Musher's Secret" product I had been applying had never failed before, but we had never tested it in snow this deep before...and the depth of snow made the booties a futile effort. So, a little more than halfway to the pond, we turned back. The rest of the group continued on to the pond and hopefully have pics!

Back at camp, Marko, who had stayed behind, was snoring away. ;)
LMG had come back with me, so we all got some firewood together and then I made an executive decision to pack up. By the time everyone got back from the dayhike, I was packed and ready to go. After giving a bunch of my food away (including tastycakes!!!) Ash and I headed out.

I was home by midnight last night...so, now today is a "Freebie" day of R&R. :)

It was another great trip of freezing our A$$es off...
gooooood times
:)”

“Wish I could've been there. Fridge did offer me a ride, it would've been perfect.”

“Fantastic week-end (of course). It was great spending some time with a great gang of people.”

“Yeah, Gem...wish you could have made it.
You were there in spirit, along with some other noticeably absent TT'ers, whose ears must have been ringing.
;)”

“Gremmypoo...I only got ONE pic of you and you look terrified! LOL

Can't wait to see if others got some pics too. Always a pleasure to hang with my crazy canuck friend. :)”

“sorry i couldn't make it. sounds like you guys had a great time.
hopefully next year!”

“I assume you are all now properly frosted and completely assless --- ?”

“I just got home. All I have to add is that Cowboy Hank is your wieners best friend and the quote of FYAO VII.

"How's the wood do you think we can go all night" AmyG”

“the 'cowboy hank google' was both surprising and disappointing


lmg and gm, those tracks you were talking about:


last edited: 2/19/07 3:07:58 PM”

“Great Pics! LOOK AT ALL THAT #&%!$ing SNOW! #&%!$! #&%!$! #&%!$! DAMN! #&%!$!!! Wow!!! Looks like some hardass frozen prick fun! Now I'm REALLY Bummin' :(((

When you are in that kind of snow, how could the trip be anything short of epic!

I hope my buddy Asherdawg's paws are on the mend (two words... duct tape!) but I bet he had the time of his life! Really sorry I couldn't be there, def looked like my kind of "breaking trail while incredibly drunk and getting hypothermic" trips!!!”

“sounds like a good time.

Sorry I missed it... :(

MarkO looks sad in the pics of him?
Did he cut his hair?”

“Home after my connection in Wilkes-Barre. Good times; good friends; and of course, snow -- epically ridiculous amounts of it.

But we still made it to Puffer Pond. Story later, right now its shower time. Oh Yeah!”

“my god, lots of snow?? it was sort of funny, the day I left for Germany it snowed in Columbia [I didn't see it but my kids told me] The week before I arrived in Germany it snowed like crazy there too. while I was in Germany it snowed in DC [I drove to DC to get my passport] Seams like snow just keeps missing me.
sucks!
Glad you all had fun! at least I hope you had fun???”

“What great pictures! and all that ****ing snow! I DREAM of snow like that which used to be the norm here...looks like a good time was had by all except for Asher...poor puppy...I hate cold feet!”

“Looks like a great time! I love all that fresh snow!

Thanks for the pics and TR!”

“So how cold did it get? To what degree did you all FYAO?”

“Glad you guys had fun, and i'm sorry I missed it. Too much going on right now to make the trip, but I should be much closer for next year's pilgrimage ;o)”

“Hey y'all!!

Fridge dropped me at home at the stroke of 7:00 PM and I showered the funk off soon after.

We trudged about a quarter mile back to the cars by about 8:00 AM and Lt's car thermometer read -8.
An old timer at the diner was overheard telling the waitress that the low was -14.
Yee-Freakin-Haw!!!
The low temperatures the first two nights were in the + teens.

"MarkO looks sad in the pics of him?
Did he cut his hair?"
ENS
Hmmm, just a little straight-faced I guess.
And, yes, I did cut my hair.

If Mr. Bearmagnet is in the house, he missed a taste of MacAllen 12.
Gremlin helped me with that good stuff and we had some good laughs.

As usual it was a great group and I met a couple of hardcore winter nuts in Bee and Swampy.”

“Good Gawd! That is a lot of snow!! Nice!!

(marko cut his hair? whoa!)”

“Sounds like an awesome time! Great pics and TR! One of these years I will be there! Love that snow!!!”

“I need a meaner sleeping bag to party with you psychos!”

“Hey Yam!!!

Yup, I'm going to donate my pony tail elastics to Nimblefoot.”

“so how warm was it in Fridge's tent?”

“Nice trip report and pictures. Asherdog looks like he had his work cut out for him trying to get through all the that snow.”

“Oy, HOI!!

Lucky for me I was the furthest from Fridge's heater.

I didn't close my fart sack all the way until the last night when the temperature dropped below ZERO.

And where is the Fridgalator?”

“I had a blast this weekend! :) Thank you AmyG for organizing!

I wish I could remember just half of the funny quotes I swore I wouldn't forget.

It was damn cold yesterday morning...inside the tent was 3* but according to LT's truck it was -8* outside. At least the long haul out to the cars got the blood pumping again!

And the 11th Essential of Survival:
1. Always bring your monkey.”

“lmg and gm, those tracks you were talking about: -sacco

That little guy made those big tracks? He's cute... :)”

“I like the picture of the truck at the diner with a FYAO decal on the bumper.

Looks like you guys had a blast!”

“Great Trip!!!! Woo hooo Lots of snow, almost too much. It was sort of startling when we were gathered around the fire friday night and heard the snow plows in the parking lot. It took us 3 hours to hike in about 1/4 mile. It took us 15 min to hike back out.

It definately got cold! Sunday night was the coldest with the temp inside my tent at 3* at around 4 am.
Outside it must have been in the negatives with a breeze blowing.”

“lmg,
cute as hell, but they do get about as big as a bobcat or small coyote”

““After studing the map that Zac made, I am wondering if it might not be an easier although longer hike to go south from the trailhead and make a left at Puffer Pond Brook. It seems like it is flatter for sleds.”
Lthiker
6:05:08 AM
2/06/07”

“Even with my 36" snow shoes I was sinking past my knees in that fluffy snow.

That would be about up to Sacco's nipples.”

“And my neck.”

“Roger that!

Or, "roe-zhey", as they say in Kwe-beck.”

“How far down do Sacco's nipples hang?”

“I Made it home finally. I have lots of snow here at my house and I wish it would go away.
Those yankees talk about snow , well they do get it. Heck even when we were standing on our paths to our shelters the snow was from 2 to 3 feet before you got to the ground. I know I pee in one place 4 times and finally seen the ground.
I am so glad we had a MONKEY with us, I got to see Puffer Pond thanks to the monkey.
Lt, your not my hero no more, monkey is.
Sacco, I again want to say thank you to you and your wife for opening up your wonderful warm home to us. I needed the rest after listening to Marko and Phantom all the way to NY. Sacco I wish I had seen you when you took off your snow shoes and took a step breaking trail, LT said you fell out of sight, I would have laughed my butt off.
dlm, is the one who sets back with the punch lines, and damn good at it, I laughed so much when he would express his 2 cents and it seemed like a million bucks. Thanks dave for a wonderful time.
Swampy, what can I say but, you and I come from the same background, and had the same hang over. It was a pleasure to have talked to you and shared our past military experiences , thank you.
Lilmountaingirl, it's a good thing you already have a MONKEY, good to have seen you again and the GreenMonkey, what a big heart ahe has, one hell of a guy and I am so glad he was there, A real Trooper.
Gremlin, always is so funny, I love his stories and his adventures he shares at the camp fire.
LT , I am so glad we got to drink one glass of wine together, mine was a big glass, the next day I seen wine all over the paths everywhere, heck all you had to do to find me was to follow the purple patches, heheh, thanks for everything LT.
Marko and the great Phantom, I never once had a dull moment while driving up with you guys, it seemed we figured out how to fix all the problems in the world and fight 4 worl wars, Marko I have never herd someone fart as much as you did, no wonder you had a snow pit where your butt was in the tent.
Phantom you always did tell me to get my arse up there if I want snow and I got it.
AmyG, thanks for your continued dedication to keep this trip on the boards, You and Asher work well together and it pleases me to see you and him share your world together.
E mail me your address AmyG .........hehehe

I have pics and I will put them on Trail Talk pictures, just go there and look up refrigerators pics, I have dial up so it's going to take me forever.

oh I almost forgot, I wantd to give Asher a big hand, When I was checking out the number 1 and number 2 potty stations he actuall pee there, soooooooo funny, and I herd he also took a dump as well. (I love dogs.)”

“anytime, fridge, anytime at all.


How far down do Sacco's nipples hang?”
Nimblefoot

HA!
my nipples are so perky you could cut glass with them!”

“I'm hip, man!

Sacco's nipples are bumpin' into his chin when he turns his head.

Hey-yo, Fridge!!
I found my gloves!
They were in the first relay of stuff that I ran into my house.
Thanks for the ride, Pops!!
last edited: 2/20/07 11:23:33 AM”

“Thanks Fridge...I'm loving your pics!! I'll think about the addy...
heheh
;)”

“Nice pics Fridge and Amy, where are George's? Slacker!

What a stupendous time! Thanks to all those that made it possible :)



p.s. Cowboy Hank is my hero ;p
last edited: 2/21/07 4:05:10 PM”

“I had a great time!I would FMAO with this bunch anytime,anywhere.”

“Now just what the phuck is all that white stuff?!?!

You mean to tell me that no one flipped their GDMF sled over fiddy times on some big ole ass rocks? lol!

Damn, wished I could have made it. It's on the upcoming rotation slot for next year, so.....”

“actually, q, there were very few tippages with the snow being so high...by the time the trail got tramped down with the snowshoes, it made a veritable luge track!
gooood times!

Phantom....hellooooooo??? pics? Slacker!”

“Bee, You left too early Sunday morning. Email me your address (email is in my profile) so I can send you your complimentary FYAO sticker. All this fun and a free gift too what a deal!”

“http://store.everestgear.com/eqtcc103.html

Gotta get me some Cowboy Hanks!!

DLM, thanks for the sticker!!
I'm gonna stick it somewhere!!”

“This trip really was a winter expedition, we didn't travel far, and at first I was disapointed that we did not make it to Puffer pond. After is took us 4 hours to get there on Sunday without packs, I wasn't too dissapointed anymore.

Backpacking in that much snow in fact camping in that much snow was a constant workout. You couldn't even go out to the bathroom without snowshoes. This made simple chores like gathering wood, getting water, everything was an adventure. On step off the packed snow and you were up to your waist.

Definately fun, I am glad that we finally got some snow to Freeze our A$$ off in.”