Low Gap TR

“Coyote, Gilligan (coyote’s son), Stomper, PaceSetter (she’s new to TT) Coty (PaceSetter’s dog) and myself met up at the Forest office. Coyote was finishing up caching water (it was bone dry there!) while the rest of us got ready to head out. As soon as Coyote got back, we took off from the office and hiked counterclockwise. Of course our first stop was the Rock Shelter for lunch. So far PaceSetter was probably thinking, “this group doesn’t seem too bad”. After a nice break, we hike on to the first road crossing. This was our first water stop. Stomper and I were hiking a little behind the others, because I was having problems with my feet. (Stomper felt sorry for me.) As we crossed the street and headed down the trail, Stomper lets out a Yoo-Hoo. We waited, no response. Another Yoo-Hoo, no response. Just about then we stumbled upon the others. Stomper looks at them and says, “didn’t you hear us”? The group sitting on the ground says, “yeah, we knew you were coming”. ” Well why didn’t you Yoo-Hoo back”, Stomper asked. They were like we didn’t know we were suppose to. After a short break and loading up on water, we pressed on. After about 7 ½ miles, we stopped for the night
. We got camp made, dinner cooking and a fire going. Just as it was getting dark, something comes into the camp out of no where. We hear, “Park Ranger and you’re in trouble”. It was Meangreen! Here we are finishing up our wonderful dehydrated dinners and he come in with Long John Silvers. It was his dinner that he had pick up on the way. After everyone says hi, Meangreen sits down to eat his dinner. They forgot his cole slaw. He said he was going to go back to get it. For a brief moment we all thought he might. We all sat around the fire and told all the tales from trips past. At this point I think PaceSetter was wondering just what she had gotten herself into. Sometime after midnight, one by one we all headed to our beds. Stomper, PaceSetter and myself all had tents. Coyote and Gilligan had hammocks and had them set up like bunk beds. It was pretty cool. Meangreen hadn’t set up his tent yet and I had brought my hammock, so I told him he could sleep in it if he wanted to however I didn’t have a rain fly over it. He decided to take his chances. He said it was one of the best nights sleep he has ever had out hiking. I think he’s sold on the hammock.
We woke up, slowly, and got our morning started. Meangreen had left his car about 4 miles farther up the trail than where we had parked. He decided to go ahead and hike the whole thing. That would make it about 9 ½ miles in about 3 hours. Well, PaceSetter and Coyote said they would join him. Stomper, Gilligan and I thought better of it and stuck to the 6 miles we had left. We all met back at the Forest Office around 12:30. We head into town for some lunch at a Mexican restaurant. There was one problem, Cody, the dog would have to stay outside. That didn’t seem fair.After all, she did her fair share of hiking with her pack, so we got our food to go and sat in the parking lot so she wouldn’t be left alone in a hot car. I think she appreciated it. Coyote gave those heading south directions to get them home and we said our goodbyes. I believe we all had a good trip, I know I did.
PaceSetter it was great meeting you and your dog. I hope we didn’t scare you off.
last edited: 8/19/07 2:13:30 PM”

“Windy,
Nice TR, so no pics to post??? Too bad about the water, none at all huh?
Been raining up here all day.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Pictures
http://community.webshots.com/album/560353766BgtlnZ
I didn't take but a few.”

“So I'm PaceSetter now? Just wanted to make sure the decision has been made. I got a kick out of the suggestions.

Scare me off? No such luck! I can't wait to go on another trip. Thanks for making my first TT trip fantastic!

And, yes, Kodie is very grateful to all of you for generously eating in the parking lot. We both really appreciated that!!!!

Thanks everyone...I look forward to long hikes and good laughs...or vice versa.”

“Pacesetter it is unless you really don't like it, then too bad. J/K. If you don't like it, you can wait till the next trip and see what comes of it. Hope to see you on another trip soon.”

“why the name change?”

“She didn't have a trail name, so we gave her one.”

“whats "mariposa", then?”

“I don't know and I didn't ask. I think we still have some of our 20 questions left. PaceSetter, where did you come up with the name mariposa?”

“why cant her tt name be her trailname? everyone else's is

i vote for "mariposa". much more creative than "pacesetter"”

“Hey, I don't care. I'll leave it up to her. BTW we missed having you join us. It just doesn't seem like a Indiana trip with out Crash on it. :)
We did talk about you of course! Told mariposa/pacesetter all the dirt on you. J/K”

“Thanks for a nice trip report and for the pictures.”

“Ha! I just used Mariposa so I'd have a name for TT. It's Spanish for butterfly. One of the names my Chilean host family called me when I was there. I like it too. I can't decide.

Crash...I enjoyed the stories. I hope I can remember which stories go with you once I meet you. But I'm sure this group can tell me again if I forget! :)”

“we (wife and son) came out to meet up with you guys but i'm an idiot and went the wrong way...the map i had had VERY FEW of the trail heads marked on it so i had to guess were i was parked...well, i guessed wrong...we hiked part of the Tecumseh/low cap and went down to Draper's cabin...we left at about noon, we must have just missed you...you didn't hit any bikers on the way out did you?

did you eat at Los Tapatios in Martinsville?...that's a good place”

“There is also a Coast Guard Cutter Mariposa.”

“what were you doing in chile, posa?”

“Someone played a dirty trick on her and said that was where to find the best chili in the world.

Honestly I didnt think that name would realy stick. I just threw it out cause Windi put me on the spot, and I was leaving. LOL! Give us a couple more trips and we'll come up with a good one for you. Something like StoveSwipinMountainStompinGal or something equally nice and short. LOL!

Good report Windi. It was a fun little overnight with some cool miles on the way out. Coyote, and Maripacesetta did great, and I was seriously impressed by Kodie the native american dog. That is one cool pooch.”

“seriously though, what's wrong with mariposa...i say stick with that and it's got a good story behind it...no new name needed”

“Fine with me as long as she likes it. If she wants something new then we will find her something. Isn't there a pack called mariposa?

We didn't see any bikers Thrifty. Were they on the road?”

“Ok, you talked me into it...I'll stick to Mariposa for now...until I do something really stupid/impressive on the trail which warrants a *true* trail name.

MG...how did you know I went there for chili? And boy was I disappointed!!! :)

I minored in Spanish in college and did an 8 week study abroad in Chile. It wasn't enough. I loved it. I actually got 3 names while I was there. Vlinder (pronounced Flinder) which is Dutch for butterfly, Chispa - spanish for spark, and of course Mariposa.

Kodie appreciates the compliments. I like her pretty well but I'm a little biased. ;) Hopefully by the next hike she'll have her much needed new packs.”

“im sure she likes it. she picked it”

“Sounds good to me, mariposa it is! Sorry we miss ya thrifty.”

“We didn't see any bikers Thrifty. Were they on the road?”
meangreen

what??!!..seriously??!!...they were all over the roads and their cars took up every parking spot, especially at the forest office...i'm not talking about harley bikers, i'm talking the spandex wearing, ball cancer having, hard core bicycle riders”

“LMFAO!!!
Seriously? Windi, Mariposa, am I the only one who thinks Thrifty may have had some shrooms for breakfast yesterday? Dude, at 1230 there was no one there but us. LOL!”

“maybe they were gone by the time we left too, i'm not sure we didn't go back towards teh office but i did see some of them still riding though...there was a whole orginized race and everthing...must have been done by the time you guys got out”

“Organized race of spandex-wearing bikers??? Thrifty, I don't know you but what forest were you in?

Next time I'll have what Thrifty is having. LOL”

“Ok, I'll come to your rescue thrifty. I didn't see the bikers, but I did see there markings on the street. Only because we ended up walking on it some. lol. I missed the turn off and we ended up finishing on the road a little ways.”

“What about Adena Trace on Labor Day Weekend do you think those creeks would have any WATER.

Would anyone want to do it?”

“Hey Low Gap hikers! Did everyone complete their survey from Purdue University?? Just reminding you! :)”

“Thanks for the reminder. I sent mine in. I guess there was some stuff going on the following week after our hike.

Tree sitter faces trespassing charge after logging protest

Associated Press



BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A small group of logging protesters gathered at Morgan-Monroe State Forest as tree cutting work went on yesterday, a day after a tree sitter was arrested on a trespassing charge.

Shawn Putnam, 25, of Fresno, Calif., was booked into the Monroe County Jail on Monday on a misdemeanor charge and was eligible for release without bond, said Angela Goldman, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officer.



She said that he was not jailed yesterday.

Other protesters in the Morgan-Monroe forest on Monday were given warnings.

Conservation officers told Putnam and his companions that they could leave or face charges of resisting arrest, and Putnam climbed down voluntarily, Goldman said.

"Technically, the sitter was in a tree that no longer belonged to the state," she said.

"It was property that was purchased by the timber cutter," Goldman added, "and he wanted them out."

Another eight protesters gathered at the forest north of Bloomington yesterday as several conservation officers watched.

Drew Laird of the Indiana Forest Alliance said he believed state officials had overprojected the amount of harvestable timber available in the state forests in order to raise more money from sales.

"These standing trees are the assets of the people of Indiana," Laird said.

"They are not owned by the government or by the loggers."

In September 2005, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced that logging on state-owned land might increase up to five times under a forest management plan.

Logging has increased since then, but state Division of Forestry officials say that the forests are producing almost twice as much timber in a year than is cut. ”

“I guess I must have missed this part Windi. Was it at the park office?”

“I don't know just where they were at. I hope they aren't cutting the trees along the hiking paths.”

“Wish I'd have seen 'em . i would have joined in the protest.”

“From this trip I learned that you are all great at naming. I've got a new "family member" and he needs a name. Visit http://jodidthatsme.blogspot.com/2007/08/name-new-addition.html to help me name him.

And no, he won't be hitting the trail any time soon. Well, more likely...NEVER!”

“damnit. my work blocks EVERYTHING.

Whatchagot?”

“I wouldn't recommend bringing it hiking. It might end up being someone's snack. Or water supply when it's low. lol. Nice looking fish.”

“Sliver


email me mariposa. I need some ideas for our super secret trip.”

“thongs and pasties will be essential gear for this stomper. You ladies still need to stay a little modest around me you know. This is a common problem I have, being the mom and dad around the house. Some of my female friends stop thinking of me as a guy and then I get to hear and see things I sometimes don't want to. Sometimes it plays out in my favor though. ;-)”

“I don't even know what to say to that!”

“Meangreen's dreaming again.....”

“LMAO!!!
You know I gotta have fun with you guys, Stomper! LOL! Seriously though, you shoulda never posted a public thread. You guys are gonna get so much crap over that. Ya gotta learn to keep it on the down low, girl!


Seriously though, you know that I'm a perfect gentleman on the trail. If it really bothered you then I'm sorry. I was just playing.”

“You're still trying to talk us into letting you be the token male.

No, you didn't bother me. :)”

“No I don't accept tokens. Only 1's, 5's, 10's, 20's, 50's, and 100's. Preferably the latter two.

No tokens please, this ain't chuck E cheese, the ride lasts more than 10 seconds, but it may cost a bit more.”

“LMAO”

“Not to totally change the subject but I'm going to change the subject. I emailed Jimmysan and he's going to fix my poles for me. Yes~!”

“Jim's a good guy. Seems to have an almost abnormal knowledge of trekking poles though... LOL!”

“Yeah! I thought he would be the go-to guy for this.”

“MeanGreen...LMAO...pasties and thongs would be a light weight option that I can honestly say I've never considered...but I don't think I'll start now!!

Stomper...the mail has been sent. Kodie and I are looking foward to a "women in the woods weekend." I just love cheesy alliteration”

“I'm glad she's a female dog. If she weren't, we would have a problem. :)”

“Mariposa is also the name of a creek that runs through the Sierras in California.

I like it. Mari for short.”