Midwest Mob-fest '07

“Dang, I wish I could go on this trip.

But I will be competing in a dance contest that weekend, doing the cha cha.”

“I'll go, only if I can ride down with the infamous Sass and birch, er....their not anything like Bonnie and Clyde are they?

I'll drive and you's two could have the backseat...LOL
last edited: 10/24/07 3:32:29 PM”

“Ruby! A fellow dancer! I danced quite seriously for a couple of years. Although I never competed (for lack of funds), I did do some exhibitions and had a blast. I'm a Latin girl...well, not by blood. They made me do the smooth dances. I always say I need to get back into dance but I never do. I miss it.

Good luck at the competition!!!”

“correct me if im wrong, but shouldnt a trip called the MIDWEST mob-fest actually take place in the midwest?

just a thought, but not a deep one”

“You're just jealous because you can't be there, Mr. Critical. (don't worry, someone will miss you I'm sure)

Ruby! How cool!! Break a leg Girlfriend. =D”

“Mugsy might miss him :P :D”

“Mugsy DOES miss him. He looks for Crash every time someone yells, "CockaPOOOOOoooooo..."”

“NCThiker, you only live about five miles away from us, you could meet us anytime! You'd find out exactly how un-famous we really are.
Birch is planning on studying for his final exam on the way down and back up. It may be a very quiet car ride but you're welcome to share it. You can't drive though and you may not get any input on the music played. And you don't get to sleep in the car either. =D You can, however, sleep under it if you want.”

“Come on, do you really think Birch can stay quiet for the entire ride there and back? I have a hard time believing that. ;)”

“You know him well Ruby.”

“Mayyyyyyybe, I'll be there. My future is a bit undecided at this time.

If I don't make it, I'll have big news to share.”

“Msdoo is preggers!!!”

“Shhhhh.... You'll ruin the surprise! :p

And do you honestly think that would ever keep me from backpacking? As if! lol
last edited: 10/25/07 7:00:44 AM”

“:O!”

“lol... read my edit, missy.”

“so...how far along are ya?”

“I'm on the 3rd and 4th. I have those tonight. ;) After that, I'm looking at about a month. :p”

“NCThiker, you only live about five miles away from us, you could meet us anytime! You'd find out exactly how un-famous we really are.
Birch is planning on studying for his final exam on the way down and back up. It may be a very quiet car ride but you're welcome to share it. You can't drive though and you may not get any input on the music played. And you don't get to sleep in the car either. =D You can, however, sleep under it if you want.”
Sassafras
9:47:45 PM
10/24/07


S & B or B & S,

Maybe we could all do an overnight trip together, before this trip? Waterloo/Pickney trail?

I don't have a problem with you guys driving and can probably get off work early if need be, before 4:00pm on Friday? Sounds like we'll need to leave real early on Monday though, correct?
last edited: 10/25/07 9:49:35 AM”

“i looked through the thread and the trip page but didn't see where the group would be hiking/camping. has this been decided yet? i may come down for the weekend and do some climbing and would love to visit the group at camp.”

“I'll talk to Birch and see if we can come up with a Saturday we don't have anything going on and we can get a babysitter. If that doesn't work out maybe we could grab a bite to eat or a beer sometime? We will be leaving very early Monday. Probably before the sun comes up. It's a six and a half hour drive with good traffic. It will depend on how far we hike out, shuttles, etc.
Birch gets out of work at 3:30. We could probably be on the road by 4:15ish.”

“Jimmy san, Meangreen said he was going to work on that today. It's TBD thus far. He did mention some fairly good distance days. It would be very cool to see you at camp.
last edited: 10/25/07 10:02:21 AM”

“Sass - if I make this one I'd probably get there about the same time yall do. I'd leave around 2-3, it's 7 hrs + time zone = 10-11pm.”

“Would you have to leave early Monday too Dayhiker?”

“Probably so. Not as early as you though. If I could get home mid afternoon then I'd be fine. If I left at 10am local that would put me home at 4pm local. 9am might work better.”

“yeah, it would be cool to visit with everyone. i'll mostly behave myself.

i will be shot from a day of climbing. as usual i'll overdo it. i'll prolly hit a popular crag early morning to beat the rush... prolly left flank to climb "to defy the laws of tradition" and "brother stair". then i'll move on to more distant game where there is no risk of a crowd. i may test-climb some of the routes near courthouse rock that i plan to hit in december. by 2-3 i'll be shot and ready to crash until the next day.”

““I'll talk to Birch and see if we can come up with a Saturday we don't have anything going on and we can get a babysitter. If that doesn't work out maybe we could grab a bite to eat or a beer sometime? We will be leaving very early Monday. Probably before the sun comes up. It's a six and a half hour drive with good traffic. It will depend on how far we hike out, shuttles, etc.
Birch gets out of work at 3:30. We could probably be on the road by 4:15ish.”
Sassafras
10:57:08 AM
10/25/07

Hmmm, The only problem I have is the early leave on Monday, seems a shame to take Monday off work (Vacation Day) and not use more of Monday, Hiking?

I'll let you guys know later next month, as to whether I'll drive solo or with you two?

I'm thinking I could stay over Monday, as late as 12:00pm and still be home at a reasonable hour.

I guess it will depend on what everyone else does too? I mean, if we're doing a point to point hike, then how will you and Birch handle the last night of the trip? Continue on further than the rest and camp closer to the trips end-point, or get a real early start Monday morning and hike-out by headlamp?”

“I think we'll get up early enough to hike out as far as we need to. It will depend on if I get appointments for Monday too. If I don't, we won't have to leave as early. But, Monday is Birch's final at school so we do have to be home by 4ish, at latest.”

“I'd just assume get up at the ass crack of dawn and hike out in the dark. Pack will be lite so we can move out quickly.

School is at 530p so I'd want achnace to shower etc before going in. Need to be on the road by 930 am at the latest, i reckon we'd just work the time backwards from there.

Wknds are a toughy NCT. There are 6 wknds prior to the trip. All of em but the wknd of Nov 17 are booked for me. I was hoping to squeeze in some deer hunting that wknd.

Dinner or something would work though.”

“IFFFFF, I get to go, we could probably work out a shuttle since it sounds like we have similiar needs on arrival/departure.”

“Ok party people, here's da scoop-fam, to da bla-bla-blam. So you got da hook up from da flo up, and we be proppa like from da git go.

FRIDAY: Early arrivers can camp at Whittleton Campground in Natural Bridge.

SATURDAY: Morning arrivals can meet the Friday nighters at Whitleton, and hike north on the Sheltowee Trace. Set up camp just off of the trail and just west of 227 Rush Ridge Trail. This should provide parking and easy access for Saturday arrivals.

SUNDAY: Continue along Sheltowee Trace, and camp in the valley between Chimney top and half moon arch/rock

MONDAY: Continue north to Cloud Splitter and on to trail 110, and head south to Gladie, and go home.

This should make setting up a shuttle each morning easy enough, and the only time we wouldn't be camped near water would be Saturday night, but we would only be a short distsnce from cars so we could just haul it in from there. This also makes it easy for Jimmysan, and the others who are coming and going on different days, and if anyone didn't want to hike, they could just drive to the next campsite, and help with shuttles/water etc.”

“Mileage for each day?”

“not much. The Map I have with me today is bad for that, but I think it's about 6-8 per day. These are pretty easy trips. More like a roving party, or casual stroll than the big mileage butt kickers that seem to have been posted recently. They are mostly about meeting people, and hanging out.”

“I am not bringing a 50# pack and dutch oven like I did last time at RRG.”

“not much. The Map I have with me today is bad for that, but I think it's about 6-8 per day. These are pretty easy trips. More like a roving party, or casual stroll than the big mileage butt kickers that seem to have been posted recently. They are mostly about meeting people, and hanging out.”
meangreen
3:22:49 PM

Sounds good to me, and as long as I don't hear any funky banjo music back in there, I'll be good?
last edited: 10/25/07 2:36:32 PM”

“6 to 8?! Probably for the best. I'll have fun anyways. ;)”

“Why the hell not, Dayhiker?! It looks like I'm bringing 3 quarts of booze so far!
I gotta bring a fifth of Rare Breed for Nigal and Brich, then I have promised 2 quarts of egg nog to pass around too! LOL! Shlt, I better get my external frame pack out for this trip. It's the only thing that can handle the weight! LOL!
last edited: 10/25/07 2:37:56 PM”

“This time of year we should have the trail mostly to ourselves. From what I understand things really die off after October.”

“Note to shelf, "stay sober, and sneak into the bushes with Sass, after Birch passes out?" LOL, just kidding, oops, now, I'm going get my ass kicked?”

“YOu might. Have you met Birch? I wouldn't want him pissed at me.”

“Because I'm too fat and out of shape to do 50#'s for 8 miles. I had the big pack for stuff like this last time:

”

“In that situation birch would be drunk. I'd be more worried about Sass doing the ass kicking.

I'll probably get to FINALLY use my Granite Gear Vapor Trail that's unused and almost a year old.”

“Are those your feet stuffed in my crocs in the background Dayhiker? lol

I don't remember any sausages!”

“I have 2L as yet unopened bottles of this stuff:



Might have to bring some along.
last edited: 10/25/07 2:48:30 PM”

“Probably so, I do see my web shoes by the fire.

Yes, we brought onions and peppers pre-cut, grill top, foil, and a couple pounds of polish sausage. I think we also hiked in a 6 pack.”

“dam filters. I cant see any of that.”

“I also brought 1L of this home from Jamaica




mg - the first photo was described in my reply to Sass. The 2nd is a photo of a bottle of Sangster Rum Cream that was bought in Montego Bay. The photo in this post is Appleton 12yr rum.

I've developed quite the taste for rum after the 2 trips I got to take this summer and fall.”

“I killed the thread. Nowslimmer is going to kick my ass now.”

“looks good to me. i will prolly stay at the campround the first night and then elsewhere on the 2nd and 3rd (close to the crags), but i'll drop into camp on each night if i can find the group. shouldn't be too hard.”

“Shouldnt be JS. Just look for the blaze, and listen for my drunken loud mouth. LOL! You can admonish me wil I'm nursing my hangover the next day. ;-)

Rum cream, eh? Sounds good. Sorta like my egg nog actually. Just with out the eggs.”

“Rum cream is like Bailey's with rum instead of Irish Whiskey.”