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Short Walks with Coach Lou

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    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      CoachLou wrote:

      SuperMan wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      SuperMan wrote:

      To me the worst part about Harpers Ferry is that I never have enough time there. The place is filled and surrounded by history. This year daisy and I biked about 200 miles of the C&O rail trail. Our friend who is a trail maintainer on the C&O rented a house just above the ruins of the old church. It was super.
      .

      I am actually getting my touring bike back on the road, ready for spring. I was looking at that C&O trail..
      When my wife and her daughter go down there this spring, I will try to take a better look around.

      \
      OK, the trail has water on both sides. The insects are worse that the AT in Maine in July. I had every intention of staying in doors at night. The first day we had to do 44 miles to get to an inn run by a couple gay guys. It was fine...nice guys. We wanted to stay at Lee, VA but the ferry wasn't working due to rough water. They let us camp under the campground thing with a roof. We went over to Antietam. There just wasn't enough time to do all that we wanted to. We'd like to start further north next time. I was recovering from an MCL operation er go the biking. As you age you have to focus on what you can do not what you can't do.



      Hence......"getting my touring bike back on the road" :lol:


      It's a rail trail so it's fine for that. The first 44 miles are easy to do if your not with a couple camera people. You know the way they are. Wait...I need a picture of that butterfly....wait...I need a picture of that leaf. Holly frucken bat crap.
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      BirdBrain wrote:

      The bugs are worse in June in Maine. Left bug dope in Monson. Did not use it in 100-mile wilderness. Black flies make moose run into roads in June.
      Moose would help business at my shop. We just finished deer season. Although, you can repair a car after a deer hit. You probably have to call hikerboy after a moose hit! :(
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      BirdBrain wrote:

      SuperMan wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      The bugs are worse in June in Maine. Left bug dope in Monson. Did not use it in 100-mile wilderness. Black flies make moose run into roads in June.


      I lived in Maine. It's hideous.

      coming up on 53 years for me. I'm loving it
      I've spent plenty of time there, it is wonderful. Not enough hiking time. The wifes new job doesn't give her very much vaca time yet!
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      CoachLou wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      SuperMan wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      The bugs are worse in June in Maine. Left bug dope in Monson. Did not use it in 100-mile wilderness. Black flies make moose run into roads in June.


      I lived in Maine. It's hideous.

      coming up on 53 years for me. I'm loving it
      I've spent plenty of time there, it is wonderful. Not enough hiking time. The wifes new job doesn't give her very much vaca time yet!


      The place is filled with....Maine people.
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      I haven't been to McAfee Knob, so I don't know which direction the camera is pointing. I daresay that if you check peakfinder.org's view from McAfee, you'll be able to match the skyline.



      Thanks Kev.....the direction is ENE/ 80-83 degrees. While up there I did my old school reconnoitering (map & compass), and determined that it was the Peaks of Otter area. And from your link......I was correct. They are Flat Top and Sharp Top Mountains. :)
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      Another short walk with Coach Lou.

      This is not truely my walk, but a Cafe' walk with old friends and some new friends. No one has posted, so here goes.

      Friday morning I head off to pick up Sarcasm the Elf, he is directly on my way west. I want to stop at Campmor for some items, and the Elf has never been to the store. I cross the Tappen Zee bridge and pick up the Garden State Parkway South.2 exits is all I needed. We approach the first toll and on the left side of the road there are signs that point to 3 lanes with white signs that read 'EZ-PASS', on the right are 3 red signs that say 'CASH RECEIPTS'. The sun is shining in my sight, but I am not blinded, I see 3 booths with RED signs over them. I get in the middle one, and there is no attendant to take my money. We realize this is an EZ- Pass lane.........shit.......I start to back up and this woman behind me is honking her horn, so I proceed thru and pull over at the building. I have money in hand and go ask 1 of the attendants what the hell is this, here is my money!!!!! He tells me he is sorry but I will be getting a $51.50 ticket in the mail. Nice, New Jersey Transit shell game!!!!!! I thought that was only in Atlantic City! 52.gif We arrive and shop a bit. After a while I find The Elf with a blank look on his face and he begs me to get him out of there before he maxes out his plastic!!!!!!!
      We arrive at Bear Mtn. lot#1. Load up in 3 vehicles and head to Elk Pen. After a brief meet & greet, Another Kevin, Askus3 & Trekker, Teacher/ Snacktime, Big Eyes, Sarcasm the Elf, Moose, RockNsocks, and Myself head off NOBO on the AT for Fingerboard shelter, our first camp.
      Very pretty section. Open forest of younger oaks, so we have long sight lines. With that open forest comes stiff breezes, especially on the ridges and just north of Island Pond. On top of one ridge we pause for a bit, but I am dressed to walk so I get a littl e chilled and resume walking. I settle into a comfortable pace and get to the Lemon Squeezer. I look at the rock scramble and my 26 yr old brain takes over. I look at the pitch and jamb my fist in a crack and haul me and cheesecake up & over.
      I arrive at Fingerboard and lay out my kit. Very nice setting, I must come back. Now , I need a switch to brush dirt out of shelter and we need wood so I wander off to do that task. I gather a few branches, and return and start to fix myself some hot chocolate as folks start to arrive.
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      rocksNsocks wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      Your report makes me jealous. We need each player to load there own perspective.
      good idea BB, will do...but right now the wife and I are headed out on a date to have lunch and see a movie, been awhile.


      Priorities. I fully understand. Any girl that would put up with the likes of us deserves all the attention and love we can spare.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      CoachLou wrote:

      Another short walk with Coach Lou.

      This is not truely my walk, but a Cafe' walk with old friends and some new friends. No one has posted, so here goes.

      Friday morning I head off to pick up Sarcasm the Elf, he is directly on my way west. I want to stop at Campmor for some items, and the Elf has never been to the store. I cross the Tappen Zee bridge and pick up the Garden State Parkway South.2 exits is all I needed. We approach the first toll and on the left side of the road there are signs that point to 3 lanes with white signs that read 'EZ-PASS', on the right are 3 red signs that say 'CASH RECEIPTS'. The sun is shining in my sight, but I am not blinded, I see 3 booths with RED signs over them. I get in the middle one, and there is no attendant to take my money. We realize this is an EZ- Pass lane.........shit.......I start to back up and this woman behind me is honking her horn, so I proceed thru and pull over at the building. I have money in hand and go ask 1 of the attendants what the hell is this, here is my money!!!!! He tells me he is sorry but I will be getting a $51.50 ticket in the mail. Nice, New Jersey Transit shell game!!!!!! I thought that was only in Atlantic City! 52.gif We arrive and shop a bit. After a while I find The Elf with a blank look on his face and he begs me to get him out of there before he maxes out his plastic!!!!!!!
      We arrive at Bear Mtn. lot#1. Load up in 3 vehicles and head to Elk Pen. After a brief meet & greet, Another Kevin, Askus3 & Trekker, Teacher/ Snacktime, Big Eyes, Sarcasm the Elf, Moose, RockNsocks, and Myself head off NOBO on the AT for Fingerboard shelter, our first camp.
      Very pretty section. Open forest of younger oaks, so we have long sight lines. With that open forest comes stiff breezes, especially on the ridges and just north of Indian Pond. On top of one ridge we pause for a bit, but I am dressed to walk so I get a littl e chilled and resume walking. I settle into a comfortable pace and get to the Lemon Squeezer. I look at the rock scramble and my 26 yr old brain takes over. I look at the pitch and jamb my fist in a crack and haul me and cheesecake up & over.
      I arrive at Fingerboard and lay out my kit. Very nice setting, I must come back. Now , I need a switch to brush dirt out of shelter and we need wood so I wander off to do that task. I gather a few branches, and return and start to fix myself some hot chocolate as folks start to arrive.
      Thanks Lou, look forward to the rest. I too will put up some thoughts on the trip...it was great fun. Also wanna take the time to say thank you to "Overload" for baking such a wonderful cheese cake, and to you for carrying such a monumental thing...@ two pieces I tried to lighten your load as best I could...it was very filling and hit the spot before dinner, hehe yep folks dessert first!
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      BirdBrain wrote:

      rocksNsocks wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      Your report makes me jealous. We need each player to load there own perspective.
      good idea BB, will do...but right now the wife and I are headed out on a date to have lunch and see a movie, been awhile.


      Priorities. I fully understand. Any girl that would put up with the likes of us deserves all the attention and love we can spare.
      I knew you would...started thinking about an hour ago, wife's off today, one kids at school, and another at work...tired of watching her do house chores, and remembering some of your softer thoughts on the subject of keepin momma happy, I popped the question...wanna go see a movie? She said yes, I'm as giddy as a school boy, hehe

      Later boys, I gotta date!
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      ......the rescue.

      Laz and Kevin arrive and tell us...'we have a situation" No we are not on the Jersey Shore again, but Teacher has injured herself and they will need assistance. Laz, Kevin, 'Socks, The Elf and I'm Scotty (others???) head off to get her and Snacktime back with the troop. All arrive safe and sound and Teacher jumps into her sleeping bag while Kevin whips up his Curry noodles for her. Laz traded Snacktime Mountain House Lasagna for his Curried noodles! I only needed to boil water for hot chocolate, as I always bring a sandwich, or wrap for the first nite............and it was good.
      I have said before that I have retired my Arctic issue green wool shirt, that I have been walking in for years and years. I replaced it with a Northface zip front thin fleece for walking, I like it alot. Well as the 16 of us settled in, Big Eyes takes 2 Arctic issue wool shirts out !!!!!! :blink: She loves them.....girl after my own heart....and she hasn't been to Parris Island........yet!
      4 of us in the shelter, the rest in tents all around the shelter, I zonk out as the moon rises and sleep nice straight thru the nite. I awaken early to 2" of fresh snow, but I'm not the first, Malto is already packed and Laz is packing and both are itching to take off. We all get up finally, have our breakfast, pack up and get set to leave. LI hikers are parked at Torati Circle and will walk Teacher and Snacktime out, and give them a ride to their car at Lot#1.They will then met us at William Brien Shelter.

      ..............walking in the snow.
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      Sorry I really wish I could post pics!

      Kevin, 'Socks, The Elf and I are the last leave.There is a breeze with the fine steady snow fall. It is wonderful to walk in. Pretty open woodland walk of about 5.3 miles to William Brien Shelter, that a bunch of teenagers have occupied by the time we all get there. Big Eyes is waiting and directs us to the 'alternate' campsite that the troop has begun to set up. Malto and Laz of course are already set up and they are out getting wood. (I did not see any down clothing in Maltos book-bag). The sun gets covered by clouds and the wind picks up by dinner. Everyone is huddled by the fire making dinner while Big Eyes keeps the fire stoked.......I think she just likes playing with the fire! :) After everyone eats I pass out the cheesecake. We joked about it for 2 days and of course we joke about it on line, so some were pretty surprized when an actual cheesecake came out of my pack!!!! :lol: Then I hit the sack. I am not a nite owl. At around 2/3am I wake to a strong breeze. The wind shifted and it is blowing into the open end of the Hooch. I have to zip up my WM Puma almost half way, the first time I've done that in the 10 years I've owned it. I even tightened the drawstring on the hood, which I've never done. I was toasty. I lay there thinking about the folks around me who do not have a -20 degree Western Mountaineering Puma Bag. I know some of my friends are a little chilled. :(
      Everyone sleeps in but when we finally rise we notice that Malto is long gone. I make the freezer bag oatmeal and pack it up. I am the last to leave again. Not that I am unsociable but I am like the tortoise, I don't go fast but I can walk steadily all day.
      Another nice day to walk.On the Black Mountain traverse the wind is really blowing, and no sun yet. By the time I reach the parkway, the sun has come out....it is a lovely day. At Beachy Bottom Brook I catch up with the troop who have stopped at a trickle for lunch. In 100 yards i know is a good stream as the trail goes up West Mountain, I walk to it and have some tea with my lunch. Moose passes by and heads up the trail.The rest of the troop catches up to me and we discuss calling it a weekend.
      Kathy LI hiker, her dog and Kevin drop their packs and head up to get Moose. when they return she tells us of the nasty wind that is howling into West Mountain Shelter. We all agree we made a good call.
      Kevins vehicle is at Anthony Wayne lot, so we walk out to it and those with shuttle cars hop in and we go get them and return to pick up everyone else.Kevin then leads the caravan to a diner in Harriman and we chow down and enjoy each others company awhile longer before we all head home.


      To me, this is the best part of these web-sites. Finding folks to walk with. It was another great time and I can't wait for the next time!
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      CoachLou wrote:

      Trillium wrote:

      Enjoyed your report Coach. Sounds like you all had a great time.

      Hopefully Teacher didn't injure herself too seriously.


      I'm sure she has had the maps out planning the next walk. Besides, she has to come back and finish, and we all have to finish Beachy bottom to Lot#1. :)
      I'M in...you heard here first folks, next month, road trip...weather might even break. Nice report Lou.
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      rocksNsocks wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      Trillium wrote:

      Enjoyed your report Coach. Sounds like you all had a great time.

      Hopefully Teacher didn't injure herself too seriously.


      I'm sure she has had the maps out planning the next walk. Besides, she has to come back and finish, and we all have to finish Beachy bottom to Lot#1. :)
      I'M in...you heard here first folks, next month, road trip...weather might even break. Nice report Lou.


      Okay... looking for online maps.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      BirdBrain wrote:

      rocksNsocks wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      Trillium wrote:

      Enjoyed your report Coach. Sounds like you all had a great time.

      Hopefully Teacher didn't injure herself too seriously.


      I'm sure she has had the maps out planning the next walk. Besides, she has to come back and finish, and we all have to finish Beachy bottom to Lot#1. :)
      I'M in...you heard here first folks, next month, road trip...weather might even break. Nice report Lou.


      Okay... looking for online maps.
      For what Harriman?

      http://kbk.is-a-geek.net/catskills/test2.html?la=41.265&lo=-74.120&z=13
    • Short Walks with Coach Lou

      CoachLou wrote:

      Trillium wrote:

      Enjoyed your report Coach. Sounds like you all had a great time.

      Hopefully Teacher didn't injure herself too seriously.


      I'm sure she has had the maps out planning the next walk. Besides, she has to come back and finish, and we all have to finish Beachy bottom to Lot#1. :)


      She's been bugging me about when we're going to do it. In summer it had better be midweek unless we're just doing a day trip. The areas around the shelters get to be a zoo on the weekends, and it's not lawful to camp anywhere else in Harriman unless you advance-book a spot at one of the campgrounds. (And those are zoos too.)
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Serious CL you do short walks?



      I just got back from one. OV dropped me off at Penn-Mar, yesterday, and she picked me up at caledonia @ 1pm. Her daughter spent the week at Lancaster Seminary. We drove down Friday nite, crashed in her Subaru. We woke at dawn, I walked, she drove to Lancaster to get her then they spent the nite in Gettysburg. It was hot yesterday. No water after Buzzard Peak, I was parched by Rocky Mtn. shelters....I couldn't get enough water back in me last nite, I had leg cramps all nite. In the morning I just about ran the last 3 to Caledonia. I knew they would not be out of the visitor center by noon, so I tried to hitch to Gettysburg to surprize them......1.5 hours with my thumb out....nothin'!!!! you Quakers don't pick up vagabonds dressed in green!!! And the traffic on the way back! That is 5 1/2 hr drive normally.....it took us 8.
      This weekend coming we have no steps! We have a 20 mile section in Mass that we have not done yet....and then Overload will have done her first complete state....Massachusetts!


      Pics tomorrow :thumbup:
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • So when are we getting together for another hike?? I actually went back to finish where we bailed in January (?) or was it February (?). I did a loop from Bear Mtn. down the Suffern/Bear Mtn trail (killer) to the West Mountain Shelter and back up the AT to Bear Mtn. I loved hiking with all you guys. We should do something when it's not quite so cold. I would love to swim at that Pond we passed. Turtle Pond??
      “Alone had always felt like an actual place to me, as if it weren't a state of being, but rather a room where I could retreat to be who I really was.”
      ― Cheryl Strayed
    • moose717 wrote:

      So when are we getting together for another hike?? I actually went back to finish where we bailed in January (?) or was it February (?). I did a loop from Bear Mtn. down the Suffern/Bear Mtn trail (killer) to the West Mountain Shelter and back up the AT to Bear Mtn. I loved hiking with all you guys. We should do something when it's not quite so cold. I would love to swim at that Pond we passed. Turtle Pond??


      Welcome back moose
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123
    • moose717 wrote:

      So when are we getting together for another hike?? I actually went back to finish where we bailed in January (?) or was it February (?). I did a loop from Bear Mtn. down the Suffern/Bear Mtn trail (killer) to the West Mountain Shelter and back up the AT to Bear Mtn. I loved hiking with all you guys. We should do something when it's not quite so cold. I would love to swim at that Pond we passed. Turtle Pond??


      It can't be this weekend - Elf and I are planning a trip to the Catskills for some no-blazing. (Trying for 4 trail-less 3500-footers.)

      I'm not sure which pond you're talking about... I don't know a Turtle Pond in Harriman. Of the ones I know we passed, Island Pond doesn't allow swimming, but Silvermine Lake and Tiorati both do. :)
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.