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Short Walks with Coach Lou

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    • CoachLou wrote:

      I fell down the steep pitch! Half way down people were coming and going in all manner of foot gear, and the trail was a mess. I did the last1.5 in spikes..... I was beat up, I didn't want to break anything! :rolleyes:
      Yeah, when the ice is as rotten as it has been, it gets pretty crappy. I know the pitch you're talking about,about 3500 feet on the Becker Hollow trail, amirite? I personally wouldn't do that at this time of year without at least bringing ice axe and crampons - whether I turn out to need them or not. You can slide a LONG way if the ice is wrong.

      How not to do it: This video is on Cornell Mountain, which isn't Hunter but you can see it from there. About a minute in, there's the 'bloopers' section, which is more like 'near fatalities.' It looks as if the guy is wearing Stabilicers. He needs full crampons. And he's damn lucky, because you can fall a lot farther than that on Cornell Mountain! When I first showed the video to my daughter, she was rolling her eyes, cringing and saying "no! NO!!!" long before the first fall. How many mountaineering safety mistakes can you put in one minute, anyway? (In case you hadn't figured, it's not my video. You won't see anything like that on a trip I'm leading!)

      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • Just checked my mileage with ATdist.com and am a bit annoyed. Apparently constantly rehiking parts of the same 50-100 mile section of trail doesn't count towards my completion progress. :(
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Just checked my mileage with ATdist.com and am a bit annoyed. Apparently constantly rehiking parts of the same 50-100 mile section of trail doesn't count towards my completion progress. :(
      Yes, but did you enjoy it while you were hiking it each time?

      If so, then I would still consider it a success. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Just checked my mileage with ATdist.com and am a bit annoyed. Apparently constantly rehiking parts of the same 50-100 mile section of trail doesn't count towards my completion progress. :(
      Yes, but did you enjoy it while you were hiking it each time?
      If so, then I would still consider it a success. :)
      If I can't get a man patch for it, why would I consider it a success? :D
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Just checked my mileage with ATdist.com and am a bit annoyed. Apparently constantly rehiking parts of the same 50-100 mile section of trail doesn't count towards my completion progress. :(
      Having first read of this site from your post, I looked for Harpers Ferry to check various distances. I don't see HF listed specifically. Is it listed under another name?

      Lest we forget.....



      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC
    • Dan76 wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Just checked my mileage with ATdist.com and am a bit annoyed. Apparently constantly rehiking parts of the same 50-100 mile section of trail doesn't count towards my completion progress. :(
      Having first read of this site from your post, I looked for Harpers Ferry to check various distances. I don't see HF listed specifically. Is it listed under another name?
      I would use "ATC side trail,WV" it does seem odd that they didn't just call it Harper's Ferry.
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Just checked my mileage with ATdist.com and am a bit annoyed. Apparently constantly rehiking parts of the same 50-100 mile section of trail doesn't count towards my completion progress. :(
      Boardwalks and the Cumberland Valley?
      Or the Priest and Jacob's Ladder?
      I live in CT. Most of my AT trips are somewhere in between NY route 22 and The area of October Mountain shelter in MA.
      At this point if my buddies and I manage to get a weekend free of family responsibilities we just pack quick and then discuss where we're going once we're in the car.
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • My 10 year old home PC with 'Vista' :huh: , has finally stopped. I have the gadget, but Trip reports....no. I have been sooooo busy at work catching up from my walk, well I'm finally getting to this.

      2 july I was to meet up with Astro, but not, so we will see him next year. I drove up I-91 to Fairlee, Vt. where you cross the river and take NH rt.112 past Moosilauke to Lincoln, NH. Must nicer drive than coming up 3 or 93. Any way, by 1000 I was climbing up Liberty........nice and slow and easy. i had already decided that I had 6 days to walk 28.6 miles. So I get to Liberty Springs 1300, the place was filling up fast, by evening a guy was squeezing a tent under my tarp :cursing: . Out early next morning, luckily it was mostly cloudy all day so the climb was not that hot. What a lovely, tough, crowed ridge that was. For most of my time on the 3 peaks, 2 sail planes were enjoying the updrafts and buzzing the peaks. But, it was a long day and climb down towards Garfield, and I just didn't feel like climbing up and then down Garfield to get to the tent platforms. I cameled up and found a nice spot to stealth. Beautiful night sleep, and hey, it was my birthday and I slept late and didn't leave camp till 1000, ^^ . I putz along and spent an hour on top looking at the scenery and all the scantily clad fit young ladies that managed to make it up there. Down to the camp site again by 1300, first one there, I pick my spot. The caretaker said she would keep people out and not squeeze anyone else on my platform 'cause it was my birthday! gif.013.gif I had carried 2 packages of Hazelnut candy and 2 cups of Pino, dinner, a cigar and Pepe to celebrate my 60th!!! Early out on the 5th. And lunch at Galehead hut. They had split pea soup and some cookies!!! Maybe it was the jet propulsion from the soup, but I managed to climb South Twin in an hour and then hung out there for 45 minutes. And I was rolling along so I walked by Guyot and found a stealth spot near Zeeland pond. Early nite and early out. Black Bean soup and more cookies at Zeeland falls hut! As the crowds arrive I beat feet on possibly the easiest 5 miles in New Hampshire, thru the Zeeland Notch to Ethan Pond tentsite, and manage to get a good platform in the back. The caretaker gets me the AMC shuttle schedule and I realize I have to leave at least 0630 to catch the only bus at Webster Cliff. I've driven thru Crawfords, but I don't know where the trail is so I imagine a stiff mile into the notch, but it was smooth an I practically run down that 3 miles an hour ahead of time. The bus stops at the Highland Center for a bit. I run into the Cafeteria and grab a coffee and Bacon Egg and cheese on a english......delish! The shuttle is not 'The Express' so I get to see ALL the back trail heads. The fish car was still intact, so I change and pack up and head home. I stopped for gas and a Snapple in Lincoln. Oh my! I normally have 2 maybe 3 Snapple lemonades on a hot day.....no longer..........I could not get it down!!!!! That 6 days of just water and coffee cleaned me out so good I couldn't get that mix of sweet chemicals past my tongue. No more snapple for me........-17lbs in 2 months!!!

      Pics to come soon!
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Matt and I played a few games of chess. We got to know some folks that we would not have. Dinner was super, turkey with all the fixin's. With blue berry crumbcake dessert........ ok, I brought a bottle of wine. We were socked in all day, but let me just say.... fat people don't hike to lakes!
      After dinner, on que the clouds broke the sun came out and all was beautiful for about 1 half hour!
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • The clouds came back, no moon no northern lights.....
      We hemmed and hawed in the am about going up to the top and getting the train. We went inspite of the forecast! The wind actually helped us up the mountain. We had no time for a cheeseburger, they were shutting down the trains after these last 2 camedown , so we had to beat feet on them or walk
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • ......Two months later................I have to get out, and so did HB.

      We meet in Harriman Park and get some Hero's and head into the southern part of the park where I have never been, and HB is very familiar. Just over nite, in sleep and out. The forcast was for nice weather on Saturday and rain later on Sunday....then, hold on Rain early Sunday. I packed for a week as usual........extra meal, a fleece shirt, I never wore, and Fleece jacket that never left my pack.....and not enough water! And the woods was DRY, nothing, no seeps, not even a mud puddle. I had had enough when we reached Pine Meadow Lake, we found a great spot and set up camp. The walk over a few ridges was cool, our best view though was of a power transfer station. While there, a hawk of some type, was hunting the cliffs. He would hover motionless in the wind for minutes at a time. You could see the only thing moving were his very tip of flight feathers....it was very cool.
      Late Saturday the forecast was for rain in the AM. We packed up camp at 7 and it started to rain at 0702. We bolted out straight down the creek trail, 3 miles. Got a Bacon Egg potato and cheese on a Hard Roll and headed Home.
      23 hours and 10 miles.........the quickie will hold me for now. I'm planning to go back this coming weekend.
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • LIhikers wrote:

      Lou, glad you could get out if even just for an over-nighter.
      Kathy and I do that too, although I don't know when we might next since our schedules don't line up very well.
      I was headed out again today. It is raining here, but not in the park. I have the Harriman Nat Geo map in front of me right now. I have come down with a chest cold, 2 nites of the sweats, went home early yesterday. :(
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • CoachLou wrote:

      It is in my long range plan........I'm glad to hear you say July and not June. And I will meet you at Rattle River, I've done to Imp Shelter. I may even get us a ride back from Grafton Notch........My X has a cousin in Mexico Maine that will pick me up!.
      Can wait till July since I have gotten it down to 167 miles / 3 weeks. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General