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RITBlake
02-15-2006, 03:19
A fellow CT native joked w/ me today about having a Connecticut ruck, for all 2 or 3 of us. Then I got to thinking, maybe a New England ruck is in order. I know that the gathering was held in NH not too long ago but it will be another year or so before that returns (my understanding is that it moves to virginia)

And maybe a NE ruck already exists that I don't know about. I think it would be a cool way to meet people on the site and to eat/party together and hike together. Anyone have suggestions or advice on how to get the ball rolling? best places to hold something like this? If im way off base let me know

attroll
02-15-2006, 03:29
When are you thinking of holding this? I mean what month? I would be able to attend if it were in Maine. I might even be able to help arrange something if it were in Maine. We need more specifics.

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 04:01
When are you thinking of holding this? I mean what month? I would be able to attend if it were in Maine. I might even be able to help arrange something if it were in Maine. We need more specifics.

Troll, I was just throwing out an idea. I think Maine would be a great choice, I would LOVE to get back up north and do some hiking. In terms of a time frame I didn't really have much in mind. What do you guys think?

attroll
02-15-2006, 04:15
Lets look into this some then. I have to admit I do not know anything abouts Rucks. But aren't Rucks held during winter months. I have a couple of places in mind where we could hold them. But would need to know more about Rucks and the backgrounds behind them.

Almost There
02-15-2006, 07:31
A Ruck is a gathering. Food, presenters of movies, or slideshows, maybe some gear people. Usually done before hiking season to help potential thru's meet others and we did a tuckerization at the SoRuck. It's a chance for hikers to simply get together and enjoy each others company. If you want contact Sly or Orangebug. Orangebug set up the first ones down south, and Sly organized this years SoRuck. Don't make it more complicated than it has to be. They're about fun, pure and simple!

StarLyte
02-15-2006, 07:33
Lets look into this some then. I have to admit I do not know anything abouts Rucks. But aren't Rucks held during winter months. I have a couple of places in mind where we could hold them. But would need to know more about Rucks and the backgrounds behind them.

PA Ruck & Southern/SO Ruck is held in January.
www.soruck.com
http://www.artofthetrail.com/paruck.html

Rockies Ruck:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rockies_ruck/

There's a Florida Ruck too.

And lots of pictures taken over the years:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/albums.php

Marsha

Mags
02-15-2006, 13:46
. Don't make it more complicated than it has to be. They're about fun, pure and simple!

Yep..that they are. The Rockies Ruck (in the current form) more or less started as an e-mail thread on White Blaze.

Just keep it simple. If you can, find a hostel willing to take in a group of about ~20-25 people as the Rucks usually start of at that size. You can watch slide shows, eat food and talk trail. Alway good to see fellow hiker trash!

I think a New England ruck would go over well. Heck, wish there was one when I was back in New England. :)

As you can tell, with all the various hiker gatherings (Trail Days, the Gatherings, Rucks, ADZPCTKOP, Winter Warmers, etc.), getting together with fellow hikers are very fun and popular!

lbbrown
02-15-2006, 14:10
PA Ruck & Southern/SO Ruck is held in January.
www.soruck.com (http://www.soruck.com)
http://www.artofthetrail.com/paruck.html

Rockies Ruck:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rockies_ruck/

There's a Florida Ruck too.

And lots of pictures taken over the years:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/albums.php

MarshaThe Philly Hikerz had the 1st Annual Eastern PA Ruck on Super Bowl Sunday! 7 hikerz showed up ..hiked and cooked lunch and compared gear. Pics by RobK are on the Philly Hikers thread page 5.

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 14:18
what about having a ruck at "the cabin" there are so amazing hikes in that area including notch and the 10 mile stretch after nobo grafton state park. (what the heck is the name of that mtn range?) Its mostly above treeline and its amazing hiking.

The cabin had a fair amount of bunk space, a seperate kitchen and plenty of spot in the yard for people who want to camp. Just an idea. Oh and its closer to the NH border making it more accessible to all New Englanders.

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 14:19
We could do a day of food, presentations, slideshows etc,then a second day of hiking, and for those who dont want tohike, more food, presentations etc.

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 14:25
the cabin....

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 14:26
the cabin... (delete previous post)

attroll
02-15-2006, 14:41
I could work something out with Honey and Bear I am sure. They are good friends. It may be to short of a notice this year though seeing hiker season has already started.

A-Train
02-15-2006, 15:23
This sounds like a great idea, an excuse to get some hiker trash together is always good. Not to knock the Maine idea (I regretted not staying at the Cabin) but the Whiteblaze get together has been there the past two years. While Maine is beautiful and a great destination, it isn't exactly close for, well anyone living outside maine, or near the Whites. I would love to see something in CT, mass or NY. I'm sure you'd get more people than you think. I can think of a couple of CT thru-hikers already off the top of my head.

Anyway, sounds like a good idea. Maybe I should organize something for an NYC hiker bash!

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 15:39
This sounds like a great idea, an excuse to get some hiker trash together is always good. Not to knock the Maine idea (I regretted not staying at the Cabin) but the Whiteblaze get together has been there the past two years.

I would love to see the NEWRUCK held anywhere in New England. Maine would be my first choice because I thought it had the best hiking anywhere in New England and there are several good hostels, but I'd be happy to go anywhere. I can't think of any great hostels in CT that would be able to host us. There are more options in Mass, Tom Levardi, Birdcage, Upper Goose Pond (no electricity) just a few ideas. Maybe a climb up Greylock?
Plenty of cool hiking in Vermont, would prefer NH though. Any options for finding a place somehwhere in the Whites? I think we should be open to a good New England location, I figured the Cabin would be relatively neutral because its right on the border.

And yah this is kind of late in the season, but as far as Im concerned, any times a good time for hiking, and hiking gatherings.

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 15:45
wow, that came off as one big ramble... sorry. Lets try to make this happen!
Lets talk dates.....
Lets talk location
Lets talk logistics

walkin' wally
02-15-2006, 16:08
I think it would be a great event. I hope it happens. I will go if I can match the time off. I would help if possible, too.

dje97001
02-15-2006, 16:36
If you plan it for some time toward the end of summer we might be able to stop by (assuming we make it that far north!)!

TJ aka Teej
02-15-2006, 16:46
Here's a nice cabin, sleeps eight+ inside, six+ on the porch, with plenty of tenting & parking, just minutes outside the Baxter State Park gate:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=4116&c=563 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=4116&c=563)
The view from the cabin:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=7196&catid=member&imageuser=314 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=7196&catid=member&imageuser=314)

TeaseJ

RITBlake
02-15-2006, 17:07
the cabin Teej posted would be amazing. Cons are that it only sleeps 8 and Baxter is a long drive for anyone thats not from northern Maine. Looks great though and the view is amazing

attroll
02-16-2006, 01:41
Dje97001
wbdent We will not be able to do a Ruck towards the end of summer. It is my understanding that Rucks are done prior to hiking season. We are planning on putting on the WhiteBlaze get together and hiker feed in September again this year if all goes well. That should be the weekend of 16th. But don’t mark it on the calendars yet. But that should be the date.

A-Train
wbdent The only reason that all the WhiteBlaze events have been held in Maine is because that is where I live. Not that they can not be held anywhere else by someone else. If someone else wants to have a WhiteBlaze get together then by all means go for it. I have been the one organizing them and footing the cost of them out of my own pocket. If I am going to pay for them and organize them then I am going to have them where it is going to be easy for me.

wbdent As for organizing a Ruck then we need to keep in mind that they are held prior to the start of thru hiker season. So my best bet would be anytime before March. But that is just my opinion. The only problem we are going to have in New England is that we are most likely going to have a lot more snow than some of the southern states that hold there Rucks. So we have to keep in mind that if we want to include a hike we might now want to include a mountain because there will be a lot of snow in the higher elevations. So the area of the New Hampshire and the Presidentials might not be a good idea.

wbdent If we are going to do one then we need to have some good planning ahead of time. We need someone that will be able to get a place big enough to hold the amount of people that will want to spend the night. We will need a place to hold the events at like a hall or something. We would need this all lined up head of time if we wanted it to be a success. I could work on something for Maine. But as A-Train said Maine is probably not the ideal spot. Here are a couple of suggestions. Bennington, VT or Williamstown, Mass areas. But this is a suggestion. This seems to be a middle spot for New England. We would need someone that lives real close to look into places to hold events and some real reasonable lodging and maybe a place that would let us hold a fire at night.

TJ
wbdent That does look like an awesome cabin. But it only sleeps eight. Would we be able to hold some seminars or show movies for a crowd of people there? The location is awesome but it is awkward to have everyone drive all the way to Baxter to attend.

Nokia
02-16-2006, 04:32
Driving all the way up to ME would suck that time of year (winter). When I finish my hike this year, I'll be headed to North Woodstock, NH. As most will know, it's right in the Whites. Another option might be Glen Cliff. How many folks can the hiker friendly hold? Or we could all just go ruck it up at Lion King's place. :))

Nokia
02-16-2006, 04:33
When I finish my hike this year, I'll be headed to North Woodstock, NH.

My point there was I could try and scout a location.

dje97001
02-16-2006, 08:07
Aw shucks. Maybe next year.

Peaks
02-16-2006, 10:23
the cabin Teej posted would be amazing. Cons are that it only sleeps 8 and Baxter is a long drive for anyone thats not from northern Maine. Looks great though and the view is amazing

Other options include Hiker's Paradise in Gorham, or perhaps early season at Upper Goose Pond.

RITBlake
02-16-2006, 15:43
Other options include Hiker's Paradise in Gorham, or perhaps early season at Upper Goose Pond.

IMO, hikers paradise was hardly a paradise. It didn't offer much a stay in town infected with gross tourism. The real hikers paradise is the summit of Mt. Madison. No tourists, just pure view.

weary
02-16-2006, 17:28
what about having a ruck at "the cabin" there are so amazing hikes in that area including notch and the 10 mile stretch after nobo grafton state park. (what the heck is the name of that mtn range?) Its mostly above treeline and its amazing hiking.

The cabin had a fair amount of bunk space, a seperate kitchen and plenty of spot in the yard for people who want to camp. Just an idea. Oh and its closer to the NH border making it more accessible to all New Englanders.
I think the Cabin is ideal. Aside from being closer than any good place in Maine to more southern parts of New England, the area is in the news. Abraham is nearby, the mountain the MAT Land Trust has bought. Also Saddleback, the Mahoosucs, Bigelow, and of course Redington, where the wind towers are proposed.

While I'm thinking about it, try to keep OCT. 27, 28, and 29 free. The MAT Land Trust has tentatively scheduled a Maine Mountain Conference for that weekend. The conference will be focused on the trail and the threats to the trail in Maine. It will be a follow up to a Maine Mountain Conference that I helped arrange in 1972, which brought a combination of scientists and hiking interests to Maine. That conference set the pattern for Maine's regulation of the mountain environments that continues to this day.

We think it's time for an update, especially with wind power entering the regulatory picture. Tentative location is the Saddleback Ski area, which is under new and friendlier ownership these days. I'll probably have a definite date in a few days but that weekend is a pretty safe bet.

Weary

UCONNMike
02-16-2006, 18:08
How about we just wait til my parents go on vacation, and we can have it at my house.

;)

RITBlake
02-16-2006, 18:31
How about we just wait til my parents go on vacation, and we can have it at my house.

;)

what are you 16? grow up ock :)

nattyd123
02-16-2006, 19:41
Welcome to the boomerang generation!

UCONNMike
02-16-2006, 19:49
what are you 16? grow up ock :)

HAHA!

yea, i'm totally an ock. i'm huge, i mean come on 6'3" 176 lbs...don't make me drive up to RIT and show you how to "ruck it up."

JHP!!!!

gsingjane
02-16-2006, 20:03
The AMC has a cabin in the Bear Mountain area in CT. I don't think it's a huge cabin, but it probably sleeps more than 8, plus there's room for tenting outside.

Jane in CT

LIhikers
02-19-2006, 20:02
My vote would be for lower New England, CT or MA, since I live just south of there on Long Island.

Grampie
02-20-2006, 12:04
A fellow CT native joked w/ me today about having a Connecticut ruck, for all 2 or 3 of us. Then I got to thinking, maybe a New England ruck is in order. I know that the gathering was held in NH not too long ago but it will be another year or so before that returns (my understanding is that it moves to virginia)

And maybe a NE ruck already exists that I don't know about. I think it would be a cool way to meet people on the site and to eat/party together and hike together. Anyone have suggestions or advice on how to get the ball rolling? best places to hold something like this? If im way off base let me know
Hay Blake, Don't underestimate how many AT/thru-hikers are in CT. Give it a try. You may beable to get a bunch together.:sun

icemanat95
02-20-2006, 12:40
Other options include Hiker's Paradise in Gorham, or perhaps early season at Upper Goose Pond.

UGP would be my vote as well.

Hiker's Paradise, the last time I was there, was little more than a flop house. It's been a while though.

nattyd123
02-20-2006, 13:05
NutmeggerMiniRuck. I'm in.