I'm still in. Put in for a looongg weekend.
"Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be
able to treat life as art." Maya Angelou
I wanna gooooooo!!!!!!
I wanna gooooooo!!!!!! Doodletown loop(s) or something to include that sounds so much fun! And Cheesecake for breakfast....
Ok....I figure it's time to bump this thread and get the plans going. I don't know who's doing what or when precisely, but this is what seems to be the status now:
Just Bill might be coming.....and apparently it might be on Friday.
Moose is taking a long weekend.
Coach is bringing Cheesecake.
Goody wants to come and hike Doodletown.
Rocketsocks is out of commission.
As for Snacktime and me ...
We plan to make one overnight
Day one is from Anthony Wayne to West Mtn Shelter
Day two is from the shelter through Doodletown
Another Kevin plans on escorting us
We haven't solidified dates, times or shuttle from Rt9 to Anthony Wayne.
I will be more than happy to act as recording secretary for AK (much like last year) and gather and summarize all others' input.
So guys, whatcha got?
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
Unfortunately this new Dad won't be able to make it this year. I have bigger (er, smaller...) things I need to deal with!
Hope you all have fun!
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
I'll make note of your being missed (and why) in the new poem Again, congratulations Elf!
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
i'm in for as much as friday saturday and sunday night if anyone else is... definitely friday and saturday nights.
Lazarus
Hey, I just found out about this and want to come too!
Of course first I have to run it by the boss at home and the one at work too.
Kathy will have to work the Friday of MLK weekend so we might have to night hike in, like last year.
I'll keep ya'll informed as to our plans.
There is a good chance I will be coming along again this year. I'm in a serious need of a weekend in the hills.
I just wanted to mention this trip is open to all.
Lazarus
Whatever route Kevin sets is not just okey dokey by me, but likely the best option.
Still working things out but I should have the family adventure transportation module of Homeric proportions (also known as a Honda Odyssey) and ideally will arrive in the general vicinity early afternoon- a little kiddie seat shuffle should leave room for 3-4 folks if some shuttlin' services are needed.
Elf- Welcome to the fine art of horse trading- wherein a hiking dad may need to swap a few girls night babysitting services and sell the wife hard on getting dropped off at an old friends house en route and toss in a thinly veiled family vacation to Niagara Falls to seal the deal. By kid #2 you'll likely have it down, but that first year is always tricky trading for sure.
At.Lt. is also looking to come along
My lovely wife Kathy reminded me that we already have something on the calendar for the MLK weekend.
So we won't be able to make it this year.
The up side to that is there will be more cheesecake for someone else.
Kevin, will you be posting a day-by-day plan for the weekend? I don't know that I could survive a winter overnight, even in globally warmed conditions, but I might be up for a day hike.
Would you guys have room for 1 more??
I have a lot of winter experience, but my normal hiking partner is in Patagonia and I'm dying to get in the woods. What does the itinerary look like? I would like to be home for the AFC championship game if the patriots are fortunate enough to be in it. If they aren't in it, I may need someone to dry my tears during the hike before they freeze to my face
People are making the assumption that I have a plan! What's a plan?
Seriously, the idea that people have expressed is that people would make a base camp somewhere near the West Mountain shelter, and do loop hikes in the east side of the park. It's a big enough group that splitting up would be appropriate, so people can do what they're interested in. There are a bunch of possibilities that suggest themselves: the Dunderberg Spiral Railway, Doodletown, and exit to Bear Mountain (either on the A-T over Perkins Point, or on the Suffern-Bear Mountain trail, or on the 1777E trail).
About the only firm plan that I have is that Teacher and Snacktime want a shuttle from 9W to Anthony Wayne on Saturday (and an escort up to West Mountain), and an escort from West Mountain back to 9W (visiting Doodletown) on Sunday. Unless plans change again. I've told them I'm willing to do both. I'm therefore certainly willing to lead a trip to Doodletown on Sunday. If they're comfortable and someone else is arriving about the same time, I'd be willing to delegate shuttling the cars between 9W and Anthony Wayne, and getting them up the hill to the shelter. (Although I would want to check out Lou's handiwork around there at some point!)
The choice of loop hikes would depend on snow conditions and what equipment people have. If there's enough snow for snowshoes, I seem to recall that Teacher and Snacktime would be taking a wave-off. I'm up for about anything in Harriman that doesn't involve subzero temperatures. I can assure you that my last day trip was harder than anything Harriman has to offer. But I'm not geared to sleep comfortably much below 0F at the moment.
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
If you have a lot of winter experience, then propose one of the loops - and lead it! (Seriously, there is a big enough group that we have to split up sometimes - and a wide range of experience.) There are going to be winter n00bs around, and the more experienced people we have looking out for them, the better!
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
I have some info for our part: Yes, our plan is to hike from Anthony Wayne to West Mtn Shelter on Saturday, and on Sunday take a tour of Doodletown with Kevin. @Kevin: we don't actually need an escort for Saturday; we can get ourselves to the shelter if you want to traipse off with the boys and girls on another hike. We can meet up at the shelter and hike together Sunday. This would just mean that we'd need a shuttle on Sunday back to our car at Anthony Wayne. Either way we work this is fine, but I don't want to mess up your Saturday making you wait around for us for a 2+ mile hike.
Also.....very important note here: I'm NOT a snow hiker. If the conditions are seriously "winter", we won't be part of the excursion. Last year was perfect with the snowless trail on Friday and the beautiful fall on Saturday, but trudging through deep or icy conditions is not my forte. If we NEED the crampons, then we won't be needing the crampons, if you get my "drift"
Last edited by Teacher & Snacktime; 12-24-2014 at 10:53.
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."