Parade Of Fools: ADIRONDACKS !!!!!

[russb]

I met an Assitant NYS Forest Ranger on the NPT this summer and he basically said that armed Rangers will never be seen in the backcountry these days as they are esentially LEO's and there is too much going on in real society. His was very informative and nice, but much closer to a Ridgerunner/Caretaker than a traditional ranger and is unarmed.

Yeah. The use a lot of the assistants out in the deep parts. I usually run into the same one over at Cedar Lakes. The High Peaks Region sees a lot more of the Full Forest Rangers due to the sheer numbers of people.

[wrongway_08]

Okay, so the line up for this trip goes as follows:

1) Jess asked the following:
- Where do I put my sleeping bag?
- I don't have a compass but my cell phone has one.

2) Joe
- as of 11:30 today, still thought we were sleeping in a hotel.
- was going to bring a 12 pound tent.
- left for REI about 2.5 hours ago to buy items for the trip - now that he knows its a overnighter.

3) Wrongway (as written by someone else)
- can still barely walk after injuring his back on Saturday.
- can almost use his new GPS. Will be handy since he gets lost a LOT and neither companion thinks they can navigate.

This could be one of the best conceived Parade Of FOOLS trips ever. I can't figure out why Erwin won't come with us... I should be able to make a pretty good video out of this one!!

Leaving tomorrow after work! Look forward to doing a write up on this one ..... hopefully ....

[wrongway_08]

Another great trip!

We got lost on the way up - driving, went to go hit the bathroom and it took about 45 minutes to find our way outta town and back to the road! Oh yea, I also forgot to take 287 from 78 west - sooooo, we had to go through NY city area and pay $8.00 to use the bridge ...... there was a tractor trailer that had just hit the lower portion of the bridge, am glad we made it around him!!! This added another 1 hour to the drive!

The hotel that night was nice, about 45 minutes from the trail head - if that.

After arriving at the park, we were on the trail for about 400 feet before getting lost and started bushwacking - lasted about 6 hours and only ended due to night fall . We didnt even make it to the first camp site (would have only been 1.5 hour trip, if we could have stayed on the trail!).
While bushwacking we passed Lilly Pond, Joe took over the GPS unit at this point and led us........ not to the stream we needed .... but ................ back around the pond, up a mountain and about 1/8 mile further back then when I handed him the GPS!!! Looks like it would be up to me to find the right way to the stream ..... .... not good! We started off again, passed Lilly Pond .... again .... and when night fall did come, we were still walking in the river bed, ended up having to climb a rock ledge and sleep on a bumpy, slanted, wet , angled camping spot. Made for a rough night of sleep.

In the morning we headed down the rock face and followed the river a bit. Decided to climb up to the other side of the river and there it was - the trail!!! Seems we were only off the trail by about 20 - 100 feet the whole time! Met some locals and they told us we had only about 15 minutes or so to get to the first camp site (the one we should have been at last night). They also gave us directions on how to get to East Dix , once at the camp site.

We arrived at the camp site and........ no big surprize...... I led us the exact oppisite way we should have gone! Sooooo..... another 3 or 4 hours of uphill bushwacking and we decided to head back to camp due to time and the fact we would never reach the mountain.

On the way back, we found a cool pool of water that had a natural rock slide leading to it. I got down to my boxers and slowly got in - COLD! but worth it, the slide was a lot of fun also. Jess and Joe got in on it also. Good way to end 10 hours or so of bushwacking!

The idea was to call the trip and just sit around Sunday at camp for a while, then head home - using the trail . Then the locals we met after finding the trail this morning heading up the trail and asked what happened to us ..... they got a good laugh .... and then showed us the right trail.......... about 12 feet from the way we went only many hours earlier!

The night was good, sat around the camp fire and talked to a hiker from Canada (Mike - pretty sure). We put to rest the myth about canister stoves exploding when they burn ... you'll need to see the video ..... will work on getting it made.

In the morning we headed to East Dix. The hike went well - thats to mike keeping us on the trail. The climb up was great! Took a while but well worth it. Weather was great and a nice breeze to keep us cool! Photos will be posted with the video.

Headed back to the car after a few hours and the locals got it right, what took us about 10 hours to get to by bushwacking (car to first camp site) only took 1.5 hours or so by trail!

By the end of the trip:
- Joe had a better understanding of what he needs for back packing. (was his first "real" trip.
- Jess has a new style of getting down rocks... see video when I get it done.
- and me ... well.... I can get a group lost, with or without a GPS and map!

All in all a great trip! we plan on heading up again - to do the whole thing - maybe the first week in November!!

At least we had the GPS .... I mean if I got the group this lost with it ..... what would have happened without it????

I am sure the others will chime in later ....

[NorthStarMutant]

Glad you had fun. Good to see your back got better, too.