Adirondacks Gathering 8-9-08 - Pictures and stories

[Peakbagr]

What a terrific time. Thanks to Spencer and Maddy for hosting the (maybe 5th) annual Adirondacks Gathering. They had the big top set up, a couple of portapotties, and their backyard hillside was dotted with tents.

For those who were nervous about the weather, Saturday was a perfect Adirondack hiking day with many folks out to different destinations. A few got to sample one of the ADK100 hikes, Pitchoff, a hike whose summit ridge keeps you out above the trees most of the day.

The weather held and thanks to a TRUCKLOAD of wood delivered by Spencer's Dad, the bonfire started small in the late afternoon, got a tad larger in the early evening, and then thanks to a few enthusiasts(Mark H and Bushwhacker...I may have even thrown on a couple of good ones) the bonfire passed the nuclear stage with chunks of wood and some telephone pole diameter thick logs really spicing things up. From in front of home in the dark, you could see sparks blasting upwards of +100' at its height. While a couple of stalwarts hung in there at about 20' in their chairs, most everyone had moved back to 40' due to the radiant blast furnace heat.
Singed the hair off my legs in spots.

This was another great event. Terrific company, food, beverages.
A big thank you to Spencer, Maddy, Brian and their parents for all the work that went into making this memorable.
My very sincere apologies for not being able to identify many of the people in the photos. Others, pls fill in the blanks, thanks.

Peakbagr

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=avk6ugum.4prs7ie2&x=0&y=-nz3xtw&localeid=en_US

 

[una_dogger]

Great pics, Alan!

Sorry we didn't end up stopping by (I have a miserable cold). Looks like a great time and the weather held out!

Spence and Maddy do a great job every year hosting this event.

 

[audrey]

The scene that I will always remember from this one is the showers of live embers falling on a few unlucky souls who didn't seem to have the energy to get out of the way..."Look out Prino, there's one in your lap, ha ha!" As Bubba put it, fire building ought to be an Olympic sport, and maybe spark dodging too!

On Thursday we ended up at the Deers Head Inn in E'town for a really elegant dinner: Spence, Maddi, teejay, Pat and Audrey, with Bubba joining us for dessert. Friday was the usual great stuff at Cricket's, with about 30 of us being cheerfully accommodated by the staff.

Saturday night's food was outstanding. Thanks to all the good VFTT cooks for working to produce such a variety of dishes.

Some big hikes happened on both days, with details yet to be told. On Friday, Bubba, teejay, Pat, and I walked up the Lake Road, stopped at Rainbow Falls which was in full flow, and then the skies opened up and we slunk back on the road like wet chickens.

Saturday was a perfect weather day, and Pat and I climbed Hurricane with Crazymama and her husband Mike and darling Kepler, their yellow Lab. We got up there first and had the summit to ourselves for about 45 minutes before the crowds started arriving. We were joined by daxs and Jim, and there was a lot of staring at the views, with the perfect white clouds topping the sea of green-blue hills.

Thank you Spencer, Maddi, Brian, and family!

 

[Tom Rankin]

Laurie and I had a great time! Good company, good food, good beer, good hiking, good fires, it's all good!

Speaking of good, our hosts were more than good, they were awesome! Thanks again to Maddy and Spencer!

We did Baxter Saturday, (which has great views!), and then visited the C-O-W Ponds (Copperas, Owens, Winch) afterwards. Then we hit 2 waterfalls. A very nice day, considering it was supposed to rain. Sunday, we visited 3 more ponds, Hammond, Big Pond outlet, and Bailey as part of the Adirondack quest, http://www.gvc-adk.org/outings/extended/quest/qsthome.php

On all the hikes we did this weekend, the dominant form of life in the ADKs is now MUSHROOMS! We saw dozens of varieties, and they all seem to be huge!

And BTW Alan, the yard was so wet, the Noah impression was required!

Pics:

http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/bp.jpg - Big Pond Outlet
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/g1.jpg - Whiteface from Copperas Pond
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/g2.jpg - Winch Pond - Laurie's best effort of the weekend!
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/g3.jpg - Demon possessed Chipmunk!
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/g4.jpg - John's Brook Valley from Baxter - how many peaks can you name?
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/g5.jpg - Cardinal Flowers at Hammond Pond
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/g7.jpg - The fire!
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/h1.jpg - Hammond Pond
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/m1.jpg - Big a$$ mushrooms!
http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/sr.jpg - Split Rock Falls

 

[Peakbagr]

I liked Copperas, Winch and Split Rock the best. Just great pictures, guys.

Re the new pumps...did someone say they saw rhinestones TFRs on
the toes?

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Glad you all had a good time last weekend. I couldn't make it this year, because I was leading an ADK paddle trip in PA. Maybe see you folks at a winter gathering.

 

[David Metsky]

Thank you, Spencer and Maddy for a wonderful weekend. With Audrey and Pat, the team of Mats, Rebecca, and I tried to represent the Boston contingent. There was a bit of moisture on Friday but that just meant more 4-wheeling opportunities.

Saturday Mimi, Prino, Rich and Paul hiked Dix under blue skies and over muddy boots, but a great time was had by all. (Why to they put the trailheads so far from the summits over there?) We had a long but fruitful day, full of songs and stories. Trip report and photos to follow.

Saturday night was a fine BBQ and Olympic fire building competition. Teams from the Whites, Daks, and Catskills were all competing to make a fire visible from the International Space Station. We're still waiting for the results from the judges. The food was amazing, the conversation scintillating, and the alcohol consumption substantial. All in all, a typical VftT gathering.

More later.

 

[Mats Roing]

Maddy's Mom Ruth won the best price in the blueberry pie competition

Tom Rankin's Mother's Milk won the best beer competition (at least in my mind)

March Howes and Brian gave a lesson in how to burn up 5 cords of firewood in minimal time. Spencer's recently extended fire ring was filled to the rim with ember. It will probably still be hot by next weekend

I know there were some videos shot on Marc tossing big logs on top of the fire and he somehow managed to make them stay on the top.

David Metsky kept saying in the car on Friday when driving to the gathering that the downpour we experienced will burn off......he was right

Is there a link to Pete Hickey's axe picture in the Photoshop competition everyone was talking about?

Great stuff......looking forward to next year

 

[bignslow]

Is there a link to Pete Hickey's axe picture in the Photoshop competition everyone was talking about?

Great stuff......looking forward to next year

Marc sent it to me

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3747962

 

[Little Rickie]

I'm still bumming that I missed it. Car problems kept my car in the shop until 4:00PM Saturday.

It looked like a lot of fun and a great crowd to hang out with. I was hoping to meet all of you. Next time.

I was hoping to get a picture of me with my brother.

 

[coldfeet]

Sorry I missed another nice gathering....I chickened out because it was a 500 mile round trip and I didn't like the weather forecast....especially bringing my wife along for the first time to the ADK's....however I did get her to go kayaking for the first time...thx for the invite ...

 

[TCD]

Sorry I missed it. Great picture of Split Rock Falls (one of my favorite places to swim!). I had to settle for La Mina Falls in the rain forest (pardon the low res cell phone pic). It's not bad, but it's not Split Rock!

TCD

 

[marchowes]

This was a damned good time. Big thanks to our gracious hosts. I really enjoyed helping build the fire and the bit of "showmanship" involved with such a task! Always good to see my ADK friends and listen to good old Quatre-vingt seize neuf CKOI! in all its 300,000 Watts of French Canadian glory.

We really lucked out with the weather (on Saturday anyways).

I wait with the utmost anticipation for more pictures and video of the mighty bonfire

 

[peak_bgr]

Thanks everyone for a great turn out-dispite the forcast. Great time, great friends-new and old, great food and drink. Thanks to a large group my liquor cabinet is now half empty-I may have hand a small hand in that.

Even with the rain on friday someone smiled upon us. We had a bright rainbow land in the front yard on a car no less.

Saturday was a gem all day and night-I think the fire actually scared off the rain gods-thanks Bri and mark for that.

Hope to see you all next year for #7.

 

[prino]

It was "All Good"!
Thanks again Spence and Maddi for hosting this wonderful weekend. It was great to meet up with so many friends both old and new.

Cheers!

 

[Paradox]

Sigh, sorry I missed a great time. Family obligations, but definately next year.

 

[Viewseeker]

yes

Yes great pics and that fire rocked...Sorry i missed for sure..theres always next yr.

 

[UNFROZENCAVEMAN]

Yup, for all of those that stayed away because of the forecast you missed a great time and some fabulous weather!!

Thanks to everyone BUT especially Spence and Maddy! It was great to see Emily again too...even if she didn't remember me Thank god for that pool, it was the bathing hole of choice for many a dirty boy and girl

 

[SherpaKroto]

Sad to have missed it: I was hoping 3rd time to be the charm. Various forces worked at keeping me away: I was supposed to be a 50th B'Day party, but instead worked on a system upgrade that needed to be reversed due to one group not getting their SMS package set up correctly. So... 25 hour w*rk weekend instead. I would much have preferred... uh... anything

 

[UNFROZENCAVEMAN]

I HATE it when groups don't get their SMS package set up correctly and you have to reverse everything - UGGGGHHHH.