Adirondacktastic

[percious]

Hi all. Finally did the lengthy write-up on my trip. This time I put the write up on my webpage so I dont have to cut and paste it everywhere. Hope everyone enjoys it! First one on the left.

www.percious.com/hiking/adk

I have to wait for my 35 mm pictures to develop, but 2/3 of the trip is there because I was using my digital. The full writeup exists.

-percious

 

[cbcbd]

Ha! That was you!
I am the guy from the "couple that was heading in with good spirits to climb the slide on Nippletop".
Sat., on the way out, we talked to the ranger at the AMR road gate and he told us that indeed you had gotten a ride back to your car, we were pleased to hear.
Just read your TR... yep, that was pretty nuts, it rained a lot on Friday and you were a sheet of ice when we saw you just coming into the AMR road.
Excellent!

-Doug

 

[percious]

Ah, good to put a face to a name. I was an icicle, eh? It was really hard to know, but my chattering teeth sent me packing, otherwise I would have chatted longer. Did you make Nippletop? How was the slide? How about Gothics?

-percious

 

[cbcbd]

Yeah, I understood and could see that you had to keep moving, no offense taken
I had grandiose aspirations... Friday we set up camp and headed a bit towards Elk Pass, but turned back when it started getting dark. Sat. morn my girl was completely out of energy and unmotivated, so we just headed back and were back at the car by 12 (although now I'm itching even more and I have a feeling in the coming weeks I will take some days off and head up there myself).

And about the "disgusted" ranger at the AMR road gate- I guess that's just how he is in general. I saw that a party of 10 was heading up to Gothics on Sat and he said "They'll blow off the top" with a "I'll just have to save their asses later" tone

Doug

 

[percious]

Hey, I always start out with grandiose plans. My original intent was to complete the lower range and return via Johns Brook. I think I should have started with Saddleback, but Gothics had that whole thorn in my side appeal, plus it offered some ice-axe usage. Had I gone up Saddleback I would not have attempted Gothics.

That ranger was kind of crass to me previous. I was actually dreading meeting with him later in the day, but he was helpfull in getting me a ride back to the Garden. His assistant was a charming middle ager with a great heart.

On my last adk trip with my son, the ranger tried to diswade me from heading up Sawteeth with Colden on my back, and kind of gave me a bad attitude for it. I climbed Sawteeth and Gothics fairly easily that day.

I think that he has probably had to save many people over the years who were ill-prepared, and not in shape. He has probably saved a few that were very prepared but made bad choices. I feel like I made a bad choice by going up Gothics, but a good choice by bailing out. I hoped that he would appreciate that, maybe he did and that is why I got a lift back to the Garden.

I think you are pretty lucky to have a little lady that will brave sub zero temperatures out in the middle of nowhere.

-percious

 

[cbcbd]

The change of plans wasn't a big deal, it's just the lingering hunger that's left. The hunger is even greater than the first time!

Right on about the ranger. Rangers in these big parks have earned the right to be skeptic about people going in.

My girl is something else
I just feel bad because when she doesn't want to go on she feels disappointed in herself and doesn't want to let me down. As long as I keep her warm and fed she's a happy camper

Doug