"Escape the Escarpment" TBTS fundraising event '05

[frytz]

Profiles are here, Be aware the the elevation on each profile changes, i.e. it'll scale the vertical range based on what is in view, which is why you might see Burnt Knob close to the top, but in the next profile, its way down.

Here is a "one piece" profile, so the base line is always the same! There may be a few little blips from twitching while tracing with a mouse!

Fred

 

[askus3]

Can I just drive up and meet all of you at the end of the hike on Schutt Road at a specified time, leave my car there and grab a ride north to NY 23?

 

[Jay H]

OK, I just called the Last Chance Cheese shop and spoke to Warren (no, not the VFTT warren) there and asked about reservations... He just said to call him about a week before the event so that's what I'll do... We can all just order off the menu as he says he can handle that fine.


http://www.lastchanceonline.com/customer/help.php?section=visit

There's the website, there is a menu there, beer menu, etc...

I would like to get a head count though of those coming and perhaps now is a good time to get a better idea of how many hikers plan on coming. I have not had much email banter like last year so it is hard for me to gauge how many people to expect. Plus, some of you may bring spouses, SOs, etc. etc. which is fine, but I'd like to get a rough headcount so we can tell the restaurant how many tables to set up for.

Could you email me (try not to PM me, it fills up way too fast and I'm almost at critical mass anyway). and tell me if you are hiking and how many total are expected for dinner.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

Aaron brought up an interesting idea... Since the end of the Escarpment trail is in Haines Falls and our dinner is going to be in Tannersville, it is very close... just a little west on Rt 23A from Haines Falls is Tannersville.

The only reason I was planning a shuttle back to Acra is the showers, but of course, it would probably take about an 45 minutes-hour just to drive there and back, thereby adding time and miles to our travel. However, if it is possible to shower at North South lake using the NY DEC showers, it would save a WHOLE lotta time, and of course, anybody arriving can take a shower and wont have to wait for the shuttle. I believe they all are quarter showers...

Anyway, N/S lake will be open that weekend and I'm going to see if I can contact a ranger or the campsite and see if we can arrange for us to be able to shower there. Technically, the showers I believe are for campers only but who knows, maybe they are open to any hiker. Anybody can certainly hike into the campsite though driving there might be a problem cause I think there is a gate attendent there like the ADK have at Heart Lake. Anyway, I will try to find out info and post here what I find.

Jay

 

[jade]

Anyone else staying at the Red Ranch Motel? Perhaps we could car pool to the trail head......Frytz has made reservations and so have I, for Friday and Saturday nights...
....Jade

 

[ajtiv]

Jay
I believe there is a 3 dollar day fee per car (last Year) paid at the entrance gate to the state campground
With that you can use the showers in the campgound
The showers are scattered through out the camping loops in each bathrrom facility and are not coin operated they are free.
Maybe we squeeze in a few cars and go
Al

 

[ajtiv]

5673 elevation gain is what I get on NG TOPO software.
This is only gain and does not include elevation lost which is slightly less than gained with the North to south direction
This is porbably within a couple of percent.
Al

 

[Papa Bear]

A few questions

I have few questions for the group:

1) I have a calf injury from running. I can walk fine but I'm thinking I will take a shorter (but still challenging) version of the hike and head out the Black Dome trail after hitting Blackhead. This would be about 13.5 miles if I read the NY Walk Book correctly and puts you out on Barnum Road near Maplecrest. It includes the hardest part of the Escarpment Trail, so it's not particularly easy. I want to climb Black Dome anyway and Thomas Cole should be nice. My questions:
- Is it possible/feasible to hitch from Maplecrest out to 296, and thence down to 23A and over to Tannersville?
- Do locals pick up hikers or do they chop them up with axes?
- Any one else considering a short version who might be interested in this alternate route?

2) Anyone planning a Slide/Hunter climb for either Friday or Sunday?

3) Anyone from the NYC area interested in a passenger? I think Fred, whose old bomb just died, also needs a ride.

Thanks
Pb

 

[Warren]

If there are any folks interested in helping to support the hikers, please contact me, via the boards email function (preferred) or by pm.

Support could entail waiting at the end of the hike to provide ferrying services or hauling a cooler filled with ice cream up to a trail junction and anything in between.

Hikers: do not take the above statement as a definite plan to have ice cream at the trail junctions.

 

[funkyfreddy]

2) Anyone planning a Slide/Hunter climb for either Friday or Sunday?

3) Anyone from the NYC area interested in a passenger? I think Fred, whose old bomb just died, also needs a ride.

Thanks
Pb

Hi PapaBear, Yes, I need a ride and sent out an e-mail reply about it a few minutes ago. Depending on when I get up there and when I go home I'm always interested in additional hiking if you twist my arm

I've been thinking of hiking Slide again by approaching from Denning, taking the Curtis/Ormsby trail over Slide to the coll between it and Cornell, then taking the Fishermans trail back through the Neversink Valley. I hiked Slide many times using the Carriage Path and then going over to Cornell and Wittenberg so would like to deviate from my traditional route. I'm also up for the usual mountain clmbs, searches for views, plane wrecks, waterfalls, wildlife, buried treasure, etc.

I'm really looking forward to doing the entire Escarpment Trail as I've missed doing a few short sections of it. Having hiked most of it I know how varied and gorgeous the views are. Jay, I'll probably call you later this week. Thanks, Fred

 

[Papa Bear]

Slide and Hunter on Sunday?

I had raised this question earlier but I think it got lost in the discussion of other issues. Since there has been a temporary lull in this thread, I will try again:

I am interested in doing Slide and Hunter on Sunday. Anyone else have plans?

I would hazard a guess that there are at least a few of you thinking about the 115, who may want to bag these two.

Thanks
Pb

 

[askus3]

I am going to pass, but just out of curiosity, do you plan on doing both Slide & Hunter on Sunday 5/22? That is two separate hikes I assume?

 

[Papa Bear]

I am going to pass, but just out of curiosity, do you plan on doing both Slide & Hunter on Sunday 5/22? That is two separate hikes I assume?

I hope to do the two in one day. Yes, two hikes, not one long one connecting them together . Hunter probably from Route 214 via the Becker Hollow Trail and Slide from Route 47 via W-C-S Trail. I don't know the area so I'm just picking these routes from the maps. Folks with knowledge of the region should please advise.

Pb

 

[Papa Bear]

Next idea: Slide on Friday and Hunter on Sunday?

The silence is deafening. So OK, I studied the maps a bit more.

Hunter is about 2 miles and 2100' of elevation (one way) from the trailhead (Becker Hollow Trail).
Slide is about 2.75 miles and 1800' of elevation (one way) from the trailhead (W-C-S Trail).

Those two steep climbs may be a bit much for those who just finished a 22 mile day with over 5000' of elevation gain.

Let me try another idea:

Anyone interested in doing Slide on Friday and Hunter on Sunday?

Pb

 

[Jay H]

Richard, I emailed you personally, but since you replied to the thread... the way that you have planned is the way to go, both being the shortest way to do Hunter and Slide. It is quite possible to do both in a day. In fact, we ran into some folks on the summit of Hunter today who were headed down to go do Slide too. It is possible and they're not that far apart for the drive.

Jay

 

[sbear]

Regrets

Jay, looks like the hiking gods are against me this year and I will have to miss this years mega hike. Good luck to all who hike (and everyone else too) and watch out for wayward rangers and lightening storms.

Steve

 

[daxs]

Fellow hikers, what times are you planning to start the hike on Saturday? I would like to start early but not in the middle of the night. Maybe 5:30ish? Jay,how long of a drive is it from the campground to the trailhead?

 

[hermit]

I will be at Shutt rd.about 4:30 a.m..I hope to get a ride to the Rt 23 trailhead start point.I think that's about 30 or 35 minutes away.Between loading ,unloading and organizing people,I would say a 5:30 start is about right.

 

[sli74]

I am hoping to shuttle my car on Friday evening, if anyone is willing to help with that shuttle. I am looking to get to the Catskills around 6-7 pm and shuttle my car or have some meet me at the "end of the hike" and shuttle me, Brian and our camping gear to the campsite for the night. The last option is to give my extra key to one of the support crew, who can place my car at the end of the hike sometime on Saturday, which would be the easiest option for me. ANY VOLUNTEERS?

That will allow me to convince one of you wonderful helpers to drive me to the start of the hike at 4:30 am on Saturday morning.

sli74

 

[Jay H]

Update to directions

I just went and verified the directions for the Lynch's pot o gold campsite.

It appears that once you are on Rt 23 West, go 10 miles from the NY S Thruway exit 21, Rt 23 will split with CR145, stay on Rt 23 West and go for a mile, past Bernio's Steakhouse til you'll see another split between Rt 23 and "Old Rt 23", this time you want to bear right to get onto "Old Rt 23. Then the campsite will be on your left on Old Rt 23. If you go past Acra Manor, then you've gone too far.

I'll try to put a VFTT sign of cardboard on the campsite, I should get to the campsite in the afternoon and probably setup my tent in the group campsite. I have a blue '05 Outback XT with Thule roof rack for those that don't know me.

Ralph, I am going to try to talk to Tom Eske, to see if ANYBODY that wants a shuttle from Shutt Rd to be at the trailhead there at 4:30 for a shuttle to the trailhead on Rt 23. I think Aaron (askus3) wants a shuttle too. But anybody else that wants a shuttle that isn't going to camp on Friday night, tell me now. I know Tom has a P/U truck I think so room may be limited. I will contact you to confirm this offlist and will talk to Aaron too.

As far as how far the trailhead on Rt 23 from Acra is, not far Because the campsite is right off Rt 23 (old Rt 23 parallels Rt 23 til it connects again further west), I estimate the trailhead is about 10 miles further west right on rt 23.

Jay