Fall Gathering Sept 18th to 20th - Eustis ME

[darren]

Dennis - thank you for setting this gathering up. It was like old times with the VFTT old guard in attendance at the gathering - Stan, Pat & Audrey, and the original peakbagger. Too bad Chris Brown ( MIA???) and Ridgerunner didn't make it - then it would have been a real old time gathering. It was nice to Jean, Prino, and Swamp again too. And also nice to meet Joyce, even if you do belong to that club out west whose name we will not speak, you are alright.

It was nice to roll into Eustis after my solo backpack and see some familiar faces. After the last couple of gatherings in Eustis, I made the right decision to skip dinner at the White Wolf...sounds like the service is is just as bad as it has always been.

As always, the campfires did not disappoint. I still can not believe that Swamp's chainsaw did not draw in a visit from someone with a beltbuckle ID. (Don't worry, Swamp only used the chainsaw on wood that he brought, and did not use it on any of the cathedral pines.)

Pot luck on Saturday nite was just like old times too, with peakbagger cooking pasta to go with Pat and Audrey's sauce, some great apps, and some Peter Miller quality brownies to round it off. Maybe even a beer or two....and of course Stan had his south of the border refreshments.

I got to hike with Pat and Audrey and their new pup Leo on Saturday. That was a treat. Leo is a great dog. He brought back great memories of my old yellow lab and I really enjoyed playing with him.

Group breaky on Sunday morning highlighted by a wax muffin and really bad singing (Metsky, where were you?).

So, just like old times, but better because the memories are more vivid...

Aloha

- darren

 

[prino]

It was a Great weekend! Thanks for organizing this Dennis.
I hiked the Bigelows with Jean on Saturday and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.
Unfortunately I took the wrong dirt road to get to Snow and ended up just doing a short bushwhack at Chain of Lakes.... the ridge I was on wasn't high enough to see the Windfarm.
Did get a picture of Darren and his cake though...

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The rest of the pictures are here....

Pictures
or Slideshow

 

[audrey]

Thanks Dennis and everyone. It really was a great mellow time, and everyone tolerated the little monster (Leo, not Pat) so politely, even when he made Jean spill red wine all over himself. I hope it wasn't that $900 Chateau Margaux.

Beautiful pics, prino!

 

[Stan]

Thank you all for the great time. The food and revelry were fantastic ... the smaller group was quite a bit more intimate but a few more would not have ruined the beautiful and humorous karma. The group was actually larger than the Berkshires Gathering.

We couldn't have asked for better weather which remained through our subsequent trip to Flagstaff Lake Hut, which I was scouting for a future group trip, and found some different and wonderous views and accomodations. That's a hut I will also visit someday as part of a Flagstaff paddling and hiking trip as well as a hut to hut xc ski trek.

Next year's fall gathering, # 13, will be September 17-19. Whoever is willing to step forth with the planning and logistics has a lot to say about where it will be held.

 

[Paradox]

So, did anyone happen to hike up CoP Snow?

 

[peakbagger]

Unfortunately there wasnt a lot of interest in any of the "six pack", despite a lot of comments on the site in the past. I had my map with me to do Cup Snow but decided I wasnt in the mood for solo bushwhack accessed by marginal roads with no view was in the cards.

 

[prino]

I was going to solo Cop snow on the Sunday but wasted too much time driving down the wrong dirt road and ended up doing a short but pleasant bushwhack near the CoP. That's as close as any of us got to doing it.

 

[swamp]

As always, the campfires did not disappoint. I still can not believe that Swamp's chainsaw did not draw in a visit from someone with a beltbuckle ID. (Don't worry, Swamp only used the chainsaw on wood that he brought, and did not use it on any of the cathedral pines.)

- darren

Actually, Darren isn't being entirely forthcoming here. After we realized that not one Mainer bothered to attend a gathering in their own backyard we,in unison,gleefully exclaimed " TO HELL WITH THEM AND THEIR TREES !" and went at it with Mr. Stihl's finest.
On a side note, next year's gathering will be held at Cathedral Stumps CG.

 

[una_dogger]

Sounds like a nice time! Cathedral Pines is an amazing campground. I wish I could have made it, but that whole work thing...it really gets in the way sometimes. Blocking out next year on the calendar!

 

[spencer]

Are crumpers still welcome to post here

Glad you had a fine time. I made the right decision, although I missed seeing all of you.

Spencer

 

[prino]

Actually, Darren isn't being entirely forthcoming here. After we realized that not one Mainer bothered to attend a gathering in their own backyard we,in unison,gleefully exclaimed " TO HELL WITH THEM AND THEIR TREES !" and went at it with Mr. Stihl's finest.
On a side note, next year's gathering will be held at Cathedral Stumps CG.

Yeah! Who needs 400 pallets when you can have 400 pine trees..

On top of that, one would think Swamp should win the leather apron having driven 7 hours from RI.
But no! that honor went to a lady from Wyoming.

 

[bubba]

Yeah - for sure... this sounded like a gathering from years past -- and that's what keeps these Gatherings so unique. Everyone a different mix - but totally together. Sorry I had the 12-hour drive in me a couple weeks prior (and this house build thing going on).

My stomach was hurting from the laughs I've had on this thread - but Cathedral Stumps topped it! LOL Hey Darren... HB, and I'm sure if I looked I could find a bad-boy picture of you!! I'm on the search...