Old and slow, but rarin' to go

CatskillsYeti · Oct 23, 2004

As the years go on, my wife is less and less comfortable with my solo trips (although I tell her I almost always meet great folks on the trail). I enjoy hiking solo, but I also enjoy hiking in good company. The problem is finding the latter, although I've been lucky several times at a trailhead or on a trail in meeting people. So, I am posting this in the hopes of finding a hiking partner or partners, male or female, available on short notice for dayhikes or overnights in the Cats or Dacks. I live on Long Island, so it takes me anywhere from a couple to six hours to get to a trailhead.

I am experienced (resume on request

), male, 59, easy-going, have good, reliable gear, am first-aid and CPR trained (with some WFA), believe in and practice LNT and have what I consider a good working set of outdoor/backcountry skills and ethics. One of the drawbacks of going into the woods with me is that I'm not quite as fast a hiker as I used to be - but if there is anyone out there who's willing to take it a little slower and can arrange to do midweek and weekend trips on short (a week or less) notice, please reply either on the thread or via PM.

Pete

Adk_dib · Oct 26, 2004

Post this again next spring and I will contact you. I kind of dial it down after september and dont get back to high peaks until next june. I like to climb the smaller ones in may and early june to get back into high peak shape. During the winter the highest peak I will climb would be Goodnow (1000 feet). Next spring I would like to do Hunter and blackhead in the catskills. I also want to to the sewards and santanoni in the Dac's but dont want to do them alone (I to am a solo hiker). I am 47 years of age and don't care about breaking any speed records.

CatskillsYeti · Oct 26, 2004

Steve - You're correct to the extent that I have limited my hiking in the NE to upstate NY, but I am not so old (59) that I don't want to expand my repertoire. I would happily tag along on a trip in the Whites - one within my capabilities - given sufficient notice. So if you're planning anything before "real" winter conditions take hold, please let me know.

Adk-dib, I will most definitely post this again in the spring and hope we can manage to hook up. I'd like to get in on one of those "tune-up" trips early in the season.

Thanks for the reponses, gentlemen!

Pete

rhihn · Oct 26, 2004

We "58'ers" are recent ADK 46'ers and now feel less wedded to the 46 as we have been in recent past. Though we'd be happy to do many of them again and again, we're interested in doing other hikes as well. Some might say we wrote the book on slow (though I can move along fairly well when needed). We're usually a package deal (especially in the spring/summer), so you'll get one of each sex. Short notice can be difficult, but certainly feel free to contact us.

hikethe115 · Oct 26, 2004

I might be convinced as well. So just post and let us know when you want to do something. If I'm available, I'll tag along.

PhantomSoul · Nov 8, 2004

So there are backpackers in Long Island! Well, I'll be...

Anywhoo, a bunch of us from over at TrailTalk (thebackpacker.com) are doing an overnighter this weekend over the Burroughs Range/Giant Ledge. I'm not sure how fast or slow you are, but I can tell you that Saturday's route is planned at 13.5 miles / 4800 ft elevation gain, and we're planning on getting from Woodland Valley to Giant Ledge via the Burroughs before dark on Saturday. (The locals on the "other side" like to refer to this type of hike as a "butt-kicker", but the scenery is amazing.)

Anywhoo, if you're still interested, details can be found here. We're meeting at the Woodland Valley trailhead parking lot and leaving at 7:30 AM this Saturday. Hope to see you there!