Old school VFTT

[David Metsky]

I managed to find Sherpa K elsewhere online, have we had a Dr. Wu siting lately?

Oh sure, see them frequently on social media. Both doing well.

 

[Mike P.]

Oh sure, see them frequently on social media. Both doing well.

Dave, is there a link to the 2006 Presi Traverse video?

 

[Pucknuts61]

While I don't have a picture I met Darren on one of my first winter hikes and we did Welch Dickey together with a group including Bob K who I also met for the first time and both told me about VFTT. Shill have a couple of my old polypro VFTT shirts.....but they shrank (that's my story).

 

[peakbagger]

I have one of roadtrippers VFTT shirts that also have that unusual shrinking problems

 

[David Metsky]

Dave, is there a link to the 2006 Presi Traverse video?

I'll look for it, I'm not sure I even remember it.

 

[skiguy]

I have no pictures from it but this was around the time of year when The fundraiser was for the Brain Tumor Society. Darren never asked for any money personally to run this site. But he did ask if you could to contribute to that fund as his father had the disease. The fundraiser was a sponsorship drive that was coupled to a 25 and 50 mile group bicycle ride outside Boston. It was a well run event and a lot of fun and comradery on many levels. It was also an incentive to get the cycling legs going early.

 

[ChrisB]

I have no pictures from it but this was around the time of year when The fundraiser was for the Brain Tumor Society. Darren never asked for any money personally to run this site. But he did ask if you could to contribute to that fund as his father had the disease. The fundraiser was a sponsorship drive that was coupled to a 25 and 50 mile group bicycle ride outside Boston. It was a well run event and a lot of fun and comradery on many levels. It was also an incentive to get the cycling legs going early.

Yup, I remember doing a VFTT ride based out of Waltham one spring. Lots of fun and good for the legs.

I also remember hiking with Darren and listening to his knees make noise, especially on descent.

Anyone have pictures of the young moose entrapped in Ice Gulch? We came across it on a hike at a Gathering held in a Shelburn NH campground.

 

[miehoff]

Moose in ice gulch

Yup, I remember doing a VFTT ride based out of Waltham one spring. Lots of fun and good for the legs.

I also remember hiking with Darren and listening to his knees make noise, especially on descent.

Anyone have pictures of the young moose entrapped in Ice Gulch? We came across it on a hike at a Gathering held in a Shelburn NH campground.

I remember that hike! Dave M came down the trail to warn us that a very frustrated moose was trapped in a hole in the jumble of rocks so we bushwhacked around that section of trail. Good memories from that gathering. Not so good for the moose.

Ice gulch is a fun and somewhat challenging hike. Love it.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Copied from the previous board

It was time and era that came and went. The original VFTT was the regional Meetup of the early internet era. It was created when the Internet was turned into a commercial entity coinciding with the debut of the WWW. AMC shot themselves in the foot by heavy handed moderating and VFTT stepped up quickly to displace them. Many of the early members were young college folks from Boston colleges with a share of older experienced hikers that latched onto the site. Still it was mostly a college crowd who hiked hard and partied hard. As the years went on the partying increased and the hiking decreased. Like all younger adult events with alcohol and other drugs present, some did things they wish they didnt to themselves and others, feelings were hurt and some relationships were made and broken while partying leading to hurt feelings. I was at one event where one male member was surrounded by three female members informing him of his failings in his relationships with all three. They were all quite drunk and wonder if any remembered it in the morning.

The Gatherings were never VFTT events as such, Bertram an active member started it off by suggesting a face to face meeting of members. I am unsure who picked the weekend closest to Darren's birthday but it did get it out of the summer season when facilities were less crowded. Darren had no interest in sponsoring it but allowed it to happen. He was always an honored guest but had no hand in the planning more than any other member. Bertram was not in charge and let every one know it, he suggested a location (Cathedral Pines in Eustis) and said he would show up and suggested that when folks made reservations that they should mention the event. The first event had some families but subsequent events tended to a more adult crowd. Subsequent events were handled similarly. As each event was held and grew various folks wanted to expand the event. I do not know the peak attendance but 50 plus was not unusual. I remember one year in Vermont crowding onto the porch of the rangers headquarters in the rain and unplugging the soda machine to allow Darren to show off slides of a major hike he had gone on. The park was almost closed for the season and expect we were the majority of the campers. My minor contribution early on was to bring large pots and a large stove for group cooking and a pile of spaghetti fixings. Many of the college crowd didnt really get pot luck for food although most figured out pot luck for beer so I usually cooked up a lot of spaghetti and sauce. As the events matured there was plenty of food and I backed off. I also usually prepared some Peter Miller brownies named after a former member who didn't want to be remembered for his brownies . I think some folks were disappointed that they didn't contain illicit ingredients but were still well received. Many others had their specialties.

Clean up was always a challenge for the events, many tended to party hard and get hung over and leave before the clean up started. There was normally enough folks to deal with it but as the crowd grew the logistics got more difficult. Teejay (now departed) would party all night but always participated in clean up. I missed the event in VT where the crowd went a bit too wild. Teejay had fronted for a portapotty and I think it got damaged and he got stuck with a significant bill. I think they went downhill in size from there. The next to last was in Shelburne when some of the members wanted an event similar to the early events. One of the long term members had PMed me and mentioned that she no longer attended as they had devolved into drunken frat parties. I suggested that that wasnt the intent in the invite but some of the "frat boys" took offense. It was moderately well attended. As mentioned the final event was in Eustis with less than 10 people including Darren. It was always a diverse group ranging in age, I expect the years of hiking experience would be hard to match.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Copied from the previous board

I do remember now hosting one at redbones bbq in Somerville. It was maybe 20 folks or a bit less. Was nice. I had the 20% off neighbor discount card since I lived just up the street. Corralling the money for the bill was no fun. That was just after the one at white birches campground (gorham?). Oddly I was just hiking in the concord mass area and I passed Audrey and Pat. They didn’t recognize me since I am always changing my facial hair situation. I mumbled something about no gathering this year. She stopped in her tracks. Turned and finally figured out who I was. We went to hug each other and then remembered what was going on in the world. The early VFFT was very important to me since I had moved to Boston in 1996 and I knew no one. I hiked every weekend and I used the site for advice and ideas for years. It had a huge impact on my obsession with hiking.

 

[David Metsky]

Anyone have pictures of the young moose entrapped in Ice Gulch? We came across it on a hike at a Gathering held in a Shelburn NH campground.

 

[ChrisB]

That's it Dave. Thank you!
cb

 

[nartreb]

I recognize the "easy" fourth of July Presi Traverse (that was no so easy for me) where Matts carried a keg in his pack and we a had late day visit from the ice cream man.

Here's a photo of the ice cream man enjoying the fruit of Mats' labor:
http://davidalbeck.com/photos/2008/july_4_2008/i20.jpg