"Pound the Presis" - Presi travese to benefit TBTS

[Jay H]

we will probably have to get a system down tho for making sure everyone is accounted for after.

Which is why I've been trying to keep a track of participants via a spreadsheet. What is different this time versus the catskill hikes is that there are so many different options to get to Madison. Whereas my previous two hikes have been trail specific (The devil's path, the escarpment trail), this is a mountain range although specifically, presidential related as such. So, it's a bit different this time. Last time, I had volunteers who were distributing food and water simply check off hikers as they passed them so we knew who made it where and when.

I think those that can make it to CMR road friday night to certainly inform me or get word to me that you are here so I can check that you are participating. Those that can't stop in on friday due to time, can at least leave me voice mail on my cell phone and hopefully I'll have reception somewhere to at least check it. I'm going to leave multiple copies of my spreadsheet with anybody who is hanging out at camp too.

MichaelJ, una_dogger, Tuco, simply call me when you leave either saturday morning or friday night and I can mark you on the active list.

When saturday night arrives, you'll also check out yourself which I can hope that everybody will be able to stop by CMR or at least get word back to me so we don't go wondering.

I think on friday, if you drive to CMR, drop gear, we can kind of work out a shuttle system to shuttle your car down to either the big parking lot at the Highland Center or at one of the bailout points.

We'll also somewhat have limited use of a VfTT members condo up there but not as party-central, but perhaps for food storage and or cooking space not at CMR.

If we think that saturday night would be better to simply eat at the campsite, perhaps we should do a covered dish kind of thing, like the ADK BBQ, everybody bring either a covered dish or something related to the BBQ, plates, napkins, etc. etc. Might be more convienient than try to get everybody around at a certain time for something more formal.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

Poster!

Abster's friend created a really nice poster that I thought I would announce here (and via email). If you need to advertise and spread the word, this is a great opportunity!

Presi poster

Save the document to file and edit it in MS Word, you'd want to at least change the contact email to yours (use find->replace)

Thanks Abster!

Jay

 

[Umsaskis]

Barring unforeseen events, I would like to join this hike. Jay, I'll PM you with my contact information. I will not be staying at CMR, since I live right in Plymouth; I'll be driving to the trailhead early in the morning - probably Valley Way just because it's closer to home than the others. I guess I'll just hook up with whomever I can at the end to get a ride back to Appalachia to get my car; probably I'll run into folks on the trail once I get started. I'm a hike-alone type of person, so I'm probably going to show up, hike and then just go home, but I'll stop by the CMR to check out at the end. Not sure the best way to check in, since I'll be at home Friday night which technically means I haven't arrived to do the hike yet, but nobody wants me calling them at 3:30 in the morning when I leave home. I guess you can assume I'm hiking unless I call and leave a message Saturday morning saying that for some reason I'm not hiking.

I'll check out the website to get more details about raising money, etc.

 

[Jim lombard]

Coincidentally we're doing a Presidential traverse that same day but are doing ours for a different cause. Sounds like a great group of people, I wish you much success. See you up there!

 

[Jay H]

Umsaskis: OK, I'll look for the PM...

Jim: Cool, hope to see you guys on the trail, you guys doing it north to south? Have some kind of identifying tags or something? Alligator eggs?

I'm liking the Washington wig idea myself, or we can all wear tri-folds..

Jay

 

[Jim lombard]

Yes-North to South, now where did I put that old colonial hat? I'll have my Brutus Brigade multi-color tassle on my pack.

 

[Mike P.]

I'm leaving Hartford around 12:00 & will stop in at CMR between 4:30 - 6:00 & can help spot cars but I'm planning on staying at Hiker's & while I may get back to CMR for a while on Saturday, Sunday is Dad's Day & I need to wake up at home Sunday AM as one of the guest of honor that day

Ammo is a good bail out choice as you can get there by Jewell or Ammo. If just rain & moderate wind, if your life is not in peril, you might as well continue down C-Path. If T-Storms are vicious Edmands would be a better choice. From the bottom there though it's only 2 miles or slightly less to C-Notch so no need to park cars there. While shuttle drivers may be a bit worried about missing people (from what I saw last year) they do cover ground well. I was walking back to Ammo lot from Edmands & caught a ride with someone looking for Presi-traverse hikers last year. I was just above the intersection with Jeff Notch & Clinton Road on the Base Rd.

 

[bubba]

As far as lodging, the main group and main access for info will be at cherry mountain road, which is north of Crawford Notch. I know Giggy knows this place better than I if you want say landmarks to look for. I've only been there once (last year).

Still in the fog on a couple items! I can't locate any campground named Cherry Mountain Road. I am familiar with Dry River Campground and beleive that there is a [newer] cabin somewhere in the area. Can someone identify this for me?

Second, I'm still not sure how the bail-out works. I understand what they are, but not sure how they work. Say I'm heading for the entire range over to Jackson and out... then I get all cramped up and have to bail -- then what? Does one just wait for the end of the day or what?

Thanks for the advise. I'm looking at travel plans, etc. (It's only 600 some miles!)

 

[una_dogger]

sponsorship

JayH
Sorry if I missed reading this in this ever growing thread, but how does the link to sponsor hikers work?
I linked it on one of my dog forums, and I've gotten some emails asking about how to contribute.
The link for giving (on the poster Abster's freind made) goes to a sponsorship page for you -- is this a group page?? EG; do all contributions made through this page go towards the VFTT hikers, or should I sign up somewhere with my own name??
No worries, people are just asking me to make sure they get it right.

Sorry if this has been asked before and addressed elsewhere.. We lost a cherished member of our dog group this year to brain cancer, so I am very much feeling this is a hike I'd like to do and I'm happy to be able to have my dog friends join in spirit of rememberance of our dear Lib.
Thanks,
Sabrina

 

[Jay H]

Hey Sabina, I saw your email first so I responded to you privately, but I should clarify this for the rest of you.

The firstgiving website was something I created after TBTS told me this was a way for online donations to be done, and via credit card and all the funds go directly to TBTS, I never do anything other than set it up. Apparently, firstgiving is basically a clearing house for folks to donate to various charities, not just TBTS. It's kind of like using paypal for Ebay or shopping.

Anyway, it is a group event but it would be silly to make 30-odd pages for donating to TBTS so I think it's infinitely simpler to have one. As such, when I created it, I never mentioned "sponser me" or Sponser Jay.. it's sponsor us and I fudged the user name so that email replies to the donator says "pound the pressies" not me.

Each donator has the option to put in a comment as you can see on the donation page, in it, he/she can easily put "Go Sabrina" or "Jay H is a geek" or whatever they want, so if it's for a particular hiker or for a person, then they can do so.

Bubba: Cherry Mountain Road is simply a woods road off the road that the highland center and cog railway is on (US302?????). And is kind of what I've always heard it refered too. Of course, I only knew about it since last year. To find it, you simply just need to find the road itself and if you drive up it, you'll go through the campsites, it's obvious once you're there. Kind of like the free campsites on the gale river road in the pemis. So, don't worry about having to find say trailsigns or NH DEC signs for "cherry mountain road campsites", I don't think there are any until you drive like 200ft off 302 and past the couple of houses along the road that you'll see a large sign. Just mapquest it and find Cherry Mountain Road. Giggy is the one to ask for particular questions, I've only been there once before.

As far as the bailout goes, if one bails to the cog railway and happens to be solo, one could call somebody at CMR and they could pick you up. I would imagine there would at least be a pay phone at the base of operations for the cog, no?

**I have not received any info about the cell coverage at the trailheads**. I might just ask a question over in Q&A if any of you don't know about this... Obviously, this would be helpful if we have a ton of bailers and not enough cars there...

Jay

 

[giggy]

bailouts:

I am sure there will be multiple cars at the cog/ammo lot -

if you bail prior to jeff - you can take one of many paths back to appalacia

after jeff, you have the jewell to bail down, down the ammo at lakes after wash

after that - your somewhat commited until 302 - tho you could bail down the edmunds path.

This is not a wilderness area by any means and at all those bailouts, there is action on the roads below. I would not anticpate any problems as far as getting a lift back to CMR. But - its probably best to try and hook out with someone prior at CMR for a car plan.

I think people should try and touch base at CMR friday - people who just show up at appalacia at some time in the eve/early am and just hike with the hope there is someone to give them a lift after - and never touch base with anyone - should be prepared to be self -suffient I would think.

 

[MichaelJ]

I think people should try and touch base at CMR friday

I'll do my best to leave messages on Jay's cell, as he suggested. You don't want me wandering CMR in the dark at 10:30p Friday night, stumbling over tents and bodies waking everyone up. I think we're going to head directly to the Jefferson Notch Motel and straight to sleep to get on the trail in the morning.

I think that if we start sufficiently behind everyone that there might be a concern about catching up (I don't want anyone to have to wait), I'll park at Caps Ridge and join the passing Traversers up on Jefferson. Howzat sound?

 

[giggy]

You don't want me wandering CMR in the dark at 10:30p Friday night, stumbling over tents and bodies waking everyone up.?

haha - I bet there will be "activity" going on well past 10:30!

it will all work out - can't wait - it should be a fun time.

 

[Abster]

You better not keep me up Gig with all those drinking games - on Sat. night okay! I want to do an early start also - 3am or so.

 

[Jay H]

Just a thread reminder

Because of a large thread like this, I have been reminded to post the details again:

Date: June 17th
Place: The presidential range in the White Mtns in NH (duh!)

Camping at Cherry Mountain Road (CMR), hopefully at Site#4 at least as the main meeting place friday. Guy, Carol, and I should be there around afternoon on Friday. Those making their own reservations elsewhere is encouraged to come to CMR to at least mingle and sign in and say hello if you can do so.

Online donation site:
http://www.firstgiving.com/poundthepresis

And also to a hard copy of the pledge form which you can use for yourself and for those that don't like to donate online:

Pledge form (PDF format, save to harddrive and print).
http://users.snip.net/~jayhui/files/Presi.pdf

Poster from one of Abster's friends (feel free to download, customize and use):
http://users.snip.net/~jayhui/files/presis_poster.doc


Checks should be written out to "The Brain Tumor Society" and cash and checks will be collected at the event AND I'll also provide you all with an address to send them to TBTS directly for those that need to collect after the event. Usually there are. Cash and checks that do get sent to TBTS should be somewhat labelled that it is for the TBTS Pound the Presis hike so they can tabulate it up for me.

If you are planning on coming, please PM/email me (email preferred, my PMs are overflowing) your full name, contact number (cell phone if you have one) so I can put you down in my spreadsheet and keep track of people. Of course, if you have already done so, then no need to do it again. Otherwise, you'll be able to "register" friday night.

There will be bailout spots, Ammo Ravine and the Edmand's Path have been discussed, but we can talk about that friday with people more familiar with the Whites than I.

We will have to car spot a bunch of cars friday anyway because parking at CMR is limited and apparently enforced.

The standard end point will be Crawford Notch and the Highland Center area.

Jay

P.S. WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR DINNER ON SATURDAY, I think we have kind of nixed trying to get a reservation at someplace local? Should we try to just have a big BBQ and perhaps Shizzmac burgers ???

 

[Tuco]

Maybe a dumb question but,....Is the parking issue only overnight or if we want to stop by for a bit can there be more than two cars.

Real question is do we have to shuttle ourselves in if we aren’t staying overnight and just want to stop by Friday night for a little while?

 

[Artex]

Hope to see you guys on top of Washington. I don't even want to guess on my finishing time for the race. Just look for the tired runner.

 

[giggy]

jay -I will probably just eat at CMR - too much hassle to eat out

tuco - I would park - but they may tell you to move a car - but deal with that when it happens.

last year, the ranger was very much by the book with the car allowances.

 

[jade]

Is there a list of those who are hiking?

 

[Paradox]

I will be there at "Pound the Presis"

Dear Jay H,
I am a new member of VFTT. I have been following the "Pound the Presis" thread for a few weeks and I will be there. I will get to the CMR at roughly 5:00 pm. Friday evening. But I will be staying at a friends B&B in Gorham. I will have some beer donated by a Local (Plymouth, NH) store owner, for Saturday evening. I will have a few checks for TBS.