Van Dorrien ADKs

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SpencerVT

Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
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Location
Brattleboro, Vermont
Anyone done the Van Dorrien whack from Ampersand? My wife and I are headed to that this Saturday. Looks to be about a mile and a half one way. How's the conifer thickness? a) really bad, or, b) really really bad? haha
 
My trip was a long time ago and the forest changes so my data would be pretty much worthless anyway.

The memory does come with a funny (to me) story. I brought along a colleague who shall remain nameless. He thought it was going to be an adventurous hike. We met up with Sue Eilers in the parking lot and my colleague breathed a sigh of relief thinking he would have no problem keeping up with her. Sue and I did about 300 remote mountains together and she is quite capable. (Read: a ringer). Some people might say my colleague was set up.

Well it was thick and we stayed the course. Half way there the rotating bezel in Sue's compass fell out. She looked down and there was no compass in her compass. When she pulled out her back up compass my colleague asked You have a backup compass? Sue said she carried 3. We all did back then. Then he knew he was not with ordinary hikers.

Well we made it there and back and I noticed he was limping. Come Monday he was popping Aleve like they were candy and walking with a serious limp. His limp went away about three weeks later. He laughs when we retell the story so there was some satisfaction for him. Maybe it was the hike ending.

He's really into biking now and occasionally asks if I want to join him on a ride but I'm smart enough to be busy that weekend.
 
You might take a look at climbing it from the NE, from the Pine Pond trail and avoid the up and down on Ampersand unless it's a two birds with one stone day.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
Gotta finish the Sawtooths in that region too, which have endless, what I have coined as ACHE's: Adirondack Conifer HEll.
 
You might take a look at climbing it from the NE, from the Pine Pond trail and avoid the up and down on Ampersand unless it's a two birds with one stone day.

Don't try this route in the spring when the Cold brook is really high :(
 
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