Vly Bearpen 3/26/06

[coldfeet]

It was my job to write the trip report and I just erased the whole thing trying to post the pictures...I swear!

Here's the short version....

Thx Mick for leading the catskill 3500 trip, he drove all the way from NH...

They're both bushwacks....12 of us started.....2 did Vly and went back to the cars....10 of us continued to Bearpen...I'm tired...have to go cabin camping tomorrow with 64 5th graders in Faunstock State park...I'll add to this story hopefully Thursday night...

Thx Rockysummit for letting we sleep over..
Thx to Mudhook for driving and giving a history lesson..check out pics...

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=548948475&security=eqJPpA

 

[coldfeet]

We met in the town of fleishmans and drove to Vly Mtn...the area we started on is on private property and you need to ask for permission....Mick told us the bearing and we set our compasses....we left our snowshoes in the car and mosy of us carried crampons.....after a few minutes some folks put the crampons on....there were a few inches of snow for awhile.....Mick let me work on my bushwack skills and I led the hike for a little ways checking the compass and following a line.....he was always about 20 feet behind me....it was fun trying to pick the best way to go around blow down...when we got up to the ridgeline I gave up the front to let someone else work on their skills....We made it to the cannister and all signed in.....

We hiked down Vly into the col and stopped at a hunter's lodge...there were bullet shells all over the place...we had a snack hung out for app 15 min and got ready to leave...2 ladies were going back to their car because they had already done Bearpen....hope they made it home safely...all they had to do was follow the road back to their car....then 10 of us left for Bearpen...I'll finish the 2nd half on Thurs...gotta go....

 

[ROCKYSUMMIT]

Hey Coldfeet nice job as usual! How did you have the time for the report and pics before your early morning trip today? Was a great time...thanks for posting.
-Tony