Upstate Chat Thread XXII - Droids & iBerry's
08-15-2011, 09:30 AM
#921
08-15-2011, 10:08 AM
#922
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
Ferrari Formula Rossa
[media]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZGyqztIdUiQ?wmode=Opaque&showinfo=0[/media]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZGyqztIdUiQ?wmode=Opaque&showinfo=0[/media]
08-15-2011, 10:11 AM
#923
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Tadashi' timestamp='1313414506' post='20878551
Got things setup to record the race this morning - if they run, weather here at least looks pretty iffy...
Enjoy, I will have to rely on highlights tonight, never thought to set the recorder tbis morning
They should start showing ISCAR on TV
08-15-2011, 10:29 AM
#924
Stupid Idea #22
Haven't made much progess lately in our quest to summit the Adirondack 46 High Peaks. Only one climb in the last year and that was last winter, so I'm not in such good shape.
Driving north on Friday night with a nice full moon and a sunny weather forcast for Saturday, I got the idea that we should do a climb. Without much thought, decided to attempt Blake Peak and Mt. Colvin via the Elk Lake trailhead. Otherwise, it's a bushwack, since Molly is my hiking companion and dogs are prohibited through ARM lands.
Of course, Nancy is pressuring me to be back by 4:00 p.m., after which time she starts to officially worry. By guidebook, the hike is just short of 21 miles. I tell her I might not be back until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Got a late start and left the trailhead at 7:15. The first 5 1/2 miles did not seem too strenuous and brought us to a nice "possible" campsite along a stream with waterfall at the base of the Colvin Ridge at about 10:30. According to the guide book and the trailmarker signs, Blake Peak was an additional 5 miles and Mt. Colvin at 5.4 miles. I figured we could reach Colvin by 3:00 P.M.
The climb up to the top of the ridge towards "the Pinnacle" was about 8/10 of a mile with an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. Very strenuous, and took about twice as long as expected. I decided not to visit the Pinnacle, which supposedly has breathtaking views of Elk Lake and the Dix Range, and moved on towards Blake.
What I didn't realize was that the ridge trail towards Blake crossed four or five intermediate peaks. So no sooner did I reach an elevation of say 3,800 feet, that I had to climb down to about 3,000 feet, then up, then down, then up etc. About 3:00 p.m. I was on a peak that I thought (by its elevation on gps) had to be Blake. It had a nice lookout and I could see over to the next peak that I thought was Colvin. I was pretty much spent.
But after resting up for about 20 minutes, I dropped my pack, took a bottle of H2O, and made the run for the next peak. So down again we climb, then up, then down, then up and we come to the real summit of Blake. AARGH!
It is now about 4:30 and I have only a few drops of water. The next peak over, has to be Mount Colvin. There is no way we're getting off the mountains tonight!
So I decide that we have to make the attempt for Colvin. We climb all the way down to the col between the peaks - very rough and steep. At the bottom, and with Colvin presumably looming in front of us, I decide that discretion is the better part of valor. I'm out of water (risk of disabling charli-horses in my legs), I'm exhausted and even if we can make Colvin, we may not be able to get back to my pack (3 or 4 peaks back) before dark. We're about 800 feet of elevation and about 1/2 mile short of our goal!
So we turn back. We climb back to Blake and then over the intervening peaks and false summits. Molly finds a small seep of water coming out of the ground and I dig a little resevoir from which I can fill the water bottle to about half. I keep thinking that we missed the turnoff to the short spur trail where we had left the pack. But eventually we find the pack. I had some water there, but not much.
I thought we should camp there where there was such a nice view. But I also thought that we needed water - and the nearest real source of water was back on the trail below the Pinnacle.
So we made the attempt to reach the Pinnacle - but by 8:00 p.m. we reached another spot where we had to climb. I knew we could not reach the water if we had to climb. So I found a clear spot between two trees and set up my hammock tent (my glasses had broken earlier in the day so it was hard to see what I was doing - mostly set the tent knots by feel). Molly ate some dog food, but I held off on eating my last 1/2 sandwich and last morsel fo fruit. By 8:30, I was in the sleeping bag. At 11:30 it started to rain so Molly climbed into the hammock tent with me (she was really, really happy the next morning!)
On Sunday, we got up around 7:00 a.m. I took two aspirin with my last sip of water. We were hiking down by 7:15. I was still pretty fatigued and my legs were weak and rubbery - so it was slow going. But we reached the stream below the Pinnacle and replenished our water supply. I didn't think I would get out of the woods by 2:00 and Nancy would be calling DEC Dispatch to launch a rescue effort.
By about 10:00 we were off of the Colvin Ridge and stopped by that "possible" campsite with the waterfall. We shared the last part of my sandwich and I cooked up some oatmeal which we shared. Between the food and the rest, I felt a little better. A little over 5 1/2 miles and only one more hard climb -- and then a long tramp out of the woods on very sore and tired feet.
We made it back to the car around 1:30 p.m. Threw the equipment into the back of the car and hurried toward Exit 29 where there is cell phone service. Called Nancy and reported that we were alive, but legally dead!
Blake Peak has an elevation of about 4,000 feet. My gps says that we climed a total of about 9,170 feet. No wonder I'm so tired. The worst part about it is that Colvin is still out there, in the middle of nowhere - unclimbed. If Molly and I ever want to finish our 46 peaks, we will have to do this hike (or some other route equally dreadful) again.
I'm too old for this kind of work!
Haven't made much progess lately in our quest to summit the Adirondack 46 High Peaks. Only one climb in the last year and that was last winter, so I'm not in such good shape.
Driving north on Friday night with a nice full moon and a sunny weather forcast for Saturday, I got the idea that we should do a climb. Without much thought, decided to attempt Blake Peak and Mt. Colvin via the Elk Lake trailhead. Otherwise, it's a bushwack, since Molly is my hiking companion and dogs are prohibited through ARM lands.
Of course, Nancy is pressuring me to be back by 4:00 p.m., after which time she starts to officially worry. By guidebook, the hike is just short of 21 miles. I tell her I might not be back until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Got a late start and left the trailhead at 7:15. The first 5 1/2 miles did not seem too strenuous and brought us to a nice "possible" campsite along a stream with waterfall at the base of the Colvin Ridge at about 10:30. According to the guide book and the trailmarker signs, Blake Peak was an additional 5 miles and Mt. Colvin at 5.4 miles. I figured we could reach Colvin by 3:00 P.M.
The climb up to the top of the ridge towards "the Pinnacle" was about 8/10 of a mile with an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. Very strenuous, and took about twice as long as expected. I decided not to visit the Pinnacle, which supposedly has breathtaking views of Elk Lake and the Dix Range, and moved on towards Blake.
What I didn't realize was that the ridge trail towards Blake crossed four or five intermediate peaks. So no sooner did I reach an elevation of say 3,800 feet, that I had to climb down to about 3,000 feet, then up, then down, then up etc. About 3:00 p.m. I was on a peak that I thought (by its elevation on gps) had to be Blake. It had a nice lookout and I could see over to the next peak that I thought was Colvin. I was pretty much spent.
But after resting up for about 20 minutes, I dropped my pack, took a bottle of H2O, and made the run for the next peak. So down again we climb, then up, then down, then up and we come to the real summit of Blake. AARGH!
It is now about 4:30 and I have only a few drops of water. The next peak over, has to be Mount Colvin. There is no way we're getting off the mountains tonight!
So I decide that we have to make the attempt for Colvin. We climb all the way down to the col between the peaks - very rough and steep. At the bottom, and with Colvin presumably looming in front of us, I decide that discretion is the better part of valor. I'm out of water (risk of disabling charli-horses in my legs), I'm exhausted and even if we can make Colvin, we may not be able to get back to my pack (3 or 4 peaks back) before dark. We're about 800 feet of elevation and about 1/2 mile short of our goal!
So we turn back. We climb back to Blake and then over the intervening peaks and false summits. Molly finds a small seep of water coming out of the ground and I dig a little resevoir from which I can fill the water bottle to about half. I keep thinking that we missed the turnoff to the short spur trail where we had left the pack. But eventually we find the pack. I had some water there, but not much.
I thought we should camp there where there was such a nice view. But I also thought that we needed water - and the nearest real source of water was back on the trail below the Pinnacle.
So we made the attempt to reach the Pinnacle - but by 8:00 p.m. we reached another spot where we had to climb. I knew we could not reach the water if we had to climb. So I found a clear spot between two trees and set up my hammock tent (my glasses had broken earlier in the day so it was hard to see what I was doing - mostly set the tent knots by feel). Molly ate some dog food, but I held off on eating my last 1/2 sandwich and last morsel fo fruit. By 8:30, I was in the sleeping bag. At 11:30 it started to rain so Molly climbed into the hammock tent with me (she was really, really happy the next morning!)
On Sunday, we got up around 7:00 a.m. I took two aspirin with my last sip of water. We were hiking down by 7:15. I was still pretty fatigued and my legs were weak and rubbery - so it was slow going. But we reached the stream below the Pinnacle and replenished our water supply. I didn't think I would get out of the woods by 2:00 and Nancy would be calling DEC Dispatch to launch a rescue effort.
By about 10:00 we were off of the Colvin Ridge and stopped by that "possible" campsite with the waterfall. We shared the last part of my sandwich and I cooked up some oatmeal which we shared. Between the food and the rest, I felt a little better. A little over 5 1/2 miles and only one more hard climb -- and then a long tramp out of the woods on very sore and tired feet.
We made it back to the car around 1:30 p.m. Threw the equipment into the back of the car and hurried toward Exit 29 where there is cell phone service. Called Nancy and reported that we were alive, but legally dead!
Blake Peak has an elevation of about 4,000 feet. My gps says that we climed a total of about 9,170 feet. No wonder I'm so tired. The worst part about it is that Colvin is still out there, in the middle of nowhere - unclimbed. If Molly and I ever want to finish our 46 peaks, we will have to do this hike (or some other route equally dreadful) again.
I'm too old for this kind of work!
08-15-2011, 11:22 AM
#926
Fullback Bob,
How long have you had the S? I've been driving on that lower portion of Rudd Road, Friday and Sunday evenings 2-3 time a month for almost 10 years, and I don't think I've ever seen you before.
You should be sure to participate in Aashish's tri-state drive on the 20th (although I can't). But if your co-pilot is the type who says, gripping the door handle and dash,"The sign says 30" while you are taking the curve at 60, you might be happier sending her on the train to NYC to visit some museum.
How long have you had the S? I've been driving on that lower portion of Rudd Road, Friday and Sunday evenings 2-3 time a month for almost 10 years, and I don't think I've ever seen you before.
You should be sure to participate in Aashish's tri-state drive on the 20th (although I can't). But if your co-pilot is the type who says, gripping the door handle and dash,"The sign says 30" while you are taking the curve at 60, you might be happier sending her on the train to NYC to visit some museum.
08-15-2011, 11:48 AM
#929
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
The Grand-Am race runs on the shortened course as a support item to the main NASCAR event. Perhaps they ran that race yesterday to keep the crowds from being disappoitned.
EDIT: While I can imagine that racing on ovals in the rain is probably a recipe for disaster, can't NASCAR make an exception for weather on road courses
08-15-2011, 12:12 PM
#930
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She can go with Tom Holy cow Jeff 20 mile hike you are a better man than I am