hockey2
09-03-2007, 08:52 PM
What a weekend!!! If you were out there then you know what I'm talking about. Sunny, beautiful temps... cold at night... great for sleeping.
A couple of friends of mine wanted to end the summer with a hike so they decided to come with me. Since this would be their first high peak I wanted it to be a good one. I kept juggling which one we would do. I had already done Skylight, but it was one of the most incredible hikes I've done. Skylight it is!!! Okay so I have a hidden agenda, last time I did Skylight I didn't get the chance to climb Gray, so I figured I would "scoot" up that while they were taking in the views.
We meet at my house at 5:30 on Saturday, I couldn't believe everyone was on time. We sign in at the trailhead at 8:30 and off we go. What a beautiful morning. I was a little anxious being that it was a holiday weekend that we wouldn't get a lean-to. We get to the Calamity Brook Lean to's and they're both empty. We head on to the next one, which is my favorite... empty... we're pumped. We drop off our pack, grab our day packs and head for Skylight.
3.5 hours... non stop and we finally reach the summit. My friends are still in great spirits. It was real windy and a bit chilly so it took away from the summit experience a little. Kelly fell asleep basking in the sun... I guess she was enjoying herself. Miller and I decided we would get a head start and "scoot" up Gray and hopefully catch them on the way back to the lean to.
We get to the cairn for Gray and start heading up. I tell Miller that it's only a 25 minute "scoot" up to the top. Man was I wrong. Yeah it was only 25 minutes but what a pain in the a**! Over, under, between downed trees. I now know the difference between a "maintained" and "not maintained" trail. To all of you who work on the trails, a heartfelt "THANK YOU!" We get to the summit... yawn... and then head back down.
We get back to the Feldspar Brook Trail and start heading back to camp. We're working on our 9th hour together and I'm getting sick of talking to Miller so I put on the IPOD. Miller's younger than me so he takes off ahead of me. I'm walking down the trail, jamming to some m.o.e when all of the sudden I feel some abdominal pains... so being a guy alone in the woods, I let one rip... and it was a good one. I feel much better. Now for some reason I feel inclined to look over my shoulder... wouldn't you know it, but there's a guy 5 steps behind me laughing. What are the chances!!!
I catch up to Miller at the Colden Dam, we're pumped about the time we made. We're going to make it back to camp with plenty of sunlight. My knees are aching, but I know my friends trekked in 2 bottles of red wine so I'm determined to make it back to the lean to. We have a great dinner, some great laughs and then it's lights out.
We slept 11 hours!!! I haven't slept 11 hours since college. Walking 15 miles in 1 day will do that to you. We get up have breakfast, pack up, and head out. We get back to the car and couldn't get our packs off fast enough. We know what waits ahead....burgers and beer!!!!! What a way to finish off a great hike. Burgers, onion rings, chicken wings and beer!!!
Ah, I wish summer lasted forever!!!! Now it's back to work... hockey season is here!
A couple of friends of mine wanted to end the summer with a hike so they decided to come with me. Since this would be their first high peak I wanted it to be a good one. I kept juggling which one we would do. I had already done Skylight, but it was one of the most incredible hikes I've done. Skylight it is!!! Okay so I have a hidden agenda, last time I did Skylight I didn't get the chance to climb Gray, so I figured I would "scoot" up that while they were taking in the views.
We meet at my house at 5:30 on Saturday, I couldn't believe everyone was on time. We sign in at the trailhead at 8:30 and off we go. What a beautiful morning. I was a little anxious being that it was a holiday weekend that we wouldn't get a lean-to. We get to the Calamity Brook Lean to's and they're both empty. We head on to the next one, which is my favorite... empty... we're pumped. We drop off our pack, grab our day packs and head for Skylight.
3.5 hours... non stop and we finally reach the summit. My friends are still in great spirits. It was real windy and a bit chilly so it took away from the summit experience a little. Kelly fell asleep basking in the sun... I guess she was enjoying herself. Miller and I decided we would get a head start and "scoot" up Gray and hopefully catch them on the way back to the lean to.
We get to the cairn for Gray and start heading up. I tell Miller that it's only a 25 minute "scoot" up to the top. Man was I wrong. Yeah it was only 25 minutes but what a pain in the a**! Over, under, between downed trees. I now know the difference between a "maintained" and "not maintained" trail. To all of you who work on the trails, a heartfelt "THANK YOU!" We get to the summit... yawn... and then head back down.
We get back to the Feldspar Brook Trail and start heading back to camp. We're working on our 9th hour together and I'm getting sick of talking to Miller so I put on the IPOD. Miller's younger than me so he takes off ahead of me. I'm walking down the trail, jamming to some m.o.e when all of the sudden I feel some abdominal pains... so being a guy alone in the woods, I let one rip... and it was a good one. I feel much better. Now for some reason I feel inclined to look over my shoulder... wouldn't you know it, but there's a guy 5 steps behind me laughing. What are the chances!!!
I catch up to Miller at the Colden Dam, we're pumped about the time we made. We're going to make it back to camp with plenty of sunlight. My knees are aching, but I know my friends trekked in 2 bottles of red wine so I'm determined to make it back to the lean to. We have a great dinner, some great laughs and then it's lights out.
We slept 11 hours!!! I haven't slept 11 hours since college. Walking 15 miles in 1 day will do that to you. We get up have breakfast, pack up, and head out. We get back to the car and couldn't get our packs off fast enough. We know what waits ahead....burgers and beer!!!!! What a way to finish off a great hike. Burgers, onion rings, chicken wings and beer!!!
Ah, I wish summer lasted forever!!!! Now it's back to work... hockey season is here!