the nettles are coming!

[ferrisjrf]

Coming off the east side Woodhull yesterday morning, and the northeast ridge of Little Rocky yesterday afternoon, I ran into my first nettles of the season (http://ferrisjrf.fileave.com/08.06.01_6CatsHH040.jpg) :razz:.

Averaging about 12 inches high...and counting. They were still small enough to not be overly annoying, but I bet that won't be the case by next weekend!

And anybody know what this tag is (http://ferrisjrf.fileave.com/08.06.01_6CatsHH035.jpg)? This (http://ferrisjrf.fileave.com/08.06.01_6CatsHH036.jpg) is a closup. Little blurry. Pictures taken between Van Wyck & Woodhull. This is the only one I saw. I'm curious as to whether anyone has any info.

Jason

[TFR]

Coming off the east side Woodhull yesterday morning, and the northeast ridge of Little Rocky yesterday afternoon, I ran into my first nettles of the season (http://ferrisjrf.fileave.com/08.06.01_6CatsHH040.jpg) :razz:.

Averaging about 12 inches high...and counting. They were still small enough to not be overly annoying, but I bet that won't be the case by next weekend!
About the same Nettle size on Tremper yesterday, but the path is very wide! :D

Nettles, and prickers and blowdown! Oh, my! (With apologies to the Wizard of Oz!)

[Jay H]

one if by land, two if by sea?????

:D

Jay

[kmorgan]

Anyone been up North Dome and Sherrill recently? I was wondering if the nettles are prohibitive yet. I remember them being chest high and thicker than wheat last year!

Thanks,
Kevin

[TFR]

Anyone been up North Dome and Sherrill recently? I was wondering if the nettles are prohibitive yet. I remember them being chest high and thicker than wheat last year!

Thanks,
KevinWell, as I said on the other board, bring long pants, but I guess long shirts are called for too! :drop:

[WinterWarlock]

Next week is the World Stinging Nettle Eating contest in the UK...they're supposed to be quite tasty when cooked. Anyone ever try?

[mudhook]

There not coming, they have landed:eek:
2' on Halcott yesterday. I didn't find them very stinging yet, but some one did.
Actually, between the nettles and the bugs, I had a very amusing hike.:D
Jason, I noticed an informal, somwhat maintained,trail between WH and VW, maybe its part of the system.

[Peakbagr]

Knee high but not a problem yet on Beaver Kill Range and High Falls today.

[Jay H]

I just mowed my lawn or else I think Nettles would start infesting that! Whew, the weeds were getting high.

Rearranging the word "nettles" almost forms "nestlé" :)

Jay

[ferrisjrf]

There not coming, they have landed:eek:

The Nettle has landed! That's one small step for man..." :D

Jason, I noticed an informal, somwhat maintained,trail between WH and VW, maybe its part of the system.

Yeah, I was surprised at how well-travelled the "herd path" was, especially between VW and the col. I even found a big tarp laying on the ground up there. I kept my eye out for other markers like the one in the pic, but didn't notice any others (not that that means anything). I guess it's just another one of those things that is destined to remain a mystery.

Maybe I'll create some good folklore explaining it...the story of the old "RM 2 trail" that used to traverse Cornell, Witt, Friday, BC, Rocky, Lone, VW and Woodhull. "I remember when I was a kid, doing the old RM 2 traverse". :D

Jason

[Peakbagr]

The VW ridge coming from WH gets narrower and narrower the higher you go. We were just there last week. We saw a herd path, but with no footprints, wrappers, or other signs of humanity, it appeared to us to be of animal origin.
I don't think Hermit or I saw any markers, but that might have been because we were gawking at the views and didn't see a tarp.

The person who let us use his spot on Porky road said that he and his friends and family get up to VW regularly and there was a 'donkey road' from the col to VW. We didn't see it although we looked.
Wouldn't surprise me if the locals keep the route nice and open so they can hike and hunt.

[ferrisjrf]

The person who let us use his spot on Porky road said that he and his friends and family get up to VW regularly and there was a 'donkey road' from the col to VW. We didn't see it although we looked.


I just read your TR. I definitely didn't see any sign of a "donkey road" either. I'm guessing that's like an old corduroy road or something like that? Either way, I didn't see anything other than the herd path.

Jason

[Jay H]

Sounds like a question for Colonel Cooter at Frost Valley!!! They maintain a part of the forest off Porcupine Road and he mentioned about having to park or use the road back there when Mudhook and I talked to him about Woodhull last year.

Jay

[mudhook]

Yes, the kernal might know. Who ever or whatever, they use a saw.
Its not the same red hearts and stars of the Neversink markings.:cry:
VW is a top ten view, one of 50.

[MarcHowes]

Nettles are a horrid scourge upon the land! I encountered them en-masse a few weeks ago on the Devil's path. They must not have had the Devil's 'blessing" yet becasue theyw ere still pretty small and not stinging too bad. I did eat a few, they were actually pretty good.

I bought some antihistamine cream last year for doing battle with the Nettles in VT but never had the opportunity to use it once it was purchased. Anyone try that out? histamine is one of the active ingredients in making those nettles such a pain.

from wikipedia:

"The plants have stinging hairs (trichomes), whose tips come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that will inject a cocktail of irritants: acetylcholine, histamine, 5-HT and possibly formic acid. This mix of poisons cause a sting or paresthesia from which the species derives its common name, as well as the colloquial name "7 minute stitch", burn nettle, burn weed, and burn hazel."

[TFR]

Nettles are a horrid scourge upon the land!

I bought some antihistamine cream last year for doing battle with the Nettles in VT but never had the opportunity to use it once it was purchased. Anyone try that out? histamine is one of the active ingredients in making those nettles such a pain.There is a plant called Jewel Weed which frequently grows near Nettles, which has a soothing effect on the skin if the juice of the stalk is rubbed on a 'nettled' area.

And it's free! :D

[hermit]

I think the metal button stands for 2 kilometers.2 km.Maybe a xcountry ski rt.? I noticed you said rm,It looked like km to me but my eyes are bad.

[ferrisjrf]

I think the metal button stands for 2 kilometers.2 km.Maybe a xcountry ski rt.? I noticed you said rm,It looked like km to me but my eyes are bad.

Ahh, interesting. In looking at my pic again, it looks like it may have originally a "k", and maybe someone scratched a top on it and turned it into an "R". The top of the "R" seems to be a shallower scratch (and harder to see) than the rest of the lettering.

Well, now I've got even more to think about. If you used Porky Rd, I guess it wouldn't be too nasty to ski all the way to the top of VW...once a year when we get enough snow in the Cats. :rolleyes:

Jason