Ballgown Bushwack on Rocky and Lone 7/23

[Halia and Flammeus]

Yep, you heard right: we bushwacked in ballgowns, and we snagged Rocky and Lone.

Melissa, Danny, Tom (not Flammeus, but Melissa's Tom) and I met at Denning, where we quickly delighted in the realization that we would be hiking with more dogs than people. Irie, Simba, LilyIskeCinder. 5:4 ratio. Melissa forgot her dress, but no problem -- I always have an extra ballgown in the car. Danny took forever to get organized (:P) - he lost his car key before we left the parking area (it's a Denning ritual, apparently), but finally we set off.

By the time we hit the first bridge, it was hot enough to send us all screaming and giggling into the water, gowns and all. 5 dogs and three ballgowned hikers splashing and whooping it up. I'll bet we were heard over in Sundown even over the blast of the turntables.

We strode off, dripping from our handkerchief hemlines, and made for what Melissa calls "the fish path." In the first sidehilly muddy section I took a wicked spill - bad enough that Danny asked if I sustained any "structural damage". That's what you get when you hike with smartyboots scientists. Dress caked in mud and a nasty bruise but otherwise ok, we continued.

We followed my route (sort of) and followed the river all the way to the base of Friday, BC, and Rocky. What a cool spot. We wacked up and did not find my shoe or car key but we did select a nice line and keep our dresses and skin intact for the most part. At some point Danny received a Neversink souvenir in the form of an impressive gash-bruise on his shin. May the gnarlification commence!

After the required lunch and make out session with the dogs, we took in the fantastic views of Balsam Cap and the ridge line. It wasn't all that hot, it was super clear, and there was a lovely breeze. It was just gorgeous.

I used a top secret technique to navigate from Rocky to Lone. I shot a bearing and then FOLLOWED IT. Again, no getting wacked by balsams or whipped by birches, but also no shoe or car key. Melissa exclaimed "That was so easy it should be illegal." I love that woman. I replied that she should quit it because she's swelling my head, but Tom said that that was ok, as long as I use it as a battering ram if things get thick.

We were north of the supercliffs on Lone and had a pretty easy ascent, gowns and all. More photos, more admiring the views, and more delighting in the fantastic weather, and then we headed down. I shot the bearing for a spot upstream on the Donovan brook, hoping to get to water for the dogs a little more quickly. Alas, I screwed that up somehow, and led us to a nifty area I'd never been in before: headwaters of some unnamed feeder stream, I guess. It was pretty flat, open, and full of dry streambeds. Definitely gonna have to get back in there to check that area out more thoroughly. Thinking we had hit the Donovan, we followed this dinky little thing down and popped out on the fish path east of Donovan. The dogs forgave us.

That was pretty much it. Over and out, along the river and then another quick dip, and back to the parking area. A great day with great hikers no matter what they've got on. I think we've got another convert - Tom was saying that he'd "dress up" for the next one.

Photos here and here. If the first link doesn't work, ask Melissa to post a link to her album.

[melissa]

photos. i will forever be indebted to danny for swimming and halia for navigating. that neversink is MAGIC, i tell you.

[daLunartik]

Good Stuff. Looks like the gowns survived the whack

[Halia and Flammeus]

We were considering "distressing" the gowns for a photo if the woods didn't shred them for us. We just couldn't quite bear the thought of taking our knives to perfectly good hiking gear .

Halcott's really going to be the test of our mettle.

[TFR]

Originally Posted by Halia and Flammeus

Halcott's really going to be the test of our mettle.

And a test of its Nettles!

[rockysummit]

I noticed the gowns were not the long flowing types this time. A couple would have probably been blowing in the breeze like flags up there! Looks and sounds like another great trip!
-Tony

[Zer0-G]

Originally Posted by melissa

that neversink is MAGIC, i tell you.

In my top 5 of favorite places on good ol' mother earth

[niceguyted]

Very cool. Saw the pics on facebook - quite impressive that you guys managed to bag these two without major wardrobe malfunctions or horrible scrapes & bruises (I assume Danny's 'nice gash' was pre-existing?). Keep baggin' 'em, g4g!

[Halia and Flammeus]

Melissa and Tom remained unscathed. Danny got himself a lovely "gnar-gnar" on the way up Rocky (I think) - a high impact gash-bruise. I fell within the first 2 miles and am sporting a delightful tricolor bruise on my palm (try downward dogging with that injury ). Iske cut her foot a little. Lily carried out large quantities of leaf litter. Irie, Simba and Cinder also uninjured.

yeah, this one needed slightly less flowing tresses and dresses. We battened down the hatches so to speak. We have plenty more bushwack peaks to grab, so maybe as we continue, we'll up the ante with more challenging garb.

Thank you, TRF, for going for the nettle-mettle wordplay!

The Neversink basin is just ... The more I look at maps, the more I want to go play in those woods. I find myself planning trips that don't include bagging peaks: you know I've got it bad.