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.