Winter Gathering

[skimom]

That was an awesome time! Yummy food, hot fire, great friends and music! Thanks to UC for hosting!!

It was great to see everyone, some that I haven’t seen since last years gathering!! I had a blast! And was my hat awesome or what ?? (thanks Donna, you’re a true friend for letting me wear it all night long!)

Bunchberry.. you came away with the best pick up line I’ve ever heard (not that it actually works) … only in VT !

cbcbd… we didn’t meet face to face but from SK’s comments, I’m guessing that was you singing ac/dc?? That was great! Sue and I could have helped you out but it was too much fun watching you try to hit those notes!

It was SO good to see everyone and meet some new friends, too many to list here.

Looking forward to next time!

 

[MEB]

Lenny Vedder ROCKS! How did I miss out on this performance??? Glad someone got it on video.

-MEB

 

[sli74]

Sounds like a huge party and lots of fun . . . sorry I had to miss it.
Next time?

sli74

 

[LenDawg]

Wow, what a great time. I will try and get into more details later, but from meeting almost EVERYONE in one weekend, watching the next hot bands to hit the pop culture, going on a great hike with DP Chinooktrail HW and Donna, watching Un-Fried Chicken roasting on an open fire (no more Sal now!), eating some GREAT cooking, seeing the Bopsy Twins (MEB and Little Sister) hike the Long Trail in one weekend, hit Pearl Jam hard with Doug like it was 1993, and end it with a near-hit Sherpa K gatorade shower after the Pats win on Sunday, it was an AWESOME WEEKEND. I haven't seen the video yet, but I'm getting scared (and Frodo, it isn't balls, it was a knock on the head as a kid ). Thanks UFC for hosting, and everyone else for the awesome time!!!

 

[chinooktrail]

;-)

So, where are we all meeting up this weekend?

 

[bubba]

Where is he???

Is it me or has "he" been missing since we burned the house down???

 

[Mad Townie]

Thanks, Steve, for hosting such a great blowout of a Gathering! I was thinking of you and your week’s worth of clothes all the way down the highway on Sunday. You’ll always have a place to crash in the Portland area.

MichaelJ, you play piano beautifully! Thanks also to you and everyone who took photos. Got to see a lot that I missed.

A wonderful climb of Killington with Abster and the pups, including seeing the 3 “idiots” carrying their skis and snowboard up that hill, then wondering who the real idiots were when I thought about getting back down. Still, it was great to make the last ice crawl to the summit and even greater to put on the traction devices for walk down. The woods truly were “lovely, dark and deep.” (8/11)

Meeting so many folks I hadn’t met before was a particular treat. Next time I have to sit out a few songs so that I can actually get to talk with some of you! What a community of strange, wonderful people we are! KenG, great playing & singing with you. Felt like 6 days on the road, but I did make it home. Chip, I loved hearing you play. You can sit in with us anytime. Next time I need to stick around for when the real jam starts.

Amazing bandmates, especially you Bluffettes who make my job so much fun! Don’t ever leave us, dahlins, I promise I’ll behave! Can you all imagine what it's like to perform with such shy ladies as Skimom, Alpinista and Donna? Freddy, Sherp, Mike & CB, you guys rock, in every way! But who was that serious-faced guy with the Sally Jessy Raphael glasses, anyway??? You’ve gotta get him to lighten up! Thanks also to each one of you in the crowd Saturday night. I hope everyone enjoyed the evening as much as I di . . . nah, you couldn’t have! And a particular thank you to the “crowd” Sunday night. You got to hear us play like we can when we’re “on.” There’s more where that came from. (We missed you, CB.)

A special thanks to SherpaK. This band was your idea, dude, and you made it happen in spite of your little "experience." Vas-y, mon gars! And good luck next month.

All that and the Pats win, too. I haven’t had so much fun in a long time. Hey, I even made the 5 hour drive back home without spinning out, rolling over or hitting anything. Life is good, and I’ll probably be flying from the weekend’s energy for a long time.

 

[alpinista]

The Bluffettes sounded great - Lisa's got some lungs to belt it out.

I hope that's in reference to the singing and NOT the snoring!

 

[hikethe115]

It was indeed a great party! Nice job hosting Steve. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I am glad I was able to make it for awhile. I really enjoyed listening to the band and doing a little dancing. It was nice to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time and to meet some new VFTTrs.

60 days and counting......

 

[una_dogger]

60 days and counting......

Not to hijack the thread, but Dawn, is 60 days the countdown for your AT thruhike kickoff!!???

So great to meet you! And now I know what you look like for when you come through Vermont on the AT (where MichaelJ and I will hook you up with some serious trail magic!!)

 

[MichaelJ]

Is it me or has "he" been missing since we burned the house down???

I remember something about being picked up by his dad at 5am on Monday for work...

 

[hikethe115]

Not to hijack the thread, but Dawn, is 60 days the countdown for your AT thruhike kickoff!!???

So great to meet you! And now I know what you look like for when you come through Vermont on the AT (where MichaelJ and I will hook you up with some serious trail magic!!)

Yes...60 days until I start on the trail! Time is flying by. I look forward to getting into the northeast and seeing VFTTrs on the trail! Thanks for the offer. I just set up my journal on trailjournals.com. I don't have a trail name yet so it is just under my name right now.

Sorry for the commercial interrupt...now back to your regular programming.

 

[LenDawg]

Good deal!

Awesome - I see you got LenDawg's performance on video, that is sooo cool!!

Yeah, saw it... too scary. Ouch!!!

 

[chinooktrail]

Pink Floyd comfortably numb is playing on the radio, and all I can picture is cbcbd's version! Too great!
Wow, what a talented group of people you all are!

 

[spongebob]

Thanks to UFC for hosting the gathering. I only stayed a stretch on Friday night, and on Saturday night my view and condition was like this from the magic porch refreshments.

[/URL][/IMG]

So I did not take any pictures of the event. But if I did then they would have been like Dave Metsky’s, but with more thumbs in them.

It was nice seeing some old faces and a few new ones. <<<--------Who knew Sherpakroto got plastic surgery?

A few of us ended having a renegade offshoot of the gathering down in Springfield, Vermont that was documented on a youtube video. or downloaded 34MB video. You gotta like disco balls! Thanks Chip and Jen.Pictures of hikes, but not really any views again. So blah on that.

If I was nice to anyone then that was the alcohol speaking, and I am sorry. I wish I had wore sunscreen to block those UV rays from the freaking fire.

Adrian

 

[UNFROZENCAVEMAN]

I've been on the road and haven't had access so I'm not going to respond to everyone but.....I'm glad that everyone had a good time (I did too!) - as long as I live there the place is ALWAYS open to any and all - just let me know when you want to stop by and we'll burn something out back in the pit!!! After all, ya gotta stay UNFROZEN

Now...where's all the "green square" love????!!!

 

[Fen]

It was great to meet so many vftt-ers in person! Saturday was fun staying up all night with the bonfire even if there was some Yankees fan hanging around. Sunday night's music featured MadTownie doing a mean Mick Jagger, complete with all the moves, and SherpaK's excellent work on drums. FunkyFreddy really knows what he's doing with that guitar. And of course, those who made it to Sunday got to hear Darren live from Hawaii over the sound system and two more renditions of Rockin' in the Free World. It was impressive that the band could still make up custom lyrics on-the-fly even after the Doctor had made his rounds.

And of course, the Pats pulled off their standard miraculous victory after I mistakenly declared the game to be O-V-A and SherpaK passed the breathalyzer (which was never in doubt, but makes for a good story nonetheless).

I stayed until the band packed it in and then drove late to beat the weather back to Boston.

Thanks to UFC for boldly hosting this event!

Band pics from both nights

 

[una_dogger]

LOL, Fen, you got some great shots of SherpaK!

 

[darren]

Sounds like it was an awesome time. Wish I could have been there.

For clarification, I didn't call in from the sunny isles. I called from the grey skied South Dartmouth, Mass. I've been sitting here on the couch since I had to get a full leg cast. With Carmel not here, I couldn't get a ride to the Gathering. Even if she was here, I couldn't have made the drive. With my leg sticking straight out I don't fit in the front seat of cars. I have to sit sideways in the backseat and it is very uncomfortable.

Now I understand why Sherpa said "What time is it out there?" and I said "where? in Hawaii?" He thought i was there and I was wondering why he wanted to know what time it was there. ha.

Oh well, the cast gets cut off in 2 weeks and if I can walk I will be flying back to HI right after that.

Aloha!

- darren

ps: that band sounded great....you guys played Rocking in the Free World and it sounded just like the CD!

 

[coldfeet]

Finally I had time to put up pics....webshots was really slow

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2463837240065582691dsxbKM


Thx again to UFC for hosting...I wish there was a gathering every season...glad I wasn't shy 3 years ago and asked to come aboard!

Let's see, now i want to buy a bass guitar, Freddy offered lessons while i drive...

Nice getting that winning beer from sherpak for the Yankees success over the sox...even though it probably was spit in..(hope Colts win) Thx LenDawg for the food, I'll pick up next decade when the NY football teams win..

34 pics...first few of Ascutney, next group of Backside of Okemo, then a few of the suspension bridge off the At..thx to Roadtripper..

Had fun with all of those around...and big thx to my wife, Lina!