Can You Top This?

I don't really hike much in the Summer, so I like to check in with VFFT when it starts to get cold....Sorta motivates me to get out and make the 570 mile drive from Maryland to Pinkham, or 552 miles to the Appalachia PL.

Guess I started hiking in the late 90's and found my little peice of heaven in the Presi's around 2000. I think it do it more for the challenge than to get in touch with nature.

Ive spent 4-5 years hoing different tents and bags and packs and stoves and ways of packing meals and, and , and....yada, yada, yada....Even gotta Shaws Club Card....

Very Bored at Work today....Can you tell?

Back to the subject. Met some nice people...met a guy just above treeline on Lowes Path one winter who lives in VA that I still hike with today. Both of us are getting old...another story.

Anyway back to the subject again....What are some crazy things you have done for a Winter Ascent? Can you top mine? On a Thursday evening in January I drove from MD to Pinkham Notch VC (12 hours) caught 2 hrs sleep, then summited Mt Washington on Friday . Hiked down, changed clothes and drove 12 hrs home arriving around 5 am on Saturday.

Otherwords:

5pm Thursday....left MD
5am Friday arrived at Pinkham
7:30am Friday strated up Wash
4:30pm Friday got back to car
5:00pm Friday left NH
5:00am Saturday arrived home in MD

Over 1150 miles driving.....25 dollars or so in tolls......fighting NYC traffic and potholes.....8 mile hike....2 hrs sleep out of 36......not counting the 10hrs of awake time on Thursday before I started out.

Am I strange, weird, sick.....my friends around here just shake their head....

Anyone else do these marathons? Top me if you can?

Can't top it

My three hour drive to Pinkham is looking pretty good!

Can't really top that since I don't live as far from the Whites as you do (5-5h30m), and have driven up just for one day to hike... but I have:

-left on a friday night after work for Lincoln,NH, arriving 1am
-woke up at 4am
-hiked 37 miles of the Pemi loop
-drove to Newport, RI that night
-met up with friends on Sunday morning and went kayaking all day

Once again, not as much driving, but it was a pretty activity intense weekend in which I got to see a lot of the mountains and the ocean - basically, perfect!


Oh, and I think this man beats us all:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7769

cbcbd

Yes, not as much driving....but impressive none the less....37 mile hike, driving that night and kayaking the next day....not bad.

The last 2 hrs on the NJ turnpike are just killers for me though.....I do a great bobblehead impression.....


Just noticed the Pete Hickey clip.....Ive seen his threads...the guy's definitely a VFFT legend....That's def one for the record books......

blownaway said:

Yes, not as much driving....but impressive none the less....37 mile hike, driving that night and kayaking the next day....not bad.

The last 2 hrs on the NJ turnpike are just killers for me though.....I do a great bobblehead impression.....

Click to expand...

I'll take 100 miles of non-stop hiking without food over 2 hours of sitting in traffic

blownaway said:

Just noticed the Pete Hickey clip.....Ive seen his threads...the guy's definitely a VFFT legend....That's def one for the record books......

Click to expand...

This board is just full of legends, especially since we have many ultramarathoners and record breakers who are members. Their feats (and feets )are really an inspiration.

blownaway said:

Am I strange, weird, sick.....my friends around here just shake their head....Anyone else do these marathons? Top me if you can?

Click to expand...

Can't top you and I'm not interested in that approach to hiking but it does bring back a happy memory of what my wife referred to as my "24 hour day trips".

Nc

I've lived in Raleigh for the past 9 years, and have made the trip up once each year to do a weekend trip. I've always flown in the past, but I'm thinking about renting a car to do it this time. $250 for the car and gas vs. $350 for plane and airport shuttle busses.

nope - can't say I would want to either - like woody, I am not so mad at my rides now.

blownaway said:

Just noticed the Pete Hickey clip.....Ive seen his threads...the guy's definitely a VFFT legend....That's def one for the record books......

Click to expand...

Nahhh. He's just a bigmouth that talks a lot. Asak anyone who knows him. They'll tell you.

The real legends are more quiet.

Back to the point. When I climbed Whitney, I met a family from NJ, or some place like that. The two sons took their father to climb Whitney for fathers Day. They left Newark Sat morning, flew to Vegas (or Reno or someplace), rented a car, drove to the base camp, arrived at suppertime Sat. Started climbing Whitney at 3:30AM, returned to catch an early morning monday flight (or maybe it was a Sunday red-eye)

That's a lot of traveling and expense for a single mountain.

drive from nc

Good for you expat.....I like to make a pitstop at Campmor (paramus, nj) if time permits....but you can spend a few hours in there before you know it.....

That will defintely be an iron-butt drive..

I keep a twelve pack of diet coke and a urnal next to me to avoid frequent stops.........sometimes its great to be a man....

Pete_Hickey said:

Nahhh. He's just a bigmouth that talks a lot. Asak anyone who knows him. They'll tell you.

The real legends are more quiet.

Back to the point. When I climbed Whitney, I met a family from NJ, or some place like that. The two sons took their father to climb Whitney for fathers Day. They left Newark Sat morning, flew to Vegas (or Reno or someplace), rented a car, drove to the base camp, arrived at suppertime Sat. Started climbing Whitney at 3:30AM, returned to catch an early morning monday flight (or maybe it was a Sunday red-eye)

That's a lot of traveling and expense for a single mountain.

Click to expand...

heck yeah it is....but when you get the itch you gotta scratch....

Remember though...they could sleep on the plane.....

blownaway said:

Remember though...they could sleep on the plane.....

Click to expand...

So many times I wished I could just sleep and let the car ride

Absolutely nothing to top that, but I must say that when I am on limited time, I don't mind driving to the ADK, hike 3 hours, and come back home.

So almost 6 hours driving for 3 hours hike... That is what I am ready to do for a fix.

Longest single day-drive-hike-


12:00am- Leave Toms River NJ
7:00am- Arrive Rutland VT
9 mile loop hike around AT/LT (forget exact hike)
3:00pm -Lv Vermont
11:00pm - Arrive NJ

Left for work 5:30 am next day

Not sure if I compete: 700-800 miles round trip and between 25-30 times per year. Oh yeah $12 in tolls - round trip. Also throw in at least 2 West Coast trips.

Pete is still the hero traveling on a bike at least once a year.

blownaway-
dude, you need to move up here!

this thread reminds me of those 'I'd walk a mile for a camel' ads back in the day. 'I'd drive 12 hours to hike'...good tag line!

I biked about 900 miles to Orient, ME (I did bike by China, ME!) to go canoeing in East Grand Lake! Does that count.

I wanted to bike to Baxter and climb Katahdin (ship my hiking gear to Millanocket) but found out they don't allow bikes on the road to Roaring Brook and I sooo wanted to climb it via the knife edge...

Might still try it if somebody would pick me up at the park entrence.....

Jay

and yes, Goran Kropp is God!

truepatriot09 said:

blownaway-
dude, you need to move up here!

this thread reminds me of those 'I'd walk a mile for a camel' ads back in the day. 'I'd drive 12 hours to hike'...good tag line!

Click to expand...

I wish I could...

The drive isn't so bad....esp once I get above NYC---gravy from there. Pretty cool diner off 91 a few exits before you get out of Mass.

Lost 2 windshields so far in my travels....

Guinness....I'd say you got me......25-30 times a year and 2 west coast trips.....Sounds like you need a vacation..

Jay H said:

I biked about 900 miles to Orient, ME (I did bike by China, ME!) to go canoeing in East Grand Lake! Does that count.

I wanted to bike to Baxter and climb Katahdin (ship my hiking gear to Millanocket) but found out they don't allow bikes on the road to Roaring Brook and I sooo wanted to climb it via the knife edge...

Might still try it if somebody would pick me up at the park entrence.....

Jay

and yes, Goran Kropp is God!

Click to expand...

Jay---Time frame here.....Sounds relaxing to me....I'm talking RED EYE stuff....but definitely impressive none the less.....