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McRat

McRat

New member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
398
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274
Location
Malden, MA
I have another week before I can attempt my final peak on the NH4K list. I can hardly wait to get out, and have been thinking about hiking almost constantly.

One to go... What a long strange trip it has been.

Over a hundred hours, hundreds of dollars and thousands of miles of driving.

I've been cut, bruised, chafed, sprained, and blistered. I've been held at gunpoint, gotten drunk, hiked in the dark and took a stick in the eye, and drove back in two hours - all to get frickin' Waumbek before sunrise and spring.

I've had a friend break his ankle and pass out on the trail, three miles from Appalachia lot. I've bonked the entire length of the Garfield ridge trail. Multiple electronic devices got fried by EMP as I made a terrified dash from the summit of Moosilauke during a thunderstorm.

I've been charged by grouse, offered as a feast to the mosquitoes, and got spider webs in my beard. I've dodged deer on the highway when they appear almost magically in the twilight. I've stepped in moose poop.

I've been sunburned and dehydrated in the heat of summer and spent nights shivering in a shelter hoping for sleep. I've soared through the air at high speed when I discovered that swissbobs and crampons do not work well together. I have glissaded both intentionally and otherwise. I've experienced the Clivus.

Then again, I've been on the Bonds in perfect weather so it all balances out.

- - - - - -

My posts are verbose enough without me listing all the wonderful people, places and moments on this quest. I'll won't try your patience by recounting them all. Suffice to say, the journey has been one of my favorite endeavors - a labor of love.

I can also honestly admit that I wouldn't have traveled so far had it not been for you, my fellow hikers. The thriving online community has provided countless valuable advice, encouragement, sympathy, trail conditions, and hiking partners. I'm also grateful to a surprisingly large amount of people - ranging from those unknown hikers who break the trail ahead; to the many people I am proud to call friends.

Even when I'm unable to hike or stuck in my windowless office, I've enjoyed countless hours reading the many trip reports and posts from all the interesting characters here.

Thanks to all of you.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this adventure finishes. Hopefully, I'll put North Twin under my boots next weekend and get my patch.

If not, you all get a second North Twin trip report - absolutely free.
 
the countdown

McRat said:
I have another week before I can attempt my final peak on the NH4K list. I can hardly wait to get out, and have been thinking about hiking almost constantly.

One to go... What a long strange trip it has been.

Over a hundred hours, hundreds of dollars and thousands of miles of driving.

I've been cut, bruised, chafed, sprained, and blistered. I've been held at gunpoint, gotten drunk, hiked in the dark and took a stick in the eye, and drove back in two hours - all to get frickin' Waumbek before sunrise and spring.

I've had a friend break his ankle and pass out on the trail, three miles from Appalachia lot. I've bonked the entire length of the Garfield ridge trail. Multiple electronic devices got fried by EMP as I made a terrified dash from the summit of Moosilauke during a thunderstorm.

I've been charged by grouse, offered as a feast to the mosquitoes, and got spider webs in my beard. I've dodged deer on the highway when they appear almost magically in the twilight. I've stepped in moose poop.

I've been sunburned and dehydrated in the heat of summer and spent nights shivering in a shelter hoping for sleep. I've soared through the air at high speed when I discovered that swissbobs and crampons do not work well together. I have glissaded both intentionally and otherwise. I've experienced the Clivus.

Then again, I've been on the Bonds in perfect weather so it all balances out.

- - - - - -

My posts are verbose enough without me listing all the wonderful people, places and moments on this quest. I'll won't try your patience by recounting them all. Suffice to say, the journey has been one of my favorite endeavors - a labor of love.

I can also honestly admit that I wouldn't have traveled so far had it not been for you, my fellow hikers. The thriving online community has provided countless valuable advice, encouragement, sympathy, trail conditions, and hiking partners. I'm also grateful to a surprisingly large amount of people - ranging from those unknown hikers who break the trail ahead; to the many people I am proud to call friends.

Even when I'm unable to hike or stuck in my windowless office, I've enjoyed countless hours reading the many trip reports and posts from all the interesting characters here.

Thanks to all of you.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this adventure finishes. Hopefully, I'll put North Twin under my boots next weekend and get my patch.

If not, you all get a second North Twin trip report - absolutely free.
Click to expand...
This is one of the most humorous posts I've ever read! Held at gunpoint????Good luck to you...
 
Great TR, McRat

That was easily the most captivating post in the history of VFTT, which says a lot considering Tom and Atticus posts here.
 
Bobby said:
"Lately I've been thinking, what a long strange trip it's been" Truckin', the Grateful Dead :) You'll get there, McRat. Good luck.
Click to expand...

or as Lowell George and the boys put it: "I've been kicked by the wind, robbed by the sleet, had my head stoved in but I'm still on my feet, and I'm still...willin'"
good luck and thanks for the entertainment! :D
 
Nice. I think we've all been "there" - whatever that is to all of us individually. The mountain experience and the ability to share with others (and mostly with those who share this online experience) is the best. Many miles, memories and places to yet go.

Good luck. Look forward to more of your posts, post NH4K.
 
NewHampshire said:
The origional trip report post is gone, but he explains it here:

Thread

Can'y say I would have been investing in depends that day, since I SURELY would have peed my pants!

Brian
Click to expand...



Whoa, what a story!!! I'd have been sh?tting pickles if I were you!! McRat, did this happen in NH?? I'm kind of surprised you didnt go to the authorities about him, or did you?
 
dentonfabrics said:
Whoa, what a story!!! I'd have been sh?tting pickles if I were you!! McRat, did this happen in NH?? I'm kind of surprised you didnt go to the authorities about him, or did you?
Click to expand...

I suppose I'm kind of surprised I didn't call the police, but I guess after the stick in the eye, it lost priority. The first few days I was focused on visits to the doctor or sitting in a darkened room popping pain killers.

Over time, I began to view him less as an opportunistic psycho and more as a lonely mentally-disabled guy who helped some dumb Masshole who couldn't tell the difference between a snowmobile trail and trailhead parking.

From his viewpoint - he towed my car, gave me a warm place and some beer, and eventually let me leave unscathed. The guy is clearly messed up, and hopefully is back on his meds and doing better.

I guess at some level I feel sorry for the guy, grateful for the tow, and lucky to be out. The point of the linked story is that, had I been carrying a handgun at the time, I would have been scared enough to use it... and given how everything ended up - I'm glad I didn't carry.
 
So, is North Twin still on the agenda between now and the Equinox, despite the warm temperatures, rotting snowpack, and forecast snowfall? I think that the Little River (3rd crossing) will need to be waded now). I am up for it, if anyone else is.
 
Still looking at the weather reports, but tentatively we're heading up on Saturday (3/17). Thread in Trips and Events.

If the weather is miserable or driving conditions dangerous, I may attack it midweek (for winter) or next weekend. Failing that, I'll probably just join the NH4K class of 2008.

Dr. Dasypodidae, pm if interested.
 
3rd brook crossing..didnt even think of that one. i kind of assumed it would be frozen over with snow on it?
 
I don't think Coo's county had a flood/ice dam warning, but it is awfully close and it is a mountain run-off. I think the extreme warm weather we had has probably turned the crossing into a running mess that might not get re-frozen despite the cooler temps coming. No doubt about it......we will probably have to do some wading!

But who knows? Hey, lets just bushwack up the Twins from Red Rock Pond :D .....oh wait, that would be even MORE crossings to deal with :p .

Brian
 
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