3rd Annual VFTT Adirondack BBQ and Gathering August 18th thru August 21st

[mtn.goat]

I also wanted to thank Spence and Maddy for a great weekend. I had to leave early Sunday morning so I didn't get to thank either or you (I had to meet someone at the Loj and we ended up not doing the Trap Dyke due to the rain). It was nice meeting even more VFTT'ers and I had a great time and loved all the great beer.

What a weekend: 2.5 days of hiking, ~40 miles, ~12,000' of vertical, 8 peaks, and more beer than i can count .

 

[Neil]

What an event! You take 60 passionate, obsessed, excellent people and put 'em together for several days of their beloved activity, mix in an unlimited supply of beer, firewood, HarryK and Pete Hickey and what do you get? A 3 day hiker bender. I don't think I could handle more than once a year of burning the candle at both ends like that.

I had so much fun I can't believe it was legal. Spence and Maddi are such able and cool hosts. All their preparations made it happen for us. Thank you very much.
And thank you everybody who was there for such a good time.
Next year FF, Matt and I will knock off at 2 instead of 3.
I think Fred has come up with a name for our band.

 

[MichaelJ]

THANK YOU Spencer & Maddie!!!!!!

This was an *amazing* weekend! Thank you so much to Peak_Bgr and Hiatus for their incredible hospitality and generosity. This was an amazing weekend filled with great food, great hiking, and great friends.

I should point out HarryK's amazing powers of divination, as last Thursday he said:

Just as long as we are not singing "KUMBAYA MY WHATEVER" eh

And don't worry, PhillyGeo, Harry is still in one piece. Which piece, however, is as always, uncertain...

 

[daxs]

Many thanks to Spencer and Maddie for their annual BBQ. It just gets better every year. We had alot to celebrate with Pat and Audrey finishing their NE 115. We had music courtesy of Funky Freddie, Neil, Matt, and Pete Hickey (who arrived with his axe!). Pete's "folk" songs around the campfire were hilarious. I cannot remember when I laughed so much. Its was a great time.

 

[MichaelJ]

PICTURES!!!

These are just a first draft; I'll be fixing the color, sharpening, and generating higher-quality and higher-resolution images from the Canon RAW files as soon as I can in the next several weeks. I'll do the shots of the kids for their parents separately.

If you don't have time for the whole album, do check these out:
Summit of Marshall
Pete Hickey eliminating a blowdown
Moving LittleBear's car off the rock - zoom in on her expression in the car
Crop this one down and it's a new avatar
Everybody!
The traditional "wave to Darren"
115 Finishers
Leather aprons past
Jammin'

 

[DanaG]

Thanks for a great time Spence and Maddie. It was nice to be able to meet all the people behind the posts.
Too bad for me I had to leave early Saturday. The bad weather kept me driving directly home instead of stopping for the hike I had planned.
Thanks Daxs for taking slow me to the firetowers on Friday. It was great!
Hopefully I can return next year, stay the entire time and be up for some more challenging hikes.

 

[Doc McPeak]

What a great time! Spence and Maddy are just the best! And meeting so many real faces as opposed to tiny avatars and lognames, and then trying to remember at least some of them, was lots of fun. Looking forward to more gatherings and turning some of this weekends trail talks into hikes.

Oh, next year someone should bring some beer, though...

ps. And Neil, you can play your flute as late as you want... very soothing way to drift off to sleep. It's the 3 am acoustic version of Born to be Wild that needs addressing ...

pss. Daxs, did you swing by Hadley as planned?

 

[Jay H]

ps. And Neil, you can play your flute as late as you want... very soothing way to drift off to sleep. It's the 3 am acoustic version of Born to be Wild that needs addressing ...

As a [ sober ] witness to the whole shenanigans til around 3:30am saturday night... If the acoustic version of "Born to be Wild" didn't wake you up, I'm sure the one suggestion of walking around to everybody's tent and singing Kumbaya would of done wonders. On a similar note, we did have one raucious round of Kumbaya just for HarryK.


My first ADK BBQ and had a good time, even though we didn't arrive til like midnight on saturday... Thanks Spence and Maddi!

Jay

 

[prino]

I'd like to add my thanks to Maddie and Spence for hosting such an awesome weekend.
Hiking, Swimming, Eating, Live entertainment, meeting new and old friends....who could want anything more?
Oh! Yes I forgot the beer

I left early Sunday to climb Street and Nye so didn't get to say a proper goodbye to everyone.

Regards -Phil

 

[slamdog]

What a fantastic weekend, even for us "newbies". I cannot thank Spence and Maddi enough for opening their home to Wardy and I (and everyone else). In addition, my thanks to all the veterans for making the new crew welcome. And for those of you who brought children, what nice kids. Well behaved, respectful, they were a breath of fresh air (you parents must have done a lot of things right). Oh, and the food, need I say more! And to meet "Pete Hickey", well that was the crowning glory. In fact, I'm on my way out to buy some of Pete's famous chicken flavored peanuts. It was great to meet all of you (you know who you are) as well as meet and congratulate Pat and Audrey!!!! Wardy and I are headed back up 9/16 for the Sewards with hopes of finishing our 46 in October. If anyone is in the Speculator/Lake Pleasant areas of the dacks and want to paddle let me know. Regards, slamdog aka/ Lance

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Let me also trhrow in my thanks to Spence and Maddie! Wow! Unbeleivable! To have something like that in your yard. What must the neighbors think?

Like the Chinese proverb says, "May good things happen to you."


And MichealJ. Damn good thing that you can't see the face on that person in the picture that you're suggesting to use as an avatar. Sure as hell glad it ain't me. It's almost indecent.

 

[Gris]

can't see the face on that person in the picture that you're suggesting to use as an avatar.

Jerry Garcia back from the dead?

 

[darren]

Moving LittleBear's car off the rock - zoom in on her expression in the car

The traditional "wave to Darren"

Classic! I love the face on LittleBear. I am going to blow it up and make t-shirts! I think it is exactly how I looked the last time I drove down CVR.

Of course the salute to the Captain is always appreciated. At least this time I was not in Hawaii....although it was as hot as Hawaii in my photo gallery. 1500 Watts of track lights really heated things up. I was really bummed to miss the BBQ again, but the show went well. I got some great reviews of my photos.

Glad to see you all had a great time. I had no doubt you would know how to handle yourselves with out me there to moderate you.

- darren

 

[Neil]

I had no doubt you would know how to handle yourselves with out me there to moderate you.

LOL
Actually, a few of us could have used a little moderating on Saturday night. HarryK is a bad influence, no doubt about it.

Born to be Wild at 3 am? I had successfully supressed that from my memory and then Doc Mcpeak had to remind me.

And it's Mommabear, not Little bear

 

[Pete_Hickey]

More thanks

I also wanted to thank those who drove ma around. Lance, who sat in the back of a truck for an hour so that Malcom could drive me to Spence's, Carol for driving me to Crickets, Julie for driving me to and from hikes, and back to my bike, and especially Phil, who cut my bicycle ride home in half by driving my bike and I to Malone.

Oh yeah... ANd thanks to whoever brought that real hoppy beer (8%) that Julie brought to me while I was standing in the cold pool (brrrr). A good IPA. I wish I could remember what it was.

 

[darren]

And it's Mommabear, not Little bear

When did she change her name????

- darren

 

[daxs]

I guess next year I will bring a case of Yards. I must have been sound asleep for Born to be Wild. I don't remember it. And no I wasn't in a stupor. I only had 1 beer.

 

[MichaelJ]

Of course the salute to the Captain is always appreciated.

This is how traditions are made.

Momma Bear, not Little Bear

In my picture, it's definitely Little Bear; however, Momma Bear was also at the BBQ.

Damn good thing that you can't see the face on that person in the picture

Oh, just wait until I have time to Photoshop it...

 

[funkyfreddy]

LOL HarryK is a bad influence, no doubt about it.
Born to be Wild at 3 am? I had successfully supressed that from my memory and then Doc Mcpeak had to remind me......

Add SherpaK to the list of bad influences as well, plying unsuspecting campers with the doctor! Some of us sensitive city folk aren't used to such strong backcountry medicine

I woke up Sunday AM to Al (ajtiv) and HarryK singing Kumbaya in front of my tent..... my rib cage sore from laughing so much the night before

I have to especially thank Spence and Maddi for having us and for having the patience of Job to put up with it all! There are so many people I would like to thank as well - can't remember when I had such a great time!

Special thanks go to David (Coldfeet) and Taylor,who picked me up and gave me a ride to the gathering. It was great riding with them and talking about hiking, VFTT, etc.

More thanks go to Neil and Matt (mcorsar). I had a great time playing w them and look forward to doing more! It was also great to meet so many new (to me) faces and pillars of the VFTT community.

I would also like to thank all of my hiking partners for their good company and a great time- on Friday Sherpakroto, John S., and Coldwater for climbs to Wright's Peak and Algonquin. On Sat. I hiked w HarryK, Spongebob, the Sykes, Coldfeet, Taylor, and Mark to Tabletop and Phelps. Phelps was #13 in the ADK's for me. Hopefully I'll get up there soon again and climb many more! Oh, almost forgot! Thank you, SherpaK, for lending me hiking poles for the weekend (I had left mine in my NYC apt)!

One more item - I was glad to be part of Audrey and Pat's celebratory diner at Crickets. They are a real class act and are always great to talk with. I haven't had the pleasure of hiking with them yet but hope to soon. Thanks, Fred

 

[spongebob]

Ahhh posting under the right thread.

Ditto.
(I'm too lazy to think up a great congratulatory response. It is like getting an office card and you are the last to sign.)on what people have said about Spencer, Maddi and Bushwacker for being so nice.....Only suggestion is a Funky Freddy Free 2006.....