DAY 29 - TECHNICAL ROCK SLAB SCRAMBLE

July 29, 2012

TECHNICAL ROCK SCRAMBLE TO THE SUMMIT

What I learned so far……

DIGITAL NOMADS:  People who travel and maintain a blog! I guess that may be us.  Maybe I’ll snag “digitalnomads.blogspot.com” for my next adventure blog!  Wonder if anyone else has that address yet??

ROCK SCRAMBLE:  We have personally experienced this ...just didn’t know what it was called!  These are in most hikes; sometimes at the start, in the middle and at the top. 

ROCK SLABBING:  A slab of rock, staring you in the face, with no visible signs of footholds that you have to figure out how to get up or around….which brings me to

TECHNICAL:  Now this term has new meaning for us.  Many of the hikes in Vermont are “technical” which to me means that as you are scrambling up the rocks, you are making technical (or tactical) decisions of where to place your feet next!  I’m sure there is another meaning to this, but that is what it means to me…….TECHNICAL ROCK SCRAMBLES UP ROCK SLABS!  That’s what it’s all about.

Speaking of…………we decided to take the summit trail from the summit parking lot up to the observation tower and over to the summit which is crowded with cell towers! 

However, before heading up….we headed over to Stella’s for lunch.  Missed breakfast by 30 minutes so must get started sooner because their breakfast menu looks fantastic!  Now this little restaurant seats about 30-40 patrons, tops, and it was full.  Their food is great, as attested to in previous entries.  Their salads ingredients come from their garden and it’s all organic; soups are wonderful and their sandwiches are very good.  I’ve been getting the falafel with lettuce, tomato and cucumber sauce in a flatbread wrap.  Lots of opportunities for vegetarian meals and of course hamburgers, etc. for the carnivore in the family!

After fortifying with food, we headed back to the campground to pick up Billy who is now our resident “mountain goat” so his name “Billy of the Hills” or “Hill Billy” is aptly applied.

We drove to the summit to begin our hike.  There are several trails that start at the bottom and climb to the summit; Brownsville, Weathersfield, Windsor and Futures. 

We climbed 1 mile up the Futures to Lookout Rock but didn’t attempt a summit climb that day because it was another 2+ miles up.  So for our first serious hike to the summit we started higher up in the summit parking lot.

From here it is .7 mile to the summit.  As we started our ascent the trail was deceivingly easy.  We’d been on this part before when heading off to the Hang Gliding Summit and another hike to Brownsville Rock on July 3rd, so we knew what was coming up.

 LET ME  LEAD .... I KNOW THE WAY!

We reached a fork in the road and decided to take it ….. we headed up Slot Trail which, as you can imagine, goes through a slot in the mountain with high walls and stone steps, of a sort.  I thought Slot Trail was the easier trail but later read that it was more challenging than the Slab Trail. 

This is where the “technical rock scramble over slabs” technique came in handy.  Billy didn’t have any problems scrambling up the rocks, except on one slab ……it took him three tries to get his footing up the rock.  I could only imagine how many tries it would take us … if we made it at all.  Then we noticed a path around a tree that by using the exposed roots we could step up and around the rock.  That must be the “technical” part.  Eventually we reached the same point as Billy who had been looking down on us!  

 COMING THROUGH THE SLOT

CHECKING THE TRAIL MAP .... WHICH WAY TO GO?  COMING THROUGH THE SLOT!

BILLY ALWAYS BEATS US TO THE TOP!

 THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT'S NICE AND FLAT....SHORT TIMES!

By this time the 80% humidity mingling with my over-heated body was creating a situation where my glasses kept fogging up.  I had my State Park hat on with the brim and didn’t think about that causing the hot moisture to accumulate on my glasses!  Now the insects droned in like heat-seeking missiles circling my sweaty head.   I was fighting the elements on all fronts. 

We kept on going until we saw another trail sign pointing to the summit in one direction and Castle Rock in the other.  Opted for the summit and headed up, yet another rock scramble. 

Finally we reached the observation tower.  This tower stands 24.5’ high.  Now, heights are not my friend; fire towers, lighthouses, etc. are no longer in or around my comfort zone….so I sent Dave up to have a look. 

He said it was a beautiful vista looking down on the valley and I took his word for it.  On a clear day it is a 360 degree panorama view of the Green Mountains, Berkshires, Taconics and maybe NH White Mountains.  Today was  not one of those days.

Once he came down, I gave him Billy, and headed up the stairs.  I managed to snap off a picture of the valley before gripping the railing, with visions of being flung off the side, and made my way down.

THE TOWER IN THE DISTANCEFRONT IS ACTUALLY IN THE SUMMIT PARKING LOT

From here we took a trail up to the summit which was another rock scramble of a technical nature!  The summit has two huge towers on it full of dishes.  TVs and radio stations as well as cell phone carriers have their equipment up here and at the lower tower in the summit parking lot.   Workers who come here to these towers have to climb up just like us, with their equipment.  Oh joy! 

A young couple in their mid to late 20’s arrived with their dog.  They had come up the Weathersfield Trail, bottom to top, and I asked how it was.  The “very fit” guy said it was his first time on the trail and he was surprised how steep and technical it was!  I added, probably some rock scrambles too, and he said, Oh Yeah!  (See, I’m getting to know the talk!)  

AT THE SUMMIT....A MAN AND HIS DOG!

We then headed back down to the parking lot via the slab trail along slabbing rocks!  Walking down slabs  isn’t any easier than climbing up, especially when it’s muddy and wet.   Actually one doesn’t “walk” down these slabs.   I finally gave up trying to find an easier way down some of the rocks and simply sat down and slid.  It was a much, much better way to go! 

It was a great hike that we will definitely repeat.  All in all it was not that difficult, just had to figure out where you were going to place your feet at times.  The elevation gain wasn’t much and I’m either getting used to it or getting in better shape because I was able to swear and climb at the same time without losing my breath!

However, we decided that we no longer had anything to prove (at our age) and that a bottom to summit hike (and back down) may not be in our immediate future.  However, there are lots of wonderful places to hike to on the trails around this mountain and we will plan on doing those.  Between Gerry’s Falls, Cascade Falls and the quarries, we

will probably cover much of this mountain before we leave, we’ll just do it in spurts rather than all at once! 

On our way back down in the car we stopped at the picnic area to walk to the view and to let our brakes cool off a bit. 

When we first got here, cars coming down the mountain had an awful smell.  At first I thought Vermont, being so progressively ‘green’, had discovered some fuel using compost and the cars were burning that! 

What I smelled was the parfum de burning brakes!  Cars coming down off the mountain with smoke pouring out of their wheels.  They usually stop in front of the Ranger’s Hut to let the brakes cool off.  One guy grabbed a hose to hose down his brakes.  I’m not sure that’s such a good thing for brakes!  Anyway, it’s a common smell.   You have to come off the mountain in the lowest possible gear and try not to ride the brakes.

 LOOKING DOWN ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND CORNISH COVERED BRIDGE

LOOKING OFF ACROSS TO NEW HAMPSHIRE

This picnic area is absolutely beautiful and looks down onto the Connecticut River and the Cornish Covered Bridge.   Between the picnic tables and grills and covered pavilion with the view, one can make a whole day of recreation on this mountain.

Made it back to the MH and just settled in when the skies opened up and the rain came down.  Glad we weren’t still climbing down the slabs!

MARK GETS A NEW BIKE

 HE'S KEEPING THIS ONE IN THE BEDROOM!

Mark is an avid mountain biker and lost his bike this summer.  He called the bike shop and they put together another Kahuna giving him a little discount due to his misfortune.  He and Lucy went over to pick it up on their day off and he tried it out on some of his favorite biking trails in the area. 

Gus loves to run after Mark in the trails and found himself plenty of muddy water to run through!  It’s a happy day! 

SCENES AROUND THE CAMPGROUND

TYPICAL SCENE - BIKERS GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN .... RAIN OR SHINE!

Two cyclers came in from New York and stayed at the Ascutney Ski Resort.  They rode their bikes over to the park, rode around the park, up the mountain twice and then met up with another guy who was also training on the mountain.   They agreed to meet Sunday, then rode off down and around the mountain back to the hotel.  

Next day they are once again, at the top of the mountain – probably their second trip up.  They are training for the Mt Washington race.  Guys are probably in their 40’s with the third guy in his late 50’s….maybe older.  Gotta hand it to these cyclers.  They are dedicated!

TENT CITY FOR THE WEEKEND

The Harpoon Brewery BBQ competition was this weekend and the campground was full.  Despite the rain starting on Thursday and coming off and on all weekend, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.  I was surprised how quiet the campground was considering it was a party weekend.  PROMISES OF THINGS TO COME Walked down to the Ranger’s Hut the other night and found mushrooms growing alongside the road.  Picked one and brought it down to find out what kind it was.  Mark & Lucy need to look it up…..however I saw this as a very good sign of more mushrooms to come.  It’s been raining on and off for the past several days so hopefully we’ll be doing some mushroom hikes in the near future.  Stay Tuned!

DAY 27 - THIS AND THAT

July 25th

The feast of the Lobsters was outstanding .  Mark did a superb job of cooking them up.  In addition to the lobsters (as if you need one), we had zucchini bread, corn on the cob, half a lb of melted butter and fresh fruit salad for dessert.  Not to be outdone ….. we brought down a bottle of Ancient Ancient Age purchased from Buffalo Trace and Mark broke out his Woodford Reserve and we did a taste test.  Ancient Ancient Age was the winner.  In addition, Mark handed me a glass of beer he made from the hops growing alongside of the house.  It was great…..I love hoppy beer.  

All in all, it was a great evening and we were ready to call it a night when the rain starting seeping out of the sky.  By the time we cleaned up and were back at the MH, it was coming down pretty good.  Can’t remember the last time it rained here.

Spent the last two days working at the Ranger’s Hut.  Not much going on in the campground during the week but hikers and bikers were making their way up the mountain road. 

Lucy and Mark are gardeners extraordinaire!  Flowers are blooming around the Ranger's Hut. What a treat it is to come down to the Ranger's Hut and pick some thyme or oregano or rosemary that grows in the garden alongside the building.

Aside from growing their own hops to make beer, Mark and Lucy are growing wonderful vegetables.    All along the side of the house are tomato plants and cucumbers and squash. 

 It's getting close to being ready to eat.  

The weather turned beautiful with low, low humidity and low, low temperatures.  A north wind came through Tuesday night taking all the clouds away so the views up the mountain on Wednesday were the best.  However, Thursday brought more rain, which we sorely need.  The more rain we get, the more mushrooms we’ll find and Mark and Lucy have promised us a mushroom hike…. so pray for rain!

This weekend is the big BBQ/Beer Fest at Harpoon Brewery so our campground will be full and the whole area is abuzz. 

Wednesday night we went over to Claremont to Ramuntos for pizza.  Harpoon was on special so for every beer you bought you got a ticket and a chance to win prizes.   After four beers and four tickets, one of our numbers came up!!!!! 

We got two large 16 oz beer glasses with UFO lables, two Harpoon bumper stickers which are now on the MH and two Harpoon beer openers/key rings.  We were happy.  They were still pulling numbers when we left so passed our remaining tickets to the next table …. Hopefully they got something too.

July 27, 2012

Friday  started off with rain.  It rained all night and was still raining this morning.  By noon it tapered off but still was a gloomy day so we decided to take a ride over towards Killington.  Just down the road from the Plymouth turn off we saw Long Trail Brewery looming up!  Oh my ….another brewery!  It is located in Brigdewater Corners  VT.  Just in time for lunch so we stopped right in!

The name Long Trail has great significance here in Vermont.  

THE LONG TRAIL is a hiking trail running the length of the state and is the oldest long-distance trail in the US constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club.  

It starts near Williamstown, MA and ends at the Canadian Border near North Troy.   

The Green Mountain Club is still the primary organization responsible for the trail.  It runs along the ridge of the Green Mountains coinciding with the Appalachian Trail in southern Vermont.  It traverses almost all of the Green Mountains ‘major summits including Glastenbury Mountain, Stratton, Killington Peak, Mount Abraham, Mount Ellen, Camel’s Hump, Mount Mansfield and Jay Peak.  

Rightfully so, Vermont is very proud of this trail.  With a little luck we’ll get to hike some part of it before we leave …. I think we’ll skip the major summits, however!

Finishing up lunch we headed down to Plymouth Vermont to see Coolidge State Park.  

This park is beautiful.  It was created in the 1930’s and sits on the side of the mountain. .  

The tent and RV sites are wooded and secluded and there is an entire loop of lean-tos .     

Some of the sites have the most beautiful views looking across the Black River Valley and Green Mountains. 

There are several remote lean-to campsites far away from the rest of the campground.   Camping in this remote lean-to, you would be looking at this............

The picnic area is beautiful looking out at Killington Mountain.  Unfortunately we did not have a very good weather day and could not get the best shots. 

KILLINGTON MOUNTAIN IN THE CLOUDS

 Our plan is to come back on a nice day to hike the miles of trails in the park and visit Plymouth Notch, the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge.

Coming back through Plymouth, we could see the effects of Irene.  This town suffered through the flooding.  Plymouth was cut off with Route 100 wash out and other bridges leading to town being washed away.  

The Black River which hardly has any water in it now, flowed over the banks and took out bridges and, in some cases, homes.  Trees were toppled as the ground got so saturated the roots couldn’t hold them up.  Unlike Florida where the water can drain quickly through the sandy soil, there is really no place for the water to go once it becomes overwhelming. 

Hardly any water running in this creek now .... but it did some serious damage to the building below!

The flood waters took a bite out of the bridge and driveway to this motel.

Back to Mt Ascutney to get ready for the crowd.  The campers are gearing up for a fun weekend of BBQ and beer.  Should be interesting!

I THINK HE KNOWS MY NAME BY NOW!

Stay tuned...........

DAY 23 - THE MAINE STORY

JULY 23 ...

Eventually there has to be a day when nothing significant happens and we just get the stuff done we need to do and combine our days together into one big event.  This morning started out with housekeeping chores.

The MH was in dire need of a cleanup.  Billy is a voracious shedder exacerbated by my need to bury myself in his fur and give him a rub down from haunch to nose.  The fur collects behind things and it was building up.  A complete scrub down of the bathroom and vacuuming of the motor home took about ….. 20 minutes.  I love a simple life!

We had several things to get accomplished today and headed over to Claremont NH. 

First on our list was to find Java Cup where they sell whole-bean coffee from a coffee roaster in Brattleboro.  However, on our way over we stopped at “Tractor Supply” to see if they had any small gas grills.  They didn’t but they had lots of other stuff I’ve never thought about! 

The good news is … they sell Blue Buffalo at a good price so we don’t have to travel to Rutland PETCO to get Billy’s food.   Dave had a great time browsing around Tractor Supply but when he started to head out the side door to the yard that sells fencing, wires and tractors … I stopped him and told him there wasn’t anything out there we needed to bring home!  With dreams of farming in his head, we left by the front door exits! 

Heading downtown to Java Cup we passed Stone Arch Bakery.  I’ve seen their bread around town and ads so we made a quick left into the bakery.  Came out with some scrumptious multi-grain bread freshly baked. 

The merchants up here are so nice …. Every single one of them.  You’d think they were from the south!   

Found Java Cup around the corner and asked the owners what beans they carry.    They rattled off the different beans and then pointed to the wall, passing us cups and said to try them out and decide what we’d like!  We ended up with French Roasted Cameroon which is full bodied and smooth. 

From here we headed to Home Depot to find a small tabletop gas grill to replace ours.  I bought our little table top for $30 last year and used it all year … it lasted about 14 months.  Picked up a replacement for $30 which will probably last us another 14 months.   Not a bad deal!

Down the street was the Market Basket our grocery store of choice up here.  Their food is good, produce looks good and prices are reasonable.  It’s difficult to shop in a store where you don’t know the layout so it always takes me longer than usual.  I was plowing through the produce section looking for onions when the manager came on over the loudspeaker announcing specials in the fish department.   

One announcement stopped me in my tracks………live Maine lobsters $3.49/lbs averaging 1 ¼ lbs each.   

The last time I cooked live Maine lobsters was about 25 years ago.  A co-worker at GE had a friend in Maine so he would take orders from all of us (I’d order about 12-14 for the entire family) and the Maine friend would go to the docks in the morning and get the lobsters packed in seaweed.  He would then go to the airport and fly them into Daytona Beach.  Our offices were right across from the airport so someone would go over the pick up the crates and bring them back to the parking lot where we would all be waiting with our coolers to load up on squirmy live lobsters!!!  We did this for several years then the price of lobsters went through the roof.

The reason the  prices are down now is because of the mild winter this past year.  This winter’s warm weather allowed Canadian lobstermen to bring in large catches in the early spring due to  mild weather and the lobsters that are caught in Maine in the summer months, ones that can’t be shipped live due to their softer shells, arrived six weeks earlier than normal.  Big glut on the market.  So you need to be in the locale to get the lobsters and we are close to Canada and about 5 hours from Maine …. so we win!

 Unfortunately the lobstermen are not winning.  The prices are so low, some down below $2.10/lb that it does not cover the lobstermen’s costs.  They are taking “days off to enjoy the sunshine” hoping this will bring the prices of lobsters up.  You got to feel for these guys; I’m sure none are millionaire lobstermen. 

However, the sentiment did not deter me long……I quickly called Lucy and Mark to see if they wanted any. ….of course …. So for $19 we picked up four Maine lobsters to bring home and cook.  Mark is in charge of cooking.  We’ll be feasting tonight!!!

YES…….EAT……YOUR……HEART……OUT!!!!

THE ..DRAWN. BUTTER… .ALONE… WILL… PROBABLY… .DO… MY… HEART…IN!

DAY 22 -MOUNTAIN HILL CLIMB ... MORE RUNNING

ASCUTNEY DOG  "GUS"

JULY 22 – MT ASCUTNY MOUNTAIN RUN


Our camping neighbors who were participating in the Endurance race were not back in their site yet.  We headed down to the bottom of the mountain around 8:30AM to see what was going on.

It was another morning of athletes gathering at the base of Mt Ascutney … this time for the mountain run.  This is race 6 of the USATF-NE Mountain Running Series.  At least a dozen participants had competed in the BUMPS race the day before. 

 STRETCHING AND RESTING ... WAITING FOR THE RACE

Last night at dinner we met Danny, one of the campers/athletes camping here this weekend.  He joined us for dinner and we had a great time.  His wife and kids are back in Taiwan for the summer visiting her parents so he spends his weekends competing in various races around NE. Yesterday he did the BUMPS race. This morning he kayaked the Connecticut River, rode to the top of Mt Ascutney on his bike and was getting ready to compete in the Mountain Run. We used to call that a "testosterone weekend".

Everyone was milling around.  One group was getting photographed against the stone wall; they must be part of a bicycle club.  

I noticed various running gear but one pair of pants, in particular, caught my eye!  He obviously enjoys this whole thing and dresses for the fun!

Spied a pair of running shoes that I thought were particularly pretty!

Mark got to fire the gun .... the race was off to a good start!  

But the surprise of the race, was the last two competitors.  

These men are in their 70's. The very stooped man is 77 years old.  This mountain is half of Mt Washington so it isn't something to sneeze at!

He looked ready to go.  Wonder if he could pace me.  I doubt if I could keep up!


They were off.....and so are we.  It's our day off and we have several things on our agenda .... none involving biking or running.

WINDSOR FARMERS MARKET


Headed down into Windsor for their Farmers Market held Sundays 12-4.  The vegetables are slowly coming in.  Corn has just arrived and selling for $5/dozen.  We picked up 1/2 dozen for dinner tonight.  Blackberries are in and fresh out of the garden.  Couldn't resist a pint for $3.  Since I've still got fresh veggies in the frig, decided to wait before getting any more


We have an organic farmstead just around the corner, Deep Meadows, so will be heading down there this week for more squash and stuff.  There are lots and lots of green tomatoes on the plants around the Ranger's house.  If I'm real nice, Lucy and Mark will share!


Another huge perk being here is Ed's free range eggs!  Ed works here at Ascutney during the summer and manages the ski shop at Okemo during the winter.  He has free-range chickens. 


We talked a little about CSA - Community Supported Agriculture where you buy shares of a farm and get what they pick each week.  Green Flamingo in Oakhill is a CSA and worth the price.  


Anyway, he told me he had acerage - 12-14 acres (I can't remember) and I said, "You could have your own CSA!"  He said he'd have to quit the summer job to keep it up.  They have goats, sheep and chickens.  What more could you want!

SUMMER CULTURE ... AGAIN

The rest of our afternoon was spent at Saint Gaudens afternoon concert featuring the Greenwood Chamber Players. 

The afternoon sky was that beautiful blue with puffy clouds, the breezes were blowing off Mt Ascutney down onto the valley, the bees were very busy buzzing from clover to clover under our feet as we sat under the apple tree, in the shade with our bottle of Vognier from Wagner Winery in the Fingerlakes; Billy with his ice cubes in a glass and chewy bone.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  

The notes from the  flute drifted up from the Little Studio across the lawn as we lounged in the afternoon shade.  This is Billy’s first cultural event so wanted to stay as far back from everyone as we could just in case he decided to take ownership of the estate….which wouldn't have bothered me but I don’t think I can afford the taxes!   

Billy was outstanding.  He couldn't have been better behaved.  He found an apple that dropped to the ground and played with it like a ball --- throwing it up in the air and then pouncing on it.  Quietly chewed his ice cubes from his glass and gnawed on his chewy bone.  Next time we’ll try to get closer to the music.

On our way home we went by Cornish Covered Bridge and from this angle, Mt Ascutney looms up in the background.  We continued down to Claremont crossing at the Claremont bridge.  This road is very pretty, 12A, but you never know what you’re going to happen upon.

This farmer was luring his cow across the street using the feed bucket to get her back home.  

When he finally got her across the street, there were other cows behind the fence, and as all sociable girls want to do, she stopped to visit!  The farmer was none too happy, calling her to come.  Eventually she made her way home. (That is a cow ... right?)

Now we’re back at the camp.  Dave is drifting off to sleep in the chair.  Billy is curled up on the sofa.  I’m just sitting here writing, thinking about the fresh corn on the cob and zucchini pancakes I’m making for dinner.

Life is peaceful.  Life is good!