The New Route

As I stated in a previous post my route was going through a serious makeover. I finally got maps and took the time to study some trails and came up with a new route. The new one is shown below. I was looking for a mix of solitude (Panther Gorge), some of the more iconic landmarks (Marcy Dam, Mt Marcy) and just some cool place names (Flowed Lands is the best name for a lake I have ever seen!) in the area. Hopefully I can show it to some of the folks who would know the terrain over @ the ADK Forum and get some comments and criticism. Again, this route is not neccesarily permanent but for now it's where I'll be come June.

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Mountain House Ice Cream Sandwich

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One More Hurdle

I have good news and I have news. The good news is that by the grace of whomever you choose to worship, I was able to get every single bit of my requested vacation time off. Every bit. From Easter to August. Yes, that means that I was planning a camping trip before I even knew if I could take a camping trip. It also means that now, I can definitely go. The news is that, through the perusal of BPMag, the ADK forums and Adirondack journey, my route may be changing. Dramatically. Right now I'm still stressing over the details but help is on the way: I ordered maps!

Location, Location, Location!

I've started the research for the trip with my number one concern for any trip: Maps. I don't usually take one with me for my bushwhacking because I follow watercourses but I'm comfortable with them. I've taken map reading classes (one of the benefits of working for a park district) and I can "see" the terrain if I peer long enough (I think of them as those hidden image 3D pictures). But all of that means nothing when it comes down to brass tacks. Looking at a topo without having actually seen the terrain is like saying Manhattan is easy to drive in because the streets are laid out in grids. So, I'm obsessing. The Backpacker (hereafter: BPMag) trip planner has the topos you need from the USGS listed, and National Geographic seems to be a good choice, too (according to ADKForum posts). But I need to make sure (for my own OCD) that I have the right maps. And unless I'm able to walk into a store, pick them up and look at them to see that they are what I want, I tend to obsess. And I get upset when I can't get the ones I need/want. Luckily, my wife knows I need maps (I still have bus routes/schedules from a 2004 Seattle trip) and when she walked into the dining room, saw what I was trying to do and heard me say 'I'll be spending $30 on real maps' she didn't get upset. But she did roll her eyes a little. Maybe it's just me but printing the BPMag maps seemed rather....annoying.

The Trip

If everything goes according to plan (yeah, right!), this will be the trip for June. My plan is to add a day to the Backpacker itinerary; I want to find a campsite to stay @ for a day so I can day-hike away from any homo sapiens.

Welcome

So I know this guy, right? And he has wanted to go camping out in the woods for the last few years. Only problem is, he just hasn't gone yet. He's no wood noob or anything. As a matter of fact he's been day-hiking for about ten years. First with his dog and then when his dog ran away, by himself. But not much. He really loved that dog and for awhile, hiking without the dog seemed wrong. And then when he did try to hike without the dog, he would see the dog and talk to it. But the dog wasn't there. So he stopped hiking. And now, he needs to hike again. So he's going to. And he's also going to go camping for the first time ever. Follow along with me as I try my hand at the woods.


And you may have noticed, if you've got good vision, the link to the right for the PayPal donations. Well, that's because I'm poor. In my real life I'm a law enforcement park ranger which pays pretty good. But, I live in a house full of women (a female wife, daughter, cat and dog). In fact the only male animals in the house, besides me, are a cat with bladder control problems and a rabbit, both of whom live in cages when no one is around to watch them. I shouldn't have to explain to you why I need help.