6.17.2011

North Twin Mtn, South Twin Mtn, The Tent & Thor

Mutha's Trip Report
Fun day for Team Barks-a-lot:  Dogman, Mutha, Trudy, Spanky & Jake.  Destination:  South Twin, via the North Twin trail, out and back.  Three river crossings.  On the way up, did the bushwack so only had to do last crossing.  Bushwack is now a well established trail - easy to follow - almost as good as the regular trail.

Beautiful weather - lots of sun and even more bugs.  Herbal Armor bug repellent works wonders (MadDog, that's the stuff you and I used in Wyoming).

The view from South Twin is amazing.  It's such a great perspective on everything from the Presidentials to Franconia Ridge, to the entire Pemi. The views of Carrigain and Mt. Nancy and even Norcross Pond are excellent.

While on South Twin, I found a nalgene full of water.  Score!  Gave it to the dogs.

On the way in, from North to South twin, kept an eye out for Chip's tent.  Every possible place, trudged around in the brush and woods looking for it.  We figured that on the way back it may be more obvious.  Indeed, on the way back, we scoured the woods with me mumbling "to find this tent, we have to think like a douchebag...".  After nearly giving up, we focused on a section of dead trees with deep ferns and fallen logs.  As it transitioned into the ascent up N. Twin, BAM!  The tent.  At the time I was pretty disdainful of Chip's explanation of where he left it, but after we hauled it out to the trail it was clear that it was actually a pretty accurate explanation - just a little vague - but there was no other way for him to describe it.

So we got a tent and a nalgene.

On the way home we stopped in Littleton at the DD.  I got a (hot) latte w/ whole milk.  Dogman got some crazy iced beverage.  While sipping the drinks, he saw a sign for a new special drink:  Mountain Dew Kolatta!  He promptly ordered a small and you could see the stars and hearts floating around his head.  The man has found his new beverage nirvana.

To round out the festivities, I pulled into the Burger King just before the highway, and focusing on the "$1 menu", ordered for the dogs 2 orders of 4-pc chicken nuggets and 1 'stacker' (a burger w/ cheese and a piece of bacon).  For $3.27 this should be quite the dog treat.  We got our order and after pulling ahead a few feet to park, started to distribute the chicken nuggets.  Jake just stared at his.  Spanky ate hers, but not very enthusiastically.  Trudy picked it up, sucked on it for a second and spit it out.  We though she just dropped it, so DogMan re-fed it to her.  She sucked on it for  second and spit it out.  Neither she nor Jake would eat them.  I tried the stacker, split into 3 chunks, and they wolfed them down.  It was a hunger thing - it was that the chicken nuggets were too far from "food" for the dogs to want them.... and dogs EAT ROADKILL!!!!!!!

The tent gets set up tomorrow to dry out and air out.

Last nugget:  we got to my house at 6:30 and headed in to the goatshack to see the new babies and only found 4 napping in the shack.  I heard a weird, pathetic bleating coming from somewhere, kind of muffled and figured out that one of the babies, Thor, had got himself wedged in the wall, just beyond my reach.  Little TJ showed up and Dogman, TJ and I grabbed a power saw and cut through the wall.  I pulled Thor out by the legs but he was limp and clearly dead.  I gave him mouth-to-mouth but it just inflated his stomach, and tried chests compressions.  I keep a stethoscope in my 'goat kit' and couldn't find a heartbeat.  TJ was crying and held Thor.  We picked a spot out by the garden and I dug a deep grave and we buried him covered w/ the towel he was born in.  We decided to put a marker up that reads "Here Lies Thor, 6/5/2011 - 6/16/2011, He was a good little goat."  TJ's dad came and got him and they left his bike here.
DogMan's Trip Report
Packed day.

1) Learned all about Linda "Lock Vagina" or something like that (Lot's to party a lot?). High maintenance apparently, but interesting to hear about her. We got there initially talking about Spungie's marriage. How is a mystery.

2) Perhaps I should have re-read the email on potential tent location. No tent on way up. Much cursing of Chip.

3) Bluebird day up top, although a little buggy. Much enjoyment by dog and man.

4) More cursing of Chip on way back, but with better idea of where potential spots are, we make a more focused and concentrated effort. Buggy as git all. I am about to go insane. Last chance, last place that makes sense, Mutha says "wait one second there are two rocks over here". Bingo! Bagged the tent!

5) We secure tent in bag, while enduring near insanity from bug assault. Apply some wonder lotion Mutha has. All good.

6) Much discussion of divorce.

7) Sorry G$$, some discussion of God. Although all good, mostly how Mutha woke up at 3am torturing Sue with a long to do list and an esoteric concern about "acts of god, whether if there are acts of god churches are liable, and if not, are insurance companies just making shit up". Had to be there. Sure you are sorry you missed it.

8) Nice splashing in river for dogs on way down. We do all 3 crossings, and hang in the last one, getting the legs wet. Cold, but awesome.

9) Required stop at DD. Scored a Mountain Dew Collatta (sp?). Highly recommended. When in Rome go Roman. If at a DD go as artificial and contrived as possible. Scored big.

10) Dogs reject "chicken" chunks from Burger King. This is really disturbing. $1 for 4 items that "look" like "food" but are roundly rejected by multiple dogs that have just spent 8+ hours in the mountains. This is not good.

11) Losing Thor. What a strange and sad incident. Will let Mutha cover this. Thunder on Thor. Thunder on.

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