July 4th

At some point that weekend (July 4th) tmail is coming for a fun-filled adventure-fest:  a road bike ride (40-70 miles) followed by a hike the next day.

We don't have a fixed schedule yet, but hopefully one or more of you can make one or more of those days.  at this point we're pretty flexible and don't have a specific route planned for bike or hike.  I understand that the weekend of the 4th is a big family holiday and it's not likely anyone can make it, but just in case you have one day free, consider joining forces.

It's also not clear how my ankle will hold up on a ride, let alone ride and hike.  The doc asked me not to stress it by 'clipping out' for another week yet.  I've also done one road bike ride this year:  35 miles.  so i'll be at the back watching the road for stuff you guys may have dropped.

Possible rides: 

• hardwick - craftsbury - irasburg - barton - greensboro - hardwick
• something involving burke and island pond.
• double gap ride going over - um - two gaps.  probably app gap is one (heading east toward waitsfield).
• single gap ride, starting in champlain valley, riding around, climbing the app gap, turning around and going back to car by a different route (i gotta get new brake pads)
• waterbury to stowe to cambridge via smuggler's notch.  return via pleasant valley.
• something involving woodbury, morrisville and hyde park
• danville - groton - groton state forest - danville
• something involving rte 5 south of st. j. through barnet, mcindoe falls, monroe, woodsville and other connecticut valley destinations.

Possible hikes:

• green mountain madness:  a long trek (spotting a car) from the top of smuggler's notch taking the Long Trail north to camel's hump, the bamforth ridge and river road in jonesville/bolton.
• green mountain madness:  a longer trek starting at the Lincoln Gap north on the LT to Camel's Hump and ending up descending the bamforth ridge in jonesville.
• something in the whites

Garfield-Galehead Loop

tMail, Jake & Spanky and I tackled Garfield & Galehead.  tMail and I carried 40lb packs (more or less) in anticipation of our Wyoming trek.  We parked at the trailhead for the Gale River Trail and walked the 1.6 miles along the loop road to the Garfield Trail.  Roughly 16 miles and some four thousands of feet later returned successfully to the car - about 8hrs.

Mutha's Trip Report (pics here):

• Jake really proved himself on this one.  Both dogs were outstanding performers of course but for a Jack Russell sprinter, this long mileage and elevation gain showed stamina that really was the payoff of two years of training.  When we got back to the house Travis noticed how pumped up his muscles were - he looked like a wrestler or body-builder.
• For meals, I packed 5 full soft tortillas w/ mackeral & mayo for the dogs.  This fueled much of the trek in addition to some home-made bicuits, trail-mix and water.
• Following tMail, the Iron-Man machine, was like paddling a canoe in the wake of a speedboat.  Incredible.
• About 4 hours in, dropped to the ground in flames as the right ankle completely exploded in a tendon-wrenching hyperextension.  It was pretty bad and currently am following the R.I.C.E. therapy w/ 800mg of Ibuprofen, a beer and a glass of bourbon.  This won't end well.
• Galehead Hut was calm, cool and collected.  The hut cougars were absent, as were the crazies, loons and freaks.  I think the mid-week timing had something to do with it.  We encountered about 4 groups on the trail - and a few solos - most of whom were out for at least two nights.  It was pretty impressive.  One young man was just poking around, heading up to the Twinway to find a spot anywhere and just have a great night out.
• We met a young woman on Garfield who works for the AMC taking school groups on hikes.  She was out for some time to herself and was taking an arbitrary number of days/nights out.  She seemed completely at ease with taking another day, two or three.  She was eating peanut-butter out of a jar with a knife and had a jar of Frito-Lay cheese sauce.  I got zits just watching her down this stuff with a knife, but it was clearly fueling her adventures.  Good for her.

tMail's Trip Report (pics here):
What a great day, we took one from the weather gods!

• Performance of the day goes to Jake, known for his short bursts of speed, princess like charm and now his ability to strap a set on and actually be a man and smash out Garfield and Galehole! I have been to Muthaville enough and spent countless hours with Jake in my lap to know he can be a total whimp, but I give the little SOB credit.
• Garfield Trail, I was thinking it was going to be some hard ass trail, not sure why, but it was pretty nice and I thought the ascent was gradual, I never felt like it got steep at all. I also thought we made very good time, 3 hours to the trail junction with the Garfield Ridge Trail.
• Gregory Palisades Pack was awesome, it was my first time using it and I thought it was awesome, I had no issues latching stuff or find places for things to go. It carried extremely well.
• Bear Gryls Pants from Craghoppers pants I thought were awesome, breath really well, fit well, served their purpose. I order them on the assumption lets see how this guy designed a pair of pants and the quality, the passed.
• La Sportiva Trango, no issues until the very end but that could have been because it was a 16 mile day with 40lbs, paws were a little sore but they were awesome.
• Food consumed, 3 power bars, 3 mojo bars, 2 PB&J, all Wyoming food and I did really good had good energy levels
• For those curious in the Pack, the only thing I really left off the pack was sleeping pad.

1. REI Sleeping Bag, Kilo
2. BD Mirage tent, with poles, fly and stakes
3. Wyoming Rope (Both)
4. Med Kit
5. MH Primaloft Jacket
6. Marmot Precip Orange Jacket
7. BD gloves
8. Ragged Mountain over mittens
9. Wyoming hat
10. Alpaca Winter hat
11. Glacier glasses
12. Jet boil
13. Crampons
14. Harness
15. Climbing Helmet
16. Compass
17. Headlamp

• Mutha you need to work on the war whoop, louder, higher pitch, pretend the goats just horned you in the nuts
• I learned a lot about Pumpkins, Asparagus, strawberries, beans, crab apples, blocking weeds, raspberries, rhubarb, goats and bees
• Two years from now we will probably be hiking with a male goat could be interesting, I think it would be great to bring the goat to Galehole Hut.
• Quebec smoke still lingered in the air.
• MadDog discovered a peach tree that grows in the Vermont environment.
• Mountain water tasted better than ever!
• Post hike recovery, normal nothing feels sore.
• Lincoln, NH is a ghost town at 5.45pm on a Wednesday