Diary of a Rock Geek

Alrighty, and a-here we go...!

Fri, 15 May 2009 11:29:57 GMT

40 minutes (thereabouts) and I am out the door on this grand adventure.
I have a backpack, sleeping bag, fanny pack, walking stick, jacket and hat. Whistle, gloves, and claw hammer hanging from the fanny pack; water bottle hanging from the pack; bottle in hand. Music loaded onto the mp3 player, including contributions from My Boys ("Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult, "So Hott" by Kid Rock, and "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails...go figure on all!).
I have good foods, water and potty stops, rendezvous points, cell phone, camera, GPS, walkie talkie.

I just need to settle down and enjoy the trip now.
Love You All!!

Thu, 14 May 2009 18:58:48 GMT

I can't believe I'm actually doing this. And leaving early tomorrow morning.

Gods, I hope I don't hurt myself.

Gear, Routes, and Weather Update

Thu, 14 May 2009 03:03:18 GMT

I have the gear all packed up now, and the backpack straps fitted. I also have a canvas handle bag going with me, to carry the thermal sleeping bag, rain gear, personals and claw hammer...to be held in place at the bottom of the pack with my old belt. Necessity is the mother of invention! All that's left is charging the batteries on everything (in progress) and making sure I pack up the some of the powdered gatorade in single servings.

I saw Amanda today and gave her my fund-raising efforts. Combined with the generous donation from Mr. J.Adam, I was able to give $1770 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This makes me incredibly happy. In-cred-i-bly. :)

Tomorrow, RJ and I are driving around different places to make sure we both know where we're meeting up at the end of Sunday's stretch, and to make sure he knows all the emergency pick-up points. Dad and Mom drove out on Sunday through Holyoke, Northampton, and Hadley, so that Dad knows where to pick me up when he and Nat shuffle me across the river; they also explored where I'm going to be dropped off too, and there is the promise of a sidetrip for a little special snack before I'm dropped off. You may call that cheating, but Dad would have it no other way. :)

And, the updated weather report is as follows:
Friday: AM Showers, Afternoon sun, High 78, Low 53, chance of precipitation 10-30%
Saturday: AM Clouds, PM Showers, High 73, Low 53, chance of precipitation 20-60%
Sunday: Few Showers in the day, Cloudy at night, High 58, Low 41, chance of precipitation 10-30%
....so Friday looks to be the best day, Saturday night I'll need to rain gear around me (maybe construct a little shelter, its possible), and I'll have to bundle up Sunday (until I break a sweat). Need to go buy a few more pairs of hiking-boot socks...and some additional minutes for the phone.

By the way...does anyone here want a copy of contact information and/or my route and emergency pick-ups, just in case?

Gear Gift and Weather

Mon, 11 May 2009 04:23:31 GMT

Last post I mentioned that I needed to excavate one of the decent flashlights from somewhere inside this house. Today, at the in-laws', Dad hands me a package and says its something that may come in handy on my trip...it's an LED crank-to-charge flashlight! I took it out of the package after we got home today, cranked it up (rather easy to do at that), and clicked it on...its a nice little blue-white handheld flashlight that's not too heavy and doesn't require a stash of extra batteries! Thanks Dad!

Also, I just pulled up the weather forecast (www.weather.com) for the next 10 days, and folks...well, rain gear will probably be essential during the weekend, and for those walking on Sunday. For my zip code (about equidistant between where I'll be hiking and where C.A.P. will be doing their own walk):
Friday--partly cloudy, high 76, low 51, 20% chance of precipitation
Saturday--few showers, high 74, low 53, 30% chance of precipitation
Sunday--scattered T-storms, high 75, low 50, 40% chance of precipitation

Really, the chance percentages are low enough that I may not need to wear the rain gear for any one entire day, but I will definitely have it with me, just in case, particularly for night time. And the temps mean that I'll need night socks as well as hiking socks AND a thermally layer for sleeping and to start the day...but I'll probably be able to strip that layer off by 10am, especially if I'm making good time on the trails.

Note to self: Also need to remember my claw hammer, if for no other reason than, in *my* hands, it makes a good defensive weapon.

Addiitonally, I have been within $4 of my fund raising goal as of late...until I received another gift today, from an old friend, one which has both blown my goal off the charts AND made me both more determined to do this hike and seriously proud that I call this man Friend. :) More on that later, possibly.

Amassing the supplies, Part 1

Sat, 09 May 2009 18:38:31 GMT

Well, I have officially started putting everything together for the M&M Hike that begins next Friday, May 15th. The first item crossed off the list is "Food Stuffs". I have purchased (and largely repackaged) most of my stuffs that I'm taking with me for meals and nibbles on the trail, including:
2 no-drain packs of tuna and salmon
2 cans of vienna sausages (I found last year they made a good lunch)
2 packs of salad-n-crackers (1 ham, 1 chicken)
teriyaki beef jerky (because it *has* to be teriyaki)
dried pineapple
macadamia nuts
2 gatorades and 3 water bottles
powdered gatorade mix (fruit punch..Nat picked it)

I only want to augment this list with a box of mixed granola bars. I have my water and bathroom spots mapped out for each day. I'll be having breakfast at home Friday morning, lunch Saturday when Dad picks me up and shuffles me across the river (also serves as peace of mind for him that I'm alright), and dinner Sunday when RJ gets me.

I also have emergency pick-up points mapped out, extra batteries for the GPS, mp3 player and camera (if I choose to bring it). The cellphone and walkie talkies will be fully charged overnight on Thursday. Need to get ahold of a good flashlight (wherever in this house it went to) and extra batteries for that too. And during the week I'll pull out the rest of the gear and some clothes (extra socks!!) and pull it altogether.

Gods, I hope I don't forget my walking stick!

What did I just sign on for...??

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:16:22 GMT

As you all reading this may know, I am doing a 3-day hike through pieces of the M&M, coming up in May. 15th through 17th, to be precise.

I am also taking a 4-day field trip with 5 College Geology through the Pennsylvania part of the Appalachians, to look at and learn about some of the structures and tectonic processes that created these nifty mountains and ridges and plains that we have along our eastern seaboard. This is also in May. 18th through 21st, to be precise.

So yes, I have determined that I must have a severe masochistic streak in me somewhere, to be leaving at 8am on Friday May 15th, hike for 3 days and stake-out for 2 nights, come home somewhat late on Sunday the 17th, run my clothes through the laundry like a maniac and wash myself and try to sleep in my own bed for a few hours, and then be back up and in Amherst FOR 8AM on Monday the 18th for the field trip!

I'm gonna die.
But I'll bet I'm gonna have some nice pictures and sketches, and probably at least one good story from each trip!

it counts as exercise!

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:10:55 GMT

On Saturday, I took the young Mister to Boston for an adventure. This has become somewhat of a tradition on the weekends that Daddy is away for conventions, and we have fun with it. Last time, we visited the Aquarium, and walked through it on a scavenger hunt to find turtle stamps that we were to collect, and we successfully got all six of them. This time, I took him to the Boston Science Museum, and we walked around and saw lots of cool things, but mostly we went to see a special exhibit on frogs all over the world, and we saw a presentation in the planetarium about why Pluto is no longer a planet...though, actually, that subject is being revisited later this year by the IAU.

So, why am I writing about this here? Because I'm counting this as part of my exercise and training program for getting me into shape for the 3-day M&M jaunt.

Oh yeah, I can hear the balking now. But wait, allow me to explain: I spent 6.5 hours on Saturday pushing around a 140# person in a 35# wheelchair, uphill a lot of the time, AND through rain for a little while! And over cobblestone and brick walkways, which I can tell you is not easy to do. The last time I did this (one month ago), I came home hurting, and felt it for a few days afterwards. This time around, not an ache anywhere, with the exception of the left shoulder for a couple hours but that's just because the left shoulder has been in and out of pain for a few months now.

I don't think I'll get to do this again before I go on *my* hike, but I can attest to it being decent exercise, and it certainly does tend to wear one out!

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:17:48 GMT

I am going to end the poll (somehow) regarding a trail-name ~~on Friday~~ in two days, on the 17th. Make your opinion heard by then!!

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:15:40 GMT

I went for my first warm-up hike today. I did a partial of Section 2 of the Metacomet-Monadnock, just to see how the body would take it. And I have some work to do. The lungs and heart need more workout than what I've been giving them--I did maybe a couple hundred feet of elevation gain, and was panting along the way. It took the heart rate a little extra time to slow back down while I rested. Now would be a great time to add a little aerobics to my week, if only I can find the time!

The right knee, ever the source of problems for me since I nearly demolished it 3 years ago, has also made its complaints felt about climbing uphill on unconsolidated basalt slope and slippery oak leaves. So next time, it is the brace for you, oh knee of mine! And some daily deep knee bends might help too.

This week I also begin pulling together the equipment and supplies I'll be taking with me for my 3 days out. Suggestions welcome as to what to take or leave behind...because I'm a bubble-brain sometimes! :)

Also, help name me!

To Trail-Name, or Not to Trail-Name...?

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:17:53 GMT

This is the question!

I have heard that people who hike the AT will adopt trail names for themselves, as you're never too sure who you're going to meet on the trail, and equally can be unsure whether or not you want these people finding you IRL. I realize that 3 days on the M-M Trail is definitely nothing compared to a few months hiking the AT, but you do meet other hikers (and occasionally the unsavory sketchy homeless person), so it set me to thinking, should I adopt a trail name for the duration? And maybe not just the duration, but also for future hikes.

View Poll: Trail Name or No?

And yes, I already have a few options running through my head for names. If you have any ideas, comment!

The May Hike, and update in plans

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:00:14 GMT

Well, if you hadn't noticed, the journal concept has taken a turn. This was originally where I was going to try and write about my experiences in New Hampshire...it has now become dedicated (2 years later!) to hiking and trail climbing and to my greatest adventure yet--a 3-day stint on the M&M to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis.

Likewise, my plans for the trail hike--coming up in May, by the way--have also changed a bit. A couple weeks' ago, there was a body found in Westfield by a set of railroad tracks. On looking it up online, these are the same tracks that run underneath Rt 90, at the crossing between Sections 3 and 4, originally the first two sections of my hike. Well, unsure of where the case in Westfield is leading, I have decided to change up the walk a little bit--better safe than sorry. I will now be covering 5 sections (as opposed to 6), and 25 miles (instead of 29), starting at section 5 and ending at the end of section 9.

Also, if anyone would like to contribute--and yes, I will accept $1 as a donation, or even a handful of change!--come and find me at home or on campus, or you can go to my sponsorship page on the CFF website and donate online.

http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/dsp_DonationPage.cfm?walkid=5864&idUser=260176

More later as things happen! :)

Orientation Weekend

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:03:40 GMT

Hello everyone! First update from the New Hampshire stuff! Let's see if I can remember everything, since I forgot to bring a notebook with me...

I left here around 3-ish, and it was bright and sunny and hot and muggy. When I got to The Farm, it was cold and beginning to rain and kinda yucky. I was greeted by a note that said I was to meet Jake at the cabin up the trail...where he was eating dinner, half-cooked rice and soy sauce (poor guy ran out of cooking propane halfway through making it). Decided not to put up the tent, as the rain was getting heavier.
New Hampshire has suicidal turkeys. They run out into the road in front of every car that tries to pass them. Dumb animals, no wonder they end up being Thanksgiving dinner!
Also, I found Vanilla Coke up there! I haven't seen that in Massachusetts in over a year!
At 1:30 am, I got an unplanned wake-up call...from the Great Horned Owls of the region. The first one I heard was no less than 20 feet from the tent I was in and loud as hell! It was a bit of a shock, and pulled me out of a sound sleep. After that, sleeping was a little difficult, with the rain coming down and the owls and the unforgiving hard floor.

Friday started out a little groggy...no, I mean foggy...and after I had some slightly burned scrambled eggs and orange juice the tent finally got put up, originally with the big blue tarp underneath it (later in the day, the tarp ended up OVER the tent). I started helping out around The Farm, with some weeding of the garden and stripping large conifer limbs of their bark. Busy work while waiting for the rest of the trail crew to show up during the day. It seems we have working with us 3 Trail Crew (Justin, Rafael, and Nate) and a Trail Crew Leader (the aforementioned Jack), a Trail Patrol (Brendan), a Climate and Ecosystems Intern (Rachael), and me, the Welch-Dickey Summit Steward. Around 5 we had a welcome barbeque where members of the community and sponsors and volunteers could join us and meet the new summer group. Not much to say, because I was a little overwhelmed at that point.
Friday night we forgot to shut the downstairs door to where the fridge and garbage are stored, and a raccoon got in and shredded the trash bag. Not nice! The owls came back that night, as did a few coyotes (in the distance).

Saturday morning we were treated to a pancake breakfast from Nat (the main man on all things crew). We got ourselves together, bug spray included, and headed out to Welch and Dickey Mountains.
By the way: There are mosquitos, and then there are New Hampshire mosquitos!! These buggers are not only numerous, but they have a damned agenda! Persistent little buggers...and they go for eyeballs a lot!
Anywhos, we get to the trailhead of Welch and Dickey and meet up with some of our awesome volunteers, and head up the trail. The trail up Welch and Dickey is blazed yellow, which I hope will explain the icon on this post! Saturday was National Trails Day, and lots of crews and volunteers got together to help clean up and fix up trails across the country. Our crew worked on my internship mountains! :) I got a few pictures of them clearing some blown-down from the main trail going up to the granite ledge and the summit.
The granite ledge views were spectacular! I took a picture of some turkey vultures circling the valley and ledges, but it didn't come out that good. Lots of pictures of the ledges and their views--and the sub-alpine vegetation communities I will be protecting over the summer--have been taken and posted on the photo website. I will be spending a lot of my time on the granite ledge about a mile's walk up to talk to hikers and protect the little plants, but have been told that I am free to hike around the granite peak and the ledge across Dickey if I'd like to.
After the workout of my life (!!), the trailcrew went to the Eddy to go swimming (we were all swimming in sweat, it was NOT comfortable!), and I went in to Waterville Valley with Ryan to get some paperwork done. Later, I went back to camp to pack up some of my dirty clothes and other things I could do without for the next day. At that time, I had the back of the tent exposed and decided to go out and pull the tarp down, because I was hearing thunder in the distance. When I started to pull the tarp down, the sharp crinkling noise it made scared the dickens out of a black bear that had been climbing the tent platforms of the trail crew about 20 feet away, and it went running off into the woods...leaving me with my heart in my throat. The boys came back about 5 minutes later...they missed all the excitement!
There was a ripper of a thunderstorm that night, and we all stayed perched in the kitchen-cabin for the better part of it. I was still a little tweaked from the bear encounter earlier, and ended up putting on my headphones and listening to Styx to get to sleep.

So I heard that Sunday night to Monday morning we'd be getting a bit of rain from the remnants of a hurricane coming up the cast...I decided to come home on Sunday because of it. Can you blame me? I mean, have you ever tried to take down a tent in a downpour? I didn't feel quite up to that.
I got stuff packed up after a few hours of weeding with the guys, and then went and made macaroni and cheese lunch for all of us. We agreed that when I come up on Thursday night I'll be taking on dinner duty--yes, we're splitting cooking and other small chores, and I figured that since I'll be fresh on Thursdays I could let them rest and take up dinner prep.
Anyways, I drove a bit and found a way home that was actually an hour shorter than the way I was used to going. That was good. Driving through driving rain was not, but the car and I survived it. And then I got off of 391--*sigh* everything had been going so well. And then the pipe from the manifold to the catalytic converter separated, and it sounded like I was driving a C-150. Oh well, at least I got home ok, right?

Well, I guess that's the best recap of this past weekend that I can give without having written things down. I have a feeling there will be more visitations from the bear, as I've heard that it frequented that camping sites 3 or 4 times last summer. This next trip out (leaving Thursday again!) will be a long one: Waterville, then Chocorua, then Waterville again, and then back home--so it will be a little while before I write anything new or post more pictures...but man, will I have a lot to say by then!
See you all soon--Be Well!!

Bad weather! No cookie!

Sat, 26 May 2007 15:02:58 GMT

Well folks, I just got a glimpse at the weather forecast for next weekend, which happens to be my first weekend up in the Sandwich Range/Waterville Valley area. And I'm hoping this isn't a trend for the summer.
I'm due to leave Thursday afternoon to arrive there early Thursday night, work the weekend and do the meet-n-greets and all that fun stuff, and rip down tentage and return home on Monday.

10-day forecast for Waterville Valley, NH:
40% chance of thunderstorms for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
60% chance of rain for Sunday and Monday.

Did I mention I'm going to be working on one of the most lightning-strike-prone ledges in New Hampshire??
On the good side, I suppose this will give me an excellent opportunity to capture some images of lightning bolts across the sky...or at my feet. Hopefully not at my feet or anywhere on my person, I've had a taste of lightning once in my life already, and that was good enough to last me.

If anyone wishes to pray on my behalf (PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE), well-wishes and prayers of all denominations are equally accepted and appreciated!! As are tips on how to put up a tent in a downpour.

"Welcome, my friends, to the show that never ends..."

Wed, 16 May 2007 02:47:33 GMT

First blurb I'm writing here, just to say Welcome, and let you know that you got to the spot where I'll be putting all my trip notes when I update!

If you have a Livejournal account and you sign in, you can comment here. If you don't have one, don't worry about it, just drop me an email!

Since my updates will probably be rather lengthy, I will be using "cuts"...you'll see a line of text highlighted in a different color (with me, you'll probably see a LOT of them in each post!). Just click on one and you'll be able to read what I "hid" from view...it's just a way of making the page look a little less cluttered.

If you know me well, you know how big a role music plays in my life. At the bottom of each post, you'll undoubtedly find a reference to a song: it may be something I got stuck in my head, or a song that aptly describes the kind of week I've had. Some people have even been able to track my changes in mood from the music I play....*insert spooky music here*.

Anyways, I'll do my best to keep you all up-to-date on what I'm doing in New Hampshire this summer, and I hope to see a lot of you--and hear from Everyone!--on my trips back home!

(and just to finish the musical quote I opened with...)
"...We're so glad you could attend, Come inside, Come inside!"