BOOTPRINTS Volume 13 Issue 4 July 2008 2008 Solstice Hike the camp chairs that someone left at the shelter. by John Klebes We just couldn't resist resting for a long spell n Sunday June 15th Mike and I got up enjoying the views from this restful spot. O checked the weather and decided to ontinuing our summer solstice tradition for join up with Rob for his hike to Mt. C our sixth year Rick, Ed,and I took on the Monadnock. We had not called; a no no Wapack End-to-Ender. A 1-day thru-hike of the for those who know in the club. 21-mile Wapack Trial that follows a skyline route We arrived in the parking lot of the Rite Aid along the summits of Watatic, Pratt, New to find Rob alone. Apparently only one Ipswich, Barrett and Temple mountains and person had called for the hike. She finally ascending the Pack Mondanocks! The arrived shortly and we learned she was a Wapack trail has a generous helping of open newcomer. This was to be her first hike ledges and rocky peaks providing breathtaking with the club. She was wearing jeans and views of Mount Monadnock, the Berkshires, the a tee-shirt and light hikers. We carpooled. Green Mountains, Boston, and the White Rob planned on going up the White Arrow Mountains. While 21-miles may sound a little trail, starting off from the park entrance off easy for Ed's Death March Mania I can assure From here we passed many old ski trails before Rt 124. Mike and I had never gone up this you this trail has its share of ups and downs. dropping down to a road crossing near the way so that made it a more interesting Leaving the house a little after 4am we meet up remains of the foundation from the Wapack hike. at the northern trailhead at around 6:30am. After Lodge, once a leading center for skiing during the The weather was cloudy and cool, but 1920's and '30s, but destroyed by a fire somewhat humid. The hike was fun, even in 1993. This was followed by Conant though no views could be found at the Hill, Burton Peak and Holt Peak (Temple summit. Everyone got up and everyone Mountain). Lots of ferns by the side of got down with incident. the trail and higher up blueberries The part of this hike that impressed me everywhere! We should plan a return to was Rob. He did a wonderful job of guiding this berry paradise when they ripen. and instructing the newcomer in the tricks The section over Burton and Temple is and nuances of hiking. I know we try to called the skyline and is covered with make a point of this at meetings and in huge stone cairns and sculptures of rock membership letters, etc. But I want to take art all along the ridge. Most of the a moment to recognize Rob for the Wapack follows along, or is criss- exceptional technique and friendly non crossed by, some of the best condition patronizing manner in which he helped this classic New England stone walls I have newcomer feel comfortable and to ensure staging cars we were on the trail at 7:45am. In ever seen. that she had a safe and pleasant day on Massachusetts the Wapack trail shares a We enter Miller State Park and are treated with a the trail. Kudos to you Rob you are a fine common path with the Mid-state Trail as we steep ascent to the summit and fire tower on example of a good hike leader climbed steadily up Mt Watatic stopping to check Pack Monadnock; while worrying if we might be and representative of the philosophy of the out the remains of an old lean-to shelter and hit with a thunder storm. Our luck holds and we club. Thanks for the day. wildflowers along the trail. miss the storm. Then on over our final summit of Monica & Mike From Mt Watatic we enjoyed very nice, but hazy, North Pack Monadnock before hiking down to the views from the open rocky summit. Dropping car around 7:30pm. ~John Klebes down off the summit we were soon crossing the Past Death March Hikes: The tradition all started state border into New Hampshire. Hiking past in 2003 with Ed's Presidential Traverse on the Binney Pond we saw signs of a very active solstice. We followed in 2004 with the Devil's beaver population and more dragonflies than you Path in the Catskills and in 2005 the Franconia PVHC Picnic September 7, have ever seen in one place lighting on the bog Notch/Pemi Loop. In 2006 we tried something 2008 bridge by the pond. A stone wall jutted out into different, a 2-day traverse of the 50-mile the pond was a testament to the changes the Monadnock-Sunapee-Greenway. And followed in beavers had made to the area. As we climbed Hold the date, the PVHC picnic is set for 2007 with a 36-mile Old AT meets New AT in Sept. 7 at Mt Tom. It will be rain or shine, Pratt Mountain we had a great view looking back Connecticut. And now we add the Wapack End- at Binney Pond from an overlook before as we have the covered pavilion. to-Ender to the list for 2008. (See page 2 for continuation) continuing on to New Ipswich Mountain. Next we climbed Barrett Mountain where a stop to check Mt. Monadnock out the Mountain Top Shelter finds us relaxing in by Mike and Monica Page 2 There will be lots of good food and some hiking debarking, there was a bit of jostling and the like. Kudos to Dick and Sue for to our nearby favorite spots. We have a field maneuvering to get the kayak or canoe of choice arranging this musical frosting on the near-by for some Frisbee. It is free to club – which I wasn’t completely successful at, Norm kayaking cake for us. Another fun time members, except for the park entrance fee. having sidestepped in front of me to get that cool along the way was a rope swing that Cindy Guests will be welcome for a small fee. If you orange one I had my eye on. What color did I Hibert spotted just after the second want to join the committee, please contact Lisa end up with? Why, faded blue again, of course. covered bridge we passed, this one about Frigo at 786-4198. More information and 20 minutes upstream from the In no time at all we were on the river, and it directions will be in the next bootprints. campground; which I must admit to having was way cool; that is, it immediately felt at least been coaxed over to by Cindy, who Mike ten degrees cooler than the hot, graveled Gross and I subsequently had to coax and unloading area where I got outmaneuvered out of cajole into actually swinging on that same Battenkill Thrills – What You my canoe of choice by Stormin’ Norman. But, rope after we first gave it a try. The water Missed you know, that blue kayak warn’t so bad after all. temperature was just right, very refreshing; Mike Reed It was fairly stable and didn’t get stuck on the about 67 degrees I’d say. stream bed – the orange ones did, hah! So, I irst, some of you may be wondering, thought I had heard that the trip on the river was The final highlight out on the river, F what’s up with all the kills in New York? supposed to be 12 miles long, but the nice young aside from tipping myself into the river at Sounds kind of violent. Not at all. “Kill” is the man escorting us into the river said that it was a about mile 12 (I just wanted to see what it early Dutch word for rivers and streams, of 17 mile trip. Whatever, it was long enough – was like, no big deal) was Tina and Chip’s course. And “batten,” as far as I can figure in about 4.5 hours, with a stop for lunch halfway. staring death in the face. Apparently, in searching about a bit, may well have had According to Norm, the river was a bit low this deciding to pass under a low-hanging something to do with mills established along this year – low enough for him to get stuck a few branch, Chip had to grab onto it firmly, river that produced batten, wood strips used in times that is! Still, you had to pay attention at a most likely to keep from forcibly embracing either home or ship building, or perhaps to the number of spots to keep from kissing a boulder or it, and in so doing, brought the branch use of battens in textile manufacturing. Sounds getting spectacularly upended over one – which down upon Tina’s head – or was it her plausible, right? didn’t happen to us this time out; well, not kayak? Whatever, it appears that they exactly. Two of us stared death in the eye and both went under and their kayaks raced off So, if you weren’t able to join us, what did bobbed back up to later tell us the tales. More on without them. Somehow they extricated you miss? First, the drive up to Cambridge, NY, that later. themselves, others further downstream where the Battenkill Riversports Campground is rescued their craft, and they were only left The first half of the trip required a bit more of located.