Back to the Woods

Spend last weekend at the ACA cabin in Harriman Park.

The drive up there was a nightmare. I left at 8AM, and did not get there to well over 10AM. BQE was worst then usually. Thought I can seat through the traffic and skip on the 5 dollar poll for the tunnel but end up taking the tunnel anyway. I learned why the B.Q.E is back up when I get the the tunnel - the outbound tube was close so both outbound and inbound traffics are going through just on tube so the speed limit is 25MPH. Take a good 30 minutes to get out of the tunnel to Manhattan.

The rest of the trip up was uneventful. Some heavy traffic delay here and there not nothing major.

I stopped by Campmore, buy some butane for my BBQ. Get to the cabin a bit before 11AM.

I ran into Stevie as he parked his car at the group camping parking lot, and ran into Ade and Joy as the walk up the road.

John, Pete and Cody were already working on the window in the cabin when I walked in. Get my food stashed away in the fridge before helping John removed the old window. The window replace went smoothly. Me and John removed the old windows, Pete and his son Cody put up the new window. We had an hour lunch break. We return to worked after lunch and get everything done by 2PM.

Cody and I joined Stevie, on the water after we finished up the window. Adele and Joy just went back to the cabin as Cody and I get ready for the water. I did on Eskimo roll just to test out the water. We send a good amount of time doing the English Gate. Stevie show is the English gate exercise with Eskimo rolls throw in. At the end of his demonstration, on his last Eskimo roll, Stevie had cramp on his leg and have to wet exit his boat. It was a total surprise. I have not seen Stevie wet exit in such a long time that I was total did not see that possibility. Cody was closest to him so he went over to stabilize Stevie's boat so he can get back in. I had to come in on the other side when Stevie have problem getting in to his boat. After Stevie get back in his boat and pump out the water we decided that that was enough fun for the day.

Come back and check back into dry clothing, and went to Stevie's camp site to help him prepare the fire. It was raining all day on Friday so getting a fire started with all the wet woods was difficult. Stevie and his toys get a fire going in no time thought. We spend all afternoon by the fire eating and talking.

Joy somehow get her feet cut on some broken glass bottle while wandering around the back of the camp site. She decided not to used her tent which she already seat up so I decide to use it instead of sleeping in the cabin. I was cold most of the night. I wake up at 3AM to a big chill and fumble around my backpack looking for my sweater. I did not get up to do my morning constitution because I really do not feel like going behind the tree in the freezing night. Get up good and early - 6AM.

John, Cody and I decided to set out for a short hike before breakfast. I took my trail map, and nothing else. We end up making several critical mistake on the hike. I should have turn back when I did not find my landmark - the Dutch Doctor Shelter which indicated out turn from the Red Trail to the Yellow trail. It turned out I take the wrong trail map with me. I was 99 confidence that I every see this part of the trail before on my previous hike but we keep pressing on. We end up at an overlook with spectacular view of the valley, but no where near where we should be in order to get back for our 8AM breakfast appointment.

At the overlook we find two sleeping backpackers, a guy and his girlfriend. I decided to swallow my pride and asked the girl for direction. We continued on the Red trail further then we should have. We doubled back till where I am sure we make the wrong turn. We walk a couple of feet on the wide mining trail, and around the turn was the Dutch Doctor Shelter and the junction of Red and Yellow Trail. We take yellow trail which goes around a hill and back into our lake. Without a map I did not take the unmarked trail to the lake instead we goes around the hill, and then along the shores of the lake to get back to the road that would take us back to the ACA camp. We make it back by 9AM. We take a half an hour hike into 2 hours.

We run into the hikers at the dinner where we had breakfast.

After breakfast John, Pete and I decide to go for the hike again this time with the proper map. We decided to do it in reverse. I had to use the facility so I told John and Pete to go ahead without me. I ran after them but did not find them. I was surprise because I did not expect them to go too far in the 3 minutes I take to use the restroom. We agree to go counter clockwise on the trail but I did not meet them till half way into the trail. John forget that we agree on going counter clockwise. I leaded them on the unmarked trail toward the lake and we get back in less then half an hour.

Stevie was still out due to leg cramp, and was taking a nap so I end up paddle along after my hike. I did not paddle to far just from our dock to the swimming dock and back, with a couple of roll thrown in for fun. I rolled a dozen time with a couple on my off side. When I get back John, Pete and Cody already left for their trip back to the city. I planned to go home after lunch, at about 2PM. Joy wanted a ride home with me instead of waiting for Stevie's midnight ride back to the city. Adele convince me to wait till 5PM to start back home. I decided I was in no rush so I waited till I was bore by 4PM so we started home. Joy was good company the whole ride so I did not notice the traffic jam we encounter along the way.

It take 2 and a half hours to get back to the city. I drop Joy off at her place, ran into her boyfriend Adam who pulled his car right behind me at I was parking. I also meet the long hear about Bruno, Joy's Pit Bull. A sweep little fella.