Re-Prioritizing

Posted on October 13, 2020 by adamlipp

I want to thank all my wonderful followers for reading about my adventures all these years. Truth be told, I just don’t have time anymore to do both the blog, the video channel and the social media updates. Not to mention, this new wordpress block format is driving me and my computer batty and has wasted an extraordinary amount of my time which I guess is the opposite of what they intended. I always say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it but sadly all these platforms feel the need to re-invent the wheel over and over just to say they did. Or something. Anyway, I am going to continue the videos and the photos on my instagram and I’d love you to follow me on those channels/platforms. I just posted a video of a beautiful fall hike on the Metacomet section of the New England trail in Connecticut and have two more hikes planned for this week, and many, many more. I just find it more efficient and rewarding to do the videos and photos than the writing these days. There’s plenty of past material here to read if you so desire, going back around five years. Going forward, please head over to my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzE_kj9tsCKAQFdAdPm7fA/ to subscribe and get updated on the latest videos I post. You can also find my photos on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/trailnamelinus/ although you will need to request to follow as I was the victim of an awful cyber-bully last year so I need to screen everyone. For faster approval, send me a message in Instagram to let me know you’re coming from the blog.

Happy trails and I hope to see you on the other side of wordpress.

— Linus

Appalachian Trail Pennsylvania: Smith Gap to Wind Gap

Posted on October 6, 2020 by adamlipp

We finally made it back to Pennsylvania, and those rocks continue to be as advertised!

Check out the video and photos below. It was a nice hike and there were some nice views. I won’t miss the rocks though.

Miles: 8.3 (with side trails to views)

— Linus

View from Hahn’s Lookout

Hahn’s Lookout

View north from a side trail

Another view north from Blue Mountain summit

Magical shadows

Another powerline view north

My favorite blaze on this section

Magical light

View of even more rocks i mean trail

A.T. marker

View of the rocks i mean trail

View from the power line cut

Quick jaunt through Steep Rock Preserve

Posted on September 30, 2020 by adamlipp

Steep Rock Preserve, in Washington, Connecticut is one that many a friend has recommended. Whether a regular hiker or just the occasional family outing hiker, it offers much. There are watering holes, several places where you can ford the Shepaug River (at least the map shows that), hiking and horse trails and an old railroad tunnel. I had about an hour to visit on the way to another appointment in the area. The drive in itself is a beautiful trek into the Litchfield hills. There is a viewpoint on the top of Steep Rock, but as I was so limited in time I didn’t make it up there. Still, I really enjoyed my visit, and it was even more scenic with the leaves changing color as fall settles in. I did not get much cell reception on Verizon, so finding my way into the next town involved asking directions, but there were many hikers and walkers out to ask. I’ll be back to check out the rest. You should give the place a visit too.

This weekend Fielden Stream and I will be back on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania to do an 8-mile day hike and enjoy an inn for her annual birthday trip. The tropical temperatures we’ve been having are going to be dropping significantly between now and Saturday and we decided we’d rather celebrate in the inn instead of the tent at 38 degrees. The rocks of northern PA here are a challenge enough. Stay tuned for that blog. Happy trails. Photos below.

miles: 1.8

— Linus

changing colors

old railroad tunnel

ray of light

Bend in the Shepaug River

Crayola forest

Ridgerunner overnight with Jiffy Pop and Friends

Posted on September 14, 2020 by adamlipp

Another gorgeous fall-like weekend, and another hike. This time I took my son “Jiffy Pop” with me for a bonding and trail work/ridgerunner hike and my friends from our AMC chapter “Thumbs Up” and “Chilly Cheeks” came along.

The three of us hadn’t hiked together all year as a group, and my son hadn’t done an overnight with me in almost 5 years. I leant him my old pack, my trail runners, sleeping pad, puffy jacket and camp shoes to fill in the missing gear. He loved all of it and I am going to get him some trail runners like mine for school.

We met a Connecticut Forest and Parks maintainer and his son working on their trails that connect to the A.T. on Ten Mile Hill, and cleared a blowdown, bear boxes, and two fire rings at the campsite, one right under the no fires sign. Wow, that’s always frustrating. It feels like a direct insult to us maintainers by really disrespectful campers and I wish there was honestly a way to fine them if caught, not that that will do much to discourage these types.

We did meet some nice hikers as well, and enjoyed a starry night and lots of spiders out on the Ned Anderson bridge. I saw Jim the Blue Heron, and we saw some frogs, crayfish, and enjoyed s’mores and of course, Jiffy Pop!

I checked the privies and filled the duff buckets as well, and gave a Leave No Trace speech to some kids coming into the campsite with beer and other items, and had to ask another group of teens coming in playing loud music shining bright lights in the camper tents at 230 am to turn off the music and move on. The problems here continue, and it seems the town and/ or state don’t really want to bother doing much more than having US put up the signs and barriers which keep getting pulled down, and the occasional visit once in a while by a state trooper. Way more resources (or method of closing off the area securely) will be required to contain this problem now that we no longer have our volunteer group doing it. We continue to see abuse of the area and the trash piles and rule breakers coming out in force to disrespect this beautiful area and the people that work hard to keep it that way. Shame on all of you.

Nonetheless, we did what we came to do, and had a nice time doing it. So, mission accomplished. That wraps up my summer volunteer season, though I will certainly be out doing work over the fall and winter when needed.

Watch the video here. Photos below.

Miles day 1: 3.5

Miles day 2: 1.5

— Linus

Linus, Thumbs up and Jiffy pop getting ready to hit the trail

Jiffy Pop at the trailhead

Linus, Thumbs up and Chilly Cheeks on the trail

Linus and Jiffy Pop on the trail

Linus and Jiffy Pop on Ten Mile Hill

Jiffy Pop on Ten Mile Hill

Linus and Jiffy Pop cutting a blowdown on Ten Mile Hill

Thumbs up and Chilly cheeks at the Housatonic Overlook

Jiffy pop writing in the shelter register

One of two prohibited fire rings I cleared

A prohibited fire ring right in front of the no fires sign. Sometimes I really wonder what the heck is wrong with people

Linus clearing a prohibited fire ring

Thumbs up and Chilly cheeks

Jiffy Pop and his favorite Mountain house

Jiffy Pop on the stove!

Spider friends

Crayfish!

Jiffy Pop at the river

Large blowdown, will have the sawyers clear it

Thumbs up and Jiffy Pop after the hike

Tunxis Trio

Posted on September 11, 2020 by adamlipp

Over the Labor Day weekend, I not only finally got to go backpacking with my wife “Fielden Stream”, but we brought our friend “Whoops!” along with us! You probably know Whoops! by now, as she’s been backpacking and hiking with me a few times this season, and I’ve been teaching her everything I can, and helping her build her gear collection at an affordable price.

I picked this trail because it less known and less popular than something like the A.T. or New England Trail, whose trailheads were most certainly packed or over capacity on the beautiful holiday weekend. Also it requires a permit to overnight, though most of the people at the campsite didn’t know and didn’t have one. It worked out fine and everyone had plenty of room. If more people knew you could overnight there, it would be packed. When we got back to the car, that lot was indeed full, though I imagine several of the cars were day hikers.

The weather was perfect, and we also got some exciting scrambles in along the way. We only did 3 miles into the campsite and back out, but it was a great time and one of my friends who’s also in the outdoor industry was there with a group he was leading and training.

I made a video, so in the absence of spare time which I seem to have little of these days, I’ll point you there to get the full picture, as it were. Watch the video here. Photos below.

Miles day 1: 2.9

Miles day 2: 2.9

wildlife: beaver and baby

— Linus

Whoops!, Fielden Stream and Linus

Through the young forest we tramp

Wolf tree

Sassafras

Treefingers

Fielden Stream and Whoops! on a ledge

Sherwood Forest

Linus and Fielden Stream on top of the Council Caves

View from top of Council Caves

Whoops! and FIelden Stream

climbing down

Coming down the Indian Council caves scramble

Looking down from top of Council Caves

More council caves

Pond with beaver dam

Gone camping

Whoops! in her new tent

Sawing some dead wood for the fire

Campfire vibes

Our campsite

View from our tent of the not-so-roaring brook

Red eft

The girls on the hike out

Ready for the caves on the return

Forest ascent

Sketches of the tree and a woodpecker feather I found

This book is finally full of great adventures

Backpacking Harriman with Whoops! Trip #2

Posted on August 29, 2020 by adamlipp

Last weekend I got to take my friend Whoops! out on another overnight adventure in Harriman State Park in New York. This time however our camping portion was a bit more civilized! We opted to hike into AMC’s fairly recent (3 years old?) Harriman Gorman Outdoor Center. Fielden Stream and I had a lot of fun with our friends Goat and Kelby at the Mohican Outdoor Center many years ago, and I thought why not try the new place? While we did not rent a cabin and stuck to a ‘backcountry’ style campsite on the grounds, we were still right next to the wash houses, dining hall and other facilities at the camp. As I am member and AMC seasonal employee, I got us a small discount. This used to be a camp for urban youth to experience the outdoors. You can take out boats, swim off the pier, and there’s the usual AMC family-style meals if you so desire. Which we did! We did not get a chance to take a boat out as they were all booked and the place was full. But we did manage to get seats for the buffet and distanced dinner which was great, and it was nice having water and bathrooms readily available. Most sources on the trails were dry. This time of year this is often the case so this is also part of the reason I planned it this way.

There was a little confusion finding the trail down to the camp from the Breakneck Mountain trail, as there was only an orange ribbon marking it at this time. I gave them the feedback that they need a sign up there not just from camp pointing up (of course I did!) and the girl at the desk seemed a bit surprised that we walked there, as most people just drive in from the city. I found it amusing that she was surprised considering there are hundreds of miles of backpacking trails and shelters in the park. There was also some confusion about the reservations for dinner and boats, as when making reservations you’re talking to their main line out of the Boston area, so they need to work on that communication a bit. But we had a nice time anyway and the ice cream and gatorade we had when we arrived was worth the 5 miles in the hot and humid conditions.

There was a view or two of the Hudson river valley and Breakneck pond, but mostly this walk was wooded and rocky. There were many many blowdowns some so large they completely obstructed the trails so there was a good deal of walking around, over and under large trees. But we had a great time, made some friends, had a great swim and a campfire with a family in our camping area. I used my hammock and Whoops! used my wife’s gear and my old solo tent again. Though as of now, Whoops! just got the backpacking bundle and an Osprey Eja 48 in the REI labor day sale so she is fully outfitted! I gave her some extra poles we had and my wife gave her some Keen boots that weren’t fitting her well and they work great for Whoops! She will be a pro solo backpacker in no time!

We met a box turtle and lots of frogs, and there were some strange sounding critters running around camp at night, clearly looking for dropped snacks from campers. It was 5 miles in and 3 miles out in this loop which I found in the circuit hikes in Harriman book. We were very close to Big Hill, the shelter we stayed at earlier in the year. We will continue to explore this amazing park, as well as the A.T. of course!

On day 2 I did a small bushwack to Eagle Rock, a summit that used to be clear and on the trail I believe. We were so close that on the way back I couldn’t resist. Plus I had Whoops! there to voice guide me back if needed. Day one was the longest backpacking day for Whoops! so far, and there was a 1,000ft elevation gain at the beginning and the same at the other end on day 2. Lots of rocks, almost like the Pennsylvania A.T. in places!

A note that the parking area on Diltzes lane was closing for construction as of the day we returned. Phew! Seek a different entry point if doing this loop. Perhaps the road closer to big hill is a safer bet.

Miles Day 1: 5

Miles Day 2: 3

You can watch the video here. Photos below.

— Linus

Linus and Whoops! ready to hit the trail

View of the Hudson river and valley

Big blowdowns everywhere

Grandfather stones

Classic Harriman scenery

More typical Harriman scenery!

Breakneck Pond

My setup for the night

The pond from the dining hall

The beach and swimming pier

Dinner with a view

Farmers Tan Beach Fun

The water was so warm

Our campfire

Morning view from the hammock

Prepping to leave camp

Box turtle on day 2 hike

Hiker Bagel smash

Cleanups

Posted on August 13, 2020 by adamlipp

My last two outings over the previous few weeks have been to do cleanups and survey conditions on the trail. That entailed some fire ring and trash removal from the campsites and shelter at Ten Mile Hill, restoration of some vandalized signage at the now closed and highly problematic Bull’s Bridge area, and post-tornado tree and debris removal from Belter’s Campsites with the sawyer crew. Fielden Stream joined for that one, and that was a treat since we’ve barely been able to hike or backpack together this year due to many factors, including of course the pandemic.

Apologies for the brevity, but I’m packing for a much-needed vacation on the cape with my son and his friend and frankly the situation at Bulls Bridge is so frustrating I really don’t feel ready to talk about it in more detail calmly. Our whole maintaining chapter, and the town feel the same way.

On a positive note, Belter’s campsite is now returned to its fully usable condition after our work party. Happy trails! Photos below.

— Linus

On Ten Mile Hill

View from Ten Mile Hill Summit

Cleaning up at the shelter

The bear box is not a hiker box

Illegal fire ring

fire ring after i cleared it

Blowdown I removed

Ned Anderson Bridge and Ten Mile and Housatonic Rivers

Vandalized signs. Some people don’t like rules

torn down trail closure signs

torn down trail closure fencing

Sawyer crew working on the big blowdowns

Fielden Stream cutting a blowdown

Linus cutting a blowdown

Another Return to Minnewaska

Posted on August 2, 2020 by adamlipp

Two years or so since our last adventures in the Shawangunks, we finally made it back to visit our friends in Pine Bush, NY, and hike with them this time! We did two hikes there in early 2018, you can read about them here and here.

We had a nice time catching up for the weekend and I even brought a 27-year old Dom Perignon Champagne! We sat around their fire pit, played and sang songs and also visited a winery and a brewery on the visit.

But of course I’m here to tell you about the hike! I’ve always wanted to hike up these rocks and get the ultimate hiker photo! It was a nice Saturday and we just made it in time before the lots were full. I had originally picked out a view on the map to head to but as we got many of the same views along the way, we decided to do the loop around Lake Minnewaska (not the only lake here) as it is pretty darn beautiful and I could get my picture without having to go back up there later.

They are building a new visitor center which you may be able to see in the background. I hope they paint it a color that blends in to nature. I recommend buying one of their water/tear-proof maps for $5 at the gate. It will last years of hiking there if not more.

We hope to get back in the fall and check out some of the trails at Mohonk Preserve. The views on the drive up over the mountain were incredible too and reminiscent of skyline drive in Shenandoah National Park. This hike wasn’t really challenging as it was mostly carriage roads. But there was about 700ft of elevation gain in our nearly 5-mile loop. Photos below.

Miles: 4.8

— Linus

Oxeye Daisy

First views of the Catskills

More Catskills Views

Lake Minnewaska

“THE SHOT”

The girls

Beer making

Reunions, Part 2

Posted on July 13, 2020 by adamlipp

A week ago today I got another chance to hike with my new friends Ashley and Justin who I hiked with two weeks previously when I went to visit Oso in Kent and ran into them on the trail. We did an exciting 5.2 miles that time including Caleb’s Peak and St. John’s Ledges. We talked online in the interim so I could find out when they planned to finish their hike of the Connecticut section so I could get the day off. Rather than meet them where they needed to start, I dropped my car at the end of my day’s hke (they were staying over) and got a ride back to a point just 2.5 miles north of where they’d start. I stopped at Cornwall country market on the way up for a breakfast sammy and luckily I only had to wait 10 minutes for them to open and would still be right on schedule. Worth it! the BEST deli on the trail in CT.

I got a ride from our CT AMC trails overseer for the A.T. as he was also out doing work on the trail in the area that day. We talked about things needing to be checked and as I waited to run into my friends I hiked in southbound a bit to check the trail there and cut a blowdown while I waited. We met there, and made our way north.

We all got along great the first time and happy to say we did again! They helped me with some of my trail duties and I taught them what I know in the process. I even gave Justin his first trail name “Dad Joke” as he didn’t stop making them for almost 13 miles! And I thought I was the dad joke pun master! Still working on Ashley’s trail name. I hope to get Justin to join me volunteering this season. And do more hiking with both of them.

We enjoyed the Great Falls, except all the weekend trash we had to eventually give up on collecting because we couldn’t carry it all 14 miles and FirstLight does and did clean that up later. We also enjoyed the views from Prospect Mountain including the legendary Rand’s view, where we cleared some stealth fire rings and checked on the water sources so I could update Guthook’s app for hikers coming through. Giant’s Thumb was a nice snack spot and we did a quick stop at Billy’s view before the steep descent down Wetawanchu mountain. That hasn’t gotten any less steep, but at least I didn’t have to do it in the rain this time. We also carried the trash all the way to Salisbury for disposal. We found the remains of a porcupine along the way as well as passing the new 1500 mile mark.

The climb up to Lion’s head after 10 miles and in the worst of the day’s heat was slow and arduous but we met some cool people along the way and enjoyed a water and snack stop to refuel half way up. Plus we cut another blowdown which took a good amount of energy! Speaking of which, we passed through a blowdown of a size I don’t think I’ve seen yet and it made for a good photo opp!

The views I promised them lived up to their expectations and we enjoyed photos at both the south and north overlooks where I left them to continue on to Riga for the night and their push to the Massachusetts border the next morning. They reported back on campsite issues for me to pass onto the rest of the club maintainers. I intended to get there and do it myself but ran out of time. I trekked back down the Lion’s head trail to Bunker Hill, singing all the way, as this is bear country and they’ve been seen many times along the trail this season.

While my tracker once again dropped a little bit, it was only .1 before I noticed so altogether I did 13.4 miles and they did 14.5 or so. That was my longest day and my second hike over 12 miles in a row, even with my zero drop shoes! I’d say I’m getting used to them now. Seems my stamina and endurance is also up, which makes sense from all the outdoor labor I do 3-4 days a week in my other job, and an excercise routine each week. I have already caught up to the mileage I usually have by this point in a year (the Georgia hike helped of course) because the pandemic kept me indoors for months. And I should be able to beat most of my seasons, and my mileage record, and rack up plenty of volunteer hours if I keep it up. And that’s the plan. Photos below

Miles: 13.4

— Linus

Best deli ever

Setting out

The 3 at the Great Falls

View from Prospect Summit

Rand’s view

The 3 at Rand’s view

Camo doing camo

the thru hiker’s marker

Ashley on the ladder on Wetawanchu mtn

The 3 at the big blowdown

Porcupine remains

more Porcupine remains?

sawing logs

The 3 on Lion’s head

Bear,Race,Everett,Greylock

Reunions

Posted on June 28, 2020 by adamlipp

The past two Saturdays have been some of my favorites. I got to see and/or hike with my hiking companions from Georgia, Oso and Rockflipper. I haven’t seen these fellas since February when they were starting the trail. Obviously COVID restrictions impacted their hikes so these reunions were a little later than expected but well worth the wait! I met Oso in Kent as he was taking a much-needed zero, so I hit the trail for a few hours after a nice breakfast outside the Fife N’ Drum and ended up making 3 new friends on the trail, one who lives in my town. Caleb’s Peak and St. John’s ledges were the usual treats of scenery and challenge and my friend Lisa from our AMC chapter picked me up to save me the road walk so I could make lunch with Oso in time. It was great catching up with him and It was nice to see her too! I will try and catch Oso farther north.

I managed to catch Rockflipper in Cornwall Bridge, who had skipped this 12-mile section to visit a doctor and had planned to come back on this day to do it. I was luckily off from work this day and met him at 9am at the trailhead. His wife was slack-packing him for a few days so she gave us a ride up to the trailhead. My tracker wasn’t getting a signal so I gave up on it for the time being as Overboard and Blueberry who he had been hiking with were at the same spot and ready to go. With everything being so dry lately, Guinea Brook was low and easily crossable. It wasn’t until the top of Breadloaf Mountain that I got a signal on my tracker. We met another hiker he knew, Dirtyjobz, as well as some trail magic on the way up. I didn’t take any trail magic as I was just day hiking and wanted to save it for the thrus. We all hiked together for a while until Dirtyjobz went ahead. Rockflipper and I stopped about halfway at Pine Swamp shelter for a snack and as the rain was kicking in. I surveyed the campsite and we headed out into the rain which did not stop and only got heavier. It rained on us the whole way and most of our views were obscured and my phone (and camera) hidden away in my pack. This is fine though because it gave us more time to focus on conversation and the moment and I have probably 10,000 photos of the CT A.T! We did get a lot of good ones before the rain.

The race track at Lime Rock was alive with the sounds of a car test driving for about an hour. For some reason, I haven’t ever been on Sharon Mountain when it wasn’t a torrential downpour all day long (or in one case, 2-foot snowdrifts I had to post-hole!). Maybe its the location of the mountain in relation to the weather systems. Don’t know, but I embrace the rain these days, especially when it’s 75 degrees, I am going back to my car later and not to camp, I don’t have much or any slick steep technical terrain, and its been hot and humid as heck the last two weeks! I didn’t bother with any protection other than the pack cover to protect my electronics.

My longest day was 11.8 in Georgia (with Oso and Rockflipper) and today was 12.1! Though my tracker didn’t get that first .3, I know I did it and it felt great. I am still getting used to my zero drop trail runners and definitely feeling it today but I love those shoes and I know they are better for you in the long run once used to them. It was awesome to hit a new milestone with one of the guys I hit the last one with 4 months ago.

I also got to meet several other hikers and do my trail patrol survey which includes checking out campsites and cleaning trash from bearboxes, noting water source levels, giving hikers important information on resources and answering their questions, explaining our section policies and leave no trace reasons behind them, picking up trail litter, clearing waterbars, and addressing or reporting any blowdowns. The work was light this day luckily so I could focus on hiking with Rockflipper. I hope to join him up trail again too, or back down the trail when he flips back from Maine to finish where he skipped ahead after getting off trail for COVID for several months. Photos below.

miles day 1: 5.2

miles day 2: 12.1

wildlife: many frogs splashing about in the trail puddles, a salamander and a few garter snakes

— Linus