Topic

Change of Plans

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
dirtbag BPL Member
PostedOct 12, 2023 at 7:35 am

Youtube video

Country United States
State New York
Area Harriman

Report / Notes
Talk about changing plans! My original plan was to be in Maine hiking the Grafton Loop trail. Due to nasty torrential rains from tail end of a tropical storm that would be every day of the trip, I decided to change my plans and head to the Adirondack Mountains to hike the Cranberry Lake 50.  Again, heavy rain all 4 days and nights. Not worth a 7 hour drive to be stuck in rain storms,  so I decided to head to the Catskills and hit a short loop I have been wanting to hike for a while now. Well, guess what? Last minute weather reports showed heavy rain every day and night in the Catskills.  I now had my last option available,  showing nice weather and a very close drive, so I decided to give it a go. It was time for me to be out there and I had to do something,  even if it was my local stomping grounds and even if it was not somewhere new and exciting. The truth is, its never the same!! Its always different  even if its the same trails or same place or same mountain. Yes I use mostly the same gear but the scenery,  the views , the weather, the seasons.. they always make it different.. every time! Just hiking and the experiences are different.  A huge tree fell right near us, taking out 2 other trees with it!! So many trails closed from recent flooding,  so we had to improvise and push on.. pitch the tarp or dont pitch the tarp.. animals coming thru camp,  camping by campfire,  sunsets and clouds..

David Hartley BPL Member
PostedOct 12, 2023 at 9:39 am

Have fun! I did most* of that with my brother a few years ago. Lots of beaver dam crossings! And there was one re-route around something called the “Log of death” that we missed somehow. We arrived at the log of death in a driving rain – has to be close to a 50 ft. log crossing across open water/beaver swamp (you can see this in some older youtube hiker videos) not too far from High Falls (going clockwise). After a few steps out on it we realized it was too slippery and too bouncy so we ended up pushing across a very sketchy beaver dam. Anyway – shortly after the crossing we came to an intersection for what is now really the trail, so we missed the signs for the reroute. Anyway – if you go clockwise keep your eyes open for the reroute – hopefully better marked now.

* We headed down deeper into the 5 ponds wilderness area and then returned to Wakena via a different route than the trail that goes by High Rock.

David Hartley BPL Member
PostedOct 12, 2023 at 9:49 am

My bad – I just realized – you already hike it! How embarrassing!

I will watch your video over lunch!

David Hartley BPL Member
PostedOct 12, 2023 at 11:24 am

Ok more embarrassment! I watched the video and finally READ the complete report notes! (I started replying to this from the companion thread only which – of course did not tell the full story). Sorry for clogging up your thread with a lot of irrelevant posts! I hope you get a chance to do the Cranberry Lake 50 some time in the future.

dirtbag BPL Member
PostedOct 12, 2023 at 11:34 am

Lmao!! All good man! I know what you sayin!! And yes I will definitely get to do both Grafton Loop and Cranberry Lake 50!! Not gonna pass them up!

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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