Betrayed!

[Greggers]

Well, thanks to everyone for the info when I posted a few days ago. Right now, I'm sitting at home instead of hiking back down from the Ravine as I had planned. Out of four partners who "definitely" were going to come along this morning. Two failed to contact me, one had to work, and one just went ahead and made other plans. Arggggghhhh!!! I started making salvage plans last night, seeing if anyone wanted to just make the hike up... a few nibbles but no bites.
I got up at about seven this morning (after a long night of bartending) and weighed my options about going solo. In the end, and partly because I thought things over untill it was getting to be too late to leave, I decided to go back to bed. Talk about dissapointment! I know Tuck's is well populated this time of year, but the drive from Boston, the two hour hike up, the two or three runs, the two hour hike down, and the three hour drive back to the city just seemed a slight bit dangerous and certainly lonely. I hope some mom & son and mom & daughter teams got a good day today but I spent it sulking.
On the salvage side, I'm going to go do a little bouldering and jogging today (maybe a few beers tonight) and I'm not hurt or lost somewhere in NH. Now, the question is.... how long will the snow hold in the Ravine? Is next weekend (5/17-5/18) still feasible. And since I have a day off on Tuesday.... anybody want to meet up??

:unhappyhiker:

[BillF]

Greggers, sometimes you have to keep to the plans and go for it. The year before last I had to do a solo. Up from the shoreline in CT which was a 5 hour drive. But I was well rewarded, although the weather was kind of sketchy, I had to hike up in windy light rain and drizzle, the sky's cleared and I had a great time. I was also rewarded with seeing my first moose, actually I saw two as I was driving from Gorham to Pinkham. I came back feeling like a million bucks having another great Tuckermans experience under my belt. See ya in '04.

[saxman]

Some of my BEST trips have been solo. While it is fun to go with friends, solo has a freedom like no other. I think the trick for me is to stay extraverted and open to meeting the people you are supposed to, along the trail. Something about Tucks people, it always happens, it's always good. /Saxman

[Castlerock]

You just have to go. There is not a chance in hell it will be "lonely" on a weekend. Even on a midweek day if the weather is on the plus side there will be bunch of folks.

A few years ago, (as we get older schedules tend to have a greater ability to screw things up), the "dropout rate" started accelerating. I faced this same situation. I have a finite number of years left (In your forties, you start to feel mortal) and I'm not going to waste them because someone else gets has responsibilities, lazyness whatever.

Just do it.

[M@]

Ditto on "Go Solo." You just gotta go. I put big trips together in the past, and had to constantly egg people on to get lots of folks to go.

This year, I picked a date, told 3 people, and none of them could go. I went anyway. It was outstanding! I met folks right away, getting out of the car, and was talking to folks almost the whole time until I threw the pack in the back and drove away.

For a little while though, I was lying on a lunch rock below the 1stAid cache on the lunch rocks with just the right angle to view the headwall while lying down. It was relaxing/medtitaional/whatever. But I couldn't have done it with a group.

Best part of going solo for me: I was packed and ready to go when I arrived, so I parked, threw the pack on, and hit the trail. Usually you gotta wait for folks to arrive, and deal with everyones pack situation. That usually happens the whole way up too. Going solo I just flew up there, no worries.

M@

[RR]

Totally agree...go for it. But go smart. There's two ways back to Boston...both have good frequent stops for the sleeeeeepy driver. I like going back on 16 because of all the traffic and the toll stops. On 16 in the town of Ossipee there's a good Subway sandwich shop (Thursday nights in the summertime, local hotrodders show off their rides) or if a good steak (restaurant prices, but the service has always been great and the place is usually packed!) is more your style there's the Whittier House. Ossipee is 45 (+/-)minutes south of Pinkham and a good place to rest up and chow down.

What with the Ossipee stop for dinner and all the toll booths, getting home to Melrose has always felt a bit safer on 16, after a hard day's cragging, skiing, hiking, etc.

If you prefer the I93 return trip, Lincoln has numerous pizza and sandwich places and a couple of nice restaurants, but I usually go to the Woodstock Station reasaurant in the Woodstock Inn. There's family dining, a sports bar and if you like a three star (CB) restaurant. Take your pick, the food is plentifull and their brewery has excellent choices. The Nachos will feed three, no kidding.

Going home on I93, I usually stop at the Sanbornto Rest Area...I like the caretaker's conversation quite well (fyi, he is an expert maker of goat cheeses and a full time farmer with goats and cows), but be advised that he is a master of the "snappy answer" for numb questions. Stopping at the Hookset Rest area, followed immediately by the toll stop has always managed to wake me up, as has the extra vigilance for "Smokey" through Manchester.

Okay, all these stops do make the trip longer...but I'd rather drive that way than punch out.

[Skilasnow]

What more can be said? Solo is good - w/ friends is good - it's all good man :skiplow:

However... I won't try and do a day trip from Boston, at least not without an extensive nap after getting back to Pinkham. And I don't mean a doze in the drivers seat, I go full on lay down w/ blankets and sometimes sleep for four or five hours. It means a very late arrival back home, but way more alertness behind the wheel.

[SkiStooge]

Solo is good. I'm (after going thtough major disappointments a couple weekends back) soloing this weekend. While things could still screw up of course, at least friends that get sick, can't show, etc, are not going to be part of the plan! LOL Shooting to be up Fri night. Either up at Barnes Field of in the Pinkham lot and then up to Tucks on Sat AM! Have fun, be safe. Al

[saxman]

All excellent points on the solo trip. I usually like to go up the afternoon before the hike and find a good sleep. Joe Dodge Lodge, friends house, skihouse, tent with blow up doll,,,,errrr, I mean mattress, whatever. (The idea of getting up at 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. and making the drive before the hike just does not bode well.)After a good sleep, I get up with the sun and have plenty of time to fine tune, and trudge in.

Coming out, on Sat 10th (I usually hang out facing the setting Sun on the deck of Ho jo's), I left HJ's around 6 and got to the parking lot around 7:30. I could have stayed at my frieds ski house, but the thought of sleeping in on Sunday in my own wicked comfortable bed with the drive done, sealed the deal. I usually drive 16 for many of the same reasons as RR. (RR - I go to Reading, Ma and find straight shot 95 preferable to 495) I usually pound a couple of coffees, keep the windows open. Stop when I have to and hobble around to get the blood going. The real beauty is solo you do what you want, stop when you want, go when you want, sit when you want, eat when you want, and don't have to wait for anybody. /sm

[SkiStooge]

Alos: RR- Ever tried the Smokehouse by the Subway in Whittier? Good food, not as cheap) As an aside, the town there is Ossipee. I live accross the Lake (Winnipesaukee) over in West Alton. I actually skiied Mt. Whittier last year (1 run for old times sake) We got one dump of snow up here that was about 34 to 36" so a budy of mine and I went over. There was a guy hauling HIS buddy up on an Artic Cat and he hauled us up as well. Saved hiking it...it's not exactly Tucks, after all. It was amusing though...snow was good, deep, fun. OK, enough of the reminiscing. Have fun, be safe. Al

[RR]

Hey, being a veggie I never looked into the smoke house...but my oh so patient friends have...I could see 'em smackin their lips.

The snow machine ski tow was in full swing over at Cannon...prolly still is.

[BladeGirl]

I was very tempted to go solo in April when my hubby was put "on call" at work the weekend we were planning on going. What stopped me was the desire to have someone I could count on if (God forbid) I hurt myself. As someone who has, over the years, injured my ACL, medial meniscus (both on the knee), and infra and supra spinatus (sp? both on the shoulder) skiing regular trails on regular mountains, I appreciate the support of having someone else there at those times. As it turned out, we had a great time May 4 and couldn't have asked for a better day.

I was hoping to go back Friday with a friend visiting from LA, but for some reason a 3 hour drive each way, five hour round trip hike with a loaded pack, and brief interval of skiing in the middle of it all does not appeal to him. Clearly he does not get it!

Next year I have *got* to go earlier in the season and hopefully be able to make the trip twice. :skifemcool: :skifemcool:

-BG

[Skilasnow]

BG, i hear you about wanting someone around you can count on, but don't let that stop you in a pinch, especially now that you have been there once. At least check here and see if anyone from T4T is heading up at the same time, I'm from Boston too and there are a bunch of others from the area... because :skifemcool: :skierscared: :skicool: :skiplow: are all better than :( :mad: :envy:

[Castlerock]

And the "go early" part cannot be overstated, both in the calendar and in the day. There is nothing like deciding you are done, and being at your car 5-10 minutes later via the Sherburne. And the best snow is when the corn is an inch or so deep, not the slop you see in May.

[RR]

The POWDER (sorry :o ) of February and early March is awesome. So is the avy danger :skierscared:

Summit runs are commom in March. And getting chased by sluffs is not so bad...getting rolled by a big one is way bad :eek: But the rewards are life affirming in a big way.

[Castlerock]

Well said RR. It is basically "Alaskan" conditions (Chugach etc.,) before the spring corn. That is my next challenge on the Mt.

You don't have to make the jump to winter conditions right away, the sweet spot of those first few 50 degree, bluebird days of the first two weeks in April, is the pinnacle of "Spring" Tucks.

[Greggers]

Right then, I guess the jury has delivered a verdict: If my lazy city friends bail out, I have to be prepared to take things into my own hands. Expect to be packed and ready with an old board and a large dose of caution this Sunday. I might be the guy taking the pitifully sally run, but hey I like the hike.

:)

[pepperdawg]

Greggers...in a similar boat - have been 'fiending' for some turns the past two weekends, but have been on the fence about heading up from Hartford by myself....will know later tonight if my bud (from Manchester NH) is in or out....but will probably head up on Friday nIght or Sat AM early....If your lookin for someone to trudge up from Pinkerton with, hit me with a email for details...probably will do first run on HH...2nd tbd...

_woof

[pepperdawg]

Ooops how rude - thats on open invite to all

-Woof