[at-l] HATT Trip report

[lubitz@alumni.fdu.edu (lubitz@alumni.fdu.edu)]

Since I had no one to shake hands with I was able to alter the time schedule.
Marcy (How Much Further) wanted to come along and she had to work Friday night
so I delayed departure until Saturday.  My brother in law dropped us off at rt
94 at 8am saturdsy and we headed north.  The climb up Waywayanda Mtn proved
that I am in lousy physical condition.  I have got to give up drinking,
smoking, overeating... Oh heck I have no vices, (that I want to give up).  On
the way, we met Tim and the California Boys.  Got to Waywayanda shelter in time
to meet with 3 Israeli girls who, after spending the summer as counselors at a
camp in PA, decided to spend the time before they had to go back to Israel
covering the trail from DWG to CT.  I will probably see them later this week to
get them off the trail and housed for the Jewish Holidays which start Friday
night.  They said they plan to get to Bear Mtn by Friday AM which sounds a
little slow but I will firm that up when they call me this week.  The register
made interesting reading including OB's entry of 5/1.  If I ever doubted his
credentials, his handwriting proves that he has an MD after his name.  dinner
time brought home the realization that not all gas line drier is the same.  I
filled my fuel bottle, (for the tin can stove) from a bottle on the shelf in my
garage which was a different brand than I had used for testing the stove.  It
burned with a yellow sooty flame.  Reading the bottle this morning revealed it
contained additives to clean the engine.  Boiling water took forever and I used
up all my fuel before the breakfast water boiled.  Fortunately I had a couple
of esbit tabs in my pack as backup.  About sundown, Steve from NC
joined us.  He was thrilled to learn that the Calif. boys were just a
day ahead of him since he had spent a week in NYC and was trying to
catch up to them.  Saturday night was cold (in the 50's) and my fleece bag
didn't cut it.  After breakfast, we met my brother in law at park HQ and Marcy
bailed.  Not wanting to spend another night (rainy) in the fleece bag, I slack
packed the rest of the way to Greenwood Lake where my car was parked.  Got in
the car, cranked up the heat and picked up Marcy at her uncle's house and got
home to a hot shower.
Lessons Learned:
A real bag is worth the extra weight over the fleece, except in late July.
Read the label on the fuel.
Maintain my physical condition, (yeah right!)

All in all it was a good outing and I look forward to next year.
Also, re the Waywayanda shelter, Kudos and thanks to Desperado for a well
maintained shelter.

Ric

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