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This is the first time that there has been the same makeup of campers in consecutive years. Dave, Mike, Steve, Billy, and Murray. It appears that word is out and there can not be found any more "New Boys" Unlike last year, this trip was reasonably uneventful, although, not without incident. On their trip up to Joy's, Mike and Bill take a detour towards Ossipee. Their mission is to find "Steve's Tree"(the one that totaled his truck last year) and put a sign on it informing Steve not to hit it. The sign is hung in place and Steve goes right by without noticing it. The sign survives the weekend and Steve sees it on the way home Tuesday and takes it with him. Billy is in "mountain man" mode at the Country Kitchen where we go for breakfast. He is admonished by the rest , told to behave himself and to watch his language. The hike in is not too difficult. Once off the main trail, there is about 3-4 feet of snow. Even with snowshoes on, there is much "sinkage". The campsite is established with the tent pairings of Mike and Steve, Dave and Murray, and Bill by himself. Bottles of wine stashed by Mike and Dave back in December are found intact, although the cork on one bottle is half out due to the deep freeze. Now the fun begins. Dave, as it is about the only real work he does, goes about raising the American flag. He chooses his tree and proceeds to throw the rope exactly where he wants it, except his throwing bag gets stuck in the fork of the tree. Billy decided to help out by lending a bandanna filled with snow. This is thrown into the tree and also becomes stuck. This tree is about 25-30 feet high. Dave is determined to unfree the lengths of rope now hanging from the tree. He decides to lash "rungs" to the tree and will climb up. After two rungs this method is aborted. Much discussion is held and nothing more happens until the next day. Saturday morning comes, there is still no flag hanging and the ropes are still stuck. Another (yes, a third) rope is thrown up and does not become stuck. With the use of this rope and a carbiner, the other two ropes are freed and the flag is up. Dave is proud of himself!! On Friday night, Mike decides to empty his flask and not just on the ground. Nothing too exciting happens through the evening, but around 3am Saturday , he has an attack of nausea. Quickly he scrambles out of his bag and to the opening in his tent. On all fours, he sticks his head out the tent and......nothing happens. After a few minutes, he decides he is cold enough and goes back to his sleeping bag where he tosses for the rest of the night. Once up,(with Steve and Bill) Saturday morning, he decides to eliminate the cause of his continuing distress. He yells to Dave(still in his tent) to see if it is OK to puke in Dave's fry pan as Dave has done this in the past. No response! Mike decides to forego the use of the pan and goes for a walk and has a "YAK ATTACK". He feels much better and is able to rejoin humanity. As Mike goes about getting himself a cup of coffee, he notices some brown stuff in the bottom of his mug. He digs it out with a stick and decided it is un-dissolved hot chocolate. Knowing he didn't have any hot chocolate, he wants to know who used his mug. He is told by all that he had hot chocolate the previous night with some spearmint schnapps. Mike calls them all liars. Steve and Bill hike out to the cars Sunday morning to get Bill's left behind wine. They took out about seven empty wine bottles. They looked like a couple of homeless people looking to return their empties!! This campsite proves to be the most active yet. Friday night, a couple follow our footprints off the main trail and decide to camp downstream within sight. We all frown upon this. The couple packs up in the morning and leaves. Seeing an opportunity. Steve visits their campsite and makes off with an armful of wood left behind. Another single camper shows up and stays at the same site Saturday night. He is invited to out campfire that night. His name is Ted who attends B.U. and just wanted to get away for the night. He packs up and leaves in the morning. Smarts Brook Trail Ski Invitational. Mike packed in a package of frozen cookie dough. The intent is to consume it as is. Dave takes some foil and his fry pan and makes a reflector oven in which the cookie dough actually becomes cookies. These work out excellent!!! |