Red River Gorge Suicide Run III (ROCK CL IMBING)

“Do what you need to to take care of yourself!”

“That means eat food and drink your electrolytes!”

“as badly as i want to climb, i don't think i would be able to make the drive and keep awake yet alone manage the approach and climbing. i am just wiped out. i had a talk with our companies CEO and then i got cleaned up, showered, etc hoping that would pick me up. i am still just really run down. i am really sorry about this, but i know you'll have a great time anyway. now i have joined the ranks of crash (bailing on my own trip).”

“This was an interesting trip. I had a great time!”

“Plan B was a good plan.”

“ive bailed on more of my own trips than i have other ppls”

“lol! i got all those text messages and appreciated getting them. i really wish i had been feeling better. i am still rather run down and congested. very low energy. sleep a lot but don't feel rested.”

“Wasn't it a little chilly (I actually like that) and didn't it rain (don't like that so much) all weekend?
I know cold is really no problem at all... but rain can be a pain in the arse and it does tend to lower the 'comfort level'...

Did you get to do any hiking?”

“You are correct; it was cold and rainy all weekend. We sat up camp Friday night in the rain. We managed to get a tarp up enough to have someplace dry to sit. We had hoped to have enough of a break in the weather to have a campfire, but it didn't happen. As we headed to our tents, Stomper and I ran into a problem. The tent I brought was leaking. I brought this tent because it was big; we could share it, and stand up in it. I've had this tent out in the rain before with no problems, but not this time. I had a small amount of leakage coming in, mostly on Stomper’s side. Stomper didn’t think she would be able to sleep knowing that we could end up getting wet. After weighing our options, she decided to try sleeping in my vehicle, which ended up working well for her. I stayed in the tent. I pulled out my emergency blanket and put it over my down sleeping bag just in case and was fine.
Saturday morning we sat up the tent that Stomper brought and was ready for that night. Uncle B had never been to the Gorge, so he and I decided to do some of the stuff where you can drive to and hike in a short ways to see it. I thought that would give him an overview of the Gorge without being out in the elements too long, because not only was it raining, but it was also pretty windy at times. Stomper and Crash decided to go see Indian Staircase. Neither had been there before and wasn’t real sure on how to get there. I volunteered to hike in with them to the turn off. Uncle B and I turned back from there leaving them on their own as we headed out on our adventure. We went to the visitor’s center, but it was closed for the season. We drove through Nada Tunnel on our way to Sky Bridge where we hiked out to see this incredible site. I’ve been there a number of times, so I no longer think about walking across it. Uncle B, however, hadn’t and stopped for a moment to contemplate its crossing. After a brief pause, he started across. Sometimes when one has seen a sight many times one forgets what’s it’s like to see it for the first time. I was reliving the first time again, thought Uncle B. He was in awe. After exploring the area and many pictures, we got back into the car and headed to Chimney Rock. Again the awe factor kicked in. Checking out all there was to see and many more pictures, we decided it was time to grab something to eat. We headed back to the campsite to see if we could meet up with Stomper and Crash, but they were not to be found. We tried cell phones, but no service where we were at. The only logical thing left to do was to go and see If Miguel’s was still open. It was!!! As we were heading there we got cell service along with a message from Stomper. They were heading back to the campsite. With a phone call they changed their heading to Miguel’s to meet up with us. When they got there Stomper was telling us about how they had stopped at the outfitters. It is also a hostel. It has been raining all day, and they had dry beds and place where we could hang out in the evening. It was a no brainer. We went there after Miguel’s to see if they had any beds left. They did. For $14 a night we got a bunk bed, clean linen, towels, use of the house including indoor bathroom and breakfast the next morning. We all signed up and went to our campsite to break camp, in the rain of course. We got back to the hostel; got our beds set up for the night, then found our way to the lodge next door. On the way to the lodge, we had a small little decline we had get go down. As Uncle B was standing at the top waiting for Stomper to make it down, he said he wished he had his hiking poles with him because he didn’t want to fall down. About that time that’s exactly want Stomper did. Down on her butt she went. She was now known as mud butt. BYW Uncle B did fine. The lodge is a very nice place to hang out, especially when it’s wet outside. We headed back to house where we drank and played cards. The more we drank the better the cards got. There were a couple of the workers of the lodge who join us for awhile. As the night went on, I started getting tired and headed to my warm, dry bunk.
We got up on Sunday, went to the lodge for a great breakfast and leisurely packed up. Crash and Uncle B decided to do one more hike before heading home. Crash wanted to go check out Gray’s arch. We drove to the trailhead where Crash and Uncle B headed to Gray’s Arch while Stomper and I stayed back at the vehicles. We took the time to do some planning for another trip coming up.
The trip had many changes to it, but I still had a good time!
last edited: 11/18/08 8:10:18 AM”

“Sounds like you had fun! Made the best of it and all...

Once upon a time my father, little sister (who was maybe 7 or 8 at the time) and I loaded a canoe with the minimum necessary items (and lots of beer) and took off across Laurel Lake for a 2 nighter... It was a BEAUTIFUL DAY!

We got to "Butterfly Point" and started to set up when I noticed a line of clouds... but the forecast said 50-50 chance... so...

Anyway... we had just enough time to get things set up before the rains came...

Fortunately we are rather experienced and we are pretty good at staying dry... On this particular trip we had 8 of those green Army Ponchos... but we made due. I think 4 were used for the tent... and 4 were used to fashion a 4' X 8' area for us to sit.

And sit... and sit... and sit... and sit...

Somehow we were able to get a fire going and keep it going... It rained all that night... ALL DAY the following day (Sat)... and ALL NIGHT Saturday night... In just over 24 hours more than 4 INCHES of rain fell!!! But we stayed dry... and, fortunately we didn't go stark raving MAD sitting with the 3 of us sitting in a 4' X 8' area for such a long time...

Upon returning to the vehicle (on a BEAUTIFUL SUNNY Sunday) we noticed the Spillway at the Damn was COMPLETELY overflowing!! Not just a trickle, but a DELUGE... It's the one and only time I've ever seen it like that... There was a LOT of water!

But we were dry. :)”

“i regret being sick. i still have the creeping crud of whatever it is called. it's in my chest now and i am rather misearable. i still have to work... flying out for baltimore this evening. back on thursday morning.”

“I hope you get feeling better! Be glad you didn't go. You didn't need to be out in the rain, cold and wind. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the next trip.”

“thanks! i look forward to seeing you and the rest of the crew as well!”

“indians staircase was bad-ass. the next time i'm in the red and it's dry weather, i'm climbing that puppy”

“altho i do have one thing to say.

whoever carved out a giant arrow to mark the sidetrail to indian staircase is a giant jackass

anyone who defaces nature just so they can get to someplace again is a giant jackass”

“Yeah, there are so many other ways the trail could have been marked without defacing anything.”

“just remember the damn place”

“the weather was defintely crappy but we still hiked. Crash and I went to Tower Rock and scouted some good climbing sites for next time.”

“Thanks for the trip write up.

On some trails in South America, they just spraypaint the directions on the rocks. Really pissed me off.”

“The route up old rag mtn in the shennandoa is marked w spray paint rather than cairns. It is sad but so many people use it and the route is class 3 so it is safer this way. The paint doesn't last forever and at least it isn't carved into the rock.”

“btw, jimmy, there is a 5.4 on tower rock that stomp and i want to climb”

“You guys ever go up Hen's Nest?”

“no, but i think we saw it from the road”

“i'll look it up. there are two there, i think. cool.”

“for the record, the "creeping crud" turned into a brutal cold a few days ago. i am still recovering. the congestion was so bad i almost lost hearing in both hears. my left ear is still clogged and my head is full of snot. it was terrible! still is...

anyone know how to unclog an ear?”

“whAT?”

“i gawt sik and bailed on my own trip!”

“Pinch your nose and blow. Not to hard though.

Lots of hot tea and steam helps to. (disclaimer - tea to be ingested not poured in ear. )”

“If the arrow would not have been there, you would have never found the staircase. I have been to MANY national parks, Yosemite,wind river range, sawthooths,ansel adams wilderness,bearthooths, glacier et al. and wilderness areas where the blazes are cut into the tree. Mother nature takes of her own.Yo bear!
last edited: 11/23/08 4:54:43 AM”

“Carved blazes

As a means of creating employment opportunities during the depression the federal government created jobs for the unemployed blazing trails and laying markers. This is a photograph of such a marker taken on Snowbank Trail inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota.Lastly there are trails blazed by cuts made in bark by axe or knife, usually the former. Most often these are informal routes made by loggers or hunters, or trails descended from those routes.

While carvings can be set at eye level, just like paint, they have a natural tendency to change into something unusable as the tree grows and heals what is essentially a wound. Due to the maintenance and skill this requires, as well as an increasing aversion to doing something so damaging to the tree, this is almost never used for new trails today.

However, in past centuries it was often the only method used.
last edited: 11/23/08 6:20:09 AM”

“If the arrow would not have been there, you would have never found the staircase

not necessarily true. the turn-off was very obvious. besides, thats not really a good excuse”

“The same could be said of camping on the trail or crapping near lookouts where people walk or lighting forest fires. People in the red do these things all the time. Mother nature will heal herself... In the lifetime of my children perhaps. Man can tear down natural resources way faster than mother nature can heal them.

The red has signs that mark important trail junctions and no camping zones. If they decided not to put a sign to the "side trail" to indian staircase it is prolly because they don't care to have tons of people going there and getting hurt. They don't mark signs to most of the climbing trails either (some, not all) and they are hard to find as a result.

I agree with crash about the arrow carved in the tree. Take only pictures. Leave only footprints.”

“'
last edited: 11/23/08 9:22:06 AM”

“i know jerbear... hey, i am a big mouth. what can i say. i take myself WAY too seriously. lol!”

“I dont think that at all. However it easy to complain about an area or whats been done. My questions to those who #&%!$, what did you do to make it better. Pick up any trash, move anf sticks off trail. I also know you do your share. Just erks me when the area is micro managed and negative comes out of the beautitful area.”

“i'll tell you... for years i would pack out trash i found on the trail. that hike at mammoth cave i packed out PILE of beer cans strung out like a fish stringer. i finally got dead sick and tired of carrying out stinking garbage. it think that trip was the straw for me because my pack came back smelling like cheap beer... now under normal circumstances i wouldn't mind this but i did not get to drink the beer... now i just leave trash where i find it.

...but as far as a tree carving goes, there is little anyone can do to make it better. it's there for good. someone decided for me that my need to find indian staircase was more important than that tree. like the forest fires... it will be late in my lifetime before some of the areas destroyed by these fires are like i remember them.

...and i am NOT picking up all the used toilet paper, spent tampons, and other toiletries along auxier ridge!”

“by the way, don't let STOMPER catch you carving on a tree. OMG will you be in for it!”

“I dont carry poo paper out either. BUT.. I will continue to pick up. ECT (east coast treckers) our mission, to become a group, was to pick up litter when it was founded in er 1999? I will tell you about it sometime. Latter jer
I would not carve on a tree. Burn em yea!
last edited: 11/23/08 10:23:05 AM”

“My questions to those who #&%!$, what did you do to make it better

i often pick up other's trash and carry it out when i can (and encouraged others to do the same), i've deconstructed illegal fire-rings that were directly under rock shelters, i've done trail-building on the AT.

and ive "b!tched" about it online. not just b!tching to be b!tching, but to call attention to the fact that its something thats not cool. because i realize that not everyone knows that. ppl that are new to hiking, or dont do it much, they dont give nearly as much thought to lnt. i used to be like that. we all did. you call it b!tching, i call it raising awareness. i'd rather raise awareness than make excuses for them. sure, one scarred tree is not the end of the world (or ecosystem), but why encourage or excuse it? i'd rather lean towards no harm”

“Thanks right Yogi! I'll call the ranger on you!”

“i know you well!

my head is STILL stuffed up and my left ear is worthless. went for a 12 mile run today thinking it might help... still clogged up. i might have to go to the doctor... it's ringing and very annoying. my wife said it might be an ear infection, but don't they hurt/cause a fever?”

“They might not hurt at first but they will eventually. Fever doesnt' always accompany them.

Hey JIm, guess what!
I went to LBL today and struck up a conversation with the worker at the welcome center. I found out that the person I reported to the ranger got a $1,000 fine. She said that the lady got off easy.”

“that's great news stomper. well done.

my run today cleared my head... for a little while. now the congestion is worse than ever... really awful.”

“Go to the doctor!!!”

“yeah, tomorrow for sure. this is terrible”

“dam dude, sorry to hear that you are so sick. That has to be a real MF with all the travelign you do. Hopefully you can stay off them planes for a while and get better.”