TR: 7/29-8/11, 2020 [Hiking] [An east-end itinerary: RH > TM > DF > MB > TM > LC > RH]

[dcclark]

Thanks for a lovely trip log. I enjoyed this format and I hope others might write their logs out this way too.

I have a theory that the various sites #4 are some of the best on the island. It's certainly true in most of the campgrounds I've visited (well, except possibly for Moskey). I hope to keep testing this hypothesis for years to come.

[torpified]

What a wonderful trip and report! Sunprints! Gnocchi!! You are a genius. (I hope there will be pictures of each.)

About the bonus days at the end due to grounded (<--seems like a category mistake---maybe harbored?) seaplanes. It sounds like you were already dipping into your emergency rations during the scheduled part of your walk. Was securing food a challenge? Or were there enough things other than potato chips at the store to sustain you?

A friend and his TC (his 11 year old son) were also stranded at RH during the sea plane interruption. I got him to email me an account of their trip. Its resonances with yours (boys scouts! Lane Cove!! potato chips!) move me to paste it in below without permission or attribution.

Day 1 - arrive Rock Harbor at 5pm, hike to Threemile. We knew this year is different when we sashayed into Threemile around 7pm and had our choice of multiple open shelters.
Day 2 - Lane Cove. Arrived early and had the place to ourselves for a few hours, but it filled up and we ended up sharing our site with another group. I think that people who visit ISRO during a pandemic are Lane Cove types of people.
Day 3 - Daisy Farm. Ran into that moose (almost literally) partway up the climb to the Greenstone. Spotted Rolf and Candy Peterson picking raspberries near the fire tower.
Day 4 - Lake Richie. Caught 2 pike and saw 4 moose, one of whom was moose-paddling to an island. Also had to chase a fox out of our campsite. It didn’t leave until I started waving my arms and yelling like a madman, a technique I have honed in faculty meetings.
Day 5 - back to Daisy Farm. Saw beavers. Everything had gone beautifully according to plan to this point. At 4am the skies broke open.
Day 6 - Trudged 7 miles in a downpour to Rock Harbor. Rocky faces were pretty slick. John fell and landed on his ass in a puddle and cursed the entire enterprise. Ranger informs us that the seaplanes are not flying. Three more moose. We consume an entire bag of potato chips in our despondency.
Day 7 - Hurrying up and waiting around Rock, still in heavy fog. Did the Stoll loop and went to Suzie’s Cave. There’s a troop of 13 Boy Scouts ahead of us, and we consider eating them to reduce our wait time, and also because it can be done immediately as they do not require rehydration. Added a moose or two. Huge thunderstorm that night.
Day 8 - finally out of there at 11am. Saw a bald eagle in the channel at Hancock.

[dcclark]

Also had to chase a fox out of our campsite. It didn’t leave until I started waving my arms and yelling like a madman, a technique I have honed in faculty meetings.
...
There’s a troop of 13 Boy Scouts ahead of us, and we consider eating them to reduce our wait time, and also because it can be done immediately as they do not require rehydration. Added a moose or two. Huge thunderstorm that night.

I'd read the full version of this trip report. Plus, I bet the author would enjoy writing it much more than flapping his arms in whatever kind of faculty meetings are happening right now.

[Bobcat1]

Lol. Our faculty meetings have been, and will continue to be, virtual. Flapping arms might not even be seen, as our platform seems to work best with video off for all but the meeting chair, if there’s more than about 4 people in the meeting.

[Kelly]

What a wonderful trip and report! Sunprints! Gnocchi!! You are a genius. (I hope there will be pictures of each.)

About the bonus days at the end due to grounded (<--seems like a category mistake---maybe harbored?) seaplanes. It sounds like you were already dipping into your emergency rations during the scheduled part of your walk. Was securing food a challenge? Or were there enough things other than potato chips at the store to sustain you?

I cheerfully accept your category correction!

The sunprints will be scanned and uploaded...soonish. We ate the gnocchi. Imagine its pillowy deliciousness with a light pesto sauce (not real pesto, which is evil in a backpack).

TC had extra food, and so did J and R. The potato chips fulfilled a trail fantasy. If necessary, I could have purchased some backpacking meals from the store.

The writer of your trip report sounds like someone we sort of met during that time, the kind of person who has had long experience with faculty meetings. And he mentions that last thunderstorm, which I failed to include.

[Kelly]

Lol. Our faculty meetings have been, and will continue to be, virtual. Flapping arms might not even be seen, as our platform seems to work best with video off for all but the meeting chair, if there’s more than about 4 people in the meeting.

We're having a backyard faculty meeting next week. That will have to do for now.

[Kelly]

I've started adding photos into the TR, including sun prints.

[torpified]

I've started adding photos into the TR, including sun prints.

the sun prints are super cool! Thanks for circling back to add them and the other photos!