1983 Trip Reports

Jerry Klein LOST the 1983 trip summaries, and were never found. I

do have notes on two trips that I attended that year:

-- Jack Freeman --

Jan.15-16, 1983. Freeman beginners' trip to SNOWY MTN with J.

Boomer, J. Klein, D. Wall, and beginners Jim Beck, Sean Connin, Tim

Enders, Chris Fiorelli, Lynne Kingsley, Brian O'Connor, Ron Perrone,

and Jan Wiranowski. Interesting trip, in that we climbed up without

snowshoes, then used them from the fire tower for a bushwhack SSW

along the ridge toward Lewey Mtn., camping on the ridge. Sunday, we

went on down the ridge, turning eastward at the low point just shy of

Lewey Mtn, and were back to Rt. 30 at 3 pm to a spotted car. Got home

just in time to see J. Nylund and J. Freeman's pre-taped winter

camping show-and-tell on Channel 21.

March 19-20, 1983. Clough's and Bogardus's two-pronged 13-person

attack on COLVIN, BLAKE, DIAL, and NIPPLETOP.

Team X: C. Clough, R. Fuss, J. Nylund, G. Noyes, J. Robertson, D. Wall

Team Y: R. Bogardus, J. Beck, F. Cabron, J.Freeman, L. Kingsley, R.

Navik, & J. Wiranowsk

Team X went clockwise over Bear Den to Dial and Nippletop, while

Team Y ascended the Gill Brook Trail, taking light packs to Colvin and

Blake. Both groups camped separately near Elk Pass. It rained

overnight. Sunday the groups followed the others' packed trail. Nylund

and Noyes celebrated completion of their Winter 46 on Colvin and

Blake. Supper at Rome's Savoy where several were awarded coveted

membership in the exclusive Savoy Aviator Club, "with all the

privileges and immunities thereto pertaining." I have a copy of my

certificate.

These three trips were listed on the schedule for 1983 in an index of all trips through 1989.

Jan 8-9, 1983. G. Noyes led 11 people to Sawteeth, Gothics,

Armstrong, and Upper Wolfjaw, leaving and returning to the Ausable

Club. I was on that trip and recall that Lou Sorriero broke a wooden

snowshoe in descent to the east from the Wolfjaw col. We splinted it

successfully with a stick and parachute cord. Deep snow; Lou couldn't

have made it out with one bare boot. Don't recall any of the others.

Perhaps Gary Noyes has more details.

Jan. 22-23, 1983. W. Crowe led to Cascade, Porter (& Big Slide?) No number of participants shown. Bill recalls that they camped Sat. night after in the swampy flats, between Porter and Big Slide. Sunday was rainy, but they bushwhacked up to the Brothers Trail. Karl Pleger may have climbed Big Slide, but the others declined and descended the Brothers Trail back to the Garden. Bill recalls that Gary Noyes and Karl were on the trip, but beyond that, his memory bank is empty.

March 5, 1983. G. Robinson led 9 folks to Dix, Hough, East Dix, South Dix, & Macomb. Since the number of climbers is shown, I suspect this one went, and seem to recall Gordon bragging about the first known conquest of all five Dixes on a single winter weekend.

[I (Berens) can report on two more 1983 RWMS trips I attended. I hope others can provide accounts or leads to those who can.]

January 29-30, 1983 - Jerry Klein led a group of eight to Allen on which he completed his Winter 46. Other participants were: Don Berens, Tom & Jean Nylund, Brian O'Connell, Allan Sowinski, Ted Robinson, and Doug Wall, . Saturday was sunny and 28 degrees. We traveled 5-1/2 miles on trail past the Twin Brook Lean-to, gaining only 700 feet, followed by 2-1/2 mile of strenuous bushwhacking, gaining 2,400 feet and losing 500 feet for a net bushwhack gain of 1,900 feet. The bushwhack began by following the yellow blazes of the Finch-Pruyn property line (about 140 degree bearing) and started in open woods. At the top of the first ridge crossing, dense bushwhacking began with occasional views of Cheney Cobble. We lost the blazes at the ridge top and then lost the red tape too as the "path" descended to Lower Twin Brook. We went over a second ridge and down to Skylight Brook which we crossed and followed upstream to Allen Brook at 2,600 feet. We continued up Allen Brook to camp at about 3,600 feet. Sunday, we were up before dawn to continue up the brook and beyond to the summit ridge and then north to the summit canister. Sunday afternoon became increasingly hazy as we returned to the cars.

February 26-27, 1983 - Don Berens led a group of nine to the MacIntyres. Other participants were: Russ Bogardus, Jim Boomer, Bill Crowe, Jack Freeman, Jerry Klein, Gary Mitchell, Gordon Robinson, and Lou Sorriero. On Saturday, Don's alarm at home in Latham failed, but he met the rest at the ADK Loj at about 9:00 am. In 30 degree flurries, we took the Old Marcy Trail to Marcy Dam, and bushwhacked on snowshoes up a brook to the base of the Wright slide. We cramponed up the 550 foot slide. The bottom had good snow for step kicking, while the top had five inches of new loose snow over thinly glazed rock. About fifty feet from the top of the slide, Jim - who was eighth in our line - slipped past Don and slid about 300 feet before stopping in the only bushes above some rocks. Jerry went down to carry Jim's pack and they both met the rest of us on top of Wright in wind and cloud. We cramponed down to the trail junction at 4,000 feet where we camped in three tents as the skies cleared. Don, Jack, Bill, Gordon and Russ hiked the trail to the treeline on Algonquin at 4,800 feet to take photos, and then returned to camp. We spent a comfortable night at about 0 degrees. Sunday was clear for our snowshoe ascent of Algonquin in wind. Jim and Lou turned back here because Jim was tired and bruised from his Saturday adventure. The rest of us continued over Boundary to Iroquois and back. We all returned to the cars with no further incident.

[I (Freeman) have a pocket diary record that shows that the 1983 schedule called for two trips, as follows:]

2/12-13/83: Berens scheduled to lead to Haystack. Don, did it go?

2/19-21/83: Noyes scheduled to lead a 3-day trip to the "S. Range" (Sewards?).

-- Jack, 3/25/07 --