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	Jack*ss Tour 2005

JACK*SS TOUR 2006

A journal of our silly little adventure

We had planned to go somewhere this year, but didn’t really have a goal. I can just drive to a place get out and take a look around and move on. Driving to me is relaxing. So we planned to had north up to NH, VT, NY and drive around. I have been going to the White Mountains for years, and love it there. I knew we where not going to be able to get to the top of Mount Washington, but I thought we could check out the area. Kevin had never been that far north, and Chris only a few times. As we discussed where to go or what to see Chris found out he had a commitment at work he couldn’t get out of. So it was Kevin and I hitting the road.

Now as luck would have it, New England is seeing the worst flooding in 70 years. It is T-minus 3 days before we leave and Southern VT, NH our getting pounded with rain. We plan to head out late Wednesday night and travel north. Looks like major roads are open, so we head out.

It’s a quick travel north into VT. If you are planning to go to VT, or NH avoid CT. Even in the middle of the night I hate traveling that way. I usually go up Interstate 87 in NY, and cut across central VT to get to NH. Well at least I was reminded why I go that way. While on the way up Kevin went to sleep on the rear bed, didn’t want to take the overhead, something about going through the front window if we stopped really fast, I told him the brakes where not that good. Whatever.

At about 4am, we needed to stop for fuel. While kevin was sleeping away in the back, I have to run into this guy filling up his rental car. He’s telling me all about how is mother is really sick, and all the speeding tickets he’s received coming up from Maryland. Asked if he was going to see his mom, nope, he is just traveling up to see the floods. This guy is about 60 years old, and he tells me he doesn’t think mom is going to live much beyond another 10 years. He’s walking around talking to the crickets and frogs then starts up with me again, telling me he’s going to fight all the tickets in court. I tell him he should, and don’t take no for an answer, Damn the Man. He was still talking to me as I was pulling out. He might still be there?

Somewhere about 10 miles south of White River Junction VT, we pull into a rest stop. It’s filled with trucks, the sun isn’t up yet and I need to get a little shut eye. As I turn off the RV, she backfires. I was waiting for the VT state police to show up, it was loud. I just started to laugh; I think Kevin thought we where under fire.

We got moving and stopped for breakfast. Then it was off to the White Mountains and Dolly Copp campground. We only stayed the night, but it was good to be back in the area. The air is so clean, and there was hardly anyone in the campground. They had only opened the day before and the lady at the toll booth didn’t seem too sure of herself. She looked at me with her one good eye and said we could have almost any spot we wanted. Wonderful. After a few burgers over the fire, relaxed to some music for the rest of the night.

The next morning it was off to the AMC club at Pinkham Notch. They have a small store and you can get breakfast there if you get there early enough. They also have quarter showers. If you ever visit the White Mountains, more times then not it is beautiful in the valleys and can be cloudy at the summits. Well this AM it was cloudy everywhere. Pea soup fog was in, and you where driving through clouds. This picture is from 2003, you couldn’t see the sign to well on the day we where there.

Then breakfast at Glen Junction Restaurant. Kerry and I always seem to find these great little breakfast places when we travel. So I figured I would take Kevin. Yup, as good as I remember it.

Back into the white mountains and the Glen Ellis Falls. They where moving the day we where there from all the rain they had.

		The trail starts off from the parking lot and under Route 16.
Glen Ellis River

We took the rest of the day and headed into Vermont. We head towards the VT/NY border to stay at a campground on an island on the border. We didn’t stay long. The area was highly flooded and the RV almost got stuck at the campsite. Time to move on.

Notice the water in the tracks. That was about 5 minutes after we got out. Yes I almost had to call for a Good Sam Club wrecker. And this was a standard pull in campground.

After getting free we drove to NY state and around midnight stopped at a campground in the upper Adirondacks. The nest morning it was off to Lake Placid.

It’s still raining as we arrive in Lake Placid. Kevin wants to see the arena where the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team won the gold. No problem. We find parking where I have to deal with some old guy who looked like Blue from Old School. It was hard to hear him with his one good tooth blocking the sound coming out of his mouth. I should have hooked him up with the lady from Dolly Copp.

	It was cool to be there. There was also a car show going on that day, so we had to pay to get in and look around. Which was fine by me, I look old cars. Actually the best thing that happened was the car show since we could get onto the rink area itself.

I have driven and hiked to the summit if Mount Washington many of times. But I never had heard that you could drive to the top of White Face Mountain in NY. Well you can, it sits about 1600 ft below Mount Washington. They even allowed the RV. Cool. It’s a paved road all the way to the top where there is a gift shop and weather station. It had stopped raining for the moment.

When you get to the top of the mountain there is an elevator that will take you to the top. After you walk up the long corridor.

It takes about a minute to get to the top I’m sure the view is nice when not cloudy.

From there, we headed to Paradox Lake State Park. On the way I found my own town. I’ve become historic.

It was late in the day when we spotted this waterfall leaving Whiteface Mountain. Had it been earlier, it would have been fun to hike too.

We camped at Paradox Lake that night. It was cold, and again had stopped raining for the moment. Long enough for us to enjoy a nice fire. I made Kevin chop some wood. He’s a good worker. All in all a very relaxing trip. Next year I’m thinking Knob Creek