Adirondacks 2012

...or "Revenge on Marcy"
The trip is set, plans are well underway, and for me at least, the countdown has begun. Almost as soon as last year's trip ended, conversations began about what the 2012 trip would be. Since last year was a bigger trip, this year would be smaller; a driving trip of 5 or 6 days. A return to the Adirondacks (a trip the guys did a few years ago) was an early front runner, and at this point I'm not sure I even remember what other options were discussed. We settled on the Adirondacks quickly.

Having listened to stories from the prior trip in the years since then, and never having been there myself, the Adirondacks to me are synonymous with one thing - Mt Marcy, the highest peak in New York state. Or as Dave puts it, "the hardest day of hiking I have ever done". It what has become legend in our group's guy-lore, the hike to the summit of the mountain (generally a spectacular view), was a cold, rainy, exhausting slog at the top of which the intrepid hikers could see.... nothing. Seeing as how they characterize this as Marcy having cheated them of a full-fledged victory, the upcoming trip has earned the theme of Revenge on Marcy. Or as I like to think of it, "yikes, what have I gotten myself into?"

The plan, as I understand it at this point, is:

• Five of us going - the 4 Dakota boys plus Phil.
• Renting a minivan.
• Leaving on a Wednesday, driving much of the 6 hours, provisioning along the way, and spending Wednesday night in a motel not too far from the campground.
• Thursday morning drive the remaining distance and set up camp. 
• Have Thursday midday through Sunday night to do whatever. One of the big "whatevers" will of course be a hike to the summit of Mt Marcy. Thinking of that as a 15 mile death march with a lot of vertical climb is probably not approaching it in the proper frame of mind, but the legend has taken hold...
• Drive home Monday.

My only issue to this point is a scheduling snafu on my end. I was not at the get-together where the actual dates were determined. When told what had been picked I said "sounds great". Then a little while later it hit me that Grace's birthday is during the trip. She has not been happy at the prospect of me not being here on that day, which I completely understand. I wouldn't have chosen to have it work out that way, but there isn't anything I can do about it at this point other than to bail out on the trip entirely, which I am not going to do. I have been working on getting her more comfortable with the idea of me being here for her party the prior weekend but missing the actual day, and while she is still not thrilled, she seems to have reconciled herself to the idea. It looks like my Revenge on Marcy will be carrying the additional weight of a little fatherly guilt.