Re: 12/27 Rusty AMPS 222, +9 97
Hi again,
Edward and Rusty had a nice day together with a combing/brushing, schmoozes, lunch on the coffee table. Both were happy to see me when I got home from the climb. Rusty was a terrific traveler on our Christmas trip. He didn't get carsick. He was alert and enjoyed sitting on the armrest between us on his fleece blanket, looking out the front window, traveling back to his litterbox several times, and sleeping in his carrier on his little bed occasionally. While at my sister's he had pretty good numbers, and an excellent appetite. I went back to my sister's house several times on Christmas day to be with Rusty (Christmas was at my nephew's house, where there are 2 cats and a drooler). Santa Claws brought him an Adirondack catnip rat. He wasn't too interested, but since getting home has played with it a little, and also with his 3 new bell balls.
I am scarred by Scarface Mt.!! The climb (8 miles rt) started as a pleasant walk through beautiful winter woods, but the climb part of the day was very difficult: icy rock with a thin coating of snow. It was incredibly slippery. I fell on the ice about 5 times, banging up my elbow (hit the "funnybone" and saw stars!), my knee, my thigh (twice: the second time I also managed to slide into a sharp, broken branch, so I have a super-nice bruise there). Several of the hikers almost fell into a steep ravine, but managed to self-arrest. We had to bushwhack around the steepest rockfaces. One of the guys who elected to stay on the trail in those sections needed to rig a rope in order to get down a very steep section with a dangerous drop-off. I need to buy real crampons! The microspikes are not sufficient for conditions like we encountered today. In any event, I'm fine. This mountain has a viewless summit, but it was at least out of the wind and a good place to eat lunch. Temperature was in the 20s, so it wasn't too cold. Tomorrow morning we're going to climb the shortest mountain of the 6. It is steep, but less than a mile to the summit.
I'm going to drink a beer now and chillax with my DH and my cat. bbl,
Ella & Rusty
p.s I got backcountry, "expedition", hiking poles for Xmas and they are great!