Annual Post-Thanksgiving Hike

And so winter begins here in Harriman between Black Rock and Surebridge Mountain. It was the annual day-after-Thanksgiving hike and we had two new members, Buddy J and Brother S, join us to make it a five-pack. At the trailhead we had to rerun the shuttle to grab forgotten boots and J and H were looking pretty "FRAB" ( Freezing as B***s! ). Damn, was it cold out today. Once we got moving, though, things warmed up some as we got out of the woods and onto the gneiss of the Harriman plains. We ran into a group of over a dozen people led by a leashless-dog lady and a pyro in a poncho. They were looking for the stone shelter we were headed for but were traveling in the wrong direction. Although we made it there first we were unable to keep it to ourselves. The place filled up all around us and poncho guy lit up a smoke and started a blaze in the firepit while the lady with the crazy accent let her dogs stick their noses into our lunch and a little kid threw his snack crackers all over the place. Fortunately we were given some peace when they packed up and left. After a little while we packed up ourselves and headed out across the bald rocks down to the trailhead west of Little Long Pond, completing a very cold but quick four-miler. No leftover turkey in this house, so it's gonna be pizza 'n' beer!