Mac: My favorite spotted man

Posted on 11/24/2013 by gkruesi

Photo Jul 07, 11 58 48 AMThere are few people in this world who melt my heart. And fewer still that I take on an affectionate, even girl like persona. Mac is one of those people. Ok he’s not really a person, but he’s close enough. A 20 something year old Appaloosa, that has the personality of both a grumpy old man and your sweet grandfather, and even at times, the wild stallion that I’m sure he once was.

I don’t ride as much these days as I have in recent years, but there just isn’t enough time in the day, week or year. Those 50 some hours of work and 45+ hours of sleep also are kinda essential. Hopefully one of these days I can have the disposable income to take lessons again, but for now I’m lucky to get access to Mac for a few rides a month.

One of my close friends Anna is Mac’s owner (and mom). And he is one lucky Appie to have her. When she got him, you could see every one of his ribs, had one hell of a case of Lyme, his coat was prone to rain rot and was generally not doing so great. His previous owner care of him was at best neglect, at worst horse abuse. Fast forward a few years, and I would have never expected to see him look so good and have so much personality.

Photo Dec 06, 9 50 09 AMOne of my favorite moments was when he took off with a full for force canter with me. Normally that is not good behavior for a horse. But for Mac (or Macalicious as I call him) that was clear indication that he was feeling good. He’s still old, with the stiffness that comes with a 20+ year old horse. But sweet Mac snuggles, and generally goofiness show one hell of a great horse. Hands-down the best guy to introduce kids to horses. I even brought “My Friend Will” (four-year old son of one of my close friends) to meet Mac. Will didn’t get on, but Mac couldn’t have been better and more aware that there was  a little person around. Continue reading →

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ADK 2013 Wrap Up: 8 weeks, 6 Mountains

Posted on 11/12/2013 by gkruesi

DSC01145After 5+ years enjoying all that the Green Mountains have to offer, I felt the itch this summer to start tackling the Adirondack High Peaks. My Grandfather, Uncle Bob and Uncle Rich all spent many a summer hiking all 46 of the High Peaks and it was about time that the next generation in our family continued the tradition. I made the decision late in the season so starting the last weekend in August through Columbus Day weekend I made 4 trips over Lake Champlain to hike 6 of the peaks: Cascade, Porter, Giant, Esther, Colvin and Blake.

View from Blake Summit

View from Blake Summit

Hands down Blake was my least favorite. A miserable col climb with steep inclines and scrambles with no summit, and barley a view in the trees. There is only one reason to hike it – if you want to become a 46er.

Giant and Colvin were probably a tie for my favorite; both offering pretty moderate climbs, with some fun scrambles and great views as an award. Esther, not my favorite overall but the first couple miles of the trail offers the solitude that is a big reason I enjoy the trail so much. Plus Marble and Lookout Mtns offer some great views, which I did in full force of fall foliage season.

Cascade Summit

Cascade Summit

One of the best things has been sharing my hikes and hearing the stories from family and friends. My cousin/uncle Dave, has decided to start tackling his final six climbs, after a 15 year hiatus. Grandma Feathers has also offered wonderful memories from my Uncles and Grandfathers hikes back in the ‘70s. I’ve also brought a couple close friends who had never been to the Adirondack’s before. There is nothing like reconnecting with the place of your youth, as sharing it with friends for the first time.

View from Marble Mtn. on the way to Esther

View from Marble Mtn. on the way to Esther

Will I finish them all? Excellent question. I sure hope so. But we’ll see if all the other beauties of Vermont distract me from the 4 am wake up call to get to that trailhead. I hope to do 8-10 a summer over the next several years. I know that I’ll be looking forward to hearing from Uncle Bob and Rich on advice on what 2014 should bring. Continue reading →

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Sweet Dreams Quazie

Posted on 10/24/2013 by gkruesi

Photo Oct 23, 2 58 58 PMQuazar was named after a star. The brightest star – putting out thousand times more energy than our entire galaxy. And true to her name – she was indeed the brightest.

We had lots of great times together – feeding her peanut-butter, walks to the park, good times snuggling on our couch. Unfortunately, her time came to an end today; after two years of fighting off kidney and liver failure.  She was ready to go.

For nearly 14 years, for my two best friends she was a member of their family. I’m lucky to have known her for the past five years, and even got to dogsit for a few weeks when her parents went off to Italy. A naturally snugglier she is not, but much to my surprise she was cuddling me in bed by the end. O.K. giving her treats in bed probably helped. Continue reading →

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Colvin and Blake. Done and Done.

Posted on 10/19/2013 by gkruesi

DSC01149A three-day long weekend in October equaled another great chance to check two more mountains off my list: Colvin and Blake.

I loved Colvin – beautiful Gill Brook Trail does not disappoint. Several hard scrambles but nothing too bad. And some great views, albeit a small summit.

Blake. Poor Blake. Still an official 46er High Peak, though more updated measurements show that it is just 20 feet shy of the 4,000 mark. I’d be happy never hiking Blake again. A steep, long col. down and even more so going up to reach a nondescript summit, surrounded by trees and barely a view. There isn’t even a sign. And then hike it back again to Colvin summit and back down. I highly underestimated how long the 1.2 miles between the two peaks would take.

AMR Private Rd.

AMR Private Rd.

The first three miles of the hike are on a private road through AMR club. It was a beautiful walk in fall foliage, but added some serious time and distance for the day. I was already hungry by the time I reached the trail head.

At 3.0 mi. the trailhead begins, I took the long route via picturesque Gill Brook Trail. With its many waterfalls and small flumes is one not to miss. Continue reading →

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On Deck: Colvin and Blake

Posted on 10/06/2013 by gkruesi

20120205-Colvin-and-Blake

A long weekend coming up brings another great opportunity to get another hike in and check a couple mountains off the list. 

It’ll be a long day totaling about 13.6 miles (round trip), and take about 10 hours. Though about 2.5 miles (one way) of that is on Lake Rd and is privately owned by the Adirondack Mountain Reserve. Allows hikers but not car traffic (unless you are a club member. There is a bus from the gate to the trail-head but unfortunately is not open for the public either).

Given the length of day-light and length of the hike I’ll be adding two pieces of equipment to my pack: water filtration system and head lamp. Hopefully I won’t need either but a 10 hr hike in October I’m a firm believer of not being on a trail in the dark or without water.

The col between Colvin and Blake is not going to be fun. About every description I’ve heard is not one of enjoyment. Add in that Blake has no view or really any sort of summit. That being said I’m excited for the weekend (and the hike). There are supposed to be some splendid views of Lower Ausable Lake, Sawteeth and the Great Range on Colvin. Continue reading →

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Brewster: My favorite furry man

Posted on 10/05/2013 by gkruesi

IMG_3370I don’t own any animals (some long-term plants, but any care beyond that is just too much commitment for me). But I love animals – particular dogs and horses. Lucky for me I have close friends who let me borrow their dog when they are out of town. His name is Brewster.

And Brewster is about the coolest dog out there. He’s cute, playful, loves to be outdoors and gives some pretty awesome snuggles. The best part is I get my dog fix in, and then return to my usual schedule (that is whatever fun filled thing I want to do). It’s a win – win.

Here’s some highlights of my recent adventures with Brewster – my favorite furry man (not to be confused with hairy man which would be the horse Mac that I ride – but that’ll be for another time). Continue reading →

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