Last week, my university cancelled classes for a week, yes my people, a week, and it was somewhat wonderful. As anyone from my part of the world will know (and I'm assuming most of my readers know, but for the rest of you) Hurricane Sandy hit last week, and knocked out the power, hence the canceling of school. I'd say most schools within a few hours of me suffered the same.
My theory is that since Lehigh is on a steep hill, the trees are more prone to fall and hence killing more power lines.
The real question is is a tree falls during an intense storm does anyone care? Answer: Yes! It was a very cold week, but to combat this, I decided with a few friends to go camping (there's no electricity there anyway, right?)
So after a few days of playing chess, card games, and generally living like it's 1834, we headed off to New Paltz, NY, USA, North America, Western Hemisphere, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Universe.
But I digress. Here is a photo summary of the following events:
This was on the way to the campsite right past the downtown of New Paltz. How could this be resisted, though? A beautiful castle-like building and a ugly sign. Ben has never been one to read the signs however.
View from the scenic pull off that goes through the Trapps. (Lucy and Ben)
Huddled around the fire for warmth, in fact it was snowing. Yes, those white things that come from clouds. You need to see the after picture though, just about two feet of powder, we are serious campers.
It says "Hello" can't you tell?
We had a fun time manipulating light trails in long exposure. I'm still not completely sure how to use my camera....
Waking up at 7 a.m. was horrible, an ungodly time of day, but worth it, absolutely.
View of the Trapps that we climbed on later that day--You could live here for a year, and not climb the same route twice- there are over 600 in the Gunks (Shawgunk)
It may appear as though Ben doesn't have a head, but in reality, he's just absorbed in leading the climb (Route-Hertie Gertie). This is around the time where Lucy and I set up a hammock and fall asleep for some time.
Preston follows Ben and cleans his pieces from the wall after the top-rope was set up.
Ben starts to lead this climb (Route Classic) which is much higher than the last, maybe 80+ feet, while Lucy and Preston look from below.
I'm so glad Preston was paying attention to me. Actually though he was, and even though I was scared the whole climb, I made it to the top, Wooooo! This is something I'm proud of and I hope to climb more in the future. Of course, I've been practicing a lot at the gym, where I have an excellent job that consists of rocks, chalks, ropes and walls.
Lucy does the same climb, and pulls herself over the overhang. The views up there was amazing. If I wasn't afraid that I would shatter my phone or camera, I would have taken it up there to capture what was an amazing sight.
At this point my camera was full of pictures, and I must continue on into uncharted waters using only my words.
After climbing and packing up the equipment into the car, we drove around the bend to the Mohonk Mountain House, only to find that we couldn't go in. I did expect this because it's fancy-smancy and it was dark out already. I went there a few weeks back though so here is what it looks like:
Doesn't it look like the hotel from the Shining? Hence why I'll never stay there
.........also I can't afford it.
ANYWAYS. We went to a restaurant called "Rock da Pasta" after this failed attempted to see the hotel, which was a really cool place which I fit right into considering my Hippy nature. The owner (or who I'd like to believe was the owner) Told us that one of the art pieces she had in the past was mad by an artist who works for Ken Kesey's son, which might be a far relationship, but also very exciting to me.
For those of you who don't know who Ken Kesey is, he wrote "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest" (if you haven't read it, go now, school? pff, just go, read). Kesey was also a huge figure in the beatnik culture, which just preceded the hippies of the 60s. He was the one responsible for all of the Acid Test parties in the 60s during the time--you know the ones where bands like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane frequently appeared. Oh to be a fly on THOSE walls....a whole room of people tripping out of their skulls watching the home made movies of Ken Kesey's cross country road trip on the bus "Further".
This has been a rant brought to you by: me.
-The End-
Also, I saw this band in Philly on Thursday take a listen yo peeps.
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