Billville Winter Warmer

[chomp]

Thanks to everyone that showed up for the first Billville Winter Warmer. A good time was had by all. I'll have a recap and photos coming soon.

And BTW - Jester is clearly in violation of the "no seminar" rule. Thanks to him, we all know how to make a duct tape purse now.

[chomp]

First of all, I want to say THANKS to Vickey and the rest of the staff at the Doyle for making us feel very welcome and making our stay with them enjoyable. Thanks guys, you are the best.

Also, a big thanks goes out to Trail Angel Mary for opening up her house on Sunday morning (and letting Jack inside) for a Big Breakfast. Jack, as always, did a fantastic job preparing everything. It was so warm on Sunday, that we all ate outside. Thanks again, Mary.

To skip the rest of this report and go right to the photos, here you go:

http://gallery.backcountry.net/chomp-warmer04

As for the weekend, it was a great success. Jack and I arrived at the Doyle very last on Saturday night to find Fannypack, Jester and VSA already in attendence. After a few hours of sleep, Fannypack and I headed out northbound on the AT with the goad of being to get to the first shelter to see if anything needed cleaning. While it was a great day, the hiking conditons were rough. There was a thin layer of snow over a very thick and slippery layer of ice. After a couple of near falls, and since we didn't pack crampons, we decided it was best for us to turn around.

Friday afternoon, we headed to Gettysburg for a tour of the battlefields. While we had an audio tape to guide us through the area, Jack and Jester filled the role of tour guides. These guys truely know their stuff, and it made the visit there much more enjoyable for me personally. Our two hour tour lasted closer to four hours, but it was a perfect day and there was almost no one in the park. Having completed our history lesson, we headed back to the Doyle.

Friday night was great. In addition to our small group, we had Redneck Rye, the Riff-raff's, Gang, Yahtzee, D-Con, Mrs. D-Con, Drive By, Bag o Tricks, Bust Ace and Jester's friend Jim.

Saturday was mostly a free day with some people heading for hikes and others just hanging around Duncannon. Trail Angel Mary joined the crew on Saturday (btw - excellent wings!) as did Drive By's girlfriend, Michelle.

Finally, on Sunday, it was time to say goodbye. Mary was gracious enough to let us gather at her home, and Jack cooked up his always impressive breakfast feast.

This is a pretty lame report, so if anyone wants to add anything, feel free. Thanks to everyone that showed up and made this a great weekend. See all of you May!

-chomp

[Jester2000]

I would like to second all of the thanks being thrown around -- to Vickey, Pat, and the whole Doyle Crew, who may actually be completely impossible to faze. To Trailangel Mary much love and a hearty thanks for a BIG BREAKFAST!!! (and thanks to our resident chef Jack for doing more than just throwing it all together). Also thanks to all of those who traveled many, many more miles than me to be there, and finally a big nod to Chomp, without whom the Winter Warmer would not have happened. Oh, and also my agent.

For those Billville residents who did not attend, your names are in the Blue Book. Which sounds like a threat, but is, in fact, not.

Get up on the pool table!

[WalkinHome]

OK, Yes I am a fool. I am in the Blue Book and I will bite. So what is it and what does it mean? Did I miss the town meeting where this was born? I cringe at putting myself at the mercy of Jester's imagination. A place (very dark-oh no that's fester) I never wanted to be.

[Jack Tarlin]

Actually, it was a pretty wonderful weekend. Granted, some of the more outspoken neo-prohibitionists amongst us wouldn't have approved of an event that spent a good part of its time in a saloon......but then again, some of us went hiking, some of us went to Gettysburg (where every American should go soooner or later), some of us spent time with a great Trail Angel, but mostly, we just got to spend a lot of time with old and new friends.

The best momemt: Probably it was Jester, chatting up a very pretty girl at midnight, while he was dressed in a 7 and a half-foot brown felt costume that made him look a great deal like the world's tallest malt beverage. I mean, where else would I get I get to rescue the young lady by saying something like "Don't pay any mind to what he says, ma'am.......it's just the beer talking." Lines like this don't take place that often.

All 'n all, a memorable moment. Thanks to Jester and Chomp for getting it all togther, and maybe we'll see some of you there next year. Thanx also to the wonderful folks at the Doyle for both opening their doors to us, and in not tossing us outta them as the weekend progressed.

[Blister]

I can imagine the chapters under which I would be listed in the blue book. I missed you all, gave wandering thoughts in your direction all weekend. Not sure if I'll be able to get to any events for awhile. Hugs and kisses
Blister

[trailangelmary]

It was a great time at the Doyle, I agree. I have some good pics even though my battery was low on my camera. Thank you to all present for the great poetry reading after Sunday Breakfast. Hopefully, I will get better at the poetry for another time. Greg ( aka, Sheetzie or Peace Frog ) can't wait to see the pics. He was glad to hear that we had the first feeding of the season. I won't tell him you guys even did the dishes!

Mary...hoping to make it to Damascas!