Marshall..Take two... - 9/6/2009

This was a second attempt at Mt. Marshall. As you can see by the previous Marshall post, conditions on this day were slightly more favorable for a hike. Soloin on this day, but judging by the parking lot, I was sure I would run into alot of people. First time I had seen Upper Works overflowing down the road. The joys of a holiday weekend I guess. Against what I had suspected, I only ran into one small group of people all the way to the far side of Flowed Lands. About five miles. The lean to were all taken, so I'm not sure where all the people were. Anyway, quiet hike and a beautiful day. Did run into a couple guys at the top of Marshall who were coming from the opposite direction on this untrailed peak. Even though this one is untrailed, the herd path is very easy to follow. Spiderwebs in a few spots, but as long as you stay near the brook, nearly impossible to lose the path. Just watch for the cairns that mark the crossings. That said, the photos are: #1 - The only real view from the top of Marshall. #2 - One of the most beautiful spots in all the Adirondack Park. Flowed Lands with Mount Colden in the background. #3 - Henderson Monument. If you read it, it's self-explanatory. Good thing at this point is these hikes no longer make me sore afterward. The exercise program pays off! This one was about 13 miles and almost 3000 ft. cumulative vertical. Only one more to break the 40 barrier.....

Macomb, South Dix and East Dix - 9/16/2009

Lets give the particulars first this time just for something different and to put some perspective on this one. GPS says - 11.9 miles and 4242 ft of vertical gain. Left the trailhead at around 8am, and exited the woods at 3pm sharp. Not bad, as I had to climb 3 peaks (Macomb, South Dix and East Dix - In that order), and then turn around and come out the same way. The most interesting thing on this hike was the slide climb up Macomb Mountain. 5 or 6 hundred feet of vertical on an open face rock slide area. This one is a bit different than most though, as it is mostly loose rock and rubble. Most of the Adirondack slides are smooth granite. The climb up wasn't too bad, but the trek down was a toe curler. Every two steps you start to slip or slide on the rubble. This turned out to have been a rather short hike by comparison, but the amount of vertical was tough. By the time I was climbing back up Macomb on the way out, I was beat up and tired. Tomorrow at work, people will know what I was doing on this day, because my arms got torn up by the closed in brush on this hike. 8 miles of this hike were on unmarked herd path. Not bad though - They were easy to find and pick up. Since this was a weekday, I didn't meet any people on this hike until the way out. Because of that, the summit photos are of the three markers on the three summits. The top photo is the view from the top of the slide on Macomb Mountain. The parking area and trailhead are near the left edge of the lake in that photo. You can see that for the most part, the first 2 miles of this hike were relatively flat, and the rest was a brutal excercise in up and down hiking. No complaints though - This makes 40,41 and 42. Only 4 left, 2 of them relatively easy ones, and two LOOOONG hikes for single peaks. I am going to try to finish these this fall, but not sure because of the difficulty of a couple of them that its going to happen. I will keep you posted.....

Sawteeth Loop - 4/13/2010

Another nice warmup for the big ones...Only this one counts! Spent the day in Lake Placid on Monday taking in the sights and overpaying for dinner. Surf and Turf is a good dinner the night before a hike though. Packed up the morning of and headed to St. Huberts to begin the assault on Sawteeth. It started with the bottom photo and these three looking at me like - "Your going where?" Seriously, they just stood there as I walked past 10 feet away. But, that aside, I decided to bring the snowshoes on this one as I read that there is still significant snow above 3000 feet. While this is true, it's kind of that transition period in the peaks. Not enough snow for snowshoes, but enough of a spine to posthole ankle to knee high periodically. Got away with microspike all the way to the summit on the Weld trail with just about no post holing because the spine was solid as the temps were single digits the night before. Microspikes = GOOD! I figured with brilliant sunshine and 50's it wasn't going to last. I was right. On sage advice from a friend, I decided to go down the scenic trail to take in the views. I would have reversed it if I had know that scenic trail. Anyway, about 1 mile down, started to posthole regularly, so I decided to put the snowshoes on. I went about another 10th of a mile, and the snow was effectively gone. The rest of this hike was tough in that it was intense downhill followed by a mile of rock scrambling on the shoreline of the upper Ausable Lake. By the time I hit the lake road again, my feet where beat up pretty good. And of course, they had just graded the lake road, so it was all loose rock and dirt. Made it even more fun on the way out. That said, this hike was a success in all ways. Summits alone are so peaceful and quiet that it puts the mind completely at ease. The self portrait was the best I could do alone. You get the idea. Only one place you can get that dramatic side of Gothics that close up. The other photo is my first experience at Rainbow Falls. In a word - Beautiful. This leaves me with 3 to go, 2 of them tough "trailless" peaks. Stay tuned for # 44.....

Allen - 5/20/2010

There's a reason this is considered the hardest hike of the 46. I'm just not sure why.... Granted, its a long hike (19 miles or so) but it is mostly on flat ground! So if you have ever done an MS walk or something of that nature, it's similar to that. Just add about 2500 feet of vertical at the halfway point LOL. OK, so it's not the same.... Anyway, this hike had a variety of interesting things, not the least of which was a dead camera at the 7 mile mark. (You'll have to trust me on this one :-) First thing was the rickety nature of the foot bridge across lake Jimmy. Top photo shows it. Two of the first 4 sections of the bridge are essentially gone, and have been relaced by whatever could be thrown there. If you lose you balance and drop in, you might as well go back to the car, because you will be wet above the knee. I did get across successfully, but it was a harrowing start to this hike. With that part finished, next to look forward to was the river crossing at about the 4 mile mark. I brought a couple towels and some Nike sandals for this part. It wasn't deep, and it wasn't powerful current, but you still have to stop, take off your shoes, pull up your pants and cross, then redress on the other side. Successful again here. Packed up the sandals and towels and moved on. The rest of this hike was uneventful otherwise. Lots of mileage and lots of vertical, and decent views to be had on a clear day. The last interesting part of this one came on the return river crossing. After so much mileage and my feet absolutely killing me, I was looking forward to the cool water crossing of the Opalescent on the way out. Shed the shoes, put on the sandals, and was enjoying the cool cool water until I slipped, damn near fell and felt that I had lost a shoe. I looked around for it quickly, and it popped up 15 feet down river. Bye Bye shoe, and I apologize to whoever finds that. It was an accident!. One unique thing I experienced on this hike, is I had not seen so many snakes on one hike ever. Must have seen 20 or so. Middle pic above shows the first one I almost stepped on. We were both very suprised, to say the least. Snakes or not, this hike was a success, and it makes 44 of 46.... I can feel the end....

Seymour - 5/24/2010

Sawteeth it was bats...Allen, it was snakes...Today, it was Frogs! Anyway, after the long trudge of Allen, this one was going to be a walk in the park. I'm always humbled by these peaks, no matter what the situation. First mistake I made here was not having the bug spray with me, and that was a huge mistake. Within the first mile, I was eaten alive by the mosquitos. I was actually thinking about turning back after seeing about a dozen welts on my arms from these nasty bird size bugs that light on you even though you are moving at 3 miles per hour. About that time, the breeze kicked up, and they went away for a while. I guess it's a blessing as I haven't seen any black flies...yet. After the bugs went away, the rest of the flat ground portion of this was a breeze. Hit the herd path two hours into this hike. Anyone considering this hike should know this is an easy well worn herd path. It gets a little weird near the top, but if you have any experience with herd paths and a good sense of direction, I see no problems at all. Hit the summit of this one at about 12:30. I thought I was free of the bugs at this point, but I will tell you I RAN away from this summit because of the black flies. First photo is typical Seymour herd path. It starts out gradual and gets steeper as you go up. Photo 2 is the summit view, and photo three is the summit self portrait. Successful #45...Now we plan for the finish. I am not sure if I want company or If I will do it alone....

Colden - 5/30/2010

46 peaks, 1 pair of boots, 2 trekking poles, 3 sets of shoelaces, gallons of water, countless pairs of socks, blisters, bruises, scratches, sore quads, sore calves, sore feet, bad knees, slips, trips, falls, wet feet, ankle deep mud, clothing soaking rainstorms, thunderstorms, black flies, monster mosquitos.... Why do we do this again??

Oh yeah. Now I remember....Finally, the accomplishment of a life goal. Although the circumstances weren't what I wanted them to be at this point in my life, it was still a great experience and what will turn out to be a turning point in my life. Decided to do this one alone, as I wanted the time alone to think abount what I had just done. This was a holiday weekend, so not alot of solitude on the trail, and not alot of time to think about this one at the top, but I did spend some reflective time while sipping on a bottle of champagne. The parallel of this journey to the journey of my life over the last 10 years or so is not lost on me. I was at a low point and fought scratched and clawed my way back to the top. Thats why I shed a few tears quietly after I summited this one. I dedicate this to all the people who have touched me in many ways on this journey, whether they hiked with me or not. You all know who you are.

This photo suggests that there should have been at least 2 people on this hike. I had planned to finish with one special person on this hike. Someone who could relate to the metaphor of this accomplishment and the parallels to real life. Although she chose not to be with me on this hike, I still carried the champagne,and still carried her with me in my heart on this hike, and she will remain in my heart forever. She was the inspiration on many of these hikes, and will remain inspiration for real life, work and play. For that, I thank her. She knows who she is....

This hike was a long gradual uphill over 4 or 5 miles to Lake Arnold. It was a great choice for a finish, as the effort was minimal and the views were spectacular! What a great view of Algonquin, Iroquios and Wright! The photo above is right at summit, but the clock is slow by an hour. So - May 30, 2010 - 10:57AM was the first moment of the rest of my life and the beginning of the rest of my accomplishments of life goals. On the summit, I had the great priveledge to be the bearer of good and bad news to a couple of fellow hikers who happened to be from Philadelphia. First question to me - Did you day hike? Answer: Yes. Second question - Did the Flyers win? Answer: No. They were infinitely disappointed, but... I was able to cheer them up by telling them that Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay had pitched a perfect game the night before. They were stunned silent. The one gentleman then pulled out a ballcap and put it on. It was a Phillies cap! Just a great moment, and yet again, metaphorically applicable to the hikes LOL.

Now it's time to decide what the next goal is. I will continue writing to this blog, and will update on what the next goal will be. I have a number of choices. I'm open to suggestion. It will likely be the winter 46, but I will probably shoot for the NE115 in the warmer months. One peak I am really interested in right now is Mt. Washington....

The Beginning of Round 2??

Well, what do you do after you finish the 46? With no other thoughts in mind right away, I decide to undertake these 46 again, while working toward the winter 46 also. So what better way to start than Basin and the cliffs of Saddleback. I loved these so much the first time, I decided it was a good start for the second round. Thing I didn't realize was how tough these two were! I was in much better shape the first time I tackled them, and this time, not only was I not in top shape, but I picked one of the hottest days of the summer to attempt it. I did finish them, but certainly not in record time, and with a mighty scare in the middle. Just on the down side of Basin, Shortly after I took the bottom photo I believe, my groin muscles started cramping up very badly. I was thinking to myself, that not only was this a new feeling, but it couldn't have happened at a worse time. I collected my thoughts, sat down on a rock and drank 2 bottles of water, ate a bag of salted cashews, and downed a protein drink. By the time I had caught my breath and my wits, the cramps were gone and I powered onto the cliffs. They were just as exhilirating as I remembered. I guess we call these 1 and 2, but I'm not going to be as crazy about the count this time. I'll get them when I get them in this round. Here's to a new life, a new goal, a new future....

3/27/2010 - A tune up on Phelps Mountain...

Just a quick note to kind of say I'm back. Just needed to kind of warm up for the next 4 that are coming this spring/summer. This hike sold me on micro-spikes. One of the folks on the hike lent me a pair and they worked fabulously! Plus, this hike was the final hike for one of the 46'ers! I had a good opportunity to get how it felt to complete these mountain! She did it in 365 days which is beyond impressive. It's taken me more than 2 years to get to 42! I am going to finish these this summer. I promise!!! Not much more to say on this one...Just a quick warmup....

Where The Hell Have You Been???

Well, I have been gone a while. Sometimes, turmoil finds it's way into your life, usually not by choice. In this case, some of it wasn't my choice, some of it was. The part that was my choice was a change in jobs! I figured I would be at my last job for a long time. Circumstances were presented that made me decide to improve my career and my life standing. In the immortal words of Marlon Brando in The Godfather - I was made "an offer I couldn't refuse". The pics are of the new job as we build a brand new power plant in Rensselaer. Its been alot of fun and for sure, a learning experience so far. As of now, it has been beyond my expectations. At first, I was worried that I was in over my head. As time has gone on, I realize that I am right where I belong!

Anyway, this is why I haven't had a hike since the fall. Rest assured, plans are being made to finish these first 46 very soon! I have been 9-5 since early November. Once we go back on shift work, I will finish the 46. Just wanted to let people know that I am still focused on finishing this mission of the 46. Then we will set a new target after that....

What? Bears???

Just a fast note to say that I have hiked literally hundreds of miles in the Adirondacks and never have I seen any wildlife including black bears. Dog started to go nuts today and I look out and see this - A black bear knocking over the trash and dragging a bag into the woods. Landlord had warned me that he had been down at his house rousing the trash earlier. I stepped out on the porch and yelled and clapped and this thing stood there and looked at me like I had two heads. I picked up anything I could throw and started to throw stuff from the porch and he took his sweet time going back into the woods behind the house. When one of the rocks hit him he took off running fast. He's just a baby and lets hope he doesn't bring back mom and dad later. Lets hope he doesnt become a regular visitor either. Dont need that, to say the least....

Reduced Carbon Footprint?

Just a quick post on the new ride. The Hummer was starting to aggravate me in more ways than one recently. Not the least of which was it had been in the shop more than in the driveway. New head on the engine, transfer case issues, problems with the air sensing system, etc. etc. I could make a long list. Not to mention the mileage on it was not what they advertise (20 mpg highway). On most of my trips to the high peaks, it took 2 tanks of gas, one for the trip up and one for the trip back. When gas was at it's peak of about 4 dollars, it was costing me 160 dollars to make the trip. Enter new Cadillac.... Although it was a couple years old, the style of this just caught my eye. Smoother ride than the shoebox on wheels. Just more comfortable all the way around. I lose some space, but my golf clubs and all my hiking gear fit in the trunk, so thats all that matters. I gave up 4 wheel drive, but thats okay. I have an extra set of wheels to put snow tires on, so I'm not too worried. Best part about this car? Made my first trip to the high peaks region last week. Filled the tank in Catskill before I left and made the round trip on 3/4 of a tank of gas. About 30 dollars worth of gas. Guess it's just better all the way around. Not to mention, I am doing my part to save gas and reduce my "carbon footprint".(something my hippie sister once said to me) :-)

Something Different....QUINCY! NOOOO!!!

On the advice of someone who follows my blog, this is a post about my dog(s). I know, doesnt have anything to do with hiking, but it's probably not a bad idea to branch out a bit and stretch the topics some. Quincy is his name, After the 70's Jack Klugman T.V. character. Bottom photo is Quincy on the day I brought him home. Still had the Yorkie trademark black puppy hair. The top photo is full grown Quincy in adult silver and tan color. The story about Quincy is he was a replacement for my first Yorkie, Taylor, who died about a month before I got this little terror. Taylor was a rescue dog that some Navy puke didn't want to care for because he found out he was epileptic. I had him for 7 wonderful years, and he left me too soon. He was my first dog, and was a constant companion after I split from the Ex. Never in my life had I felt such dispair as I did when I had to make the decision to put him down. It still hits me emotionally today 3 years later. Anyway, back to Quincy. I really didn't want another dog after my heart was ripped out by the death of the last one, but this little guy just won me over completely when I first saw him. Full of love and energy, just bouncing off the walls with excitement to see me. He was good therapy for me at this point and helped me to forget the heartache of losing Taylor. Little did I know he has this affection for shiny and important things. I have had to "Quincy proof" my house, and even went so far as to have a "Quincy proof room"! He has done lots of swell destructive things in 3 years, and I really can't blame him. He only chews up what I leave in his reach. Best one so far, I think, is a couple years ago, he managed to get my wallet off my desk while I was sleeping. 15 or so cards in it, credit cards, health plan, etc etc...What's the one card he pulls out and chews up? You got it - The ATM/Debit Mastercard. Oh, and did I mention, I was leaving for Vegas on vacation in two days? Just my luck I guess. That's not even the half of it. There was a time that the guys at Verizon in Albany knew me and my dog by name, because he had a run where he destroyed AT LEAST 3 cell phones. I don't mean cosmetically either. He DESTROYS them to the point where they no longer work. All part of being the owner of the spawn of the devil. Add to the list of chewed up stuff - 2 or 3 bluetooth headsets, Several pairs of work pants that he chewed belt loops off of, Every hat I own is missing the little button on the top because he chews them off, My work boots have at least an inch of leather chewed off the top of them, All my golf polos are missing one, if not all, of the buttons, he has destroyed 2 pairs of Oakley sunglasses and almost got a third, etc etc etc. I have hoped that as he grows older, he will lose this destructive behavior, and for the most part he has. He will still jump up on chairs in the house if they are left close to the desk or table and try to find food or something shiny. But he's calming some. I just try to keep him occupied with the 100 or so different toys he has. He is a unique doggy personality. He fits perfect in my crazy life. As I write this post, he is standing next to my chair barking at me because I have a bottle of water I am drinking. I forgot to mention he has OCD also. If he sees a bottled water he will not stop barking at you until you give the empty bottle to him with the cap ON. Then he chews the cap off it, and leaves it on the floor. Give him the bottle without the cap, he's not interested. Has to have the cap on it. He is a special one, for sure. I love him like a son. Maybe I should have named him Damian......

A couple of repeats......Algonquin/Wright 1/4/09

What better way to ring in the new year than with high winds, bone chilling cold, and 3000 feet of elevation gain! A couple of self portraits for this one. Mainly because it's the first winter hike I have done that actually had VIEWS! Third photo is almost the exact spot as the photo I took on the summer Wright hike, but the conditions are a bit tougher and the equipment is different. LOL Anyway, these have already counted toward my regular 46, but Wright adds to my total of winter 46. Great hike with great people. Odd one because it's also the first time the temperature at the top was warmer than the temp at the bottom. When we departed the trailhead, it was about 2 degrees, and just before breaking the treeline on Algonquin, A few people had thermometers and they were reading 30 degrees or better. I guess what the weatherman says about a "wedge" of warm air is accurate! LOL Anyway, when we got back to the trailhead about 5ish, the Temp was back down to 15. Just bizarre, but explains all the freezing rain we got in Catskill that night even though the temp was about 28 dgrees. Well, thats about it for this one. Enjoy the pics, and no, I'm not standing on alpine plants! LOL

Failure is NOT an option! (Sometimes....)

Well, went out to try to knock out #30 yesterday, Mount Marshall. To me, even with some fresh snow, should be relatively easy right? Well, living in the Catskills, I was judging the fresh snow by what we had down here, and not like what you see in the photo here. This is the Upper Works trail head register, and this was a sign of things to come. A few firsts on this hike also. I had never used the Upper Works trailhead before this day. Impressive especially with all the fresh snow. So, a decent sized group of us get underway at 7:30 AM and the first 4 miles to flowed lands was pretty easy. Thats another first-I had never seen flowed lands up close either. Also Impressive. When we hit the Flowed Lands lean to, we realized the trail was not broken from the last 2 snowsorms, and it was hardly discernable. This is where I work in another first. I had never broken trail before. Hard work, especially rewarding. Trouble with it this day, is we were never really sure we were on the trail at any given time. after alot of hard slogging, backtracking, spruce trapping, we find ourselves on a false summit about 3/10's of a mile from summit at 2PM. At this point, the trail was completely gone, and it would have been close to 2 hours to make that last 3/10's. Common sense took over, and summiting Marshall would not happen this day. Another first for me, as no matter what, I had always finished all 29 peaks of my 46 on the first shot so far, this was a different feeling. The right hand photo above is just about the spot we turned around. Looks like either a large boulder covered with snow, or perhaps about a 20 foot snowdrift, we weren't sure. At this point, wind became a factor and we were moving so slow, everyone started to get cold, and we turned back. Plenty of time to reflect on what could have been done differently on the way out, but I am glad we turned back. Not sure any outcome other than what happened would have been good at that point so late in the day. As it stood, we hit the trailhead at 5:30 pm. I was very tired and hungry from the extra work of breaking some trail on this hike. This was about 14 miles and 2500 feet of vertical, and I am feeling it the day after from all the extra work. I still label it a success, as having a group that size cover that much ground under those conditions, and have everyone make it out okay is , in my mind, an accomplishment in itself....