On the retreat down Cascade the clouds parted for a minute or two and I did manage to get some good snaps. All the heavy cloud cover is off to the left of the photo - which is of course where all the major mountain peaks are located as well. Still I was glad to get something to look at other then the inside of a cloud. Shortly after this cloud break opened up it closed and rain continued to fall. By the time I was in Lake Placid getting a bite to eat the rain was sheeting down.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Cascade summit
Saturday I decided to go down to the Adirondacks and avenge the previous weekends trudge. Mike and I had tried to do the Seward range but the rain clouds arrived just before we made the ridgeline. Limited views, cold, wet windy and the mud getting deeper with every footstep (no photos). Every footstep we hiked it rained harder and we ended up skipping the 3rd of three peaks. That hike is on my list as one of the worst hikes I've ever done.
Today I drove down to do a couple of peaks before nightfall, camp and then do a bigger hike on Sunday... but luck was against me again. A sunny drive down but the thunderheads started to grow when I got to Lake Placid. I decided to try a quick "run" up Cascade and Porter before the showers arrived... but I got to the summit of Cascade (as this photo will attest) just as the thick cloud cover did....Like by seconds!!!! I ran over to Porter with thunder and lightning crashing over my head. Not a lot of fun but it was too close to not grab the second summit. Another run back to Cascade and the trail back down to the car. Descended in the rain and got down soaked, a little blistered and put out. As I had a sub in Lake Placid it started to howl with rain and I decided to forget about camping and another hike and just drove home :( (Sunday was gloriously sunny!)
Next weekend is the big trip to Johns Brook lodge. 4 days of hiking from the interior outpost. Dry bunks, 3 squares a day. Should be great but I hope the rain gods have already had their fun with me and we get better weather.
Today I drove down to do a couple of peaks before nightfall, camp and then do a bigger hike on Sunday... but luck was against me again. A sunny drive down but the thunderheads started to grow when I got to Lake Placid. I decided to try a quick "run" up Cascade and Porter before the showers arrived... but I got to the summit of Cascade (as this photo will attest) just as the thick cloud cover did....Like by seconds!!!! I ran over to Porter with thunder and lightning crashing over my head. Not a lot of fun but it was too close to not grab the second summit. Another run back to Cascade and the trail back down to the car. Descended in the rain and got down soaked, a little blistered and put out. As I had a sub in Lake Placid it started to howl with rain and I decided to forget about camping and another hike and just drove home :( (Sunday was gloriously sunny!)
Next weekend is the big trip to Johns Brook lodge. 4 days of hiking from the interior outpost. Dry bunks, 3 squares a day. Should be great but I hope the rain gods have already had their fun with me and we get better weather.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
esther view
The summit of Esther is somewhat in the trees. Other reports suggested there were no views at all but we found this nice view up towards Whiteface. Not every summit can be a clear 360 degree panorama so having small vignettes for views was actually rather nice. You can see the toll road that carrys tourists up to the summit. Where the road ends there is a restaurant and a 300ft elevator to take you to the summit allowing the tourists to summit the peak without breaking a sweat. I, on the other hand, broke a sweat several times(well, for most of the day actually). I took a quick dip in the stream at the trailhead to wash the days salt and grime off me (I had a dinner in Alexandria to get too... ). Its amazing how cold a stream can be when the air temperature is in the 30's. Isn't thermodynamics wonderful.
mt esther
This is the summit plaque on Mt. Esther. Not every peak has a plaque - and story to go with it - so I took a shot. Nice use of epoxy to attach the plaque thus preventing theives from stealing it.. The summit of Esther is a "trailless" peak so you have to follow a herd path over to the summit for about a mile. The herd path was better then some trails I've been on so there may be some confusion as to how much maintenance goes on for "trailless" summits. I rate it an excellent hike. The climb was about 3000ft from the car with a few nice spots along the way. Only one "bog" in one of the cols but it was hardly 100ft long so it wasn't too tough to cross.
marble lookout
DId my first hike in the Adirondacks in quite a few years. I agreed to meet up with Mike and climb Whiteface and Esther. It was a pretty hot day but we pressed on regardless and had a great hike. The best view on the way up was the lookout from Marble mountain. We sat in the shade, had a snack and Mike got a good photo of a purple finch (kind of a crazy lookin' bird) that flitted onto a nearby tree. He's in this shot just getting ready to snap a pic of the bird.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
