Finally Winter on Street and Nye

Saturday I finally got to wear my snowshoes. Yes, you read that right. Snowshoes!

Because the day was supposed to snowy and potentially windy, we decided to hike Street and Nye. We were planning on this hike a few weeks ago, but warm temperatures and rain a few days before had us guessing Indian Pass Brook would be uncrossable. We didn't even bother to go, which was the right call. Other folks said the brook was wide open and high and they all got turned back. But the weather had finally turned colder so we took a chance. 

Indian Pass Brook

We started out from the Loj parking area in microspikes, the footwear of choice for this winter. The brook was only partially frozen over, but the water level was low and the crossing easy.  We ran into a group from the ADK Schenectady Chapter. They were nice enough to break trail for a while, and then we returned the favor (haha, only kidding...). The higher up we climbed, the more snow we saw. With the trail steepening, it was time for snowshoes, if only to use the televators on our MSR snowshoes (a very cool feature- it props your heel up so on a steep surface your foot remains level and works your quads rather than your calves). I also wanted to put on the snowshoes because my pack was sooooooo heavy with them on the back. Plus, I really wanted to say I used my snowshoes this weekend.

Look Ma - snowshoes!

Moving along, we spotted something strange falling from the sky. It was white and fluffy. We stopped and stared, pondering its significance. It took awhile, but we realized it was snow. How exciting! We were hiking in what we have coined the "Blizzard of 2012" (yes, just a bit of sarcasm here - but it was nice to see).

 

Climbing up to the ridge

Looking more like winter

Up on the ridge, there was lots of blowdown in the woods, which will probably make for some nice views on a clear day. I was here last year and I don't recall that many trees down. I'm assuming a result from Irene. We stopped at the trail junction between Street and Nye for a bite to eat and chat with a couple of people hiking ahead of us. The Schenectady group caught up with us here too. Before we got too chilled we headed off for Nye, which is no more than 15 minutes up the trail. No view at all from Nye, but then again there never is :-).

Summit of Nye

Coming down off Nye - maybe some views?

The start of the herd path to Street is in fairly open forest and winds and zigzags among the trees. Every time I hike this trail I start singing "The Long and Winding Road" from the Beatles in my head (you don't ever want to hear me sing out loud). I am such a cliché sometimes!

Climbing Street - near the summit

Summit of Street

The trail steepens as it nears the summit. The trees were laden with heavy snow, enhancing the wintery vignette. We finally hit the summit and as usual I walked right past the top. The views are actually just a bit further down the trail. There are views from Street, and usually even better in the winter with a deep snowpack.

No views today from Street

View from Street on a nice day

It was fun coming back down the ridge. I even got a couple of butt slides in. Haven't had enough snow to do that all winter. Hopefully we'll see even more snow this week.

Near Indian Pass Brook, the herd path follows a stream for a spell. There is a beaver living there that is a master engineer. One year it's stream was flooded out and soon after it built an impressive system of flood control dams upstream. It looks like Irene might have taken some of them out, but the beaver is still around judging by the chewed tree stumps. I wouldn't be surprised in the next wind storm if this tree doesn't fall down. That's one big snack. I wonder how big that beaver is!

Beaver snack

And Now For Something Completely Different

Ready for some kayaking...

Yes, I like the cold and snow of an upstate NY winter, but sometimes it's fun to experience winter someplace else. You know, places with palm trees, warm sunshine, oceans....

I couldn't resist

So today I went ocean kayaking on the Pacific with my sister. A friend of hers, Tom, also showed up to keep us company. My sister lives in Oceanside, CA (about 40 minutes north of San Diego). It looks like I picked a good week to escape (snow, sleet, freezing rain - how about a storm where it just snows? Please?) The weather was a pleasant 68 degrees as we launched the kayaks in the Oceanside Harbor.

This is only my second time kayaking. My first time was on Catalina Island a couple of years ago. That time, as today, was in a tandem sea kayak. On my own, I'd probably be flailing around in circles. We had a good start today as I was able to get in the kayak without swamping it!

In the harbor

We took a warm-up lap around the harbor and rested at a beach before heading out into the ocean. Our goal was a buoy about 1/2 mile out in the ocean. Fortunately the winds were light and the swells small. The tide was coming in too, so while it would be a bit tough going out, the return trip should be easier. Which was a good thing because my arms felt like they were going to fall off while we were still doing the warm-up lap! It's been a while since I've used my paddling muscles. I will be sore in morning (ok, to be honest, I'm sore now....). Tom was way out in front most of the time in his sleek carbon fiber kayak (jealous, weighs somewhere around 20lbs), but we didn't do too bad considering the newbie in the kayak.

We had been on the look-out for dolphins and sea lions in the harbor, but didn't see any. However, when we got near the buoy, we could hear the barks of sea lions. They were lounging on the buoy soaking up the sun. One poor sea lion was in the water trying to launch itself on the buoy, but the rest weren't playing along. It was barking and squawking and creating quite a ruckus. We were drifting kind of close and getting the evil sea lion eye, so we turned back for shore. Even though we had the winds at our backs, it felt like we were barely moving. I think it had something to do with my very tired arms. It was kind of fun though riding the swells back into the harbor.

Out on the ocean - sea lion lounging buoy

Ostracized sea lion

Pelicans in the harbor

We were out in the kayaks for about an hour and a half. As a reward for such hard work we sat outside and treated ourselves to a plate of nachos and a pitcher of margaritas. Can't do that at home right now :-)


Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to make it to Idyllwild. We got skunked on our hike on Monday with cold temps and high winds. I know, shouldn't be a problem for a winter Adirondack hiker, but I didn't exactly bring my cold weather gear with me. (But I did bring my water shoes!)

Oceanside Pier in the background

Post kayak nachos and margaritas on the restaurant patio

A Warm-up to Winter

Larch Valley-Banff National Park

I’m back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After a 2 week vacation to the Canadian Rockies in September and subsequent foot injury (torn plantar fascia), I was pretty much grounded for the fall hiking season. Not that the foot is 100% there yet, but there is only so much stationary biking I can tolerate at the gym. And besides, it’s winter. Must go out and PLAY! I also publicly announced in the local Albany, NY newspaper (http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/New-year-s-resolution-Get-outside-2421138.php), that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to keep blogging about my hiking experiences. So here we go….

Off we go!

To get back into hiking, I wanted to start small and work my way back to a high peak. I thought Hopkins would be a great warm-up hike(a little over 6 miles round-trip) and a chance to see my winter hiking buddies again. Six of us (Tim, Skip, Barb, Dave, and Jim) made the journey. In mid-December, we hiked Hopkins via the Mossy Cascade Trail. The day was crisp and clear with maybe an inch of snow on the ground in Keene Valley. Well, we wouldn’t need snowshoes, although Skip decided to carry his just to get used to the heavier weight of a winter pack. A bit less than a mile from the trailhead, there is a faint trail to the base of the Mossy Cascade waterfall. I elected not to visit the waterfall today, but some did. The report back was lots of debris at the base of the waterfall, most likely due from Irene. I would have gone if my foot hadn’t already started to ache and my lungs felt like I was climbing Everest. The waterfall is very attractive and definitely worth a side trip, especially on a hot summer’s day. While waiting, I decided it was a good time to put on my micro-spikes.

Mossy Cascade Brook

Rest stop

The trail continues to follow the Mossy Cascade Brook. Lots of small cascades and pretty flumes. About halfway up there is an open ledge with interesting views and a great spot to stop and rest. After a short breather, we started up again. The first part of the trail from the trailhead is a bit steep, but then climbs at at a fairly moderate grade.  It’s only the last part that gets steeper again. In no time we were at the summit with spectacular views in almost all directions. (I think the guidebook says 22 high peaks can be seen from the summit.) The first time I hiked Hopkins it was socked in; now I know what I missed!

Looking over towards the Dixes

Sawteeth and the Great Range from Hopkins

More views from Hopkins

 It was warm and sunny at the top and we lingered longer than one normally can on a summit in winter. It was great to be back in the high peaks again!

Since it was still early when we got back down, we went for an early dinner and some beers to celebrate the holidays. Now I can't wait to get back on a high peak!






 

Dix times 5

Another fabulous day in the Adirondacks and a pretty ambitious one too. Today's target is the Dix range. Once you are on the ridge, well, why not do all of them. More efficient that way, although it does make for a tiring day. We got one of the few spots left at the Elk Lake trail head. Crazy it was almost full and only 6:30 in the morning.
 

One of my favorite parts of this hike is climbing the Macomb slide. However, we were totally shocked by the scene. The Macomb slide had been typically comprised of some rock rubble interspersed with rock slabs. As soon as we started climbing the slide we noticed something was different. There were three huge gullies at least 15  feet deep down the slide. It would have been impossible to actually cross the slide towards the bottom. Instead, the route was marked to follow the edge by the trees until after the washouts. I have a before and after photo of the slide. Huge boulders that existed before are gone. The consistency of the slide is totally different - more dirt and rubble than before. Nature is constantly changing the complexion and character of the Adirondacks. Sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes in earth moving, spectacular ways. See the before and after photos below.

Before

 

 

 

 

 

After

 

 

The rest of the slide hike was fun (okay, maybe a big calf burner). We met a pleasant group of hikers on top of Macomb and crossed their paths a few more times during the day. After a rest and some food we headed off to South Dix and East Dix. South Dix is a great little scramble of the rocks. I love the ridge walk between S. Dix and E. Dix. Smooth path, fragrant smell of balsam in the air. Right before we started the climb up S. Dix, we ran into Claudia leading a hike for the Albany Chapter of ADK. I heard her before I saw her. She had spotted my hiking partner, and bellowed out a joyous "Hey Tim!" The group had come up the East Dix slide and were on there way to South Dix and Macomb. We chatted for a few minutes and then bid our farewells and sashayed up to East Dix.

Climbing South Dix

 

 

Ridge walk from S Dix to E Dix

East Dix summit

Dix summit from Hough

A lingering stop and then time to move on. We still had a few more peaks left for today! Almost back to the top of South Dix, and then we cut off and aimed for Pough and Hough. (I really think they should have been called Huff and Puff, because that's what you do when climbing.) This time I readily recognized the summit of Hough (unlike last time...). We picked up a hiker on Hough who wanted to continue on to Dix after she heard that's where we were headed. So the three of us sweated, huffed, and puffed our way over to Dix. After 4 peaks, the legs are getting tired, and the ridge line up to Dix looks long and imposing.

View from Dix

But the effort is so worth it! Dix has impressive

Elk Lake from Dix

views in all directions. The mountain sandwort was in full bloom carpeting areas of the summit with it's pretty white flowers. We lingered on the summit, basking in the sunshine and drinking in the vistas. This is what hiking is all about for me!

Carpet of flowers

Largest shelf fungus I've ever seen!

One of the few flat spots going down Dix

But reality always seems to encroach on summit fantasies. Time to leave. Down we went, then up and over the Beckhorn, and dropped quickly down the mountain. My legs were hurting and my pace slowed down, but in due time we were back at the parking lot. A very tired, but very happy hiker. Great day!






Next: Wading our way to Allen

Gothic Cathedrals, Pyramids, and Teeth

July 10, 2011 -- St. Huberts, NY -- Fantastic day for hiking! Today it was all about one of my most favorite mountains - Gothics. Add in a trip over Pyramid and Sawteeth, and it really doesn't get much better than this! It's a rugged loop, but worth the effort.

Beaver Meadow Falls

I had to work on Saturday, and as it turned out, Sunday was the better weather day anyway. The air was crisp as we sauntered up the Lake Road.  My hiking partner, looking tan and trim from his Switzerland adventure, led the way up the road. Something tells me I'll be lucky if I can even keep him in sight! We turned off the road and made way for Beaver Meadow Falls. The bridge at the base was wiped out by the spring runoff. I tried to picture the falls the day the bridge got knocked out. Must have been an impressive site! Today the falls gently cascaded down the rocks. We climbed up the ladder and began our ascent up the mountain.

On the trail I heard the welcoming call of the white throated sparrow – “Po-or Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody". However, it was not always so welcoming. For a number of years I had no idea what bird this was, and all I heard was the mocking cry of “You don’t know my name, you don’t know my name!”  Honestly, I’m not paranoid, but I'm sure it was taunting me. Finally on a hike (funny, it was actually a hike to Gothics), a person in our group identified the bird. It took a few years, but on a hike to Pitchoff, I finally spotted one. Now I look forward to its warm hello.

A cool green carpet up high

The trails were much drier than the previous week, making for better footing and allowing more opportunities for viewing my surroundings. I was on the hunt for new wildflowers, but only saw blue bead lilies and bunchberries on the climb. Rounding the shoulder of Armstrong, the impressive slides on Gothics came into view. Reaching the junction with the Range Trail, I spied a lush green meadow to our right. Maybe an alpine bog? The brilliant color contrasted starkly with the dead, gray tree branches.

Views from Gothics

Shortly after, we topped out on Gothics. No matter how many times I’ve hiked this peak, I will never tire of the views. They are all encompassing. I believe the ADK guidebook notes that 30 high peaks are discernible from the top. One can also see Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Only a few wildflowers still in bloom, but the mountain sandwort was sprinkled liberally around the summit. I’ve seen Labrador tea here before, but it appears it was past its prime today.

Mountain sandwort

On the way to Pyramid

After a nice rest (I could have stayed there for hours soaking in the sun), we headed over to Pyramid, which has spectacular views of the slides on Gothics and Basin. We spotted 2 climbers on the slides on Gothics. I love scrambling up rocks and I've done a few slides and the Trap Dike, but I'm not sure I could do this (let's rephrase this - NO WAY!). I want to try rock climbing, but just for a weekend and on a very, very short rock wall.

2 very tiny climbers on the slides

View from Pyramid

On Pyramid, we chatted with some friendly young hikers. It's always a pleasure to see younger people enjoying the mountains, especially since they are our next stewards of the wilderness.

Next up was Sawteeth. The trail down to the Pyramid/Sawteeth col has seen some much needed maintenance, but it still needs help (more on that shortly). The summit of Sawteeth was empty when we arrived. It's a cool view looking back over to Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, and Haystack, with Marcy peeking out (or is that peaking out, haha) in the distance. I didn't want to leave this mountain either. But another couple arrived, and not wanting to be summit hogs, we packed up and let them enjoy the views in our place.

Yikes!

Improved section of trail

A note about trails: There are many wonderful volunteers and trail crews (both paid and unpaid) dedicated to improving the trails in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and other areas around the state. But if you hike, you know there is always lots more to do. On the way down Pyramid, I took photos of two very different looking sections of the trail. One section was in need of help, the other had been improved, with steps added to ease travel and prevent erosion. There are so many ways to help out: You can volunteer through one of the many trail projects run out of ADK's Heart Lake Program Center, ADK chapters also perform trail maintenance, or you can adopt a trail. Other organizations such as the Catskill Club and the Adirondack Forty-Sixers also do trails work. Check out ADK's Web site for more information regarding its trails programs at http://www.adk.org/trails/Field_Programs_Idx.aspx. ADK is also in the middle of its annual trails appeal right now. Even $5 can make a difference. Go to http://www.adk.org/donate/trails2011.aspx to help out. Thank you!

Next hike: Back to the Dixes, but this time in the sunshine!