Traipsing Around the Tongue Mt Range

While waiting for the snow to melt in the Adirondacks and the mud to firm up, I'm revisiting some favorite spots and trying out some new ones.

Inlet to Northwest Bay on Lake George

Tongue Mountain Range, Lake George - Today finally felt more like it's supposed to end of March - cool, cloudy, temps in the upper 40s. A drastic difference from last week when it was near 80, but this is more my kind of weather for hiking. No bugs on the trail yet, although a mosquito did find me the other day in my home.

Waterfall

Since the high peaks were in various stages of rotting snow and mud, I decided to stay local and hike where I figured the conditions would be good under foot. The mountains in the Tongue Mountain Range might not be that tall, but don't let the lack of height fool you! The terrain is rugged with steep ups and downs. The loop I hiked is around 11.5 miles and 3700' of elevation gain. The range is home to a population of endangered timber rattlesnakes. They are not aggressive, but be aware where you step and sit and where you place your hands while climbing up and down rock ledges.

I started from the Clay Meadow trailhead, located right on Rt. 9N. The trail crosses a beautiful marshy area, which feeds into Northwest Bay on Lake George. When the trail starts climbing, there is pretty waterfall on your right. This on it's own is a great spot for a picnic. At the top of ridge the trail heads north towards File Mile Mountain, east down to Five Mile Point and Lake George (a great spot for swimming in the summer), and right (south) towards Montcalm Point. I headed south. The first spur trails leads to Fifth Peak and a lean-to, a popular destination for hikers. I was just there in the fall, so I skipped the climb up and instead continued on to French Point Mountain. I figured I would be doing enough elevation today:-)

From the spur trail, it's around 5.6 miles to Montcalm Point. Up down, up down, up down, and then up to French Point Mountain. The views grow increasingly spectacular with each high point. Finally, the summit of French Point Mountain. Wonderful vistas looking north and south through the narrows. The trail goes steeply down from here. Down in the col between French Point Mtn. and First Peak, I ran into the first people of the day. I thought I would see more, but there was the threat of rain later in the day, so maybe that kept traffic down.

Looking north through the narrows

First wildflower of the season

Pond along the trail

It's a long climb up to First Peak, but here, in my opinion, are the best views of the days. There is also a wonderful grassy area that makes for a scenic lunch spot and a well deserved rest! There was not a boat to be seen or heard on Lake George. Peaceful and quiet. This is the last peak of the climb, but certainly not the last climb of the day. There's a few more bumps to go over before the final descent to Montcalm Point. There are plenty of views on the way down and some interesting rock formations to keep one occupied.

From First Peak

And finally, the shoreline of Lake George. A few years ago I hiked this in early April. It was sunny and in the mid-eighties. With no tree cover yet, it was searingly hot. When we reached the water I removed my boots and plunged my feet in the water. Since the ice had just gone out on the lake, the water was frigid. Didn't take long for my feet to go numb, but it cooled me down! Today, there was no need to cool down, but I was wishing I had some tea to warm up!

View from Montcalm Point

I would like to say the trail is relatively flat back to the trailhead, but an elevation profile reveals around a 1000 foot of elevation gain. However, there are some wonderful stretches walking right along the shoreline on the Northwest Bay Trail. It's about 5 miles back. There were a few rain drops here and there, but the rain held back until I was back driving down the Northway. This loop is a high peaks workout without the high peaks!

Along the Northwest Bay Trail

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