gooly
New member
Sunday was such a beauty of a day and i got to spend it on my first trip into the ADK's. Mookie finally convinced me to take a break from the Whites and head over to Vt for the weekend to hike there and for a day trip to NY. I'm sure glad i did! I've only seen the 'dacks from afar and never understood the majesty and beauty they possess until i arrived there.
The parking area was loaded with cars and people who were gearing up to climb, hike, paddle and lounge around in the warm mid morning sun. We wasted no time and immediately began our hike up the Ridge Trail. Every thing seemed a little different to me... the air, the woods and trail itself. Perhaps it was my senses heightened from being in a new place...whatever it was...i liked it!
As we climbed, numerous peaks emerged from being tucked behind closer ridges. The mountains seemed to grow higher and more vast with our gained elevation. The sharply defined ridgelines against a nearly perfect blue sky caused me to constantly admire them at almost every opportunity.
We opted to summit Rocky Ridge before Giant so we turned right at the junction after a quick snack. The trail down was fairly steep but fun and the ascent up to the peak was really forgiving so we made decent time. The view was spectacular! I snapped a few photos, had a quick snack and water and headed back to Giant. Only this ascent wasn't as easy...it kind of busted my butt a bit, but was well worth it after we summited Giant. A few people were scattered along the ridge, snacking and soaking up the warm sun. Mookie had noticed a couple with two small children, one in a child carrier and another in a front pack that may have only been a few months old. We had quick discussion about how brave they were and the somewhat challenging terrain they faced going down.
The topic of ice cream came up in the conversation and we decided it was time to bail. We hiked out quickly with aching knees and ice cream on the brain. I'm hoping that it'll be sooner rather than later that i find myself on a trail in the ADK's...2 down...44 more to go!
The parking area was loaded with cars and people who were gearing up to climb, hike, paddle and lounge around in the warm mid morning sun. We wasted no time and immediately began our hike up the Ridge Trail. Every thing seemed a little different to me... the air, the woods and trail itself. Perhaps it was my senses heightened from being in a new place...whatever it was...i liked it!
As we climbed, numerous peaks emerged from being tucked behind closer ridges. The mountains seemed to grow higher and more vast with our gained elevation. The sharply defined ridgelines against a nearly perfect blue sky caused me to constantly admire them at almost every opportunity.
We opted to summit Rocky Ridge before Giant so we turned right at the junction after a quick snack. The trail down was fairly steep but fun and the ascent up to the peak was really forgiving so we made decent time. The view was spectacular! I snapped a few photos, had a quick snack and water and headed back to Giant. Only this ascent wasn't as easy...it kind of busted my butt a bit, but was well worth it after we summited Giant. A few people were scattered along the ridge, snacking and soaking up the warm sun. Mookie had noticed a couple with two small children, one in a child carrier and another in a front pack that may have only been a few months old. We had quick discussion about how brave they were and the somewhat challenging terrain they faced going down.
The topic of ice cream came up in the conversation and we decided it was time to bail. We hiked out quickly with aching knees and ice cream on the brain. I'm hoping that it'll be sooner rather than later that i find myself on a trail in the ADK's...2 down...44 more to go!
