Pete_Hickey
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- Sep 6, 2003
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Finally getting around to writing this up. A summer trip.
I had Friday off, so I decided to do something. It was a stressful week at work, so I had to burn off some energy.
I felt like a human powered trip. It was to be one of those trips, where the decisions were left until necessary. All I knew of my plans were that I would hop on my bicycle, ride to the Adirondacks, climb something around the Loj, then ride home.
I packed the bicycle with the lightweight camping gear, stove, some freeze dried stuff, soups, etc, and started off at 6:00AM Friday morning. It was one of those nice semi-humid windless summer days, and I was able to make good time on the flat farmland, through South-eastern Ontario. By 10:30, I was stopping at A & W for a burger and root beer breakfast, and to refill my water bottles.
Fifteen minutes later, on the bike, and in a few more minutes, I was crossing the St Laurence, and going through customs. No problems this time, probably because it was such a nice day.
The next 50 miles are somewhat tedious. From the brder to Paul Smiths. I start climbing--slightly, but enough to slow what was my average speed of 18 mph...or maybe I was slowing down, because I was getting tired. At about 90 miles from my start, I stopped at Burger King in Malone for a burger, fries and Dr. Pepper to get me through the next 25 miles. Ahhh Dr. Pepper!
It was around supper time, when I stopped at a picnic table along the shore of Lake Colby in Saranac Lake for a snack. Less than 20 miles to go, so I pushed on. I was tired for the final ride down the road to the Loj. Most people driving that road don't realize, but there is a fair climb to get there. I was moving slow.
It was nearing 7:00PM, I reached the HPIC, where I bought a soda and chatted with some people. I always enjoy my supper at the picnic table next to the HPIC, and this time was no different. After supper, I got back on the bicycle, and road back to look for a campsite along the South Meadows road.
Since I was asleep by 9:00PM, I was up early the next day. I cycled back to the HPIC for their water, table and toilet. While eating breakfast, I was trying to decide what to climb. I hadn't climbed Algonquin in some time, so I decided that today would be a good day for it.
Hiding my bike in the woods, I was on the trail just before 6:00AM, and reached the summit of Wright by 7:00AM. Of course I was alone at this time. A quick snack, and on to Algonquin by 8:30, where I was still alone this beautiful Saturday morning. Heading off to Iroquois, I met the first humans: Algonquin climbers, coming up from Lake Colden.
Sometimes the day is so nice, and the body works so well, that you just want to do more than intended. It was still relatively early as I sat on the summit of Iroquois, so a spur of the moment decision had me bushwhacking over "The Wart", down to the pass, and on to Marshall.
After Marshall, I came back to The-Pass-of-Many-Names, and headed down toward the Indian Pass trail. Not long before the junction, I met the second group of humans, who had full packs, headed to Lake Colden.
The hike back toward the Loj along the Indian Pass trail is always fast, and by 3:30, I was at the picnic table with my bike, eating my freeze-dried goop and relaxing. At around 4:00, a couple guys walk by. One walks into the HPIC, and the other plops himself down on the table next to me.
"I'm dead!" he says. "I just climbed Algonquin. It's a killer!"
"Yep." I said, "It's a nice climb."
"What did you climb?" he asked.
"I climbed Algonquin, too." I answered somewhat truthfully.
So, here it is, now, 4:30, and I've got some time to kill before night, so what should I do? I decided to make my next day's ride a bit easier, so I packed up my bicycle, and started off toward home. I was about a third of the way between Paul Smiths and Malone, when I stopped in the woods--about a quarter mile north of the guy who trains sled dogs-- for the night. 40 miles! That left me with only 120 miles to do the next day.
The sounds of either wolves or sled dogs woke me a few times that night, so I slept late, and wasn't on the bicycle until 5:30. The gentle downhill to Malone was great and I was able to do the next 22 miles in less than an hour. I was out of water by the time I reached the border. I learnt a few years ago, not to drink the water from the bathrooms at the Canadian customs offices... In fact, they now have signs telling you not to drink it (I wish they did several years ago when it left me sick for a few days).
40 miles before home was the obligatory stop for a poutine. With the calories I burned this weekend, I could probably eat a dozen of them and not gain weight.
By 3:00PM, I was back at home, enjoying a nice beer and a bath. A nice ending to a fine weekend. Office stress was gone.
I had Friday off, so I decided to do something. It was a stressful week at work, so I had to burn off some energy.
I felt like a human powered trip. It was to be one of those trips, where the decisions were left until necessary. All I knew of my plans were that I would hop on my bicycle, ride to the Adirondacks, climb something around the Loj, then ride home.
I packed the bicycle with the lightweight camping gear, stove, some freeze dried stuff, soups, etc, and started off at 6:00AM Friday morning. It was one of those nice semi-humid windless summer days, and I was able to make good time on the flat farmland, through South-eastern Ontario. By 10:30, I was stopping at A & W for a burger and root beer breakfast, and to refill my water bottles.
Fifteen minutes later, on the bike, and in a few more minutes, I was crossing the St Laurence, and going through customs. No problems this time, probably because it was such a nice day.
The next 50 miles are somewhat tedious. From the brder to Paul Smiths. I start climbing--slightly, but enough to slow what was my average speed of 18 mph...or maybe I was slowing down, because I was getting tired. At about 90 miles from my start, I stopped at Burger King in Malone for a burger, fries and Dr. Pepper to get me through the next 25 miles. Ahhh Dr. Pepper!
It was around supper time, when I stopped at a picnic table along the shore of Lake Colby in Saranac Lake for a snack. Less than 20 miles to go, so I pushed on. I was tired for the final ride down the road to the Loj. Most people driving that road don't realize, but there is a fair climb to get there. I was moving slow.
It was nearing 7:00PM, I reached the HPIC, where I bought a soda and chatted with some people. I always enjoy my supper at the picnic table next to the HPIC, and this time was no different. After supper, I got back on the bicycle, and road back to look for a campsite along the South Meadows road.
Since I was asleep by 9:00PM, I was up early the next day. I cycled back to the HPIC for their water, table and toilet. While eating breakfast, I was trying to decide what to climb. I hadn't climbed Algonquin in some time, so I decided that today would be a good day for it.
Hiding my bike in the woods, I was on the trail just before 6:00AM, and reached the summit of Wright by 7:00AM. Of course I was alone at this time. A quick snack, and on to Algonquin by 8:30, where I was still alone this beautiful Saturday morning. Heading off to Iroquois, I met the first humans: Algonquin climbers, coming up from Lake Colden.
Sometimes the day is so nice, and the body works so well, that you just want to do more than intended. It was still relatively early as I sat on the summit of Iroquois, so a spur of the moment decision had me bushwhacking over "The Wart", down to the pass, and on to Marshall.
After Marshall, I came back to The-Pass-of-Many-Names, and headed down toward the Indian Pass trail. Not long before the junction, I met the second group of humans, who had full packs, headed to Lake Colden.
The hike back toward the Loj along the Indian Pass trail is always fast, and by 3:30, I was at the picnic table with my bike, eating my freeze-dried goop and relaxing. At around 4:00, a couple guys walk by. One walks into the HPIC, and the other plops himself down on the table next to me.
"I'm dead!" he says. "I just climbed Algonquin. It's a killer!"
"Yep." I said, "It's a nice climb."
"What did you climb?" he asked.
"I climbed Algonquin, too." I answered somewhat truthfully.
So, here it is, now, 4:30, and I've got some time to kill before night, so what should I do? I decided to make my next day's ride a bit easier, so I packed up my bicycle, and started off toward home. I was about a third of the way between Paul Smiths and Malone, when I stopped in the woods--about a quarter mile north of the guy who trains sled dogs-- for the night. 40 miles! That left me with only 120 miles to do the next day.
The sounds of either wolves or sled dogs woke me a few times that night, so I slept late, and wasn't on the bicycle until 5:30. The gentle downhill to Malone was great and I was able to do the next 22 miles in less than an hour. I was out of water by the time I reached the border. I learnt a few years ago, not to drink the water from the bathrooms at the Canadian customs offices... In fact, they now have signs telling you not to drink it (I wish they did several years ago when it left me sick for a few days).
40 miles before home was the obligatory stop for a poutine. With the calories I burned this weekend, I could probably eat a dozen of them and not gain weight.
By 3:00PM, I was back at home, enjoying a nice beer and a bath. A nice ending to a fine weekend. Office stress was gone.
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