bubba
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Thought I'd share some thoughts from a wonderful ADK hike. This was my back-up hike as finishing my ADK 46th is on hold till my hiking partner is free to finish on Marshall together... TBD.
Jay is an awesome hike with plenty of ridge hiking. My wife and I met up with Neil and his wife Sylvie, and their friends Sophie and Norm. This day must have been met to happen as I arrived at the trailhead no more than 1-minute before Neil came driving up the road. The weather was unfolding into a sunny and gorgeous early fall day. The hike up the trail is through interesting forest - Oaks, maples and a fairly large Red Pine stand. Soon the worn footpath (not maintained) trail heads up the western side to an open ridge about 45-minutes up (~hour total). The ridge looks out to the west with great vistas. The trial heads over three peaks with a footpath well defined by cairns and includes both wooded cols and some bouldering along the way on each peak.
There are some surprises to be found. Some rock monuments have been erected (pretty neat), and the rock is unusual for ADK -- black color or with black veins across the slabs. I know that there were previous forest fires, but this seemed to be the rock surface -- there is also much gravel in places and mixed black and tan color.
As many of you probably know, Neil usually packs his flute with him on hikes and this was the case this day. From the second peak, he stood over near the edge and tooted as few string of notes. A shallow "cirque" (for lack of better term) brought back an echo fully around us! We played with it and had lots of different tones and reverbs... way cool.
The next rocky peak I note remembering that although I was with French Canadians... no language barrier here. Sylvie decided to tackle this peak climbing up a vertical approach; having to maneuver upward on the rock. We stood watching from the lower ground, others (en français) teasing and some laughing. I'm thinking they're ribbin' her about her derriere... sure enough, that was it!! (...and all good, too!)
On up to the actual "true" summit, the views changed as the angle did. I honestly believe that the views from this Hundred Highest peak are some of the best to see in the ADK's. To the west they stretched from the north to Lyons and Averill Mtns heading south Esther, Whiteface (with ski slopes and slides facing) through the Sentinel Range, a ribbon road (Rt. 73) over to Cascade, Porter, AlG behind, Colden sticking up, Marcy, The Great Range with wonderful details of LWJ, UWJ, Gothics, Sawteeth in detail, Dix and Hough behind, Giant, RPR... further behind we identified McKenzie, Sewards and what we believed to be the Santanoni range.
And, it gets better... look over east and see Champlain, Burlington, Mansfield, Camel's Hump, and more Green mtns. And far to the north... isolated Mtns in Quebec.
To top off a beautiful day with wife and fine friends, a summit siesta to the calming notes of Neil’s flute floating over the peaks…
Can it get better?? Only if you consider that we had to take in the views all along the ridge on the way out!! Simply fine (and nobody knows about it…)
Jay is an awesome hike with plenty of ridge hiking. My wife and I met up with Neil and his wife Sylvie, and their friends Sophie and Norm. This day must have been met to happen as I arrived at the trailhead no more than 1-minute before Neil came driving up the road. The weather was unfolding into a sunny and gorgeous early fall day. The hike up the trail is through interesting forest - Oaks, maples and a fairly large Red Pine stand. Soon the worn footpath (not maintained) trail heads up the western side to an open ridge about 45-minutes up (~hour total). The ridge looks out to the west with great vistas. The trial heads over three peaks with a footpath well defined by cairns and includes both wooded cols and some bouldering along the way on each peak.
There are some surprises to be found. Some rock monuments have been erected (pretty neat), and the rock is unusual for ADK -- black color or with black veins across the slabs. I know that there were previous forest fires, but this seemed to be the rock surface -- there is also much gravel in places and mixed black and tan color.
As many of you probably know, Neil usually packs his flute with him on hikes and this was the case this day. From the second peak, he stood over near the edge and tooted as few string of notes. A shallow "cirque" (for lack of better term) brought back an echo fully around us! We played with it and had lots of different tones and reverbs... way cool.
The next rocky peak I note remembering that although I was with French Canadians... no language barrier here. Sylvie decided to tackle this peak climbing up a vertical approach; having to maneuver upward on the rock. We stood watching from the lower ground, others (en français) teasing and some laughing. I'm thinking they're ribbin' her about her derriere... sure enough, that was it!! (...and all good, too!)
On up to the actual "true" summit, the views changed as the angle did. I honestly believe that the views from this Hundred Highest peak are some of the best to see in the ADK's. To the west they stretched from the north to Lyons and Averill Mtns heading south Esther, Whiteface (with ski slopes and slides facing) through the Sentinel Range, a ribbon road (Rt. 73) over to Cascade, Porter, AlG behind, Colden sticking up, Marcy, The Great Range with wonderful details of LWJ, UWJ, Gothics, Sawteeth in detail, Dix and Hough behind, Giant, RPR... further behind we identified McKenzie, Sewards and what we believed to be the Santanoni range.
And, it gets better... look over east and see Champlain, Burlington, Mansfield, Camel's Hump, and more Green mtns. And far to the north... isolated Mtns in Quebec.
To top off a beautiful day with wife and fine friends, a summit siesta to the calming notes of Neil’s flute floating over the peaks…
Can it get better?? Only if you consider that we had to take in the views all along the ridge on the way out!! Simply fine (and nobody knows about it…)
