tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49466757987842755612024-03-16T15:40:05.542-07:00Tomcat's Outdoor AdventuresTOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-20195619165454634622024-03-04T09:16:00.000-08:002024-03-04T09:16:43.427-08:00Hopkins Mountain <div style="text-align: left;">3,166' Hopkins Mountains stands discreetly in the Giant Mountain Wilderness less than three miles from its taller neighbor, Giant Mountain. Across the valley, the Great Range features a long range of 4,000' peaks one after another. With its loftier neighbors, many of which are on the Adirondack 46 climbing list, it's easy to see how Hopkins Mountain may not be as well known.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Even with its modest elevation and unassuming profile, Hopkins sees some attention among Adirondack hikers. Over the years, I have seen Hopkins mentioned several times. The summit of Hopkins is said to have one of the best views of the High Peaks. The photos I have seen over the years definitely looked impressive. I wanted visit Hopkins and see the view myself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtipRbGrXhoaXGsBWL9s11JQooK5L1j7T7chaB55siowMvC8uvZRdIumJ9pBgmw6iK42H6aexCBYYbjBELnheoW1-dBOyQ4Me373fep3-pgZnXq3UvGE76J7rJC69BmbH_IvWFtGN7SfO39QSUs-uwn-pEEfuA0-IVCcMCtsaebov_1lVZeTJmV7naRmOe/s4032/3BD270CC-8EED-45FF-87E5-ED863C87084F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtipRbGrXhoaXGsBWL9s11JQooK5L1j7T7chaB55siowMvC8uvZRdIumJ9pBgmw6iK42H6aexCBYYbjBELnheoW1-dBOyQ4Me373fep3-pgZnXq3UvGE76J7rJC69BmbH_IvWFtGN7SfO39QSUs-uwn-pEEfuA0-IVCcMCtsaebov_1lVZeTJmV7naRmOe/w400-h300/3BD270CC-8EED-45FF-87E5-ED863C87084F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Hopkins</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Several trail access Hopkins. The most popular seems to be the Mossy Cascade Trail, just south of Keene Valley. According to the guidebook, this trail travels past a decent sized waterfall and passes a couple of view points. I originally planned to hike this trail, but the parking area was full of snow. Just a pull off along Route 73, the parking area wasn't plowed. I was worried about getting stuck in my van and decided to park at the paved Rooster Comb Trailhead, closer to Keene Valley. I decided to use the Ranney Trail. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The guidebook and online trip reports don't say too much about the Ranney Trail compared to the Mossy Cascade Trail. Both trails climb over 2,000' to the summit of Hopkins. The Ranney Trail runs about a 1/2 mile shorter, reaching the summit in 2.7 miles and a roundtrip of 5.4 Miles. The Ranney Trail seemed to be quite a bit less traveled than Mossy Cascade.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From the Rooster Comb Trailhead, the Ranney Trail sits a couple hundred feet south on Route 73. The trail isn't marked at the road. A sign for Ranney Way marks the beginning, followed by crossing a solid vehicle bridge over the East Branch of the Ausable River. I continued on the dirt road. The road runs through private property, so stick to the road.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc6rKfsWtLppXCc0GJeTtzHGI3e1PuVAqVcRRWn2I0_u9hCfCaypFs4u8klHiRusSakUnVmvl3j8Df5XXRQtyluYUKMr9c4gUnyxj38wOO99KX2tXINpZXrJPV61XxPrQKRrjdJ3dS6VIT10j0N-8SbCX_WTEmMjpgECkhEE1Mm8_aijCa2neryMCGtVz/s4032/2F52A767-D032-4353-B538-ADDB59AFD4FD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc6rKfsWtLppXCc0GJeTtzHGI3e1PuVAqVcRRWn2I0_u9hCfCaypFs4u8klHiRusSakUnVmvl3j8Df5XXRQtyluYUKMr9c4gUnyxj38wOO99KX2tXINpZXrJPV61XxPrQKRrjdJ3dS6VIT10j0N-8SbCX_WTEmMjpgECkhEE1Mm8_aijCa2neryMCGtVz/w400-h300/2F52A767-D032-4353-B538-ADDB59AFD4FD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge at the beginning of Ranney Road</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>With recent warm temperatures, the road was a mix of dirt and ice at the start. Despite a low in the teens the previous night, It was already around 50F when I began the hike just after 9AM. I was a little worried the conditions would be messy. Eventually the road became more snow covered and icy. The road passed a gated driveway and a sign marking the way to Hopkins and Giant.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq4bzTeHIKtLRii71RnfuHvYsvdxvb1B61RA7BjQCtrqTH54H4QtlclrInDrcoN4lc1OdSH_9mZp7KlW4uhSuNNV0rcp73MbtcuXctZ61nOldU1xVJ3Gq4ntFSBM0xxcK0hGGFhb5SLnm1QGNzOvPr4dDwIRAuwFBdZMRhVuHEjZ6YR8DzTrKVvh97PtI/s4032/5AA9F642-4CAB-423B-A63E-3C99B95A331F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq4bzTeHIKtLRii71RnfuHvYsvdxvb1B61RA7BjQCtrqTH54H4QtlclrInDrcoN4lc1OdSH_9mZp7KlW4uhSuNNV0rcp73MbtcuXctZ61nOldU1xVJ3Gq4ntFSBM0xxcK0hGGFhb5SLnm1QGNzOvPr4dDwIRAuwFBdZMRhVuHEjZ6YR8DzTrKVvh97PtI/w400-h300/5AA9F642-4CAB-423B-A63E-3C99B95A331F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveling the snow covered road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLjPqAtVS7ZbWgqnA89UQzNa7dnnvkrfYLMUHZv5Ozbrdx1QAZcg95T7Qmjau3NRoYusif7vHnMSjOMsn1jOM-cGsNdp1b30HJigtKGHdvjeH8-JCuafVjgpm-_4pXVqDdxZUO7BBA-MXl36fdhj2R_5anhfwbqEfDMAhBVfqQLPYgEqhp8U7XuwEjm4h/s4032/E7343533-FF75-4D5C-863B-0A6B44E66551.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLjPqAtVS7ZbWgqnA89UQzNa7dnnvkrfYLMUHZv5Ozbrdx1QAZcg95T7Qmjau3NRoYusif7vHnMSjOMsn1jOM-cGsNdp1b30HJigtKGHdvjeH8-JCuafVjgpm-_4pXVqDdxZUO7BBA-MXl36fdhj2R_5anhfwbqEfDMAhBVfqQLPYgEqhp8U7XuwEjm4h/w400-h300/E7343533-FF75-4D5C-863B-0A6B44E66551.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign marking the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A few more minutes on the road, the trail finally began. The start of the trail was mostly bare, with just a ribbon of ice in the middle. Generally I could step around the ice. The trail followed closely to a nice mountain creek, Hopkins Brook. Several small cascades dropped along the trail. Although there was a fair amount of open water, most of the falls were still icy. I thought the brook was quite pretty.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9DdvugaGfFFe5yHkCUf5SotpwfDdjwNDbXiVhl5QyFNglT8__i8ugTNEahRlQLe0PaiujKieuNtrb0gRTGiwVKsmayjesVit1H_a28ARqyqxDbmckRoC5deRYvynz66OT_g2ck6U46dy1AVQmZMCQ_uLBfbQquSXndKqUDObn1e78ub-vRS3oT53V-oD/s4032/BF7641A4-6131-4636-98B2-343259150428.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9DdvugaGfFFe5yHkCUf5SotpwfDdjwNDbXiVhl5QyFNglT8__i8ugTNEahRlQLe0PaiujKieuNtrb0gRTGiwVKsmayjesVit1H_a28ARqyqxDbmckRoC5deRYvynz66OT_g2ck6U46dy1AVQmZMCQ_uLBfbQquSXndKqUDObn1e78ub-vRS3oT53V-oD/w400-h300/BF7641A4-6131-4636-98B2-343259150428.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not much snow at the start of the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrK5ckC43t0Ire2hPh1Y-HaqV6oPh854jPJU4GB2iRRdftuGlGYcs6JOMLvsRKvvRTzxO1e4r_UwL6minzpQWvEEwa0bZr79b4E03cjRj38EPUg448wGAUXWwtJWNSpNz4o81eqGIbODCksEHqdyRrFi5fZA9QNTNX2OOz_30EA4PmSsx2UMK61kGvpal/s4032/E6F753F5-B99B-48FB-ABA9-4A9111A14BB7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrK5ckC43t0Ire2hPh1Y-HaqV6oPh854jPJU4GB2iRRdftuGlGYcs6JOMLvsRKvvRTzxO1e4r_UwL6minzpQWvEEwa0bZr79b4E03cjRj38EPUg448wGAUXWwtJWNSpNz4o81eqGIbODCksEHqdyRrFi5fZA9QNTNX2OOz_30EA4PmSsx2UMK61kGvpal/w400-h300/E6F753F5-B99B-48FB-ABA9-4A9111A14BB7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The trail soon turned into a solid snow cover. The trail itself was fairly icy and I put on my microspikes for the rest of the climb. Generally the traction was decent. A steeper sections were icier and required a little extra caution. The trail passed through a mix of forests and was quite pretty and peaceful.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkhLf3RSGX89l2BFvqLzSaCwe7Q_aTpU5fILlFPXdpI3cAMFVzB7xakAv37yoNFMsW7td3mMvK-jn2hkA1G88uVfCasMD_SIcIrA7TdyzkZZIixM4uLz7ObJlZ2y-bwlolWeWW4UNtcORQW2uA_PQJItzBBkpKA_zKvF-rHungHEpX6My98TsC286ZWFy/s4032/FDED02B9-613D-4346-8DCD-533A591BF2B6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkhLf3RSGX89l2BFvqLzSaCwe7Q_aTpU5fILlFPXdpI3cAMFVzB7xakAv37yoNFMsW7td3mMvK-jn2hkA1G88uVfCasMD_SIcIrA7TdyzkZZIixM4uLz7ObJlZ2y-bwlolWeWW4UNtcORQW2uA_PQJItzBBkpKA_zKvF-rHungHEpX6My98TsC286ZWFy/w400-h300/FDED02B9-613D-4346-8DCD-533A591BF2B6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not far from the start, the trail was snowy to the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuM3WgWPeG9xGveMf2pAVYgBj52NjymcuGGHMFvNuZ7BY7sRv-y118UYIZAv0YWwYA0hCfvgJQES9_crec57vgTtbKiJlYz6dn7FxUvbN1fChS1uBTpeeweQYJjy9CY-qTSu3MnqpCjuM6p4qs_6sHnbs2UO4fM5AIimcKhWekSXMaX6qXtAuJqh29zX2/s4032/4FC437CD-03ED-4B7E-8D5C-FCDDFD5FE2B7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuM3WgWPeG9xGveMf2pAVYgBj52NjymcuGGHMFvNuZ7BY7sRv-y118UYIZAv0YWwYA0hCfvgJQES9_crec57vgTtbKiJlYz6dn7FxUvbN1fChS1uBTpeeweQYJjy9CY-qTSu3MnqpCjuM6p4qs_6sHnbs2UO4fM5AIimcKhWekSXMaX6qXtAuJqh29zX2/w300-h400/4FC437CD-03ED-4B7E-8D5C-FCDDFD5FE2B7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icy section of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByOXImsTjRhWm2EyFaoWHs07XPNDaPimcdOnJ8-h_q3mpS4EIUX9bpDAwSlTlNAI3oUn0poru5lENlaVcIpuB1TlbHKKk97JMLerOHL7dQUIoPNGl1Q_5RYsSi18kpOzgXFeAY71M_rWLBhc0mIZkewH1LyB81SvW0baABPAKyncb08Qk1nK6ycj6qrGy/s4032/2B38BC83-BEBE-4A91-AE9E-3E2F4EB74273.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByOXImsTjRhWm2EyFaoWHs07XPNDaPimcdOnJ8-h_q3mpS4EIUX9bpDAwSlTlNAI3oUn0poru5lENlaVcIpuB1TlbHKKk97JMLerOHL7dQUIoPNGl1Q_5RYsSi18kpOzgXFeAY71M_rWLBhc0mIZkewH1LyB81SvW0baABPAKyncb08Qk1nK6ycj6qrGy/w400-h300/2B38BC83-BEBE-4A91-AE9E-3E2F4EB74273.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking through open hardwoods</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>About 2 miles from the trailhead, the Ranney Trail joins the Mossy Cascade Trail for the final mile or so to the summit. After a modest start, I hit a few more steeper sections. The trail narrowed as it passed through patches of coniferous forest. The trail reached a saddle before the final push to Hopkins.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQAA9izsvrZJdE4pRMXM-Ss4PQUxfOmZJl4dUiXGDpzFyMYM4eFTe-BUgAFU1gBmcG0HVvQvopNAXYqOxhLDvUBPDzvSqi2rBne_-7Hun0cDfcDzYMja5vomR_xLhDni_EDANkstm9fWsmvLFfPuW1ho8bCFa9e31QXwZnkFJqbIonB3qXrRRprzJpVoZ/s4032/BAA540B1-24AF-4B2B-BD1A-C32FE2E245E9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQAA9izsvrZJdE4pRMXM-Ss4PQUxfOmZJl4dUiXGDpzFyMYM4eFTe-BUgAFU1gBmcG0HVvQvopNAXYqOxhLDvUBPDzvSqi2rBne_-7Hun0cDfcDzYMja5vomR_xLhDni_EDANkstm9fWsmvLFfPuW1ho8bCFa9e31QXwZnkFJqbIonB3qXrRRprzJpVoZ/w400-h300/BAA540B1-24AF-4B2B-BD1A-C32FE2E245E9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction with Mossy Cascade Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1pGAR19UOJND1Cndt2rgrkNaQEFuL-CcqzsHYCd-jzYEpUc3XBQJMb7rDfvKEyVoODVXNDTei32_9vjORiMA9_3BE1_DOB3bzu5RInhAZj54KqbdNQQgTztqe90bj5WnxElSfVTc5M58dv9_J7ZqSFgQeFcc4ewEcGFXZ2WY6fGr-GZuZyICZzOrgUjo/s4032/E58954D0-2613-4B64-A05A-87412257336E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1pGAR19UOJND1Cndt2rgrkNaQEFuL-CcqzsHYCd-jzYEpUc3XBQJMb7rDfvKEyVoODVXNDTei32_9vjORiMA9_3BE1_DOB3bzu5RInhAZj54KqbdNQQgTztqe90bj5WnxElSfVTc5M58dv9_J7ZqSFgQeFcc4ewEcGFXZ2WY6fGr-GZuZyICZzOrgUjo/w400-h300/E58954D0-2613-4B64-A05A-87412257336E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More coniferous trees higher on the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrJ0HZIgTrULnnzzwMc0FyTvCA9fzJhrbtKyC8cslrx9F2v_P12Z0sf3oDsXMSb3XsB4pJsVmoG4EayJD2vF-AxssIiH9Puddsr6oOHwmASdvMQlvBAAIUu38gdG5otYvq_05rvS7zKsMCH2Hso-DIIyvUoc3rc4jXZify6cyRaBRAss1yr_AcY7yIr2O/s4032/C3CFA4D4-9B09-47E6-8D73-7C56DF27528D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrJ0HZIgTrULnnzzwMc0FyTvCA9fzJhrbtKyC8cslrx9F2v_P12Z0sf3oDsXMSb3XsB4pJsVmoG4EayJD2vF-AxssIiH9Puddsr6oOHwmASdvMQlvBAAIUu38gdG5otYvq_05rvS7zKsMCH2Hso-DIIyvUoc3rc4jXZify6cyRaBRAss1yr_AcY7yIr2O/w400-h300/C3CFA4D4-9B09-47E6-8D73-7C56DF27528D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya ready to move on</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The last .2 miles to the summit of Hopkins climbs quite steeply. I've read that the trail is quite rooty. Under the cover of snow, the steep section wasn't too bad with all of the obstacles covered. Quickly I reached the clearing at the start of the summit's open rock. Out of the shadows of the forests, the summit held very little snow.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmeCm6ycUNVjKtLmoQhrQeNof2fTyixjlLWNnea3B3qAWyff988EUR-lfj47DzTvZA4HChyphenhyphenYfReGWPHJbrM2VajgkrtyqxUK8GUk8tgqiVAE3eKM7CBp59pq9ILOx2yp08uREdJs1Py9_f9AIkGJ5384n5IwZ2TI_PO4rmcezHPJKRJbBToWlwCw6U91N/s4032/53D832BF-39AA-4739-B848-56B44D1A4372.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmeCm6ycUNVjKtLmoQhrQeNof2fTyixjlLWNnea3B3qAWyff988EUR-lfj47DzTvZA4HChyphenhyphenYfReGWPHJbrM2VajgkrtyqxUK8GUk8tgqiVAE3eKM7CBp59pq9ILOx2yp08uREdJs1Py9_f9AIkGJ5384n5IwZ2TI_PO4rmcezHPJKRJbBToWlwCw6U91N/w400-h300/53D832BF-39AA-4739-B848-56B44D1A4372.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction just below the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioayhKzhP1tuMFxNsyEJ8iLRmUmJKHgfN-jUAnBZGbX1YrQ5BMbq4DXDojElu7BcOQ0yoBw4MHvkE6hzxBTiVEpPR7Jw8oa1-rVZbREq47Z0JNPVYAANBxIsRW9ETiqhFvT6gMC4sTXdzGIzQdgi5YKHDOWX0_mKCu-Y_RA0vBFdecmfe1SHbTB5l7Dx1a/s4032/6CBE9A91-4A50-49FC-AC8E-89C76FED6893.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioayhKzhP1tuMFxNsyEJ8iLRmUmJKHgfN-jUAnBZGbX1YrQ5BMbq4DXDojElu7BcOQ0yoBw4MHvkE6hzxBTiVEpPR7Jw8oa1-rVZbREq47Z0JNPVYAANBxIsRW9ETiqhFvT6gMC4sTXdzGIzQdgi5YKHDOWX0_mKCu-Y_RA0vBFdecmfe1SHbTB5l7Dx1a/w400-h300/6CBE9A91-4A50-49FC-AC8E-89C76FED6893.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the forest for the open summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsHtgS5IaYrilW4dX6oQNNmfIsanA_YGWRLEVQ5BdEIBamW4_bAo0vOZugjt-P0acgktZdrh9hRnIozn9JUkK1Xg5_7RHv7cMdvZxJQ9wvw2lsslfpJKAaaCHutRridbShBabCHL7EgRqzxEO6fdmJySYjMTSeQAWaa-wgQ3UCcdsOA8un8pI5_awbxwJ/s4032/1838E449-1BF6-46AF-9148-5431F816C4D5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsHtgS5IaYrilW4dX6oQNNmfIsanA_YGWRLEVQ5BdEIBamW4_bAo0vOZugjt-P0acgktZdrh9hRnIozn9JUkK1Xg5_7RHv7cMdvZxJQ9wvw2lsslfpJKAaaCHutRridbShBabCHL7EgRqzxEO6fdmJySYjMTSeQAWaa-wgQ3UCcdsOA8un8pI5_awbxwJ/w400-h300/1838E449-1BF6-46AF-9148-5431F816C4D5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No snow on the summit ledge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Once on the open rock, the views open up and they won't let you down if it's a clear day. The summit provides a great prospective up the valley toward the Ausable Lakes. Mt Colvin and Sawteeth create an interesting focal point that centers the view. Colvin appears quite pointy from Hopkins, while the serrated ridge of Sawteeth really stands out. Dial, Nippletop, and a dramatic profile of Dix stands to the left of Colvin. The lower Great Range, dominated by Gothics, stands to the right of Sawteeth. Marcy and Haystack peek out beyond the Great Range.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZlrsIvPNkeHTDVchOYkcKipJXfS4Z0FNGHFBWTxK0gUsDxKH4iL-r6OLm69BDVNtONW0nmz5GZcjAgt7uij9Vs0CwFF6JCr9ZlA3QsSht8UaMtmV8dU3xvt0vo1qEpBImPZwvcciAqqsEf0RxReuStiQz_BjEefyZ136jLVRS1_3mK7RrA45Gft7WvnF/s4032/236E07D7-E8D1-4F69-82EF-18B511F854DD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZlrsIvPNkeHTDVchOYkcKipJXfS4Z0FNGHFBWTxK0gUsDxKH4iL-r6OLm69BDVNtONW0nmz5GZcjAgt7uij9Vs0CwFF6JCr9ZlA3QsSht8UaMtmV8dU3xvt0vo1qEpBImPZwvcciAqqsEf0RxReuStiQz_BjEefyZ136jLVRS1_3mK7RrA45Gft7WvnF/w400-h300/236E07D7-E8D1-4F69-82EF-18B511F854DD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First view near the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4r4eKzexPRL1MbeOP8rk4ELc38e31Bwx99PMNlLM9dKahIrTE4_IsS7-HRJ8I-jP9766cUWupsCrdUKGF4YQwKsqmFNWyovv-NrYTh583kMG-cFbZmmlOYUkHK2zVzavBOVq9EYWHpM3yTQf9Gafj7nhyFQ7Zqbt6R6Uck97UQzwmfSNQHFKG6saf2_u/s4032/381C1C99-B4A3-4954-A4B8-1798E1982B9E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4r4eKzexPRL1MbeOP8rk4ELc38e31Bwx99PMNlLM9dKahIrTE4_IsS7-HRJ8I-jP9766cUWupsCrdUKGF4YQwKsqmFNWyovv-NrYTh583kMG-cFbZmmlOYUkHK2zVzavBOVq9EYWHpM3yTQf9Gafj7nhyFQ7Zqbt6R6Uck97UQzwmfSNQHFKG6saf2_u/w400-h300/381C1C99-B4A3-4954-A4B8-1798E1982B9E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Great Range with Gothics near the middle<br />and Marcy nearly hidden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_9DAJM3YxZ1j6PWgG6HBkHEmEGbNmyDbM7hqULF9qwhAjft1sQB11mWKvTvU3AeQVJmXA-JmS76kEH1W8mHqg6usKQj7qS-V_z1U7lASCKsX43I6ocIpWp_hT5eOY4kyi2ldRkU7ASzvqmqVllYco8cpsv-n9f6iotEB0rvGhvCKMgsX3-hKpvb7grqu/s4032/459AED8E-071C-4ACF-BA38-7E341F136AB7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_9DAJM3YxZ1j6PWgG6HBkHEmEGbNmyDbM7hqULF9qwhAjft1sQB11mWKvTvU3AeQVJmXA-JmS76kEH1W8mHqg6usKQj7qS-V_z1U7lASCKsX43I6ocIpWp_hT5eOY4kyi2ldRkU7ASzvqmqVllYco8cpsv-n9f6iotEB0rvGhvCKMgsX3-hKpvb7grqu/w400-h300/459AED8E-071C-4ACF-BA38-7E341F136AB7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colvin and Sawteeth framing the view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnCJ_oMKj1d4EFcUKzY4o14lNMBYb_gU5BP9x9lZ8Bzx0THCBCcUPmv_6KdtgvxIKm7yAXk2kDEZN_hnKbb0Gc8rBwvMt_9zNEbXBBN-QhT9akb42Q6_Di66FBrTYi358CsCQyFrV_L3oAnmDeWtSVxahu2Dndo2hr_7qIaWIMv8B3TR8O5qM8rRFGYRG/s4032/BF3CAC79-988E-4109-AE01-0485710106FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnCJ_oMKj1d4EFcUKzY4o14lNMBYb_gU5BP9x9lZ8Bzx0THCBCcUPmv_6KdtgvxIKm7yAXk2kDEZN_hnKbb0Gc8rBwvMt_9zNEbXBBN-QhT9akb42Q6_Di66FBrTYi358CsCQyFrV_L3oAnmDeWtSVxahu2Dndo2hr_7qIaWIMv8B3TR8O5qM8rRFGYRG/w400-h300/BF3CAC79-988E-4109-AE01-0485710106FC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dix, Nippletop, and Colvin dominating the horizon</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Away from the central view, several other High Peaks stand out. Giant towers over Hopkins, just 2 1/2 miles away. The slide and profile of Big Slide stand out. Algonquin's snowy summit stands out as well. Whiteface can be seen through the trees if you wander to the edges of the clearing. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss0t07exgx20vUrCdFR30wVezMJapWQVtOyZ_EkNM-qU9ePDCSzaZhcvtmB7S2S0bZpCbwGgoqpYqGKUkR7zwuJ4I6bk5DX-JDTSbUIQIXtpOxRntgcoZsiUXdZune7sSuM2sbIRE8bL9sAJhvQu9kZnPlXfOuhcL8TaFTmRuhW3ThvfwYYxvBAOIUkKS/s4032/F3E51565-E9B1-4B90-94EF-6DAB94485AEC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss0t07exgx20vUrCdFR30wVezMJapWQVtOyZ_EkNM-qU9ePDCSzaZhcvtmB7S2S0bZpCbwGgoqpYqGKUkR7zwuJ4I6bk5DX-JDTSbUIQIXtpOxRntgcoZsiUXdZune7sSuM2sbIRE8bL9sAJhvQu9kZnPlXfOuhcL8TaFTmRuhW3ThvfwYYxvBAOIUkKS/w400-h300/F3E51565-E9B1-4B90-94EF-6DAB94485AEC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBJGNL-lVcMkguCr9YCk6z-M_q4-6EASMSsIy629VQ_q38Y6SfqbXEv7t3b-YO_QvMlAbI9Dkf8kJSnXbpKdsj0_uNCt15T5ofEsT_Emcy1DDrzW9mvkjibe1zRc4tIaenQ__pJd6lAAos90weJcM5fcGffU1TODCnhauzhAoGP3ZFF8xt6zTABTUmQLs/s4032/FCD3F247-E081-47F6-88B0-92248E00BAAF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBJGNL-lVcMkguCr9YCk6z-M_q4-6EASMSsIy629VQ_q38Y6SfqbXEv7t3b-YO_QvMlAbI9Dkf8kJSnXbpKdsj0_uNCt15T5ofEsT_Emcy1DDrzW9mvkjibe1zRc4tIaenQ__pJd6lAAos90weJcM5fcGffU1TODCnhauzhAoGP3ZFF8xt6zTABTUmQLs/w400-h300/FCD3F247-E081-47F6-88B0-92248E00BAAF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Colvin and Sawteeth</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAMSnmsOmYpiFPI6k4g5RZFtQN0gU3zLpWefR_bqE3SV85KslubDMqzpcZJDxD-UqIQF3If3ZLfPRNtYaM-W-iweXf8vOIlXY16ozxTAJPO87X89C9uNhyWhrfOaizlkYdoUGJfVDHK4X9DMmqJ2nV9IX9yqyI-gT_hQjjEkgkHVyaSTQzQi7kGs0ew_-/s4032/58B724E0-AEED-46CB-8BBD-1AEF6AC4BDE5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAMSnmsOmYpiFPI6k4g5RZFtQN0gU3zLpWefR_bqE3SV85KslubDMqzpcZJDxD-UqIQF3If3ZLfPRNtYaM-W-iweXf8vOIlXY16ozxTAJPO87X89C9uNhyWhrfOaizlkYdoUGJfVDHK4X9DMmqJ2nV9IX9yqyI-gT_hQjjEkgkHVyaSTQzQi7kGs0ew_-/w400-h300/58B724E0-AEED-46CB-8BBD-1AEF6AC4BDE5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Algonquin is snowy peak in distance with Big <br />Slide on the right</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmsZOaOS15CgJROg_DflQ7eKKSg-EW_oZo8KLtHajKc_uNm4U9bqb9Ku8CmOA76wlQhR5qXudwzNUWhc7quOeQbmyjDnXWHmj8Qei3f2oAnBdPr4nEeQwUFx3B68CwOeBwXTMPeMeuyBCLHKOx9UYBZ9nPFk3oIn4mkU77kGzNzuPKS-17UE4wG0hHurd/s4032/05DEF95E-94AB-4A98-9E5F-B7BAAA5AF3FD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmsZOaOS15CgJROg_DflQ7eKKSg-EW_oZo8KLtHajKc_uNm4U9bqb9Ku8CmOA76wlQhR5qXudwzNUWhc7quOeQbmyjDnXWHmj8Qei3f2oAnBdPr4nEeQwUFx3B68CwOeBwXTMPeMeuyBCLHKOx9UYBZ9nPFk3oIn4mkU77kGzNzuPKS-17UE4wG0hHurd/w400-h300/05DEF95E-94AB-4A98-9E5F-B7BAAA5AF3FD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya was more interested in what I was <br />doing more than the view</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />The morning was quite warm. I didn't wear a hat, gloves, or jacket during the climb. A pretty strong wind blasted the summit. I needed my hat and jacket to cut the wind. I enjoyed the view for a while, took some photos, and shared some water with Choya on the summit. I would have liked to stay longer, but after twenty minutes or so, I was ready to get out of the strong gusts.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL10DXZqrKJfy_D4WmUW5MYiPvDej1OkLElo2Cwx42y3z7GHvD0zRQqEoxxooMynYSV63sV3fK_VpK6kIg4uRZzZqisY5vAB58x_JKQetaL_kU1DdVYux0XIzbKxiPNfEoozrrDEi_IALFpyQK1uhRGSvB8kBfrfKQE9Isiq1WCD7WSk00u3X8z15VP9qv/s4032/5A6FB1CF-2A55-436C-A2CB-7C80C7C47587.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL10DXZqrKJfy_D4WmUW5MYiPvDej1OkLElo2Cwx42y3z7GHvD0zRQqEoxxooMynYSV63sV3fK_VpK6kIg4uRZzZqisY5vAB58x_JKQetaL_kU1DdVYux0XIzbKxiPNfEoozrrDEi_IALFpyQK1uhRGSvB8kBfrfKQE9Isiq1WCD7WSk00u3X8z15VP9qv/w400-h300/5A6FB1CF-2A55-436C-A2CB-7C80C7C47587.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back into the woods</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidZpfIVtlBWaG0lkEEPqXkOkDqqUuC8X39ezf6AwhTQ8aGJ-3H9jcqsZa-_GU6_RaK6NuqOY3hm6qJNafedwMnkLL9TSSaOQaAP-X1rMLxq1IuxEDRo1urEq2FWg8_HJyVDithWbEc6saVEio5_LdVyDSnmOLHzMY81xMCLYTjiwuIvYrd-Bx-kR7rCmJ/s4032/AF6300F5-AF7C-43F7-A4E8-8E33386E1642.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidZpfIVtlBWaG0lkEEPqXkOkDqqUuC8X39ezf6AwhTQ8aGJ-3H9jcqsZa-_GU6_RaK6NuqOY3hm6qJNafedwMnkLL9TSSaOQaAP-X1rMLxq1IuxEDRo1urEq2FWg8_HJyVDithWbEc6saVEio5_LdVyDSnmOLHzMY81xMCLYTjiwuIvYrd-Bx-kR7rCmJ/w400-h300/AF6300F5-AF7C-43F7-A4E8-8E33386E1642.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the junction with the Mossy Cascade Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The descent went by pretty quickly. I had to watch myself on the steeper sections. The firm surface was getting wetter and more slippery as the temperature climbed. I stopped to check out some of the cascades along the brook as I descended. With no snow, Hopkins Brook would be a scenic little creek.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOwzE3WozC_q37Q_sjpltR9wJ_2YiZ_L0je0HC6QTi6Z5_yYlDLr2xTPXxSUA8o0fAwerQ3ndDBBH1q0VtwkE1VxqdVs6Pzg0_HMUmn1g6s7XeeUFeLX5s1i1CkN1smQDinSkW4fVPqZGhwflhyphenhyphenc8TzrQxrjlJMqqvc5prFU4XeuW0TvR5fdR1bL97fp-/s4032/DB6D5DA7-D929-4718-AA8F-D9E1293F228D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOwzE3WozC_q37Q_sjpltR9wJ_2YiZ_L0je0HC6QTi6Z5_yYlDLr2xTPXxSUA8o0fAwerQ3ndDBBH1q0VtwkE1VxqdVs6Pzg0_HMUmn1g6s7XeeUFeLX5s1i1CkN1smQDinSkW4fVPqZGhwflhyphenhyphenc8TzrQxrjlJMqqvc5prFU4XeuW0TvR5fdR1bL97fp-/w400-h300/DB6D5DA7-D929-4718-AA8F-D9E1293F228D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back in the hardwoods on the descent</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5sv72rfoiQVzfF-Jcp6mRKaIG8kz-hs5JQtKtmljJOcHHHNxf1vycZm83aV6SjEPW4d6lZLCm6aHGOBsS1qTBIOHNUw4QQGGbkb_RzzB9AOFTmjNFgo1z-cZrnAF9fXl7exIwnSc16rv-8IW_50YBZMv02sJFNxjgdJbUMt-jc06AUzDNwNFD74wMwVg/s4032/D10FBE9C-9ADC-4EB6-A694-15C551AE351B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5sv72rfoiQVzfF-Jcp6mRKaIG8kz-hs5JQtKtmljJOcHHHNxf1vycZm83aV6SjEPW4d6lZLCm6aHGOBsS1qTBIOHNUw4QQGGbkb_RzzB9AOFTmjNFgo1z-cZrnAF9fXl7exIwnSc16rv-8IW_50YBZMv02sJFNxjgdJbUMt-jc06AUzDNwNFD74wMwVg/w300-h400/D10FBE9C-9ADC-4EB6-A694-15C551AE351B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another frozen cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>As I approached the road, I reached the snow line. Some stretches of trail were completely snow free. Others appeared clear, but had small patches of ice. I took off and put on my microspikes a few times in the last 1/2 mile. Once back on the dirt road, the ice gave way to mostly mud for the last 1/4 mile. Back at my vehicle, I was surprised that the thermometer read 60F. It felt more like late April than February 27th. Despite the warm temperatures, the snow on the trail was pretty firm throughout the hike. It didn't really get slushy until I was pretty low on the trail. At that point it was only a couple inches deep and not really an issue.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_ZsKuy8-9fOMU0ha1wytPBxhUKBTPppyouX4mA25glb-k_N84-tcM1ftwZGiad-jZgmIPSCuHX7Xkk8froJ_7abPCf507KLG2YW_pOgHWYPSIAJoGMVXb1GsLJSHsMHD3gCRF5Zwezcq0kfQ8qXYDmOzDbUfW0_VhC2gXPH9TnFeiqmtgCSAFtD8KCKk/s4032/F5C287BE-9EDC-4D1D-9037-9033DB6977C2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_ZsKuy8-9fOMU0ha1wytPBxhUKBTPppyouX4mA25glb-k_N84-tcM1ftwZGiad-jZgmIPSCuHX7Xkk8froJ_7abPCf507KLG2YW_pOgHWYPSIAJoGMVXb1GsLJSHsMHD3gCRF5Zwezcq0kfQ8qXYDmOzDbUfW0_VhC2gXPH9TnFeiqmtgCSAFtD8KCKk/w400-h300/F5C287BE-9EDC-4D1D-9037-9033DB6977C2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brief section exposed to the sun with no snow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wCXvDPDyLMjb4ouop5TmEfrH0rAfAYFa6GjjK8Y17ECXV4uNGwjUh80G1S1ayCe2DN8JZcfxPupr6kc6aZXLP2wQrOs2Tv8OSw6C5-rM1px-64wWd2ub0AF4qyU9BJJLMcQPEa35jRItuzZMIkUlt6HxKmNtD4esfA4H6J-2IjR3gO-qQw7xzAbHBVIs/s4032/015894B8-76FD-4F09-BC5B-50F48AE193BD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wCXvDPDyLMjb4ouop5TmEfrH0rAfAYFa6GjjK8Y17ECXV4uNGwjUh80G1S1ayCe2DN8JZcfxPupr6kc6aZXLP2wQrOs2Tv8OSw6C5-rM1px-64wWd2ub0AF4qyU9BJJLMcQPEa35jRItuzZMIkUlt6HxKmNtD4esfA4H6J-2IjR3gO-qQw7xzAbHBVIs/w400-h300/015894B8-76FD-4F09-BC5B-50F48AE193BD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I find it interesting only the waterfall is frozen but<br />not the rest of the brook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHU0JeU9NHeBnTcHSNk4sttqkMEBvqByqnF8lgqo8LEH7JPKnLfhXaYiBBusv_8HzUqNnjHM4G_RgzGbQIZlhweXZaau-G9vfLkVyhWfurr9TjWjuvTz-q7cXOUQMKjmQl9zV0OErz4S4iHKV6GH27KaBatyVdXkg2W3joTmQewf7smIV3JFy7uerulGl/s4032/31ECE195-EEB7-4B45-93DC-0BE26CCF322D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHU0JeU9NHeBnTcHSNk4sttqkMEBvqByqnF8lgqo8LEH7JPKnLfhXaYiBBusv_8HzUqNnjHM4G_RgzGbQIZlhweXZaau-G9vfLkVyhWfurr9TjWjuvTz-q7cXOUQMKjmQl9zV0OErz4S4iHKV6GH27KaBatyVdXkg2W3joTmQewf7smIV3JFy7uerulGl/w400-h300/31ECE195-EEB7-4B45-93DC-0BE26CCF322D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road was muddy by the end after it warmed near 60F</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hopkins Mountain certainly didn't disappoint. The summit's large open area provides a vast viewing platform to take in the Great Range and many of the High Peaks. I wouldn't hesitate to call it one of the best views from a lower mountain in the High Peaks area. Even though reaching the summit requires more than 2,000 feet of climbing, the modest distance makes it attainable for less ambitious hikers not ready for some of the more rugged Adirondack peaks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and “LIKE” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063454660002&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat’s Outdoor Adventure</span>s</a> on where I post photos more often a revisit past adventures. </div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-57743701540198530322024-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:002024-02-23T10:59:36.545-08:00Skiing to Tirrell Pond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nestled between Blue and Tirrell Mountains, Tirrell Pond sits isolated in the Blue Mountain Wild Forest. When I hiked the Northville Placid Trail (NPT) in 2020, the pond stood out as one of my favorite spots along the entire 138-mile trail. I knew I wanted to revisit the pond at some point and hoped to make the trip in winter on skis. As my time living in the Adirondacks winds down the next couple months, I figured I’d better make the trip on skis soon, while the skiable snow still exists. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoeaWjFnDooVwhTnfZsGMoBEIV3kPT-GR7pOek2j9GfeMsWIpmmbaHAhE6AaSh1lqZQLdIrBqR5OkuQ7hE5NVZNuNPwv90rLQe9hJ68aAYUeQ2HgflQQeitIXd5idqKlm81Q88YGjW9NEGfPo4DcOYtoFnFSGHEBKvDlw-ovV6Dm7J-Bouun-s3jY1txw/s4032/EAA8C9E9-8E41-4EEF-9568-E09F3801C54F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoeaWjFnDooVwhTnfZsGMoBEIV3kPT-GR7pOek2j9GfeMsWIpmmbaHAhE6AaSh1lqZQLdIrBqR5OkuQ7hE5NVZNuNPwv90rLQe9hJ68aAYUeQ2HgflQQeitIXd5idqKlm81Q88YGjW9NEGfPo4DcOYtoFnFSGHEBKvDlw-ovV6Dm7J-Bouun-s3jY1txw/w400-h300/EAA8C9E9-8E41-4EEF-9568-E09F3801C54F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh ski tracks along the NPT</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not much snow fell in February. A few days near 50F didn’t do the snowpack any favors to the already shallow base. Finally, 5” of new snow fell last week to freshen the conditions. With another warm stretch this week, and no real snow forecasted, I hit the trail while the conditions were still decent on February 20th. Just two weeks earlier, I climbed nearby Blue Mountain, which overlooks Tirrell Pond. Looking down on the frozen pond further piqued my interest on making the trip. Even with the new snow, I wasn’t sure the conditions would be great since several rains this winter have left a pretty sparse snowpack for the second half of February. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ITX9JKWxynNBji2DGN06MmGH8c7M4ONonuLDjQ6neZhitWsor8yE1DJub0LKlCTgcGjIatpLqxVd8yDM1kCDpR1qJZ-rIqJGoqbR4l8PYR0YXB_bPnWEZxeFoPRbRSrPiNV2jKSa0ng44zI84znrSobgJh47fpPnR7NOgeie1N9dF8tTq5oVLJYDzVXu/s4032/01722F2D-0F74-469A-B250-BAB67457AA8A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ITX9JKWxynNBji2DGN06MmGH8c7M4ONonuLDjQ6neZhitWsor8yE1DJub0LKlCTgcGjIatpLqxVd8yDM1kCDpR1qJZ-rIqJGoqbR4l8PYR0YXB_bPnWEZxeFoPRbRSrPiNV2jKSa0ng44zI84znrSobgJh47fpPnR7NOgeie1N9dF8tTq5oVLJYDzVXu/w400-h300/01722F2D-0F74-469A-B250-BAB67457AA8A.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tirrell Pond and Mountain from Blue Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Two trails access Tirrell Pond, one from the Blue Mountain Trailhead and the other via the NPT. I wanted to use the NPT from the south. This trailhead sits just east of Blue Mountain Lake near Durant Lake on Routes 28 and 30.This was also the direction I hiked to Tirrell Pond on my NPT hike.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUjAgLuD-5aWlgndGhRjg3rtY7SgDcDHc44v_NrI9vmFaZumVY0nflYVrNwUBFGSGnjxtDBhxFeYbOYMiBkJK3n7FQ83LXN2jvsPrgibShCiCRj0b25wH23WjXf83s2eSvXn9rrGNX5EIwgMv7rim-jq6GGuyRdR0HsPpFggB3mkcT0K7hHlxmRRZgAOM/s4032/6B0E7104-7600-4795-8650-0F3A7BD6C5A3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUjAgLuD-5aWlgndGhRjg3rtY7SgDcDHc44v_NrI9vmFaZumVY0nflYVrNwUBFGSGnjxtDBhxFeYbOYMiBkJK3n7FQ83LXN2jvsPrgibShCiCRj0b25wH23WjXf83s2eSvXn9rrGNX5EIwgMv7rim-jq6GGuyRdR0HsPpFggB3mkcT0K7hHlxmRRZgAOM/w400-h300/6B0E7104-7600-4795-8650-0F3A7BD6C5A3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead sign</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I began skiing a little after 9AM. I wasn’t sure how trafficked the trail gets in the winter, but snowshoe tracks and at least one set of skis packed the trail at the start. With the temperature only in the teens, the packed snowshoe track skied quite fast.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUueHM7TTP53lKbRSv1xOFWrq43o6O33VXMbQOk3TV0jlr_nALO7R9pkrPBx2T0jrkcOXYAXmLPn6VR58IgoN5wbQQI7zLkFoSHeQtE2J_nL0mRFckuB3rXqJAyxBoiPc86Mo73SETBH4u_FZlkUob5Itsj1QD3IwzDdikBLGpFuiMUgO8KLlunKwyH0v8/s4032/06FB9092-5737-452F-BEB2-518F044E5567.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUueHM7TTP53lKbRSv1xOFWrq43o6O33VXMbQOk3TV0jlr_nALO7R9pkrPBx2T0jrkcOXYAXmLPn6VR58IgoN5wbQQI7zLkFoSHeQtE2J_nL0mRFckuB3rXqJAyxBoiPc86Mo73SETBH4u_FZlkUob5Itsj1QD3IwzDdikBLGpFuiMUgO8KLlunKwyH0v8/w400-h300/06FB9092-5737-452F-BEB2-518F044E5567.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first short stretch looked sketchy<br />with minimal snow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bhrUO_11eGx7dU6z-YfbaCXUF_cbx-Ix5BS6rq6ue0D9xlN1phro2qTD9PataiWJy_qaTgEQ9EnSkh4MZjLZFWsrQRbcH557GHQ17A_vskQAEAGAjDPk5NbAXtPkeat99OGfWuy_kGjepjx5Rnw37jkQFzr8Ry5DB0EvwjEw1ahaZTeteRCnaBRnioRg/s4032/96C1DCC0-0393-4CA0-A7B0-88F28DEDA4DF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bhrUO_11eGx7dU6z-YfbaCXUF_cbx-Ix5BS6rq6ue0D9xlN1phro2qTD9PataiWJy_qaTgEQ9EnSkh4MZjLZFWsrQRbcH557GHQ17A_vskQAEAGAjDPk5NbAXtPkeat99OGfWuy_kGjepjx5Rnw37jkQFzr8Ry5DB0EvwjEw1ahaZTeteRCnaBRnioRg/w400-h300/96C1DCC0-0393-4CA0-A7B0-88F28DEDA4DF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowshoe tracks from the previous days</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After about 3/4 of a mile the snowshoe tracks stopped at a meadow and turned around. The ski tracks went maybe another 1/4 mile before ending. There was some visible remnant of an old trench, but I was breaking snow the rest of the way. The surface powder was only 4-5 inches deep on top of a pretty hard base.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlFi4_ANA4oJtd7CadA8qEC-30DvPOiyzAJ2MzI94spkd0tf5dZR-XtG6MekNB2xmLKNrp2d9qhH1uWwIU4gtWCDVtrRw1acc1kP58DauTXiOw7UGBebi6uRbBDZQfvIJ7o_JO-WKX-ZgxSrGjoKe_WA4EWOq7zchbSpMrOvOAe-oWBlpribaOUglhoLR/s4032/2A84EF22-FDF4-48D2-BA76-161BA1BFDC5D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlFi4_ANA4oJtd7CadA8qEC-30DvPOiyzAJ2MzI94spkd0tf5dZR-XtG6MekNB2xmLKNrp2d9qhH1uWwIU4gtWCDVtrRw1acc1kP58DauTXiOw7UGBebi6uRbBDZQfvIJ7o_JO-WKX-ZgxSrGjoKe_WA4EWOq7zchbSpMrOvOAe-oWBlpribaOUglhoLR/w400-h300/2A84EF22-FDF4-48D2-BA76-161BA1BFDC5D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old trench from previous skiers<br /> buried under the recent snow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The trail generally travels through the forest. Since hardwood trees dominate the forest, I caught the occasional view of Blue Mountain through the trees. The trail also travels pretty close to O'Neil Flow. I diverted a few feet from the trail to catch a decent view over O'Neil Flow.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0SqPuknnCbjDspGGQBVnGL31xih0Lh7Bn5IQK4bNcKE3pzC-t8yG7bIu9AZijoyA-ihnjhJDb5R9TdDmYwYfPsE-0IzKeYpqqRDPdYbvU7OhWyqh0WTBrbQ5hZHh3d0H7AwxPJ2FXhlDDyfaWk53_glxgIweefIbhaBK5aE_Hjn8PQSVsuCigcimiqdK/s4032/7FFD8EAF-BB2D-45F4-8013-73155BAC77D1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0SqPuknnCbjDspGGQBVnGL31xih0Lh7Bn5IQK4bNcKE3pzC-t8yG7bIu9AZijoyA-ihnjhJDb5R9TdDmYwYfPsE-0IzKeYpqqRDPdYbvU7OhWyqh0WTBrbQ5hZHh3d0H7AwxPJ2FXhlDDyfaWk53_glxgIweefIbhaBK5aE_Hjn8PQSVsuCigcimiqdK/w400-h300/7FFD8EAF-BB2D-45F4-8013-73155BAC77D1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view across O'Neil Flow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Although the snow coverage allowed for decent skiing, at times the relatively shallow base and warmer temperatures over the past few weeks, left some tricky spots. The trail crosses several tiny creeks. In a more typical winter, these would probably be frozen and covered in deep snow. Little snow over the creeks made for some tricky crossings. You could usually hear running water under the ice. Occasionally I had to find a spot just off trail to cross the creeks at a point of easier passage.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtYf6TDof9XYPWpylKRcKs172Dnot5G8n7TA4_dVbUOvTQe_ooFNV0I9crC2YYd3aAS_bbZPRSv9pJCa9zgM-DKIpLzV2JjqREHwX31ithomv-5IdzBaH9zz6DtsgUwzh8bDfDI9hU31ir7oH89w_Qqq_Vi2yp_U8ILggd0z-D1T3u6EE7pinGObIWV7S/s4032/4751BFCA-E927-4773-AE28-2E41EAA744B9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtYf6TDof9XYPWpylKRcKs172Dnot5G8n7TA4_dVbUOvTQe_ooFNV0I9crC2YYd3aAS_bbZPRSv9pJCa9zgM-DKIpLzV2JjqREHwX31ithomv-5IdzBaH9zz6DtsgUwzh8bDfDI9hU31ir7oH89w_Qqq_Vi2yp_U8ILggd0z-D1T3u6EE7pinGObIWV7S/w400-h300/4751BFCA-E927-4773-AE28-2E41EAA744B9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breaking trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TwzrOhwQtFIGqlbs898v1chBbPk5Edk8hWK-vOSGLWct-JLiYGrOkpRZd7ipYAGqXQ5psWYFXzGReXeiuCB1TtzepB0DI-IBkhX8XmtjJ47XPl_jq59byEfdBFKHduUx1LUiSlssqmb_aILuaUyzQCwwP21yCmd0J0FVqJZVYxQ5L07kAxJ4ajzqENuH/s4032/0AF3D1EA-565E-4FD2-B001-5B8B9DCCD9E1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TwzrOhwQtFIGqlbs898v1chBbPk5Edk8hWK-vOSGLWct-JLiYGrOkpRZd7ipYAGqXQ5psWYFXzGReXeiuCB1TtzepB0DI-IBkhX8XmtjJ47XPl_jq59byEfdBFKHduUx1LUiSlssqmb_aILuaUyzQCwwP21yCmd0J0FVqJZVYxQ5L07kAxJ4ajzqENuH/w400-h300/0AF3D1EA-565E-4FD2-B001-5B8B9DCCD9E1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open water in a small creek</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The trail rolls through the forest with modest elevation changes that never gets too steep. The only real technical sections were the transitions near the creeks. Thin cover and poor snow coverage over the rocks in the creeks required a little caution to cross. At one point I fell down a bank of a steeply cut creek. The snow on the edge gave out while I was finding a spot to cross, causing me to lose my footing. Luckily the water was frozen and I didn't get wet.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdvj75WvUReCAzQc1Nn6beNxjB2JLbjZcFNkDz78pOKbZxLiJXPTBRDlhrMiEbYFeLVlMQkn67VU4cG106YGuPKKOdJFoGE65D5SHYgn8YsNFaE61AE6DTueZxVWZ7vpbyCocMr2wKEDN-DaaQ6gy3zTG_3JBZCGpoK63mVCamtIFFtIPXGvQFdeQezuU/s4032/65C0A62E-25F6-4ED4-A388-20EE27E8B260.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdvj75WvUReCAzQc1Nn6beNxjB2JLbjZcFNkDz78pOKbZxLiJXPTBRDlhrMiEbYFeLVlMQkn67VU4cG106YGuPKKOdJFoGE65D5SHYgn8YsNFaE61AE6DTueZxVWZ7vpbyCocMr2wKEDN-DaaQ6gy3zTG_3JBZCGpoK63mVCamtIFFtIPXGvQFdeQezuU/w400-h300/65C0A62E-25F6-4ED4-A388-20EE27E8B260.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing a glacial erratic</td></tr></tbody></table> <div>After roughly three miles, I reached a small clearing. With deeper snow in the area, I could barely see the bridge over the Tirrell Pond Outlet. The NPT turned left. I left the NPT and headed over the bridge to the O'Neil Flow Lean-to. I stopped at the lean-to to put my jacket on. I could feel the wind blowing over the pond. I wanted to add a layer of protection before getting blasted by the wind on the pond. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxYzoTVejcJH7McIHuGEuUe6U7XqYt6ohQ77bCJVPp_pwAb0bsHLinIzEJkciql7-DI1euXpwIox285bWaZJhdYX26f9vguyebSaprp1SbSYw9bBMpmGrKc5lQ8yEg9ancgsqoxxjTFJOWuBWBWqBxeb6je7b_rLzdikcbLTtL8fQ5DCw4ncrBAFkSrf2/s4032/B20D3EF1-8C51-42A7-B902-669AC5278314.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxYzoTVejcJH7McIHuGEuUe6U7XqYt6ohQ77bCJVPp_pwAb0bsHLinIzEJkciql7-DI1euXpwIox285bWaZJhdYX26f9vguyebSaprp1SbSYw9bBMpmGrKc5lQ8yEg9ancgsqoxxjTFJOWuBWBWqBxeb6je7b_rLzdikcbLTtL8fQ5DCw4ncrBAFkSrf2/w400-h300/B20D3EF1-8C51-42A7-B902-669AC5278314.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outlet of Tirrell Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnNDF1z8hj2-U9CfX4g1AKFOScKK0pNyQmoX85H2gJcb83971N1HEiqIEBW61L8MC4Ksb403ciQ93nGKN-vvxjqdP4IrUxazh93ZXkkvoOrHiHm9lhQFYm2FFbGor7i0yYJUmEWzfQb7RQaDWfYs5EhQkjQAwxAdYwV1v0aFTm2AXNHyvYFNgLv6WOa8t/s4032/5151034F-12AD-447B-A76D-5C772A280A97.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnNDF1z8hj2-U9CfX4g1AKFOScKK0pNyQmoX85H2gJcb83971N1HEiqIEBW61L8MC4Ksb403ciQ93nGKN-vvxjqdP4IrUxazh93ZXkkvoOrHiHm9lhQFYm2FFbGor7i0yYJUmEWzfQb7RQaDWfYs5EhQkjQAwxAdYwV1v0aFTm2AXNHyvYFNgLv6WOa8t/w400-h300/5151034F-12AD-447B-A76D-5C772A280A97.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">O'Neil Flow Lean-to</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From the lean-to, I made my way through the dense trees along the shoreline and onto the pond. I planned on skiing to the Tirrell Pond Lean-to on the north end of the pond by skiing across the frozen pond. As expected, skiing across the pond exposed me to the full force of the wind and I was glad I put on my jacket. The pond was solidly frozen with just a thin coating of snow, allowing for smoother skiing than the trail. A few patches of the ice were completely wind-scoured and free of any snow.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnpfNULc08cQGEewXHKolNf-4m2HUJJ_KIUWiYaFmokqxydOJdTgihGw8bgYf1B5tscZoZ1AXi4hwf7ob4Z1l0w_P6Ktj2fBUAjltvcKj3MiDQ2cceE-o3Ee84-Vu2o2iWTiNUwPugIP_OjOfvRQ-p1nO0rnO44cH-VTGl6t0N1yS6MRQQQsC8XmvBJ0c/s4032/5FE22AA7-C7D6-4A36-A05F-0BED63677BFA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnpfNULc08cQGEewXHKolNf-4m2HUJJ_KIUWiYaFmokqxydOJdTgihGw8bgYf1B5tscZoZ1AXi4hwf7ob4Z1l0w_P6Ktj2fBUAjltvcKj3MiDQ2cceE-o3Ee84-Vu2o2iWTiNUwPugIP_OjOfvRQ-p1nO0rnO44cH-VTGl6t0N1yS6MRQQQsC8XmvBJ0c/w400-h300/5FE22AA7-C7D6-4A36-A05F-0BED63677BFA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerging onto the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15lvk8U4kI0-GqZoifi8imMmHzIRUZTkp3_E46m6zOWlvIzkf8ODVRhyTSLcG6YcZfvb0A6ots0nN6WLKXmRdX0LS2H00qur4tWjgXP6Zr6MKLr3JLGPwZhVdN188HTE6baY8ePeGfyFgIt2mL56ZjRASg2cfUVb53FwSoszAeU5n4XRAHj22-LseaeDt/s4032/85175DE7-7186-4EDB-928B-193BE452C31F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15lvk8U4kI0-GqZoifi8imMmHzIRUZTkp3_E46m6zOWlvIzkf8ODVRhyTSLcG6YcZfvb0A6ots0nN6WLKXmRdX0LS2H00qur4tWjgXP6Zr6MKLr3JLGPwZhVdN188HTE6baY8ePeGfyFgIt2mL56ZjRASg2cfUVb53FwSoszAeU5n4XRAHj22-LseaeDt/w400-h300/85175DE7-7186-4EDB-928B-193BE452C31F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing on the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNZuc89g1ZiZABBuSQjeMyToK92gADHYLaBeRC55YWu6nrm6juNGjmb-D7wtxF9Ce8gWVBsh3I_ulbboFP5CwZZLYFzsQ-TCSAsOvz8HFkcdGfhPWwSwVgQqCT8GKssDq7uMmjcuMzPgcLA4qhfVafUrOig_rXlQW6X2rbsV1eQEIra5PLCkRXdSqa4_X/s4032/772C22DD-8B59-4AE2-BD6E-6C20795B996C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNZuc89g1ZiZABBuSQjeMyToK92gADHYLaBeRC55YWu6nrm6juNGjmb-D7wtxF9Ce8gWVBsh3I_ulbboFP5CwZZLYFzsQ-TCSAsOvz8HFkcdGfhPWwSwVgQqCT8GKssDq7uMmjcuMzPgcLA4qhfVafUrOig_rXlQW6X2rbsV1eQEIra5PLCkRXdSqa4_X/w400-h300/772C22DD-8B59-4AE2-BD6E-6C20795B996C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low mountains north of the pond,<br />the lighter spots on the snow are bare ice</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Skiing the mile across the pond took me out of the cover of the forest and allowed me to take in the view of the surrounding mountains. Tirrell Mountain rises immediately from the eastern shoreline from the pond with a prominent band of cliffs, providing the most interesting view. Blue Mountain towers 1,800 feet over the northwest side of the pond. Numerous smaller mountains, especially on the northern side, dot the landscape. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRYxNe-J2UWU9ikuxhMPW5RnPPfFzeCkO3z0-8pLKAbNAOlLRO2vU845NYudUqjzx1emabjPlAW1Aj90H2UfByeW0CGJa6jDtbTFCyvSTVaY0lw-sbDG8GHTjWhUxRs3uBhGqVgZKpMOxYE8y16EtmknmVN4KW62iJBsjNMjHj9kX0MYk4AI7bfGc6iOp/s4032/6C95B1BB-8CBC-4881-8A8B-502D95FC5138.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRYxNe-J2UWU9ikuxhMPW5RnPPfFzeCkO3z0-8pLKAbNAOlLRO2vU845NYudUqjzx1emabjPlAW1Aj90H2UfByeW0CGJa6jDtbTFCyvSTVaY0lw-sbDG8GHTjWhUxRs3uBhGqVgZKpMOxYE8y16EtmknmVN4KW62iJBsjNMjHj9kX0MYk4AI7bfGc6iOp/w400-h300/6C95B1BB-8CBC-4881-8A8B-502D95FC5138.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tirrell Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s50DJUWuQ4pskskFn86ymMr1I8DUh-l7uxEMcI74FL-OUJ473mwR8LacOV3pyGRLbH7Vb2g7qdfgajEgA3F2HiMmwUKsIbAMgD23o-9gM06YLneZzGdg_aHPaWLKCiDqL-VE7FQuZ7oT0hv7WtUyljO06B0hqt3rge3n8NZanIYKrmInPLlfzJ_EqNiN/s4032/8FB86B15-58B4-44DF-8AC5-5606702D6C30.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s50DJUWuQ4pskskFn86ymMr1I8DUh-l7uxEMcI74FL-OUJ473mwR8LacOV3pyGRLbH7Vb2g7qdfgajEgA3F2HiMmwUKsIbAMgD23o-9gM06YLneZzGdg_aHPaWLKCiDqL-VE7FQuZ7oT0hv7WtUyljO06B0hqt3rge3n8NZanIYKrmInPLlfzJ_EqNiN/w400-h300/8FB86B15-58B4-44DF-8AC5-5606702D6C30.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Mountain on the left, Buck Mountain on the right</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHZRWqEer4g3Z5PuYVxXRaHwrFWTuH5H2CCpT3s_TdX4CRw73AaQwA7hz4aYr2RSSj-XbCykgnJxEYYkRwUIfVkmxITOywdf3uF7ZBk3i5ESyO6Df1BONYIfv4fMQLzNyfTzzxcCEA5woTeCpF51D9qAjn_tE6zvsIHD2_paiG_Qt1HgDBl39M9i9O8DW/s4032/335ADDEB-02FE-48E8-B444-2DB93E23EF45.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHZRWqEer4g3Z5PuYVxXRaHwrFWTuH5H2CCpT3s_TdX4CRw73AaQwA7hz4aYr2RSSj-XbCykgnJxEYYkRwUIfVkmxITOywdf3uF7ZBk3i5ESyO6Df1BONYIfv4fMQLzNyfTzzxcCEA5woTeCpF51D9qAjn_tE6zvsIHD2_paiG_Qt1HgDBl39M9i9O8DW/w400-h300/335ADDEB-02FE-48E8-B444-2DB93E23EF45.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I reached the northern end of the pond and headed to the Tirrell Pond Lean-to. After about two hours of skiing, I was ready for a short break to have a snack and hydrate. I was also happy to be out of the wind on the pond. While the snow didn't seem that deep in the woods, a solid two feet of snow covered the top of the lean-to and the snow on the ground was flush with the floor. This was significantly more snow than area around O'Neil Flow Lean-to, just a mile to the south.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV70UL0ktBkmOTkkntLO4y4unFBiOBvqHCD_KsL9eVSmX-eCaJJLmeQ_UDAOsX-_LbKwTJc99WuQyRRARj8TwZjgDrXCR4tXfbOZoT3z7-USbQqFcsR59Lb2Zer_6zYwbWgnjjOR1PCB-EmpZ_dmChY_ui7eeeHMouwCBS14gakX5PpICNYUx0oUbd5mJ/s4032/836E0D05-32EE-4BD8-83ED-2FD4D33848F6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV70UL0ktBkmOTkkntLO4y4unFBiOBvqHCD_KsL9eVSmX-eCaJJLmeQ_UDAOsX-_LbKwTJc99WuQyRRARj8TwZjgDrXCR4tXfbOZoT3z7-USbQqFcsR59Lb2Zer_6zYwbWgnjjOR1PCB-EmpZ_dmChY_ui7eeeHMouwCBS14gakX5PpICNYUx0oUbd5mJ/w400-h300/836E0D05-32EE-4BD8-83ED-2FD4D33848F6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tirrell Pond Lean-to</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>After my break at the lean-to, I returned to the pond. I skied back to the south end. Heading south, the wind was at my back and not nearly as rough. As I approached the outlet, I left the pond on the west shore. I almost immediately intercepted the NPT, which at this point, traveled only a few feet from the pond. Back in the shelter of the woods and out of the wind, I took off my jacket.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJhKPLrN05H4sDx3NIX47fe3k_2_exkSJTzF_BRNIZ-Lmu6ajGwENeVZks8lO5YlV0NBEpJfojkqlUZW7lUr8azbU2nBvTvu4mSwljDV9cPKS5vz9sM2jygaHNPS973-OOdcUqW5KjJ9CsRcBuKBxHtL4L9-AU1wuMOZ0LqHlzBUQcFH6w5JPEdX4R7_L/s4032/9644A031-AE8D-4E44-AB73-48FE74610863.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJhKPLrN05H4sDx3NIX47fe3k_2_exkSJTzF_BRNIZ-Lmu6ajGwENeVZks8lO5YlV0NBEpJfojkqlUZW7lUr8azbU2nBvTvu4mSwljDV9cPKS5vz9sM2jygaHNPS973-OOdcUqW5KjJ9CsRcBuKBxHtL4L9-AU1wuMOZ0LqHlzBUQcFH6w5JPEdX4R7_L/w400-h300/9644A031-AE8D-4E44-AB73-48FE74610863.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back onto the pond with my tracks visible<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BUvQbNNab_v5AmsDPKygVbwP-Y5WbsEwG8ZT7_IvC1-Oqlas2SAx15LqN9eCovk8jKiMCLQAikrxWfkRYrMMayVv3RbWjldeMBP9mYw8u0vSWZqmugPDkEY0NGcKUEMXi0Fek8sinXunJpUN2vbNsITgSv6bsgapWuGHpjosK7F1hSudO5PIKJ1Cejsg/s4032/68797DE6-8E4E-43CC-8B1F-B8B0CA663F7F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BUvQbNNab_v5AmsDPKygVbwP-Y5WbsEwG8ZT7_IvC1-Oqlas2SAx15LqN9eCovk8jKiMCLQAikrxWfkRYrMMayVv3RbWjldeMBP9mYw8u0vSWZqmugPDkEY0NGcKUEMXi0Fek8sinXunJpUN2vbNsITgSv6bsgapWuGHpjosK7F1hSudO5PIKJ1Cejsg/w400-h300/68797DE6-8E4E-43CC-8B1F-B8B0CA663F7F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing south over the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflq2G4uSrAnniMS5_0jFUMD98FliU_LFKEJEQkU5p3GuQxDr067bq1J3PYQJDXo6Tn6L0-nBQQlirafLNE73vqkzVGzE1gcu_mSiKNAHXz1B2di-WZpGO1NZ9Xe4QAdyS6auL9xryzu89Z3fVd2WsQEh1jp0w-zXCGBZwO-HtuJw8RFkx1AZyRwZPJQYi/s4032/F09A5182-92B1-4872-AA5C-68492C266F93.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflq2G4uSrAnniMS5_0jFUMD98FliU_LFKEJEQkU5p3GuQxDr067bq1J3PYQJDXo6Tn6L0-nBQQlirafLNE73vqkzVGzE1gcu_mSiKNAHXz1B2di-WZpGO1NZ9Xe4QAdyS6auL9xryzu89Z3fVd2WsQEh1jp0w-zXCGBZwO-HtuJw8RFkx1AZyRwZPJQYi/w400-h300/F09A5182-92B1-4872-AA5C-68492C266F93.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look back at my route</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6Xc9sDmts2k8GZwPYQOjJiBESixyeubPwE-CzWC5_E49jZnsn9R8UVT4GwvEIrONGvrpB9vaMpU2xS99N02L1E4RNV_Qj70k46yAOqtQYVKXAjykEX_M9wu1wUgMsxSB2JbnoyZVLxpC55jA89C3SXFc5_kRGVQ0lXMk8v8vrmd9volRKYHN-ldvYt7b/s4032/762197D9-D494-4878-BB4F-548617B9F103.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6Xc9sDmts2k8GZwPYQOjJiBESixyeubPwE-CzWC5_E49jZnsn9R8UVT4GwvEIrONGvrpB9vaMpU2xS99N02L1E4RNV_Qj70k46yAOqtQYVKXAjykEX_M9wu1wUgMsxSB2JbnoyZVLxpC55jA89C3SXFc5_kRGVQ0lXMk8v8vrmd9volRKYHN-ldvYt7b/w400-h300/762197D9-D494-4878-BB4F-548617B9F103.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last look at Tirrell Mountain before I left the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I retraced my tracks on NPT as I headed back to the trailhead. With the snow now broken, the skiing went more smoothly. The day had noticeably warmed up since the temperatures in the teens when I started the day. I noticed the previously dry creek crossings became a little wetter as the temps climbed into the 30s. A few times I got a little moisture on my skis. The snow became a little sticky. Fortunately, the sticky snow usually broke free from my skis after a few glides and I never had to put on any glide wax.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQzyG_88IHO5m4vMUMr_9Ev5q5IcUrrK7SZz11V0AYjoHKBU4lshEWfzdiMngR_ZNSg5Tww8eYACNr6Fu1_afhUUEYsLRSMsuycqH79c4jfR12rbvMUjpjIVq3p1csqJogGiHuvSSP5hZ7u_qFKZSpOi5XYogXAYdLvxNFhi7hHBkScqDFuGFjqH-PNRQ/s4032/151ACA9E-FBB9-4314-AE6C-838A460F5A82.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQzyG_88IHO5m4vMUMr_9Ev5q5IcUrrK7SZz11V0AYjoHKBU4lshEWfzdiMngR_ZNSg5Tww8eYACNr6Fu1_afhUUEYsLRSMsuycqH79c4jfR12rbvMUjpjIVq3p1csqJogGiHuvSSP5hZ7u_qFKZSpOi5XYogXAYdLvxNFhi7hHBkScqDFuGFjqH-PNRQ/w400-h300/151ACA9E-FBB9-4314-AE6C-838A460F5A82.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retracing my route on my old tracks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXHYIMuSx3eKCO9tFVeTrk_sX0mprUOkkxzUR7RmCvmXTlRpIngIlKm8FOh9KP_ZFm5awgCL5z8oTcejb5P9snW-Ohk4vqc0kUxTCybzuhSkOjr2lxHDT5hee8f5gbEaxIqgcfXIYutslQgz7dl52YRcN2JlIQY1rtD7SQ2m7iePAQ_JU5LAZjRK0-rF7/s4032/4CBB6D92-EBB6-4B61-AC73-4F01C1C8D11D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXHYIMuSx3eKCO9tFVeTrk_sX0mprUOkkxzUR7RmCvmXTlRpIngIlKm8FOh9KP_ZFm5awgCL5z8oTcejb5P9snW-Ohk4vqc0kUxTCybzuhSkOjr2lxHDT5hee8f5gbEaxIqgcfXIYutslQgz7dl52YRcN2JlIQY1rtD7SQ2m7iePAQ_JU5LAZjRK0-rF7/w400-h300/4CBB6D92-EBB6-4B61-AC73-4F01C1C8D11D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A narrow bridge over an open creek</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDs45NeBUU8NSU5yVL8PWaz7J7zhCvDWdc54Zqlm22pvHXqEXaCG4qF-LsOopiWtULmSxijxojTWzY87oF8xZkIZf5xBwLA_QMP-bMLpkXK7Hnj8EodmuEhuUVwFO15nRZeeIYKpV6MXRj6yWI5jxPvtgBu503mfP7qlD1P1yalJ7TVzKuszLU4XtMY_F3/s4032/A28D2229-BF84-45AB-A08C-B466DF73BC15.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDs45NeBUU8NSU5yVL8PWaz7J7zhCvDWdc54Zqlm22pvHXqEXaCG4qF-LsOopiWtULmSxijxojTWzY87oF8xZkIZf5xBwLA_QMP-bMLpkXK7Hnj8EodmuEhuUVwFO15nRZeeIYKpV6MXRj6yWI5jxPvtgBu503mfP7qlD1P1yalJ7TVzKuszLU4XtMY_F3/w400-h300/A28D2229-BF84-45AB-A08C-B466DF73BC15.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threading the needle across a bare spot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ3v2cYVrda52-H1QPpDinDaG_DnjTnz7nlCOFZ2gn1o9ARF4s3_0R30HjowFmDJ94bD00Q9Ed6grs_x0GNXdIIf-JKxF4p2epqyS6f0mbC3Q3b4FOsCrpBuEj91OD1G___Uolzx38QWf6jVpRa9kcIdtbIaRfxZOHI6lM2vcE65IRGnKTH87fCd3FwpJ/s4032/1A43F15B-E96F-468E-9897-310180CDCACF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ3v2cYVrda52-H1QPpDinDaG_DnjTnz7nlCOFZ2gn1o9ARF4s3_0R30HjowFmDJ94bD00Q9Ed6grs_x0GNXdIIf-JKxF4p2epqyS6f0mbC3Q3b4FOsCrpBuEj91OD1G___Uolzx38QWf6jVpRa9kcIdtbIaRfxZOHI6lM2vcE65IRGnKTH87fCd3FwpJ/w400-h300/1A43F15B-E96F-468E-9897-310180CDCACF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy travel in my old tracks</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The last couple miles seemed to go by quickly. I stepped off the trail a couple times to get a closer look at some of the trailside scenery. I took a closer look at 30-40' ice flow on a cliff band that I missed on the ski in. I also skied off the trail to get a look at the views over O'Neil Flow at a couple spots.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8DeEHvi8sEUNAS4qubN0tTkEw32jWxR0eDyrli4d76P7BtMKiJOB-tV0TNcyNvjrNE2i5Pa2FembTH5ql7ICWYyE8uWGJweG-wPs5x8ORclzzMFJQjvoVdkoeI5mWTS2v0GxI-GMUZVJZBPiQ6ENCKYCw0SZWWeCuxBPtVFt8W9T836dajLF2qi70_y1/s4032/E850100A-794E-4C57-998B-049F70BE25E7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8DeEHvi8sEUNAS4qubN0tTkEw32jWxR0eDyrli4d76P7BtMKiJOB-tV0TNcyNvjrNE2i5Pa2FembTH5ql7ICWYyE8uWGJweG-wPs5x8ORclzzMFJQjvoVdkoeI5mWTS2v0GxI-GMUZVJZBPiQ6ENCKYCw0SZWWeCuxBPtVFt8W9T836dajLF2qi70_y1/w400-h300/E850100A-794E-4C57-998B-049F70BE25E7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing a creek with thin cover</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQPCSPBi1awgxzQChhFV65CjRbVlVuxD94FbIwyXMKdbrigKu8H34v6rKs1xdxs73lco4qyUfRgZ2fi16Ci4BTiUnHRqJDm-D9-Z5Kp_ZRB_CgPgFAMi1FvgW5yW0ki7EFwGGpnEXmGKk6vmMRljHA6h5U_b9b4pTE7ClAinpUJEM5GXaukYToZpHTagv/s4032/B144F558-53C9-49E1-BCC4-A31E6B3B2BC9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQPCSPBi1awgxzQChhFV65CjRbVlVuxD94FbIwyXMKdbrigKu8H34v6rKs1xdxs73lco4qyUfRgZ2fi16Ci4BTiUnHRqJDm-D9-Z5Kp_ZRB_CgPgFAMi1FvgW5yW0ki7EFwGGpnEXmGKk6vmMRljHA6h5U_b9b4pTE7ClAinpUJEM5GXaukYToZpHTagv/w400-h300/B144F558-53C9-49E1-BCC4-A31E6B3B2BC9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice flow on a cliffside just off the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3CYN3yS9iHmXI-lxFC_XFadACog95Sn9bmvlpAsKbaoY7EuQ9i5iu82Z2KR917vifEl-izzz-8fzWYARzRHs0DxhH9LHcdVvrGZAEwyGqMVYvErtIi08t-iSUg60XtWZ_J_E4QjWckNhW0ImVgeHHD02aSe2wuj4vgCXh66ZoqTLW_4hPo6JYo9ljBqi/s4032/42C76D6B-354A-4225-B9D8-3967BD108D44.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3CYN3yS9iHmXI-lxFC_XFadACog95Sn9bmvlpAsKbaoY7EuQ9i5iu82Z2KR917vifEl-izzz-8fzWYARzRHs0DxhH9LHcdVvrGZAEwyGqMVYvErtIi08t-iSUg60XtWZ_J_E4QjWckNhW0ImVgeHHD02aSe2wuj4vgCXh66ZoqTLW_4hPo6JYo9ljBqi/w400-h300/42C76D6B-354A-4225-B9D8-3967BD108D44.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across an arm of O'Neil Flow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I was a little worried that the skiing would be a little difficult where the snowshoe tracks packed the trail. The deep snowshoe trench didn't allow much room for turning. The snow softened quite a bit since the morning as the temperature crept above freezing and the last stretch skied nicely with no issues. I reached the trailhead a little after 1PM.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to my NPT guide, from the trailhead to Tirrell Pond Lean-to runs about 4.2 miles (I've seen some sources list distance slightly higher). That puts the roundtrip distance around 8.4 miles. Most intermediate skiers should have no problem tackling the NPT to the lean-tos with decent snow cover. Even though the NPT travels through a backcountry area, the trail is well marked and navigation is pretty straightforward, even in the snow. The elevation bounces generally bounces around between 1,800' and 2,000' and never gets too steep. If you choose to cross Tirrell Pond, make sure the ice conditions are safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>As expected, I enjoyed this trip. I really enjoyed the scenery around Tirrell Pond when I thru hiked the NPT. The area looked even more impressive under a blanket of snow. While I would not have minded a little better snow cover, the skiing was pretty good overall apart from a few iffy creek crossings. Given the lack of tracks beyond the first mile after a holiday weekend with new snow, I don't think the area sees much traffic. There's a good chance you'll have the trail to this beautiful place to yourself. If you're not a skier, Tirrell Pond makes a beautiful summer destination as well. I never swam in the pond, but have read it's a nice place to take a backcountry dip in the summer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every season I usually have a list of new places I want to ski. The trip into Tirrell Pond was on the top of the list for this season. I'm very happy I finally made this ski trip, especially since it's my last winter living in the Adirondacks. The days following my outing, the temps warmed up into the 40s with a less than promising forecast for winter sports for the foreseeable future. It may have been my last opportunity to ski this season in the backcountry before the snow conditions deteriorate, possibly for the rest of the season. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and “LIKE” <a href="https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063454660002&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat’s Outdoor Adventures</span> </a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-16953571998443066802024-01-28T08:51:00.000-08:002024-01-28T08:51:14.763-08:00Cross Country Skiing in Long Lake<div style="text-align: left;">Long Lake is a small village in the central Adirondacks that sits on its namesake lake. Several Wild Forests and Wilderness Areas surround Long Lake. Although not as mountainous as more traveled parts of the Adirondacks; low mountains, forests, and numerous bodies of water surround the area. The village also serves as a key resupply point and layover on the Northville Placid Trail. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although the most popular winter recreation around Long Lake seems to be focused on snowmobiling and ice fishing, I wanted to explore the cross country skiing in the area. After a week of snow and cold temperatures, I decided to check out a couple skiing opportunities before more rain fell later in the week. I hit the trail on Monday January 22nd.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_mhSgv-9kKuId_JxglI9LMcgRtbJusiiuo1noTL9xlP2NQTYs7Rlpd1rT9PyYO0r7CIgTI1cqY8peIuPpgKI0XEMlmrzRMnnRG_TqhwML2bEB_tiPMIKk0sD7qUvC_DRXR9fAbDwown83B4kDB5rP3kZ-9Eycyd0x18ntYuQyz9agENqEbfqB1mKETX5/s4032/EE6F3768-CB1C-4C7A-83E4-04EF596745F4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_mhSgv-9kKuId_JxglI9LMcgRtbJusiiuo1noTL9xlP2NQTYs7Rlpd1rT9PyYO0r7CIgTI1cqY8peIuPpgKI0XEMlmrzRMnnRG_TqhwML2bEB_tiPMIKk0sD7qUvC_DRXR9fAbDwown83B4kDB5rP3kZ-9Eycyd0x18ntYuQyz9agENqEbfqB1mKETX5/w400-h300/EE6F3768-CB1C-4C7A-83E4-04EF596745F4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh tracks </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><b>Three-Brook Ski Loop via the NPT</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>My first skiing destination was the Three-Brook Ski Loop. The loop is a designated back country ski trail on the east side of Long Lake. I began skiing from the Northville Placid Trail (NPT) trailhead on Route 28N about 1.5 east of town. Although the parking lot was plowed, I was surprised that nobody signed the register in 2 1/2 weeks.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbFkwwA2FdPNa9hpIxQ7szsI1ZFPvi6HVoGC5V54gNVs3HfoswDhMkhdiiilrbMsbts0K1TGilNBSEiJDLsHEZ-2azIFTQQQ5iTHF2i4aIvhTn0CT9tNJFvFxPVyM5kLZwze3ll0AgPvr6YipdS8C_B1WZRgnQaj6pUYq7W3GorRWjKgJYQMb2kbMiO-b/s4032/E5DE3F5E-0800-45D2-8563-6F3A44CAE3D8.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbFkwwA2FdPNa9hpIxQ7szsI1ZFPvi6HVoGC5V54gNVs3HfoswDhMkhdiiilrbMsbts0K1TGilNBSEiJDLsHEZ-2azIFTQQQ5iTHF2i4aIvhTn0CT9tNJFvFxPVyM5kLZwze3ll0AgPvr6YipdS8C_B1WZRgnQaj6pUYq7W3GorRWjKgJYQMb2kbMiO-b/w400-h300/E5DE3F5E-0800-45D2-8563-6F3A44CAE3D8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The trip began skiing on the NPT for the first 1.9 miles. The conditions started out pretty rough for the first 1/4 mile or so. Several people postholed in the snow, leaving the trail pocked with ruts. The trail was also quite narrow. Fortunately, the people that left the postholes turned around fairly quickly. Beyond the human postholes, the trail was pretty pocked by deer tracks, which didn't help the skiing on the narrow trail. Apart from the deer traffic, only a faint set of old ski tracks were periodically visible on the trail beyond the first 1/4 mile. The old ski tracks were quite old and long filled in, and at times not visible at all. Within the first half-mile, the trail passed over several bog bridges. The snow wasn't quite deep enough to fully cover the bog bridges and crossing them was a little tricky since they were partially hidden.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7RjJMZjYAe6p45hWQJWAdfeyZV0-PGUquHcCs6oKHc19B1MHVCtsz7yrER7Yqx5GuMqGJZG_UAcQIlW3LPd_yfxH0UBJvGv_0j51DfjSnS5reSuU0-m-edzTqmDj2jFn7nud53tX9kH5T4KdplAeSAiRdJApVuPSzAhWoZcC_9Wi5D60u-ECn1aDIKJr/s4032/2537D52E-DB43-43B6-8B15-DC9EA0A838D6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7RjJMZjYAe6p45hWQJWAdfeyZV0-PGUquHcCs6oKHc19B1MHVCtsz7yrER7Yqx5GuMqGJZG_UAcQIlW3LPd_yfxH0UBJvGv_0j51DfjSnS5reSuU0-m-edzTqmDj2jFn7nud53tX9kH5T4KdplAeSAiRdJApVuPSzAhWoZcC_9Wi5D60u-ECn1aDIKJr/w400-h300/2537D52E-DB43-43B6-8B15-DC9EA0A838D6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deer scratch</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Even though NPT markers show the way, a few ski trail discs mark the way as well on the NPT. In the first mile, a couple of ski bypasses diverted from the NPT to avoid rough hills that would be difficult to negotiate on skis. While the ski bypasses avoided steeps, a lot of vegetation poked through on these bypasses. I'm assuming the ski bypasses see minimal maintenance and are prone to overgrowth. The snow wasn't quite deep enough to hide all the obstacles. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfibHgtMlOEMaH-GRx_d7PBKcWjFCjGZjW2CbM9hPCpu59lEh4rWEPuciLP13ObSr2P53tH7g_L7B-pEpb-MC0IyETLk_EtVWDLIcZ94cxn3kgbOZd9USNkMzQTCoUkpPRv89wm_Nk8kZKou-choJC5wKlQmQSwHrAh2ikXCeMDX4Bg6vjTAHsF7PwRML/s4032/72699903-88FB-4177-9BDC-0504A48D6261.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfibHgtMlOEMaH-GRx_d7PBKcWjFCjGZjW2CbM9hPCpu59lEh4rWEPuciLP13ObSr2P53tH7g_L7B-pEpb-MC0IyETLk_EtVWDLIcZ94cxn3kgbOZd9USNkMzQTCoUkpPRv89wm_Nk8kZKou-choJC5wKlQmQSwHrAh2ikXCeMDX4Bg6vjTAHsF7PwRML/w400-h300/72699903-88FB-4177-9BDC-0504A48D6261.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ski bypass sign</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The trail widens as it turns onto an old skidder trail and eventually a wider old logging road. The skiing became a little easier on the wider trail. Progress was fairly slow as I broke over a foot of untouched snow. I was pleasantly surprised that the morning turned out sunny despite a forecast for clouds. I'm glad I brought my sunglasses.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDxAd-Xhgv1lheJs28E7iayIhCp2r4TABMqelhsb48PcOvoB-y6YmdBh2VW_cCgLeSmDFcGDhDHFqcxLHlLTqT2IMKHQKFBnVpO7zYuBEWybYDYaU71t6MW5fDX2xUWGunDdp03aI-Ta71ILucsHTvSZMfNVnPiw-ImjroGn3zexiyD0dO2L8nTc7RxxA/s4032/ADBEEC4B-9022-4E4C-AFB6-5B2A68D07CEA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDxAd-Xhgv1lheJs28E7iayIhCp2r4TABMqelhsb48PcOvoB-y6YmdBh2VW_cCgLeSmDFcGDhDHFqcxLHlLTqT2IMKHQKFBnVpO7zYuBEWybYDYaU71t6MW5fDX2xUWGunDdp03aI-Ta71ILucsHTvSZMfNVnPiw-ImjroGn3zexiyD0dO2L8nTc7RxxA/w400-h300/ADBEEC4B-9022-4E4C-AFB6-5B2A68D07CEA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old ski tracks are visible here</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIzNDsO9y-6pniddVGg2Z_GhhLHmpjFrrZv9MUAAiF1vpQK6EBlEXmYNDv7NtcCCLuyhfWoHEKF_uCkZsvxWBs1gBrJXikVuugd2xnnL4suWE51C0BfXIBNLWaWvaCGzZj8qMXz_q_TfXJrizSBPiEWnyh0jtD19D7t4A6WnlSCPIU_qfO6MhR8dRbhXd/s4032/38561A99-3FB6-439D-ADD4-6105F408469E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIzNDsO9y-6pniddVGg2Z_GhhLHmpjFrrZv9MUAAiF1vpQK6EBlEXmYNDv7NtcCCLuyhfWoHEKF_uCkZsvxWBs1gBrJXikVuugd2xnnL4suWE51C0BfXIBNLWaWvaCGzZj8qMXz_q_TfXJrizSBPiEWnyh0jtD19D7t4A6WnlSCPIU_qfO6MhR8dRbhXd/w400-h300/38561A99-3FB6-439D-ADD4-6105F408469E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing an old logging road</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Just under two miles from the trailhead, I reached the junction for the Three-Brook Ski Loop. The Three-Brook Ski Loop is a backcountry loop formed with the NPT and marked as a ski trail. As the name implies, the trail crosses over three brooks along the loop. The loop can be skied in either direction, but I chose to ski it counterclockwise, leaving the NPT at the first junction for the loop. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01dwiznyDBdSNWmvd5Vqf0bjEiIJEBx_GniuUStC7SA1EKLZJfch3sfQAYu_pdj2ujbeLtsrWxw_tkJgicEGHCg_zj1SKtm90ZaQe7RBYn3bgObU2iejm5teyocPSmbJTr7ebSnMXMIbTEMd_rNRLwwjouamgaBYH0oB7TAH6PyRgJmbtRPdhp6mEd8Om/s4032/66A4289E-F4FD-4B93-AE26-376BC7248493.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01dwiznyDBdSNWmvd5Vqf0bjEiIJEBx_GniuUStC7SA1EKLZJfch3sfQAYu_pdj2ujbeLtsrWxw_tkJgicEGHCg_zj1SKtm90ZaQe7RBYn3bgObU2iejm5teyocPSmbJTr7ebSnMXMIbTEMd_rNRLwwjouamgaBYH0oB7TAH6PyRgJmbtRPdhp6mEd8Om/w400-h300/66A4289E-F4FD-4B93-AE26-376BC7248493.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First junction for the Three-Brook Loop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOPGAT7Rt6ME4IN0cuYzkTmFuEq_kfNZ85PADuYXFdIrrbxrzxaW5OIULA-2A05ZXViHN7EvYNqSpNEl4W1naCfaVjcaS_LAbRHZ9JHxCPrXZsgkoY4yd58QHZDkTQTtfrmeK-wc8_lLQrK0pZnX6Y_RZbIW5i_lhGV3OZXkHVPfUugqDR9obnWalBgCE/s4032/9951889C-C55A-458F-9D29-DC851A8F3C72.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOPGAT7Rt6ME4IN0cuYzkTmFuEq_kfNZ85PADuYXFdIrrbxrzxaW5OIULA-2A05ZXViHN7EvYNqSpNEl4W1naCfaVjcaS_LAbRHZ9JHxCPrXZsgkoY4yd58QHZDkTQTtfrmeK-wc8_lLQrK0pZnX6Y_RZbIW5i_lhGV3OZXkHVPfUugqDR9obnWalBgCE/w400-h300/9951889C-C55A-458F-9D29-DC851A8F3C72.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large burl in a tree </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwdX7RdgU2F7_vJOmX4nPsMPFw-0sShgBhMjOGFzQ3NN28YiAzymTTz1FhmWFUXr9tFF45iiARcpTU6MvGlpksdWQUtf21IhMr9CkswjQeV6_sScH7tXT9DdpPFiOpzPJ6_Xo3_F14dNPZ9satSzXrTAmTC7yYAQIA0e7IYTrf_7NlVf2aL9prDhJOeO3/s4032/749FBA09-EED2-4CC9-B1D1-7C5C73F778A3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwdX7RdgU2F7_vJOmX4nPsMPFw-0sShgBhMjOGFzQ3NN28YiAzymTTz1FhmWFUXr9tFF45iiARcpTU6MvGlpksdWQUtf21IhMr9CkswjQeV6_sScH7tXT9DdpPFiOpzPJ6_Xo3_F14dNPZ9satSzXrTAmTC7yYAQIA0e7IYTrf_7NlVf2aL9prDhJOeO3/w400-h300/749FBA09-EED2-4CC9-B1D1-7C5C73F778A3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fresh tracks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThEBHviDD9PU2bZfFIB3iidqIzG7ZnwiRXRpX1_2wbWS7zMHcfTkQ7jVa8qhjUqvuohOmf5GHn-yE2WBVpcgIrWh6K1EJoem_3AaCEdoqH2PO2wKLozhys0FN552z3nPPTStM5MEon8_8LMxSbgf_1CbQjbLrdSrGMB3jABy-ntWa-XZ6Wyl1c9ZLJ6xN/s4032/CA7DEEB1-854B-4A75-8AD3-3492A65F1A69.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThEBHviDD9PU2bZfFIB3iidqIzG7ZnwiRXRpX1_2wbWS7zMHcfTkQ7jVa8qhjUqvuohOmf5GHn-yE2WBVpcgIrWh6K1EJoem_3AaCEdoqH2PO2wKLozhys0FN552z3nPPTStM5MEon8_8LMxSbgf_1CbQjbLrdSrGMB3jABy-ntWa-XZ6Wyl1c9ZLJ6xN/w400-h300/CA7DEEB1-854B-4A75-8AD3-3492A65F1A69.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of the three brooks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGlRY_i0OywnDVrWcfUw5M1SniUhPAomG3RyS3aEr72L4s_eTraWklG31VfPm0T7qr3hcdteRm5TxVK-R5_oQF7TAriq2WCBcVDHBABOy51HQsU6kjvUdTX7bUyvNdMz88n-yz0Y5f3qkgJaAAKLDYR2NZwGgnaKZERSY722bkVr7KrLmUQoUvQGUhRv6/s4032/489D3B9C-7DF2-43B6-AA46-829F3B417F9C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGlRY_i0OywnDVrWcfUw5M1SniUhPAomG3RyS3aEr72L4s_eTraWklG31VfPm0T7qr3hcdteRm5TxVK-R5_oQF7TAriq2WCBcVDHBABOy51HQsU6kjvUdTX7bUyvNdMz88n-yz0Y5f3qkgJaAAKLDYR2NZwGgnaKZERSY722bkVr7KrLmUQoUvQGUhRv6/w400-h300/489D3B9C-7DF2-43B6-AA46-829F3B417F9C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tracks crossing the bridge<br />over the first brook</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Generally the ski loop trail runs wider than a typical hiking trail, but not as wide as a logging road. The loop travels through a mix of deciduous and coniferous forests. The loop has a few short hills, but generally covers pretty easy terrain. Given the deep, untracked snow, I never gained too much speed. A couple of blowdowns blocked the trail, but generally it was in pretty good shape. I found the trail to be enjoyable in the untouched snow. The loop rejoins the NPT at its south end.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IcyIugTrT3NmeDPRN067i5O_vXu2pm15DZyGcd21jzD0FT1TEhlEU2AOMUbI6xfFZM1Y9zLri5zTaizqzcQCQpG7E29-E4-Z8Ultg3lkooYEk5YTdIJW1WVjeMn3fmXpo3ueGjJYApqEiw0L8p9Pm0AYYqvECYCEB3ftZFN9qaKvcsjPVkQQVXrrRB03/s4032/A146520D-02CB-4C04-8F77-5D5BACA99CBA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IcyIugTrT3NmeDPRN067i5O_vXu2pm15DZyGcd21jzD0FT1TEhlEU2AOMUbI6xfFZM1Y9zLri5zTaizqzcQCQpG7E29-E4-Z8Ultg3lkooYEk5YTdIJW1WVjeMn3fmXpo3ueGjJYApqEiw0L8p9Pm0AYYqvECYCEB3ftZFN9qaKvcsjPVkQQVXrrRB03/w400-h300/A146520D-02CB-4C04-8F77-5D5BACA99CBA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Untracked snow ahead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiQwVLie1OuTY4Ryk6dhCKfBDaBrXe4Y6gyySHeh_9RHikQLiCv1IK0a27xpRMfiL9VjxKZEd0mM96ts1z-Nua3k_FTtB5MBmdY01dXn0T0X00hmDNEB4OyPvNrGgcHf6xiX8Lit157RbRCesCYQTAlfgNEod755WeutzeeYnSQmtGKaANjl48NE4ziuO/s4032/F37E2830-A7C2-4E24-BA25-7F12E31B9234.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiQwVLie1OuTY4Ryk6dhCKfBDaBrXe4Y6gyySHeh_9RHikQLiCv1IK0a27xpRMfiL9VjxKZEd0mM96ts1z-Nua3k_FTtB5MBmdY01dXn0T0X00hmDNEB4OyPvNrGgcHf6xiX8Lit157RbRCesCYQTAlfgNEod755WeutzeeYnSQmtGKaANjl48NE4ziuO/w400-h300/F37E2830-A7C2-4E24-BA25-7F12E31B9234.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into a narrow section of the loop</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Back on the NPT, the skiing went a little faster. The NPT generally heads downhill as it makes its way back to the start of the loop. I was still breaking snow, but the slight downhill sped up my progress. After a mile or so I was back at the start of the loop. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg132Z0hcnkHOjYI0TFnBjR7gF4XDdSmFg57YTUOXk22toKUvsXrJiRENYxF0mSInv9ZMB08Wf2obaIP1A1PiIcfb30V6XcbhhuSujOA3J8jqjngX_eQ0nBhECeRRFCWJymegJtLzg3ZUAUPs6pfbmwACrrBfAPciundymv51eAwcBnU9NNDl8eZVbpZAAe/s4032/3C0DD077-5D1C-4F4B-A8DB-CF505EB24B98.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg132Z0hcnkHOjYI0TFnBjR7gF4XDdSmFg57YTUOXk22toKUvsXrJiRENYxF0mSInv9ZMB08Wf2obaIP1A1PiIcfb30V6XcbhhuSujOA3J8jqjngX_eQ0nBhECeRRFCWJymegJtLzg3ZUAUPs6pfbmwACrrBfAPciundymv51eAwcBnU9NNDl8eZVbpZAAe/w400-h300/3C0DD077-5D1C-4F4B-A8DB-CF505EB24B98.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upper junction of the NPT and the loop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFiGOVRPAItR0OkIFrVFgAZHLCNqAtcCb4hKF7Szu1t4xfrSXzhNyGO1Yfs3HyxdEWS_MosulfdL9oPpS-5HQQZ87NB2tNh93S7ZRKTgjtiEdNFlgjMkrWhwlVFa4RdfE-vW3mljYi27F1qDs4TVkVpnSIn40vdql9y6bpiOjOceJpjKcQG81mlpgWNUL/s4032/AF91F57C-94FC-434C-8EA6-937D46F210CB.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFiGOVRPAItR0OkIFrVFgAZHLCNqAtcCb4hKF7Szu1t4xfrSXzhNyGO1Yfs3HyxdEWS_MosulfdL9oPpS-5HQQZ87NB2tNh93S7ZRKTgjtiEdNFlgjMkrWhwlVFa4RdfE-vW3mljYi27F1qDs4TVkVpnSIn40vdql9y6bpiOjOceJpjKcQG81mlpgWNUL/w400-h300/AF91F57C-94FC-434C-8EA6-937D46F210CB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Untouched snow along the NPT</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mKhyxxGVBHx5tZ7aagjnezY2mcaZbNnrU0-yVPSG5Go87c0Alc_vPET4kFaRBKu6bI-gpQ01mdW4O83aow3JTs7avflt3MMbA0cqBaChgOJyPvHGOw1YfHyg6qh-k1uVUR8RuyykDvJ7RZpfDl9jbK5JSkQn_3quH2ASVMKlglT5qhBj4PIpHpd9nCjX/s4032/DF48146C-613A-485A-801D-2A09339450B7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mKhyxxGVBHx5tZ7aagjnezY2mcaZbNnrU0-yVPSG5Go87c0Alc_vPET4kFaRBKu6bI-gpQ01mdW4O83aow3JTs7avflt3MMbA0cqBaChgOJyPvHGOw1YfHyg6qh-k1uVUR8RuyykDvJ7RZpfDl9jbK5JSkQn_3quH2ASVMKlglT5qhBj4PIpHpd9nCjX/w400-h300/DF48146C-613A-485A-801D-2A09339450B7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deer tracks on the NPT</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The last 1.9 miles retraced my tracks on the NPT back to the trailhead. The skiing went more quickly and efficiently following my earlier tracks and no longer breaking snow. The last half-mile or so was trickier as I negotiated the narrow ski bypasses and rougher sections with postholes.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V3whmPF_qQeIu1Dh22qdvsjweCht51hcTbF75BYxsSH3QJ4hwVTx8ReV03MN5DrECfFrHyN9LUb4luImP2TxbdXlslixxEo3sgl8QqsnNHrTKwbTjvT_f80m1T_uuhlIoL7S2Gzl1AjgEchBI5DAgVCDOfR5tJu-jMnrbvJjYm6tNDjTCJBlvhMgHR7A/s4032/A5D15AF1-8B79-47F1-8414-BBA26AB3F33D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V3whmPF_qQeIu1Dh22qdvsjweCht51hcTbF75BYxsSH3QJ4hwVTx8ReV03MN5DrECfFrHyN9LUb4luImP2TxbdXlslixxEo3sgl8QqsnNHrTKwbTjvT_f80m1T_uuhlIoL7S2Gzl1AjgEchBI5DAgVCDOfR5tJu-jMnrbvJjYm6tNDjTCJBlvhMgHR7A/w400-h300/A5D15AF1-8B79-47F1-8414-BBA26AB3F33D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing through hemlocks</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>My route covered about 5.2 miles. Although the distance isn't too long, my pace was relatively slow as I broke over a foot of untouched snow for more than half the trip. I stopped for a quite a few pictures as well and it took about 2 1/2 hours to ski the route. Given a fairly snowy past week, I was surprised nobody skied it recently. I think the loop was a solid intermediate route. The trails never get too steep, but the earlier stretch of the NPT is fairly tight and could cause issues for a beginner not used to narrow trails. I found the loop and enjoyable ski. I always appreciate the forest, especially hardwoods, under a cover of untouched snow</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Big Brook Loop</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I wrapped up the Three-Brook Ski Loop just after noon. I wanted to ski a little more and decided to check out a route called the Big Brook Loop. The Big Brook Loop begins just a few miles north of Long Lake at the Lake Eaton Campground. The 4.2 mile loop travels in the forest on the north side of Lake Eaton. Despite its name, the trail doesn't actually get that close to Big Brook, which lies just to the north of the loop.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike the Three-Brook Loop, the Big Brook Loop utilizes snowmobile trails for its entirety. Snowmobile trails can be hit or miss for skiing. Snowmobiles can chew up trails, and if too busy, the noise can take away from the experience. Since it was an early afternoon on a Monday, I was hoping the snowmobile traffic would be at a minimum.</div><div><br /></div><div>I parked at the end campground access road right at Route 30. The trail begins on the opposite side of the road. The first .8 my followed a connector snowmobile trail that wasn't too wide. The connector trail didn't look to traveled. It moved over fairly easy, rolling terrain in a nice mix of forest.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3AK56eZkfJCS1GTMwhbPfTHJVwy0SVtX17wI6Cy2qYMhQtlCJqrBuqp_F-gXuazwQ-luNGsfmcKDhyphenhyphenL5GPS9E49RUD6C6nl02OvYVPlVA_QX7PRt6rCFZ_6psvmNSH-vQ1_oPdFXrqSJgtkP-Q_3QjOAQcurH4eRQdP5kaxTpuZmBA4ELSHhGkEwc5E-/s4032/49DDB9A4-9E64-4878-A6CC-2F766DB00631.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3AK56eZkfJCS1GTMwhbPfTHJVwy0SVtX17wI6Cy2qYMhQtlCJqrBuqp_F-gXuazwQ-luNGsfmcKDhyphenhyphenL5GPS9E49RUD6C6nl02OvYVPlVA_QX7PRt6rCFZ_6psvmNSH-vQ1_oPdFXrqSJgtkP-Q_3QjOAQcurH4eRQdP5kaxTpuZmBA4ELSHhGkEwc5E-/w400-h300/49DDB9A4-9E64-4878-A6CC-2F766DB00631.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Big Brook Loop</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtggZDUjzH-15U4RMbCDrp90QnCJ920JvMHkMk2aSaFwV5AN-g36xtXepa7z9e7dfj_QV0RyM-rb_LG8IMzH9gqpX1p4TcIrLoM7t7I1aQGkVLNUV2BLOTp3RRJCpSJT_JwCcJQ_M2z7rvCkPVLmr5tPFyDkH6n_c3RJdajWczcatl0CS3GB3DpGNZV4ep/s4032/0F4DD782-EC67-4A3F-A13B-142253E2FEED.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtggZDUjzH-15U4RMbCDrp90QnCJ920JvMHkMk2aSaFwV5AN-g36xtXepa7z9e7dfj_QV0RyM-rb_LG8IMzH9gqpX1p4TcIrLoM7t7I1aQGkVLNUV2BLOTp3RRJCpSJT_JwCcJQ_M2z7rvCkPVLmr5tPFyDkH6n_c3RJdajWczcatl0CS3GB3DpGNZV4ep/w400-h300/0F4DD782-EC67-4A3F-A13B-142253E2FEED.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following snowmobile tracks <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPP_e47aIntv3cxCqpyS9vbVbEw8JPZNryJcCtJc7l3jHDKW-E05EmrctblKAVjsKdns0Zi5zugu_Hy7klfa3vYvYg7HmsAZYDwlDHq8UMTJA24WxAMTnemf6IRouHmfLu8gb5XtWZvzrHVio7PmJXsRlRM0MP1uRrRPRzt5T3uPc-uo_FPX6cxVEywJg5/s4032/CBF7F7F1-6093-403E-9DD7-82FD3E783EC3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPP_e47aIntv3cxCqpyS9vbVbEw8JPZNryJcCtJc7l3jHDKW-E05EmrctblKAVjsKdns0Zi5zugu_Hy7klfa3vYvYg7HmsAZYDwlDHq8UMTJA24WxAMTnemf6IRouHmfLu8gb5XtWZvzrHVio7PmJXsRlRM0MP1uRrRPRzt5T3uPc-uo_FPX6cxVEywJg5/w400-h300/CBF7F7F1-6093-403E-9DD7-82FD3E783EC3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first stretch was narrow for a<br />snowmobile trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfL01V_Ko9gpLi4yAgPEF6yb6v-K5jDjUk6mpXIIS69szH1CCyn22d-mx7lTrFJqMlprH1-5LPcv8uuUq9eZ-dMA8gh3FxpqxOiLm2bi5WbsDqBb1VHAoRXd3mNkgPLf-20CgCwSgv0zqYzH9IVrvpxBjELyoklwjp1omEuYsQsByVSY3yeJ1R8n7Oqwe/s4032/0D36DF44-9F5F-4B03-9D21-1C9A142222CA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfL01V_Ko9gpLi4yAgPEF6yb6v-K5jDjUk6mpXIIS69szH1CCyn22d-mx7lTrFJqMlprH1-5LPcv8uuUq9eZ-dMA8gh3FxpqxOiLm2bi5WbsDqBb1VHAoRXd3mNkgPLf-20CgCwSgv0zqYzH9IVrvpxBjELyoklwjp1omEuYsQsByVSY3yeJ1R8n7Oqwe/w400-h300/0D36DF44-9F5F-4B03-9D21-1C9A142222CA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small trees in the hardwood forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkOaPNuIW48rEsq-pzrgogRCKWR4Q9I8Fg8uDyatWL1n67oImztDg4j48QdRMP-lRFdknUa5M7TxDg0pHTlWs148AdRwzy48QGJt-R5ZibYsZq6ijiUXoHRsmVq3jh7UfQN0hOK7UhAJR7hZ39U5_q8VFQFIRO_8mAmlWK5pyVuPjfZ8IW7enR0lfDs2v/s4032/BD900E07-6B25-4676-A5F3-84CFAC592707.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkOaPNuIW48rEsq-pzrgogRCKWR4Q9I8Fg8uDyatWL1n67oImztDg4j48QdRMP-lRFdknUa5M7TxDg0pHTlWs148AdRwzy48QGJt-R5ZibYsZq6ijiUXoHRsmVq3jh7UfQN0hOK7UhAJR7hZ39U5_q8VFQFIRO_8mAmlWK5pyVuPjfZ8IW7enR0lfDs2v/w400-h300/BD900E07-6B25-4676-A5F3-84CFAC592707.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail through the hardwood forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I reached a junction at .8 miles for a more heavily trafficked trail, State Snowmobile Route C7B. (Snowmobile maps use these letter/number names for the trails) The snow was a little chewed up from heavy weekend use. This trail was wider than the connector, more like a dirt road. This trail eventually parallels Route 30 for a short distance. Dense trees hide the road for the most part and I only heard a couple large trucks over the sound of my skis gliding through the snow. The stretch that runs adjacent to the road was actually pretty with large, stately white pines lining the trail. After a mile C7B, I crossed Route 30 onto trail S86.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYXmqs6STUzynh5reWBLt-HzY3PruD3FVUayDZANaDRhp2t3dqN318JKli7uq7qUrZ1OhTFHnEq6kXgQaVxxLUpNBCUsvUZqY53IPzvnmwP9Ybfw1YvWwL5YhA3hlxEA1TCwlIMWmPoJmo9eEDqZZImyIiCUpabKrGv350bg7cpDDwR535QjvKp3MpJIC/s4032/721FF2CC-0540-4F3C-BEA1-6CD7B5BF28AE.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYXmqs6STUzynh5reWBLt-HzY3PruD3FVUayDZANaDRhp2t3dqN318JKli7uq7qUrZ1OhTFHnEq6kXgQaVxxLUpNBCUsvUZqY53IPzvnmwP9Ybfw1YvWwL5YhA3hlxEA1TCwlIMWmPoJmo9eEDqZZImyIiCUpabKrGv350bg7cpDDwR535QjvKp3MpJIC/w400-h300/721FF2CC-0540-4F3C-BEA1-6CD7B5BF28AE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the main snowmobile trail (C7B)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadKMBjnU0jVetufNiR_035hihyphenhyphen9VxNbqkXidC745-MbShWEQysN2PDtYvfktmM5uC6iZqxJFLtVPLaFbi2gIMuSLdAu_S45w4D_V5V6Qo0NidMzBzsqOEe5SPpf_kkAQU6kAIY64xwgzEEud02T0UgrbcQ5En7lrPMTVX4SaYvIM6dxyXXLQv3nN88MbL/s4032/2D93358A-944B-4131-9A1D-C42E6CF95BC4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadKMBjnU0jVetufNiR_035hihyphenhyphen9VxNbqkXidC745-MbShWEQysN2PDtYvfktmM5uC6iZqxJFLtVPLaFbi2gIMuSLdAu_S45w4D_V5V6Qo0NidMzBzsqOEe5SPpf_kkAQU6kAIY64xwgzEEud02T0UgrbcQ5En7lrPMTVX4SaYvIM6dxyXXLQv3nN88MbL/w400-h300/2D93358A-944B-4131-9A1D-C42E6CF95BC4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty corridor through large pines</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The S86 trail was much less chewed up and skied quite nicely through a predominately hardwoods forest. I soon reached a junction with a trail register. The main S86 route continued to right. I turned left on a trail that appeared to have only one snowmobile track and a set of snowshoe tracks. This trail heads to the north end of Lake Eaton and the campground.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUbhuw9kq0xdWqcIRctxaXhG8cylpbyYEl5GdT9yUq7bwS342XHroW_zKo12lVgpA2wSwSqnrd_O13V-U5sov6ZJyikq8TeziRXtFdu77bVeMNrKdoZBtr6aaw2aE6HhKeT2N6dK5HZJVMYu5aslAx1q6rlLU42mAqBPTSaBjY7bVNX_syr3ZYku2_q9p/s4032/D96A2415-C563-4153-8A0A-8076C1096540.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUbhuw9kq0xdWqcIRctxaXhG8cylpbyYEl5GdT9yUq7bwS342XHroW_zKo12lVgpA2wSwSqnrd_O13V-U5sov6ZJyikq8TeziRXtFdu77bVeMNrKdoZBtr6aaw2aE6HhKeT2N6dK5HZJVMYu5aslAx1q6rlLU42mAqBPTSaBjY7bVNX_syr3ZYku2_q9p/w400-h300/D96A2415-C563-4153-8A0A-8076C1096540.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the lesser traveled snowmobile trail (S86)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The trail leading to the campground had a pretty thin base of snow. I was surprised to see several sections of open water spanning the trail. All of the sections of open water were easy to bypass or step over. I soon reached the northern end of Lake Eaton.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKNDyP5aXU8rvWjgHmC9IkiM6We3zg_tWXs3wa5fURPt70XVhdxVaxXnwu0by2h90oK6-AJwds585SezN1Y8xohWbxceXRa9kVXAqQfc5riX1xLbHoeyZrImZik_zv-zTlX_ti-gankGV4LwUsRK3XnyVZnHZZ51_-fNHbJh0wWKJ0QprEewc08yztMyH/s4032/55B9D64D-0384-4910-B213-1475FE5AE8A2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKNDyP5aXU8rvWjgHmC9IkiM6We3zg_tWXs3wa5fURPt70XVhdxVaxXnwu0by2h90oK6-AJwds585SezN1Y8xohWbxceXRa9kVXAqQfc5riX1xLbHoeyZrImZik_zv-zTlX_ti-gankGV4LwUsRK3XnyVZnHZZ51_-fNHbJh0wWKJ0QprEewc08yztMyH/w400-h300/55B9D64D-0384-4910-B213-1475FE5AE8A2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was surprised to find open water on the trail<br />after a cold week</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The trail doesn't lead directly to the shore of Lake Eaton, though it's visible a short distance through the trees. I traveled a 100 feet or so to the edge of the lake to get a better look. There's a good view over the lake of the nearby mountains. Owl's Head dominates the view.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvHzs02nv-GiiJ8eh03Estl-aVLHnp8PdMB0Ts_AehimHS4u9DAQt5iv-RdaNia4YMf_zbK4JQSNPsSyTgYxDiLwSTxIU-FUG5LQJlRyUh8OnvaEuyo0y6jvGsSfasBBKUwT6Jg7moKChkYBldPESVz_KKLz_630HtdLyjXvpM6IyQEuvb-o0z-VaOHj/s4032/344CC25B-2C11-495B-B1F7-5F9D48A0221F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvHzs02nv-GiiJ8eh03Estl-aVLHnp8PdMB0Ts_AehimHS4u9DAQt5iv-RdaNia4YMf_zbK4JQSNPsSyTgYxDiLwSTxIU-FUG5LQJlRyUh8OnvaEuyo0y6jvGsSfasBBKUwT6Jg7moKChkYBldPESVz_KKLz_630HtdLyjXvpM6IyQEuvb-o0z-VaOHj/w400-h300/344CC25B-2C11-495B-B1F7-5F9D48A0221F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east over Lake Eaton</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17Gb7ks7n_-6dctEhPii0m_4ccoiSbldktNthTTq0bpQVw-N5f_0UgBJ-egFc23R18H_UQOM8ft8rlNEKtxmXJcvve2mOXYAAvQjut1RNshGaMS-BPBa4nBODhjgFvg4ZZq3vMYFpiNNkQ9hWIMlGZbknfttuN-XXZ8FiuwOAOz1sxb5SMPyYkVwrFIXO/s4032/AB3F92EA-0C63-47F3-AF26-7F49356EF74E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17Gb7ks7n_-6dctEhPii0m_4ccoiSbldktNthTTq0bpQVw-N5f_0UgBJ-egFc23R18H_UQOM8ft8rlNEKtxmXJcvve2mOXYAAvQjut1RNshGaMS-BPBa4nBODhjgFvg4ZZq3vMYFpiNNkQ9hWIMlGZbknfttuN-XXZ8FiuwOAOz1sxb5SMPyYkVwrFIXO/w400-h300/AB3F92EA-0C63-47F3-AF26-7F49356EF74E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owl’s Head over Lake Eaton</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After checking out the lake, I rejoined the trail and quickly reached the campground. The last 1/4 mile or so travels through the campground. After passing the first stretch of campsites, I reached the beach and boat ramp area of the campground. There is an excellent view of Owl's Head from the beach. From the beach, I finished up my loop skiing on the snow covered driveway into the campground.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFcKmVX9T89JIlFknn9N699mDpq4r8hWG7OksPOKqkc6BoLLaafrCs5JYa4eHMjt53s3MerkswUXzRyRo9kakTZvF0tXV1OavlBzhU_ABrCmb6PnmnLI-n0yzm3aKElGVsjv1BhgrDhKMqP5I8qCmPJYviTX5uMXxPfZrc705Plf-cIpzZ3pf5EFWpPQK/s4032/C4CB7165-9456-4BDA-B4E1-C468469A72A9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFcKmVX9T89JIlFknn9N699mDpq4r8hWG7OksPOKqkc6BoLLaafrCs5JYa4eHMjt53s3MerkswUXzRyRo9kakTZvF0tXV1OavlBzhU_ABrCmb6PnmnLI-n0yzm3aKElGVsjv1BhgrDhKMqP5I8qCmPJYviTX5uMXxPfZrc705Plf-cIpzZ3pf5EFWpPQK/w400-h300/C4CB7165-9456-4BDA-B4E1-C468469A72A9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoomed in view of Owl’s Head from<br />beach at the campground</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The Big Brook Loop runs just over 4 miles. Even though it utilizes snowmobile trails for its entirety, I didn't cross paths with a single snowmobile on a Monday afternoon. The only other people I saw were a couple of ice fisherman on Lake Eaton. Since the trail was packed down by snowmobile traffic, the 4 miles went by quickly. I didn't even take an hour to ski the loop. </div><div><br /></div><div>I thought the Big Brook Loop was a nice little trip. I definitely wouldn't recommend skiing it on the weekend when a lot of snowmobiles are in the area, but midweek, it was a pleasant ski through the forest. Although snowmobiles can make the trails a little rough, I think the loop would be a safe bet for a novice skier.<br /><br /><b>Maps</b></div><div><a href="https://www.mylonglake.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Long-Lake-NPT-Spur-Trail-Map-2019--scaled.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">NPT/Three-Brooks Ski Loop</span></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.adirondackexperience.com/f/listing/3817/info/bigbrookloop-map.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Big Brook Loop</span></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mylonglake.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2023-Downtown-Long-Lake-Inset.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Long Lake Snowmobile Trails</span></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>While Long Lake isn’t usually brought up in conversations about Adirondack cross country skiing, there are certainly some good options. While these two trips are quite different from each other, I had fun on both loops. My two outings covered a total of 9-10 miles of enjoyable skiing. While I have skied more impressive trails in other parts of the Adirondacks, I certainly won’t complain about having these two outings to myself on a nice January day. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxMyOuKyq7cd4SnFKEdFfwrdRqCGBupSj9AII59Po-zDILLiGVwNgBFpGqXI9t5hUuUh19S-NmNMoz1t3MZR7eFzNOqBRJkacuo4w6BzDWb6CD_-5WxXDd4egZ-d4Ai9ypc7eao38Tl8f9roFJ8jtkLlQkziQ0u0nIn4X5aHpmqz1zKzrXP1p44fbYfHOm" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxMyOuKyq7cd4SnFKEdFfwrdRqCGBupSj9AII59Po-zDILLiGVwNgBFpGqXI9t5hUuUh19S-NmNMoz1t3MZR7eFzNOqBRJkacuo4w6BzDWb6CD_-5WxXDd4egZ-d4Ai9ypc7eao38Tl8f9roFJ8jtkLlQkziQ0u0nIn4X5aHpmqz1zKzrXP1p44fbYfHOm=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh tracks in a mixed forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post check out and “LIKE” <a href="https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063454660002&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat’s Outdoor Adventures</span> </a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-86650397624383858702024-01-21T07:56:00.000-08:002024-01-21T12:55:51.194-08:00Jenkins Mountain<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2,513-foot Jenkins Mountain rises in the northern Adirondacks near Paul Smiths College. The unassuming mountain stands as the high point of the Paul Smiths Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) trail system. With nearly no snow on the ground January 2nd, I wanted to get in a hike since cross country skiing was out of the question. I wanted to take Choya along but and wasn't looking for a terribly long or difficult hike. Although I have hiked Jenkins before, it seemed like it a good hike for the day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Two trailheads can be used to reach the trail up Jenkins. Probably the more common route accesses the mountain from the VIC. Usually in the winter, the VIC trails are groomed for cross country skiing and require a trail fee (no fee out of the ski season). Even though it was January, the trails were probably lacking enough snow for skiing or snowshoeing after rain and warm temperatures in late December. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A second trailhead along Keese Mills Road provides another route to Jenkins via the Black Pond Trail. Although still on the VIC property, these trails aren't groomed and avoid the busier, main VIC area. I used this route to start my hike both times I have been to Jenkins.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Although the forecast called for clearing skies, low clouds covered the sky on the morning January 2nd. When I left my house, only a fine dusting of snow covered the ground. By the time I reached the trailhead, about an inch covered the ground with bare ground under the canopy of the coniferous trees. A previous hiker, tracked down the little bit of snow that covered the ground.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2ZYvINYg9tVq_hIiJnDvLJTZ4csT2PgNeix-2qzxPlFFvkqNMHjJojL-LUtG0fHR9JW-hKNV6b-FkzBt_-PbC03iCse3g6ViGhBCNSyJx-EhIqKmBqWovz1zPDw_xKBVsFNfyGeRKkjYKuJD4jotUuRzVd1fs8kHh23fSjSnv5wmN_jN5kDYsepFrvMN/s4032/0538D000-B08D-4570-94BA-FF6FE3CA8A92.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2ZYvINYg9tVq_hIiJnDvLJTZ4csT2PgNeix-2qzxPlFFvkqNMHjJojL-LUtG0fHR9JW-hKNV6b-FkzBt_-PbC03iCse3g6ViGhBCNSyJx-EhIqKmBqWovz1zPDw_xKBVsFNfyGeRKkjYKuJD4jotUuRzVd1fs8kHh23fSjSnv5wmN_jN5kDYsepFrvMN/w400-h300/0538D000-B08D-4570-94BA-FF6FE3CA8A92.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Pond Outlet near the trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">The route follows close to water for the first part of the hike. Initially along the outlet of Black Pond, the trail soon reaches Black Pond. A lean to sits on the shore of Black Pond less than a half-mile from the trailhead. (all lean tos on the VIC property require a reservation to use) The outlet still remained unfrozen, but the pond itself was covered in ice.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration: underline;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMK7Xz0phObIPo2ZCpoFi6KV2tzswmaKjfQsFoigQnSqHepOwQIAPe_51u22IdYQ6wbkO88zQG50GLYwlqEQDCV-VCgjRW6BFNfmPqsJlOqbox66NGtOHy95-V7jmiTxBRQnZZFSjVM24mMm-2ONnYaZ19EE0zes96ibgA-NCSvKVg3ZGkBrj_KofFhAF/s4032/ED5D556F-76A2-403E-8195-EA85D7FBB9F5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMK7Xz0phObIPo2ZCpoFi6KV2tzswmaKjfQsFoigQnSqHepOwQIAPe_51u22IdYQ6wbkO88zQG50GLYwlqEQDCV-VCgjRW6BFNfmPqsJlOqbox66NGtOHy95-V7jmiTxBRQnZZFSjVM24mMm-2ONnYaZ19EE0zes96ibgA-NCSvKVg3ZGkBrj_KofFhAF/w400-h300/ED5D556F-76A2-403E-8195-EA85D7FBB9F5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open water on Black Pond Outlet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration: underline;"></span></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-r90liI1NQ0VHTysV_aqK-qGBgqTjZgcuFy1tQJ4KHxg1i2jiokjWhBt3a9KggRXzqAbtS9RTBjO1pGKEyFcXl-JR5JutsWt6zmWyoLBEWawJIIJHbSBQzN5uNgP9d0RGDHBoTttF9mVOElx4cgbvJqVZRCXP_pDIbQT7c15ZPAmMpGRdmts98bp2u71X/s4032/30734650-EA4A-409A-BA5E-188428F30846.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-r90liI1NQ0VHTysV_aqK-qGBgqTjZgcuFy1tQJ4KHxg1i2jiokjWhBt3a9KggRXzqAbtS9RTBjO1pGKEyFcXl-JR5JutsWt6zmWyoLBEWawJIIJHbSBQzN5uNgP9d0RGDHBoTttF9mVOElx4cgbvJqVZRCXP_pDIbQT7c15ZPAmMpGRdmts98bp2u71X/w400-h300/30734650-EA4A-409A-BA5E-188428F30846.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lean to by Black Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdAzVc7-A4-Xvulbh-c9uuje2eLaQcg4EQFlzdFcHNmadQLRiVkj8nKBfvFyqxbLtxuOX9qvY_gDj4P57UaSfX069ZeMKKSSRGYQsDuVNYmVy_RpjuNPNAAIwL9Kv42J7FAU-o20UOi92bmMDqOacyI7sIIdoAtHXqlyYIP2jauThFCbMdlCK3qMbrZGd/s4032/1C8BE18A-6740-428F-9D86-46CCA01E5B99.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdAzVc7-A4-Xvulbh-c9uuje2eLaQcg4EQFlzdFcHNmadQLRiVkj8nKBfvFyqxbLtxuOX9qvY_gDj4P57UaSfX069ZeMKKSSRGYQsDuVNYmVy_RpjuNPNAAIwL9Kv42J7FAU-o20UOi92bmMDqOacyI7sIIdoAtHXqlyYIP2jauThFCbMdlCK3qMbrZGd/w400-h300/1C8BE18A-6740-428F-9D86-46CCA01E5B99.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Pond from the lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzt2hlzzVnRo47Jz0QJiCqgAD3XCHxW6dpwHQ47qMpCiIpprjNmRJUpctdh9oEwoMMpX8DZjrGC9g3_QvYT74YIfSxk-tQIRmrRmniFvTUl7Mx_XZDXS9rTIzudiSKXWzaius4abfAxzhD3h-lmdR9l60jB5bXj71ZaCZhWcUG4DQHO8Mqtz5glecExtBs" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzt2hlzzVnRo47Jz0QJiCqgAD3XCHxW6dpwHQ47qMpCiIpprjNmRJUpctdh9oEwoMMpX8DZjrGC9g3_QvYT74YIfSxk-tQIRmrRmniFvTUl7Mx_XZDXS9rTIzudiSKXWzaius4abfAxzhD3h-lmdR9l60jB5bXj71ZaCZhWcUG4DQHO8Mqtz5glecExtBs=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya enjoying the view over Black Pond on<br />a previous hike when it wasn't frozen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>The trail often travels just a few feet from Black Pond. At the north end of the pond, the Black Pond Trail turns right and continues around the pond and passes another lean to. I continued straight on the Long Pond Trail. Just beyond the junction, I soon reached the southern end of Long Pond.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLh88kCa1qYt0jdfK9MlAiggq5yaJebBbUrG6LNVfmwO8yGmBfeevbYOT3Tmyrd9efgUg6qDA8QhcZghNoSrqMd36EYJrT7d7OfE4HoP9sZI2rixOhgP7rKlV8vrf_MUCf7Rka0Y1tgrl5MFzjiYjoMMKOKzNujSMxXaxtzeE53qnIy9NBnA20gFT2rqL/s4032/C5163416-CEF8-4362-BEFC-C7C4CE213481.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLh88kCa1qYt0jdfK9MlAiggq5yaJebBbUrG6LNVfmwO8yGmBfeevbYOT3Tmyrd9efgUg6qDA8QhcZghNoSrqMd36EYJrT7d7OfE4HoP9sZI2rixOhgP7rKlV8vrf_MUCf7Rka0Y1tgrl5MFzjiYjoMMKOKzNujSMxXaxtzeE53qnIy9NBnA20gFT2rqL/w400-h300/C5163416-CEF8-4362-BEFC-C7C4CE213481.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on a bog bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C_aZ2Tl0Mv15LVlSsUbkJJzj1W13ugPYTU-j9ryDSPSCHliGa-DYwTP4uhWE3MF4Wn3pb0-61f6moFn-SSroQDlMMuI8DVu4i8deKncE-ewBEWXDcv0-xiRurldmn9__xotYl3xgvVwsck-yXEyuQE0TTdpng9IUKhxXatA7bEn6m2PWpBsGkcZXZidJ/s4032/523B978F-23DB-4240-819E-CEBC0EB7ACE7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C_aZ2Tl0Mv15LVlSsUbkJJzj1W13ugPYTU-j9ryDSPSCHliGa-DYwTP4uhWE3MF4Wn3pb0-61f6moFn-SSroQDlMMuI8DVu4i8deKncE-ewBEWXDcv0-xiRurldmn9__xotYl3xgvVwsck-yXEyuQE0TTdpng9IUKhxXatA7bEn6m2PWpBsGkcZXZidJ/w400-h300/523B978F-23DB-4240-819E-CEBC0EB7ACE7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya following the shore of Black Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The Long Pond trail follows its namesake body of water. Another lean sits on the shore of Long Pond.</div>As its name implies, Long Pond is a skinny pond that is much longer than it is wide. The Long Pond Trail travels just over a half-mile before reaching its northern end at a junction on a wider woods road.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4YDxTFENBZjtZWt0cOPbP6uWAYrXSQeqAT9xkLU5CxMP9Nwmx3y6vJTCdi9lDJzdHu28uv2124jpQO_Z4B0jJ5QUypqgFpZ3tOMEF6A9IEsX99Fsdif2jMZYaXx6YgSPGzpcljAIW7ZDsHnSmrZQccWAAYbKmiWzKlZCI_nhJ5yic_KFJ5q0qtVlXUYC/s4032/15DE39B1-E543-433A-8E24-E5CA212841D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4YDxTFENBZjtZWt0cOPbP6uWAYrXSQeqAT9xkLU5CxMP9Nwmx3y6vJTCdi9lDJzdHu28uv2124jpQO_Z4B0jJ5QUypqgFpZ3tOMEF6A9IEsX99Fsdif2jMZYaXx6YgSPGzpcljAIW7ZDsHnSmrZQccWAAYbKmiWzKlZCI_nhJ5yic_KFJ5q0qtVlXUYC/w400-h300/15DE39B1-E543-433A-8E24-E5CA212841D9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the south end of Long Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From the right, the woods road comes in from the main VIC trailhead and cross country trails. Turning left, the trail heads toward Jenkins Mountain. The woods road quickly fades into a trail as it travels between a beaver bog at the base of Jenkins and a large esker.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZo548oOXU-BjdAO_gnwhvuuKkipPIicdx0eg4QoQbvBPEqi2QvyIInVDHoH4c0XTxlzPcIO93QmRdAiZPek2sXDWpv4K1kVVH-62wGt0FqZXD48kT_Jwd_m5GxRDtUWh9Og-cUJscr2G9rnYamq8eXaY1pwmcdnT5F9EKyu_IxGVnk9x-kaUeDFW9ekda/s4032/8FFCFED4-5074-4AF6-8CA7-B96CD8ACECA9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZo548oOXU-BjdAO_gnwhvuuKkipPIicdx0eg4QoQbvBPEqi2QvyIInVDHoH4c0XTxlzPcIO93QmRdAiZPek2sXDWpv4K1kVVH-62wGt0FqZXD48kT_Jwd_m5GxRDtUWh9Og-cUJscr2G9rnYamq8eXaY1pwmcdnT5F9EKyu_IxGVnk9x-kaUeDFW9ekda/w400-h300/8FFCFED4-5074-4AF6-8CA7-B96CD8ACECA9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View over Long Pond by the lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFL7elcXnwVaUCpL8eLZGQAS6IT_Klnu9HKf9ptAeuvTzi4_VyAzyvqSisXeurPjHVYqv3TBd0hl8ZuIAD9yvU-_9Y8TRc_NuabbwucRO1p17zsjjspB037P3nWS7fuLya8_XMGKO1xFsT_BokX1z4pXpYnvk_s50gfK9BV8XRPhiGL7LcFasg7YLAfFh/s4032/15CB5820-3A94-4314-97D9-9C9342A8A0BB.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFL7elcXnwVaUCpL8eLZGQAS6IT_Klnu9HKf9ptAeuvTzi4_VyAzyvqSisXeurPjHVYqv3TBd0hl8ZuIAD9yvU-_9Y8TRc_NuabbwucRO1p17zsjjspB037P3nWS7fuLya8_XMGKO1xFsT_BokX1z4pXpYnvk_s50gfK9BV8XRPhiGL7LcFasg7YLAfFh/w400-h300/15CB5820-3A94-4314-97D9-9C9342A8A0BB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along the woods road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZt3FwlmR0VKoS90OprwdPUqDaq4jqRZhXFS6DyX2rh2A6W1frANPfSzLwc5XePaWpOD-87iCu0GETaaNCZ0MZ1rk_a61ZQyFah-tN2OZGDI3O680SqoW2HHMA454cYPPWsth3PrYgLTGK0StVKIHJhVKJT-165VW4aU_LpwFy0FC2ph8FIEBl9_sT9uj/s4032/9550162D-D697-49E1-AF2B-24A08053DBA8.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZt3FwlmR0VKoS90OprwdPUqDaq4jqRZhXFS6DyX2rh2A6W1frANPfSzLwc5XePaWpOD-87iCu0GETaaNCZ0MZ1rk_a61ZQyFah-tN2OZGDI3O680SqoW2HHMA454cYPPWsth3PrYgLTGK0StVKIHJhVKJT-165VW4aU_LpwFy0FC2ph8FIEBl9_sT9uj/w400-h300/9550162D-D697-49E1-AF2B-24A08053DBA8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of Jenkins visible above the beaver bog</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYlnDGgMJJv3zP94iwNExkIs-95o8rORP_tfDhSandtCqnzZPhyRcG2upOJqmqBefIV3eOw431wFHNptQCXnABTOXeWuoxomk32-m2rXg6rAQnJhfq6f1Z2iliyk95b84q9ysf4NoYctKYL5pf4DOMFRX3i37XpLNURa53__C4g2ZO2RV2MiQ_COG0d3-/s4032/F8496551-F79C-432B-95CC-13F0ABFF1DB9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYlnDGgMJJv3zP94iwNExkIs-95o8rORP_tfDhSandtCqnzZPhyRcG2upOJqmqBefIV3eOw431wFHNptQCXnABTOXeWuoxomk32-m2rXg6rAQnJhfq6f1Z2iliyk95b84q9ysf4NoYctKYL5pf4DOMFRX3i37XpLNURa53__C4g2ZO2RV2MiQ_COG0d3-/w400-h300/F8496551-F79C-432B-95CC-13F0ABFF1DB9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the beaver bog</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After passing the last remnants of the beaver bog, the trail turns toward Jenkins. The trail takes an indirect route winding around the south side of Jenkins. A light snow began to fall as I made my way up the trail. The snow on the ground grew deeper as I gained elevation. The last remnants of foot prints from previous hikers disappeared part way up the mountain. By the time I reached the summit, 3-4 inches covered the trail. Although the trail was generally pretty easy to follow, I had to pay attention a few spots to make sure I stayed on track. This isn't a problem when the ground is snowless however. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite gaining around 900' from the trailhead, the climbing never seems to steep. The trail even loses some elevation when it departs from the beaver bog. The few inches of snow provided a greater challenge than the actual elevation gain. The snow was just deep enough to hide the rocks, roots, and ice; but not deep enough to pass over the obstacles. You never knew what you would trip or slip on just under the fine snow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trail ends at a rock outcropping with open 180-degree views to the south. Unfortunately, low clouds and snow left me with pretty limited views. I could still see some of the lakes and ponds nearby in the valley, but the mountains in the area hid behind clouds. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvBzqBdeB-N32olPyKI8knznplsu8yRZqS1mjy-2Z8qwwC02stkiS9HbVioJPU0KdePma3e_pvGI5AKus0J0xsAKN7-5uKNnsQ2cNjY1ReYdR8jyq0GarMTiSSMTml572pbsTk30VUiC4Dk4sVhsHQxwDjvCLwIvaw5f6kv0rQf9NZlnWONHXNT7j0MHaS" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvBzqBdeB-N32olPyKI8knznplsu8yRZqS1mjy-2Z8qwwC02stkiS9HbVioJPU0KdePma3e_pvGI5AKus0J0xsAKN7-5uKNnsQ2cNjY1ReYdR8jyq0GarMTiSSMTml572pbsTk30VUiC4Dk4sVhsHQxwDjvCLwIvaw5f6kv0rQf9NZlnWONHXNT7j0MHaS=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Besides a few ponds, not much to see from Jenkins<br />on this day</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I traveled most of the hike in the cover of the woods with pretty tranquil conditions. At the summit clearing, wind blasted the mountain, making for an uncomfortable windchill. It was close to 30F, but the wind definitely felt unpleasant. With little to see I began my hike back down after just a few minutes. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCppYTFK7r2uh9pQJ5fw2ajrRyzs5DmsaD-D8-ubnkk_VMaz401XAAQR_sGGbHuevLlskCV76pMQtriHGR2NPYhcyyJmX50-mDdXgmT5M6RJvMzY7DEXy2rijZIYIiaJ2G85GukEo4e1W-gP327dBMXJp7UNUSHW8oZtBto5gqfz5MLH6FmzBHEtx71MI/s4032/8A241694-9F80-4DB7-9390-117DC464FD5F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCppYTFK7r2uh9pQJ5fw2ajrRyzs5DmsaD-D8-ubnkk_VMaz401XAAQR_sGGbHuevLlskCV76pMQtriHGR2NPYhcyyJmX50-mDdXgmT5M6RJvMzY7DEXy2rijZIYIiaJ2G85GukEo4e1W-gP327dBMXJp7UNUSHW8oZtBto5gqfz5MLH6FmzBHEtx71MI/w400-h300/8A241694-9F80-4DB7-9390-117DC464FD5F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on Jenkins</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp25MgW6QBzkeEMj1rgGd8XJLMhaAn81cjJTZk2IcWDyW5ZxtP8V8GkSGIFQzfKa5KYLF7nuRH2Ze9Paxx5qToNT83eAxWUukAYkICG_JaDBY0n-XrMpNXTkyRkmjJmRH2r6thO2RcyuZrFxoCpubvwOZClK0Ry1HUkOmJfOw4aeQrd85iZUUogK6--xiD" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp25MgW6QBzkeEMj1rgGd8XJLMhaAn81cjJTZk2IcWDyW5ZxtP8V8GkSGIFQzfKa5KYLF7nuRH2Ze9Paxx5qToNT83eAxWUukAYkICG_JaDBY0n-XrMpNXTkyRkmjJmRH2r6thO2RcyuZrFxoCpubvwOZClK0Ry1HUkOmJfOw4aeQrd85iZUUogK6--xiD=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on a previous hike with better visibility<br />toward the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL1xbXIsrZtJhNnUJ2-lKyRR8FgxjxwnS62_wZWE3vCoRmDDnZz64hunjmm8RV1A05Od-hl_Fq-BbiVgDZxwu1zDLK4WhI_3Ay1BwjP88-sqkduIQuRaXtwltjDx2WPewR_nkJxUgqYVOUkzVTG_Y-zd_KwvdCWm2bGlnn7e-woW02bp6hNUVV8cDlVti3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL1xbXIsrZtJhNnUJ2-lKyRR8FgxjxwnS62_wZWE3vCoRmDDnZz64hunjmm8RV1A05Od-hl_Fq-BbiVgDZxwu1zDLK4WhI_3Ay1BwjP88-sqkduIQuRaXtwltjDx2WPewR_nkJxUgqYVOUkzVTG_Y-zd_KwvdCWm2bGlnn7e-woW02bp6hNUVV8cDlVti3=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view from the summit on a better day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisAOisjf9IQlVwC9Ubcv79ipFi-gfVgW02HNwS0Ok2TS7dqUZsADgh8yvYErFxqicnOHvuC_gWjv7KloDl9l6osQSjCXyb4ESkttdcIqrZIHCSpIutgUU2OD7fBfANnD17D-b9NagbeTyyryLy4VnXS0D6GNauNt_hoswzgPZoCsQkSPZvrg1vsGUENZNR" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisAOisjf9IQlVwC9Ubcv79ipFi-gfVgW02HNwS0Ok2TS7dqUZsADgh8yvYErFxqicnOHvuC_gWjv7KloDl9l6osQSjCXyb4ESkttdcIqrZIHCSpIutgUU2OD7fBfANnD17D-b9NagbeTyyryLy4VnXS0D6GNauNt_hoswzgPZoCsQkSPZvrg1vsGUENZNR=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiteface on the left on a previous hike to Jenkins</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back in the cover of the woods, I enjoyed the forest scenery. It's hard not to appreciate the forest under snow cover, especially when it’s untouched and you have it to yourself. I broke from the trail at one point to get a closer look at a large ice flow on a cliffside. The short diversion was well worth it to get a close up look at the 20-foot tall ice flow.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6eY9CC6cFBtyCiiUG5weB3ViDDPY6wIQSsGesh_vNoGenZF-ZBWxP0S5rFk17XmwLLjUzKsJrPlpyLxCXBE9NhYIVdaa5jWmz3ZdXJusqjWtrin2qE1taQSgAhUlpzJfUf4MMF84qNsmuWhsWzIj5igYfkXEqlluYsUn3IeIkemljzpNVc4gOqJ23gQi/s4032/BC386E66-0559-4408-8DB0-52B0B3D819B5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6eY9CC6cFBtyCiiUG5weB3ViDDPY6wIQSsGesh_vNoGenZF-ZBWxP0S5rFk17XmwLLjUzKsJrPlpyLxCXBE9NhYIVdaa5jWmz3ZdXJusqjWtrin2qE1taQSgAhUlpzJfUf4MMF84qNsmuWhsWzIj5igYfkXEqlluYsUn3IeIkemljzpNVc4gOqJ23gQi/w400-h300/BC386E66-0559-4408-8DB0-52B0B3D819B5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the snowy forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDj4N0SVIzsMQiA2BQ27FnOF39MyY0cQXRT38I7q2VJd4-ZdWZ2a5ITHqfuV71bZx2O5CmShNTyGHAf-mOHnV5z9_Un6BLIt_SY8zRLKs_dbni1DbAhEdMrOimWr5JxvF1yXghsnSKoCMk5hmYJ-txrZa0TWqKE7I70anK0AzSF76tZxkXH8tQJGaW0Ns/s4032/C16CE223-6F3A-4F01-85CC-F72799B7AD77.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDj4N0SVIzsMQiA2BQ27FnOF39MyY0cQXRT38I7q2VJd4-ZdWZ2a5ITHqfuV71bZx2O5CmShNTyGHAf-mOHnV5z9_Un6BLIt_SY8zRLKs_dbni1DbAhEdMrOimWr5JxvF1yXghsnSKoCMk5hmYJ-txrZa0TWqKE7I70anK0AzSF76tZxkXH8tQJGaW0Ns/w400-h300/C16CE223-6F3A-4F01-85CC-F72799B7AD77.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice flow on a cliff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8JOyrXmVp5U9cUV7-08_P0MDWF7BfSWXxZCPESYlcESRw1le7Bt7R1pWVyndRIVrjbUqXwG7yiPkLUjsBSiBogH_rc8Wt9YXbXiVnaynTQ6lqM5WTXkr7jKo5APnzp2h2q2bAnr_s5qyrINuxQgv72sfsuLp8SCF1ZHxl2r0MZsgw03ID1-QMZYJjgpT/s4032/C3AE3F65-FBDB-478F-96C2-0C4CE36CB71D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8JOyrXmVp5U9cUV7-08_P0MDWF7BfSWXxZCPESYlcESRw1le7Bt7R1pWVyndRIVrjbUqXwG7yiPkLUjsBSiBogH_rc8Wt9YXbXiVnaynTQ6lqM5WTXkr7jKo5APnzp2h2q2bAnr_s5qyrINuxQgv72sfsuLp8SCF1ZHxl2r0MZsgw03ID1-QMZYJjgpT/w400-h300/C3AE3F65-FBDB-478F-96C2-0C4CE36CB71D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya waiting patiently </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>As I returned back to the end of the beaver bog, I left the trail. Long Pond lies just a few hundred yards from the beaver bog on the other side of a steep esker. I bushwhacked to the top of the esker. The west side of the esker isn't too steep, but the side closer to Long Pond is quite steep and overgrown. Once I reached the top of the esker, I followed the crest of the esker, which travels parallel to the pond. A herd path or old trail travels along the esker, allowing for pretty easy travel apart from a cluster of blowdowns that I had to bypass. Sticking to the crest of the esker, I reached the south end of Long Pond at a point where the esker drops off to the pond on a very shallow pitch. The little detour cuts off more than a mile of trail that I already hiked. Following the esker provided a more interesting route.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOieGgMmilpORqf-vapfcGliRdnQtf7t9Rmf7NUuef884CsSQGAqwtbzxjlzIgbJbZfcse_uwkcdChxYd3JllLlCSIjaIo_RQp9R0RVqT_trmP089gRWIpB9I2WCgvhnJyjEbwNUYUoJYYjImK0xzAhP2_xojdL3jbwIHshtCBMybRgAGKxKdCvr08c5R/s4032/F6653809-D539-4411-B693-95CC9F22B4FF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOieGgMmilpORqf-vapfcGliRdnQtf7t9Rmf7NUuef884CsSQGAqwtbzxjlzIgbJbZfcse_uwkcdChxYd3JllLlCSIjaIo_RQp9R0RVqT_trmP089gRWIpB9I2WCgvhnJyjEbwNUYUoJYYjImK0xzAhP2_xojdL3jbwIHshtCBMybRgAGKxKdCvr08c5R/w400-h300/F6653809-D539-4411-B693-95CC9F22B4FF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along the top of the esker</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>At the southern end of Long Pond, I was back on trail. I soon reached the shore of Black Pond and hiked out the last stretch back to the trailhead. I stopped a few times to appreciate the view over Black Pond which had some interesting patterns on the ice. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr83A97U_y7mFTRkiZXV0hqicQ9fgzoKrn0cTgDyNVNi2-ZT6DNdD5FGSKU3TaN49YAXtyXJMn65qTK5KAt3Uhqfixjvt6uM8cz0pGjcMBJ_sjqEP5e1CoOK2No1BgaIZgJiKMIZ_mh0k8IjENqkHj9SThDND38VXlhPLKRBw4YJOoXG3Kngc3VXtw-8D/s4032/F7536097-411E-4584-8C8F-B5E1DB6761A1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr83A97U_y7mFTRkiZXV0hqicQ9fgzoKrn0cTgDyNVNi2-ZT6DNdD5FGSKU3TaN49YAXtyXJMn65qTK5KAt3Uhqfixjvt6uM8cz0pGjcMBJ_sjqEP5e1CoOK2No1BgaIZgJiKMIZ_mh0k8IjENqkHj9SThDND38VXlhPLKRBw4YJOoXG3Kngc3VXtw-8D/w400-h300/F7536097-411E-4584-8C8F-B5E1DB6761A1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting patterns on the ice of Black Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My route to Jenkins Mountain traveled just shy of 7.5 miles roundtrip. Without the bushwhack over the esker, the hike would approach 9 miles. Hiking from the main VIC trailhead would also make for about a 9 mile hike. Although not overly difficult, I'd consider the hike to be moderate, given the distance. Hiking with snow on the ground makes the hike a little more difficult, but on snow free trails, the hike isn't too difficult if you're comfortable hiking 9 miles. Although I struck out on the summit visibility on my most recent hike to Jenkins, the summit offers pretty views. Lakes and ponds dot the valley with the High Peaks lining the horizon in the distance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyl3isYOqipxPdiS-mTotISS2HOPcXHw5-hZGebZQ_SnCKM0iumFD9iFpwYglB-uoCd0uo3YhLeRXZ30vAjAlzku2kXUSaD_T6CS_Ob8D0Wl4PbArrCdDHlkjRVCgb9QfSbHn-j0z7lkSkM53gmUSyl3R3OOayiURrn0JWNVP7F51apc_H1-j4w4EhLvK/s4032/4DB77F68-4317-4A5E-B9C1-CE1F79A4DCAC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyl3isYOqipxPdiS-mTotISS2HOPcXHw5-hZGebZQ_SnCKM0iumFD9iFpwYglB-uoCd0uo3YhLeRXZ30vAjAlzku2kXUSaD_T6CS_Ob8D0Wl4PbArrCdDHlkjRVCgb9QfSbHn-j0z7lkSkM53gmUSyl3R3OOayiURrn0JWNVP7F51apc_H1-j4w4EhLvK/w400-h300/4DB77F68-4317-4A5E-B9C1-CE1F79A4DCAC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on the edge of Black Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTk9hV-y-rp-DlU09jSUE735OKSDOcK1XbrgeC8bQumhXW2Kgse7Yrrc_pxO1YOImriXFKLR0KE6YgJ7yVHygE5yE1wf6s92vSPzoH3dkeEPnjgNFOo4R00rl7G79Lom_nINSDZChe21y_GgPXlvZJiv_GafCT2RYS5KoyP2mcb5hgZFdjaUxadIu1Roxh/s4032/Jenkins%20Mountain%2011.15.22%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTk9hV-y-rp-DlU09jSUE735OKSDOcK1XbrgeC8bQumhXW2Kgse7Yrrc_pxO1YOImriXFKLR0KE6YgJ7yVHygE5yE1wf6s92vSPzoH3dkeEPnjgNFOo4R00rl7G79Lom_nINSDZChe21y_GgPXlvZJiv_GafCT2RYS5KoyP2mcb5hgZFdjaUxadIu1Roxh/w400-h300/Jenkins%20Mountain%2011.15.22%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya enjoying the view on Jenkins on a <br />day with better visibility</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Click <a href="https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/VIC-map-2021.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Map</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>to see a trail map and description of the trails in the area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and “LIKE” <a href="https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063454660002&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat’s Outdoor Adventures</span> </a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-39203795663711559192023-11-06T11:14:00.000-08:002023-11-06T11:14:41.329-08:00Peaked Mountain<div style="text-align: left;">Peaked Mountain stands in the central Adirondacks in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness not too far from Indian Lake and North Creek. Although not as well known as many of the higher mountains in the Adirondacks, photos of the mountain caught my interest. At a modest 2,919’ in elevation, it’s more than 2,000 feet lower than the highest peaks in the Adirondacks. The rocky, exposed summit rises above a couple of ponds and it looked like a fun and pretty mountain to climb. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By early October, the foliage color reached its peak and I wanted to catch the colors on a hike before an incoming storm blew the remaining leaves down. I headed to Peaked October 6th. The forecast called for a relatively warm day, but I anticipated at least some showers on the hike. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The hike begins at the north end of Thirteenth Lake. You reach the lake a couple minutes from the trailhead. The trail follows the lakeshore for just under a mile. At times, the trail travels immediately along the lake, allowing for nice views of the lake itself. Across the lake, Balm of Gilead Mountain serves as a backdrop. Although the foliage was just past peak, plenty of color still covered the trees. I always appreciate a shoreline hike, and Thirteenth Lake doesn't disappoint.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlU4hyphenhyphen76jlM2xI2fYc-CWTVF4NzlWvtAtWCCuUmnN8taYI17jj5CNvu6y6h0YWbpJM_USWgXCfrqlpMCQe_9JT1XAbJ06yAdkEo52XcNWqb0B-GVJniBBVVg01bnFxVmHfpFKeG5TRVlRL4c-sfZVsBIxUwZJcgKPqtRrn3fqttFVeRn_vM_FlCQBdQu4/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlU4hyphenhyphen76jlM2xI2fYc-CWTVF4NzlWvtAtWCCuUmnN8taYI17jj5CNvu6y6h0YWbpJM_USWgXCfrqlpMCQe_9JT1XAbJ06yAdkEo52XcNWqb0B-GVJniBBVVg01bnFxVmHfpFKeG5TRVlRL4c-sfZVsBIxUwZJcgKPqtRrn3fqttFVeRn_vM_FlCQBdQu4/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thirteenth Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajxy454faOxe4Dkh5R1GFHqEbqt7HA7sX6U81tmZ6DC45uQwaUuR9uAAoTOUzb7lM7hZCTuJGKi9tVkwZnrRSL7_0ZtvnZwnM7pqldz9be1e81-hXBQBhDvsx5A6zf-oO7p3QBZPKxhTJcUUu5kKDr6tPc0hxRygycBhGCGUjT2XdQi7ls0T8-vuwa23Y/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajxy454faOxe4Dkh5R1GFHqEbqt7HA7sX6U81tmZ6DC45uQwaUuR9uAAoTOUzb7lM7hZCTuJGKi9tVkwZnrRSL7_0ZtvnZwnM7pqldz9be1e81-hXBQBhDvsx5A6zf-oO7p3QBZPKxhTJcUUu5kKDr6tPc0hxRygycBhGCGUjT2XdQi7ls0T8-vuwa23Y/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balm of Gilead Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DI4oEo6RbIB6MgXC6qWGjBSREu5yWe8VsNh-_xkxM5x0idlcmxg4c6YRZqbemDyLoCFvVW5p2QhBdEfEA-_GITHUOkfPrjKAkYME1XJqpq6M9t5Sylm3eZLooP1LGs3DDZ4Lx6jE6h3_fAQxo0sh00uVPnWnoznytCd8LxJg0B05Jb8R1nMTeCUma4bL/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DI4oEo6RbIB6MgXC6qWGjBSREu5yWe8VsNh-_xkxM5x0idlcmxg4c6YRZqbemDyLoCFvVW5p2QhBdEfEA-_GITHUOkfPrjKAkYME1XJqpq6M9t5Sylm3eZLooP1LGs3DDZ4Lx6jE6h3_fAQxo0sh00uVPnWnoznytCd8LxJg0B05Jb8R1nMTeCUma4bL/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking along the shoreline</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo_58M11pVP6hZCxY7FBzysfBNCW4RjWYh_GNQch_eC_nrMZ8SPZMxQmNkUlRqH8ht-J2G04PmM6BARaeEj492etFWHCvPvcNOuZlxa3tx0Hes95gIj38snm1HvuHpxjeM41B_Monf8BVLXC0BxgQ7cIrRb73UORQtWOvP1oZagTb83AFjCYsfLtgfE7U/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo_58M11pVP6hZCxY7FBzysfBNCW4RjWYh_GNQch_eC_nrMZ8SPZMxQmNkUlRqH8ht-J2G04PmM6BARaeEj492etFWHCvPvcNOuZlxa3tx0Hes95gIj38snm1HvuHpxjeM41B_Monf8BVLXC0BxgQ7cIrRb73UORQtWOvP1oZagTb83AFjCYsfLtgfE7U/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail near the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyaWTqOTQoB7dgoN5PYWjIO99SdxSFB_rP6eUfyMjGDwkoE6oxY33_1fkulLNeFkCs771nF-RZwVxy_AHwcXYu-Nikt_K2ygKeLQA5IvL1O0mjTV2TF9kJ8kojMqCTVmgS9MzZ8Nn1J7q4iNVx_pnAiQq1vJJ7qNV2Qa6QVJ_O9xRi561gTQ1bvHEmwuC/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyaWTqOTQoB7dgoN5PYWjIO99SdxSFB_rP6eUfyMjGDwkoE6oxY33_1fkulLNeFkCs771nF-RZwVxy_AHwcXYu-Nikt_K2ygKeLQA5IvL1O0mjTV2TF9kJ8kojMqCTVmgS9MzZ8Nn1J7q4iNVx_pnAiQq1vJJ7qNV2Qa6QVJ_O9xRi561gTQ1bvHEmwuC/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya waiting patiently</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rgAw0ULM0KdkXhwq4Pjj3CKTTeA1i7wD1_SdGqr0F67zoN5vCE3pcErKWSXx5fCjZDEek55JxndFALl6WK4eHpESB-wtRh-OIGeH5Gn_Qmd7GNWcKCDp-JObfUJKPkiSMl6e_APdWMYJ-uQ-_3ZstD3JfKr71xd_3RK95N87xvbNkcPdLvQb1KFyUlQB/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rgAw0ULM0KdkXhwq4Pjj3CKTTeA1i7wD1_SdGqr0F67zoN5vCE3pcErKWSXx5fCjZDEek55JxndFALl6WK4eHpESB-wtRh-OIGeH5Gn_Qmd7GNWcKCDp-JObfUJKPkiSMl6e_APdWMYJ-uQ-_3ZstD3JfKr71xd_3RK95N87xvbNkcPdLvQb1KFyUlQB/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closeup of the foliage color</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The trail leaves the lake and gradually climbs along Peaked Mountain Brook. I expected a fairly easy hike along the brook through the forest as I climbed toward Peaked Mountain Pond. I didn't expect to find a beautiful mountain stream with numerous waterfalls. When reading about this hike, I didn't really see much mention of the brook or it’s waterfalls.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTh36o9QRzKJ4TfnYJoRWlIeUdpIHU30r-qaaW-gpz8wMw9km-VJ-obzjk4geeGas6w3UVI9wUqFdZUjzWEfD2iwbkKzCVt61tYqvGuJ_1fJ5KJucNte_ws6cHG2K-0cVRAMOzl2fr9VqxUMLvEtiRMXmHRdTX4xdesJXzkesUnISh4X8iFIUyzMZTOvr2/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTh36o9QRzKJ4TfnYJoRWlIeUdpIHU30r-qaaW-gpz8wMw9km-VJ-obzjk4geeGas6w3UVI9wUqFdZUjzWEfD2iwbkKzCVt61tYqvGuJ_1fJ5KJucNte_ws6cHG2K-0cVRAMOzl2fr9VqxUMLvEtiRMXmHRdTX4xdesJXzkesUnISh4X8iFIUyzMZTOvr2/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking through a rocky cleft</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5ZTFsEjNqcktwQuanFMcs-zh2Wx_8gSCCyCdfGMthSQvPhJ0IpB4Ms1SI_k36F-3V3we5rxYdenc_8srG8c13LxGGSOSj077tjf1D-FWja6DY65bv-G0rbuJSJqdAunkHb9ew04GCaKTqCa77N-FVuxsBLMXjwzZqXLnBXIEvMa5mY4TXRdhmKOrQ-2F/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5ZTFsEjNqcktwQuanFMcs-zh2Wx_8gSCCyCdfGMthSQvPhJ0IpB4Ms1SI_k36F-3V3we5rxYdenc_8srG8c13LxGGSOSj077tjf1D-FWja6DY65bv-G0rbuJSJqdAunkHb9ew04GCaKTqCa77N-FVuxsBLMXjwzZqXLnBXIEvMa5mY4TXRdhmKOrQ-2F/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up at the tree canopy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxcIRly5jlAGyckcJ6gsUdLMhT1BJsK5tlSq6NdlrXzFCenXMBqoHIZX9a9EzwMhwl7BRFB8ENN8lW5EyZou4Ph0_7gPAZcn6L_qeGl4sdsYT6pFhT40-nkeYFj9YWRPdg7OYI_P2HhO0uSqdkPFvYiyg9RqkHr3ENOBv4JllFfkwHLEYDRs9l-Rbdt-z/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxcIRly5jlAGyckcJ6gsUdLMhT1BJsK5tlSq6NdlrXzFCenXMBqoHIZX9a9EzwMhwl7BRFB8ENN8lW5EyZou4Ph0_7gPAZcn6L_qeGl4sdsYT6pFhT40-nkeYFj9YWRPdg7OYI_P2HhO0uSqdkPFvYiyg9RqkHr3ENOBv4JllFfkwHLEYDRs9l-Rbdt-z/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A carpet of leaves</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM4QqmrkR4UQQ9tQ4DOpdtlWIdbj0YxBta4jRzTl1TqcZHwxfZCQcqY4TExwT4eAEcjw_32gRib7U57HbQIlt-vxh0WQ60G039h8ByRl3C5f0SuRlLP4pm4o-EI_OGOefdEFINwIEfu1BtA07Rwc4T_G1puIPZqn12lEohyphenhyphenblxndpM19bPnejIY4PJkU4/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM4QqmrkR4UQQ9tQ4DOpdtlWIdbj0YxBta4jRzTl1TqcZHwxfZCQcqY4TExwT4eAEcjw_32gRib7U57HbQIlt-vxh0WQ60G039h8ByRl3C5f0SuRlLP4pm4o-EI_OGOefdEFINwIEfu1BtA07Rwc4T_G1puIPZqn12lEohyphenhyphenblxndpM19bPnejIY4PJkU4/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first little waterfall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c_IC9x8T5ONeZ919WvH9DrfuoAf1zoH7pn-UgBNGPh2Hc4sYA43ZaEcPPneXiMdaIZCL5jbG09wGPyRW5f2I25wOZMT-tuNPHe6E5pqbcUYzVNpRkeGODvDir-YAlbmr4QgDIJdXXmqtxZGw_c6Me7u6eZQEUxGfOIN68zFaW0fnMzv6-CtuKqbczyOi/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c_IC9x8T5ONeZ919WvH9DrfuoAf1zoH7pn-UgBNGPh2Hc4sYA43ZaEcPPneXiMdaIZCL5jbG09wGPyRW5f2I25wOZMT-tuNPHe6E5pqbcUYzVNpRkeGODvDir-YAlbmr4QgDIJdXXmqtxZGw_c6Me7u6eZQEUxGfOIN68zFaW0fnMzv6-CtuKqbczyOi/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closeup of the first drop</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The waterfalls continued one after another. Many of the falls are rather small cascades, but still quite scenic in the rocky brook. The water level wasn't particularly high, but it had enough volume to keep the falls flowing nicely. In high water, this stream must be a real treat. The colorful leaves in the water added to the scene. I stopped to photograph at least half a dozen different slides, cascades, and drops. The final waterfall that I passed featured the largest drop. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTXK6EuRF476M4_we_4nM89sJ5TjqbblcmgfMSf5vZB8ZP5tK10bataLQf_Oz-wKW4wsWSr_uKxSxqNifWoAKR70fPb3r2kdRo2VBxuOzdpJdQtbpVCDRWuw7C4LMyoEon5_WdHnDQWAWznktZqX29lbQv5Q8Y9jCzy5DTDMV8nSWwj2BKrV0fHexBLoR/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTXK6EuRF476M4_we_4nM89sJ5TjqbblcmgfMSf5vZB8ZP5tK10bataLQf_Oz-wKW4wsWSr_uKxSxqNifWoAKR70fPb3r2kdRo2VBxuOzdpJdQtbpVCDRWuw7C4LMyoEon5_WdHnDQWAWznktZqX29lbQv5Q8Y9jCzy5DTDMV8nSWwj2BKrV0fHexBLoR/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall two</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXJ4ETmFPfDVPEulQ8Uan-5V_SHSUfq0EBEYRrqkUl_Lg2Op94ttJ0z2-abY3HRM3M03HEx-nf1L-cpzv0sYsoRgqDAoN6-_YxNDyXUEUcsu7cCajW-AQSpSstc7nQuG0rYieUVrc_mu6wHzVk5taR5cOEBFEQ-7VzOat2lzyK64j37GMpbRf6T_JqGJC/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXJ4ETmFPfDVPEulQ8Uan-5V_SHSUfq0EBEYRrqkUl_Lg2Op94ttJ0z2-abY3HRM3M03HEx-nf1L-cpzv0sYsoRgqDAoN6-_YxNDyXUEUcsu7cCajW-AQSpSstc7nQuG0rYieUVrc_mu6wHzVk5taR5cOEBFEQ-7VzOat2lzyK64j37GMpbRf6T_JqGJC/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small double drop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcObU9lweTC47hoJhP2qZrQWPX8jGJ1O8XcRMo91P5M35WSGgngDqNkj52c4HW_ZiAP2e4-FCb8SUDu9nepb7XBLN30NX0ZItkfhK1r135poz1zkKjQUg9HIqQ3mcjKPrQSh_uax1pAgfvSJPsOJFKN8tr0SI-OxlPe4bENDtUEcUkuPYlvPx3zxFenT3/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcObU9lweTC47hoJhP2qZrQWPX8jGJ1O8XcRMo91P5M35WSGgngDqNkj52c4HW_ZiAP2e4-FCb8SUDu9nepb7XBLN30NX0ZItkfhK1r135poz1zkKjQUg9HIqQ3mcjKPrQSh_uax1pAgfvSJPsOJFKN8tr0SI-OxlPe4bENDtUEcUkuPYlvPx3zxFenT3/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panned out view of the double drop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNLx6V9z8Bx_4MR3nyLHQfK3iunrjw3gOEFsYEXizRND80iuM0g8qVDfa3pMn7e8C_HlDjzWCcqn86eNYOJ5jL1s57_QJqOL7yQrDSAizbMGbkk8gefYKqFWykGSnfB_zQf8XkS3_wFLTXVbhnnaWi-WrH9UDFkV_r3VYPhXTw4lKsEcRmMvYH8kWdBG1/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNLx6V9z8Bx_4MR3nyLHQfK3iunrjw3gOEFsYEXizRND80iuM0g8qVDfa3pMn7e8C_HlDjzWCcqn86eNYOJ5jL1s57_QJqOL7yQrDSAizbMGbkk8gefYKqFWykGSnfB_zQf8XkS3_wFLTXVbhnnaWi-WrH9UDFkV_r3VYPhXTw4lKsEcRmMvYH8kWdBG1/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another closeup of a small drop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE6JtxqNUc_c9wdrRUPC5lnT9Sva_4esTpsgiwMC91qSwTdeYoCnZzuME0VhkKtq3fro_kuG9CUOUzGKR1aXeTZHCG4b1W87CDL3fz7I7caGsgEW-_Y_2GJ1g4YihukchiTLupYVVRxsmNknXcRVMEwtkQAZzFMXp1WkvUMhuqbMUcq6Osl2uorFm5Vaq/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="2592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE6JtxqNUc_c9wdrRUPC5lnT9Sva_4esTpsgiwMC91qSwTdeYoCnZzuME0VhkKtq3fro_kuG9CUOUzGKR1aXeTZHCG4b1W87CDL3fz7I7caGsgEW-_Y_2GJ1g4YihukchiTLupYVVRxsmNknXcRVMEwtkQAZzFMXp1WkvUMhuqbMUcq6Osl2uorFm5Vaq/w300-h400/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20068.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A leaf covered slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiOjHwg2uYhSRFuYLrFslvKYdJqhxOrr8jTSmRAsvp8q0gieuvuiStqkvf9VT0VQVadr-1LVneRsDlUBG5NJvkafQ-4_KuquBVijaPu0OfzHkC6WCcwVGXNppqAspoQJlHecw8y012ioXSeKF0OlL34Gs7BhxgCs8Xzu4yqj9LilFxeNLR2zjYVRmajCg/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiOjHwg2uYhSRFuYLrFslvKYdJqhxOrr8jTSmRAsvp8q0gieuvuiStqkvf9VT0VQVadr-1LVneRsDlUBG5NJvkafQ-4_KuquBVijaPu0OfzHkC6WCcwVGXNppqAspoQJlHecw8y012ioXSeKF0OlL34Gs7BhxgCs8Xzu4yqj9LilFxeNLR2zjYVRmajCg/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most impressive of the waterfalls</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The trail traveled further away from the stream after the last waterfall. Although many of the leaves have fallen from the trees, the trail wasn't too difficult to follow. Where the leaves hid the trail, they were often full of color. I passed a few sections where the trail was covered in bright red or yellow.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATA-YgHGT5GRrpVOwu37f-nrmrGqQkyiDiKP3NwZQ1FnT8urYawOHrniD4xcQZTXxAsxuo0d2-6rPanySEj3mg85VcveFaX_FJtnDQt9mZO_kertPEZEDqrAb0vXBtdshHCCSTRpj-1iJzG3GoDbaPEa6_XUvRFLOnK1TAEluM26bQp65sztRgt7vsdJw/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20071.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATA-YgHGT5GRrpVOwu37f-nrmrGqQkyiDiKP3NwZQ1FnT8urYawOHrniD4xcQZTXxAsxuo0d2-6rPanySEj3mg85VcveFaX_FJtnDQt9mZO_kertPEZEDqrAb0vXBtdshHCCSTRpj-1iJzG3GoDbaPEa6_XUvRFLOnK1TAEluM26bQp65sztRgt7vsdJw/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20071.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A red carpet of leaves</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Eventually, the trail crosses the brook and leaves its banks. Although generally in the woods, the trail occasionally travels near boggy stretches of the brook and passes a meadow or two. The first look of Peaked Mountain comes at a beaver pond. From the beaver pond you get a nice look at the mountain's rocky summit. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7n3OO0m566gqxGHuI6HwJSDXueqV3iTefwxzUIKjH8i2fuae_NeO-oNr1JoJZtBM07_8A5ceIqWDI4TBF6za0j95i6hAV-plZVYRITJIa-FIKw6sMaiGJD45ds-bdeO95_Pxj0WI2DF4N8byM7pAc1xoCiw6tYw5DrTGweWv1W_QzrRouipWhyphenhyphenhpuLlp/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20072.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7n3OO0m566gqxGHuI6HwJSDXueqV3iTefwxzUIKjH8i2fuae_NeO-oNr1JoJZtBM07_8A5ceIqWDI4TBF6za0j95i6hAV-plZVYRITJIa-FIKw6sMaiGJD45ds-bdeO95_Pxj0WI2DF4N8byM7pAc1xoCiw6tYw5DrTGweWv1W_QzrRouipWhyphenhyphenhpuLlp/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20072.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing an open meadow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uP4ll-XRCniZfNF2Kg5iomXMlAeh3TjbnWlkEEWpXlOCp21db5yfN4sfTzajbggTw5ChmkF5eWd0ZV4MsFY-ifa-AGL9TJzzTK1zuy_V3dqNZnc_DzILi_nAT-ub3QAwFEYz5LoHjiJTPPDN39du-xN9ewuDUwWMUgTNiisCvAD5JBn6-K5l6dNV_VCb/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uP4ll-XRCniZfNF2Kg5iomXMlAeh3TjbnWlkEEWpXlOCp21db5yfN4sfTzajbggTw5ChmkF5eWd0ZV4MsFY-ifa-AGL9TJzzTK1zuy_V3dqNZnc_DzILi_nAT-ub3QAwFEYz5LoHjiJTPPDN39du-xN9ewuDUwWMUgTNiisCvAD5JBn6-K5l6dNV_VCb/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first good look of Peaked Mountain from<br />the beaver dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6-Fhi73d5XLZMM77ZzI_nVfOKmHpwPQ1PjBIDGl8bWmTvH8mAEbt0WrstWfoP3EKuZt277lVz8eBNaPCY7Uoi2Z89Jjf9WHrnGCTfPD2xsP8TG_QUy-iXtcFwoH7uVfovr-g7t7cxn_7xybMWKBp6ZYmMyNwMHSKg3Huy7awOPVURzrOVLK-pbD8I1oZ/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6-Fhi73d5XLZMM77ZzI_nVfOKmHpwPQ1PjBIDGl8bWmTvH8mAEbt0WrstWfoP3EKuZt277lVz8eBNaPCY7Uoi2Z89Jjf9WHrnGCTfPD2xsP8TG_QUy-iXtcFwoH7uVfovr-g7t7cxn_7xybMWKBp6ZYmMyNwMHSKg3Huy7awOPVURzrOVLK-pbD8I1oZ/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoomed in look at Peaked</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5y5I-4AGxNTzb0vE925YXLmcqbOhPthY5OTOgukqWduHOq9Iv4VFlUgrEiYXE5RJbGUvi1kuWsvG1zLK6TGI8zVaYdPH3Obr2lj_ciQX51Nc_67MZcCCkwQlwR41gqZgfYbLp_saaXpBEFoQGw0_yxHZgi8IcQH8sbQ6Nvt5O0NXxXxrYKurdRuo-1tb/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5y5I-4AGxNTzb0vE925YXLmcqbOhPthY5OTOgukqWduHOq9Iv4VFlUgrEiYXE5RJbGUvi1kuWsvG1zLK6TGI8zVaYdPH3Obr2lj_ciQX51Nc_67MZcCCkwQlwR41gqZgfYbLp_saaXpBEFoQGw0_yxHZgi8IcQH8sbQ6Nvt5O0NXxXxrYKurdRuo-1tb/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful foliage</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A few minutes after leaving the beaver pond, I reached Peaked Mountain Pond. From the trail, you can just barely see a sliver of Peaked Mountain. I stopped for a short break to talk to a couple of hikers at the pond. A drizzle began to fall. I hoped to climb to the summit and back down before serious rain fell since the trail climbs over sections of rocky slabs.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJGToTFszbKO99x6cX0m5CDvjkzN-LnVTxk_8KJ5nRbfKqKfk-Ih_uU7lQy_Yn44_ofHFt3FT4Unc5N7Sgxun-8Zz_rfRHwlJVtrLxLz31BZUOWHRKoH_2uEcV_FaRTkVO2Hwlmn-mhCAjTVPL1ys7bD8TVfYbDi4C0054O0n76UkMh8qfhc8xzWnFYR_/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20082.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJGToTFszbKO99x6cX0m5CDvjkzN-LnVTxk_8KJ5nRbfKqKfk-Ih_uU7lQy_Yn44_ofHFt3FT4Unc5N7Sgxun-8Zz_rfRHwlJVtrLxLz31BZUOWHRKoH_2uEcV_FaRTkVO2Hwlmn-mhCAjTVPL1ys7bD8TVfYbDi4C0054O0n76UkMh8qfhc8xzWnFYR_/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20082.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shore of Peaked Mountain Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>From the pond, the trail starts off easy enough as it passes some interesting large rocks. Over the last .4 miles, the serious climbing begins with the trail gaining about 670'. The route travels over steep pitches of slabby rock with roots. The mist continued as I made my way to the summit.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTusLod9e_div5Q9roGqRL_IldUsTz7ylYqpl8IardhJ2RNArOFUcrE8luKdUfC_gMb4f6cK_oiHZ0Tzi7TIBEd8V_ol3-hI2hJNWiH0wgBITqJYXH_RT8bgyYGBhiTZa_dLN6344FAw0TFFkvS1p0NyrQZWvN2fVZ4CWA-r7RYRLRENDfdXsgK4_I-wT/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20077.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTusLod9e_div5Q9roGqRL_IldUsTz7ylYqpl8IardhJ2RNArOFUcrE8luKdUfC_gMb4f6cK_oiHZ0Tzi7TIBEd8V_ol3-hI2hJNWiH0wgBITqJYXH_RT8bgyYGBhiTZa_dLN6344FAw0TFFkvS1p0NyrQZWvN2fVZ4CWA-r7RYRLRENDfdXsgK4_I-wT/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya near Peaked Mountain Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2f4dFGBmhr-MLTO3gkzbtlOA6gHi9veUmruZ0y_7lHzjPf_CSUyb8rstPxsqCMV39UKVjWzOCqFMxYCLwWYshAKb7wDJ_wj8ufJQfQqg_2W-4a46URFHB4Diak7QR1AJKsH9i48FaM0XDbNqE6NHlJ5QSWMzZ0VZxmQFtfC1DNmnoKWR20vQwfxfkRFD/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20078.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2f4dFGBmhr-MLTO3gkzbtlOA6gHi9veUmruZ0y_7lHzjPf_CSUyb8rstPxsqCMV39UKVjWzOCqFMxYCLwWYshAKb7wDJ_wj8ufJQfQqg_2W-4a46URFHB4Diak7QR1AJKsH9i48FaM0XDbNqE6NHlJ5QSWMzZ0VZxmQFtfC1DNmnoKWR20vQwfxfkRFD/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20078.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailside boulders</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfilBlmQxfixjXx1Zo_AakIV_Z-T0eB7F1Kl37yYITAAiwxKwh01DRDUWuLEy_tthgq-y7p_SNT-MlaxwfrKYXjhCJFIaCZrR8Q2Db3wMk2xBrHBOGzEyvmuOzoDnF1X30wZIRJBW599E3kkXNmS-iL6SH2Pd2UkJiK3jyUrFrjRDNpSqYNnRuQNTqWYvK/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfilBlmQxfixjXx1Zo_AakIV_Z-T0eB7F1Kl37yYITAAiwxKwh01DRDUWuLEy_tthgq-y7p_SNT-MlaxwfrKYXjhCJFIaCZrR8Q2Db3wMk2xBrHBOGzEyvmuOzoDnF1X30wZIRJBW599E3kkXNmS-iL6SH2Pd2UkJiK3jyUrFrjRDNpSqYNnRuQNTqWYvK/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large rock along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVw5r4iZ1x8kx8md_Nr33EE-SdCgCvaRmOEFU7VktF-CqODAU6q5rNpFJBGN-9V9QIkq5SK-E7svKA6uDzhZ3mkgVW-BthgZBrrfWg7ec3-dTdWUI14Zc70uhZd6lTlir1uz7_hGQnqYFV4q9FdbnUhhvxZVN2jTNHhqvI-ytWFctcM9Bwsxg73VHJ4EG/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20080.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVw5r4iZ1x8kx8md_Nr33EE-SdCgCvaRmOEFU7VktF-CqODAU6q5rNpFJBGN-9V9QIkq5SK-E7svKA6uDzhZ3mkgVW-BthgZBrrfWg7ec3-dTdWUI14Zc70uhZd6lTlir1uz7_hGQnqYFV4q9FdbnUhhvxZVN2jTNHhqvI-ytWFctcM9Bwsxg73VHJ4EG/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing slabby rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSXK_BkF7VbCpPNomdS5Gnrr7E8UXkLviL5vzBGsPRpNjclRHbbQNnw7pYEdVL5LyYc5hYhyphenhyphenBDaoZmAAER32R1UfxcF44dlWPQBuuFr17mnoSXoxfaNkdDg4H54ZYZiKqpWE-mF1HZbsSWR3UJ8_QHD5yA59f_9ACbiBTqj4U2r3iUFfCJJRabrHYMZpN/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20081.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSXK_BkF7VbCpPNomdS5Gnrr7E8UXkLviL5vzBGsPRpNjclRHbbQNnw7pYEdVL5LyYc5hYhyphenhyphenBDaoZmAAER32R1UfxcF44dlWPQBuuFr17mnoSXoxfaNkdDg4H54ZYZiKqpWE-mF1HZbsSWR3UJ8_QHD5yA59f_9ACbiBTqj4U2r3iUFfCJJRabrHYMZpN/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20081.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large patch of open rock</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The trail ends at the summit benchmark. Several open outcroppings around the summit provide nice views of the surrounding terrain. Although mist and low clouds obscured the distant mountains, the scenery was still impressive. Peaked Mountain Pond, surrounded by low mountains and fall color, was quite pretty. Looking down the Peaked Mountain Pond Brook drainage, covered with bright foliage, was rather eye-catching. The low clouds passing over the nearby mountains enhanced the scenery. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHYoQ6Z6a4yfXD8SETlQZY6GpUu3Mc7Jn5tu-_q5zcJRCddeqxooRglksx6tHUlGyZp13hRMvVTLggaqm3JHMXvHvCXpbijSPFbaPeygtyPzt5sSai7zsqlpaoqDYJUKW96IM3NELFGCaHkICi5j_Y8v7xsMlzprAOZ1aN_rNQJt061wgphCCWht2waBT/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHYoQ6Z6a4yfXD8SETlQZY6GpUu3Mc7Jn5tu-_q5zcJRCddeqxooRglksx6tHUlGyZp13hRMvVTLggaqm3JHMXvHvCXpbijSPFbaPeygtyPzt5sSai7zsqlpaoqDYJUKW96IM3NELFGCaHkICi5j_Y8v7xsMlzprAOZ1aN_rNQJt061wgphCCWht2waBT/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at Peaked Mountain Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3P0xbwNUqBvZ6iFXkMYmlkB9lSUyXE2pUINBC4atP2wC8hOyQSgP_55TCfLdiBit_6yKbsc6iTG0pczNtYstu30eo7f_GDtpcBIJmf3622215IbGyoEKePj7c23rG9nBNHBH5I8oDOkEjX7zjf_rBzaQQYQpqSqLbeN7GovQTM-TtT1P0PLEk6vmn0sC/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3P0xbwNUqBvZ6iFXkMYmlkB9lSUyXE2pUINBC4atP2wC8hOyQSgP_55TCfLdiBit_6yKbsc6iTG0pczNtYstu30eo7f_GDtpcBIJmf3622215IbGyoEKePj7c23rG9nBNHBH5I8oDOkEjX7zjf_rBzaQQYQpqSqLbeN7GovQTM-TtT1P0PLEk6vmn0sC/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya seeed to enjoy the view too</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lB-5m9iPOD4xzoiI5sUg0r8lHSevly4Dkrm20sNACEB15BvJBMj1ErFWD4qvKQzcXHbFevznYy3e1xyKLxvOMF15zMKp4xhMBeXTGP7aMi8xYsK9q7O-24A_InACJJnzxsHA3VIqlXPt3QHEveLBwq3npdeE-EcYR6lpbYgIXwtm1ceaZpjuNA5Ma56p/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lB-5m9iPOD4xzoiI5sUg0r8lHSevly4Dkrm20sNACEB15BvJBMj1ErFWD4qvKQzcXHbFevznYy3e1xyKLxvOMF15zMKp4xhMBeXTGP7aMi8xYsK9q7O-24A_InACJJnzxsHA3VIqlXPt3QHEveLBwq3npdeE-EcYR6lpbYgIXwtm1ceaZpjuNA5Ma56p/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the forest color</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdOgt6TEnWXhenloes2K6sYsdAJHJeBdtM3FSGz17RtHksnEBSRZ2TeP9lleFaNPK2HHa5KsyTvgMB7suVNON9d-cizHLTM_bDVag1ovtQeOJzS-8RTxv4NXockd4VgsxMrtm2OVzE-lXwjwNJ7jPuuuylU2ptFm-xjX8OS1hdCMEWcGtz0Dv8mRespgz/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdOgt6TEnWXhenloes2K6sYsdAJHJeBdtM3FSGz17RtHksnEBSRZ2TeP9lleFaNPK2HHa5KsyTvgMB7suVNON9d-cizHLTM_bDVag1ovtQeOJzS-8RTxv4NXockd4VgsxMrtm2OVzE-lXwjwNJ7jPuuuylU2ptFm-xjX8OS1hdCMEWcGtz0Dv8mRespgz/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mist obscured the distant mountains</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiycf5AgElP18g3b6MKCoj210Hp85km55wu4r2hWaf-Kjg_SSYq3ms4q-QjV3FwwAnx1Xp1bq1dkt09lTiGxHEzQwlI8uVQTDR0lvXEKPme1z3jNxr6EFNmgckHbyfyApyIVO-JhCu8E6uCwCa_akgGbLrdF106DXanHsHXheLotNBvcRqtWrTg06pR4w/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiycf5AgElP18g3b6MKCoj210Hp85km55wu4r2hWaf-Kjg_SSYq3ms4q-QjV3FwwAnx1Xp1bq1dkt09lTiGxHEzQwlI8uVQTDR0lvXEKPme1z3jNxr6EFNmgckHbyfyApyIVO-JhCu8E6uCwCa_akgGbLrdF106DXanHsHXheLotNBvcRqtWrTg06pR4w/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across open rock near the summit</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While the precipitation was never more than a mist, I wanted to descend before the rocky path became too slippery on the slabs. The clouds moving in looked like they may contain heavier rain. I made it back to Peaked Mountain Pond with no issues. I took a few minutes to explore along the shoreline of the pond to get a better look back at the peak. A short bushwhack gave me the views I was seeking.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebB5UY5llQmKWVf53Z3eouEoxZbuA3dyVybrPqDz_alMkamn7yGgXgHdyBDnmfDMArO-AWJd6eaNQ0fPSMFPlhihQB__th7GR_mgS7a2wLD0vqfX04mPFREI3wijhq5A2fh7c2_Yrr0RqCs70xqKJhDWAoqKfzGC3bIDyUD_4mMIQ_ZRH7kS56urygaTh/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebB5UY5llQmKWVf53Z3eouEoxZbuA3dyVybrPqDz_alMkamn7yGgXgHdyBDnmfDMArO-AWJd6eaNQ0fPSMFPlhihQB__th7GR_mgS7a2wLD0vqfX04mPFREI3wijhq5A2fh7c2_Yrr0RqCs70xqKJhDWAoqKfzGC3bIDyUD_4mMIQ_ZRH7kS56urygaTh/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peaked Mountain from Peaked Mountain Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qfsM9_rDE5o0GxEGo41Q3CvMOBepEKZ9gqyNYQyJKmKYXDgN13ZJuO9KJ-d78UKjYiG56Cn6mZ_pftGjhPiz3bbxJb2CpY6AiACUUYwmLIN2C2IaR73hzaEjXhQyfvuPoMan1QaqYy8EvsqcYfB2BlDNHmFSBmg648fz1s-jqzanhJKwj_dEmw1M4aEI/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qfsM9_rDE5o0GxEGo41Q3CvMOBepEKZ9gqyNYQyJKmKYXDgN13ZJuO9KJ-d78UKjYiG56Cn6mZ_pftGjhPiz3bbxJb2CpY6AiACUUYwmLIN2C2IaR73hzaEjXhQyfvuPoMan1QaqYy8EvsqcYfB2BlDNHmFSBmg648fz1s-jqzanhJKwj_dEmw1M4aEI/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closeup of the mist on the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Satisfied with a few photos from the pond. I continued back toward Thirteenth Lake. The trail returns on the same route that I hiked in on. As expected, the rain picked up as I made my way along the brook. The rain never was more than a light steady rain, but enough to make everything wet. The footing became a little tricky as the ground became wetter with wet leaves covering slippery rocks and roots. I didn't want to linger in the rain any longer than I had to and picked up the pace back to the trailhead. Despite a fairly warm start to the hike, the air cooled quite a bit as the rain picked up. I was somewhat surprised to see several groups of backpackers had set up camp near the lake as I neared the end of my hike.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-P21MoyjtALUMKpwopB-L6M71tQc1vfYQu1W4whZXv5xKWbqv0dOIMp2Q-bVKoDLyWbcCPYtn0sHWbC-uW28J6HOgdbabtk-m0_uI-1gsDGWs1_vYh3kXcUk2tJVB5zNcVfsvQfJ074LwRCkrrN0V2du-Y4f1ErKiSj3RgubSgVPo0G_qi-8ZAHtTt5gM/s3456/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="2592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-P21MoyjtALUMKpwopB-L6M71tQc1vfYQu1W4whZXv5xKWbqv0dOIMp2Q-bVKoDLyWbcCPYtn0sHWbC-uW28J6HOgdbabtk-m0_uI-1gsDGWs1_vYh3kXcUk2tJVB5zNcVfsvQfJ074LwRCkrrN0V2du-Y4f1ErKiSj3RgubSgVPo0G_qi-8ZAHtTt5gM/w300-h400/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20085.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing a large rock near the beaver pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEYI0SwSMQa3r9Xx_1G6VkVECnVEi1X-w1uQFIDEKWD5j8O-_7qeepEmzJTOJ03yb2txwKsybMBwefmZR_5oSao42yecRoqwiqkoOc96AeSB7LA33Asx9mwm9UbRnb5WVo0iX1e8GVg8hQZpPxtZCvjZSDNuZO3QxcJoLoEfSg5l198YkxhbWFttxH5m3/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEYI0SwSMQa3r9Xx_1G6VkVECnVEi1X-w1uQFIDEKWD5j8O-_7qeepEmzJTOJ03yb2txwKsybMBwefmZR_5oSao42yecRoqwiqkoOc96AeSB7LA33Asx9mwm9UbRnb5WVo0iX1e8GVg8hQZpPxtZCvjZSDNuZO3QxcJoLoEfSg5l198YkxhbWFttxH5m3/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balm of Gilead Mountain over Thirteenth Lake <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I'm sure the hike to Peaked Mountain is an enjoyable experience any time of year, but the colorful foliage really added to the hike. While the peak itself is the main draw of the hike, the entire route really makes this trip shine. I enjoy bodies of water and the pleasant, lakeside stroll along Thirteenth Lake to start this trip takes in a nice view of the lake. I always enjoy mountain streams, so the stretch of small waterfalls along the trail was really a pleasant surprise. The views from the beaver pond and Peaked Mountain Pond of Peaked Mountain certainly don't disappoint. And who doesn't enjoy an open rocky summit? Even the dreary conditions along the second half of the hike seemed to enhance the scenery. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCKXq8F5EEmfoUtW1hv4iRAdXPucayupxjLQtoK3EuNm_GZ7gH6wg4fw_iNyCjK1a0M1ZyNnSRhBKQKFB2Z7LMgq2fZIR4DkuHbLL8_B0mnA3VAxhqP58ZMd9Z4S-Q8JtbN7Bcucz_poHnZU0uYx46TdohjctRlX0zkv41BixerKzPbUOMjqxAOH8QEsl/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCKXq8F5EEmfoUtW1hv4iRAdXPucayupxjLQtoK3EuNm_GZ7gH6wg4fw_iNyCjK1a0M1ZyNnSRhBKQKFB2Z7LMgq2fZIR4DkuHbLL8_B0mnA3VAxhqP58ZMd9Z4S-Q8JtbN7Bcucz_poHnZU0uYx46TdohjctRlX0zkv41BixerKzPbUOMjqxAOH8QEsl/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gloomy, but pretty day</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I definitely recommend making the trip to Peaked Mountain. At just over 7 miles in length, the distance is fairly manageable for most hikers. Although the last half-mile to the summit climbs steeply over somewhat challenging terrain, most of the route sees only gradual elevation changes. With a large lake, waterfalls, ponds, and an open summit; you get to enjoy a little bit of everything the Adirondacks has to offer on this hike.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9zflHhNKKBbPuK5uepkm0OJSAo5C1s34dvp8FOMRQsGPqABZXb3r14JTWHpFi4jCVpGpiCKQbvTKoTXbU84K9fTqk-zUsoeQkLJ8n8rd-dGLp_aPIt1WWRwiRSGTVd-3RUW5DkdDhXLL8Bx6pKV89OR0A6hDH2CyL-8KQOWVPA9Q88tr8UcCUFVFhQxo/s4032/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9zflHhNKKBbPuK5uepkm0OJSAo5C1s34dvp8FOMRQsGPqABZXb3r14JTWHpFi4jCVpGpiCKQbvTKoTXbU84K9fTqk-zUsoeQkLJ8n8rd-dGLp_aPIt1WWRwiRSGTVd-3RUW5DkdDhXLL8Bx6pKV89OR0A6hDH2CyL-8KQOWVPA9Q88tr8UcCUFVFhQxo/w400-h300/Peaked%20Mtn%2010.6.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya posing on Peaked Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed reading this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-2268317347939358672023-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:002023-10-11T16:14:39.965-07:00Fire Tower Trifeca: Mount Adams, Buck Mountain and Snowy Mountain<div style="text-align: left;">After finishing the Northeast 115, I didn't have any lofty hiking goals for the rest of the season. I set my sights on shorter hikes to some of the lower peaks of the Adirondacks that I wanted to hike at some point, but for whatever reason didn't. After an extremely wet summer, September brought much better hiking conditions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While decommissioned fire towers stand in numerous states. Many of them fell into disuse. Most of them are no longer safe to climb and they are often off limits. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I hiked by several fire towers that had locked gates with tall fences blocking access. Several fire towers stood in Maine while I lived there. Most were dilapidated and the state removed the ladders to keep the public off of them. Occasionally you could climb partially up the ladders, but the cabins were never open. In the eight years I lived in Maine several of the existing towers were removed altogether. One of the exceptions was the tower on Old Speck, which was renovated for use as a hiker observation platform.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">New York stands out as an exception to the rule on limiting access to fire towers. While most of the fire towers across the state no longer stand, more than 25 still exist on public land in the Adirondacks as well as a handful in the Catskills. A majority of these towers are still safe and the public may access them. I climbed a handful of these towers. Because they stand on mountains and rise above the trees with 360 degree views, you are guaranteed a good view when the weather cooperates. With recent clear skies, I wanted to take advantage of the vistas from a few more fire towers. I hiked to three mountains in mid September with fire towers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Mount Adams</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mount Adams stands in the southern end of the High Peaks Wilderness. Located so close to the highest mountains in the Adirondacks, it's often said to have the best view of the fire towers. With a lovely clear day in late September, I wanted to see the view for myself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The hike to Mount Adams begins at the same trailhead used to access 46er summit Allen Mountain, just before Upper Works. The trail starts deceptively easy, traveling over low terrain that crosses the upper reaches of the Hudson River and passes by Lake Jimmy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RU-bodmXpnV-sN7_skN8LcoSWAN4FMiMcj7BZiKwbkffmWVwpHq9BV9MAViFzWbAVqy_bYOvSAK3sA3f1tuaamC8MyGdvRBki9dnkeocmM04o9ftfgtrd46wrGXpzNfdmfNSn6VSLJT1ysPI235m5QfGUhr0AglfT4I9-YKvKeerj2zO0BJVI7WT01wa/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RU-bodmXpnV-sN7_skN8LcoSWAN4FMiMcj7BZiKwbkffmWVwpHq9BV9MAViFzWbAVqy_bYOvSAK3sA3f1tuaamC8MyGdvRBki9dnkeocmM04o9ftfgtrd46wrGXpzNfdmfNSn6VSLJT1ysPI235m5QfGUhr0AglfT4I9-YKvKeerj2zO0BJVI7WT01wa/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm-HyV7o6jgU4Z-KpGepdIrg9b3pKLKwe3RylfX1dDL0zZJFhHhHna9FxmC3KfXep_EWdotWLPEHH-S0fcZva4PKBf7sxqpoYEHWub0ViRLkqEIYb7QYTruTs7mJN56clLEQu4XIpoidYGssFCP3bnZvfssKVB9iWSkkDwfl6ZlKapzL_WF4BVyI5-Vdb/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm-HyV7o6jgU4Z-KpGepdIrg9b3pKLKwe3RylfX1dDL0zZJFhHhHna9FxmC3KfXep_EWdotWLPEHH-S0fcZva4PKBf7sxqpoYEHWub0ViRLkqEIYb7QYTruTs7mJN56clLEQu4XIpoidYGssFCP3bnZvfssKVB9iWSkkDwfl6ZlKapzL_WF4BVyI5-Vdb/w300-h400/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20002.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over the Hudson</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYwGij_b9QG946isrcuOkI8KgJ2LmaL_lUlaXrWqbUI5H3y59f5uJwKXHZpwTeHQAlLhzLaJ-mGVaz28GnjFZ2BQ6-BeRNDaqDVhYuCx4cQLKanxXX8pdY5nvZrfb7VscFnsPlQ5jAjBIYw4NVig4-urJjpipRA-jwZH8ppYSo0Hg3NDapxQ9G_NFnIib/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYwGij_b9QG946isrcuOkI8KgJ2LmaL_lUlaXrWqbUI5H3y59f5uJwKXHZpwTeHQAlLhzLaJ-mGVaz28GnjFZ2BQ6-BeRNDaqDVhYuCx4cQLKanxXX8pdY5nvZrfb7VscFnsPlQ5jAjBIYw4NVig4-urJjpipRA-jwZH8ppYSo0Hg3NDapxQ9G_NFnIib/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Jimmy</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Before turning off the East River Trail, you pass the old warden's cabin where the tower observer stayed when not manning the tower. The back door of the cabin was not locked and you can take a look at the interior of the simple living quarters. Just past the cabin, you turn onto the trail for Mount Adams.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHWywUf4-stQN8TxjaCh0BALJihquOR-f89E9NsWAX4AlUHF-37EwbeqJGtZXa6OWX6bul4UuowcI_eqncAyHjxj6K9J91tZ9Zu6yciFgeMWT9vpqC0fB_6mze5Fdi4b8hruKH48rVFvKKHkbiTd58wDtN-0LVgRsZFM46951Z-iBRH3tBxx-nAumi0Bj/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHWywUf4-stQN8TxjaCh0BALJihquOR-f89E9NsWAX4AlUHF-37EwbeqJGtZXa6OWX6bul4UuowcI_eqncAyHjxj6K9J91tZ9Zu6yciFgeMWT9vpqC0fB_6mze5Fdi4b8hruKH48rVFvKKHkbiTd58wDtN-0LVgRsZFM46951Z-iBRH3tBxx-nAumi0Bj/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warden's cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnK2I6WUI6y8ZEeebVilR2_yXnJ7gibKYeUswf1TIXgLqvOP4HRYwzn_zsPOpjoSshvTmxXa3vzV_zgcaAIZ3KV0lKsI8_AAjtt3pUNteWsRZl4-InK4ujYpPoHShhxhXUbWo0SF2_CAj5tzJ5tJUBXS4dicZi0BdlrFcP4bOo9UQqnWzL0QpWBBflUdu/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnK2I6WUI6y8ZEeebVilR2_yXnJ7gibKYeUswf1TIXgLqvOP4HRYwzn_zsPOpjoSshvTmxXa3vzV_zgcaAIZ3KV0lKsI8_AAjtt3pUNteWsRZl4-InK4ujYpPoHShhxhXUbWo0SF2_CAj5tzJ5tJUBXS4dicZi0BdlrFcP4bOo9UQqnWzL0QpWBBflUdu/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look inside the cabin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The trail from the junction only travels just over a mile to the summit. While the beginning of this trail continues over relatively flat terrain, the easy hiking doesn't last. The trail gains over 1,600' over the next mile. This is steeper than some of the most rugged mountains in the High Peaks. Numerous rocky slabs and short scrambles slow progress. The trail rarely levels off for very long. The payoff at the summit makes up for the relentless climb.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEPsh9Ex5lQHEHkyd0RvGKzMFfo4A1GdLN5R7cMufU-HBFRZBAUdqnAz2FQKeu1pbeRQAQsLIsN7yF0yhoT9ICoXXwIyQdrjdquNfcc1gm9b6eOdMY-vkLW10Qvq8KrmNsIUEGQTnkrFRXTervu2qCZlFAE6FzqdeCewekCIx9tBgtN1V0UjIlGFN5hnh/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEPsh9Ex5lQHEHkyd0RvGKzMFfo4A1GdLN5R7cMufU-HBFRZBAUdqnAz2FQKeu1pbeRQAQsLIsN7yF0yhoT9ICoXXwIyQdrjdquNfcc1gm9b6eOdMY-vkLW10Qvq8KrmNsIUEGQTnkrFRXTervu2qCZlFAE6FzqdeCewekCIx9tBgtN1V0UjIlGFN5hnh/w300-h400/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20007.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slab early on Adams</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfiyBSTTaF6EUopWfZzTbqPnnlU1t_SwrEbXAb-CGf7140blaKf4e3rr9sv13ins3TO52ab7mAPWJLn8Pe0siFha06d95biK6eig3glgK3k4PFIeh9X6Uh9EAqe7qHvyqFSLEQZ_dZy2iejYDvMBuK0h16Zog_lFtsEryYbMD_VYQVclzT3vwRI49kBJ9/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfiyBSTTaF6EUopWfZzTbqPnnlU1t_SwrEbXAb-CGf7140blaKf4e3rr9sv13ins3TO52ab7mAPWJLn8Pe0siFha06d95biK6eig3glgK3k4PFIeh9X6Uh9EAqe7qHvyqFSLEQZ_dZy2iejYDvMBuK0h16Zog_lFtsEryYbMD_VYQVclzT3vwRI49kBJ9/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scrambling under a wall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91QgB7Yf15RR8oC6EtvQsWuTKuajIkYh3tTVUAW73bgzMucSpuTyc1RTMf6DJa8nFY8amJTfmUN8o21PJGvPmpDhaT6aXD9GGeOyN6apV6DbpytX8CD4CeVcIXMf3eWcD2wSGaTaEn-BUFB_qstY4DyhfmVx2PUQ7rfxYp7yrSl03rDXHLaVi1ZQ78_Ab/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91QgB7Yf15RR8oC6EtvQsWuTKuajIkYh3tTVUAW73bgzMucSpuTyc1RTMf6DJa8nFY8amJTfmUN8o21PJGvPmpDhaT6aXD9GGeOyN6apV6DbpytX8CD4CeVcIXMf3eWcD2wSGaTaEn-BUFB_qstY4DyhfmVx2PUQ7rfxYp7yrSl03rDXHLaVi1ZQ78_Ab/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya enroute to Adams</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The wooded 3,520' summit would offer no views if not for the tower. Like most of the remaining fire towers in the Adirondacks, you can access the tower and the observation cabin. The views from the tower don't disappoint. The grandstand view of the High Peaks is quite stunning. The view is dominated by the rocky slopes of Calamity Mountain to the north. Avalanche Pass stands behind Calamity, framed by the MacIntyre Range and Colden. Mount Marcy's bald cone stands out. Cliff, Redfield, and Allen dominate the skyline before dropping to the North River Mountains and eventually the lower mountains to the south. The Santanoni Range rises just across Henderson Lake. The Seward Range stands to the northwest before sweeping back toward the MacIntyres. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7hwLTkbCaTZE9wXu8NKIgh7WHxWygLv-JDiKQrL5mJiXAYNHqVRjfTsPaLweCHqbWBvRIG_Rb_D6fNEEPsZmDdHBvdGysxoy0fwJn8HPpz_PkfMIkvRU8imynRbspRd_vDlah9qHRUrd0Bf75EiLkJaJ66AVv4O1MytAvW7KG4ppF3oHPmSmtupYSEEl/s2592/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7hwLTkbCaTZE9wXu8NKIgh7WHxWygLv-JDiKQrL5mJiXAYNHqVRjfTsPaLweCHqbWBvRIG_Rb_D6fNEEPsZmDdHBvdGysxoy0fwJn8HPpz_PkfMIkvRU8imynRbspRd_vDlah9qHRUrd0Bf75EiLkJaJ66AVv4O1MytAvW7KG4ppF3oHPmSmtupYSEEl/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Adams fire tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj62lS_Hl0Cu618HCz7GzdwN9p5Kjk7h8UEisCvE218hcVwWaLytETmTnhb4brXPo5o129QuOAOk4oCSt0o1mFMqrZ6KoR0J7DczVY-hpQv4ycwMR9Zoi7-A8-KtR-petYN-Gpwk5vbAHwjD0y_yXnmYQUbYd_g4UFHFcUeQjvuRfp5gPqxjYrxdz9YDa/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj62lS_Hl0Cu618HCz7GzdwN9p5Kjk7h8UEisCvE218hcVwWaLytETmTnhb4brXPo5o129QuOAOk4oCSt0o1mFMqrZ6KoR0J7DczVY-hpQv4ycwMR9Zoi7-A8-KtR-petYN-Gpwk5vbAHwjD0y_yXnmYQUbYd_g4UFHFcUeQjvuRfp5gPqxjYrxdz9YDa/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya in the tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PjgWHp2d7tP0oCfZ5oNEBue7Eyck8LoDx6Hy2HM0okJJL9TzukOGqE1ls3SEzLMjzcWNdiQTx7f_8mjPigmrSqgiNW34Z3i43p-sb8dYz37or30gYggKP6dggtydgQZJNd9Z50rgMHN8LuOUJCN2n5HclCx8v6HIyioHLU9Y_ZMhFw8u3i2LV7ZHPlIr/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PjgWHp2d7tP0oCfZ5oNEBue7Eyck8LoDx6Hy2HM0okJJL9TzukOGqE1ls3SEzLMjzcWNdiQTx7f_8mjPigmrSqgiNW34Z3i43p-sb8dYz37or30gYggKP6dggtydgQZJNd9Z50rgMHN8LuOUJCN2n5HclCx8v6HIyioHLU9Y_ZMhFw8u3i2LV7ZHPlIr/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seward Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOixlm3K1xrdgDWQbScDCmacIGOA1s9AfodsJdSJ3qOvdlm6V_xm651IC1wT-JVkLCHyIj11YS_SfbXYmvtM7jOoVFOsFdjePaP0js01bVUADQ8g3xR-S9yh2IQM7mVE6T4EQ7vvTbWib8MMvkjtpPqABNn5cCoD4wpHZvZOyk2hJDXCUOKdUuLBVJdQ3/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOixlm3K1xrdgDWQbScDCmacIGOA1s9AfodsJdSJ3qOvdlm6V_xm651IC1wT-JVkLCHyIj11YS_SfbXYmvtM7jOoVFOsFdjePaP0js01bVUADQ8g3xR-S9yh2IQM7mVE6T4EQ7vvTbWib8MMvkjtpPqABNn5cCoD4wpHZvZOyk2hJDXCUOKdUuLBVJdQ3/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MacNaughton with the Sewards in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2LztarXRTrtqX7tGdh8sy_Jc7bpTDch763dSr3CyijEExP96FeqkmlAeSWXPFLHEUFYlxpSAPU5Vyq1Kn_XGg8D4mOzrs-7tZB755JF6C-VgNvBvzQSmosv6cHbWFE5gqjg9DHbeGuAYHypv9MvK6M81MW9a2LzRyN2SkhpoBtFk6m1UhQxjst3mUHmt/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2LztarXRTrtqX7tGdh8sy_Jc7bpTDch763dSr3CyijEExP96FeqkmlAeSWXPFLHEUFYlxpSAPU5Vyq1Kn_XGg8D4mOzrs-7tZB755JF6C-VgNvBvzQSmosv6cHbWFE5gqjg9DHbeGuAYHypv9MvK6M81MW9a2LzRyN2SkhpoBtFk6m1UhQxjst3mUHmt/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santanoni Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2Lt0FyqorAS-6qOQLZP8sFqiMvcnHZdLfiTdgACmQaIffIfCrYHXd1HgACgnIh2J76MSDb2B_QODGs67X5OjKWCYbCv60DU7fUxCKTIEkccOMKcQn_FiO4kZ4F5ja4ARqkIN-uJju4M-biUPaVXSuUT4NAiAbxL3Yx2iFrpiNp-ugrDqlvQTe1V1cs1g/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2Lt0FyqorAS-6qOQLZP8sFqiMvcnHZdLfiTdgACmQaIffIfCrYHXd1HgACgnIh2J76MSDb2B_QODGs67X5OjKWCYbCv60DU7fUxCKTIEkccOMKcQn_FiO4kZ4F5ja4ARqkIN-uJju4M-biUPaVXSuUT4NAiAbxL3Yx2iFrpiNp-ugrDqlvQTe1V1cs1g/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the south</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggo2-mnj8Ipmfv7AMdsIQdG9fGr0RQYLMO1eYWr7oPLbyTxLIry6E5gJA-4Nz6vZ-baHx3TXDoFecNrF4mls1XT860tPMXicZLyvS7CWODcwvPgVvkIhPnttgHIH_LFIy_6SaxAVaiV_DuY_E5fkC4JHREAyDNiwmWWHuQ0npcIcY76szrt-T2W55VBWXK/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggo2-mnj8Ipmfv7AMdsIQdG9fGr0RQYLMO1eYWr7oPLbyTxLIry6E5gJA-4Nz6vZ-baHx3TXDoFecNrF4mls1XT860tPMXicZLyvS7CWODcwvPgVvkIhPnttgHIH_LFIy_6SaxAVaiV_DuY_E5fkC4JHREAyDNiwmWWHuQ0npcIcY76szrt-T2W55VBWXK/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe this is the North River Mountains</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8WI7EgLfiqgc9_fDQGbqsbp5nh-2snJnBbzlI4FevlvKKB4hhHZUqrZ7u4rVkEZgpNpftHKI1jMBntQlfDGqBH86JUM-VeHCrPAPu5l6124yukWOWpx2OVxAX5AMgOTEKcl2nbOQbqc3gHZ2C-_VRccQOMHsWJmm3PHSO3WwtfyeVGPKBAUNQFZsx2Nv/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8WI7EgLfiqgc9_fDQGbqsbp5nh-2snJnBbzlI4FevlvKKB4hhHZUqrZ7u4rVkEZgpNpftHKI1jMBntQlfDGqBH86JUM-VeHCrPAPu5l6124yukWOWpx2OVxAX5AMgOTEKcl2nbOQbqc3gHZ2C-_VRccQOMHsWJmm3PHSO3WwtfyeVGPKBAUNQFZsx2Nv/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw_JtqYb7IFG-H3Vc5NHVAX9L2eEFWXCHuGRngESpKnA6MbReqI4D00IZ1PkM-8-TSP8ozVSVcj35-ElttrkxLcL4qf-f-3jDsgmRyxuLikZ3o6YWaxqys4DYA5pjvJRc28R4WeOQBJ_eafZnYA95Yxf993r6Tfff7YPteFK1EpZGlfp8S2gNzOWadRgd/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw_JtqYb7IFG-H3Vc5NHVAX9L2eEFWXCHuGRngESpKnA6MbReqI4D00IZ1PkM-8-TSP8ozVSVcj35-ElttrkxLcL4qf-f-3jDsgmRyxuLikZ3o6YWaxqys4DYA5pjvJRc28R4WeOQBJ_eafZnYA95Yxf993r6Tfff7YPteFK1EpZGlfp8S2gNzOWadRgd/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcy</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmmgnFRCjbHUS-BliO-0-e3u4rwIPQ0F2DcFuBdMy4IU-Al-dnCVVNXK6DXKag_ImwHBm78FaOXp9vwqJbZZepphvLDkafiQTMt4EfawBvUw7kmnAO9v6zMUmvAJeHq5OyJEyywRVacC09qXFJDg44RjQpmq8T80YgMgiTkiBjlfeyo_twWHp6PVpYQLE/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmmgnFRCjbHUS-BliO-0-e3u4rwIPQ0F2DcFuBdMy4IU-Al-dnCVVNXK6DXKag_ImwHBm78FaOXp9vwqJbZZepphvLDkafiQTMt4EfawBvUw7kmnAO9v6zMUmvAJeHq5OyJEyywRVacC09qXFJDg44RjQpmq8T80YgMgiTkiBjlfeyo_twWHp6PVpYQLE/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calamity Mountain with Algonquin, Colden,<br />Marcy in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUeTzh5jUbny70OUAvEyPbb38hnMYhUvzAWq6KKuWPiyrsjffjeaa9Gr3psQS8CFU_9ZlnKqd375T8s2qGo3jeQ6r3NaRQrRIHJqN2VqMosN4vr8OeR3PrJWphdShxQTrnYPCb5TjTXNmimBtB7nzOigf9p9Nd5U1ewTtSdMqAVV0tuVwDqfIZlnr2OBW/s4032/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUeTzh5jUbny70OUAvEyPbb38hnMYhUvzAWq6KKuWPiyrsjffjeaa9Gr3psQS8CFU_9ZlnKqd375T8s2qGo3jeQ6r3NaRQrRIHJqN2VqMosN4vr8OeR3PrJWphdShxQTrnYPCb5TjTXNmimBtB7nzOigf9p9Nd5U1ewTtSdMqAVV0tuVwDqfIZlnr2OBW/w400-h300/Mt%20Adams9.20.23%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward Avalanche Pass</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The descent can be a little tricky over the steep and rocky terrain, especially when wet. I reached the flat East River Trail quickly. The final 3/4 miles back to the trailhead were a breeze.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Even though this hike covers just a touch under 5 miles, it's a fairly challenging hike for the distance. While the distance may seem manageable, the final mile to the summit climbs as steep as anything in the Adirondacks and shouldn't be taken lightly if you are expecting a casual hike. If you are up for the rugged climb, you certainly won't be let down by the views from the tower. It may be safe to say this is one of the best fire tower views with it's prime location in the High Peaks Wilderness.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Buck Mountain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail to Buck Mountain is one of the newest trails in the Adirondacks. A project of the Town of Long Lake, the trail just opened to the public in early September of 2023. The trail sits on private timber company land. The timber company recently came to an agreement with the town ,allowing the trails construction. Best of all, the trail leads to a newly restored fire tower on the summit of the small mountain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">About two weeks after the trail opened, I heard about it for the first time in an article in the local paper. The trail runs about 1.2 miles while gaining about 500 vertical feet to the tower. Since the hike is relatively short, I decided to check it out in the afternoon after hiking to Mount Adams. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For such a short trail, the parking lot for the trailhead is enormous. It's one of the larger trailhead parking lots in the Adirondacks. I arrived at the trailhead around 2PM and was surprised to see more than a dozen cars. A large group just finished their hike as I arrived.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBu1vwvFJu-57nOvE00OY-prmvP3myJzXi8XGU6TV6KAheHmsVv-ZEA1181k3AAjpT16WNSsDXu1rDby-nk7Fu046lZq3pX0zxgsLuOAVAWZEBcjxQUTvL4YN6BiKWh8NEXhSOR6V8m3Nbi0QMOEqfFbbsU_8eowfzMDuVuCIG5iw5z06ddmGbF_4hX-9/s2592/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBu1vwvFJu-57nOvE00OY-prmvP3myJzXi8XGU6TV6KAheHmsVv-ZEA1181k3AAjpT16WNSsDXu1rDby-nk7Fu046lZq3pX0zxgsLuOAVAWZEBcjxQUTvL4YN6BiKWh8NEXhSOR6V8m3Nbi0QMOEqfFbbsU_8eowfzMDuVuCIG5iw5z06ddmGbF_4hX-9/w400-h300/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The trail starts easy enough as it travels on flat terrain. It's obvious the trail is still new as the dirt tread isn't consolidated yet. Town of Long Lake discs mark the trail. Several brand-new bog bridges help navigate the muddier stretches. Numerous sets of wooden steps help negotiate the steeper sections of trail. I began passing other hikers almost as soon as I started hiking.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaj6gUVUme6XTbRHdlblRSEYgAepdu43isPvsuspKo03NqETCCnjZPivGaYTFloEZCSfHKJviEsXjZM5rJXAji2mTedfa_sH4OQCZU71djPpibH75ZLNmkoishs82o_C6ddLMxDAzGuw3ERXgGxrCxRbwtsCgigC9WlLl-toDbr0_llninARQxbFFtcsH/s2592/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaj6gUVUme6XTbRHdlblRSEYgAepdu43isPvsuspKo03NqETCCnjZPivGaYTFloEZCSfHKJviEsXjZM5rJXAji2mTedfa_sH4OQCZU71djPpibH75ZLNmkoishs82o_C6ddLMxDAzGuw3ERXgGxrCxRbwtsCgigC9WlLl-toDbr0_llninARQxbFFtcsH/w300-h400/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20002.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice trail work</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHZdurswzloEZEdYSj7EcLLAkeR9tnSmvMB8bCTjBLwYcejAHw5HyrzH4sca5uaPGxu-yHKo-mqfGTx_hWjazmH120-5AHmkOnvFBH2Zm7o1vAA_4kRgKUhJpVXJRDdXJE4WkN5Swv0W6e3dRpCbhxwPk0nm1H4aeza_MYnpy3U3anZFH_u8WRjr1S5cY/s2592/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHZdurswzloEZEdYSj7EcLLAkeR9tnSmvMB8bCTjBLwYcejAHw5HyrzH4sca5uaPGxu-yHKo-mqfGTx_hWjazmH120-5AHmkOnvFBH2Zm7o1vAA_4kRgKUhJpVXJRDdXJE4WkN5Swv0W6e3dRpCbhxwPk0nm1H4aeza_MYnpy3U3anZFH_u8WRjr1S5cY/w400-h300/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extended stretch of stairs</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Since the trail travels only 1.2 miles, I reached the tower pretty quickly. By the time I arrived at the tower, I passed probably a dozen groups. Only one lone hiker was at the summit when I climbed the tower.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwnqc05cswAA_DIZuaKNgLEoiaQGDKPQzLUS2svXEw1i8bP0AljLBvfO6YJTg3g5tSZziIz4w7ZNSXRKdBTaeeCpAzAa1oMrA7uZdbGl5VHvwW74rbAnUUILNVYqGRgR1GJey75nRwYJhnUqFwStEAL8qeuYgFcpmNNBkp8xp3iL9XpDnTGTD8efmwtqa/s2592/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwnqc05cswAA_DIZuaKNgLEoiaQGDKPQzLUS2svXEw1i8bP0AljLBvfO6YJTg3g5tSZziIz4w7ZNSXRKdBTaeeCpAzAa1oMrA7uZdbGl5VHvwW74rbAnUUILNVYqGRgR1GJey75nRwYJhnUqFwStEAL8qeuYgFcpmNNBkp8xp3iL9XpDnTGTD8efmwtqa/w300-h400/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20004.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buck Mountain fire tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I was pleasantly surprised by the views from the tower at the modest 2,395' summit.. Sitting just over a mile from the summit, Little Tupper Lake and Round Lake dominate the view. Mount Morris stands out to the north with a small sliver of Tupper Lake visible past the small summits of Coney and Goodman. The High Peaks are visible in the distance to the east. Countless lower mountains can be seen in all directions. Just a few peeks of fall color started to dot the trees.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFJOkarAdhfawVqbB09zYp2UjxSMMyzyCI6o4IGwnHnr_r2dh5Ym_BA8wQo84e-Td-GUC47CTTWioVHMG1Vx_QoNnzmpdpeS4xyLB2s-d7sMxhsl2UP7eooqAvy7G8qoSU4k0xFJj5pWE1SioQigp0ycBv2nZINWyJUThfTwIksguBmlLYJjn5bpVm_jU/s4032/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFJOkarAdhfawVqbB09zYp2UjxSMMyzyCI6o4IGwnHnr_r2dh5Ym_BA8wQo84e-Td-GUC47CTTWioVHMG1Vx_QoNnzmpdpeS4xyLB2s-d7sMxhsl2UP7eooqAvy7G8qoSU4k0xFJj5pWE1SioQigp0ycBv2nZINWyJUThfTwIksguBmlLYJjn5bpVm_jU/w400-h300/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice views from the tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarCsPMA4jFjo8RnJ6GmmBTIhMjxAJHKsztznRq_X0fwmbq5OzsiELS57AyuuExX2U5h_7FOw8mdQbzGCrMRTovbvCeMiZ0GpmCJjJfW4DMz92kBFIVRpbPCiQzNWe51nU2mulJTJMcJqqVfXRvofFGgTieGTIYKdSPnSLsvxkM2Oh14tTT_2BDFZdCG9l/s4032/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarCsPMA4jFjo8RnJ6GmmBTIhMjxAJHKsztznRq_X0fwmbq5OzsiELS57AyuuExX2U5h_7FOw8mdQbzGCrMRTovbvCeMiZ0GpmCJjJfW4DMz92kBFIVRpbPCiQzNWe51nU2mulJTJMcJqqVfXRvofFGgTieGTIYKdSPnSLsvxkM2Oh14tTT_2BDFZdCG9l/w400-h300/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Morris in distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcOuVFczvUfmNsBM6yTmBJRRG3inEjJJn9Fp234vQKPUGBTAqACWLmpJUUZFY_qpNSCIMDJ3mTGKtj4_hjrYo_2nB7MdZaKBRnhyRjRTvGwBip-5QikOdSv0Qrjqo5jLdWfQGEQcdnquitVbeVrDQcp_0rjsDmDxIrD3XvNAw66wiZUGpP6oe90w6Mj58/s4032/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcOuVFczvUfmNsBM6yTmBJRRG3inEjJJn9Fp234vQKPUGBTAqACWLmpJUUZFY_qpNSCIMDJ3mTGKtj4_hjrYo_2nB7MdZaKBRnhyRjRTvGwBip-5QikOdSv0Qrjqo5jLdWfQGEQcdnquitVbeVrDQcp_0rjsDmDxIrD3XvNAw66wiZUGpP6oe90w6Mj58/w400-h300/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall color beginning to show</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU5cUFSIHYaRKWjw6v_x8v2pfFQlMHcpF_F-Mp5jOefGwbVPu_O97zGwzzuP5_yQz0ufra370oJLwqouWCZzExapl5L2f660KodOHu6WTo5lrU54eZ38ZhO2mX6XLCUORkBhIVPpXxpMR_RjONHi1YWCV5SdAQJ-FhOANTMFOPiih3rNVDKBu6Tv4zzxb/s4032/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU5cUFSIHYaRKWjw6v_x8v2pfFQlMHcpF_F-Mp5jOefGwbVPu_O97zGwzzuP5_yQz0ufra370oJLwqouWCZzExapl5L2f660KodOHu6WTo5lrU54eZ38ZhO2mX6XLCUORkBhIVPpXxpMR_RjONHi1YWCV5SdAQJ-FhOANTMFOPiih3rNVDKBu6Tv4zzxb/w400-h300/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Tupper Lake and Round Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The return hike went by pretty quickly. I saw a couple more hikers making their way towards the tower. The parking lot cleared out quite a bit by the time I made it back to the trailhead.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB4ZZ6XgAStAtRIwtTdI16vcygC4ItSKmRifeUGnolELVy4UqRPMm19Sj2IGmVjhf5VfTrst2RVFGLTn36hzz9ZU4fIrwlRjsp854gwO2X2hh50earB5SMKGdWaxVq1WE3qFeisJtS8RRj6bsF16HlEGXPyjCXE-0EF0mfqaCMwU9s-Ee4F1yMv-RDvkL/s2592/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB4ZZ6XgAStAtRIwtTdI16vcygC4ItSKmRifeUGnolELVy4UqRPMm19Sj2IGmVjhf5VfTrst2RVFGLTn36hzz9ZU4fIrwlRjsp854gwO2X2hh50earB5SMKGdWaxVq1WE3qFeisJtS8RRj6bsF16HlEGXPyjCXE-0EF0mfqaCMwU9s-Ee4F1yMv-RDvkL/w300-h400/BuckMtn%20FT%209.20.23%20006.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on a bog bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Given the busyness of Buck Mountain, I foresee it being a pretty popular hike similar to the nearby Tupper Lake Triad Peaks. I probably saw more people on this hike than the last five hikes I had done prior. The payoff is pretty big for a rather short hike. Unlike Adams, even inexperienced hikers and small children could enjoy this trail as it is relatively easy.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Snowy Mountain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Snowy Mountain rises above the west side of Indian Lake, just a few miles south of the Town of Indian Lake. Snowy Mountain stands out as the tallest Adirondack peak south of the High Peaks at 3,899'. Given its isolation of nearly 30 miles from the next highest mountain, it also stands as the ninth most prominent peak in New York. It's summit is home to the highest elevation fire tower still standing in the Adirondacks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3SuxbCjxvc-Gpf8sIlniUXi8htO_uWqJvPom31GT6oa9uiUEGUIjW85ulezUlwnZ5hSqAC2eAhVJsjzkkLei8TTc6YBfLxNm2BNBO4_yUr8Jd_HfIrRqDEkBRdcKN95b2Cpxx5k7zqLcM_z4gDi85azobn9iIks0j07Ks85FRHWipIWoKcbt_tQbEjTW/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3SuxbCjxvc-Gpf8sIlniUXi8htO_uWqJvPom31GT6oa9uiUEGUIjW85ulezUlwnZ5hSqAC2eAhVJsjzkkLei8TTc6YBfLxNm2BNBO4_yUr8Jd_HfIrRqDEkBRdcKN95b2Cpxx5k7zqLcM_z4gDi85azobn9iIks0j07Ks85FRHWipIWoKcbt_tQbEjTW/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The trail to Snowy Mountain starts right along NY 30. Although the trailhead sign shows 3.4 miles to the summit, most sources list the distance between 3.6-3.9 miles. With another beautiful day after my hike up the Adams and Buck fire towers, I headed to Snowy for some more blue sky views.<br /><br />The hike starts out easy enough on a nice trail with minimal elevation gain. It crosses numerous small streams without bridges. These stream crossings may problematic during rainy stretches and spring thaw, but were easy enough in early fall. The gentle terrain with nice footing continues for more than two miles.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cXrRXcyfcan7DAmETQcKCY76hHqgo1HhXl7Q3R-jCVMbKdAenfihagMqdDSIXkO-JqrsgA-pBhvtb8j4J7OBodw9ApgLXmt05-S-o3_62gajWrNk84hvXU1RCNrid74MOoezcTl-8xnGC3PjwMsLi9g0artMKKXZaPjmMtDgiZkkXMJV6MRFZV4Np_Fc/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cXrRXcyfcan7DAmETQcKCY76hHqgo1HhXl7Q3R-jCVMbKdAenfihagMqdDSIXkO-JqrsgA-pBhvtb8j4J7OBodw9ApgLXmt05-S-o3_62gajWrNk84hvXU1RCNrid74MOoezcTl-8xnGC3PjwMsLi9g0artMKKXZaPjmMtDgiZkkXMJV6MRFZV4Np_Fc/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleasant trail to start</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The trail gains only about 500 vertical feet for the first two miles. The real climbing begins about 2.5 miles into the hike. The easy hiking comes to an end. Climbing nearly 1,400' over the last mile, the trail becomes rockier and much steeper. .<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnhi6EuZrtina3hTmFC_n5xmN3xzeJLQqWFuKqL0O5V92Po7Ec9loqyUgVYZFVM48tbK2C0ZbvXZXwAZtSxomKIQmf04YscTPiHcqPHamuXuHEy1LZ8zRKI3tIuUzRdmGlblAzfNP8KbHvOTc4z3bQh8H9OoUwal5Stg-RhCqBosHWM4dY-PqE9ax9P37/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnhi6EuZrtina3hTmFC_n5xmN3xzeJLQqWFuKqL0O5V92Po7Ec9loqyUgVYZFVM48tbK2C0ZbvXZXwAZtSxomKIQmf04YscTPiHcqPHamuXuHEy1LZ8zRKI3tIuUzRdmGlblAzfNP8KbHvOTc4z3bQh8H9OoUwal5Stg-RhCqBosHWM4dY-PqE9ax9P37/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting rockier with elevation</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedQwCai1cc6-eAF-rP8YkmX6BFN7t6bo_7Idg8Q2vVJ52MXPmYuHREV2DWyAjVipQCYLRziaf_2KIiP2PmnBsxVPIrtCj_L8FxVYj2CUV328W-BTdbmSGWfZQdzfiS9B5csnOWHdnotJRdXf20EE59U2IWrmvlZFdNwgKXkN4q0AGwcPwCiqviwUXhdVU/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedQwCai1cc6-eAF-rP8YkmX6BFN7t6bo_7Idg8Q2vVJ52MXPmYuHREV2DWyAjVipQCYLRziaf_2KIiP2PmnBsxVPIrtCj_L8FxVYj2CUV328W-BTdbmSGWfZQdzfiS9B5csnOWHdnotJRdXf20EE59U2IWrmvlZFdNwgKXkN4q0AGwcPwCiqviwUXhdVU/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya at a rocky stretch</td></tr></tbody></table><br />At times the trail feels like a dry stream bed, other times it feels like you are climbing on an old, grown- in slide. The crux of the route comes near the summit. The trail climbs along the side of a cliff in a steep drainage. Above the cliff, the first views open up, overlooking Indian Lake towards lower mountains to the east. During the steepest part of the climb, the trail threads into several ribbons and its not always obvious which route is the actual trail. All of the threads seem to merge together at the side of the cliff.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAAHF_yljdEBbQ6TDbjhjWBhw5mn8VdHUoTsEfI3nrytBOWdSz6hfINoCRjkwldiYdqEWaFYuWjBE8lyCVJ9nw_1VmDKSns166Ll7drrtpZxD79Keq5rYnaQ01rWzFZEBwRubZDikQ7qajRQf-xIMv3vCrL3Z-mgieE5EMi_DqSiltGAtF6dTXc0BdQkZ/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAAHF_yljdEBbQ6TDbjhjWBhw5mn8VdHUoTsEfI3nrytBOWdSz6hfINoCRjkwldiYdqEWaFYuWjBE8lyCVJ9nw_1VmDKSns166Ll7drrtpZxD79Keq5rYnaQ01rWzFZEBwRubZDikQ7qajRQf-xIMv3vCrL3Z-mgieE5EMi_DqSiltGAtF6dTXc0BdQkZ/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail passing under a cliff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeJCRLqhTIAGJcEmLYwZ9MasaG47FPHhVroDkTNHu1aO8C9E64w56ixF6dD-RIcS9HQ0dIuGGBfVZMvndC0DXMzMj9e1onoTUMnsPrVHSjB3-9VknekJAtpztloz7v82zHOjI483H4WIfLNuTQCn3DC-zpBT1NIsgA4qZlQJfNzuycWzCKgsoNs6tm9jv/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeJCRLqhTIAGJcEmLYwZ9MasaG47FPHhVroDkTNHu1aO8C9E64w56ixF6dD-RIcS9HQ0dIuGGBfVZMvndC0DXMzMj9e1onoTUMnsPrVHSjB3-9VknekJAtpztloz7v82zHOjI483H4WIfLNuTQCn3DC-zpBT1NIsgA4qZlQJfNzuycWzCKgsoNs6tm9jv/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first view point below the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I reached the summit just a few minutes after leaving the viewpoint. The last short stretch to summit gains minimal elevation. Although the summit is covered densely in trees, the fire tower provides a beautiful 360 degree view. While climbing the tower is permitted, use extra caution. The upper reaches of the stairs lacked a fence. The landings are particularly narrow at this point. Use the railings at this point. I wouldn't advise taking kids up this tower for this reason.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeMfyt-KgsqAwtot4yEgppbdbgAAgB94dM5bFlzpnKiTF_Tv7rjED8-GK2FFMeknF5wZTRQjKWqkAd6vtfNa-0M18oVoCW_oNIxruSZJhAcL4AQZ8-MrIFtdDHbMfkO2H6RzNFGpuvr-i2EJ36pCtqB3PbmBr23RpjgMsCwT0CW__ShbjIpqE9uBhw7Gp/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeMfyt-KgsqAwtot4yEgppbdbgAAgB94dM5bFlzpnKiTF_Tv7rjED8-GK2FFMeknF5wZTRQjKWqkAd6vtfNa-0M18oVoCW_oNIxruSZJhAcL4AQZ8-MrIFtdDHbMfkO2H6RzNFGpuvr-i2EJ36pCtqB3PbmBr23RpjgMsCwT0CW__ShbjIpqE9uBhw7Gp/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Mountain fire tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I haven't really been on any mountains in this part of the Adirondacks before and wasn't sure what I could see from the summit. I was pleasantly surprised. Immediately to the east, you see most of Indian Lake with countless lower mountains in the distance. To the west and southwest lies the vast West Canada Lakes Wilderness. Panther Mountain, just a few feet lower than Snowy, dominates the view to the north with Blue Mountain just barely visible behind it. Squaw Mountain stands above Indian Lake to the northeast. The High Peaks jagged profile breaks the horizon to the far north. Forested lowlands stretch to the south.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINXuo6TWLuOYj9JPfN3xvaKbu-HEUUzVL2OMUSL734uRPotVQwujET2sQuPfwVpjexlbo8MsLOkNwL96iGmlvCmn5eyNpi51hrVCg2ycaVtGwS2qh_jPpMeTIX-LL5TwP22oT1-gx_m6nmF2P21_KSPRhYZEiqqbhda39G8Q1cXZkbyN8u70MxfH3r-1k/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINXuo6TWLuOYj9JPfN3xvaKbu-HEUUzVL2OMUSL734uRPotVQwujET2sQuPfwVpjexlbo8MsLOkNwL96iGmlvCmn5eyNpi51hrVCg2ycaVtGwS2qh_jPpMeTIX-LL5TwP22oT1-gx_m6nmF2P21_KSPRhYZEiqqbhda39G8Q1cXZkbyN8u70MxfH3r-1k/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Panther Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruuJzNmHmTXwdLklY10bLZdJXwyXjeVnlH1Y_PuxU-CHdtlRc_61LnaRrQvmRJfh2_3YmXnvlW3HK2dqV-3t2XaNEBKu8E4Rj1u_EjBVZjvSRg-sLEPUn5Ko-45jFWq2DTFtjnTYU8NT5ZSJs14icCe4pYBhmv1ZwrZwbxJggpVFvZ_CFtoJodnpJMuxJ/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruuJzNmHmTXwdLklY10bLZdJXwyXjeVnlH1Y_PuxU-CHdtlRc_61LnaRrQvmRJfh2_3YmXnvlW3HK2dqV-3t2XaNEBKu8E4Rj1u_EjBVZjvSRg-sLEPUn5Ko-45jFWq2DTFtjnTYU8NT5ZSJs14icCe4pYBhmv1ZwrZwbxJggpVFvZ_CFtoJodnpJMuxJ/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squaw Mountain with the High Peaks in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-gayvx5gpOfZz4iYY7bBywvdkqV8LRmcBK0fZJ_n3P7IxEO9oylN4raq34yZnl9lH6bjmtb3C4HlCkixuiIYT-S_7v_KMSf-CYqQATX1PClrStl0B87i0Mg0ofS9-DLOADV4LLqwYg9H5mslCQOLnzLi18cPyXA_o4qdvFQ9vFvoC8nHkWYlDePTJAOw/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-gayvx5gpOfZz4iYY7bBywvdkqV8LRmcBK0fZJ_n3P7IxEO9oylN4raq34yZnl9lH6bjmtb3C4HlCkixuiIYT-S_7v_KMSf-CYqQATX1PClrStl0B87i0Mg0ofS9-DLOADV4LLqwYg9H5mslCQOLnzLi18cPyXA_o4qdvFQ9vFvoC8nHkWYlDePTJAOw/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoomed in view of the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kj9wfXa2NIrBkN7dlXqy2vtqp5rCe7GRSBCskD_PJnG2D9WdlxPAbnIyfU0iqOAgnzRibUMXIFmSn8-sWtsZCHHA2m0swJget9SiiwqE_YPjE3WDEVCYgde1WSYxYgjP5_QKZY0ljun7QtNO-ljj9miudO8DyHlpd4P7LI6nm47z86kbC_mhdtLbg832/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kj9wfXa2NIrBkN7dlXqy2vtqp5rCe7GRSBCskD_PJnG2D9WdlxPAbnIyfU0iqOAgnzRibUMXIFmSn8-sWtsZCHHA2m0swJget9SiiwqE_YPjE3WDEVCYgde1WSYxYgjP5_QKZY0ljun7QtNO-ljj9miudO8DyHlpd4P7LI6nm47z86kbC_mhdtLbg832/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower mountains to the west</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1CbQVzMMi2H2GQfAm6O7QpI5ekihzkocGo64bfRqJbZ9whdiiTAkrB7xunx5gx-JMMlQ2RLvXN21M-1Xo3qPA8SugiGup9Hkp4ajrIFSIdODRE-qaGCCAs2Mx5Z0XdANoSERV0Af1p8cIPTOL458ekIlG0qbvMx7zL4RstMzfIgYjvoARjtY2_1huExO/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1CbQVzMMi2H2GQfAm6O7QpI5ekihzkocGo64bfRqJbZ9whdiiTAkrB7xunx5gx-JMMlQ2RLvXN21M-1Xo3qPA8SugiGup9Hkp4ajrIFSIdODRE-qaGCCAs2Mx5Z0XdANoSERV0Af1p8cIPTOL458ekIlG0qbvMx7zL4RstMzfIgYjvoARjtY2_1huExO/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indian Lake to the east</td></tr></tbody></table><br />On the descent, I stopped again at the lookout just below the summit to get one more look over Indian Lake. When I reached the threaded ribbon of trails, I followed a section that looked like an old slide. Although mostly grown in, I did get one last good view of the High Peaks from a clearing on the slide. The steepest part of the descent went by quickly. Back on the lower and flatter terrain, the last couple miles went by quickly. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-bPIheyy26EHtH7JaQWbu9cQyxyMpl8ZHLUCSOTnyJlbPa6IEA3txsrZH3tms37ICXvft6Wj3bQRRqmHqXT5GE4wcypeKqkMjzhqI_O_QI9Am2tympqniUApOyvX00bjIC2EBk5ejDgSbrld_BHEJ9J3uQHpWK0DwwWTtvvqoVLVzpR7sS1MqWQBVcTS/s4032/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-bPIheyy26EHtH7JaQWbu9cQyxyMpl8ZHLUCSOTnyJlbPa6IEA3txsrZH3tms37ICXvft6Wj3bQRRqmHqXT5GE4wcypeKqkMjzhqI_O_QI9Am2tympqniUApOyvX00bjIC2EBk5ejDgSbrld_BHEJ9J3uQHpWK0DwwWTtvvqoVLVzpR7sS1MqWQBVcTS/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The High Peaks visible on the descent</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Given its isolation and elevation, Snowy provides a great look at the Central and Southern Adirondacks from its tower and is a worthwhile hike. Just use extra caution on its tower where its missing protective fencing. Although not quite as tough as Mount Adams, the roundtrip hike of snowy still covers around 7 miles and gains over 2,000 vertical feet and shouldn't be taken lightly by inexperienced hikers. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCngyL1cy-_l-s0_fsSUjscb0l05A4q5KK__fQFPU8JLLjL2kuwqK7XE5wwAenBFiaQUnIC8n-Tc2Qlu8pMgz_DBQph925o-e_10DTl_wTdQTXAdcsQVkN0CB1OZ9WBK90Z70smK6-oy-g7jMQb3R1cElJMhBkhbeI1gK9IVlW3lORi8RiRtOPigH4d70/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCngyL1cy-_l-s0_fsSUjscb0l05A4q5KK__fQFPU8JLLjL2kuwqK7XE5wwAenBFiaQUnIC8n-Tc2Qlu8pMgz_DBQph925o-e_10DTl_wTdQTXAdcsQVkN0CB1OZ9WBK90Z70smK6-oy-g7jMQb3R1cElJMhBkhbeI1gK9IVlW3lORi8RiRtOPigH4d70/w300-h400/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20011.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of nice trail work on the hike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJWxCYlN_zSZ1csOoIv3MTY5mkm5ECwKX8sHeOAYDjLJZdz_yEeANN4mc25fkwOwDS8nUhXuHUwg6bGNEKfYv3bFdOEi5r9cOswwwE18kQN25VsbmqMMmougQVa2Fl1MetaRpJbObkYTwDj__bmXV3UPLJHHyPbKEfBK_TWExQUePAOv3XeykzVg4It5f/s2592/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJWxCYlN_zSZ1csOoIv3MTY5mkm5ECwKX8sHeOAYDjLJZdz_yEeANN4mc25fkwOwDS8nUhXuHUwg6bGNEKfYv3bFdOEi5r9cOswwwE18kQN25VsbmqMMmougQVa2Fl1MetaRpJbObkYTwDj__bmXV3UPLJHHyPbKEfBK_TWExQUePAOv3XeykzVg4It5f/w400-h300/SnowyMtn9.21.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the larger stream crossings</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Any of these three hikes make great options if you are looking for a nice hike and great views. I haven't been disappointed with any of the hikes I have made to fire towers in the Adirondacks. If you hike to a few fire towers and really enjoy it, there is even a fire tower hiking challenge that you can take on that visits the fire towers of the Adirondacks and Catskills. For information on the the challenge, visit <a href="https://www.adirondack.net/hiking/challenges/fire-tower/" style="color: #2b00fe;" target="_blank">Fire Tower Challenge</a>. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><p><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-24734953761825764022023-09-24T09:41:00.001-07:002023-09-24T10:00:14.865-07:00The Devil's Path<div style="text-align: left;">The Devil's Path comes with a reputation as one of the more challenging day hikes in the Northeast. Over its 24+ miles, the Devil's Path crosses the summits of five major mountains, one lesser summit, and climbs high on the shoulder of a sixth mountain. Along the way, the elevation gain over the course of the trail approaches 9,000 vertical feet. The Devil's Path's mileage, elevation gain, and rough terrain often draws comparison to other big traverses in the Northeast such as New Hampshire's Presidential Traverse and the Great Range Traverse in the Adirondacks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The idea of a single day traverse of the Devil's Path intrigued me. I like to push myself from time to time and have completed both the Presidential Traverse and Great Range Traverse in a day. I wanted to tackle the Devil's Path before leaving New York next spring and see how it compared to the other two hikes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Usually I tackle these hikes by myself. Since the Devil's Path is a linear trail, there is more logistics to the trip than just hiking the trail. The 25-30 mile trip between trailheads needed to be sorted out as well. I considered hitching and using a bike to get back to my car, but on this particular hike, these options were less than ideal for various reasons. Shuttles are available, but rather pricey for a solo traveler. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I put out feelers on Facebook hiking groups looking for someone to join in the fun. A couple people made offers, but we couldn't make the days work together. Just days before I hoped to make the trip, I found a buried message from someone looking to do the same hike on a day that worked with me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I found Josh Norfolk, another adventurer from Pennsylvania. He recently hiked a single day Presidential Traverse as well as other big mileage and elevation gain day trips and seemed up to task. He already had a shuttle reserved and his expected partner for the day backed out due to injury. September 7th was our day to tackle the Devil's Path.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Besides the obvious obstacles of hiking the Devil's Path, a few other details upped the challenge. I wanted to add an additional 3.4 miles and 500 vertical feet to the hike with a side trip to Hunter Mountain. Hunter Mountain stood as the final peak for me to finish the Northeast 115 hiking challenge and it was important for me to climb it. The weather added another element of difficulty. Even though it was now September, the area faced one of its hottest spells of the summer. The humidity was oppressive and I wasn't acclimated to the conditions living in the Adirondacks. Beyond the heat, as the day progressed, the chance of showers and thunderstorms increased. Finally the days were noticeably shorter. It would be difficult to complete the hike before dark, especially with the extra three miles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Are shuttle arrived early and we were on the trail right around 6AM. It was dark enough that we needed our headlamps. Fortunately the trail starts out easy enough, which was helpful in the dark. The sky brightened fairly quickly and the filtered sunshine cast an interesting glow through the trees. Just as the sun started to peek through the trees, we began our first climb toward Indian Head Mountain on rockier terrain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevJMl8nVOLLtdMhTZQHmxI7DSrhwUP0LEYsRQ6vGM5fMtxeO1AQD2kHB6uND6WR6HKy9M7yTy7Wv5jBi4C6I2HwZDrs7KiEryZlyiKfUUuDosebxtBvmPA46eov9o0iNNSHjHF6xzWG0GjE9S8sNXza45CukPGjQ5JqsKL7M1-k1vJBQ7g7F4ScbX2-yg/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevJMl8nVOLLtdMhTZQHmxI7DSrhwUP0LEYsRQ6vGM5fMtxeO1AQD2kHB6uND6WR6HKy9M7yTy7Wv5jBi4C6I2HwZDrs7KiEryZlyiKfUUuDosebxtBvmPA46eov9o0iNNSHjHF6xzWG0GjE9S8sNXza45CukPGjQ5JqsKL7M1-k1vJBQ7g7F4ScbX2-yg/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning sun peeking through the trees</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkN9s6vbXz3YabdhzwvJ2_HT5OsXAs4CjkrBkvhle_ue6t8BxXLgU3N5QwhTnxzSPDLRJ3nGM_-FfufCGYoB9dCW8J9AdC8HcCpOJaBX2Yhb03CyPRId5VOLlUMH6_Ko7VNIBSQKLGqUqkPfIwmsbrgZtPJUZezP2HmaWOw1LdA_sJeNSsqRzvgfGrzg_I/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkN9s6vbXz3YabdhzwvJ2_HT5OsXAs4CjkrBkvhle_ue6t8BxXLgU3N5QwhTnxzSPDLRJ3nGM_-FfufCGYoB9dCW8J9AdC8HcCpOJaBX2Yhb03CyPRId5VOLlUMH6_Ko7VNIBSQKLGqUqkPfIwmsbrgZtPJUZezP2HmaWOw1LdA_sJeNSsqRzvgfGrzg_I/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Encountering the first rocky climb</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfPzOnlacf8lBMrRdol3h_EQQPQyGnuVrrHy9Djnx1OMgk-gHm9r88lpYzd_ZjTfAANUV3CcH9u1v9Qd84vmA9sPwNRRVQkNNCG9Bq05BkydaiPJxRKhZNcpB4yW42Un2l_vs1NWtRZjcraFfYL5KLmp1t0l5EYG9EAWZ7MjI8REHZiRTsEIiyxQIDe-V/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfPzOnlacf8lBMrRdol3h_EQQPQyGnuVrrHy9Djnx1OMgk-gHm9r88lpYzd_ZjTfAANUV3CcH9u1v9Qd84vmA9sPwNRRVQkNNCG9Bq05BkydaiPJxRKhZNcpB4yW42Un2l_vs1NWtRZjcraFfYL5KLmp1t0l5EYG9EAWZ7MjI8REHZiRTsEIiyxQIDe-V/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large rock formation along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The climb up Indian Head gives you a good taste of what to expect for the rest of the day. The trail wastes no time climbing Indian Head with several short, rocky scrambles. It also began the dripping sweat that would continue for the day from the extremely humid air. A few nice view points break up the climb. The first vista provided a nice look at the sun still low in the sky.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZBPamtrW4Zri9gp4u_ca5mH5Lzt1wQTjtr9bnbXOjJUHJVIyUWoqx0lkddqvzcSsJKLVxV2BxdATLHOyMS9svFmjuAOs2SshnaGM1QW2ZgWvyB9MGYjoR1gXsd4P8g58VkwiG3EKWYK0xxDQ7ShPZ5zcQyKzUFOf1nqdUqaNylE0cG3d9zi_UBkunhbi/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZBPamtrW4Zri9gp4u_ca5mH5Lzt1wQTjtr9bnbXOjJUHJVIyUWoqx0lkddqvzcSsJKLVxV2BxdATLHOyMS9svFmjuAOs2SshnaGM1QW2ZgWvyB9MGYjoR1gXsd4P8g58VkwiG3EKWYK0xxDQ7ShPZ5zcQyKzUFOf1nqdUqaNylE0cG3d9zi_UBkunhbi/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first view of the day towards <br />Kaaterskill High Peak </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAKyWYvmY-BCBmRKECZBmaTtWOe6Zyt6hqsXviBx43_lierSk5SQ3BTWuWjlTMoP_HjLaCLJ6FItiMZHV81Wk5Lx86Jp-gTM39UnYlTaBVo8DpNQdzsnajEZdFGYEt7MCEOkvmMQETwi8DXEBWd8Q_VqaiagkR2LxB_C-Z7KJA3Z67axxo_6Ki-ymfeJz/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAKyWYvmY-BCBmRKECZBmaTtWOe6Zyt6hqsXviBx43_lierSk5SQ3BTWuWjlTMoP_HjLaCLJ6FItiMZHV81Wk5Lx86Jp-gTM39UnYlTaBVo8DpNQdzsnajEZdFGYEt7MCEOkvmMQETwi8DXEBWd8Q_VqaiagkR2LxB_C-Z7KJA3Z67axxo_6Ki-ymfeJz/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun over the foggy valley</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQqbhRGCZbYafw9hBSf3H_6UAKsCfoK1vpBOuDMq7_ogCYPPZRcZSOhawR-cgzii2ADEqreAzCbABrbnEogpIOJmXH7sUEik6zLGatswZNrH-RrpJUx7bZJ84h-lKxwiZ75rS9JdKQC5f2VjlSqN22QtGZIKOH75Zv_dcrr3utXYOWKI7j2LOEm9FBrEF/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQqbhRGCZbYafw9hBSf3H_6UAKsCfoK1vpBOuDMq7_ogCYPPZRcZSOhawR-cgzii2ADEqreAzCbABrbnEogpIOJmXH7sUEik6zLGatswZNrH-RrpJUx7bZJ84h-lKxwiZ75rS9JdKQC5f2VjlSqN22QtGZIKOH75Zv_dcrr3utXYOWKI7j2LOEm9FBrEF/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good look at the hazy morning sky</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IADrzoBXdM5dkoUN7ohwV3IY3PAYgoM-n0uH3HJIoalz8z3YY6yo3A1BCv34B0O7moKFnjRK-EqveLVtt79ybkuC39xw1LpQWV1wx1-tSe97mWvSQQg0rGlFJ1nAuAEviYPOR2o42AwxjxKdI-zx9Z3jFK9r3_1oGdzY-ZnwPin85DdzbgvAdA1ODOrp/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IADrzoBXdM5dkoUN7ohwV3IY3PAYgoM-n0uH3HJIoalz8z3YY6yo3A1BCv34B0O7moKFnjRK-EqveLVtt79ybkuC39xw1LpQWV1wx1-tSe97mWvSQQg0rGlFJ1nAuAEviYPOR2o42AwxjxKdI-zx9Z3jFK9r3_1oGdzY-ZnwPin85DdzbgvAdA1ODOrp/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brief reprieve from the climbing and rocks</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA02hWKOhme94FD4pbPNLZ_9SH-9SWfOrsaNqtCILigD4gnNqgtbrYZuWaJfzmkRoHunDxcK7z8QmI1bXMHV2sCBRhrFcicRfZv_9tW7bi4NDlwda7ygvmgZ1U9vogdx8GF3-Z-5Uj7cC_P4lMj5XbnFm1H47RNdPFbmXqTDRiRfxyTJwNaij3CHf9RRKT/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA02hWKOhme94FD4pbPNLZ_9SH-9SWfOrsaNqtCILigD4gnNqgtbrYZuWaJfzmkRoHunDxcK7z8QmI1bXMHV2sCBRhrFcicRfZv_9tW7bi4NDlwda7ygvmgZ1U9vogdx8GF3-Z-5Uj7cC_P4lMj5XbnFm1H47RNdPFbmXqTDRiRfxyTJwNaij3CHf9RRKT/w300-h400/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20039.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A challenging scramble on Indian Head</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Just over three miles from the start, we reached our first summit. The 3,573' summit of Indian Head sits in a nice forest. There isn't much too see besides the trees. A handful of views along the way provide a nice look at the surrounding area as you traverse Indian Head. From the summit, the half-mile descent to Jimmy Dolan Notch drops only a few hundred feet. Although steep, it's one of the more mellow descents from a summit on the Devil's Path. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEwZf0vqW5x-RvaZqOFJuae1rH_0Wmv6aIT6VAzqh7se8vZhoSHlf6EwG23kWGGcKyv65DnjFMzwbRYV0usPzyKCtDZKn-vUOEH1LoIDwd7gpc5d7NY7Y1qgqca77WMvQuzJgO-_1fPskpAuJVkS87FrnBLfetEYXdNPUqFNQiK3RXQ7vKbKZBOnGl5pA/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEwZf0vqW5x-RvaZqOFJuae1rH_0Wmv6aIT6VAzqh7se8vZhoSHlf6EwG23kWGGcKyv65DnjFMzwbRYV0usPzyKCtDZKn-vUOEH1LoIDwd7gpc5d7NY7Y1qgqca77WMvQuzJgO-_1fPskpAuJVkS87FrnBLfetEYXdNPUqFNQiK3RXQ7vKbKZBOnGl5pA/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good look at the hazy conditions</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3LRG8j-dNYx3QdevVdMh5--IZWYQwc_fgXEy42gaM5EVwvwwq_EW0YrvYWNsZZiFDIBZGEeqbS0mdVe1rPquxo6HB6_IsUrwZnd-OOY3-0GoxSWimiIFCciV8rGm9Cw99BxWaew7OQSziWYPXLts3Y05mPdhFxDGG6J7uJ2m3ajxfF3ojAjSkg3nLfKq/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3LRG8j-dNYx3QdevVdMh5--IZWYQwc_fgXEy42gaM5EVwvwwq_EW0YrvYWNsZZiFDIBZGEeqbS0mdVe1rPquxo6HB6_IsUrwZnd-OOY3-0GoxSWimiIFCciV8rGm9Cw99BxWaew7OQSziWYPXLts3Y05mPdhFxDGG6J7uJ2m3ajxfF3ojAjSkg3nLfKq/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last view from Indian Head</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Climbing from Jimmy Dolan Notch, the trail quickly gains any elevation that it lost as it works its way up Twin Mountain. As its name implies, Twin Mountain consists of two peaks. The lesser southern summit offers a nice vista before making the fairly gentle traverse to the 3,640' high point of Twin. Numerous rocky sections with interesting formations provide neat scenery as you cross Twin. A few vistas give spot for a break on the traverse. The descent into Pecoy Notch loses over 700' of elevation on rocky switchbacks through several rocky clefts.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghA2RuyhPx66d1obCnVV0HbD_8yDS65zehpIlHUwhgWbFsM-KwewIfGG696ZU0Jd5HtEoG5Ma2sKP27nHkkgzj2j85sFiGoSyhDw32h_AoYOcn7QJM4ylVaau3jtVvKE26QQS2Jatl5oT4O-6q__4N1qdlekKcaptOfL6anuuv_tQMuJorFFmN0lcsnotc/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghA2RuyhPx66d1obCnVV0HbD_8yDS65zehpIlHUwhgWbFsM-KwewIfGG696ZU0Jd5HtEoG5Ma2sKP27nHkkgzj2j85sFiGoSyhDw32h_AoYOcn7QJM4ylVaau3jtVvKE26QQS2Jatl5oT4O-6q__4N1qdlekKcaptOfL6anuuv_tQMuJorFFmN0lcsnotc/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimmy Dolan Notch</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqWshLa1gEn8muhDNAXEPKTeKV3k_WpNhM9HnVZIPZGUZNatBY7fO1ZWKwD_OqY22QUtpxtoXRGh1CJd4spZddE0DGMUJsMmGLQm-IY4lo1xtrVeWydKa9PYZtJ9yUvXD95WaaPDWLZ2rb35oepy2jRz5I7yxC54TpADiIOhwLWvdRhkDQ1SpA299Iyvo/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqWshLa1gEn8muhDNAXEPKTeKV3k_WpNhM9HnVZIPZGUZNatBY7fO1ZWKwD_OqY22QUtpxtoXRGh1CJd4spZddE0DGMUJsMmGLQm-IY4lo1xtrVeWydKa9PYZtJ9yUvXD95WaaPDWLZ2rb35oepy2jRz5I7yxC54TpADiIOhwLWvdRhkDQ1SpA299Iyvo/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting rock stack</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N60TvbJe0xA5jNAP-EpN5yWfnE7Gb-ghhtnLsD4nFCF9MVy5EhTnvADHekR5jm63-RjI8Oj-rBqX3NhX1yf9zmTs2faBPtzJyVaGMxXHexxlGzWO0lXuncGk9HZTJfHkwqwd4gIzB6vkRfNOjLX9AuhS_GFKgh00WGSifUgpwiemwe8sR1spW0kwSisz/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N60TvbJe0xA5jNAP-EpN5yWfnE7Gb-ghhtnLsD4nFCF9MVy5EhTnvADHekR5jm63-RjI8Oj-rBqX3NhX1yf9zmTs2faBPtzJyVaGMxXHexxlGzWO0lXuncGk9HZTJfHkwqwd4gIzB6vkRfNOjLX9AuhS_GFKgh00WGSifUgpwiemwe8sR1spW0kwSisz/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First view from Twin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rOihD0PtI1FDUdBfxfJa_uzY3J4leR2YZvWWKbcT2Vssz7EAmvb_TBo5dNQu8udet5m0AsXmYzigfvdly3sSVxq5wBuZsOQq_derrQH62cpd1Vz-mP51w36OP2i0pyVQYhbPWboJv_ZDOW8r5-40xjCyjXgXvBBHIpsSkPz2mHtS5-bmqwGvqKfYNv1o/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rOihD0PtI1FDUdBfxfJa_uzY3J4leR2YZvWWKbcT2Vssz7EAmvb_TBo5dNQu8udet5m0AsXmYzigfvdly3sSVxq5wBuZsOQq_derrQH62cpd1Vz-mP51w36OP2i0pyVQYhbPWboJv_ZDOW8r5-40xjCyjXgXvBBHIpsSkPz2mHtS5-bmqwGvqKfYNv1o/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view from Twin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa98CyZOHNVEAjEraykq_FJQ8fgfBBPEzfJNWryIWdjEfsT-gfjo0sPLdU5k5bnMvK-Lw7O7eTOHNedj1Qr9-dWHUdzpQAujn7Vl_GxeK7ldzgW1zbnTF3wa8lpIzP-BWcRV7Jix6mAtniyuionw9FuVpTbgrwdjnKvU5oEDS6ouQV6_EK4gL5pocFitJ/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa98CyZOHNVEAjEraykq_FJQ8fgfBBPEzfJNWryIWdjEfsT-gfjo0sPLdU5k5bnMvK-Lw7O7eTOHNedj1Qr9-dWHUdzpQAujn7Vl_GxeK7ldzgW1zbnTF3wa8lpIzP-BWcRV7Jix6mAtniyuionw9FuVpTbgrwdjnKvU5oEDS6ouQV6_EK4gL5pocFitJ/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending through a rocky chute</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gB9KVV3_0gXkaQfkLHXy6UDfwkR07SkfKE20GyRS1KbjfMYuAr7PWeZExPg1FIEF0CpSHwwXCbsxLMgUp40q-3I99EIyiGwOF5CirqegaB-ycEBQAIhHfsQ0tDAcl2Tqvae0Xg9XntO9O8dHrdRGQ73hIeQhmsspHbrgUnEZ3FIVA4bVYwvRMGMfZ9Yf/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gB9KVV3_0gXkaQfkLHXy6UDfwkR07SkfKE20GyRS1KbjfMYuAr7PWeZExPg1FIEF0CpSHwwXCbsxLMgUp40q-3I99EIyiGwOF5CirqegaB-ycEBQAIhHfsQ0tDAcl2Tqvae0Xg9XntO9O8dHrdRGQ73hIeQhmsspHbrgUnEZ3FIVA4bVYwvRMGMfZ9Yf/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last partial view from Twin</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The climbing begins almost immediately leaving Pecoy Notch. Numerous rocky clefts and chutes need to be negotiated as you make the 1.2 mile climb toward Sugarloaf Mountain. The climb of Sugarloaf requires more scrambling than the first two summits. The 3,800' summit of Sugarloaf offers little payoff for the work with the least amount views of the three peaks climbed to this point. Much like the climb, more rocky terrain sets the tone on the descent into Mink Hollow. At one point near Mink Hollow, we both commented on a musty smell. Was this the reason for the mink moniker?</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-PvXTzjKhwpDJZzCqtEGXhroSntUN7neG3LhP5o8wltS7cEi0YUwdGRMlu13XjA_vtzUt1Z8LP_ds7xVbR__e36ixxzbnWuOQbe9ZePHYU44JSwz4WNxnsvn83vYSRRXP3jLF8BMdZoPBjmF4xheYGwBXVJJXOsv4ja06PBk4S1wxPkYT3Aui00M7pi_/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-PvXTzjKhwpDJZzCqtEGXhroSntUN7neG3LhP5o8wltS7cEi0YUwdGRMlu13XjA_vtzUt1Z8LP_ds7xVbR__e36ixxzbnWuOQbe9ZePHYU44JSwz4WNxnsvn83vYSRRXP3jLF8BMdZoPBjmF4xheYGwBXVJJXOsv4ja06PBk4S1wxPkYT3Aui00M7pi_/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pecoy Notch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZtJjkVRaFeZlbp_2waMXbdM7VcGnucvfmaLK-JQKgUc0Q5zi1tVzKLPBGjYnRuxfcnfkXswtWc6XZA3iP1AMzSo2Ad7aJOVqPAgnyWk6UhPV1bR2NjCU0YW570VNQw01uXah8-UTf5lSu8H_wsTZ_ulyDY-2mJJnpQCTx9UonNK0UNvhmTklIlStfYUp/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZtJjkVRaFeZlbp_2waMXbdM7VcGnucvfmaLK-JQKgUc0Q5zi1tVzKLPBGjYnRuxfcnfkXswtWc6XZA3iP1AMzSo2Ad7aJOVqPAgnyWk6UhPV1bR2NjCU0YW570VNQw01uXah8-UTf5lSu8H_wsTZ_ulyDY-2mJJnpQCTx9UonNK0UNvhmTklIlStfYUp/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negotiation rocks<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOowa8wUf8CfC3S7F7hytgiWV0-I2vZpug7R1ElGar340s4kpqZNyNejjScZndPJbtOF8-stBqFyWKB2waU55bcukZfHBc-LoV34k-MzcHWhB4GK2thu_gPmANuc5nw-ysNY7qYpEvg5sviKIhLUnweF2DBOZNPXJxEhxAkZH4Rjtshp34nPxMR9uSPOv/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20049.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOowa8wUf8CfC3S7F7hytgiWV0-I2vZpug7R1ElGar340s4kpqZNyNejjScZndPJbtOF8-stBqFyWKB2waU55bcukZfHBc-LoV34k-MzcHWhB4GK2thu_gPmANuc5nw-ysNY7qYpEvg5sviKIhLUnweF2DBOZNPXJxEhxAkZH4Rjtshp34nPxMR9uSPOv/w300-h400/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20049.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing a rocky slab</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ2wDwXGpnD-msmCEZM1ob5MfaaPhkFU8mj8g5quvH5V1aVOk4Sb-JK8gq4OW40lEm_VxOwkd5HpAm0Qy_yBLGfx85WiaySUgABSp7tJZnzv5TsqOyO5MhAAX407zbXFEsAFhnKDZOnqgyj28isEK0TeU1ryQX-McK-bYLWPoZOMSz5-4sqYbEWM_o_TH/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ2wDwXGpnD-msmCEZM1ob5MfaaPhkFU8mj8g5quvH5V1aVOk4Sb-JK8gq4OW40lEm_VxOwkd5HpAm0Qy_yBLGfx85WiaySUgABSp7tJZnzv5TsqOyO5MhAAX407zbXFEsAFhnKDZOnqgyj28isEK0TeU1ryQX-McK-bYLWPoZOMSz5-4sqYbEWM_o_TH/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More rocky terrain on Sugarloaf</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The Devil's Path wastes little time regaining the elevation it lost dropping into Mink Hollow. As expected, more rocky clefts with small scrambles slow progress. At least a couple of views give you a good spot to take a breather. By this point the overwhelming humidity began to take its toll on the climbs. Slight breezes at the viewpoints were welcome.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipW_QFqzd1t3yQ8qSwOfj-D3s_LXeca8M-PGByaVmoYM7QBdsM2AqxqFNytVxOU90syeaWXEoTgXGxXop6zOsh1Fi6Xf8i8mjyYto4nIoDn_80a0hodgSRyQW_ihwdG2j3qZr4KgT05WQIAQf3RMi72bTkru1jRN26lTysuwk7zRsW1yT-cEeHdfW7kI9l/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipW_QFqzd1t3yQ8qSwOfj-D3s_LXeca8M-PGByaVmoYM7QBdsM2AqxqFNytVxOU90syeaWXEoTgXGxXop6zOsh1Fi6Xf8i8mjyYto4nIoDn_80a0hodgSRyQW_ihwdG2j3qZr4KgT05WQIAQf3RMi72bTkru1jRN26lTysuwk7zRsW1yT-cEeHdfW7kI9l/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mink Hollow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyvFuDxzptNCght4bMa5BlXw3WVEDxdG8uyeeSlfHSeuOGUP0pHe-_UCa_lYR9wzfPbFyVgw9uaKOPdqn_V8pewEYyMALFjAklIT9Epnutkq00Bw4C8LvSrfvbPnESj5eVHm562cAWg20XJK20K9BfQrS3gJDkcflKQNtlMUFXimNxbiDNfYg9AqW1z0b/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyvFuDxzptNCght4bMa5BlXw3WVEDxdG8uyeeSlfHSeuOGUP0pHe-_UCa_lYR9wzfPbFyVgw9uaKOPdqn_V8pewEYyMALFjAklIT9Epnutkq00Bw4C8LvSrfvbPnESj5eVHm562cAWg20XJK20K9BfQrS3gJDkcflKQNtlMUFXimNxbiDNfYg9AqW1z0b/w300-h400/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20052.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plateau is just as rocky as <br />the first three mountains</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDuwuiwDGi-QhHlAW5tYJUvOuh0Bl343_WfTG3tMl_y-bf0WAtTXrbc4NHcrrtq3EyevDOosPuslW9uryBUou-DUamczpaN3LVKnx8_pPi0DE9QB0YZwA_Xkn954TSJ1JN8rGmtfmyRcMwco_0XgJH8cBYDSWUat7k4zRBIU5roV_jCoPa8Rnguc4XEzj/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDuwuiwDGi-QhHlAW5tYJUvOuh0Bl343_WfTG3tMl_y-bf0WAtTXrbc4NHcrrtq3EyevDOosPuslW9uryBUou-DUamczpaN3LVKnx8_pPi0DE9QB0YZwA_Xkn954TSJ1JN8rGmtfmyRcMwco_0XgJH8cBYDSWUat7k4zRBIU5roV_jCoPa8Rnguc4XEzj/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back toward Sugarloaf</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuANu53DprcxvrSaGBpcmR3yh_xqo64tunu0oCpQawkMKnRLOX4qbGmMRUABrZCi_FGBnX0I-QDmUOzM4J56Q5KtMc6mLuj5eox6wIQ_N4WUJ-E5oU5pQY7Qt7fKOalm7CoITEYCRGvn5sS3_4GDT8pGDuyrGSKnZlx5U6SLbkY9yz_OQcVK_2fiGvnOS/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuANu53DprcxvrSaGBpcmR3yh_xqo64tunu0oCpQawkMKnRLOX4qbGmMRUABrZCi_FGBnX0I-QDmUOzM4J56Q5KtMc6mLuj5eox6wIQ_N4WUJ-E5oU5pQY7Qt7fKOalm7CoITEYCRGvn5sS3_4GDT8pGDuyrGSKnZlx5U6SLbkY9yz_OQcVK_2fiGvnOS/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look back at Sugarloaf and Kaaterskill High Peak</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Now on our 4th mountain, the elevations have increased with each summit. The 3,840' summit of Plateau doesn't offer any views, however it's one of nicest sections of the Devil's Path. As its name implies, Plateau features a long flat ridge. For more than two miles, the trail runs quite flat at high elevation through a beautiful and fragrant coniferous forest. Unlike the rocky climbs, the trail features a soft bed of tree needles. We took advantage of the soft footing and flat terrain and ran parts of this section.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDZNp5N-aiHTPxttS1Y61Y_r7CeHl1o3reOkJ0p8AEpypWAx2I-ZdtMhG26HR2yh6SfYTuyNQh7ww8WhOy4IcKjPpzZKKYy5-jugWQCfRMTfddb3gqJOhvwzYrZUgIJ9mfmNscYPNEEj6AmIpulFY-W1-cvXXk_LA8r5v1OSeykOn_yMnAw8QEFcsymzD/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDZNp5N-aiHTPxttS1Y61Y_r7CeHl1o3reOkJ0p8AEpypWAx2I-ZdtMhG26HR2yh6SfYTuyNQh7ww8WhOy4IcKjPpzZKKYy5-jugWQCfRMTfddb3gqJOhvwzYrZUgIJ9mfmNscYPNEEj6AmIpulFY-W1-cvXXk_LA8r5v1OSeykOn_yMnAw8QEFcsymzD/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pleasant summit ridge of Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bgSd9oiGtw3K3GR6FCNExVkCmLyaYJWmb7YyWEpCmcX5Ipt4VRciT3oI0JmyOR5DaSMYymFNWvf7GF5WFBwcqMN2373-pML4tUnmYeKiHHfk0mtCJfE5PlTmnXo3wU0ne_wRWcxfdi7ULZ-6ZdSZX3APefPxplhoLoY2NpM7pitgb7Bt9wnFkgx5vr-E/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bgSd9oiGtw3K3GR6FCNExVkCmLyaYJWmb7YyWEpCmcX5Ipt4VRciT3oI0JmyOR5DaSMYymFNWvf7GF5WFBwcqMN2373-pML4tUnmYeKiHHfk0mtCJfE5PlTmnXo3wU0ne_wRWcxfdi7ULZ-6ZdSZX3APefPxplhoLoY2NpM7pitgb7Bt9wnFkgx5vr-E/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20054.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a lack of rocks across the plateau of Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The flat stretch of Plateau culminates with two impressive viewpoints, Danny's Lookout and Orchard Point. These two vista offer the best views on the entire Devil's Path in my opinion. After enjoying the views and taking a few photos, we began the steep descent to Stony Clove Notch. The descent felt rough as it lost about 1,400' into the notch.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EpxF9WPlPs6lrmkVpkML_WJwE4OWxMBlQefQjqh05ZkAeavcegS3PizAFb6cr18ESnlYDot4V4XulQv5WpAbXUhrGeikDlF_1A2dAPl6W201Kgo0MrTFmcIFR7pdfmQVQY4vBPVkhUJpZ53CUFKQKqK8FBVYY3L1KnHYF4wDsQ7NWBgphCSeC6PaZKNG/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EpxF9WPlPs6lrmkVpkML_WJwE4OWxMBlQefQjqh05ZkAeavcegS3PizAFb6cr18ESnlYDot4V4XulQv5WpAbXUhrGeikDlF_1A2dAPl6W201Kgo0MrTFmcIFR7pdfmQVQY4vBPVkhUJpZ53CUFKQKqK8FBVYY3L1KnHYF4wDsQ7NWBgphCSeC6PaZKNG/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny's Lookout</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnn_Dq-UvaP6n6F2YRd9PC5vz3UrIooJ1K2piB1s6rX5h5K8Vfzv4lCSEfRZD0DYdVOgownc0jN9a_Tr9fBen2BDY0BQD8C4wRbst66e4PIwVOBgFufeCkMyuRNM0CjnnG2mf7Jezw4rSCmgUbddMP5P85s6HFb7DwATXGUH-0YX8lARhciDGcMRpJjKz/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnn_Dq-UvaP6n6F2YRd9PC5vz3UrIooJ1K2piB1s6rX5h5K8Vfzv4lCSEfRZD0DYdVOgownc0jN9a_Tr9fBen2BDY0BQD8C4wRbst66e4PIwVOBgFufeCkMyuRNM0CjnnG2mf7Jezw4rSCmgUbddMP5P85s6HFb7DwATXGUH-0YX8lARhciDGcMRpJjKz/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackhead Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1WBT99hm4qfgqZ8jgR9vetVikg_oaRVUYBNd5g1zmo9ssESzTPs5p6SXTOt2KdIKNqcGypVZ-onzmhmQc_h4Bx5BrxPa7uCdQxns48WYbUMtXXfwcO6PRwcw7HNIbF0uQtI6oNbaxZ_nchtN6ENiS2d5Ja29-sVWKGEc6gD7xbo5WtuTcuj9nlT7mSMg/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1WBT99hm4qfgqZ8jgR9vetVikg_oaRVUYBNd5g1zmo9ssESzTPs5p6SXTOt2KdIKNqcGypVZ-onzmhmQc_h4Bx5BrxPa7uCdQxns48WYbUMtXXfwcO6PRwcw7HNIbF0uQtI6oNbaxZ_nchtN6ENiS2d5Ja29-sVWKGEc6gD7xbo5WtuTcuj9nlT7mSMg/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaaterskill High Peak</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelNBb6sqanpg3Mm23LLh6_ahMngxk0yaSMHny6eKqzG28oLPPRJL0qAkdgH8grm_VPvHPa9Fc6lMQrzymZ5yRWbVlfTEeztbKkyvOFlbwuoSq74pFhS1N2mSmgIge7qYNH3hyQV-xYVd_bXUveqo8t7HmXRhhmNPzXNBZsjoWjkeP5SIVbtwKYm5fiPRp/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelNBb6sqanpg3Mm23LLh6_ahMngxk0yaSMHny6eKqzG28oLPPRJL0qAkdgH8grm_VPvHPa9Fc6lMQrzymZ5yRWbVlfTEeztbKkyvOFlbwuoSq74pFhS1N2mSmgIge7qYNH3hyQV-xYVd_bXUveqo8t7HmXRhhmNPzXNBZsjoWjkeP5SIVbtwKYm5fiPRp/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pFjST9w_E2VN6xFi5I8enXZUK5CnKXLDOHekRi-ldiys-NsKxIHafZYAOuU1A0eN-I8fkccHLR_l16BlZo7yvvVo8PoKHaESihYM9nAEJBNNiLzNjJRC2zWaaVOcyojuJFCY8aeOs5OTGBm7sxzQ372blgv0pNg8eZ_WpkfT2mjp-dcmz_N3MgoOXO8F/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pFjST9w_E2VN6xFi5I8enXZUK5CnKXLDOHekRi-ldiys-NsKxIHafZYAOuU1A0eN-I8fkccHLR_l16BlZo7yvvVo8PoKHaESihYM9nAEJBNNiLzNjJRC2zWaaVOcyojuJFCY8aeOs5OTGBm7sxzQ372blgv0pNg8eZ_WpkfT2mjp-dcmz_N3MgoOXO8F/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orchard Point</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Roughly 14 miles into the Devil's Path, Stony Clove Notch divides the trail into the eastern and western sections. It acts as a psychological halfway point. We just finished the eastern half. With its four summits featuring steep climbs and descents on rough terrain, the longer eastern section is the much more challenging section of the trail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stony Clove Notch is a bit of an oasis on the Devil's Path, especially on a hot day. A road, NY 214, passes through the notch with a picnic area offering water spigots and picnic tables. Pay campsites are just down the road as well. The picnic area sits next to Notch Lake and a nice view between the gunsight-like notch. We took advantage of the water spigots and a picnic table while enjoying an extended lunch break, before resuming a long climb toward Hunter Mountain. I especially appreciated the spigot. While I drank steadily through the day, I dripped sweat continuously from the high humidity and felt like it was difficult to stay fully hydrated. The spigot allowed me to camel up and refill my water. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qnkLLVnvFclMN0QQEo8OPhokJcGVWZuj6Z0BKiQItjXTQQELpN7jHI8RGWHatjLKEmKv0vobIVIWymJyG1FSqVIo8p694F0HdQqmA8l-_23JrmUSZKQQ_NOuQyjscmZQqug64Ost0c3gAzmexsZuble2NaFAC4rr9gS5J8qBXN9o3ho0kUZRKu3LQBvy/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qnkLLVnvFclMN0QQEo8OPhokJcGVWZuj6Z0BKiQItjXTQQELpN7jHI8RGWHatjLKEmKv0vobIVIWymJyG1FSqVIo8p694F0HdQqmA8l-_23JrmUSZKQQ_NOuQyjscmZQqug64Ost0c3gAzmexsZuble2NaFAC4rr9gS5J8qBXN9o3ho0kUZRKu3LQBvy/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stony Clove Notch and Notch Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back on the move, the trail began to climb immediately out of the notch as it worked its way past large rock outcroppings. The trail definitely seemed less steep with frequent switchbacks that picked the way mostly around outcroppings. Once past the rockiest sections, the trail climbed much more gradually on fairly nice trail.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibx1Ai7xnBmY6z67fctpc-d3SiMSe_JMH8ECbGUqY5uuO1yZFRgIvLF5XsVt8ZPtnlZ95igNyxMXZSTCG7W58qs45E9Jd1E9Kh7HSvGUF5V-WegFrrWBlstw51-MYsXiGNu41U5vZbPh9Dl0m14zN0-IHHgiHlebIbTW6s6r5b85QY1C01RE4MT__N3hpA/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibx1Ai7xnBmY6z67fctpc-d3SiMSe_JMH8ECbGUqY5uuO1yZFRgIvLF5XsVt8ZPtnlZ95igNyxMXZSTCG7W58qs45E9Jd1E9Kh7HSvGUF5V-WegFrrWBlstw51-MYsXiGNu41U5vZbPh9Dl0m14zN0-IHHgiHlebIbTW6s6r5b85QY1C01RE4MT__N3hpA/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rocky terrain starts soon after leaving the notch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwO7i12RhT2fpccSobeov10e9yaC20vZbhVk9HKz6Hkshr6hDyJm_0xJt5GvlyRBsIOzLl5W7sEJKFTYFfYA4n-e_TP00xdbU8lGKWmpcsSKoL559Px254-y--_-6yxEWoMN9Rzo_NnQHZ_2RXfK6M3xhGuV_ZioiW2QWqCrw5TxM7ODB7DMyRU7XJZyXV/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwO7i12RhT2fpccSobeov10e9yaC20vZbhVk9HKz6Hkshr6hDyJm_0xJt5GvlyRBsIOzLl5W7sEJKFTYFfYA4n-e_TP00xdbU8lGKWmpcsSKoL559Px254-y--_-6yxEWoMN9Rzo_NnQHZ_2RXfK6M3xhGuV_ZioiW2QWqCrw5TxM7ODB7DMyRU7XJZyXV/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing under cliffs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7IW5p_28hnFcaRk3kOFL9f397A6k6Eo7SN17--sXijx_-g3TLCKnpeEBVRDISKjnu0cOxbsPRBbxvwLius9KEZ0u8kWTz1IAUwXqUFeXk3z8b0eVn4Um2gbuDBK3ILhn3Ith201wfBGrMcFlN5USlImcVelzS1wSTsXzs5PLjEaHKiDp93VW0acYwQ8B/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7IW5p_28hnFcaRk3kOFL9f397A6k6Eo7SN17--sXijx_-g3TLCKnpeEBVRDISKjnu0cOxbsPRBbxvwLius9KEZ0u8kWTz1IAUwXqUFeXk3z8b0eVn4Um2gbuDBK3ILhn3Ith201wfBGrMcFlN5USlImcVelzS1wSTsXzs5PLjEaHKiDp93VW0acYwQ8B/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentler trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTq--X05xv5LBZfbfwImLO0hZhqQ0fOxoDju5rHxK8gHN-Y1hmHWzJfB4srwlzGpq6yR3fwRZU_hDPJcz5DAvbFpbsjFnjY72QWrEMPmf3oj3DUWDkMgMPxUtWtFrsqSavW6bzB4X8N6KpkZXFcRXGTm1CUsB85VGVpO_G9SfGUlBinp7fMd497InKV5r/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20060.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTq--X05xv5LBZfbfwImLO0hZhqQ0fOxoDju5rHxK8gHN-Y1hmHWzJfB4srwlzGpq6yR3fwRZU_hDPJcz5DAvbFpbsjFnjY72QWrEMPmf3oj3DUWDkMgMPxUtWtFrsqSavW6bzB4X8N6KpkZXFcRXGTm1CUsB85VGVpO_G9SfGUlBinp7fMd497InKV5r/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20060.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The worst of the rocky terrain is behind you<br />as head toward Devil's Acre</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Two miles from Stony Clove Notch the trail reaches an area called the Devil's Acre. This is the saddle between Hunter and Southwest Hunter Mountains. From the Devil's Acre, a side trail leads a.1.7 miles and about 500 vertical feet to the summit of Hunter Mountain. While not part of the Devil's Path, Hunter Mountain was the last peak I needed to climb to finish the Northeast 115.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9Lf9mAKhQmPdXNCjSb-A9HSoxQg_YLPkE-XFQ_q4js5WoZ9ZCbGADQUTw4lDD2HBL5WIiLrbbL2nC10Vts5OCTvaH6ww27XQMH2DjAZHilTg_PbIeYXQRXN5-qXKn82PfBszRc3Hx9S0NP-gH-IEdYmimF_EL3Igrr007zojOv7hkpDSi8KzjvcLFW8j/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9Lf9mAKhQmPdXNCjSb-A9HSoxQg_YLPkE-XFQ_q4js5WoZ9ZCbGADQUTw4lDD2HBL5WIiLrbbL2nC10Vts5OCTvaH6ww27XQMH2DjAZHilTg_PbIeYXQRXN5-qXKn82PfBszRc3Hx9S0NP-gH-IEdYmimF_EL3Igrr007zojOv7hkpDSi8KzjvcLFW8j/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction for Hunter</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The climb toward Hunter was surprisingly easy. Despite rocky footing at the beginning, the path climbed gradually on a soft trail packed with tree needles. At one point we thought we heard thunder, but only once in the distance- not enough to be concerned.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBKNfd5ETKnarlpN3zrJO4n48wXGwQQSWKTAMxPdDgRVkHJFpE8jnI9EHwfaeScM15Bhamv44SgsVid3RDSPr7hrvnXOxkoSxW3NEZofBa2RMSxHMV0fD7Svimg9gjD35v0JwLIeV7suEjV-mmkq0bSnRLmyqcJXlRM1DsIDeRtaG0xiy28Ay7csqtXf1/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBKNfd5ETKnarlpN3zrJO4n48wXGwQQSWKTAMxPdDgRVkHJFpE8jnI9EHwfaeScM15Bhamv44SgsVid3RDSPr7hrvnXOxkoSxW3NEZofBa2RMSxHMV0fD7Svimg9gjD35v0JwLIeV7suEjV-mmkq0bSnRLmyqcJXlRM1DsIDeRtaG0xiy28Ay7csqtXf1/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentle terrain enroute to Hunter</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We reached the summit of Hunter pretty quickly. At 4,040', Hunter stands as the second highest mountain in the Catskills and on of only two that rise above 4,000'. A fire tower stands on its summit. We climbed the fire tower for 360 degree views, including much of the Devil's Path. Even though the cabin was locked, the upper reaches of the tower provided the best views of the day. With an unobstructed view, we could see a section of rain nearby, but nothing that looked scary. The clearing below the tower has the old warden's cabin as well as a picnic table. We took advantage of the picnic table to give our feet a rest and eat a snack before moving on shortly after 3PM.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvQZ4P1XLI1WeU2k4sHk2WAHWjsN7kXUOwkHeFxY4svrdofuVVEUq5ud6Q7eLYgxyvEd2AvcygW2FVOFRBDYMF7j-EnvUBd-keu5XQ0rjZ9LCqLmPg4cPi4euiRaHXdBtp7J4ckLCcJI1Ufu_ajx2XzCMwSuA1bJMwuT-RzJOjrLv-fshP87oCGMb6ddy/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvQZ4P1XLI1WeU2k4sHk2WAHWjsN7kXUOwkHeFxY4svrdofuVVEUq5ud6Q7eLYgxyvEd2AvcygW2FVOFRBDYMF7j-EnvUBd-keu5XQ0rjZ9LCqLmPg4cPi4euiRaHXdBtp7J4ckLCcJI1Ufu_ajx2XzCMwSuA1bJMwuT-RzJOjrLv-fshP87oCGMb6ddy/w300-h400/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20063.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter's fire tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eu90TaUm2aL6Kx9jNTz_ggaK3xrM3CotVPlIZIk6JOcyQils8GeWmb6ioU9XfvtZQ-IcwH7vi1QXmNAnhls5stxM5HexYWCRhGnIAZMPR-Z-MNt0pX6L2sA_AFMQAE6Grvab2qm_oJ8LRpGdowW_d3U9rQ8-UnhMgw9eOoSQKgBn5DHxm2RDDvrWqutb/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20064.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eu90TaUm2aL6Kx9jNTz_ggaK3xrM3CotVPlIZIk6JOcyQils8GeWmb6ioU9XfvtZQ-IcwH7vi1QXmNAnhls5stxM5HexYWCRhGnIAZMPR-Z-MNt0pX6L2sA_AFMQAE6Grvab2qm_oJ8LRpGdowW_d3U9rQ8-UnhMgw9eOoSQKgBn5DHxm2RDDvrWqutb/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20064.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My last 4,000' summit on the NE 115</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFwt7Q-KRRBH-0Bk9_vX5S-xJ3VQ4IJfMBqtezk5uB4XAPUKwdBhEikRB2HjBEI-Ew8UGlMXCkBvhjhJ4ywXCrZKR-f1a6_dTFjBlRznJLD9dfLXR9QuY_45xaQkYiB0pO-LRoLPNDEi5fHdjtOWCsIAVKzrk1ZRPOaBBC-edmMm8kndL5WwTrJ2eua_8/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFwt7Q-KRRBH-0Bk9_vX5S-xJ3VQ4IJfMBqtezk5uB4XAPUKwdBhEikRB2HjBEI-Ew8UGlMXCkBvhjhJ4ywXCrZKR-f1a6_dTFjBlRznJLD9dfLXR9QuY_45xaQkYiB0pO-LRoLPNDEi5fHdjtOWCsIAVKzrk1ZRPOaBBC-edmMm8kndL5WwTrJ2eua_8/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Escarpment and Kaaterskills High Peak</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rO9Gw8F9U0OS-lTXHMpcE5_r1ddgJbQwWYHIe0nkflIi4boM7jol_EH9M6-rMC7mUlJN-LeON5azvytnvCZRUumNZJ6Tyf9K145edNhuPhVowSr96xMaVVZxLG9ys_oQGvQONwXm6ocvswQw0WU3urcx6tSyZQACxgkTSicFpqhFB2VhnfOk1ySXM4ec/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rO9Gw8F9U0OS-lTXHMpcE5_r1ddgJbQwWYHIe0nkflIi4boM7jol_EH9M6-rMC7mUlJN-LeON5azvytnvCZRUumNZJ6Tyf9K145edNhuPhVowSr96xMaVVZxLG9ys_oQGvQONwXm6ocvswQw0WU3urcx6tSyZQACxgkTSicFpqhFB2VhnfOk1ySXM4ec/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">360 degree view from the tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91NRn-Fm-nTJgUtk5H28vQ6GvukUalPGvwaTHHPQBjdzKuQg9CvO3_6PdGx21r1vVpOwTLm2CjwDcQ4G4HKOOfn_JULmAjBDomQx0Dzw6RUlivy_kF_LJwgDdHLDyHVWZWTEpIP786pBhWjgoNxSa5i7qdBsjkC3AN_GNF8nQkTc8s7E6vU19kPtWdMqz/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91NRn-Fm-nTJgUtk5H28vQ6GvukUalPGvwaTHHPQBjdzKuQg9CvO3_6PdGx21r1vVpOwTLm2CjwDcQ4G4HKOOfn_JULmAjBDomQx0Dzw6RUlivy_kF_LJwgDdHLDyHVWZWTEpIP786pBhWjgoNxSa5i7qdBsjkC3AN_GNF8nQkTc8s7E6vU19kPtWdMqz/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hazy view to the south</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpaP-2ds3rpIN1NUCDAGakzOn4qb2eQx59JdtwqHj8fCKrsSsqfslo8xb6L1TA08Bokft85eGeA5mjHzKi15BCGwru6aPVpJKQOvpgXSBfhTL_-ArXz5zvVbyW03tI_DVsOvMPZUxUDn6z2N_1Ww9mPQYiJ0MbkAguf49LDlm4vZlkVaqrIWOBefsFJzE/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpaP-2ds3rpIN1NUCDAGakzOn4qb2eQx59JdtwqHj8fCKrsSsqfslo8xb6L1TA08Bokft85eGeA5mjHzKi15BCGwru6aPVpJKQOvpgXSBfhTL_-ArXz5zvVbyW03tI_DVsOvMPZUxUDn6z2N_1Ww9mPQYiJ0MbkAguf49LDlm4vZlkVaqrIWOBefsFJzE/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Escarpment and Kaaterskill High Peak<br />in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnOigYBlDUGlfMCXxYWT49EhKf77lan0Gx-iX2yZB4K1xBBy2D__8rTURegzI3zgRRUcHgMofuinXzj9wKgJKSIQxIv2zCiXAEwz74hhymaywMyPj__Ybsla0pKBufiB59S3bSFCzpVyNafqkeDhViz5TPddXPYR0cVief40l8m_fa05wncUtUQc8F9D7/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnOigYBlDUGlfMCXxYWT49EhKf77lan0Gx-iX2yZB4K1xBBy2D__8rTURegzI3zgRRUcHgMofuinXzj9wKgJKSIQxIv2zCiXAEwz74hhymaywMyPj__Ybsla0pKBufiB59S3bSFCzpVyNafqkeDhViz5TPddXPYR0cVief40l8m_fa05wncUtUQc8F9D7/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain clouds moving in</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soon after departing Hunter, light rain began to fall. Rumbles of thunder soon followed. Since it was a tame descent back to the Devil's Path, I ran ahead to a lean-to just below the junction. I wanted to resituate my pack and put some things into bags to keep them dry. The rain mostly stopped by the time we departed the lean-to.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL25XPPz4JFa5bGiV9rvrNg_s9mr81mgNPjkcpoCxobMJJ5ay-mSGqSMne3jaNyv03VFGYS0QulUBdtnP_s6oUdaK9hE7jQ5hJPBdV1eJCG_79cMCQTiTAUgaidUptsZ3F_JAWk_9n4lyPeBXKYyijkm7D1R27HECb4K5-VwasaqLsh1eXmYQH49FnLxRF/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL25XPPz4JFa5bGiV9rvrNg_s9mr81mgNPjkcpoCxobMJJ5ay-mSGqSMne3jaNyv03VFGYS0QulUBdtnP_s6oUdaK9hE7jQ5hJPBdV1eJCG_79cMCQTiTAUgaidUptsZ3F_JAWk_9n4lyPeBXKYyijkm7D1R27HECb4K5-VwasaqLsh1eXmYQH49FnLxRF/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom below Hunter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eNHfRK6mb0lcCgcuAPToK8eEA8sgakgSpJ75youis2gJeFzWS36qBbTA-37QwN7GhFLFh0tJvvjkQ3Y4bMuT8CBQ4Dcvn1QtdFO4kLSvIAPXQ81pTvAaPgPsTGXj3tVY2jVoQnVszm_Z69kJs6XPr5fLWGt-LyuT_2SXs7x5T2JvLvkLFm4RGxXVlqjV/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eNHfRK6mb0lcCgcuAPToK8eEA8sgakgSpJ75youis2gJeFzWS36qBbTA-37QwN7GhFLFh0tJvvjkQ3Y4bMuT8CBQ4Dcvn1QtdFO4kLSvIAPXQ81pTvAaPgPsTGXj3tVY2jVoQnVszm_Z69kJs6XPr5fLWGt-LyuT_2SXs7x5T2JvLvkLFm4RGxXVlqjV/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20066.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devil's Acre Lean-to in a light rain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the rain, the temperature cooled and there was some relief. The vegetation, wet from the rain, cooled when we hiked through it. From the lean-to, the trail made its most gradual descent of the day as it dropped a little over two miles into Diamond Notch. Diamond Notch Falls, a beautiful waterfall drops 15-20' in the stream that flows through the notch. While enjoying falls an stream, we took the opportunity to top our water for the rest of the hike. A light drizzle began to fall before we left the notch.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyWWE_pPxJZwFBhfI7M1rP6uz659-4HPhP_8TpQKENLWhfzp0s0ce3w6T8IJObYWrBwL_yvoNwhRsVzEwCLap6MQPLQBephMyY1u6i5lhi127FuFFjLX8jzDYHIbjvEA1VGB8zXMnikrCn2N1_bJoQkVlr2n0mQYjVbwjwpenUDBpwso0jGjpzn9Jvfjq/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyWWE_pPxJZwFBhfI7M1rP6uz659-4HPhP_8TpQKENLWhfzp0s0ce3w6T8IJObYWrBwL_yvoNwhRsVzEwCLap6MQPLQBephMyY1u6i5lhi127FuFFjLX8jzDYHIbjvEA1VGB8zXMnikrCn2N1_bJoQkVlr2n0mQYjVbwjwpenUDBpwso0jGjpzn9Jvfjq/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diamond Notch Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZOEd8qAjcXb2jZv5AzzBjNbf_WYW_lknFyBm5x-LvMHmllfkc6Ic0MiEjjKGoEtwyrf1VME9Sd-6xxnbllg4s_Heu0li5tLMF5MoUBAGOZS2SUUEuPZzqdhUiIA6zbDmnGXNeZBodY0LvLux--kA4YyExTZJwwnt9AshaW5vHIkJj9I1P7WU2K4qLUxc/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZOEd8qAjcXb2jZv5AzzBjNbf_WYW_lknFyBm5x-LvMHmllfkc6Ic0MiEjjKGoEtwyrf1VME9Sd-6xxnbllg4s_Heu0li5tLMF5MoUBAGOZS2SUUEuPZzqdhUiIA6zbDmnGXNeZBodY0LvLux--kA4YyExTZJwwnt9AshaW5vHIkJj9I1P7WU2K4qLUxc/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another drop at Diamond Notch Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Diamond Notch, the trail begins a 2.5 mile climb to Westkill Mountain. Although occasionally steep with a few minor scrambles, the climb out of Diamond Notch seemed relatively tame compared to the other climbs out of the previous notches on the day. Even after accumulating more than 20 miles and close to 7,000 vertical feet of elevation for the day, the climb seemed relatively tame. The cooler air and drizzle probably helped take some of the sting out of the climb as well.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nFCKXfRvkn7iuHkYTTpJyrlr_Fqty4Y-dGGsvbyfCRLgiS1jqyQqQ6jySQzHwpurPPbT0TPwAZajwtdzA0qnBtZ-6DqLJKxH3Krzft4IpxXzCd7qQR4WFSQRJN2gxPUXYG6KgGlin6d3uAbdU_hWWk1oFbhMZQ5bHYG22QYregX0f4fP-Tzaju7okpZF/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20069.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nFCKXfRvkn7iuHkYTTpJyrlr_Fqty4Y-dGGsvbyfCRLgiS1jqyQqQ6jySQzHwpurPPbT0TPwAZajwtdzA0qnBtZ-6DqLJKxH3Krzft4IpxXzCd7qQR4WFSQRJN2gxPUXYG6KgGlin6d3uAbdU_hWWk1oFbhMZQ5bHYG22QYregX0f4fP-Tzaju7okpZF/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20069.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the final climb</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-ieasY7IKaE7VTpbSKgEAytl7PEA1DUtBdNEIlEa-VJUB8I0WI5oyDpfCjDzW3rKoot2j8L2xiejnUZeKzwWrJpSUV7vSmDoMXrAHiwmGd8CxTqu-ru81_5wfBtJxBLTDCoioQH76MkQwotU95IQJ-aAy03rCFKxc7kX0MViZadwc5KX3c4Z57v2_65c/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-ieasY7IKaE7VTpbSKgEAytl7PEA1DUtBdNEIlEa-VJUB8I0WI5oyDpfCjDzW3rKoot2j8L2xiejnUZeKzwWrJpSUV7vSmDoMXrAHiwmGd8CxTqu-ru81_5wfBtJxBLTDCoioQH76MkQwotU95IQJ-aAy03rCFKxc7kX0MViZadwc5KX3c4Z57v2_65c/w300-h400/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20070.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still some scrambles climbing Westkill<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we gained elevation, thunder started rumbling in the distance. The closer we came to Westkill's summit, the thunder became louder and closer. Occasionally we would see lightning. Fortunately the lightning appeared to be intra and inner cloud with no ground strikes. It became somewhat unnerving though as the thunders intensity increased as we climbed. The rain picked up a little bit as well, but was never too heavy. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XjPnPQbxxUCIS2BuOM-3KftOPxn7fHfbKx46Z5GeDbo0ZK-6kgkier1yzjUlRmIPT42x1zXtRooUorD9dhQalCoJnbQQ3fAerUmlpY_DL8HW-CBRV-z5nU-sXchkt0CzREt07TH7g42hbcFc5E1sQPkXUfI91RAbSHAFM4sTMLRSOZSQR8louPERwuMc/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20071.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XjPnPQbxxUCIS2BuOM-3KftOPxn7fHfbKx46Z5GeDbo0ZK-6kgkier1yzjUlRmIPT42x1zXtRooUorD9dhQalCoJnbQQ3fAerUmlpY_DL8HW-CBRV-z5nU-sXchkt0CzREt07TH7g42hbcFc5E1sQPkXUfI91RAbSHAFM4sTMLRSOZSQR8louPERwuMc/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20071.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large overhang covered in moss</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Devil's Path levels off on Westkill as it passes minor bumps on its ridge. The thunder motivated us to pick up our pace. After passing a lookout, we decided to pick up the pace further to a jog until we made it to the descent past the summit. We wanted to get to lower elevation with the thunder nearby. At 3,880' Westkill stands as the highest point on the Devil's Path. With the thunder and lightning, we didn't care to linger.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD6yImuw8LWqn6yUCPT804EkU4o5dnbSXIuY6-KLz8LBCW5mHfxoLk4-P3XTKw0WP2VC4_IyfWWuVEiX-OwuHiiJJzeHnNgOwJAxKeIrS-z3AvGyxzWqelX95j2EeBySAyS8MZ32-ydOB2IqrHB7faXkicYnYHx0YrpmVP39gQ2VSC08qyVeiEt5M9nhz/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD6yImuw8LWqn6yUCPT804EkU4o5dnbSXIuY6-KLz8LBCW5mHfxoLk4-P3XTKw0WP2VC4_IyfWWuVEiX-OwuHiiJJzeHnNgOwJAxKeIrS-z3AvGyxzWqelX95j2EeBySAyS8MZ32-ydOB2IqrHB7faXkicYnYHx0YrpmVP39gQ2VSC08qyVeiEt5M9nhz/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last open view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvttTybT0CB2f-JR5AgrixnO5OYi3DnUeiJ1xHDj-h0H9Uw_DlCX3FcMcZW29J_OYLX6DUw0AzSU3yDXrJq3g2QV4pLSZyRj_e-hrstpRPrDw09JsrquU7bnBFlcMGO1M8xIS991z6WgVgQcSXPJ4-OlZuGlLtoDhAQo5rBDcEW63SqSrcIBTAfrYhjv8W/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvttTybT0CB2f-JR5AgrixnO5OYi3DnUeiJ1xHDj-h0H9Uw_DlCX3FcMcZW29J_OYLX6DUw0AzSU3yDXrJq3g2QV4pLSZyRj_e-hrstpRPrDw09JsrquU7bnBFlcMGO1M8xIS991z6WgVgQcSXPJ4-OlZuGlLtoDhAQo5rBDcEW63SqSrcIBTAfrYhjv8W/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buck Ridge Lookout</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d218nCSO8LgIWKJJXh4qM-WqfTtGsAbJiEDo1FDhnuDGLXui0yuiS7TIhcMMC8yHBOebP0zu8sQIc-gMxk1XAvkDGV1eLlVlK55V0VHOpao-IGoKYXYzZzXtXn7HBoKbN0XQrWC8DyxRyB_Xjh-rzgR9Fp84oTJwmPuGTlOyjIshPZYy7fg78mlVZDjj/s4032/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d218nCSO8LgIWKJJXh4qM-WqfTtGsAbJiEDo1FDhnuDGLXui0yuiS7TIhcMMC8yHBOebP0zu8sQIc-gMxk1XAvkDGV1eLlVlK55V0VHOpao-IGoKYXYzZzXtXn7HBoKbN0XQrWC8DyxRyB_Xjh-rzgR9Fp84oTJwmPuGTlOyjIshPZYy7fg78mlVZDjj/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The showers limited the visibility</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lntLZEBmD6mnaThoSbx94Czl0bTjFVDNI9PIb0OXHslheMdY55XYRBv21nsBpI1sL5dJWjDQJBS3h0HrajASuE-kP0b92h_8dzR8XG3RKC2D20ydkgmiAN8d1Rj_ZS-cc1tZccK-LymLGhNeh-7EKqNz1vmpQEzWOqLL2HobjaPlbvm_AvAvpj9TAXAL/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20073.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lntLZEBmD6mnaThoSbx94Czl0bTjFVDNI9PIb0OXHslheMdY55XYRBv21nsBpI1sL5dJWjDQJBS3h0HrajASuE-kP0b92h_8dzR8XG3RKC2D20ydkgmiAN8d1Rj_ZS-cc1tZccK-LymLGhNeh-7EKqNz1vmpQEzWOqLL2HobjaPlbvm_AvAvpj9TAXAL/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20073.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the rain on Westkill</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After dropping off the summit, we lost elevation and the thunder moved further away until soon fading. Our final obstacle was a punchy 200' climb over the minor summit of St. Anne's Peak. At this point, with 9,000' of climbing on the day, I didn't even want aa small climb. Fortunately St. Anne's Peak wasn't much more than a bump on Westkill's long ridgeline. The light rain stopped. With the sun blocked by clouds and mountains to the west, combined with the dreary weather, the forest started to darken quite a bit. We ran when footing allowed, but needed to be careful since the rocks and roots were now slippery from the rain.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKL7iZGp_LIfn7bEX18cpv3eGyYCts0MoVY0WukQL0-APhT7xcyBovjQey31zF_2iz856QZt37dyB8zFoomBlspS9wyssMJYEOsmunqAK_MLhakFJvXxnP957WUPJGq3tdi6B51MugUBDeNw6oBxWHB2XSki4QR4q2Wg0oMT2btzRvW8smr1FfpgmsMXo/s2592/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKL7iZGp_LIfn7bEX18cpv3eGyYCts0MoVY0WukQL0-APhT7xcyBovjQey31zF_2iz856QZt37dyB8zFoomBlspS9wyssMJYEOsmunqAK_MLhakFJvXxnP957WUPJGq3tdi6B51MugUBDeNw6oBxWHB2XSki4QR4q2Wg0oMT2btzRvW8smr1FfpgmsMXo/w400-h300/Devils%20Path%209.7.23%20074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negotiating one last scramble as the forest<br />grew darker</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We plugged along at a good pace. By the final mile, it was just barely light enough to travel with no headlamp. Within the final half-mile distant thunder and lightning started up again, but we weren't too concerned with the end near. Finally for the last 1/4 mile we donned a light as it became too dark to make out the trail. The thunder and lightning grew more intense and the wind picked up. Knowing we were minutes from the trailhead, I half-jokingly said "bring it on," in regards to the approaching storm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We made it to the trailhead just as they rain started shortly after 730PM. We got into our respective vehicles as quickly as possible. I got a little wet as I fumbled in my pack in the dark looking for my keys. No sooner than I found my keys, all hell broke loose. Before heading home, I changed out of sweat-drenched clothes and prepared a sweet drink for the drive. Buckets of rain with gusty winds swept through the area. Parked on the edge of the lot, my van was pelted by several falling branches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About ten minutes later, I hit the road. Immediately I faced a road full of debris with sticks and branches of various sizes strewn about the road. I worried that I might get stuck on the dead end road, but fortunately nothing too large blocked the road. The first 45 minutes of back roads I traveled were full of debris. This made for a fun drive in the pouring rain and dark. At least I saw plenty of brilliant lightning across the sky. With the rapid onset of the storm and early nightfall, I'm certainly glad I didn't opt to self shuttle with a bike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The New York DEC manages the Catskills and lists the mileage of the Devil's Path at 25.2 miles on their website and 24.6 miles on the sign at the west trailhead. Although numbers vary, the vertical elevation gained over the course of the trail runs between 8,500'-9000'. Adding Hunter Mountain to the day. We clocked in at roughly 28 miles for the day with at least 9,000' of vertical. With some running on the more manageable stretches, this trek took just over 13.5 hours. By any measure, it's a long and grueling day hike. Throw in oppressive humidity for majority of the day, the Devil's Path is surely a beast.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite the obvious challenges, I enjoyed the Devil's Path. While it's certainly type 2 fun at times, I enjoyed challenging myself and have no regrets tackling the Devil in a day. Perhaps a cooler day would be the only thing I would change. I rarely hike with somebody else, and enjoyed hiking with Josh for the day. He kept a good pace most of the day. It was nice to have conversation on the trail. I think it takes some of the sting out of the hike when you have someone in the same boat as you with the same goal, especially when hiking through thunder and as fatigue sets in later in the hike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While quite a few people enjoy the challenge of hiking the Devil's Path in a day, several lean-tos on and near the trail allow for a more relaxing, multiday experience if desired. The trail would make a worthy multiday trip. Numerous side trails lead off the Devil's Path, providing the opportunity to break the trail up in smaller chunks as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I mentioned early, people often compare the the Devil's Path with the Great Range Traverse in the Adirondacks and the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. All three hikes cover similar distance and elevation gains. Now having hiked all three in a day, I'll offer my opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Devil's Path seems to have bigger elevation changes between the peaks compared to the Great Range and Presidentials. The rewards, in the way of views are not nearly as impressive on the Devil's Path. I did enjoy the sections of pleasant trail on the Devil's Path with soft footing for extended periods such as Plateau's ridge and much of the western section. In general the Great Range and Presidential Traverses are more consistently rougher.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though its slightly shorter, the Presidential Traverse is probably the hardest of the three hikes. The Presidential Traverse offers the most impressive scenery with long stretches above treeline. The Great Range Traverse would probably be second scenery with several alpine peaks and open summits. The Great Range probably edges out the Devil's Path in difficulty with numerous ladders and longer scrambles. All three are worthwhile hikes as multiday trips or as single day challenges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To compare the hikes, below are links to my Presidential and Great Range Traverses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2013/07/presidential-traverse.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Presidential Traverse</span></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2020/08/the-great-range-traverse.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Great Range Traverse</span></a><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-43406154795474250262023-09-18T10:41:00.002-07:002023-09-18T10:41:27.253-07:00Slide Mountain<div style="text-align: left;">Having recently finished climbing my final peaks on both the New Hampshire 48 and New England 67 lists last month as well as the Adirondack 46 a couple years ago, I needed to climb only two more mountains to compete the Northeast 115 (all of the 4,000' mountains in the Northeast US). The two 4,000' mountains of the Catskills, Slide and Hunter were the last two obstacles to completing the Northeast 115.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At first glance, Slide Mountain may not look like the most impressive mountain. However, at 4,180', it reigns as the highest mountain in the Catskills. It stands a full 140' over Hunter Mountain, the second highest in the Catskills. No mountain is taller between Virginia and the Adirondacks. It even rises higher than 17 of the Adirondack 46er peaks. With 3,280' of prominence, Slide also ranks as the 11th most prominent peak in the eastern US. In New York, Mount Marcy is the only peak with more prominence.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Even though I have hiked extensively in the Northeastern US, I never hiked in the Catskills. With a planned departure from New York next year and the only two peaks left to finish the Northeast 115, I planned my trip to the Catskills in early September, my first objective- Slide Mountain. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpVHFviVz4Rao5wlpVVzupw5JIXU04_TRsUz089bwwRtunEPDzfD4-CeaqOulwj6tfL2UVU17emBZ2A66N8wvUTH0V540C7JTeonTdBtWVAKNob7LSvGWTMNqyQtDcB1UuCADo6lGYk6YMMTY-zLorEuFb8w4ifttIz8hjIhK1-5B7P4UpQUwKWOEIFSH/s4032/E000FA58-059D-4673-9CA6-6B297026E674.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpVHFviVz4Rao5wlpVVzupw5JIXU04_TRsUz089bwwRtunEPDzfD4-CeaqOulwj6tfL2UVU17emBZ2A66N8wvUTH0V540C7JTeonTdBtWVAKNob7LSvGWTMNqyQtDcB1UuCADo6lGYk6YMMTY-zLorEuFb8w4ifttIz8hjIhK1-5B7P4UpQUwKWOEIFSH/w400-h300/E000FA58-059D-4673-9CA6-6B297026E674.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of this hike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">When I set aside a couple days to hike in the Catskills, the weather looked pretty promising. As the trip came closer, heat and humidity looked like more of a possibility. On September 6th, I left the Adirondacks midday and headed south to the Catskills. The temperature climbed as I headed further south. By the time I left the highway in Saugerties, the temperature in my van read 94F. Living in the Adirondacks, it's been several years since I have been in temperatures that warm. Swampy humidity made the day feel more impressive. As I left the valley and headed into the mountains, the temperature started to drop. By the time I reached the trailhead, the temperature dropped a good 10 degrees. The trailhead sits at nearly 2,500' in elevation, which is quite high for the Northeast.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTE01tri72VMV7ADiPZdX99kvZvFP5MpQoUimpWnGsIE0LDAKuqt4y-5OrJIFnCrFe-j7LJvN14Kd3Nb670LzQ0qbFhN84rv_HR7-JJIOeWnnJH0KkW88JnODLImeUEwktiYyFyjfloilTLrKN8yuSHx2BCsTDsAbPtlkbMRkedCzv9DPm55A-6coa_UB/s4032/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTE01tri72VMV7ADiPZdX99kvZvFP5MpQoUimpWnGsIE0LDAKuqt4y-5OrJIFnCrFe-j7LJvN14Kd3Nb670LzQ0qbFhN84rv_HR7-JJIOeWnnJH0KkW88JnODLImeUEwktiYyFyjfloilTLrKN8yuSHx2BCsTDsAbPtlkbMRkedCzv9DPm55A-6coa_UB/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead sign</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Even though the temperature was not as extreme at the trailhead, the air was quite thick when I began my hike at 4PM. Prior to the trip I was a little worried about hiking in the heat and humidity since I wasn't acclimated to it living in the Adirondacks. Slide isn't known as a particularly hard hike and only covers six miles roundtrip. I figured even with the humidity, the hike wouldn't be too bad with my late start and modest distance.</div><div><br /></div><div>I began at the Slide Mountain Trailhead and hiked shortly on the Phoenicia East Branch Trail before traveling on the Burroughs Range Trail. As expected, I sweated profusely in the dense humidity right out of the gate. Even though the trail was pretty rocky, the trail never seemed steep. The Burroughs Range Trail felt like an old tote road with its gentle grade.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM_NWcW-GmJqpOd5Hg2QzGQ-3UiGZqvO1iAHNBqqRSvxJEPgEVMMI3fq09nCT7f1n2xp4PzN440Jd0njq4wEl0438LXrbBar2cgKM0ikjGh6Jwk-__fLIDeBqOJFoebNp4A1GcOXxGV-bEKxq20tlCr1WfWO0ic1VLijUETV56cx5a7IDYieQeAIhGZzm/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM_NWcW-GmJqpOd5Hg2QzGQ-3UiGZqvO1iAHNBqqRSvxJEPgEVMMI3fq09nCT7f1n2xp4PzN440Jd0njq4wEl0438LXrbBar2cgKM0ikjGh6Jwk-__fLIDeBqOJFoebNp4A1GcOXxGV-bEKxq20tlCr1WfWO0ic1VLijUETV56cx5a7IDYieQeAIhGZzm/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky terrain near the trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1pYRN42kQ7gA9YkuH81JiekYlWmTswTUjI7n4U0Toed43T29FAe3r36lOjspJ2rP5F-zZt40N5EGrQ7JF3UP3E9NTYTYECIow9Mm6HT5sramt0C5DjUHusdxUUX4ii84SQC_wYH-a6tp4HlPmpdNGF8aNF35xxDYzr608qpyHIwHAVri8LHf6I6S53gS/s4032/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1pYRN42kQ7gA9YkuH81JiekYlWmTswTUjI7n4U0Toed43T29FAe3r36lOjspJ2rP5F-zZt40N5EGrQ7JF3UP3E9NTYTYECIow9Mm6HT5sramt0C5DjUHusdxUUX4ii84SQC_wYH-a6tp4HlPmpdNGF8aNF35xxDYzr608qpyHIwHAVri8LHf6I6S53gS/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing on the rocks</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised when I reached a sign marking 3,500' elevation. It came upon me quickly. Even though I was dripping wet from the humidity, the first 1,000' of elevation came pretty easily. Strangely, the trail took on a different feel around the 3,500' mark. The trail smoothed out at this point and the rocks seemingly disappeared. I felt a little bit of a breeze as I climbed higher. I hiked in more shade at this point, which also helped cool the air.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjXXLEri0kmTk61_ewr-Zj0_-9ZMs2m1EAE3zisUNbZT4l1IHLDDo27Vg7qEehC0mPlo91LLj0RhYod8dtfRCNsfHw2hyI4LUtAGgvQ8dVndbfLenJyoTp1UApEuu5WXWpj_4VjcTVnudwMvPF16SZtL50Gaqs87E0zc9Dp3p4M7rog62IQqO12opGaJY/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjXXLEri0kmTk61_ewr-Zj0_-9ZMs2m1EAE3zisUNbZT4l1IHLDDo27Vg7qEehC0mPlo91LLj0RhYod8dtfRCNsfHw2hyI4LUtAGgvQ8dVndbfLenJyoTp1UApEuu5WXWpj_4VjcTVnudwMvPF16SZtL50Gaqs87E0zc9Dp3p4M7rog62IQqO12opGaJY/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3,500' mark</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWzthWmxFYDYCwppO30SReRR0u2EwBRoH4k6Kvz0C-AEcOZK0iwgvqASVeab_dAptaJLT-efxdGRFphBoMZBDr60pNNuRqm0bJdnrHhX5P5FPhPh7ExATibluNVY39vB7hQTw8RGXHUFTVSGav77envJRB-LoHdJMYiZId_yn7QW9OVMZpkkFMHZ9DG4K/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWzthWmxFYDYCwppO30SReRR0u2EwBRoH4k6Kvz0C-AEcOZK0iwgvqASVeab_dAptaJLT-efxdGRFphBoMZBDr60pNNuRqm0bJdnrHhX5P5FPhPh7ExATibluNVY39vB7hQTw8RGXHUFTVSGav77envJRB-LoHdJMYiZId_yn7QW9OVMZpkkFMHZ9DG4K/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really nice hiking in the coniferous forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhya6-F9B26RY7fVkEtGhouH8DZXBNPRb6sZFsTH62uYp-4m0Qe-8DnN9fzT6I_Uk_GhOMiyBf1NFZOvjviGmKLoXPawtURDKx7NDZuj9XytLBF9GUQm3YPKiOMEQax0kxdfs7Wyws6qJa_Ysv_C-DkGgGtN5eff4elrbAPDtibqmm_zdgA2qMeehtwSTmW/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhya6-F9B26RY7fVkEtGhouH8DZXBNPRb6sZFsTH62uYp-4m0Qe-8DnN9fzT6I_Uk_GhOMiyBf1NFZOvjviGmKLoXPawtURDKx7NDZuj9XytLBF9GUQm3YPKiOMEQax0kxdfs7Wyws6qJa_Ysv_C-DkGgGtN5eff4elrbAPDtibqmm_zdgA2qMeehtwSTmW/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last .7 miles to the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The final mile to the summit climbed quite gradually. I finally passed a few partial views as I neared the summit. One rock outcropping provides a nice unobstructed view to the north just before the summit. Nothing marks the summit of Slide. I assumed I reached the high point when I passed what looked like an old tower's cement footings. From the trailhead, it's only a 2.8 hike to the summit on the Burroughs Range Trail.</div><div><br /></div><div>I traveled a short distance beyond the summit to an outcropping in a small clearing. A small window in the trees provided another partial view. I turned around before the trail began its descent to the east. At the outcropping a plaque honors John Burroughs, a writer that climbed Slide and often wrote about the region.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvE2q4CDv0dZwW34AWFK1a1rKECwVcys2IvfK2946PKo1aepGW8wSKoxZXfJFt6KIWOJ_anqmpJQm-Gn4xTqX4jvQbgxeVBDpa6y--2uG2G8ero_Rem1jIrH1STF4w4iDvcmmcjJZtGse5ZFUh5muiL_hw-IuFdRJWLTmzWTuPQrBLD-vflfgmtmywyCL/s4032/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvE2q4CDv0dZwW34AWFK1a1rKECwVcys2IvfK2946PKo1aepGW8wSKoxZXfJFt6KIWOJ_anqmpJQm-Gn4xTqX4jvQbgxeVBDpa6y--2uG2G8ero_Rem1jIrH1STF4w4iDvcmmcjJZtGse5ZFUh5muiL_hw-IuFdRJWLTmzWTuPQrBLD-vflfgmtmywyCL/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial view from outcropping just beyond the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguNQPpHDFPKdahxbfnSc7463T6VlEtJ9-EBYDmp8Bx97lKghhqu8imgjGHAL7V5wwKY4ddAhzlEXJccfLmMbw2-QzSkwaOLVGkqXcIUkQ0p3BoM4ednGYMjn_-1KcUly6AWArx3AHrrFYGawvoZlPc5LzL2zEo9nIp0SXJ8eoHa0hhBsZwZKIL9PBt54j/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguNQPpHDFPKdahxbfnSc7463T6VlEtJ9-EBYDmp8Bx97lKghhqu8imgjGHAL7V5wwKY4ddAhzlEXJccfLmMbw2-QzSkwaOLVGkqXcIUkQ0p3BoM4ednGYMjn_-1KcUly6AWArx3AHrrFYGawvoZlPc5LzL2zEo9nIp0SXJ8eoHa0hhBsZwZKIL9PBt54j/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burroughs memorial</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBVWGc-OtFG4DcLUlxurzKjCCbr4pAcfUgRFfXh7cGMZlXj_SNkemnM-UI9GnJoTDYuTIQJhtp7n7lribFDI7p1od_jbGKTEnASwfe77AoyGdvRRzVZqOsuepgBGx55_YoVt7nr03O5LXXiRYGk60V2Vc3gyJ0Ozl53rrHnHjqFEthGbODcJNR9BveK2v/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBVWGc-OtFG4DcLUlxurzKjCCbr4pAcfUgRFfXh7cGMZlXj_SNkemnM-UI9GnJoTDYuTIQJhtp7n7lribFDI7p1od_jbGKTEnASwfe77AoyGdvRRzVZqOsuepgBGx55_YoVt7nr03O5LXXiRYGk60V2Vc3gyJ0Ozl53rrHnHjqFEthGbODcJNR9BveK2v/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outcropping just beyond summit</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I left the summit and returned to the vista on the west side of Slide. I took some time to enjoy the view and hydrate. I enjoyed the breeze that blew in over the mountain and provided some relief. Since I was saturated with sweat, the breeze cooled me down nicely.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EBonTcLyG8MMcuX-JsANihJcF1RhKB0ptI0qhHc4U21c62m2mRFrESjgwTntZnCONafth7EMo9ASOmiiJTtW-zTp_Ufbor2LNgznCqh_2HJUqG5fsxVK_xD05c-ZmCxydpt6rC-ro1tiZjH-W4h4wFJsISSy3USZ8PBRHVL-jaFpZth0RyBIn4YN50g6/s4032/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EBonTcLyG8MMcuX-JsANihJcF1RhKB0ptI0qhHc4U21c62m2mRFrESjgwTntZnCONafth7EMo9ASOmiiJTtW-zTp_Ufbor2LNgznCqh_2HJUqG5fsxVK_xD05c-ZmCxydpt6rC-ro1tiZjH-W4h4wFJsISSy3USZ8PBRHVL-jaFpZth0RyBIn4YN50g6/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views just east of the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb85mXMYsd0S9wqm1FFYjYteYhKDsnILhEE_SPpkcCQ_PbnUzd0lLzEcALRvx7bOuaJQoe_lrXB0rrUXGVShZkG7VhWI6HJIk_mMZO6k7Z1hHziXtJ8RtxiAsV7dy2IUK0A2u3c5pkxQr7vcuPHfGmfwPruBAlsTMqCFs-C0O9c35ICf1854l1kliIQI3/s4032/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb85mXMYsd0S9wqm1FFYjYteYhKDsnILhEE_SPpkcCQ_PbnUzd0lLzEcALRvx7bOuaJQoe_lrXB0rrUXGVShZkG7VhWI6HJIk_mMZO6k7Z1hHziXtJ8RtxiAsV7dy2IUK0A2u3c5pkxQr7vcuPHfGmfwPruBAlsTMqCFs-C0O9c35ICf1854l1kliIQI3/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best vista on the hike</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I decided to descend via the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail for a change of scenery. This trail departs from the Burroughs Range Trail .7 miles west of the summit. Even though any vistas seemed to be socked in with leaves, the route provided an interesting change. The trail skirted numerous outcroppings and rock features as it descended toward the trailhead. The Curtis-Ormsbee Trail descends steeply at times, but the interesting rock features are worth the slightly longer hike.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95m3AHlQAB2MZLnN1PEFpe7KdeEYqMkanNzY7TcstyBaivzU_dLGR2EURP39IGEAdNdh9OHGwA6AlNEU6SylA7zcPWDAhhdZwzzi9bCmk4Bje02_9TnHbdBpb3oWswQg1XGN7_w9lAN1k6kXeg58PYHQj0f9caQHn7lVIDW_QFFUo0eyIM2qb39wPC-eg/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95m3AHlQAB2MZLnN1PEFpe7KdeEYqMkanNzY7TcstyBaivzU_dLGR2EURP39IGEAdNdh9OHGwA6AlNEU6SylA7zcPWDAhhdZwzzi9bCmk4Bje02_9TnHbdBpb3oWswQg1XGN7_w9lAN1k6kXeg58PYHQj0f9caQHn7lVIDW_QFFUo0eyIM2qb39wPC-eg/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction at Curtis-Ormsbee and Burroughs Range Trails</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVqQvA0zS3mHx4GV4feycJxoJ72t8rOVCLPX7uI_FvvpJ6hefd_W9_hRyXWjlfLhRibD0gtG2lqjvkcUCPRntBKuSSQEC-duX4arTJstZgWVrE0Kt_ZNygHFS7Bb9BBRHZfG8n0y7j0JC3n3WE5P3vOfs3fV1XIK-syaIcItw9zBcZHr_Avi_FFFXFCwA/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVqQvA0zS3mHx4GV4feycJxoJ72t8rOVCLPX7uI_FvvpJ6hefd_W9_hRyXWjlfLhRibD0gtG2lqjvkcUCPRntBKuSSQEC-duX4arTJstZgWVrE0Kt_ZNygHFS7Bb9BBRHZfG8n0y7j0JC3n3WE5P3vOfs3fV1XIK-syaIcItw9zBcZHr_Avi_FFFXFCwA/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky terrain on Curtis-Ormsbee Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tJRHteQyk49epHe2osZx4C7JDmhue0Rd5POd4ZKsZrniQwZhlmqJQt1aJfJTwEjJU1dt0ukNTJeh6Cv5t_v_TuFjcUDEpc0El4hnwVgnzsKipvDsoxgfBYcQe6V9tW4QKgnIwbN7rg1tloVgK4LzNLVNbVaq_iPkhdUnVxI-s8G80_Ksc0nMmqupiL3l/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tJRHteQyk49epHe2osZx4C7JDmhue0Rd5POd4ZKsZrniQwZhlmqJQt1aJfJTwEjJU1dt0ukNTJeh6Cv5t_v_TuFjcUDEpc0El4hnwVgnzsKipvDsoxgfBYcQe6V9tW4QKgnIwbN7rg1tloVgK4LzNLVNbVaq_iPkhdUnVxI-s8G80_Ksc0nMmqupiL3l/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting rock features</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I closed the loop hiking on the Phoenicia East Branch Trail back to the trailhead. This trail travels the course of an old carriage road. Even though its flat, sections of the trail are fairly rocky. At times the trail was quite wet with stretches of water flowing across the trail. I was back at the trailhead about 6PM. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESge12sxaPd-lfKvMv6wu5i2oIIaOCIullZWXWoveGevN0lO1CSN3rQjlf-FUT-VHRVP9UGUvn_YOQExDtYLg-r_rJToNfEymVJmdqxQ8Q4wQiskslJgZXMDV9pcZdJ9KIAjD-zGBCZ-kfCCkgpIL4s6vbLTKaaJRMKzWQf13F8tuUac87uzGZeCvuSyA/s2592/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESge12sxaPd-lfKvMv6wu5i2oIIaOCIullZWXWoveGevN0lO1CSN3rQjlf-FUT-VHRVP9UGUvn_YOQExDtYLg-r_rJToNfEymVJmdqxQ8Q4wQiskslJgZXMDV9pcZdJ9KIAjD-zGBCZ-kfCCkgpIL4s6vbLTKaaJRMKzWQf13F8tuUac87uzGZeCvuSyA/w400-h300/Slide%20Mtn%209.6.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth stretch of Phoenicia East Branch Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Despite the fairly impressive stats, reaching the summit of Slide Mountain isn't particularly taxing. While the humidity was kind of rough, the hike itself never seemed steep along the Burroughs Range Trail. Combining the Burroughs Range and Curtis-Ormsbee Trails, my hike totaled just over 6 miles with about 1,700' of elevation. Having hiked 114 of the 115 peaks on the Northeast 115 list, I would say that this was probably one of the easier hikes on the list. While Slide doesn't have the most far flung views, the gradual nature of the trail makes it a pleasant hike. It's also nice to climb the highest mountain in a range.</div><div><br /></div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-58545803190813582502023-09-13T15:33:00.000-07:002023-09-13T15:33:06.743-07:00The Tongue Mountain Range<div style="text-align: left;">The Tongue Mountain Range rises on the west side of Lake George, roughly in the middle of the 32-mile lake. The range makes up the backbone of a peninsula that juts into the lake between the Northwest Bay and the Narrows. When looking at a map, the peninsula takes on a "tongue-like" appearance. Despite modest elevations that top out just over 2,200', the range towers nearly 2,000 vertical feet over the lake at its highest point. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7I_LF0n9oilMqpXNjaslJkrE_xR0dEiYm_ySbEmznNKkp1sVJm04pG6kstqZJcNdbVxG6H3HfcwRww0wtG5rXzbRbo_hOfsNNSqlqyAwSxv_4D4FeR2YpW7qoo4cFW9VVZhXqDPW1JhetiwmlgPv02gXocFzRbdR68Ls4EzU7PvDNXJwcpEvGfv_RE51/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7I_LF0n9oilMqpXNjaslJkrE_xR0dEiYm_ySbEmznNKkp1sVJm04pG6kstqZJcNdbVxG6H3HfcwRww0wtG5rXzbRbo_hOfsNNSqlqyAwSxv_4D4FeR2YpW7qoo4cFW9VVZhXqDPW1JhetiwmlgPv02gXocFzRbdR68Ls4EzU7PvDNXJwcpEvGfv_RE51/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake George from the Tongue Mountain Range<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have always enjoyed hikes with mountain views that overlook big lakes. The Tongue Mountain Range sounded like a vista-heavy hike with countless views of Lake George. I was impressed with the views from other mountains near Lake George that I have hiked. I wanted to eventually check out the Tongue Mountain Range. The range also includes six of the twelve peaks on the Lake George 12ster hiking list,. After a very wet summer, I finally headed to the Tongue Mountain Range in the beginning of September.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY--kGCGXiG1QoaKrlp-rCja8JwQBiKpigLkdpsvhRKSo_MkALKsDzatKaWIkJiVFtVZwy6i9k86u3l-RPUQhoOpzp-NCsi-frIyZEDyATMrYvyHvaVbzEMI3dSNgjoRB7o-4fPcC8rJv_8G2g8Kgp9zWtKnJBM6S8sTQFxkOoL6rx_2EL4TnBPcVncuhj/s400/19E960A6-2CBA-4B90-9A1F-36DA69487C5B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY--kGCGXiG1QoaKrlp-rCja8JwQBiKpigLkdpsvhRKSo_MkALKsDzatKaWIkJiVFtVZwy6i9k86u3l-RPUQhoOpzp-NCsi-frIyZEDyATMrYvyHvaVbzEMI3dSNgjoRB7o-4fPcC8rJv_8G2g8Kgp9zWtKnJBM6S8sTQFxkOoL6rx_2EL4TnBPcVncuhj/w400-h300/19E960A6-2CBA-4B90-9A1F-36DA69487C5B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tongue Mountain Range from a previous<br />hike on the opposite shore</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;">'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJryDbrPtg3G37_j3eWuTfiAMLFbmdk-fQ3jIZIhren_nzGDcKk3Jrke4s3MMWkHQUEfPIV1Y5K-hOOXrX-36zwQEg_VMdXo8BG_Ju5cGcs-BD4bHLyX1vHzeIe_RI5WBPys9eJfL-IB92Ue_rQe3Z5ZFdhxn7MiUDXuTazOUnkK9hHs7G0cH3GHlcvQMV/s400/57D22E91-419F-4E91-B114-FB6688554BA1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJryDbrPtg3G37_j3eWuTfiAMLFbmdk-fQ3jIZIhren_nzGDcKk3Jrke4s3MMWkHQUEfPIV1Y5K-hOOXrX-36zwQEg_VMdXo8BG_Ju5cGcs-BD4bHLyX1vHzeIe_RI5WBPys9eJfL-IB92Ue_rQe3Z5ZFdhxn7MiUDXuTazOUnkK9hHs7G0cH3GHlcvQMV/w400-h300/57D22E91-419F-4E91-B114-FB6688554BA1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The southern end of the Tongue Range<br />from a previous hike</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Tongue Mountain Range Trail extends over 10 miles from route 9N at the Deer Leap Trailhead to Montcalm Point. Along the way, the trail passes over six named mountains before dropping to the lake. The Northwest Bay Trail travels another 5 miles along the shoreline of the lake and its namesake bay to the Clay Meadow Trailhead. This route travels over 16 miles. Since I was hiking alone, I needed to return to my vehicle. My plan was to run back along 9N to my starting point, adding another 5 miles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hit the trail just after 8AM on a chilly but clear morning on September 1st. The trail climbs from the start on pretty gentle terrain with modest elevation gain. The trail passes over three named summits in the first 3.5 miles. Since elevation is gained so gradually and the mountains are flat-topped, its difficult to tell when you pass the first two named mountains- Brown and Huckleberry. A lean-to, less than three miles from the trailhead is the only obvious landmark to judge your location in relation to Brown and Huckleberry.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKUXZRHrHoQMXX1favgYIG6oyqsUzTlE-dC-jJOqy2o2s8f5k2ZS5PKuzHBjEnBsvvoq2LPYy9kuVBY4U2Oza-1mC2D4sfWEwUKjEZxC2itvITiZW4wLZFwysJfsp7MWy3R7xgtsP1FgOvx2rCBU7xuZHvE-GUPwD3GAtk5azlF_ZfH92t2z3ELc3BUM8/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKUXZRHrHoQMXX1favgYIG6oyqsUzTlE-dC-jJOqy2o2s8f5k2ZS5PKuzHBjEnBsvvoq2LPYy9kuVBY4U2Oza-1mC2D4sfWEwUKjEZxC2itvITiZW4wLZFwysJfsp7MWy3R7xgtsP1FgOvx2rCBU7xuZHvE-GUPwD3GAtk5azlF_ZfH92t2z3ELc3BUM8/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT45Yj6i7oBPkW8aG-W--iVilmvnxMw-JmPiFErP0U-4ham3NX66ZsaicU7hhhiv2L5Ujzh4HgNfIEf9MbKDE13vbcRoTfJp2dropMcBF8ASYD-uwJxAApISKxntPF2CotP_MsI6BYHF1TPnHx4TUuj_PLn9lmbaqmU6JaQZCMKvm9MXhqkTAcUVajanc/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT45Yj6i7oBPkW8aG-W--iVilmvnxMw-JmPiFErP0U-4ham3NX66ZsaicU7hhhiv2L5Ujzh4HgNfIEf9MbKDE13vbcRoTfJp2dropMcBF8ASYD-uwJxAApISKxntPF2CotP_MsI6BYHF1TPnHx4TUuj_PLn9lmbaqmU6JaQZCMKvm9MXhqkTAcUVajanc/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy terrain early on</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWd0pW24mDVUWuXavq5NZShI5LIrTFadQZduX2aUqbwfS87eKMN6JB9N7hkm49fmn3legAH7Y-jFTZLA2dvAhXnELxOB822Z6PVpNe_tcWE39YWJkB9T2J7n834Jxjr33eXf62dwMVTN-zXdn1hdPiwwn4WJkRmPJBSGXsPWepitVvQYz81XJ9tXFSdQW2/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWd0pW24mDVUWuXavq5NZShI5LIrTFadQZduX2aUqbwfS87eKMN6JB9N7hkm49fmn3legAH7Y-jFTZLA2dvAhXnELxOB822Z6PVpNe_tcWE39YWJkB9T2J7n834Jxjr33eXf62dwMVTN-zXdn1hdPiwwn4WJkRmPJBSGXsPWepitVvQYz81XJ9tXFSdQW2/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red eft</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmta4hGg1X46qta8nvuAfU_RF8Mcubzc8cLMFXMX6HNuE_7hlu0ABL7HMBWXC5m0G80rHE08HFciSGoDVuhV1Qet-Nb4aeJtaFpYMNsAenqFf0o0iXj9yZE6-WKwttd9bYGam2plY-5A_e1pQvdzTQi54FnpedIf6UhesRUQ0t3EdKDCpL_Jz8fEUpXi1/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmta4hGg1X46qta8nvuAfU_RF8Mcubzc8cLMFXMX6HNuE_7hlu0ABL7HMBWXC5m0G80rHE08HFciSGoDVuhV1Qet-Nb4aeJtaFpYMNsAenqFf0o0iXj9yZE6-WKwttd9bYGam2plY-5A_e1pQvdzTQi54FnpedIf6UhesRUQ0t3EdKDCpL_Jz8fEUpXi1/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fivemile Mountain Lean-to</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beyond the lean-to I passed a short, unmarked spur that lead to a wooded area of rock that I'm guessing was the high point of Huckleberry. Beyond Huckleberry, 2,238', Fivemile Mountain stands as the high point of the range. The trail actually passes under the summit however. A cairn helps locate the herd path to the actual summit of Fivemile. The easy to miss, rocky herd path, climbs a few minutes to a small outcropping in the woods with the summit benchmark. Unfortunately there aren't really any views.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmx_g01j4KsD4Id8qaFcdchTm44zpITeunsH0mxiHLnsbwI6jF7OnAdPvtVRak70sZGprdNIM8s6eT-unhQYRUPAEgKDiGyBHcQptdxCNmv2rcJed8ePsjo6M34D0QBFRSNLb37MJJY2t6ihmuRNJRbjHZuZ8Uxr2_JyvXeaocjSgbyr6227_9usG_KJ6/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmx_g01j4KsD4Id8qaFcdchTm44zpITeunsH0mxiHLnsbwI6jF7OnAdPvtVRak70sZGprdNIM8s6eT-unhQYRUPAEgKDiGyBHcQptdxCNmv2rcJed8ePsjo6M34D0QBFRSNLb37MJJY2t6ihmuRNJRbjHZuZ8Uxr2_JyvXeaocjSgbyr6227_9usG_KJ6/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing a large rock in dense forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvaZcDPwxXvLc00fU_Tbv7fpDHPr6yOmes6AjavLianI4nIOOrS1ic2RiAPD7D_IlkaM9aXBorbA0OdJe0H66vyVLq_KLDgugePnIO0A7N_IfTAyku71GziZxaPHxIN6DuXEdGVfeAdUKLj3vAxoGeQ_g9DpsfX4ZZdqZNyTRURni9ItyP5IIanKBfBoz/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvaZcDPwxXvLc00fU_Tbv7fpDHPr6yOmes6AjavLianI4nIOOrS1ic2RiAPD7D_IlkaM9aXBorbA0OdJe0H66vyVLq_KLDgugePnIO0A7N_IfTAyku71GziZxaPHxIN6DuXEdGVfeAdUKLj3vAxoGeQ_g9DpsfX4ZZdqZNyTRURni9ItyP5IIanKBfBoz/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJgNUMinxjS21seehYY6orYN4Ya--gRJ6q-kmbX8qy4_WWZsw4UW2yjHmUFvNX2HPSPEXr0WG-e3KvzeaFew2tdhbksVOgMR-LmKtoio3iB5GV0r6j-tdDogps9Ql0vJMwf7VOM0ohwteJva3iEoyn91V4ZLeOuWbAWunnPR9TfGzLyDsxlcP8lbGIMG8/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJgNUMinxjS21seehYY6orYN4Ya--gRJ6q-kmbX8qy4_WWZsw4UW2yjHmUFvNX2HPSPEXr0WG-e3KvzeaFew2tdhbksVOgMR-LmKtoio3iB5GV0r6j-tdDogps9Ql0vJMwf7VOM0ohwteJva3iEoyn91V4ZLeOuWbAWunnPR9TfGzLyDsxlcP8lbGIMG8/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fivemile Mountain benchmark</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Another draw of this area for me is the possibility to see timber rattlesnakes. While many see this as a deterrent, I have always enjoyed snakes, including venomous snakes. The Tongue Mountain Range is one of the northern most locations of rattlesnakes and sighting are surprisingly common. Unfortunately, I didn't see any snakes. I did however find a large snake shed near the summit of Fivemile Mountain. The shed was at least four foot long.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMKlbygyL6-yW5ITxdNPvDdCIy-Hy7XFIvJY0L4ZYRaW2W71pzR-MS14_8ZmqTiVqGqofKeVsp0QL07oC1Co8jd94w9IehdIBdADVhrk-POq_QvhuS2Nqhwf7OwUYP1GO9yJ3qCNOPY4OpZ9XVVYUac3ntS3idpu3WFaESJJ1gvJ-8QABHVeZF2x0MmCg/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMKlbygyL6-yW5ITxdNPvDdCIy-Hy7XFIvJY0L4ZYRaW2W71pzR-MS14_8ZmqTiVqGqofKeVsp0QL07oC1Co8jd94w9IehdIBdADVhrk-POq_QvhuS2Nqhwf7OwUYP1GO9yJ3qCNOPY4OpZ9XVVYUac3ntS3idpu3WFaESJJ1gvJ-8QABHVeZF2x0MmCg/w300-h400/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20047.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snake shed</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From Fivemile Mountain, the trail passes somewhat rockier terrain as it descends to a saddle that divides the northern and southern parts of the Tongue Range. The first 5.5 miles on the north half of the range only offers a few partial views. Despite the lack of views, the trail makes for a pleasant forest walk. Generally the trail isn't too rough and the terrain changes are relatively gradual, especially for the Adirondacks.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0yQHRDb2qiS5r3dz-YU02wVGzSywIKmDky3iJG0cAX0DAXmPHQIH-ZTWbgTufl4ucoibh035jruZW8bpDIJpbDsooVdICa1znx_eHHNX_dw6a85ozMmpKaEDBwNJuJIPrItfgm-92nmVdpI0xYN2-4agModvkk_PaE0N8rZvIttZcKWDJHU4pDXt2BRS/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0yQHRDb2qiS5r3dz-YU02wVGzSywIKmDky3iJG0cAX0DAXmPHQIH-ZTWbgTufl4ucoibh035jruZW8bpDIJpbDsooVdICa1znx_eHHNX_dw6a85ozMmpKaEDBwNJuJIPrItfgm-92nmVdpI0xYN2-4agModvkk_PaE0N8rZvIttZcKWDJHU4pDXt2BRS/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqZ0LwODCSEHst26aipwGyH0S4VPjrDasKf6_A0X0wCv1fHl7i2WTp6Vfp5lzicQ-4ok-NWmgyOrlAvniU8_mf_OonGubePjf5SzeoHzgSWv0h9vBK5qMuTt3xs12cTCB4t75omEIDcyuAgLb8VGgeuZABoQcoUScAMK2xIbQq2fLht5g_stUyTPOE3Qn/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqZ0LwODCSEHst26aipwGyH0S4VPjrDasKf6_A0X0wCv1fHl7i2WTp6Vfp5lzicQ-4ok-NWmgyOrlAvniU8_mf_OonGubePjf5SzeoHzgSWv0h9vBK5qMuTt3xs12cTCB4t75omEIDcyuAgLb8VGgeuZABoQcoUScAMK2xIbQq2fLht5g_stUyTPOE3Qn/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the few views on the northern half</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHokFYV1mk7Lxh_YQfRgSw5qArtubCYXIKclhfHYMTQLz-gof7QTaNBHxeinJxZW78SExIYI4t5MgC8Dn4oK2BbqPQteT8TWiDNZeRLPjpF9x3BiBb-hiKLRu5BNfepJW4_R3gJ8PN2N0qCDe15RgJg0GPLGhTx4Au-ID7GNvDEoV0ifda4HY15kTx7Usc/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHokFYV1mk7Lxh_YQfRgSw5qArtubCYXIKclhfHYMTQLz-gof7QTaNBHxeinJxZW78SExIYI4t5MgC8Dn4oK2BbqPQteT8TWiDNZeRLPjpF9x3BiBb-hiKLRu5BNfepJW4_R3gJ8PN2N0qCDe15RgJg0GPLGhTx4Au-ID7GNvDEoV0ifda4HY15kTx7Usc/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing a small cliff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KHLoH2X50YqG4wtF3Z6I8uP3wKB4fJsGI88n4MHzF-Pgqj79RRqzWUnzW-dG5M0WKSMa75OSj-a0pA7W6GEfDXOr0VCqsDT0uRQZBVk0nLEIxfznxZ6CJ2k_UUTe1ST00ZEUSTJREKoyCNt_4P5vTnrC0iU806fz6iYLCgLpolgq0rGWhqJZUEsATA-g/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KHLoH2X50YqG4wtF3Z6I8uP3wKB4fJsGI88n4MHzF-Pgqj79RRqzWUnzW-dG5M0WKSMa75OSj-a0pA7W6GEfDXOr0VCqsDT0uRQZBVk0nLEIxfznxZ6CJ2k_UUTe1ST00ZEUSTJREKoyCNt_4P5vTnrC0iU806fz6iYLCgLpolgq0rGWhqJZUEsATA-g/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20054.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shed-sized rock along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The drop into the saddle between Fivemile Mountain and Fifth Peak marks roughly the midpoint of the Tongue Mountain Range. Heading south the trail takes on a different character and also becomes a lot more scenic. The trail that passes through this saddle toward Clay Meadow allows a loop hike that eliminates the northern part of the range.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXGzB53iwkmcuzjmNVc5LVNyuFfBZChYZ4f40ThQC06EyEK0Ve9NMT0PQlskBSQLaLGVV2e5ClV2zBTlzTNK08oQfNKbrMUBrhYBrrGcmzNfI3XPsVLPxCE8VFT5cUXoeTREb494rJdrno6j2VdHXfSBzbrPXjUAUZJaOqt-uwX9TEaYc6ylZBq9a41Qq/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXGzB53iwkmcuzjmNVc5LVNyuFfBZChYZ4f40ThQC06EyEK0Ve9NMT0PQlskBSQLaLGVV2e5ClV2zBTlzTNK08oQfNKbrMUBrhYBrrGcmzNfI3XPsVLPxCE8VFT5cUXoeTREb494rJdrno6j2VdHXfSBzbrPXjUAUZJaOqt-uwX9TEaYc6ylZBq9a41Qq/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign at the saddle between the <br />north and south half of the range</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A short distance from the saddle the trail reaches a split. Following the trail to the left, you will reach the Fifth Peak Lean-to and the summit of Fifth Peak. Fifth Peak offers the first good look at the lake as well as many of the surrounding mountains. From the main trail the climb to Fifth Peak only gains a few hundred feet with a gradual climb over just a 1/4 mile. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Chc2pnl-YfbKUSLG0oyh3CV0SRRsIa9QUjZfLVKXXS1Y-WsdQkBvp1SPOgJOUyMDcrO4boSksC5Tv8GWT-DA08QfXUSWSOq-GOWKpL-axEBjEn5_eTP4AFTjuWyiOKjjurLofty6a-q_D8_NJdX_8Y7rj-LoVn15PBAm7wpChn6FRhhuShY71_zBGFK5/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Chc2pnl-YfbKUSLG0oyh3CV0SRRsIa9QUjZfLVKXXS1Y-WsdQkBvp1SPOgJOUyMDcrO4boSksC5Tv8GWT-DA08QfXUSWSOq-GOWKpL-axEBjEn5_eTP4AFTjuWyiOKjjurLofty6a-q_D8_NJdX_8Y7rj-LoVn15PBAm7wpChn6FRhhuShY71_zBGFK5/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fifth Peak Lean-to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYXErR-AMRrOjNAOsolZdlfVNILIP_fm8-s9NoaT_Cd6qn2SLMv4W52aBX6uFruOOxDFGLuB2piSMa2npLrcvcxKs1IEht4Q1onsr95YSXcPCIM-SZpnMbTzY5RDxBT2LLp1BNAUs1jBXPCYBQ2xP-kRYR0yCGp0b-YX0pTrh5bI2DG_Vy2_jNmgHhULi/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYXErR-AMRrOjNAOsolZdlfVNILIP_fm8-s9NoaT_Cd6qn2SLMv4W52aBX6uFruOOxDFGLuB2piSMa2npLrcvcxKs1IEht4Q1onsr95YSXcPCIM-SZpnMbTzY5RDxBT2LLp1BNAUs1jBXPCYBQ2xP-kRYR0yCGp0b-YX0pTrh5bI2DG_Vy2_jNmgHhULi/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwest Bay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OljU0XgTfr81bv3y3J0QCUvNnDV_ITlFleYsEW54utY8SIVtcst0jR_i0g6e4Oev10fgwqpBYNlF5PfBCNdlbsvxNwHrmmUwGkIH9guxWbT_gkJbQj8asNF-OjliZLWXk3sR-E0DHqSI6cHngFQ9R4_g9GCSkb_eotlbxsSs2PPnookGGb96aV_S58_a/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OljU0XgTfr81bv3y3J0QCUvNnDV_ITlFleYsEW54utY8SIVtcst0jR_i0g6e4Oev10fgwqpBYNlF5PfBCNdlbsvxNwHrmmUwGkIH9guxWbT_gkJbQj8asNF-OjliZLWXk3sR-E0DHqSI6cHngFQ9R4_g9GCSkb_eotlbxsSs2PPnookGGb96aV_S58_a/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains to the southwest</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkW_5Q2v2DS5bGObuG8OnMajdBEWG8gsD4BMb538UJYHmz3taZXAzTI7Eb50aVii4W0SKNdBYlmrPzTwZAMQ47mjG4cZWpWHqqFBy8-v8T6LbiOqTULnbT9H3JwJUtpqgjPgauHb8aZLXeAGDZrQFQQ84uuYlalYNlBD_jFUXRdtEtfpS8_x2s1xFe2MW/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkW_5Q2v2DS5bGObuG8OnMajdBEWG8gsD4BMb538UJYHmz3taZXAzTI7Eb50aVii4W0SKNdBYlmrPzTwZAMQ47mjG4cZWpWHqqFBy8-v8T6LbiOqTULnbT9H3JwJUtpqgjPgauHb8aZLXeAGDZrQFQQ84uuYlalYNlBD_jFUXRdtEtfpS8_x2s1xFe2MW/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking west toward Gore Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2kpJWehwWLrYnOcpx5oPPT_5yMsGAxkMeGVTi5GSV3GM1jFZIhAKnLh6QP_I4IfqChOfUNzpF4xPHNRKmy-TFlR-2m8FPNJ6_pUdrP_7LES5HRb4KG2rBv5Ptj7yTXdG61Eq405mj5Rdfp5t2CjJ0uXHwV7EzyHhzzlhpmW4BvqIz-wi2uMZgiBoZJn2/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2kpJWehwWLrYnOcpx5oPPT_5yMsGAxkMeGVTi5GSV3GM1jFZIhAKnLh6QP_I4IfqChOfUNzpF4xPHNRKmy-TFlR-2m8FPNJ6_pUdrP_7LES5HRb4KG2rBv5Ptj7yTXdG61Eq405mj5Rdfp5t2CjJ0uXHwV7EzyHhzzlhpmW4BvqIz-wi2uMZgiBoZJn2/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Narrows</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From Fifth Peak, the trail passes interesting rock features as it takes on a more rugged nature. In the two miles between Fifth Peak and French Point Mountain, the trail passes over several bumps along the ridge with numerous views of the lake and the mountains on the eastern side of the lake. The trail scrambles over a few rocky sections and crosses stretches of open slabs.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkRGAcXOQZzrHZcs3kHxtjHRqNkA7iJYbyRgha_itB9eQUsCjhyNBDfhf7aj41Zh-aMud6YMV0-_1tqiK4jiwE4HMSTER6TvRvzhMu1UY6Gbk89UDvenE_1zcIqWY8cyLQsAdT_Rn2Lh0V8POkxDRbz9XatundD_2ZN_BMQMxwCQMP_Dfne1wSlthcZTZ/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20064.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkRGAcXOQZzrHZcs3kHxtjHRqNkA7iJYbyRgha_itB9eQUsCjhyNBDfhf7aj41Zh-aMud6YMV0-_1tqiK4jiwE4HMSTER6TvRvzhMu1UY6Gbk89UDvenE_1zcIqWY8cyLQsAdT_Rn2Lh0V8POkxDRbz9XatundD_2ZN_BMQMxwCQMP_Dfne1wSlthcZTZ/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20064.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red mushrooms</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFhIs2fR5snrdaBMKfiS6NdPTnYzvC4RodWaD0JFfhJmipTWZOe3UVeBzUriMcCEk-08h7lK1Nm8H_ElyIAJXaZReUIE292ih391_sSSv_7LZu2TiUXjdviiemIPG_eAnfLElV637WwxUe9u_5U_4aofTntTrstbwrlrVJuDjLAoX0Jm70x_zBYLe5fjs/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFhIs2fR5snrdaBMKfiS6NdPTnYzvC4RodWaD0JFfhJmipTWZOe3UVeBzUriMcCEk-08h7lK1Nm8H_ElyIAJXaZReUIE292ih391_sSSv_7LZu2TiUXjdviiemIPG_eAnfLElV637WwxUe9u_5U_4aofTntTrstbwrlrVJuDjLAoX0Jm70x_zBYLe5fjs/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20066.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing under a nice sized cliff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0y_8VY4dOO53rYSqb7zxhmZgh_gRA7RCz6aXsnqfmajFBuVJjToBB7fyld2iQNam66VUIQlCDOfd2Gr8fXrzwhklbgRMuU-1d7AB9oi5C_h3l-pmce89MQppwCZh7sF5SFT-EfGZVMjBD-9x6owUoFBU9nKsOOhqmESnd_tXFFZIR9auk5QhC0V8iHHK/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0y_8VY4dOO53rYSqb7zxhmZgh_gRA7RCz6aXsnqfmajFBuVJjToBB7fyld2iQNam66VUIQlCDOfd2Gr8fXrzwhklbgRMuU-1d7AB9oi5C_h3l-pmce89MQppwCZh7sF5SFT-EfGZVMjBD-9x6owUoFBU9nKsOOhqmESnd_tXFFZIR9auk5QhC0V8iHHK/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku8Fwqxn_j-5NQsTbtqjiSnEGMEQL8zKKz5UukvARlEZ-BxIRXoTNl237MktNOaJMYTkhiijpGpJV8FlHXcdxbbcMH2lwC31UelAH6cCoqMNhQn6m-HF9jDzLUT2KUi5IQm6LNm74GSF-FIHREgmf_95s7yjLFujnqEh3b4zW91arfw1HHgxJ7P2DD2gC/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku8Fwqxn_j-5NQsTbtqjiSnEGMEQL8zKKz5UukvARlEZ-BxIRXoTNl237MktNOaJMYTkhiijpGpJV8FlHXcdxbbcMH2lwC31UelAH6cCoqMNhQn6m-HF9jDzLUT2KUi5IQm6LNm74GSF-FIHREgmf_95s7yjLFujnqEh3b4zW91arfw1HHgxJ7P2DD2gC/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View up the Narrows</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTvKROoR50BzEoJCYPYalc_o9OBQoUlMq7BI_MtiK87vcLEgrjyC6wTnCnJj9Mf50PffqWydveyztfNWK6pFoIagBqHo-YdtYBshETfPbkKIBdhN1UXD_IReRPEN3VopzSFCxmhkIigwKn2ezDEptduDMinxwhQHGGVL5-UbmXqeCk9tx6ArQxdZY-fBQ/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTvKROoR50BzEoJCYPYalc_o9OBQoUlMq7BI_MtiK87vcLEgrjyC6wTnCnJj9Mf50PffqWydveyztfNWK6pFoIagBqHo-YdtYBshETfPbkKIBdhN1UXD_IReRPEN3VopzSFCxmhkIigwKn2ezDEptduDMinxwhQHGGVL5-UbmXqeCk9tx6ArQxdZY-fBQ/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black and Erebus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX5QFHsZbmvRJVipEBAXukol8VuMI0XzehIf8f98oS3t3cNoznHN99RnUMfovj-STQBntHEzirhMl3vXlbQ82SZxg7CKxW7roVDyVPxKjyO4A6-RX2QHC72_05aZR0-IWDbh_tBYrps9s7rDoHrRsNFMDYXHgBRlck3vkZnPmwq_uE1-nUNmn2QeEAwBQ/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX5QFHsZbmvRJVipEBAXukol8VuMI0XzehIf8f98oS3t3cNoznHN99RnUMfovj-STQBntHEzirhMl3vXlbQ82SZxg7CKxW7roVDyVPxKjyO4A6-RX2QHC72_05aZR0-IWDbh_tBYrps9s7rDoHrRsNFMDYXHgBRlck3vkZnPmwq_uE1-nUNmn2QeEAwBQ/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking northeast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFISEYHIG64ObDROqeeXEJAEZ9sDnkhP_RstzkHKwyBDvSGTzaLV_qtMrks-LI3jRqlKbhWnvAQ-WyjRs5poqvOrF61-b1t9jYpJ23F4GcUhgS10KZHSR0DYcdvRQs5iJEtyaQUDGaley3qQxjTxF6843dvPO1CNzSoC1VlaDNPZkbCivEXQ9chgP5dgNX/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFISEYHIG64ObDROqeeXEJAEZ9sDnkhP_RstzkHKwyBDvSGTzaLV_qtMrks-LI3jRqlKbhWnvAQ-WyjRs5poqvOrF61-b1t9jYpJ23F4GcUhgS10KZHSR0DYcdvRQs5iJEtyaQUDGaley3qQxjTxF6843dvPO1CNzSoC1VlaDNPZkbCivEXQ9chgP5dgNX/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dropping down ledges</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMT8PhdvS-g6i94vnBFornBfi53HbmduBSxkMkl9NKcF6z8ICVFpIhIhyk6bGpkrdiATQnUUqFBe6fC9M8igJ9xRaRE3iWnPPCniA01aOA4xIWJwfzi0qp0WJdk6uFUHvRvSFAul9oJoIccjY_Oerqu5xFfssfLA_4PSFAHSnDyR0--6666Y6Bw9i9myS/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMT8PhdvS-g6i94vnBFornBfi53HbmduBSxkMkl9NKcF6z8ICVFpIhIhyk6bGpkrdiATQnUUqFBe6fC9M8igJ9xRaRE3iWnPPCniA01aOA4xIWJwfzi0qp0WJdk6uFUHvRvSFAul9oJoIccjY_Oerqu5xFfssfLA_4PSFAHSnDyR0--6666Y6Bw9i9myS/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Point Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtCf_KLeJjX-F4lTNlkYrulQmhalvjOQ_IxncQn8KrbzvLpzLDzkRh4iqQuQ0LQk2Rj8wuBctWmCTOcW9B24x--0p8ZRT0wtTvSitojBAa-MroJcwcDDnIfYKAO3n1FlbiawiCRdeHJwravnNu_CU69ELDCxE7HFxLvhzGvuaI6fMotE35ArShBjsFssU/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20072.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtCf_KLeJjX-F4lTNlkYrulQmhalvjOQ_IxncQn8KrbzvLpzLDzkRh4iqQuQ0LQk2Rj8wuBctWmCTOcW9B24x--0p8ZRT0wtTvSitojBAa-MroJcwcDDnIfYKAO3n1FlbiawiCRdeHJwravnNu_CU69ELDCxE7HFxLvhzGvuaI6fMotE35ArShBjsFssU/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20072.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open forest</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The hike really shines when it reaches French Point Mountain. Situated in the Narrows of Lake George, you get a good look up and down the lake. Numerous islands dot the Narrows and the higher mountains such as Black, Erebus, Sleeping Beauty, and Buck provide a beautiful backdrop from a series of rock outcroppings. I found it a little surprising seeing so many boats on the lake. I heard the drone of boat motors from more than a 1/4 mile below from the rock outcroppings. The trail often leaves the forest and travels through grassy clearings and over the ledges with plenty of views along the way. Take care following the trail because its not always obvious where it reenters the trees.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqF5nLOumpFF7Znk6xvvpMvDv0toI0jj0Xm_Za-5tZRbYR5T_06YFmdRbuFVDVPrB5wVulWm80whpRy03_gOYQMk1hCylkBIZiLLWc6ZpNpdRmTn4B8M94PiJF1dlgJaa7f6jdFyjyRFwl66q25RWRflhLk-EBxbKu5JFl4UZMBRXaM93a8b6qKcZZewJ/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqF5nLOumpFF7Znk6xvvpMvDv0toI0jj0Xm_Za-5tZRbYR5T_06YFmdRbuFVDVPrB5wVulWm80whpRy03_gOYQMk1hCylkBIZiLLWc6ZpNpdRmTn4B8M94PiJF1dlgJaa7f6jdFyjyRFwl66q25RWRflhLk-EBxbKu5JFl4UZMBRXaM93a8b6qKcZZewJ/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grassy clearing on French Point Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNsPmLfJsVQjCoJ3ktF3PtJipyXWPuc2m1pYY2NRb3B3UtO6ov59WIdPS3SqC2bbAfSoVRb8-18oHhvrz3Sigf6LolSxoMGFJgyBMbeMU2KN79FB4x99LpZfFTe_3RNKBP1Bs4OSXeN7LyGkPjgUn920EI9DNyX3TitvVaYp1XBS6lyf-OukC8zKRoBCM/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNsPmLfJsVQjCoJ3ktF3PtJipyXWPuc2m1pYY2NRb3B3UtO6ov59WIdPS3SqC2bbAfSoVRb8-18oHhvrz3Sigf6LolSxoMGFJgyBMbeMU2KN79FB4x99LpZfFTe_3RNKBP1Bs4OSXeN7LyGkPjgUn920EI9DNyX3TitvVaYp1XBS6lyf-OukC8zKRoBCM/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain across the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgInwbbRC2bYj2se6gAVgWRMHucyLTgBc9ULM9PMRWbqswVxCcJO-OdG44nB4pNd_iEka1zS2Injg-FpZiChmi5FFXxTVe-opu2N7SPsgk3w2R8PCUOEeyGQiuWIpWyuFDG16S6lSpoFkjjQFwiePCwM8Jc-9UR-QKa5cn1QJFf_Dy2xoll79JoI7tmxD6Z/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgInwbbRC2bYj2se6gAVgWRMHucyLTgBc9ULM9PMRWbqswVxCcJO-OdG44nB4pNd_iEka1zS2Injg-FpZiChmi5FFXxTVe-opu2N7SPsgk3w2R8PCUOEeyGQiuWIpWyuFDG16S6lSpoFkjjQFwiePCwM8Jc-9UR-QKa5cn1QJFf_Dy2xoll79JoI7tmxD6Z/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Leaving French Point Mountain, the trail loses a decent amount of elevation, on sometimes rocky terrain, as it reaches the saddle between French Point and First Peak. I momentarily got turned around in the saddle. I unintentionally followed a herd path where others had missed a turn. Retracing the path, I found where the trail actually traveled. It took a moment and a look at the map to get my bearings though to make sure I headed in the right direction. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGzrwaeMAlDXJZkjpxLsD05WF7pPRhuIM4jQU-IwZrLRktsOjsuIZMzhLqTMtzwrbRWdmPdmccvye2os0r1ClvU5yHu8YtA76BojdzaBTc9FzuJTs81VVYgbbclyzsciJqUMuxNj42a1lNmNG19CsSkEt3vxNkHwJKdEo-tL25nOHsrJLCT1zaixPxuH0/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGzrwaeMAlDXJZkjpxLsD05WF7pPRhuIM4jQU-IwZrLRktsOjsuIZMzhLqTMtzwrbRWdmPdmccvye2os0r1ClvU5yHu8YtA76BojdzaBTc9FzuJTs81VVYgbbclyzsciJqUMuxNj42a1lNmNG19CsSkEt3vxNkHwJKdEo-tL25nOHsrJLCT1zaixPxuH0/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice mushroom</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF41lndIIHXs243MnZRToaox44sT9r51-nt-BwYV6h_cWa16cj8iew1_M_HxLMe-TNK6XQ7OEwHJtF8n9xsu7Wbnamu7z0RlBJBdAOBYjB_lMjAW70yokwokWbUujG64BfLynPLQ1Ae1pJy8x-krRZ6xd5VTwi_ReWMcbbvUi1XC7XL9_6Ys82ldu29N7b/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF41lndIIHXs243MnZRToaox44sT9r51-nt-BwYV6h_cWa16cj8iew1_M_HxLMe-TNK6XQ7OEwHJtF8n9xsu7Wbnamu7z0RlBJBdAOBYjB_lMjAW70yokwokWbUujG64BfLynPLQ1Ae1pJy8x-krRZ6xd5VTwi_ReWMcbbvUi1XC7XL9_6Ys82ldu29N7b/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking through a clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U3ozFE0yBhAr3a6KNWUuF1Hh3u-UzIiQjgCR1gW_r1Sd7tcLUR_T-OcbduEDtp0oevOiuO5cD1WHuShXAjHu--h-N1NZ-wNGTCzRNsI_q1b2nZcI3L7buB9OselWbI-ys3z-pqDRX53pEyJwd3l-h9VCK9Vg9km0thHEN0QLNocXEqDPZB_RxIiZOlC9/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20077.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U3ozFE0yBhAr3a6KNWUuF1Hh3u-UzIiQjgCR1gW_r1Sd7tcLUR_T-OcbduEDtp0oevOiuO5cD1WHuShXAjHu--h-N1NZ-wNGTCzRNsI_q1b2nZcI3L7buB9OselWbI-ys3z-pqDRX53pEyJwd3l-h9VCK9Vg9km0thHEN0QLNocXEqDPZB_RxIiZOlC9/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamboat on the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOkZf7N0xXPTVbVR8wj0JEF6_-8eFfQEQikkjKP69RpACb7m8bbjPHYanpv9gpBNGjb9WBN2k3fQy9tuXofsRp5lpLhVSIi66Ac3I1tbY7Ki-3KuZv7zpV49ncvAVpzAHD7d0gY3opDvop8ie_zByRXXEYjhAbwkrpBPVaDYLyzJo2WI5PUWhscmzPu-w/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOkZf7N0xXPTVbVR8wj0JEF6_-8eFfQEQikkjKP69RpACb7m8bbjPHYanpv9gpBNGjb9WBN2k3fQy9tuXofsRp5lpLhVSIi66Ac3I1tbY7Ki-3KuZv7zpV49ncvAVpzAHD7d0gY3opDvop8ie_zByRXXEYjhAbwkrpBPVaDYLyzJo2WI5PUWhscmzPu-w/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good look across the Narrows</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDQrOCelQ5xEMXCDJxbUF3Sd9mgP81C2lpVP-3ILkJvWkZNOhOCBjUUsQRZmrz6UQKAARhUBd_Opc7KsTLJ78YMLMmHBFgSoEpMY7m7EdMr3jCEjqvssdqEuyEyEanAg5Pj6QsplhGmSTcFTlu40W9ZNYjqrbCEg85JYF6moGTEY0dx8YIHylzBblR0Oq/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDQrOCelQ5xEMXCDJxbUF3Sd9mgP81C2lpVP-3ILkJvWkZNOhOCBjUUsQRZmrz6UQKAARhUBd_Opc7KsTLJ78YMLMmHBFgSoEpMY7m7EdMr3jCEjqvssdqEuyEyEanAg5Pj6QsplhGmSTcFTlu40W9ZNYjqrbCEg85JYF6moGTEY0dx8YIHylzBblR0Oq/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing a smooth area of rock</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Out of the saddle, enroute to First Peak, the trail passes several more clearings and open rocky areas with plenty of opportunities to take in the views. First Peak provides another open viewing area that takes in a good chunk of the lake and surrounding mountains.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSyz6KfwQmZed0egpL2dg7AvAimcf18W0qBzCVh9U824kfQb8QRxnR7fWARcQTOevM9NJoaSyd2S1A3YsjRk_DsjGUl5vIKFkAS6h3-DZnzPIICW6cUW2lygzuK--nu3CRRj9SnX8qbMeaOxC7Ik3GpKGrfAu75RiUZ1laPNgtWRjEdhyPu9S_nBIXIU4/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSyz6KfwQmZed0egpL2dg7AvAimcf18W0qBzCVh9U824kfQb8QRxnR7fWARcQTOevM9NJoaSyd2S1A3YsjRk_DsjGUl5vIKFkAS6h3-DZnzPIICW6cUW2lygzuK--nu3CRRj9SnX8qbMeaOxC7Ik3GpKGrfAu75RiUZ1laPNgtWRjEdhyPu9S_nBIXIU4/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from a clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPznrtOh6UMRt-5VJAeUpqmTadNrGeCma4TZIRIGPWyuoJgE1bCjQpEyAA9mXJbZ8B4PHZs-8lJ6hbQIrL5AvrNJkiFK_ojslbjCDcTGgHzmMRR7sAtVbRO5yec-PEK4FIpZ-JnyO2RxRxmXI74NlYbBttMmlXaimFezlhC9vAn3mHy_KigGlLMt_TwLeU/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPznrtOh6UMRt-5VJAeUpqmTadNrGeCma4TZIRIGPWyuoJgE1bCjQpEyAA9mXJbZ8B4PHZs-8lJ6hbQIrL5AvrNJkiFK_ojslbjCDcTGgHzmMRR7sAtVbRO5yec-PEK4FIpZ-JnyO2RxRxmXI74NlYbBttMmlXaimFezlhC9vAn3mHy_KigGlLMt_TwLeU/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward First Peak</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuH5pVE7ZjnaZ5Msh0jG1AMGBBHXj3IsrTf9wrhtHWOZfcJhAI8igA38HO7MHuv0BXieQBnfarmF4oibBvGsk_uUGEsTSCetX-ZNXNH6LIetwpYXC4RY44hNaEaaXCluVMpFpFTOA62DRuy2-XEWynod6I7seebG5Sed_a_xGirISA7yHDMK66ibuWWUM/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuH5pVE7ZjnaZ5Msh0jG1AMGBBHXj3IsrTf9wrhtHWOZfcJhAI8igA38HO7MHuv0BXieQBnfarmF4oibBvGsk_uUGEsTSCetX-ZNXNH6LIetwpYXC4RY44hNaEaaXCluVMpFpFTOA62DRuy2-XEWynod6I7seebG5Sed_a_xGirISA7yHDMK66ibuWWUM/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south of the Narrows</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w8DBbyEwTHckQ2W1YTEwZS_wZX7btrzkBQABHHSpj24imyBSaBcvjww71RdHUuM7OaZ3BSVTwx2uzoPylMguaRBZorW6E3syR1XzMbFripNf38Jdq7nf2WGxm5MUwDLyLPkesmHBjvm5p9V-SYLzkapC-DG7-6PLwR9PovEbUyrZSm5AIHnbT5Xc6B39/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w8DBbyEwTHckQ2W1YTEwZS_wZX7btrzkBQABHHSpj24imyBSaBcvjww71RdHUuM7OaZ3BSVTwx2uzoPylMguaRBZorW6E3syR1XzMbFripNf38Jdq7nf2WGxm5MUwDLyLPkesmHBjvm5p9V-SYLzkapC-DG7-6PLwR9PovEbUyrZSm5AIHnbT5Xc6B39/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing a grassy clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From First Peak the trail stays in the open more often than not with nearly endless views as it slowly descend to the lake . Some of the more challenging sections of technical terrain came during the descent from First Peak, including a few short scrambles. Roughly 9 miles into my day, I saw my first group of hikers of the day.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPGTFmtqkJZPgq68-gQKUpFiTBXtU9HllSWW_eiTkdZQTVyafNy6jc4cR1VD2rUVoUf3VE8A5wUAFZwQ-ajr1ASZmPJpLDgFzlakmFUIZCa2jLutwkpwoWw1pQrqivih12_hr3Ub-zUIkD0nz8PHyaXWSmm6fmyqBO-XNZTB0Xs9r1SmS7BvrZmhz_h4t/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPGTFmtqkJZPgq68-gQKUpFiTBXtU9HllSWW_eiTkdZQTVyafNy6jc4cR1VD2rUVoUf3VE8A5wUAFZwQ-ajr1ASZmPJpLDgFzlakmFUIZCa2jLutwkpwoWw1pQrqivih12_hr3Ub-zUIkD0nz8PHyaXWSmm6fmyqBO-XNZTB0Xs9r1SmS7BvrZmhz_h4t/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMNuNYe38XeGrdjrc5RpZnt8G0epEP3-46MCsFjZXPn9nNCjedKIjl7nrbbV_iD9Qi6kCJ9RBbpE5siE3jby_9d0KRnCMynr6QuCMApn11YQRp7z2Dk6h02IeEW9PM5OSCtAVt8STI4-lqWYqhF4NvI766PDHhoCyTXUob598baOYPe0l1wYJgpiy7Ux5/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMNuNYe38XeGrdjrc5RpZnt8G0epEP3-46MCsFjZXPn9nNCjedKIjl7nrbbV_iD9Qi6kCJ9RBbpE5siE3jby_9d0KRnCMynr6QuCMApn11YQRp7z2Dk6h02IeEW9PM5OSCtAVt8STI4-lqWYqhF4NvI766PDHhoCyTXUob598baOYPe0l1wYJgpiy7Ux5/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The views kept coming</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8KcmlIE52ipeAWv4XWmGiERXEDG5smGyiWolZD5XJGLVZ8T-VJasH1grekTRMbvVkGYvw59vHYwsuQypGINEZm_b0ylJv8kBjgqljtPaPxrgdBPle8Ggeva_s7nL7z_vWx2JJEHyn7an5NMOWvFNWIMeufTitHJ50WEM2K1vuApJszXNhjGdSZ3ZflHF/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8KcmlIE52ipeAWv4XWmGiERXEDG5smGyiWolZD5XJGLVZ8T-VJasH1grekTRMbvVkGYvw59vHYwsuQypGINEZm_b0ylJv8kBjgqljtPaPxrgdBPle8Ggeva_s7nL7z_vWx2JJEHyn7an5NMOWvFNWIMeufTitHJ50WEM2K1vuApJszXNhjGdSZ3ZflHF/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the trail as it crosses the clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3zq2d0cUDwRlM3UBNDtTD9gSriWCevSlCUkAt--ldc-GEl0lorqEbmIf6xcSlJwxaUmsSulU--dXBveTM-FzU3TAv5CQ1kIABvnzKwCxPE74yXJLFrV4nn7hy68rQ09AYTYEujqCj8ANBIcl8DOELWF6J7AS7s41rGVEvSfa14VgxsYx4NCmXul_6W5k/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3zq2d0cUDwRlM3UBNDtTD9gSriWCevSlCUkAt--ldc-GEl0lorqEbmIf6xcSlJwxaUmsSulU--dXBveTM-FzU3TAv5CQ1kIABvnzKwCxPE74yXJLFrV4nn7hy68rQ09AYTYEujqCj8ANBIcl8DOELWF6J7AS7s41rGVEvSfa14VgxsYx4NCmXul_6W5k/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending in an open forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef80AVJeL_2IzgAzkW3aFKKztv6UZnymE_Z_drjzQElGv5rK7_O4j2bX3qew9eKkTwP0LUx0K4jaNGcqWbbko_rRG5eQqWRht6nN78vWBVBLJ2WCyO1UxHie_ud3BsyLUInSELT1h6neUI6U4nIFjuB1s2xu_ZzxMdxsNhE0D9TkSRzhLYWyLbAqQlSRl/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef80AVJeL_2IzgAzkW3aFKKztv6UZnymE_Z_drjzQElGv5rK7_O4j2bX3qew9eKkTwP0LUx0K4jaNGcqWbbko_rRG5eQqWRht6nN78vWBVBLJ2WCyO1UxHie_ud3BsyLUInSELT1h6neUI6U4nIFjuB1s2xu_ZzxMdxsNhE0D9TkSRzhLYWyLbAqQlSRl/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good look at the islands</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GdT-1cteXU4y5aLjvUyW2HQsPEYNzmVMKVU7xTGNoHovfmXtnlhGPdjsBv9w4rfN9hxo8O28mC5h-rpPUI3km7AZslGzhK5WQ8abqtQ5xfXbLeEeJQ3ObA-Sc2hCPTrPUVCClqE8ZzHKo8OAc0JaJl1ZyWw2Dj79ffVeSvN8-xmX7-HhcwU4k4Cn5ovd/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GdT-1cteXU4y5aLjvUyW2HQsPEYNzmVMKVU7xTGNoHovfmXtnlhGPdjsBv9w4rfN9hxo8O28mC5h-rpPUI3km7AZslGzhK5WQ8abqtQ5xfXbLeEeJQ3ObA-Sc2hCPTrPUVCClqE8ZzHKo8OAc0JaJl1ZyWw2Dj79ffVeSvN8-xmX7-HhcwU4k4Cn5ovd/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail frequently stays in the open</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM35ChGeOZ26C4alIiz_9-YWn64U0yq2OwXKHRDykmBarIX1N2vwFZ_XlsC7pWDmCVIUgxQEXO9gphyr72Yonjv2IKNobV3Xuh4AmqTrRkh_xQy62JAmDNMISGXntFRtcrO_rsgcfWV3pFCpdewuoMrX9dPRQp6MIC_s7mh_8D_feAxSj2FW5pnRPh__KX/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM35ChGeOZ26C4alIiz_9-YWn64U0yq2OwXKHRDykmBarIX1N2vwFZ_XlsC7pWDmCVIUgxQEXO9gphyr72Yonjv2IKNobV3Xuh4AmqTrRkh_xQy62JAmDNMISGXntFRtcrO_rsgcfWV3pFCpdewuoMrX9dPRQp6MIC_s7mh_8D_feAxSj2FW5pnRPh__KX/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the boat wakes below</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-NtPq4IxFLwvlFZiG_AoQMq6Wkn_ssMuAlYBLdU3lmbbAeIexX3X1LD7qqUJUQyl0VBXAe5oTUvxy9bls7ZzbD_VzZSPBRYLX0rFC0ZdSXq1H8uTUrEnbWm5Y19Sen7mvSC78pdSMvYNM50NMC2LTHWTfCiNpooXwZ67XXhPm1zaK8nhMEKtwND-vNLF/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-NtPq4IxFLwvlFZiG_AoQMq6Wkn_ssMuAlYBLdU3lmbbAeIexX3X1LD7qqUJUQyl0VBXAe5oTUvxy9bls7ZzbD_VzZSPBRYLX0rFC0ZdSXq1H8uTUrEnbWm5Y19Sen7mvSC78pdSMvYNM50NMC2LTHWTfCiNpooXwZ67XXhPm1zaK8nhMEKtwND-vNLF/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brushy section of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyirfJZRibkiEtmw23MSbtqNw59p6bU1kl2kolm1H3QnLsKDZia6mCq_bGHAS5_VVDI3jCmti7-n-xRDEU3ko748NstfXilei1hbhKH3OaHqi_EdqUxwHtLMpGQYuZ9prPkSV6e1jshoJtyW51VsDUDxV14PFK8_kX9z1o81YSdy76uHw4SXiP3TD2fjSE/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20083.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyirfJZRibkiEtmw23MSbtqNw59p6bU1kl2kolm1H3QnLsKDZia6mCq_bGHAS5_VVDI3jCmti7-n-xRDEU3ko748NstfXilei1hbhKH3OaHqi_EdqUxwHtLMpGQYuZ9prPkSV6e1jshoJtyW51VsDUDxV14PFK8_kX9z1o81YSdy76uHw4SXiP3TD2fjSE/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20083.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short technical section</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>When not traveling on open rock, the trail returned periodically back into the woods. I was surprised at how grassy the forest was. Lush vegetation isn't unusual in the forests of the Northeast. Usually its ferns, hobblebush, moss, or overgrown shrubs. I found it interesting to walk through a grassy forest. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxiyB3qpKYMYK1iPtNUh72zdV_rPZy_RPBc8EhirpMkfaPNknK4qO3-wnda4IVAsPHw5AvJU827kMP_WrH85uemFb5iIZ-A80a0DQV0yekrdyhD2OxuHnaxOEcyNKG3EJV18dgAZ3Fg8X3mGao5W3AA94q64KLTiekN63F0MIcLkkL8wTT7yaCZE2RhPD/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20084.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxiyB3qpKYMYK1iPtNUh72zdV_rPZy_RPBc8EhirpMkfaPNknK4qO3-wnda4IVAsPHw5AvJU827kMP_WrH85uemFb5iIZ-A80a0DQV0yekrdyhD2OxuHnaxOEcyNKG3EJV18dgAZ3Fg8X3mGao5W3AA94q64KLTiekN63F0MIcLkkL8wTT7yaCZE2RhPD/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grassy forest</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>After 10+ miles (distances slightly vary depending on source), I reached the end of the Tongue Range Trail at the Northwest Bay Trail. Before hiking along the Northwest Bay Trail, I traveled the short distance to the lake at Montcalm Point. Montcalm Point marks the southern end of the Narrows and the mouth of the Northwest Bay. A boat ramp and day use area sit at the point. The lake is significantly wider here than at the Narrows.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6b_t8K5C8PFjUeYYJi-bXkLexhHOahyfva4akYwZrhV8_l5kBveXWzrMCi2xVrpo_vx08dVqafgXHUBMzqvmltIuT5iwGqgX-hBVk0Y7I7Ar2ZPc2_kWi3vYeqsGL2jnuEE9jlXcraQ5LkoZ7dlY5ms4F4NGhAo6obr6PSkEXo0yvFcOALoEH0VwTGD13/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6b_t8K5C8PFjUeYYJi-bXkLexhHOahyfva4akYwZrhV8_l5kBveXWzrMCi2xVrpo_vx08dVqafgXHUBMzqvmltIuT5iwGqgX-hBVk0Y7I7Ar2ZPc2_kWi3vYeqsGL2jnuEE9jlXcraQ5LkoZ7dlY5ms4F4NGhAo6obr6PSkEXo0yvFcOALoEH0VwTGD13/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At lake level by Montcalm Point</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>My final five miles of trail followed closely to the shore of the lake on the Northwest Bay. I hoped to have frequent open views of the lake. I was also anticipating flat terrain that I might be able to run. Unfortunately, the shoreline was quite wooded and good open views were limited. Often when you did get a clearing, there would be a boat right by the shoreline. While the terrain was flat, the Northwest Bay Trail was rougher than I anticipated and quite muddy compared to the rest of the route. Roots often complicated the footing. I ran the better stretches of the trail, but it wasn't as easy as I had expected.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps the most surprising part of the Northwest Bay Trail was the final stretch. As it heads further north along the bay, the lake changes into a more boggy environment. The trail bypasses the marshy area by climbing away from the water. While not that steep, I was caught by surprise by the sudden elevation change, I thought for sure I must have missed the turn to the trailhead and was heading up the Fivemile Point Trail. I even backtracked a short distance back to the water to make sure I didn't miss the turn. The scale on my map made it difficult to see the elevation and directional change of the trail. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw68Tjzh2JGqq4p36wEv5rYQwVGPo-DDUENlogGF675oXyl5NTQ-GTZwH4RSR2WtpyRi6dMMjK4qm7WrCklZiW5CA8SSIXcKtqvjnopQAht8zNkmqKsWmx-aCcayspPlDv7ma9c3_MQ6d3tCEfqO5BRi17lHzR8OTVfirUJblW4TDx7-Mx7hdO4P3-vX8j/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw68Tjzh2JGqq4p36wEv5rYQwVGPo-DDUENlogGF675oXyl5NTQ-GTZwH4RSR2WtpyRi6dMMjK4qm7WrCklZiW5CA8SSIXcKtqvjnopQAht8zNkmqKsWmx-aCcayspPlDv7ma9c3_MQ6d3tCEfqO5BRi17lHzR8OTVfirUJblW4TDx7-Mx7hdO4P3-vX8j/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwest Bay Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw8j8G7g5zh92v8MpFBsTUl9OYSTN5zy6vbQDLUOIPrAY6CE_ASzat4ilDjvi424CoSoHSGNGC6ixrbfSn72ME2mHX0MaDN7NzuubCqdA1GmUoYaiWOET5tpqV-fd1Nm-j5k1kWoNGXlmXufJ0qzXmUgstYkPTcbQLNKLHMLW1ymSEc3caoTxhgkojQmq/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw8j8G7g5zh92v8MpFBsTUl9OYSTN5zy6vbQDLUOIPrAY6CE_ASzat4ilDjvi424CoSoHSGNGC6ixrbfSn72ME2mHX0MaDN7NzuubCqdA1GmUoYaiWOET5tpqV-fd1Nm-j5k1kWoNGXlmXufJ0qzXmUgstYkPTcbQLNKLHMLW1ymSEc3caoTxhgkojQmq/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20085.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting fungus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0EHJj3alrT6TjapxHj19iXuUwFYg1mkukQ35GehbRt607ZfZ_irUTYU9EsQSvFycQfoTFVP1ThgACNl7GK2-LGaihDW2tKEDA9Ttv6dQBbgaYBR-pxk0oeOEidEXSydVNAXJhLXrqruoRI6yQnAUx8bpZgJNGLL5lZqoUuEgliQWe95c1uHyr0bElv8I/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20086.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0EHJj3alrT6TjapxHj19iXuUwFYg1mkukQ35GehbRt607ZfZ_irUTYU9EsQSvFycQfoTFVP1ThgACNl7GK2-LGaihDW2tKEDA9Ttv6dQBbgaYBR-pxk0oeOEidEXSydVNAXJhLXrqruoRI6yQnAUx8bpZgJNGLL5lZqoUuEgliQWe95c1uHyr0bElv8I/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20086.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial clearing over Northwest Bay</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The Northwest Bay Trail isn't that bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting. It was nice to hear the water lapping on the shore much of the way. I passed at least one small waterfall on the trail. The few open views along the lake are fairly nice despite seeing boats right along the shorline. After the constant and beautiful scenery on the ridge, the Northwest Bay Trail became a little bit of a slog. It probably wouldn't have been as bad if I wasn't at the end of my day. I was happy when I reached the sign pointing to Clay Meadow and the end of the trail.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF3eMHwO4ykcSMBCyIseJr-F14GbW7cQBS6UEUx6fpHg-92LgXbfpLcSWSpdtvplxA6iJjhvG5Q9uHcDb8iU2MVvwnG3_uEzB2E4Ns9mh9uCfqPWp9o_1Rsnf4BzEcMbn6Ibzlox15DAl15lO02GzpP6lonoDp3mlAw5a2VjVu11ddaqrbrVVEgQmpv5u/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20087.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF3eMHwO4ykcSMBCyIseJr-F14GbW7cQBS6UEUx6fpHg-92LgXbfpLcSWSpdtvplxA6iJjhvG5Q9uHcDb8iU2MVvwnG3_uEzB2E4Ns9mh9uCfqPWp9o_1Rsnf4BzEcMbn6Ibzlox15DAl15lO02GzpP6lonoDp3mlAw5a2VjVu11ddaqrbrVVEgQmpv5u/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small waterfall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh0GHL0drWJR4kzfCN8OynwiwXSefuiNGK3NqAlyvxoWhMbbIsUlnyermP2yF5y0jqx094gKSSsPyLOkCNgMz3P0RkVxC6uoRsZO_isMf_60RhavIAzXKZja5mfsjL98QQEo_D7uUVAeqRLZ74mQm6SWpIKF1V7gEz1TkbY_KOnEJ7TeDFW8AtOjrU4pV/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20089.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh0GHL0drWJR4kzfCN8OynwiwXSefuiNGK3NqAlyvxoWhMbbIsUlnyermP2yF5y0jqx094gKSSsPyLOkCNgMz3P0RkVxC6uoRsZO_isMf_60RhavIAzXKZja5mfsjL98QQEo_D7uUVAeqRLZ74mQm6SWpIKF1V7gEz1TkbY_KOnEJ7TeDFW8AtOjrU4pV/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20089.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwest Bay </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXQj9C-InzWJxh12FxX_17j8vqtm32d1Bmyso9DKHmCHWedZmKsIa7SpRvGRVSDur6OWj6xIiSp5jeDmuwEMvPvQBpkeIjf6S_Rz7XLmRNg5oGyWjrXn-5AILNkCH0hc8yJ1Y-8mUdzP6P3DqkJFj2LBsdRavThddRYkeg6EphljafmkFxJcN9J8fy0gK/s2592/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20091.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXQj9C-InzWJxh12FxX_17j8vqtm32d1Bmyso9DKHmCHWedZmKsIa7SpRvGRVSDur6OWj6xIiSp5jeDmuwEMvPvQBpkeIjf6S_Rz7XLmRNg5oGyWjrXn-5AILNkCH0hc8yJ1Y-8mUdzP6P3DqkJFj2LBsdRavThddRYkeg6EphljafmkFxJcN9J8fy0gK/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20091.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long bridge over a boggy area near Clay Meadow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>As happy as I was to be off the Northwest Bay Trail, I didn't look forward to five more miles on the road back to my van. Compared to many mountainous areas, the roads in the Adirondacks aren't too hilly. I expected a fairly easy trot between the trailheads. I drove between the trailheads in the morning and knew this wasn't going to be the case. The road climbed quite a bit from Clay Meadow to Deer Leap. I started out running the first mile or so. But soon the road began its long climb up the Tongue Mountain Range. The road gains at least 700 vertical feet between the two trailheads. That may not sound like much, but it was like adding another mountain on the day. I trotted when it wasn't too steep, but it was much slower than I was hoping. I was happy when I made it back to my van. I finished my water in the last mile and was looking forward to the bottle I had waiting for me. Including the road section, I ended my day having hiked over 21 miles.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Tongue Mountain Range offers some incredible lake and mountain scenery. I particularly enjoyed the views and open hiking on the lower half of the Tongue Mountain Range Trail. It's really easy to linger on the open outcroppings to soak in the views. While the northern part of the range is pretty, the southern half is much more impressive. The six mountains that I visited on this hike were the last six I needed to finish the Lake George 12ster, which was a extra plus. Even though I didn't see any rattlers, it's a nice bonus knowing a sighting is possible in this area. If you want the best bang for your buck, I would recommend hiking the southern end of the range as a 14 mile loop from Clay Meadow. With the two lean-tos, you could break the trip of the full range into an overnight trip as well. I assumed this area receives a lot of visitors, but I only saw two groups on a beautiful Friday leading into Labor Day.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQJoiVmcFLxgQ7S0iGpTyxX981YVnyrmTKZSfWK6xzOtJzAIdkr_GcDblKjMZ0ZwheDMDymI2Knzh5CerNo96ewzZ6OpRkv-M2TJs0ujEgwsjjOmLaRDtG3kseEIl0TPh0gp7tOB-hQxscDd1xHNNCa_6oFJj8CDot3w54j0BAtPpeB5M7qukoqjQGMRJ/s4032/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQJoiVmcFLxgQ7S0iGpTyxX981YVnyrmTKZSfWK6xzOtJzAIdkr_GcDblKjMZ0ZwheDMDymI2Knzh5CerNo96ewzZ6OpRkv-M2TJs0ujEgwsjjOmLaRDtG3kseEIl0TPh0gp7tOB-hQxscDd1xHNNCa_6oFJj8CDot3w54j0BAtPpeB5M7qukoqjQGMRJ/w400-h300/Tongue%20Range%209.1.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain across the Narrows</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>If you hike in the Adirondacks regularly, don't let the modest elevations of the Tongue Mountain Range fool you. The trail, particularly on the southern half, undulates over numerous bumps. It never seems like a lot of elevation change, but over the course of 16 miles, it adds up if you are expecting an easy hike.</div><div><br /></div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-73007742285756562082023-08-14T12:07:00.002-07:002023-08-14T13:11:15.373-07:00Finishing the New Hampshire 48 on Cannon Mountain <div style="text-align: left;">48 mountains rise above 4,000 feet in elevation in New Hampshire with another 19 in the rest of New England. For New England hikers, hiking the New Hampshire 48 (NH48) and New England 67 are popular peakbagging objectives. While I never originally had any intentions of completing the list of peaks for New Hampshire or New England, 24 years after I climbed my first peaks on the lists, I found myself with only five peaks in New Hampshire left to finish both lists. Before climbing Cannon Mountain for New Hampshire #48 and New England #67, I climbed Owl's Head earlier in the morning and the three 4,000 footers of the Willey Range the day before.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I finally set out to climb Cannon Mountain on August, 2nd. Unlike most of my hikes, I started in the afternoon around 145PM. In the morning I hiked about 16 miles while climbing Owl's Head. Immediately after wrapping up the trip to Owl's Head, I headed straight for Cannon Mountain to begin my ascent. I went from hiking one of the longest hikes for a single summit on the NH48 in the morning directly to hike one of shorter hikes on the NH48 in the afternoon. While I never hiked to the summit of Cannon, I have been to the top of the mountain. Cannon Mountain Ski Area occupies the mountain and I have skied there a couple times. The ski area tram rises to just below the summit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEkrWYZq5pAV-NUljnZJEkfTTk231BjTw-gOCr9FSzUOum3Nlk0hSnZIUdEK3u93HHxixjKEHh1UPgB6arlJfQO3G6CGlvsdOQH9KjizInZQiFS6rGU-IxQA7a0iBYVlHpWJh01i3O-By6LwkGVTR8RHfhuioOXeB6-joKdb4bPnhysnyLtLzR6Zzm4_tC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEkrWYZq5pAV-NUljnZJEkfTTk231BjTw-gOCr9FSzUOum3Nlk0hSnZIUdEK3u93HHxixjKEHh1UPgB6arlJfQO3G6CGlvsdOQH9KjizInZQiFS6rGU-IxQA7a0iBYVlHpWJh01i3O-By6LwkGVTR8RHfhuioOXeB6-joKdb4bPnhysnyLtLzR6Zzm4_tC=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannon view of Mt. Lafayette</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cannon Mountain can be climbed by several trails and they are all relatively short compared to most of the New Hampshire 48 routes. I chose to hit Cannon via the Kinsman Ridge Trail, starting near the base of the tram in Franconia Notch. While only a four-mile round trip hike, it still requires climbing 2,150 vertical feet. Given the short distance, the trail climbs right out of the gate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbYy6NAYaIHeXDDYBbDdSDnRhMFfn6ubqKxvi62v4hlBRrEcD4cuOBOMAOJPniFdDAVWReRV_UO12c7O9N6xn0Ec57ZNwqhoxUHRQCQHkinl1JdrKOLHGj80e6x9VN6XwAlLFwRs3Den59OaseUaFDe4MTLPT2V7Xj6HtDMIuuzFNrSAsKZiv7TOij2FK/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbYy6NAYaIHeXDDYBbDdSDnRhMFfn6ubqKxvi62v4hlBRrEcD4cuOBOMAOJPniFdDAVWReRV_UO12c7O9N6xn0Ec57ZNwqhoxUHRQCQHkinl1JdrKOLHGj80e6x9VN6XwAlLFwRs3Den59OaseUaFDe4MTLPT2V7Xj6HtDMIuuzFNrSAsKZiv7TOij2FK/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Kinsman Ridge Trail travels over rough and rocky terrain pretty quickly from the start. The trail rarely levels out or provides even footing. Generally in the woods, the trail offers a few views across the notch toward Eagle Cliffs and below to Echo Lake. You can even see paddleboats dotting the lake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCT7cxHHswC97dR1YmzQZNH_zKpNY-htr_kwvPJqYfYcuFVSoDVzPU3qDJ6Cf2FZ6oJVTIMhASehZOGxFX1S2rP-kjnCsYImdiin_gxgGXVZe7n9xgkGmTrtCPjU9vxy3Gp41I7pdbJ_-OnBPJ7H-3GA4ZZGGSvFYmwqnkC6nbSSmYxz_M_tgVn4ZpAao/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCT7cxHHswC97dR1YmzQZNH_zKpNY-htr_kwvPJqYfYcuFVSoDVzPU3qDJ6Cf2FZ6oJVTIMhASehZOGxFX1S2rP-kjnCsYImdiin_gxgGXVZe7n9xgkGmTrtCPjU9vxy3Gp41I7pdbJ_-OnBPJ7H-3GA4ZZGGSvFYmwqnkC6nbSSmYxz_M_tgVn4ZpAao/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough terrain early on</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPta4MXcApORKiDGrQwf-PPfuMGbH4ooAQ2h3PTaA0KMBUqIucTFh7O71bB1PkDpqWISbtGGDy1abcBR8zsbKtm8Biiq28q2oeT0RE6CNDLiZZTgFH3K6ejnBMY25vDjTLK_n3Dw09uqxgZOrntuSG1GSxhMFvWJbd1cr_JVK9YDAFYAGUjnd-ELK640Cp/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPta4MXcApORKiDGrQwf-PPfuMGbH4ooAQ2h3PTaA0KMBUqIucTFh7O71bB1PkDpqWISbtGGDy1abcBR8zsbKtm8Biiq28q2oeT0RE6CNDLiZZTgFH3K6ejnBMY25vDjTLK_n3Dw09uqxgZOrntuSG1GSxhMFvWJbd1cr_JVK9YDAFYAGUjnd-ELK640Cp/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoother section of rock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpvhxQKZklz4LZs9jeqw4hE1ioHnlY7O8EtMXNZ5h54RYwC5pi9GMatmR4nsl6zcK03ONOjFCzbZykMKGCblCz2-idMuTPT6zg0Y-k6_8InT1My_3qwXEgWAA6PEBo5XHrLcLMkuMwlIBTrd0DB8mKxF4cbQuP-hcgpYCdu8vkYG73wPdEoMK114XKtOQ/s4032/Nh8.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpvhxQKZklz4LZs9jeqw4hE1ioHnlY7O8EtMXNZ5h54RYwC5pi9GMatmR4nsl6zcK03ONOjFCzbZykMKGCblCz2-idMuTPT6zg0Y-k6_8InT1My_3qwXEgWAA6PEBo5XHrLcLMkuMwlIBTrd0DB8mKxF4cbQuP-hcgpYCdu8vkYG73wPdEoMK114XKtOQ/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Echo Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a mile and a half of relentless rocks and climbing, the trail finally eases a little. The trail runs relatively smooth and level before reaching a junction to an unmarked side path. The path leads to a wide-open rocky ledge with awesome views over the notch towards the Franconia Ridge. If you didn't care about reaching the summit and just wanted a good view, this ledge makes a worthy destination in its own right. However, only about a half-mile from the summit, more good views are just ahead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZF-t4Jig41zKiPgGLzvRhKR5gQ_8arBoOyFGzywIpeZS49kBwOplKGbDXUNAeVGD6nqZUcz18IuJjV_9ihkXfdxMy2g1K-TEXa4-qgVJb9FzeTC4l6kXoptOMxU-XKrLn_t5QRR969y_32ki7REi9cpm4xxbYlLVMt6_hRDA1DHCiPXm-GeHtA4pDbjkH/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZF-t4Jig41zKiPgGLzvRhKR5gQ_8arBoOyFGzywIpeZS49kBwOplKGbDXUNAeVGD6nqZUcz18IuJjV_9ihkXfdxMy2g1K-TEXa4-qgVJb9FzeTC4l6kXoptOMxU-XKrLn_t5QRR969y_32ki7REi9cpm4xxbYlLVMt6_hRDA1DHCiPXm-GeHtA4pDbjkH/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More uneven and rocky trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyBGQ8FjFOJ_nWsR5-mI_Y5P44ayrgTwwczxjEQn5gxHX3MO64y1sIC_6bd0ximy2D1Pr1M2czWRyjz5Vj1Ba2lB55mPIgtTnBkfAqJCKRym3w810Cop-sbeLSvZuGjPWU5G9BnvvzyCtqYEgyT-ON2_D9spCnGJa362mOY83WxY7AE2DcecddyGmVmR9/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyBGQ8FjFOJ_nWsR5-mI_Y5P44ayrgTwwczxjEQn5gxHX3MO64y1sIC_6bd0ximy2D1Pr1M2czWRyjz5Vj1Ba2lB55mPIgtTnBkfAqJCKRym3w810Cop-sbeLSvZuGjPWU5G9BnvvzyCtqYEgyT-ON2_D9spCnGJa362mOY83WxY7AE2DcecddyGmVmR9/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some trail work with a little easier rocky section</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtoyt2r6L7v_zlY4WrSjaTqIaZGJxlQxasFhwFLkLxqXt37k_i0gOJIxUV_D-4FC4Ve9elHgptamRLOPF5kyfuehygKLR_-FcLEvXIOkVAusOrfdOftjE9LJcijY5_uMYT0leTzxZaiC7tnUz2XDhOtyam8-kocQWKtKRYp5NuXAAszfmWqj5ZxahP7Yb/s4032/Nh8.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtoyt2r6L7v_zlY4WrSjaTqIaZGJxlQxasFhwFLkLxqXt37k_i0gOJIxUV_D-4FC4Ve9elHgptamRLOPF5kyfuehygKLR_-FcLEvXIOkVAusOrfdOftjE9LJcijY5_uMYT0leTzxZaiC7tnUz2XDhOtyam8-kocQWKtKRYp5NuXAAszfmWqj5ZxahP7Yb/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franconia Ridge from the ledge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Leaving the ledge, I headed back to the trail, making my way toward the summit. The trail passes over the East Peak of Cannon and looses a little elevation before making the final short push towards the summit. The trail crosses a mix of flat sections and slabby climbing with a lot of mud and open ledges. At places the vegetation is rather scrubby with open views ahead to the summit and throughout Franconia Notch. The views become pretty consistent as you gain elevation. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD1PuEA8bWjVPr7M8vbSzOcNJ1cgyoY4iDUaHVNBL-lMvHxAzGQSwqfHpWEKGfg4UHjAIKriKWMGjssijhWLUCdL5DQkQxkHpYzAMyX-HmBVA8E1tbbSNnHW790i7MBPGn-o0i8i1_cZpd4kE_Srbmgoqwk-Wb7UL6sVVPaYkkyI2Lr2lIC8nK04rYux1/s4032/Nh8.23%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD1PuEA8bWjVPr7M8vbSzOcNJ1cgyoY4iDUaHVNBL-lMvHxAzGQSwqfHpWEKGfg4UHjAIKriKWMGjssijhWLUCdL5DQkQxkHpYzAMyX-HmBVA8E1tbbSNnHW790i7MBPGn-o0i8i1_cZpd4kE_Srbmgoqwk-Wb7UL6sVVPaYkkyI2Lr2lIC8nK04rYux1/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slabby rock </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpWi-xq0aOde6SDLviBVrUyQMZZwt1bq34Br-Mx68MjFOH4NKDuFpEQ-dXt9TQqCq80hBBkUyu8hK1cTzZ2GP5mjlkP3bcTmWnD1z0PuEmaTCOdtDVytnqU61_0Co0W-HefS3Xfs59BDIq2xwX53bdTH9C3ZNAFZ1ZhAPp9bKhuWPun44r2Ht4YuGRjfs/s4032/Nh8.23%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpWi-xq0aOde6SDLviBVrUyQMZZwt1bq34Br-Mx68MjFOH4NKDuFpEQ-dXt9TQqCq80hBBkUyu8hK1cTzZ2GP5mjlkP3bcTmWnD1z0PuEmaTCOdtDVytnqU61_0Co0W-HefS3Xfs59BDIq2xwX53bdTH9C3ZNAFZ1ZhAPp9bKhuWPun44r2Ht4YuGRjfs/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit observation deck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHOvPKKSZJpQTkUcnIaKomeJydMNsV3SZE1niu7AjmYvmugbErVuu-3buXkXERLa5ec0nzBp_n5T1zpElZrY8XR8U2jm3B7Ns0-8LXROnHM5zYM3Ddhd7BNQs9fU4ga82kxDQiuwaWj0KdxRi5lVuPd6up6uwABrvvnIWbeyMeEpOKerOkE4_-GH8fvK_/s4032/Nh8.23%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHOvPKKSZJpQTkUcnIaKomeJydMNsV3SZE1niu7AjmYvmugbErVuu-3buXkXERLa5ec0nzBp_n5T1zpElZrY8XR8U2jm3B7Ns0-8LXROnHM5zYM3Ddhd7BNQs9fU4ga82kxDQiuwaWj0KdxRi5lVuPd6up6uwABrvvnIWbeyMeEpOKerOkE4_-GH8fvK_/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open rock with great views</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As I reached the height of the land, the Kinsman Ridge Trail joined the Rim Trail. The Rim Trail provides a small loop around the summit and near the top of the tram. Along the Rim Trail, numerous short spurs lead to excellent vistas across the notch. Now close to the tram, you pass a pay per view binocular station, not something typical on a hiking trail. At this point I started to cross paths with lots of "tourists" that rode the tram to the summit.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDxZY8fc2xh4SZQfxuBfy6mQTxP2q-_mVmtpRiqx_jZQ6fpyBUDLVo21ykaiWUdKSCLetfDo2JRPXtaTdzLgxoc9mGGMBDw7pi5SD_7wnnBd2PslHGAUwcSonrGYlOUYVWW8HoqboB72PKdYVDtRDmHZDpPnNL4mzRihqPMVgqkBYi24bfyPk412pxJjX/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDxZY8fc2xh4SZQfxuBfy6mQTxP2q-_mVmtpRiqx_jZQ6fpyBUDLVo21ykaiWUdKSCLetfDo2JRPXtaTdzLgxoc9mGGMBDw7pi5SD_7wnnBd2PslHGAUwcSonrGYlOUYVWW8HoqboB72PKdYVDtRDmHZDpPnNL4mzRihqPMVgqkBYi24bfyPk412pxJjX/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing slabs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsOJNNuHXj8iD9L4I1DaSpPo4uwBLtE2EQtDBMvmeaXoRy1hbHglHjgKtnIxFaakzfuRP1Zs7pSWUQVA-Eh4vIR9IhUGRvBI7OrxbhAAE2O0XS770_S9-SaLoVZThtKBHwpy4w6jX7t4vHMEH-0ExBP2pgu5_PRa9ig2HW20d9bF0kdlliZGGXfXmvLGT/s2592/Cannon%208.2.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsOJNNuHXj8iD9L4I1DaSpPo4uwBLtE2EQtDBMvmeaXoRy1hbHglHjgKtnIxFaakzfuRP1Zs7pSWUQVA-Eh4vIR9IhUGRvBI7OrxbhAAE2O0XS770_S9-SaLoVZThtKBHwpy4w6jX7t4vHMEH-0ExBP2pgu5_PRa9ig2HW20d9bF0kdlliZGGXfXmvLGT/w400-h300/Cannon%208.2.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing rock through scrubby vegetation</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The final stretch to the summit follows a wide, well-maintained path. I passed hordes of tram riders as I walked the final part of the trail. At the summit, I picked my way through dozens of people to climb the summit observation deck. In the winter, Cannon serves as a ski area. In the summer months, the tram offers riders a chance to visit the summit of Cannon without the sweat from hiking while making the trip in just 15 minutes.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OSxFBw8wzOle95TMJMhMFyOb266mj_-ZeVNdNwk5BISkWif95kndrOCsfJID6pzg2VCIEugtewvSwlLCCcRgW-W3a6D3xlizKENdfa_ndiibLtw3n7ubJ7t8XWEu1kji1_NJrv8ZRtHuzAX_ZhwAPwxqK3k9ouJFuSvOerD_wSgzOnc-GqN-OxI-MjF7/s4032/Nh8.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OSxFBw8wzOle95TMJMhMFyOb266mj_-ZeVNdNwk5BISkWif95kndrOCsfJID6pzg2VCIEugtewvSwlLCCcRgW-W3a6D3xlizKENdfa_ndiibLtw3n7ubJ7t8XWEu1kji1_NJrv8ZRtHuzAX_ZhwAPwxqK3k9ouJFuSvOerD_wSgzOnc-GqN-OxI-MjF7/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the north</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOacSyu0yPlCJpcV8NbxHeTb6cpd3m5Ms8yPPul7IejrZ9TFZuIKgcP5V8SZzW7DpaJbjOX6JettWtqTpzdxzZ3lR3YUFrOgChaZECks7ZVAMOhajCmPRxv7aY6dtIyH4ujfEy5IMz_axxeDfOSO3KdUj5P1O-_FR7rLmIgBrFlEvQvXUrP15kYJD9V1uC/s4032/Nh8.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOacSyu0yPlCJpcV8NbxHeTb6cpd3m5Ms8yPPul7IejrZ9TFZuIKgcP5V8SZzW7DpaJbjOX6JettWtqTpzdxzZ3lR3YUFrOgChaZECks7ZVAMOhajCmPRxv7aY6dtIyH4ujfEy5IMz_axxeDfOSO3KdUj5P1O-_FR7rLmIgBrFlEvQvXUrP15kYJD9V1uC/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over the East Peak of Cannon toward Lafayette</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While the 360-degree views from the summit observation deck are quite impressive, the summit can be a little overwhelming. Unlike my morning hike to Owl's Head, which sits isolated in the middle of the Wilderness, Cannon's developed summit definitely lacks a wild feel. Communication towers, the observation deck, the tram, and other ski area infrastructure just off the summit all are visible nearby. There is even a restaurant a short walk from the summit. You can hike to the summit, buy lunch, and hike down- or take the tram I suppose. I took a few photos before leaving the crowds. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dFQo3OhV9Hp8s_ppM1O89WOhvhxNYRJfkPvnGO8lodB_DeSQoCLkalEhMM4NrZqJWtJmEWwYJd5dwJnPsVU3nUPhMqu51tSr4wOTmVOvbpSwJt4SPzGR_4rbyLYqIKMIpEBWghp1VBNgOf3kklYiiamT2OT3G_ftzODjopGfl3wjFGXF9iMeQlagcxuA/s4032/Nh8.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dFQo3OhV9Hp8s_ppM1O89WOhvhxNYRJfkPvnGO8lodB_DeSQoCLkalEhMM4NrZqJWtJmEWwYJd5dwJnPsVU3nUPhMqu51tSr4wOTmVOvbpSwJt4SPzGR_4rbyLYqIKMIpEBWghp1VBNgOf3kklYiiamT2OT3G_ftzODjopGfl3wjFGXF9iMeQlagcxuA/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South of Franconia Notch</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRIemnJMLGp7HpySGJ4v6YCigEbxLqJZ2HChiX5BljXYREYYDkVRQlzoqvLlA7acRHDf016mdAC688U7Qs0TGiCrnfrexJ1HmMph6kuHYELzzkly6bRSkwbcFfamSm90WuKHEPxH12XoaZ_6es9Esu5EOQCPu6WSlV_NfQjlCSmCqdNb0rhYxvDebQgTn/s4032/Nh8.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRIemnJMLGp7HpySGJ4v6YCigEbxLqJZ2HChiX5BljXYREYYDkVRQlzoqvLlA7acRHDf016mdAC688U7Qs0TGiCrnfrexJ1HmMph6kuHYELzzkly6bRSkwbcFfamSm90WuKHEPxH12XoaZ_6es9Esu5EOQCPu6WSlV_NfQjlCSmCqdNb0rhYxvDebQgTn/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe this is to the west</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRIemnJMLGp7HpySGJ4v6YCigEbxLqJZ2HChiX5BljXYREYYDkVRQlzoqvLlA7acRHDf016mdAC688U7Qs0TGiCrnfrexJ1HmMph6kuHYELzzkly6bRSkwbcFfamSm90WuKHEPxH12XoaZ_6es9Esu5EOQCPu6WSlV_NfQjlCSmCqdNb0rhYxvDebQgTn/s4032/Nh8.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxITOdLJnFWYcPMWBbQF_YQpq7Ww0-HcSW959K3aEvnF5kbbxSAwTMN-E5bnU2zycvvkugGYsi9V5CoeQvXz4EfBL9bDlGzEQg0SNF_biVAeUa1FfVv3Qa7g9kaBdbO_WQ6RvcnnHFJOJArBfJqz2zvlZwNk8jeLxABw0WVqAXdlqbixdPhjiqUUjJ8Qj/s4032/Nh8.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxITOdLJnFWYcPMWBbQF_YQpq7Ww0-HcSW959K3aEvnF5kbbxSAwTMN-E5bnU2zycvvkugGYsi9V5CoeQvXz4EfBL9bDlGzEQg0SNF_biVAeUa1FfVv3Qa7g9kaBdbO_WQ6RvcnnHFJOJArBfJqz2zvlZwNk8jeLxABw0WVqAXdlqbixdPhjiqUUjJ8Qj/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franconia Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Back on the Kinsman Ridge Trail, I passed a few people on the Ledge Trail, but soon lost the crowds. I enjoyed the views as I descended without the noisiness of the summit. Much of the descent to the first open ledges provides the same view towards Franconia Ridge. Franconia Ridge stands out as one of the most impressive mountain ridges in the Northeast. The descent on the Kinsman Ridge Trail offers some of the best views toward Mt. Lafayette and Mt. Lincoln and the rest of Franconia Ridge. The views looking both directions down the notch are quite pretty as well.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtuetOdMePxc1YjAuAdwcE0izGQvbsyOxLHIubAfT-5JiJTwekGwSF57hPlu3Cnu_n5kyt12wC7_m6lg_5OiEanVBf9a9hy85GIIoKLLWQPgj0JtWt8a8mQLbgagwx7N6Z2UeWeE2rh2aF3NEEkY5IeIHl1tqjBN1y6oIB85Y9N0ZBzqQkNKJ0brkMSuy/s4032/Nh8.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtuetOdMePxc1YjAuAdwcE0izGQvbsyOxLHIubAfT-5JiJTwekGwSF57hPlu3Cnu_n5kyt12wC7_m6lg_5OiEanVBf9a9hy85GIIoKLLWQPgj0JtWt8a8mQLbgagwx7N6Z2UeWeE2rh2aF3NEEkY5IeIHl1tqjBN1y6oIB85Y9N0ZBzqQkNKJ0brkMSuy/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over Eagle Cliff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RWD5qlvNUQhaYxL3uPkhL_cgbblD5H_muVrUiy4Hl15PDRpLcDJ8oDDh3CJveqyL-y2U04BRNuuQADTT_VoTLpYOLANZEboIddJ6WBZ7eDZfXAxa4prDkgJLqRwrj5dcKgvbhY95xF1Jp_ZPSea12KjKasVLTDjAfQI-rMUH_BzeUnK1hVBRWrrcxdEV/s4032/Nh8.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RWD5qlvNUQhaYxL3uPkhL_cgbblD5H_muVrUiy4Hl15PDRpLcDJ8oDDh3CJveqyL-y2U04BRNuuQADTT_VoTLpYOLANZEboIddJ6WBZ7eDZfXAxa4prDkgJLqRwrj5dcKgvbhY95xF1Jp_ZPSea12KjKasVLTDjAfQI-rMUH_BzeUnK1hVBRWrrcxdEV/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near constant views descending<br />the upper mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>After I passed the first ledge, I began my steep descent back to the trailhead. The descent went by much quicker than the climb. I enjoyed the occasional views through the trees of Eagle Cliff and Echo Lake. I made good time, reaching the trailhead around 345PM</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNP2Txz-UEN-di1uQEDbkI2b3Kz5w0n5GvSGZhp03yswNSKCP-IqPKnWGxdOttngGAlr3-LhiafN0C0aBOW7K-MqLhlmUjkv5VeQuBbsk-dYU7vsQ_zs6Mra0pi1VcNrnfEOaSQ1v5NGt6Wzxx5vW8pfPLqzqGSe-sIV9PMoKyzLTkQrsChihfBOsIiXf/s4032/Nh8.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNP2Txz-UEN-di1uQEDbkI2b3Kz5w0n5GvSGZhp03yswNSKCP-IqPKnWGxdOttngGAlr3-LhiafN0C0aBOW7K-MqLhlmUjkv5VeQuBbsk-dYU7vsQ_zs6Mra0pi1VcNrnfEOaSQ1v5NGt6Wzxx5vW8pfPLqzqGSe-sIV9PMoKyzLTkQrsChihfBOsIiXf/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eagle Cliff on the descent</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Despite the summit hubbub, Cannon Mountain offers a lot of great scenery for such a short hike. The Kinsman Ridge Trail offers a lot of bang for buck in just 4 miles. Don't let the short distance fool you though, you earn every foot of elevation that you climb. If you are looking for a wilderness experience, Cannon's summit isn't the place to find it. Just like other developed summits such as Mt. Washington or Whiteface in the Adirondacks, the summit experience wasn't the best part of Cannon, but the overall great scenery makes up for the lack of solitude.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwoRp4HOJi92aDQe-Venw6yniiYKs1L8NNSwgwGWD1_ymsthcR98zuORwjDkhVqLUpdWkb6Au0JJeEh7Om1t04HVCAgaJ--9ZYpmuzMpIqeg4emm_S02Ylh5DVSo0AqKDzPjSi-e-mhqk48HyPcs4drTid-YpbM_qnalXD1IR-ABKAp4tddnhoywwtWXm/s4032/Nh8.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwoRp4HOJi92aDQe-Venw6yniiYKs1L8NNSwgwGWD1_ymsthcR98zuORwjDkhVqLUpdWkb6Au0JJeEh7Om1t04HVCAgaJ--9ZYpmuzMpIqeg4emm_S02Ylh5DVSo0AqKDzPjSi-e-mhqk48HyPcs4drTid-YpbM_qnalXD1IR-ABKAp4tddnhoywwtWXm/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Mt. Lafayette</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />As for finishing the NH 48 and New England 67, I am glad that I finally hiked all the peaks to finish the lists. Finishing the lists was never a huge priory, or I would have not taken 24 years to climb all the peaks on the lists. The lists themselves aren't that important to me. I'm more grateful that I had the chance to experience so many new areas and mountains over the years and the fact that I'm still exploring and able to hike as strongly as I did in 1999.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook where I post more often and revisit past adventures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-47008171108437615012023-08-11T11:06:00.000-07:002023-08-11T11:06:26.186-07:00Owl's Head<div style="text-align: left;">Owl's Head Mountain sits in the heart of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Owl's Head usually comes with a bad reputation among hiker. It probably would be rarely climbed if it wasn't over 4,000' feet in elevation. Because it reaches that magic 4,000' threshold, it's on the New Hampshire 48 climbing list. Sooner or later, people attempting to climb all 48 mountains on the list take on Owl's Head. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Owl's Head isn't particularly tall at 4,025'. It ranks 43rd out the 48 mountains on the list. It's reputation comes from the difficulty reaching the mountain. Historically, to reach Owl's Head, hikers traveled 18 miles roundtrip. The last mile leaves official trails and climbs a slide to reach the summit. It doesn't provide as expansive views as many other hikes on the list and features a wooded summit with little to see. Allen Mountain in the Adirondacks has a similar reputation and is a good comparison. I just happened to hike 46 of the New Hampshire 48. It was now time for me to visit Owl's Head and see if it deserved its reputation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I began my hike from the Lincoln Woods Trailhead just before 7AM on Wednesday August 2nd on a cool morning. The forecast looked great with little humidity and plenty of sun. It had been about 13 years since I hiked out of this trailhead. After crossing the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River on a nice suspension bridge, I traveled along the Lincoln Woods Trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvglr2g61ibPjAg4jEw2A0dLsocsq4rM28aV-dGZDpnqLDrTycAPaoiNcVDwhp2y9BCPu1UPpK_oXYbyKTFNDRE_SdKo1K5M9KMjC9CyhLN_2itQYgkdRA0p3QZSxtJgTd3pKvlqwCWYq7yWQgnbLYl2MbK_o5qLaBotcL8swBZ6XuERrKmBJz_1qIc45/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvglr2g61ibPjAg4jEw2A0dLsocsq4rM28aV-dGZDpnqLDrTycAPaoiNcVDwhp2y9BCPu1UPpK_oXYbyKTFNDRE_SdKo1K5M9KMjC9CyhLN_2itQYgkdRA0p3QZSxtJgTd3pKvlqwCWYq7yWQgnbLYl2MbK_o5qLaBotcL8swBZ6XuERrKmBJz_1qIc45/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over East Branch of the Pemi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8V3iQPcNAC4lJh0yp0xIhOXlkbr7-tABw0cfUFjIpW9jEMQT9oS14cjWGtOSa1oe92wqDx2u_eOVrUT42PQrsaDolaMe6RxwmaSLK8I9PN8O9Q16ykDiG3cbRzKnvm3h9F4ZpAGZEEhxv0zZHoe7jqpZ4Bm18a6YtK4ne1enlWZ743Q1U1hlXNreowyRU/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8V3iQPcNAC4lJh0yp0xIhOXlkbr7-tABw0cfUFjIpW9jEMQT9oS14cjWGtOSa1oe92wqDx2u_eOVrUT42PQrsaDolaMe6RxwmaSLK8I9PN8O9Q16ykDiG3cbRzKnvm3h9F4ZpAGZEEhxv0zZHoe7jqpZ4Bm18a6YtK4ne1enlWZ743Q1U1hlXNreowyRU/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the river from the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The Lincoln Woods Trail follow an old rail line from the logging days. It follows the river and is quite flat. Occasional views along the river offer a look at the Bond Range. Remnants of old tracks from the rail days still show in a few places. I followed the easy path 2.6 miles, jogging at times, to the Black Pond Trail. I already saw a few groups</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBGGB6pEFZFwqVvetRLuoTBto8Hy3S3Ui9bUoKcYcwIB6zZiXMYQxEDAQM-LbBleWGbj4_l0UQ3iZOC8RVFNjDU5DMNGEAswNyF158oged34AovvWDRSIw02BtXnhL10P1nZv2bVdOtw0Ch05KfVuRIQzVOw9D0K40Pb5t1hxxlVI8npOB0-htUlZXCaT/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBGGB6pEFZFwqVvetRLuoTBto8Hy3S3Ui9bUoKcYcwIB6zZiXMYQxEDAQM-LbBleWGbj4_l0UQ3iZOC8RVFNjDU5DMNGEAswNyF158oged34AovvWDRSIw02BtXnhL10P1nZv2bVdOtw0Ch05KfVuRIQzVOw9D0K40Pb5t1hxxlVI8npOB0-htUlZXCaT/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Woods Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkHqOhxGkyWXDbPMV5fgX-8p22Ah_hpiB4cXQcol8ktNQSM1F4R4J2W_ohnIPyMq7Uan03runmE2dc1EsO5JuaT4d7jRoYAipOy2ID6AQswEfN9C0UmUFbHpzMFj1o0VDr8x1b2C8BaSYns6lxulosmPnBRa_v2VVCXc8V7zyRj36ND24aZvsn578K5Xf/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkHqOhxGkyWXDbPMV5fgX-8p22Ah_hpiB4cXQcol8ktNQSM1F4R4J2W_ohnIPyMq7Uan03runmE2dc1EsO5JuaT4d7jRoYAipOy2ID6AQswEfN9C0UmUFbHpzMFj1o0VDr8x1b2C8BaSYns6lxulosmPnBRa_v2VVCXc8V7zyRj36ND24aZvsn578K5Xf/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remnants from the railroad days</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjgtr6uQpQuIyHbuso_Tkc6i1AzoWbX1U7nNKyfbvPBWnL8qP1xcUXuBujuXrO2i7UoXUDRIFsuKC2gXt1hPYcY9Iv8VbJYlUjWprWn1_pqHIerYgnLx8MI0qnWeVKqmzZJiWbAibWoiN8NQhScjvg1id51HZGpGksHoNAGxY_LSyCROUDN0MXVerOwns/s4032/Nh8.23%20052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjgtr6uQpQuIyHbuso_Tkc6i1AzoWbX1U7nNKyfbvPBWnL8qP1xcUXuBujuXrO2i7UoXUDRIFsuKC2gXt1hPYcY9Iv8VbJYlUjWprWn1_pqHIerYgnLx8MI0qnWeVKqmzZJiWbAibWoiN8NQhScjvg1id51HZGpGksHoNAGxY_LSyCROUDN0MXVerOwns/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bonds</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>In the past, the standard route to Owl's Head followed the Franconia Brook Trail to the Lincoln Brook Trail. In recent years the Black Pond Bushwhack has gained significant use and is starting to take over as the most common route to Lincoln Brook. In the process, using Black Pond eliminates several potentially dangerous stream crossings without bridges. It also cuts off about a mile of hiking each way.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first .8 miles to Black Pond follow a marked trail. The trail ends at the namesake pond. From the pond, you are greeted with two pretty views over the water. The first view framed my objective for the day, Owl's Head. A short distance further, the Bonds come into view across the pond. On that particular morning, the view was especially nice as the mountains reflected off the still pond with wisps of fog rising from the water. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fwOpC9EjS3NDxYafe3Rkx5yuQ0F6ZxoSCMlRnfmj7RG7L9nyrAMpyHlcICIm4uKo8x3OoRv5i6FRkAsanzEggySH-3iuZbcCqb1RiBb80IDysV9QwvCgaozRL1SJGd_gsFwC45mUU3mo4GEZlFM8Q4o28bOwuqSlOK9JECvwg6YQgZ4Q6U1LARDcmI_B/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fwOpC9EjS3NDxYafe3Rkx5yuQ0F6ZxoSCMlRnfmj7RG7L9nyrAMpyHlcICIm4uKo8x3OoRv5i6FRkAsanzEggySH-3iuZbcCqb1RiBb80IDysV9QwvCgaozRL1SJGd_gsFwC45mUU3mo4GEZlFM8Q4o28bOwuqSlOK9JECvwg6YQgZ4Q6U1LARDcmI_B/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Black Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYqqCt1UHbW2XNqXCI-RaZ8A3Sdm-UYLEq7EmQePKVHxqVKsLbQso2fjWBrEo3LDMucj1I9nDY_qHMFWuShRcs6nrWWrPXsS-v-copq64Jl9PSkwGdlCR2-0PiEJlWITkN_Mz6NnfhyZ0Fq3HouNWjFw7zS5QscXW7jdKN-olxJjAQd7Q8T9HD0lV8rMZ/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYqqCt1UHbW2XNqXCI-RaZ8A3Sdm-UYLEq7EmQePKVHxqVKsLbQso2fjWBrEo3LDMucj1I9nDY_qHMFWuShRcs6nrWWrPXsS-v-copq64Jl9PSkwGdlCR2-0PiEJlWITkN_Mz6NnfhyZ0Fq3HouNWjFw7zS5QscXW7jdKN-olxJjAQd7Q8T9HD0lV8rMZ/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the Black Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJg9RiDO-FvEwdaJr8qXb7DFxWg3KhuqnJmNdE4VqczvsIImZ5r4Nvsc3nw9CEEAIYnXrL9VBxByd12sVY-IUdh4mNVVFZljR_llXPBCNGdsMCJ_Q_HuxDllu4XdmUQb1pUCTmCF0HvkkLhMHInH_62YZ2igkw8nKIFwYPZKy03k4MOACmS7sBUr_WNKX/s4032/Nh8.23%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJg9RiDO-FvEwdaJr8qXb7DFxWg3KhuqnJmNdE4VqczvsIImZ5r4Nvsc3nw9CEEAIYnXrL9VBxByd12sVY-IUdh4mNVVFZljR_llXPBCNGdsMCJ_Q_HuxDllu4XdmUQb1pUCTmCF0HvkkLhMHInH_62YZ2igkw8nKIFwYPZKy03k4MOACmS7sBUr_WNKX/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owl's Head</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbpdW0ZWFZ7IWbe3mbfbnDGyvYZEHu3VJbeMTU6vzBvlbA6tQVLMv2t7fGTGLpB7E7Q-bOwYjiOeeKp_02Ul7pIkKBaXOoeq8Mmybd_Vi4_dCWgYnlM-OL39rMSM6HvvB8vEJ0eaIIbUyD3jUYY7Qv9vfk5LSXO9T4vVAh-SlGevEaI4hq8aDHS3cx-1I/s4032/Nh8.23%20043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbpdW0ZWFZ7IWbe3mbfbnDGyvYZEHu3VJbeMTU6vzBvlbA6tQVLMv2t7fGTGLpB7E7Q-bOwYjiOeeKp_02Ul7pIkKBaXOoeq8Mmybd_Vi4_dCWgYnlM-OL39rMSM6HvvB8vEJ0eaIIbUyD3jUYY7Qv9vfk5LSXO9T4vVAh-SlGevEaI4hq8aDHS3cx-1I/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bonds over Black Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Although I don't use it for navigation, I occasionally will reference AllTrails before a hike for recent trail conditions. I checked prior to this trip since the water crossings were at dangerous levels a couple weeks prior. While looking at the recent reports for Owl's Head on AllTrails and NH hiking groups on Facebook, there seemed to be confusion on finding the "Bushwhack" portion of the Black Pond route. I'm not sure where the confusion comes from as the route is very obvious and at this point an excellent trail. It just doesn't have any markings or maintenance, which isn't unusual in a Wilderness anyway. People seem to have a hard time finding the transition at Black Pond to the start of bushwhack. No it's not marked, but if you take 30 seconds to look, its still pretty obvious where the route starts. At this point the "bushwhack" moniker isn't necessary. Now its just an unmarked trail or well defined herd path. It's certainly better than a lot of the trails I come across in the Adirondacks or the Whites.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibutPwyZY0C9bX7ik0hMxcyVGVzlOBPeQex6y1GZ9O_1NjMcReTUPnUhDHCeL4L7rpp-zJ1fwarSVeq526OBYLv9yRBoDxFtFsCUCMCBXR7d3kUaQ0WHh4n_fvaFnjhc_DBfJyAe2LL_Pr9_Ak86GG4b2oOp3KdzH9bFJ0wpN4Eg0HJfWLXkFfXuUur5t/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibutPwyZY0C9bX7ik0hMxcyVGVzlOBPeQex6y1GZ9O_1NjMcReTUPnUhDHCeL4L7rpp-zJ1fwarSVeq526OBYLv9yRBoDxFtFsCUCMCBXR7d3kUaQ0WHh4n_fvaFnjhc_DBfJyAe2LL_Pr9_Ak86GG4b2oOp3KdzH9bFJ0wpN4Eg0HJfWLXkFfXuUur5t/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not much of a bushwhack</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu8wjx_GmP7HqF0VVyWAkmMV9e_akCQlpw_PzxIqr_mcPzQ-7LdMc5Sy5CzL0cRm6E6K-t1Ol1qUJtCGPXIazoDPKZHAapUjHrKkz2Bdup6C99CekfSZVGRe5hpY5ugMjDc0jNkIxL_1xZ-kWf_3QYSGvwfX9CC92bpgFRTfo8j_hqc_Ahu5Vbx6fPo0f/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu8wjx_GmP7HqF0VVyWAkmMV9e_akCQlpw_PzxIqr_mcPzQ-7LdMc5Sy5CzL0cRm6E6K-t1Ol1qUJtCGPXIazoDPKZHAapUjHrKkz2Bdup6C99CekfSZVGRe5hpY5ugMjDc0jNkIxL_1xZ-kWf_3QYSGvwfX9CC92bpgFRTfo8j_hqc_Ahu5Vbx6fPo0f/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty obvious tread the length of the "bushwhack"</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Following the Black Pond route, I soon reached the Lincoln Brook Trail. The trail follows its namesake brook, sometimes right along its banks. Even if the climbing up Owl's Head is dreadful, the hike along Lincoln Brook is more than enough to make up for it. Lincoln Brook is a splendid mountain stream that tumbles along a rocky course. The water was high enough to provide a pleasant soundtrack in the background of rushing water. I stopped several times to enjoy the brook. Personally, I think just the hike along the brook made the trip worthwhile.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl_m6oQRbXjqdYyAzcsNgJZlji3YleUJydVcDfJBIwTvjgfjnqOWRYtBEvDEamzlOmr2yEvg2RjzOunoExh_0m49Hr4AfqOsyxzHlpwA4YqvdIRUTH9OlAsyJhdXo7yFPtFYWcswvWqUoQc4M3YhSYZZS1Ui5P6ojhdfQ8qddsgcilVfYV8C4x-B8eIpA/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl_m6oQRbXjqdYyAzcsNgJZlji3YleUJydVcDfJBIwTvjgfjnqOWRYtBEvDEamzlOmr2yEvg2RjzOunoExh_0m49Hr4AfqOsyxzHlpwA4YqvdIRUTH9OlAsyJhdXo7yFPtFYWcswvWqUoQc4M3YhSYZZS1Ui5P6ojhdfQ8qddsgcilVfYV8C4x-B8eIpA/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Lincoln Brook Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ5gOpTNyKWYDs2f-U7PzZCq7b3ZprHPl_qWrvDJLUbQ4odvbwp6FXdXN8BjUkaBuRmP2gP6iV8RoBtstDVP2H67AJQXvtXuLjeJs9pwT3zJ5oPZAaGPay1qnz7cEidFcY3IK4YkeOpT25QitYvkwwEftEeFF8Obws-bcMUrKoPRxyn41K7tyOFIUGMzX/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ5gOpTNyKWYDs2f-U7PzZCq7b3ZprHPl_qWrvDJLUbQ4odvbwp6FXdXN8BjUkaBuRmP2gP6iV8RoBtstDVP2H67AJQXvtXuLjeJs9pwT3zJ5oPZAaGPay1qnz7cEidFcY3IK4YkeOpT25QitYvkwwEftEeFF8Obws-bcMUrKoPRxyn41K7tyOFIUGMzX/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking in Lincoln Brook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlD1eFyzvnERJu5Jq4UEB-wu5TUA1nGCkTN_ZYFTZfiLEa7yl8i2e_v_ypeQjqKlNrGKjwU70cIiWDcPAK0CUPQ9Pf2y9izrabzstBMSi99Tb5U7hXdC0OFo6Bc5o2udErUtqIVDBH7zBqn3lLAU6L2UXup3h4cchgnnRaD-LXk8lpW3NkTHG-NjyaG6CS/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlD1eFyzvnERJu5Jq4UEB-wu5TUA1nGCkTN_ZYFTZfiLEa7yl8i2e_v_ypeQjqKlNrGKjwU70cIiWDcPAK0CUPQ9Pf2y9izrabzstBMSi99Tb5U7hXdC0OFo6Bc5o2udErUtqIVDBH7zBqn3lLAU6L2UXup3h4cchgnnRaD-LXk8lpW3NkTHG-NjyaG6CS/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slide in Lincoln Brook</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM9BN2oSjJ2fTZtJ73kNpPoOedys2zM7t64Jc_42gjKYPhQ8PX5v2cRaomWNCEm-i7NzNpNkBb0zjs_inRcmE55tZR_StVXEDa-MftkuOfaq1CilmoKHMV3ts3hhrd42d1u0IUMm1wmy0x_UQwbCOVla66bkc8RX7st1lZPWPrFTSZdQpv8DRmTDreO98/s4032/Nh8.23%20041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM9BN2oSjJ2fTZtJ73kNpPoOedys2zM7t64Jc_42gjKYPhQ8PX5v2cRaomWNCEm-i7NzNpNkBb0zjs_inRcmE55tZR_StVXEDa-MftkuOfaq1CilmoKHMV3ts3hhrd42d1u0IUMm1wmy0x_UQwbCOVla66bkc8RX7st1lZPWPrFTSZdQpv8DRmTDreO98/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Brook is a lovely mountain stream</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The trail along the brook is slightly overgrown at times, a wide path at others. A few stretches required some creative step stoning to avoid mud from the recent rains in the past month. You could almost always hear the brook rumbling nearby.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT3lGBTXlDgUCBDadlVqm9xWTgBZJnAEKZotHV9zQJQz1UV79O56fWl_IjvVhA0vKh2p8vWHizo2HyJ_YujYSNYk3vRBf238pt5c3Eb691xDPjKBntf23PJXCn0lrtKufeWJwSiNbYrZUwV9e4fhgvgRMpVCFj9zQQ7YyRfWOc0BeZwOpfN4gEPMmb2OP/s4032/Nh8.23%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT3lGBTXlDgUCBDadlVqm9xWTgBZJnAEKZotHV9zQJQz1UV79O56fWl_IjvVhA0vKh2p8vWHizo2HyJ_YujYSNYk3vRBf238pt5c3Eb691xDPjKBntf23PJXCn0lrtKufeWJwSiNbYrZUwV9e4fhgvgRMpVCFj9zQQ7YyRfWOc0BeZwOpfN4gEPMmb2OP/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbling water in Lincoln Brook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYVUSXFLTwwKWuaI2DX2l3R5NiSzYTUJur0nh_70IbC03yw9Bu0FVzL_UFI8NP4YIVhyAxslaiWT8d4zbLydLePkgtub94KmbQi_pHh2l2HfQZXimybHlvGZSs6ZEcpwEAZp0Rw-GV3U1tJnLAPdvLPeKSTj-hpa22dOr9qpLG9mkXnH11h7mmgSItOc-/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYVUSXFLTwwKWuaI2DX2l3R5NiSzYTUJur0nh_70IbC03yw9Bu0FVzL_UFI8NP4YIVhyAxslaiWT8d4zbLydLePkgtub94KmbQi_pHh2l2HfQZXimybHlvGZSs6ZEcpwEAZp0Rw-GV3U1tJnLAPdvLPeKSTj-hpa22dOr9qpLG9mkXnH11h7mmgSItOc-/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking upstream in Lincoln Brook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1iRmn1gbur4CZLOx2CCzsIyH8jMKNfG16-iB40GQtASoGiGIjFoU2T6oW172tnS08KdzkH4ILxjITpD08y6-VqRhJiPRcI5khDD-bWhPBniSEvByo-Do6nax9Mxy_7gXPF0fOgg0HOpuaaRIxLDAIcaQKSOyItvV-FMMOq9TMCctFNUhfHZL5R7BkUfe/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1iRmn1gbur4CZLOx2CCzsIyH8jMKNfG16-iB40GQtASoGiGIjFoU2T6oW172tnS08KdzkH4ILxjITpD08y6-VqRhJiPRcI5khDD-bWhPBniSEvByo-Do6nax9Mxy_7gXPF0fOgg0HOpuaaRIxLDAIcaQKSOyItvV-FMMOq9TMCctFNUhfHZL5R7BkUfe/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Features like this provide pleasant background noise</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RGNo6iZhewd2MtpYPga0YDiRKDD6LHUeP1GvYza74RgBHToOK-OckPFXgoj-qDps-7YdUcc5HdKMSkB37tjElUtsaJUAOuBg2Zm-IZstzmg5vSNHjBfuT-bj5TUP9dmM5PdXnV279Fcazs3X6bUG1MZYjYOsVT9I_aqH32tI4D8i_o9HKNLMx_bPlnk3/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RGNo6iZhewd2MtpYPga0YDiRKDD6LHUeP1GvYza74RgBHToOK-OckPFXgoj-qDps-7YdUcc5HdKMSkB37tjElUtsaJUAOuBg2Zm-IZstzmg5vSNHjBfuT-bj5TUP9dmM5PdXnV279Fcazs3X6bUG1MZYjYOsVT9I_aqH32tI4D8i_o9HKNLMx_bPlnk3/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail following the banks of the brook</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfj8ZZdG7XwyJIvyTxDssDx47b-LUBLG6tqL3qQrIkm6EJGNWP4R2gCpKqMw7o8Zk9jdYzfAnlu3pvlDqTmU5Wv5AlTVbI2Mw-WeeS-Me6Shmci71HKD6TJ5ciIxiYyntxoPZ2hf8ASkR_98DSOMGU7weYJI6ztJ6H0h84sdHOsxN1WOK4VZtTGSGnm-f/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfj8ZZdG7XwyJIvyTxDssDx47b-LUBLG6tqL3qQrIkm6EJGNWP4R2gCpKqMw7o8Zk9jdYzfAnlu3pvlDqTmU5Wv5AlTVbI2Mw-WeeS-Me6Shmci71HKD6TJ5ciIxiYyntxoPZ2hf8ASkR_98DSOMGU7weYJI6ztJ6H0h84sdHOsxN1WOK4VZtTGSGnm-f/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got to appreciate bright orange mushrooms</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAV7Psu9byrS8iCO8txCcjeUDSY6L5B_E98D5VpNKfCiq1dTy84y5ryd_HlUH4h0lqRKfJc70updGLvKVry7QCtX9U3_6IFO42PCxOLz-revRV9TlUCJ7OXqAQSIEon53K4KFQ00CqgSUT_kZ4Nj4riBtn7bVoUWZ_2Xe--M6qSCiCTcFPzNnKWd6SHaz/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAV7Psu9byrS8iCO8txCcjeUDSY6L5B_E98D5VpNKfCiq1dTy84y5ryd_HlUH4h0lqRKfJc70updGLvKVry7QCtX9U3_6IFO42PCxOLz-revRV9TlUCJ7OXqAQSIEon53K4KFQ00CqgSUT_kZ4Nj4riBtn7bVoUWZ_2Xe--M6qSCiCTcFPzNnKWd6SHaz/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting stretch of blowdown</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjqBr1KiI4h4xarRBuduCGymlWBt27_2OfaPFrGX0X1gHyFVpyu5pafc0xUj_9sPwb3k2a4YyYW7wzUBvLC011HAAYY_JRjN8eAMjUaQcbwn8nZam3az07JhF9hhGJD0XxBj2gSM6-kfq3qVt2neXFfm4gKC9GfHHQAL-xsb1-81fUC9EDpniiXVQDeX1/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjqBr1KiI4h4xarRBuduCGymlWBt27_2OfaPFrGX0X1gHyFVpyu5pafc0xUj_9sPwb3k2a4YyYW7wzUBvLC011HAAYY_JRjN8eAMjUaQcbwn8nZam3az07JhF9hhGJD0XxBj2gSM6-kfq3qVt2neXFfm4gKC9GfHHQAL-xsb1-81fUC9EDpniiXVQDeX1/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muddy stretch</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eventually I approached a few water crossings, all within a short distance of each other. The water had receded a fair amount since the weekend rains. All of the water crossings had a decent selection of rocks to step across without getting my wet. A few spots my poles came in handy. On my return I met a larger group struggling to cross without poles. Recent reports a couple weeks early required a ford through thigh deep water in the brook.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7p84SxBwP1m5w9ga33qJkpybib-1B7uP9uEXWyZ5ASWkiqzcB8ZN4ltvfgFxHA9PvUtmYhGVVfZQztY3DtLtswXfVrDV_5kT5z99mUpZyP8SH1iV1ETLvY5aW2T99lhmZAT5eJa9hRh6zC7BF31hit3uiWKsu4SB5oHIuLPVlTDfTl3v3wN_x8F6q--k/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7p84SxBwP1m5w9ga33qJkpybib-1B7uP9uEXWyZ5ASWkiqzcB8ZN4ltvfgFxHA9PvUtmYhGVVfZQztY3DtLtswXfVrDV_5kT5z99mUpZyP8SH1iV1ETLvY5aW2T99lhmZAT5eJa9hRh6zC7BF31hit3uiWKsu4SB5oHIuLPVlTDfTl3v3wN_x8F6q--k/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First water crossing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5nhXjt7JcNE3ntP_6rOOkXrBFPHuQclGzDy05GU1PLYlvJtn1CejQ8e5ONZITNsiHFmT3dBfBaOktgEyGZg5Gkt4Nwilnk_BcA7-NJPkfckkBzgZ5F0xnQVL-nmZudvvea1NroYPWAow7bk2A0FOEm9-1qbaAe9rFetv4zKhSw7_voRuETl8QXTEYW3Z/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5nhXjt7JcNE3ntP_6rOOkXrBFPHuQclGzDy05GU1PLYlvJtn1CejQ8e5ONZITNsiHFmT3dBfBaOktgEyGZg5Gkt4Nwilnk_BcA7-NJPkfckkBzgZ5F0xnQVL-nmZudvvea1NroYPWAow7bk2A0FOEm9-1qbaAe9rFetv4zKhSw7_voRuETl8QXTEYW3Z/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another water crossing </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About a half-mile past the last water crossing, I reached the start of the Owl's Head herd path. Two cairns marked the path, but they may not always be there since the path is not maintained or an official trail. Even without the cairns the path is pretty easy to see as long as you know when to start looking for it. Pretty quickly it joins the slide path.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVUsLRS7kE0dw2Fz4P5gyWbxEhvY-m2z1Q1t5UOdKAHawrgQXAMn8RFw_le9_9wFYBkYtGGACpPhXuigyOXHFRMF1eyvvtxKbbKJWy5w_kIyI4QYuZfmKHz7IdaC3RIULMMVXPH5xywUMyerp38f2c9vsODU2NzprurLdSKe7DEhaTnp6DkcfeOREPN42/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVUsLRS7kE0dw2Fz4P5gyWbxEhvY-m2z1Q1t5UOdKAHawrgQXAMn8RFw_le9_9wFYBkYtGGACpPhXuigyOXHFRMF1eyvvtxKbbKJWy5w_kIyI4QYuZfmKHz7IdaC3RIULMMVXPH5xywUMyerp38f2c9vsODU2NzprurLdSKe7DEhaTnp6DkcfeOREPN42/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of herd path to Owl's Head</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-igHaSStEWYgfQlzVTqqX0BAOZ1_ocnEUm34VZjp6FQi8vjut8jwNulXUop_q1bP_S1S4tNVjpMtqx46J4O2NMcG5KL3aRqChPEZsxBeNu4Y1-FEi57YxBboH-zQqWfbX5bZObBKgJS1kw8HuhIDV9gOmZxCr7zrqw5QD_Z89q4FGYridaPJ1IPAAVcE/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-igHaSStEWYgfQlzVTqqX0BAOZ1_ocnEUm34VZjp6FQi8vjut8jwNulXUop_q1bP_S1S4tNVjpMtqx46J4O2NMcG5KL3aRqChPEZsxBeNu4Y1-FEi57YxBboH-zQqWfbX5bZObBKgJS1kw8HuhIDV9gOmZxCr7zrqw5QD_Z89q4FGYridaPJ1IPAAVcE/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low on the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>If you hike in the mountains of New England or Adirondacks long enough, you'll probably hike a slide at some point. Some are worse than others as far as steepness, amount of scrambling, or loose ground. The Owl's Head slide seemed to be not too bad compared to a lot of the slides I've encountered. It's steep at times and a little loose, but doesn't really require much scrambling. Trees close to the path come in handy for handholds when needed.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGT92y7TSAnKc6fKDwJgr4mu49ZTDAjDjSF_2TfM9xd0eVOYJnXd5CJuo6DcJEmz2p9NsY3b2E-KH78Am0CGLWNGcuKxByptOTiUmFbMgd5c3iEJxFovL-WLfCb4_e2CY4RgXbl0FQxWs9fFmNcX7S9LR3_2KYFEfFeZU9kh8tjGn3RvmzTZo2e0J9DSd/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGT92y7TSAnKc6fKDwJgr4mu49ZTDAjDjSF_2TfM9xd0eVOYJnXd5CJuo6DcJEmz2p9NsY3b2E-KH78Am0CGLWNGcuKxByptOTiUmFbMgd5c3iEJxFovL-WLfCb4_e2CY4RgXbl0FQxWs9fFmNcX7S9LR3_2KYFEfFeZU9kh8tjGn3RvmzTZo2e0J9DSd/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical look up the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn98-dV0gdYaWDnxnyq3gE1c6iOvjnqwHnubA7WyIA3IlVY6D8zZxRI3UshWUgupqACtabvhnpfkrCiooTqKc_cSG3c07XH-sKAmlS7c7aYzncusIMr8Eyv21XYFtUmCuJ6iMx9C3_zanB2gcJDa74tBQVwlU4JqZQGLdKo3-r7jETz30TUqOH7X5nIJ5/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn98-dV0gdYaWDnxnyq3gE1c6iOvjnqwHnubA7WyIA3IlVY6D8zZxRI3UshWUgupqACtabvhnpfkrCiooTqKc_cSG3c07XH-sKAmlS7c7aYzncusIMr8Eyv21XYFtUmCuJ6iMx9C3_zanB2gcJDa74tBQVwlU4JqZQGLdKo3-r7jETz30TUqOH7X5nIJ5/w300-h400/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20026.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short scramble</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>People often complain about the lack of views for the amount of work on Owl's Head. I was pleasantly surprised by the good views while climbing the slide. While there are certainly better mountains for far flung vistas, I won't complain about the nice views looking back at the Franconia Ridge. They were better than I expected.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNAAJ5-FK0auqH2Jo6XexGhLwSEg33B2ikOXaP3uq6aSsUgD0Yl5vIFwVO67y_Pvc3vNHaNKKl09_uUM5HfdB6n5SwWKguOwXd1OzhV51aHPAvCpmPC-9j_D0XUUcUkGxM_KVr2aAqSmXzoB4tUusIZpb70FlEvfo6s67vOhzxz4qAPGI70-X47uk-kH5/s4032/Nh8.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNAAJ5-FK0auqH2Jo6XexGhLwSEg33B2ikOXaP3uq6aSsUgD0Yl5vIFwVO67y_Pvc3vNHaNKKl09_uUM5HfdB6n5SwWKguOwXd1OzhV51aHPAvCpmPC-9j_D0XUUcUkGxM_KVr2aAqSmXzoB4tUusIZpb70FlEvfo6s67vOhzxz4qAPGI70-X47uk-kH5/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to get some views on the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pbuDFDsCwV4n2eMyG8pPpF9WU65KYbK3pIzdooRl37-oxebrfyetopTX4NIUaAHb9jED7n_DshgpekWk_R_fKHvR2K2cdjAlhzVJOGYKFmtvtES4CtrLotmteJLPmV9QmYd8BjZ442zY6clMYpCyabG4_-RVtOhREVkdIjtRPbj5aPEsYV2EB08fR7Pr/s4032/Nh8.23%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pbuDFDsCwV4n2eMyG8pPpF9WU65KYbK3pIzdooRl37-oxebrfyetopTX4NIUaAHb9jED7n_DshgpekWk_R_fKHvR2K2cdjAlhzVJOGYKFmtvtES4CtrLotmteJLPmV9QmYd8BjZ442zY6clMYpCyabG4_-RVtOhREVkdIjtRPbj5aPEsYV2EB08fR7Pr/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The north end of the Franconia Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5pHNLgpYLd0Av4pKKXcM3608C8qV842u_5MaQiGLAdkmXiVqqqhCg88UigFZ2PLgryQk_2ZZ_qxw8mRI5ZuiY8uvpzkg26Ml65H4DvAVR_3BtAMVOXqZgi6pC7L1Pssm7THBJAqD2fge_sGtZ2CRvLSE2dJkXzLotW_nZeWdBhmAB5qbxmXStnvIhEsu/s4032/Nh8.23%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5pHNLgpYLd0Av4pKKXcM3608C8qV842u_5MaQiGLAdkmXiVqqqhCg88UigFZ2PLgryQk_2ZZ_qxw8mRI5ZuiY8uvpzkg26Ml65H4DvAVR_3BtAMVOXqZgi6pC7L1Pssm7THBJAqD2fge_sGtZ2CRvLSE2dJkXzLotW_nZeWdBhmAB5qbxmXStnvIhEsu/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My attempt at an artistic photo</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Since the herd path isn't an official trail, you have no markings to follow, although a few cairns were in place. After years of use, the path is well established now and pretty straightforward to navigate. Occasionally the path braids as it climbs the slide, but the braids seemed to rejoin and get to the same point. According to the White Mountain Guide, the route gains 700 vertical feet in only .3 miles to the top of the slide. Above the slide the steep travel continues until you reach the summit plateau.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lOmHKhCP0QNuVUEbU1n_cgsZ7Iv9_0xTi4KCkswjachiO4qQNhWk1Xy7Fylz74Lhp1xEmDsr4usxDG397HFRSjocdk4e395_7J2Wwkt8TDQgu8T_YT17I1fwQ85uAQfywdkSGIcyHmzG7N7XkO6PextKnJQxL6UJHfjCOmMKNtMQAjZrUW4W1opW0aMO/s4032/Nh8.23%20048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lOmHKhCP0QNuVUEbU1n_cgsZ7Iv9_0xTi4KCkswjachiO4qQNhWk1Xy7Fylz74Lhp1xEmDsr4usxDG397HFRSjocdk4e395_7J2Wwkt8TDQgu8T_YT17I1fwQ85uAQfywdkSGIcyHmzG7N7XkO6PextKnJQxL6UJHfjCOmMKNtMQAjZrUW4W1opW0aMO/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumble of rocks higher on the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbzj6yGfLgOurp2SPl13LKvP6F7f21ab_6cRXDkxigW7FP72f8TiSVFiiztTWRRHhi17wnkSs3RIV-EB5gSXXkBNCEN46-2nk7kmLN0R8QNFd-2Yv8-RgW49NiMBD6Z3LtuakHF-Fp_V8gLyjFYF3bVDU2AXUH_k5Rs64-gczxxpFHWXiPHAazuy4iWGt/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbzj6yGfLgOurp2SPl13LKvP6F7f21ab_6cRXDkxigW7FP72f8TiSVFiiztTWRRHhi17wnkSs3RIV-EB5gSXXkBNCEN46-2nk7kmLN0R8QNFd-2Yv8-RgW49NiMBD6Z3LtuakHF-Fp_V8gLyjFYF3bVDU2AXUH_k5Rs64-gczxxpFHWXiPHAazuy4iWGt/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the top of the slide in the forest</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once at elevation the hike is somewhat lackluster. The path traverses the top of the mountain until reaching the cairn on the summit. Other than a partial view towards the Bonds, there isn't much to see. A few herd paths near the summit seemed to fade out before reaching any other views.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZs7Jb9Urh2Xc2PFr5A2i4JalFoGW8-3nJJi2MmmKCWMGD7H46sC81LLJGII3ohSI-2vzZSLaelZJMExgUebsEP_hj3fsR6nst80YkVN7h9BsrBU23aMY8Sn3F3z2KoN-ry07BDTVjEdB2Gj1DrfP9KFvvqs9YX1-JJoXHrpoSNNeCvkjWLOQDpLZryoq/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZs7Jb9Urh2Xc2PFr5A2i4JalFoGW8-3nJJi2MmmKCWMGD7H46sC81LLJGII3ohSI-2vzZSLaelZJMExgUebsEP_hj3fsR6nst80YkVN7h9BsrBU23aMY8Sn3F3z2KoN-ry07BDTVjEdB2Gj1DrfP9KFvvqs9YX1-JJoXHrpoSNNeCvkjWLOQDpLZryoq/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical terrain above the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lvwm7K1Xz9nBIBds1EBdGJhfvKKkxpIkmgpFwKr1-3T1jhzGX0wDbUiIhOy8hU0N2UlvoVkNQ3KD69gJW_qYs63cSSPYV3oW5YSjBxSGdeQ1H0LzjWKsAy0cTRd8GLqR9tstodf72S9voJs8t75kpm1h_Ybm_dfsoUUV7HTLwOnQJ1BiNM__Rj6x-sU0/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lvwm7K1Xz9nBIBds1EBdGJhfvKKkxpIkmgpFwKr1-3T1jhzGX0wDbUiIhOy8hU0N2UlvoVkNQ3KD69gJW_qYs63cSSPYV3oW5YSjBxSGdeQ1H0LzjWKsAy0cTRd8GLqR9tstodf72S9voJs8t75kpm1h_Ybm_dfsoUUV7HTLwOnQJ1BiNM__Rj6x-sU0/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveling over the flat summit</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Using the Black Pond route, I hiked about 8 miles to reach the summit. At this point I stopped for a snack on the summit. One other hiker was at the summit when I arrived and another pair arrived while I was there. I didn't linger too long since there wasn't much to see.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UrL8lO005GOA2QbwCIqSIGGzyShDmkopkWYbxbRjlb37zA2nKrFDowXsoqWc9wmk-bAiUi0BwpkemGAVEn9LhCpACD7WRe-7WV84IrwVztSnoSNTYCYtoITnnStdmWrM3fsE6lKMeuShFKqJ5QLBQMb9Mp1VB7P1LXTJwitBXmDHkBkmlAC5nNTKVIDJ/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UrL8lO005GOA2QbwCIqSIGGzyShDmkopkWYbxbRjlb37zA2nKrFDowXsoqWc9wmk-bAiUi0BwpkemGAVEn9LhCpACD7WRe-7WV84IrwVztSnoSNTYCYtoITnnStdmWrM3fsE6lKMeuShFKqJ5QLBQMb9Mp1VB7P1LXTJwitBXmDHkBkmlAC5nNTKVIDJ/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit cairn</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many people choose to descend via another bushwhack called the Brutus Bushwhack. This route avoids the slide on the descent. I was told there isn't much benefit to the Brutus Bushwhack in summer so I descended the slide. I was happy to catch the views again as I descended. The slide was nice and dry so the descent was pretty easy. I was back to the Lincoln Brook trail pretty quickly, passing several groups on their way up.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7sqwoZLKDy4_ncAf36tYEaUlLbuQrBsRA8QXa0CQdMHgjgppr-JGFiaCZwp-P5yikdcJPRVWSmobnxYUBaBHwKzftrmPJPUvlPdqR2N_y7NSUJ0lQr6BjuQDxKkO6Gu9yvufRnS2g5WZ0CRPizYAAWLcyj-M0FEg6G2zMijY-SAZhcM5-L7RgkcLlpMy/s4032/Nh8.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7sqwoZLKDy4_ncAf36tYEaUlLbuQrBsRA8QXa0CQdMHgjgppr-JGFiaCZwp-P5yikdcJPRVWSmobnxYUBaBHwKzftrmPJPUvlPdqR2N_y7NSUJ0lQr6BjuQDxKkO6Gu9yvufRnS2g5WZ0CRPizYAAWLcyj-M0FEg6G2zMijY-SAZhcM5-L7RgkcLlpMy/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best view from the top of Owl's Head</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXzT3b3ATFAQruZe90-IRNM8yT27PXufxNsorWavgXt22f9bU8XZB1xkXykR5yvLC-7_HF4BpPshdmnRgp08RElL4QpQfk38rXkxGadDI1TCx3K1oiBWczYQEFqj8CQUTlweN-58Y1dWJxUeaDk9EguWHiUTcnVo7LYTCIka2KY7avc0N5tIJymnDm6l0/s4032/Nh8.23%20032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXzT3b3ATFAQruZe90-IRNM8yT27PXufxNsorWavgXt22f9bU8XZB1xkXykR5yvLC-7_HF4BpPshdmnRgp08RElL4QpQfk38rXkxGadDI1TCx3K1oiBWczYQEFqj8CQUTlweN-58Y1dWJxUeaDk9EguWHiUTcnVo7LYTCIka2KY7avc0N5tIJymnDm6l0/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the views as I climb back down the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQa-Xe-Jg6rVWBwOVacY5AHMLDLsg7zGttaAaYYogNkcaMlb98wMg0CuKq3qAUvEOms0t9USGCk_6f9z9dc0FVNnhmdCgq-kOOadh4l2yDKdAioOR3whaBpgV2DNPnzybublLSp6-bEAJQDnNKNX-snULX8Lf-JH475a4gTPT_45cer-MTMbw0FU9nLnx/s4032/Nh8.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQa-Xe-Jg6rVWBwOVacY5AHMLDLsg7zGttaAaYYogNkcaMlb98wMg0CuKq3qAUvEOms0t9USGCk_6f9z9dc0FVNnhmdCgq-kOOadh4l2yDKdAioOR3whaBpgV2DNPnzybublLSp6-bEAJQDnNKNX-snULX8Lf-JH475a4gTPT_45cer-MTMbw0FU9nLnx/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the valley from the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQcAnIeN2chbBgiol-_-YLJ0YRhtCSfekiIjqdjIb8jPtf1ML4rmLva0a068AbnI-ZWMxgnLsXBl4CqZXc2MlholSwKgGBSQgC20Rvz8P1CGd98oOK6XTcMUv82NC5P9373fO72JeulfrMJju3w7SmK5hwk1u-ULSzT7kms9dLpEJcx5-AtgWvyhLMN0v/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQcAnIeN2chbBgiol-_-YLJ0YRhtCSfekiIjqdjIb8jPtf1ML4rmLva0a068AbnI-ZWMxgnLsXBl4CqZXc2MlholSwKgGBSQgC20Rvz8P1CGd98oOK6XTcMUv82NC5P9373fO72JeulfrMJju3w7SmK5hwk1u-ULSzT7kms9dLpEJcx5-AtgWvyhLMN0v/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The Lincoln Brook Trail stays relatively flat. I had another hiked planned after I wrapped up this one. I took advantage of the flat trail and ran when conditions allowed, hiking when the trail became too muddy or rocky. Other than a few short stops to enjoy Lincoln Brook, I reached the turnoff for Black Pond pretty quickly.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSbrT1g80WAHh2SP3Z_0BdFyYzpp6vnMsAdH5wqDoZlpotWe5TUzXuuhv1ecnC-YG05KIumTMjMVadIGnjtiYbZ7Uu7S3ZYAiPGhPXOplpYnx3a3mN7pfGCfYFiDuwm07S-ztn8pTTNBqKDKHk4yHaunWIGF47BIT5YnWrlccoDuDbcCNFM7H9BviQjH2/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSbrT1g80WAHh2SP3Z_0BdFyYzpp6vnMsAdH5wqDoZlpotWe5TUzXuuhv1ecnC-YG05KIumTMjMVadIGnjtiYbZ7Uu7S3ZYAiPGhPXOplpYnx3a3mN7pfGCfYFiDuwm07S-ztn8pTTNBqKDKHk4yHaunWIGF47BIT5YnWrlccoDuDbcCNFM7H9BviQjH2/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Lincoln Brook on the hike out</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I slowed my pace a little as I made my way towards Black Pond on the herd path. I stopped once again to enjoy the mountain views over the pond. While still quite pretty, it wasn't quite as impressive when the Bonds and Owl's Head reflected in the still morning water with the fog rising.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvzZgVXjpsJhWOzjJHR7UQXVeMgDZBRe9nvx-U0NMa2iFpoAbzG9YdOuMNxwd4Vm9qHw2qrAs24_YY7Sy6ixhej5c9-E7S6vP6NrkRD4byH7eDLyozFuIsaAgCMM1VC1VFilSZEMLxkw8LzA_QF4cBxBIN0ckSrIhpSCsC0bbWTrKjqwHf9bmdI9uGNK9/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvzZgVXjpsJhWOzjJHR7UQXVeMgDZBRe9nvx-U0NMa2iFpoAbzG9YdOuMNxwd4Vm9qHw2qrAs24_YY7Sy6ixhej5c9-E7S6vP6NrkRD4byH7eDLyozFuIsaAgCMM1VC1VFilSZEMLxkw8LzA_QF4cBxBIN0ckSrIhpSCsC0bbWTrKjqwHf9bmdI9uGNK9/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back on the Black Pond herd path</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx_Kk0buKzhC5t4_obD_FDOPAcz5_dJXM77IsI-QX6DbZotW83SM7Cc7Bp46BhDQk_Ot4R80vZFHioNkXWClz2CaKfiP8xjAGlzkwKMoGuJm5o-ReC_30qsGMwn0M9eZZDgzZmQsAiFO4zsnbIfQ8QBPXuPWJZVAONtocCW6omaCXeCrW_Twph7xJm9VH/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx_Kk0buKzhC5t4_obD_FDOPAcz5_dJXM77IsI-QX6DbZotW83SM7Cc7Bp46BhDQk_Ot4R80vZFHioNkXWClz2CaKfiP8xjAGlzkwKMoGuJm5o-ReC_30qsGMwn0M9eZZDgzZmQsAiFO4zsnbIfQ8QBPXuPWJZVAONtocCW6omaCXeCrW_Twph7xJm9VH/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large rock enroute to Black Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvPEzSZsh6ezi8oLi8JJl8YiVeoIqBLYBUtKswHs4GKEugVpLpsvUhIT_lTxCUCbpU4L6TSwHzQ3iRAPN92lDD3uFKrEQpPurzz7ygWqG4JuRce4O9xsWuIZXNC7VW8pRqjpq5s30i2S1BSFtr5l3izpuwPmCl8aKG8CdmdVemRUNQ_oG-X-eQxE0IA6cm" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvPEzSZsh6ezi8oLi8JJl8YiVeoIqBLYBUtKswHs4GKEugVpLpsvUhIT_lTxCUCbpU4L6TSwHzQ3iRAPN92lDD3uFKrEQpPurzz7ygWqG4JuRce4O9xsWuIZXNC7VW8pRqjpq5s30i2S1BSFtr5l3izpuwPmCl8aKG8CdmdVemRUNQ_oG-X-eQxE0IA6cm=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another look at the Bonds from Black Pond<br />taken earlier in the morning</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>After leaving Black Pond, I resumed my trot, quickly reaching the wide open Lincoln Woods Trail. Once on the Lincoln Woods Trail, I ran the final 2.6 miles back to the trailhead, stopping briefly to enjoy the river a couple times. I passed people headed into the woods pretty frequently on this stretch. Since they didn't have any gear, I'm guessing most were headed to Franconia Falls for the afternoon. I reached the trailhead at 1250PM.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X2rJ7d_vPyvf8fFabuWETcnMWe4bjlp9VwcOdUF8NfsXGGZlCV6F1tpi26tlR1Mqff6OJGQa9j1cXUFaAyKabwWAkAd78LV9RYbtyEERzWOiFd7WrmtEu988CKWz63X_HYLtII26hR-8HV4_PC4s62cIJUvIUlp05qCnUE_FMfQhoLq3rcbXPFOQuxou/s2592/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X2rJ7d_vPyvf8fFabuWETcnMWe4bjlp9VwcOdUF8NfsXGGZlCV6F1tpi26tlR1Mqff6OJGQa9j1cXUFaAyKabwWAkAd78LV9RYbtyEERzWOiFd7WrmtEu988CKWz63X_HYLtII26hR-8HV4_PC4s62cIJUvIUlp05qCnUE_FMfQhoLq3rcbXPFOQuxou/w400-h300/Owls%20Head%208.2.23%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back on the flat Lincoln Woods Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Using the Black Pond route both ways, this hike travels about 16 miles roundtrip. Despite the mileage, majority of the hike covers pretty flat ground. Roughly 14 miles travels with little elevation gain. Miles fly by enroute to the Owl's Head herd path on the mostly flat trails. If you are uncomfortable hiking on unmarked trails, maybe wait to tackle Owl's Head until you gain more experience traveling in the mountains. If you do hike Owl's Head, I also recommend watching the weather closely. The water levels tend to rise quickly in the area and the several water crossings on this hike can become quite dangerous. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSJ2pEgYQfwS9EqTMes9fZ6ccVdaRBQRwjd4Om4yaj9r9FNanXF2f-BhKaGFOZwnxIUeETIIqvDpyU9B8MJTeAMrHscCt9xYYCETzSoRTyAK_0KeIjLKfHCdZTwp2DjCo4mLphXMBCMrudtbYuKRRVqRRWb5UdCd_wKhLw7LEXCfe4UxgRKLqNDD-y0-l/s4032/Nh8.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSJ2pEgYQfwS9EqTMes9fZ6ccVdaRBQRwjd4Om4yaj9r9FNanXF2f-BhKaGFOZwnxIUeETIIqvDpyU9B8MJTeAMrHscCt9xYYCETzSoRTyAK_0KeIjLKfHCdZTwp2DjCo4mLphXMBCMrudtbYuKRRVqRRWb5UdCd_wKhLw7LEXCfe4UxgRKLqNDD-y0-l/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of Franconia Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>After hiking to Owl's Head, I feel its reputation as a slog of a hike is undeserved- again similar to Allen Mountain in the Adirondacks. I found this hike to be a pleasant surprise. Yes it's a long way for one mountain with a treed, mostly viewless summit. But the journey to the summit more than makes up for the lackluster summit. The views from Black Pond, the tumbling waters of Lincoln B rook, and views climbing the slide all help make this hike a pleasant experience. I also enjoyed climbing on the slide as well and found it a nice change from the relatively flat hiking up to that point. Don't think of Owl's Head as just a trudge to knock off one more peak on a list. Enjoy the journey and sights along the way. After all, you are in a beautiful and fairly remote part of the mountains.<div><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, visit and “LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>on Facebook where I post photos more frequently and revisit past adventures.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-33241545168817787202023-08-08T11:41:00.001-07:002023-08-08T11:43:45.708-07:00The Willey Range<div style="text-align: left;">The Willey Range stands on the west side of Crawford Notch in New Hampshire's White Mountains. The range contains three 4,000 foot summits; Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, and Mt. Willey. as well as a couple of lower mountains. The Willey Range sees a fair amount of traffic from peakbaggers. Despite the peakbagger traffic, the Willey Range is literally overlooked and overshadowed by the Presidential Range on the other side of Crawford Notch. As a result, it seems like most people hike the Willey Range's highest peaks only out of obligation to climb the 48 New Hampshire 4,000' mountains.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I originally planned on hiking the Willey Range last September as part of a longer backpacking trip. Due to lingering rain, I postponed my trip and lost a day of hiking. As a result I skipped the Willey Range to save some time. After that trip I was down to my last five remaining of the 48 4,000' peaks of New Hampshire. Hoping to hike the last five mountains before I left the Northeast next year, I planned a trip to New Hampshire. First on my list, tackle the three 4,000 footers of the Willey Range. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not many people say much about the Willey Range's 4,000 footers, so I expected a mediocre hike as far as views and scenery. Nonetheless, I set off on the first day of August on a beautiful day. Unlike most hikes, I actually started this hike in the early afternoon, hitting the trail at 1240PM. This worked out well finding a parking spot as morning hikers started to clear and I found a spot right at the trailhead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before I hit the trail, I changed into my hiking clothing and shoes in my van. An extremely loud roar shook the area. An A-10 military jet flew through Crawford Notch. I missed it but a second one soon followed. The plane was extremely low to the ground before climbing steeply out of the notch. I always enjoy these experiences, holding a pilot license myself. Before I started hiking, they came back for a second low pass. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera ready</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I began hiking from the trailhead on the Avalon Trail I passed quite a few hikers on my way up as the morning hikers were returning. The trail was fairly typical of the White's with a mix of rock and roots, but nothing too terrible. At a junction to Mt. Avalon I split off onto the A to Z Trail and made my toward the crest of the Willey Range.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIryXu8Zlj9TVbR11Ki411tRpWPqRqJijc223VdPalM1NIIkUusAqxTLE1AIXfsKBid3yM4yEYcwbVgDyc2Iq7P8IZ53PreTgcnr0-ST_50JS7Ya_RLtyhWh4oQCXHY6KkbBUOB9JF-_H_b02DRIPqMoiRJ2fNlHZnXzd8pf1e0ko7cWtBFWJih1TyzFE/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIryXu8Zlj9TVbR11Ki411tRpWPqRqJijc223VdPalM1NIIkUusAqxTLE1AIXfsKBid3yM4yEYcwbVgDyc2Iq7P8IZ53PreTgcnr0-ST_50JS7Ya_RLtyhWh4oQCXHY6KkbBUOB9JF-_H_b02DRIPqMoiRJ2fNlHZnXzd8pf1e0ko7cWtBFWJih1TyzFE/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailside mountain stream</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhauaZ-S6HFbNXZoenTcFzL4bWJyCr0n06ljsKc7H_puec8M7beVINQksZbWEt7X8QiMHFFu-5m7_QZyoqZ2YsvTFfBoRViOVh0iFDboyyQp_y5K7-wNmftmU4uSDgHth_luNPpL9j5xb0hOTGTB3s6OnqpUlqpmRoA_xMIm97Qh2JR9aQkc2F3KdisYg_h" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhauaZ-S6HFbNXZoenTcFzL4bWJyCr0n06ljsKc7H_puec8M7beVINQksZbWEt7X8QiMHFFu-5m7_QZyoqZ2YsvTFfBoRViOVh0iFDboyyQp_y5K7-wNmftmU4uSDgHth_luNPpL9j5xb0hOTGTB3s6OnqpUlqpmRoA_xMIm97Qh2JR9aQkc2F3KdisYg_h=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooty and rocky trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdziDd4DtJM4jGYICwJv7cMQnDyL_YpodbG0EJBm1UHBfjx7s20Zv3Wh0HruJ6Ezr5-kGLV4b45R3e8XcbZaDtv5PONeAfyMY6sVmASb7pFnacXfBWaC8sy16dFTkMqxk8T0hk95Aax9nBSjrI2W9J629JLy9UZ-leVlnENGCrVlc7C09JPtX_y89YA3zn/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdziDd4DtJM4jGYICwJv7cMQnDyL_YpodbG0EJBm1UHBfjx7s20Zv3Wh0HruJ6Ezr5-kGLV4b45R3e8XcbZaDtv5PONeAfyMY6sVmASb7pFnacXfBWaC8sy16dFTkMqxk8T0hk95Aax9nBSjrI2W9J629JLy9UZ-leVlnENGCrVlc7C09JPtX_y89YA3zn/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice trail work</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YCw572BQHGVPQ81h5p_8ZGfFaKuTFPWrw1iPQDK2FLFCpUD-XNecoOXH-w_Rgus1PDBD-LV0fTB6Gd6YMIB5hmQ7y6QXknVDhnzkWmgpv6KWAg13MB22r6IhQ-r-WDoCjAY-XGRDqRpOLwLKUujTbN4kilq46t6ejyr3kd6jCSR_JXBqrrJ-_HTue_X3/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YCw572BQHGVPQ81h5p_8ZGfFaKuTFPWrw1iPQDK2FLFCpUD-XNecoOXH-w_Rgus1PDBD-LV0fTB6Gd6YMIB5hmQ7y6QXknVDhnzkWmgpv6KWAg13MB22r6IhQ-r-WDoCjAY-XGRDqRpOLwLKUujTbN4kilq46t6ejyr3kd6jCSR_JXBqrrJ-_HTue_X3/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy root around a mossy rock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first destination for the day was Mt. Tom. At the saddle of Tom and Field a marked trail leads .6 miles to the summit of Tom. Other than a few rocky spots, the spur to Tom climbs fairly gradually. A cairn marks the lackluster 4,051' summit. I followed a few of the herd paths short distance but didn't find much in the way of views other than obstructed peeks through the trees. The summit of Mt. Tom stands less than three miles from the trailhead, and by itself, is an easy climb.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5rQ64m39GIcXCpzP4cNs3yX5YKKqfMQVf5AmUMMROC5Rm3HlPd5CkXurEwwKDC32UkF5_gxXileF4fQcXdeMok8TNY3q8jUDk8nqvE757Q-W3Bfrc255xMFhs2UYTn92xuAwDNmt8bn6D6X6SfSaa6Sioa76DfL9N_EZ4mKOY4vKP0ltHr2cTBfVNbSO/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5rQ64m39GIcXCpzP4cNs3yX5YKKqfMQVf5AmUMMROC5Rm3HlPd5CkXurEwwKDC32UkF5_gxXileF4fQcXdeMok8TNY3q8jUDk8nqvE757Q-W3Bfrc255xMFhs2UYTn92xuAwDNmt8bn6D6X6SfSaa6Sioa76DfL9N_EZ4mKOY4vKP0ltHr2cTBfVNbSO/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn off for Mt. Tom</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnFAuNhVfbBf5ir8s56jkUh_dZZeaYZt2k7E7_0TevtTlzqrXqYuLBcGtOGMOhdjl3XLrsZMZEtqOAcLOrwaRdDu82lSSlxyJYFhPRom4Kn_UvW3MtOJlnUXRndHCUFLu-ZTwaOqMx_JqBCzQp3HBvBebcpOt1BTAfuPlDv8_u93xxQ-dWoxQka3_w4_u/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnFAuNhVfbBf5ir8s56jkUh_dZZeaYZt2k7E7_0TevtTlzqrXqYuLBcGtOGMOhdjl3XLrsZMZEtqOAcLOrwaRdDu82lSSlxyJYFhPRom4Kn_UvW3MtOJlnUXRndHCUFLu-ZTwaOqMx_JqBCzQp3HBvBebcpOt1BTAfuPlDv8_u93xxQ-dWoxQka3_w4_u/w300-h400/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20007.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small scramble on Mt.Tom Spur </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r8SOHT6k4aGOhJaSZnf-G03unZ94FOO628YUoUA0zsQjvdy6eboz35RXHZXozDqUdx-MbIQ4CdrlHxkHUIg8QLvEWpeeP54tmBUmAC5eF4JrmQtcwu9NzS52LUrpRLWgdj9Npu-SyZLU-uZoYJ4a7AYtdBIg6pd29DReLIUcloPUG1CralCEd9xwyiH_/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r8SOHT6k4aGOhJaSZnf-G03unZ94FOO628YUoUA0zsQjvdy6eboz35RXHZXozDqUdx-MbIQ4CdrlHxkHUIg8QLvEWpeeP54tmBUmAC5eF4JrmQtcwu9NzS52LUrpRLWgdj9Npu-SyZLU-uZoYJ4a7AYtdBIg6pd29DReLIUcloPUG1CralCEd9xwyiH_/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit cairn on Mt. Tom</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With several more mountains ahead of me, I descended back to the saddle below Tom and joined the Willey Range Trail. From the saddle, Mt. Field stands less than a mile away. I was surprised at how gentle the climbing was enroute to Field. For the Whites, the trail was quite easy. The only challenge came during the last 100 yards below the summit when the trail climbed more steeply over rockier terrain. I reached Field in less than twenty minutes from the saddle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yEXPAL9e_Nyojp8u33KPVOCjp6HXdwO49TSl0tlyii6rdvGZ0SaPQiCLPEH6y6JL_RI9ZjvP6rsMncuPOS5q2XLDtnxi4TuyKQonZ9cvwIRqke5evOU9p6rFQWc2m7lzRAttKFV5nN3XpavCa6oOP_ej5ODQUDMdmPkhLAW1EMb9qT8dKtl6Q5WqrHC0/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yEXPAL9e_Nyojp8u33KPVOCjp6HXdwO49TSl0tlyii6rdvGZ0SaPQiCLPEH6y6JL_RI9ZjvP6rsMncuPOS5q2XLDtnxi4TuyKQonZ9cvwIRqke5evOU9p6rFQWc2m7lzRAttKFV5nN3XpavCa6oOP_ej5ODQUDMdmPkhLAW1EMb9qT8dKtl6Q5WqrHC0/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn off from A to Z Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgHCyRROGFjndO74xG1V4FR7MdtVogVM9kORdOU3CSAd8sYHfg06ycGcfkzLIppxusHOXiePOnneyNGfufMEtPzMV5Ly61P3IIMJVwdFUtVlKGMcvL6R543ST3vLCwUYQFbRo2if60SZmJIqU52EeR-C-krecmi1027P2GVNeWbSb0tRAtprDW2GRkbno/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgHCyRROGFjndO74xG1V4FR7MdtVogVM9kORdOU3CSAd8sYHfg06ycGcfkzLIppxusHOXiePOnneyNGfufMEtPzMV5Ly61P3IIMJVwdFUtVlKGMcvL6R543ST3vLCwUYQFbRo2if60SZmJIqU52EeR-C-krecmi1027P2GVNeWbSb0tRAtprDW2GRkbno/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail enroute to Mt. Field</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtl1npFCJjelVGiIAinRVhEuuKZOb8FCJdiUsB281fN7kfSmk_Eprx398rdqmqT1PK_pdx941AVwtgJatSBIjVqNG_8YQkciPJ6Z1JL6SpM1ZCR-yEzC1o88Ju8q34foDZAPC9g4vJrJdDznm1wFbSbTpDdZbrR_GR6PfZ0BzZ11LL2nm_XPuJj2N4X8X/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtl1npFCJjelVGiIAinRVhEuuKZOb8FCJdiUsB281fN7kfSmk_Eprx398rdqmqT1PK_pdx941AVwtgJatSBIjVqNG_8YQkciPJ6Z1JL6SpM1ZCR-yEzC1o88Ju8q34foDZAPC9g4vJrJdDznm1wFbSbTpDdZbrR_GR6PfZ0BzZ11LL2nm_XPuJj2N4X8X/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just below the summit of Mt. Field</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit571nruoD8zOMqUZkUUZsEFQY3-9MoVcIHqkjQXR4_NseGTPA78INjYGdJWXxhLVIq26G2ZQuRIstY19lQlBdlWE6Vu0NcPL9jiCX5D-M1sZzlscI8k_ckCLRfBVyHtop7Vujh3ElEafliujvx-X_w8All-1RpcYrst0HU-zUlhSc7ydETfKHmTFdvUgG/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit571nruoD8zOMqUZkUUZsEFQY3-9MoVcIHqkjQXR4_NseGTPA78INjYGdJWXxhLVIq26G2ZQuRIstY19lQlBdlWE6Vu0NcPL9jiCX5D-M1sZzlscI8k_ckCLRfBVyHtop7Vujh3ElEafliujvx-X_w8All-1RpcYrst0HU-zUlhSc7ydETfKHmTFdvUgG/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit cairn on Field</td></tr></tbody></table><br />At 4,340', Mt. Field stands as the highest peak in the Willey Range, good enough to rank as New Hampshire's 23rd highest mountain. I didn't have great expectations for views on Field, but was pleasantly surprised by a couple of nice openings in the trees. One view looked directly towards the Mount Washington Resort near Bretton Woods. North and South Twin Mountains dominated the view to the west.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRzHa38hJGCQNJdGD69ZKevIb2ovZyzjElTLNW_-EV7emKIy-XISY2mn6lqicyQIMKVfJKT6JBKMLUW35HvCRC8NhXhdDUm2ZVUN2W-tV3IoRtpxSXHiGTFDnhq6FccSp-rapqEphXwPSC8Y4aZZqkcoK39legbqAUZcJM8sRvTIIEs5dbtepIpe0tFAg/s4032/Nh8.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRzHa38hJGCQNJdGD69ZKevIb2ovZyzjElTLNW_-EV7emKIy-XISY2mn6lqicyQIMKVfJKT6JBKMLUW35HvCRC8NhXhdDUm2ZVUN2W-tV3IoRtpxSXHiGTFDnhq6FccSp-rapqEphXwPSC8Y4aZZqkcoK39legbqAUZcJM8sRvTIIEs5dbtepIpe0tFAg/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards Mt. Washington Resort</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1prv6UXKNqvytypadQ65qw6H0QR_9uGgVSvGeS_6p7euylxmlAhQhC3q1b6UeiLK3eOYm_FchhgNOa1xJYl0WDHoRAZ1Wx2sGt67-pOCip2pY0sD62aVEO62WLd5xHkfZWAzo7OmF8NB4Fa5bl9cDKxSuroY1FlAaPXgIKgWNXuy3WymESNV_lNwsKJC/s4032/Nh8.23%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1prv6UXKNqvytypadQ65qw6H0QR_9uGgVSvGeS_6p7euylxmlAhQhC3q1b6UeiLK3eOYm_FchhgNOa1xJYl0WDHoRAZ1Wx2sGt67-pOCip2pY0sD62aVEO62WLd5xHkfZWAzo7OmF8NB4Fa5bl9cDKxSuroY1FlAaPXgIKgWNXuy3WymESNV_lNwsKJC/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the Twins</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_shSWusv9zCxgREqgL2O_KciR2HAYNGgRSmGRRrHhjLeX25GU90HTZg1XbG5sOzWxEk35AHajMwzIoJbuXXHvGS1lTJOgjBk2ZF5ZwymiE4REV9EEzkstVqDJcWWuP4oYOxay5iKmqXlhGeLGMxl3qKxDOHzAtpatpQn7_lDplqh4UrvFB9MWXRTmx6i/s4032/Nh8.23%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_shSWusv9zCxgREqgL2O_KciR2HAYNGgRSmGRRrHhjLeX25GU90HTZg1XbG5sOzWxEk35AHajMwzIoJbuXXHvGS1lTJOgjBk2ZF5ZwymiE4REV9EEzkstVqDJcWWuP4oYOxay5iKmqXlhGeLGMxl3qKxDOHzAtpatpQn7_lDplqh4UrvFB9MWXRTmx6i/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not terrible views despite a treed summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Most hikers to the higher mountains of Northern New England have been visited by Grey Jays at some point. At least one Grey Jay was hanging out in the small clearing on Field. I held out food but the bird seemed shy. A few times it flew towards me, but it didn't take my offering. After its last pass, it flew to the ground and started picking at someone's discarded toilet paper. It's probably for the better this particular bird didn't land on my hand.<div><br /></div><div>I started the 1.4 mile traverse to Mt. Willey. I was pleasantly surprised by the numerous views as the trail descended from Field. The trail between Field and Willey takes on a more rugged nature. At times during the descent, the trail negotiates rockier terrain. The vegetation along the trail has started to encroach the trail in a few spots. Unlike the climb of Field that seemed to go by fast, the traverse to Willey seemed slow.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBNQmqKRoQ-FVEbL_eA1Xq30PTLSqwGCua7mHNkZVoCGeGNadqvoe0yPO5rr0T6yuQQQzOC_hofAOuMY0fm6iuF78GFWsbawOL9r2LYb01SusmiYky5Oa9uLDfYATvRs8zdROngNJZcDpPMcvGMbtgRkLuU6VCzmElH4tCmo9yRP7qE1JGJOvgCPHINT4/s4032/Nh8.23%20076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBNQmqKRoQ-FVEbL_eA1Xq30PTLSqwGCua7mHNkZVoCGeGNadqvoe0yPO5rr0T6yuQQQzOC_hofAOuMY0fm6iuF78GFWsbawOL9r2LYb01SusmiYky5Oa9uLDfYATvRs8zdROngNJZcDpPMcvGMbtgRkLuU6VCzmElH4tCmo9yRP7qE1JGJOvgCPHINT4/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrigain and the Hancocks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RFqACVFVXkSRAGVEgJqGdptFStnV9zxJX0J7QHyuGEh7Nz4N5Q2QIe6MyWkCVsGq70O_MIGzwEJ980-mWcekMTaiQSLUA9iWxD840kwlXG_zseXNJsDF9mWvzeVbWRq2IbPTGP_NtCQtAbGxMesD5817oRoTnOMYgQPi59iFuiXJqvHxb37BZoGwxt6g/s4032/Nh8.23%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RFqACVFVXkSRAGVEgJqGdptFStnV9zxJX0J7QHyuGEh7Nz4N5Q2QIe6MyWkCVsGq70O_MIGzwEJ980-mWcekMTaiQSLUA9iWxD840kwlXG_zseXNJsDF9mWvzeVbWRq2IbPTGP_NtCQtAbGxMesD5817oRoTnOMYgQPi59iFuiXJqvHxb37BZoGwxt6g/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Carrigain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6o5Y5BGyZ7XmcNu2GeBOJgmxMPEAIpDXaCNd5UdXtpBiKFb0Wi7VXBwfpeiFNLLXVpZu5xZ7A-Qh8UyULVTO1w_hDMVvD6x3SFOmaNZfN7n_IVTApOGzBS9dhHBQAcUGZLZ0IdIk7JdUy9RRFxhB7aYjJyfYbW_ZzmkGmoJRjVb00CLm74Bk2DXYjD9j/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6o5Y5BGyZ7XmcNu2GeBOJgmxMPEAIpDXaCNd5UdXtpBiKFb0Wi7VXBwfpeiFNLLXVpZu5xZ7A-Qh8UyULVTO1w_hDMVvD6x3SFOmaNZfN7n_IVTApOGzBS9dhHBQAcUGZLZ0IdIk7JdUy9RRFxhB7aYjJyfYbW_ZzmkGmoJRjVb00CLm74Bk2DXYjD9j/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dense woods between Field and Willey</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After passing a couple of partial views, I reached the summit cairn of 4,285' Mt. Willey. While the summit itself lacks any scenery, I found descent views just below the summit that looked to the south. Mt. Carrigain dominates the view. Although I didn't go beyond the summit, after the fact, I read of potentially good scenery just beyond the summit to the south as well.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTrQ0si6jE6rEPMxjtMfewFZYFEGmA7GvhFHRtLYYXmvpVPXyVKnu9ptZhtvij2tICvUkkVCHC0Iin8LOXqgUv8oAhZUWZmIxWksFWAdDeHNWMUXSUbCz0cvZbZeJ9UZrbjX3aQbnpGJAhuIAwmDAUMvZUbYjzwxJTQNpH9Q6mO3FmngqQQgFBNWoWrea/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTrQ0si6jE6rEPMxjtMfewFZYFEGmA7GvhFHRtLYYXmvpVPXyVKnu9ptZhtvij2tICvUkkVCHC0Iin8LOXqgUv8oAhZUWZmIxWksFWAdDeHNWMUXSUbCz0cvZbZeJ9UZrbjX3aQbnpGJAhuIAwmDAUMvZUbYjzwxJTQNpH9Q6mO3FmngqQQgFBNWoWrea/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willey's summit cairn</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga82MQVYwUT-GL5VzoqIs1dAnCG0MICI_nUoza7D1BtUbhBP3RR49G4z4rqPVFDtI13D0xg-EOVoFvXeVEXYjP_aKhkcM6R5edHcCevyVFEzaMifSBA3pOxnYc715oNA2rQyDnr7tfj1iCpF16phGjLUp90X7kmVVBnICevcfwcr-tBSrAd9CxyJOVj0Wn/s4032/Nh8.23%20073.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga82MQVYwUT-GL5VzoqIs1dAnCG0MICI_nUoza7D1BtUbhBP3RR49G4z4rqPVFDtI13D0xg-EOVoFvXeVEXYjP_aKhkcM6R5edHcCevyVFEzaMifSBA3pOxnYc715oNA2rQyDnr7tfj1iCpF16phGjLUp90X7kmVVBnICevcfwcr-tBSrAd9CxyJOVj0Wn/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20073.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial views on Willey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0gg43GaNKfyyX2sCquPCdEgVMe9cpMN59aiCkh7ErO5lMwUm2wjMDe7itO2djXtkgT4kEl92YT-JbDGN2CBk9-Qo22j6PrXTG2wK9q7FfJ36-ptTH3HhXcLGFyI1TR2dE4COYo85r7eGLoXch-5jL8H2dB7BFRxJh8TRKbT0mWZ-NVtPrkr0KYbuPLw4/s4032/Nh8.23%20072.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0gg43GaNKfyyX2sCquPCdEgVMe9cpMN59aiCkh7ErO5lMwUm2wjMDe7itO2djXtkgT4kEl92YT-JbDGN2CBk9-Qo22j6PrXTG2wK9q7FfJ36-ptTH3HhXcLGFyI1TR2dE4COYo85r7eGLoXch-5jL8H2dB7BFRxJh8TRKbT0mWZ-NVtPrkr0KYbuPLw4/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20072.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrigain and the Hancocks from Willey</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwiNa4giLdmNyVp_rW1JGQ-uqgWPXSzxs66A2RT0BZcbjMLr7bA3X9LSyqfHWSU60SssnOKI-3Ky3p1CQ2_mxlqA8KLCMUiqBZJhYfPyEPM_4vgyM8usxmijM5AxemOUq22l55DFjsBdOA_Mt1rrrhZqnD5OKPkxgoMYvrfKj5kds4HH7huTVkdk9lk9Q/s4032/Nh8.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwiNa4giLdmNyVp_rW1JGQ-uqgWPXSzxs66A2RT0BZcbjMLr7bA3X9LSyqfHWSU60SssnOKI-3Ky3p1CQ2_mxlqA8KLCMUiqBZJhYfPyEPM_4vgyM8usxmijM5AxemOUq22l55DFjsBdOA_Mt1rrrhZqnD5OKPkxgoMYvrfKj5kds4HH7huTVkdk9lk9Q/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrigain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1cPPeCW55Eq3uUQMqMqJ7O0uWWHWseBLoj1rgspvrDxzQiHxpoEVPoMOvqTflGaiO80h37i2z3iz-BziakYlA6xvDns8eHfOkkqWI4J7M0d6R1CWd_f73BTKQY6aa5j12WiaNxvws2m85txDzWLmnylbfI3MMbI591xHzIUZuDwBb1wJZyLC_YpG9_Rl/s4032/Nh8.23%20069.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1cPPeCW55Eq3uUQMqMqJ7O0uWWHWseBLoj1rgspvrDxzQiHxpoEVPoMOvqTflGaiO80h37i2z3iz-BziakYlA6xvDns8eHfOkkqWI4J7M0d6R1CWd_f73BTKQY6aa5j12WiaNxvws2m85txDzWLmnylbfI3MMbI591xHzIUZuDwBb1wJZyLC_YpG9_Rl/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20069.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards Loon Mountain, you could just<br />barely see the ski trails</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I retraced the trail back to Field. The return trip seemed to go by much quicker. I stopped to enjoy the views near Field once again. 100 yards past Field's summit, I turned onto the Avalon Trail.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstiFPwdj12BRQTlAm55lcUNQLuOJcQqyZIL_gmpEr0ED0r9v4I42S4AiSltTlDDJsh171uEL4s06t68d8TFyLp4AyqokwZyN-S8agfJ7OviFpL0QQjAgIvICUq-5NiWHibSMbIIm2GzFnqS8nYlEwkNXdgD7EVwEgV2PR2_1gMs1L57Ji-VlBLuLkYMs9/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstiFPwdj12BRQTlAm55lcUNQLuOJcQqyZIL_gmpEr0ED0r9v4I42S4AiSltTlDDJsh171uEL4s06t68d8TFyLp4AyqokwZyN-S8agfJ7OviFpL0QQjAgIvICUq-5NiWHibSMbIIm2GzFnqS8nYlEwkNXdgD7EVwEgV2PR2_1gMs1L57Ji-VlBLuLkYMs9/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky workaround near Willey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuDsj21CHF14WTC4SjyxK0R4MQMXSHt9yy16IlCL3Zvq9LBZJEkxEBhLw7UZWGjprvcR8AMFYRIfNhxKkzrb87DLp6QvheB3JMKVDayt2OienHyYk8ShzFkoTuS8eLDg9IQ2rMRa7fshWRKnCoDCJzLjZryMncEIDtKQdlj0yIMvtUiJQ8N_AZHHEA0JI/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuDsj21CHF14WTC4SjyxK0R4MQMXSHt9yy16IlCL3Zvq9LBZJEkxEBhLw7UZWGjprvcR8AMFYRIfNhxKkzrb87DLp6QvheB3JMKVDayt2OienHyYk8ShzFkoTuS8eLDg9IQ2rMRa7fshWRKnCoDCJzLjZryMncEIDtKQdlj0yIMvtUiJQ8N_AZHHEA0JI/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field through the trees</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3gXQje09ib2YGZMB53BZS26mX3R1dv_sZCbkl1GlaxRYRFpRs6cjZKRQKjOq-1VQ7qDN6xnDHoV4dUHZSz55BPK8achhk5_R7IyiI6t6e0oZNnYnjG89teEEyOwvdoDrtTxQftDs5rYItI7PeEeEeWO6q2Jv5Tr-izMrdBuqVyP5VTCV1gXEVTFsIXQP/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3gXQje09ib2YGZMB53BZS26mX3R1dv_sZCbkl1GlaxRYRFpRs6cjZKRQKjOq-1VQ7qDN6xnDHoV4dUHZSz55BPK8achhk5_R7IyiI6t6e0oZNnYnjG89teEEyOwvdoDrtTxQftDs5rYItI7PeEeEeWO6q2Jv5Tr-izMrdBuqVyP5VTCV1gXEVTFsIXQP/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loose section of rocky trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2OG-oZPmzGoly0pHLd6WBbazmh2At3sI78ivqxmjXZmJ_VXlZLtJAL4HSaP17J3q7PyWHTcFe4yn7W-dQq4JVj40gtpiTyBQTJTH_L447lsLy5Cq0VATArhZzK_ISkfD9XkT1YUjP6mCQnGVtb32KX3IFdNSkrwW9kPI63LN4y7alIgwJTo76K0zNTpH/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2OG-oZPmzGoly0pHLd6WBbazmh2At3sI78ivqxmjXZmJ_VXlZLtJAL4HSaP17J3q7PyWHTcFe4yn7W-dQq4JVj40gtpiTyBQTJTH_L447lsLy5Cq0VATArhZzK_ISkfD9XkT1YUjP6mCQnGVtb32KX3IFdNSkrwW9kPI63LN4y7alIgwJTo76K0zNTpH/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another rocky jumble along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vEkrEyOhhi_BMjN_OQPnmFxbCRj-uSBwYWxqpNwxfYN9RwcYf-wvQztMRW9ORyacESpw2i4cPK13cF7hthO13xihWYX0S51hafm23awJ-p7S0DYrzmCWHCrMKkjXug-T87geWODDNyE5ZkqBGGSP232Rxo0t8cf-1SgzeL6wE765KpDy2cGjVuzxDlT3/s4032/Nh8.23%20067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vEkrEyOhhi_BMjN_OQPnmFxbCRj-uSBwYWxqpNwxfYN9RwcYf-wvQztMRW9ORyacESpw2i4cPK13cF7hthO13xihWYX0S51hafm23awJ-p7S0DYrzmCWHCrMKkjXug-T87geWODDNyE5ZkqBGGSP232Rxo0t8cf-1SgzeL6wE765KpDy2cGjVuzxDlT3/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back on Field</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXNLb2HKf2unpCtKsJic2GJjpFxV6gYfU1dzRTsbMiAJ_FGT4pSG4SqkQNHfdbTtKoGp1yPq_I6GG1JIsIr9Poz01udRTymdbv_f1UxPZzLHBVY4MISTGg8w2_WHE9S280sohIYlMAg1RjF6yHHo9HWe_r943oONyZrZbrxSuMH5MOhHa2tuEsNI0rWt_/s4032/Nh8.23%20068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXNLb2HKf2unpCtKsJic2GJjpFxV6gYfU1dzRTsbMiAJ_FGT4pSG4SqkQNHfdbTtKoGp1yPq_I6GG1JIsIr9Poz01udRTymdbv_f1UxPZzLHBVY4MISTGg8w2_WHE9S280sohIYlMAg1RjF6yHHo9HWe_r943oONyZrZbrxSuMH5MOhHa2tuEsNI0rWt_/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franconia Ridge just barely poking out in <br />the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Avalon Trail descends at a good clip from Field. After a steep descent, it levels out before reaching the junction for Mt. Avalon. A fairly challenging scramble leads 100 yards to Avalon. The side trail to Avalon is actually the most challenging part of the entire hike. Don't pass this side trail up however. 3,442' Avalon has much better views than Willey, Field, or Tom.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59Tb4XkR-44mk-4s9Mg1DTGtWPStIiwEUkCoGqtvfBCIF_wftiouXMnCu7qF0T11872te-afE0qAjMHvVniXVxy1UiBQQQgoUXaLybnGcmPPyOFOiFsN0CvmtY-KuVozydAb6ZhkPDg2voolzsl_yP6mTCo7p6-FkMSAngMjWA27pO6_ZUiWCtIb7KCVS/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59Tb4XkR-44mk-4s9Mg1DTGtWPStIiwEUkCoGqtvfBCIF_wftiouXMnCu7qF0T11872te-afE0qAjMHvVniXVxy1UiBQQQgoUXaLybnGcmPPyOFOiFsN0CvmtY-KuVozydAb6ZhkPDg2voolzsl_yP6mTCo7p6-FkMSAngMjWA27pO6_ZUiWCtIb7KCVS/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction of Avalon and Willey Range Trails</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KUDx3M46KFlBuCZW1WqYaLuJUUIf40V9LAKyoaUZmI7td6g5kTpwh1ucY_3f6ZfjnL9HRhNwIwqlFzLD4RrcQxVoPLOyYbMrOkOyRX60blmseVubT9h9Ei-dMDQIjqWJ2B3PrK8UT6dUkvwAOoRNzH28FLp-oxO6MeOXA5ASiIsx9iAJBIT_LvjNGMzH/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KUDx3M46KFlBuCZW1WqYaLuJUUIf40V9LAKyoaUZmI7td6g5kTpwh1ucY_3f6ZfjnL9HRhNwIwqlFzLD4RrcQxVoPLOyYbMrOkOyRX60blmseVubT9h9Ei-dMDQIjqWJ2B3PrK8UT6dUkvwAOoRNzH28FLp-oxO6MeOXA5ASiIsx9iAJBIT_LvjNGMzH/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bog bridges along Avalon Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RGE0T2hVPZrVpZJivV0O65EkWqfSYMpd0ZiYkaCJCvE64I4zXXNIMkL_Z_mfQUZVSisoQhffCqaHt3UQXQZ7PHNFwEjb7wGOqM1-wovoTzb4OlJMJTKCJxp4vUa0dDG_U6U-ZRzdXDHQTav0f4Pz-pleu4B-4Z9eODXWCTcLFQ2ASDdKyVwnWkI3x8mn/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RGE0T2hVPZrVpZJivV0O65EkWqfSYMpd0ZiYkaCJCvE64I4zXXNIMkL_Z_mfQUZVSisoQhffCqaHt3UQXQZ7PHNFwEjb7wGOqM1-wovoTzb4OlJMJTKCJxp4vUa0dDG_U6U-ZRzdXDHQTav0f4Pz-pleu4B-4Z9eODXWCTcLFQ2ASDdKyVwnWkI3x8mn/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn off for Mt. Avalon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuXMjbE77mnZH42J90ZMagiRnidTNTaT8UBkW2zce_ZpDs1dZGUtaQjB72XaZ_QB1IMpdwRtpb8ORm_sSiIeqL_2vYodRj07hiiK45A8I-4g1SzO7J93Hlw_vLVfelsQoItDlQIKCJ16_Rkixw668aVtLcgZf5SZ-4fiUYz4_Fx7J0Ma3q3M5L_H1AN9o/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuXMjbE77mnZH42J90ZMagiRnidTNTaT8UBkW2zce_ZpDs1dZGUtaQjB72XaZ_QB1IMpdwRtpb8ORm_sSiIeqL_2vYodRj07hiiK45A8I-4g1SzO7J93Hlw_vLVfelsQoItDlQIKCJ16_Rkixw668aVtLcgZf5SZ-4fiUYz4_Fx7J0Ma3q3M5L_H1AN9o/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky trail to Avalon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxt1nXdqWKyXxnJbE-lMvdQR3el5SEiiJF7p0POPIBJeTbK2rCwYFe0CYcEWmX0BEH43vAdUEjQwspfWTnm74qcnQjfpuAZ5KMo74jGTRRrdLu18Ptri-NtnwFHLvrTLgMUJ6xjMyWkOrbUnY6jt70Ly6VA1dfOXMk1fpalHE7MSCT0bqP5ZHUKeweBXuq/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxt1nXdqWKyXxnJbE-lMvdQR3el5SEiiJF7p0POPIBJeTbK2rCwYFe0CYcEWmX0BEH43vAdUEjQwspfWTnm74qcnQjfpuAZ5KMo74jGTRRrdLu18Ptri-NtnwFHLvrTLgMUJ6xjMyWkOrbUnY6jt70Ly6VA1dfOXMk1fpalHE7MSCT0bqP5ZHUKeweBXuq/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scramble enroute to Avalon</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Avalon's open perch offers unobstructed views across Crawford Notch. The Presidential Range dominates this view. Most of the range can be seen, including Mt. Washington. The cliff-strewn west side of Mt. Webster is probably the most eye-catching feature. You also take in a nice perspective looking south through the notch. There are also unobstructed views of back toward the higher mountains of the Willey Range.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxxUNSo1p0Q0AABf8xPicVjWJwfmdVpLOKZLx3ut6-vNbhKt0xsHgwuH1BmDfhkxxEmCPO_SB3Tnw5MDV6YAHD3KKfGD3tnkpZCDqkBY9ysRjZJ5bVtTZx7SjOGqcROLr8CNDnx4W3zpuXnMYh95Pz-jRO9esoTbr0tbhBUke8sciLBtyCyS2j-BWYvsf/s4032/Nh8.23%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxxUNSo1p0Q0AABf8xPicVjWJwfmdVpLOKZLx3ut6-vNbhKt0xsHgwuH1BmDfhkxxEmCPO_SB3Tnw5MDV6YAHD3KKfGD3tnkpZCDqkBY9ysRjZJ5bVtTZx7SjOGqcROLr8CNDnx4W3zpuXnMYh95Pz-jRO9esoTbr0tbhBUke8sciLBtyCyS2j-BWYvsf/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south through Crawford Notch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg--6T8jErpwwUSUGzY_9JdGnCzLA56jlhhV7SRylFL5iJEJ9qY8PfZg0hyhDraWYOImIc-4PaYteHLHAWZCIksD9OT1MrFIQPdZQ-V4ZH5v3v9Pud5S8T09YhpYi9-4FL3zQHQhU6lXn3IFKKETXkd5YhlnBTWPQHF02xBZaA-WMcL-0QTKQlbETLxy6E4/s4032/Nh8.23%20061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg--6T8jErpwwUSUGzY_9JdGnCzLA56jlhhV7SRylFL5iJEJ9qY8PfZg0hyhDraWYOImIc-4PaYteHLHAWZCIksD9OT1MrFIQPdZQ-V4ZH5v3v9Pud5S8T09YhpYi9-4FL3zQHQhU6lXn3IFKKETXkd5YhlnBTWPQHF02xBZaA-WMcL-0QTKQlbETLxy6E4/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Webster</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_qJ-4JfaaEf7TUNcH9wrZANTGQnCGi8IbQ6KHg5wodXYeI_xZBhjm3zAXDdc8ne1_N9RtJy9Uju5YBqrMuV6DGILiyzkrL8QFxdVnMqbWNT_6cs3aLYzXZeWQ_X5yzV3s4Q7OnEPD2hkvr19JK1AKWYAZe9kPuNKDwxP8K2QKkGucy76IvSAyGQG-PLb/s4032/Nh8.23%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_qJ-4JfaaEf7TUNcH9wrZANTGQnCGi8IbQ6KHg5wodXYeI_xZBhjm3zAXDdc8ne1_N9RtJy9Uju5YBqrMuV6DGILiyzkrL8QFxdVnMqbWNT_6cs3aLYzXZeWQ_X5yzV3s4Q7OnEPD2hkvr19JK1AKWYAZe9kPuNKDwxP8K2QKkGucy76IvSAyGQG-PLb/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup view south through the Notch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA_-tkkZs4QT1C-MBlk6Tpn_gISq5M0NJr7HIr0VMHlpaUI7mbnC4YJaZCOkTPscECl8O6b2w9xsHSFBnCcuTv-pc11eofNl_g5f18XSoKxgag2iqtiU5M3zsSyFM3tcxvKzip_cOvn80gqH7jFjRQq1_g8OlSYzc5mNDrYPN5Nuf6927bFwUWSx17khR/s4032/Nh8.23%20065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA_-tkkZs4QT1C-MBlk6Tpn_gISq5M0NJr7HIr0VMHlpaUI7mbnC4YJaZCOkTPscECl8O6b2w9xsHSFBnCcuTv-pc11eofNl_g5f18XSoKxgag2iqtiU5M3zsSyFM3tcxvKzip_cOvn80gqH7jFjRQq1_g8OlSYzc5mNDrYPN5Nuf6927bFwUWSx17khR/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Washington and the Northern Presidential Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qz2YOe85XiP88-IAXwsnl0lvUuPtkENPmzA05qhS3_zt4CkPmIzkRJiBP9LMRB98QCmcL3Lv6sLho05T1j731S9Eu_a-IkgsR9OW16h4D6v7QasikbL3vjzuRR1YjJHITy0wqw_7G-0ryCMb8zdEf_VzuMZ8lR_Xm-4iy6KBdteEwyZjTAIXtALzrmXy/s4032/Nh8.23%20059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qz2YOe85XiP88-IAXwsnl0lvUuPtkENPmzA05qhS3_zt4CkPmIzkRJiBP9LMRB98QCmcL3Lv6sLho05T1j731S9Eu_a-IkgsR9OW16h4D6v7QasikbL3vjzuRR1YjJHITy0wqw_7G-0ryCMb8zdEf_VzuMZ8lR_Xm-4iy6KBdteEwyZjTAIXtALzrmXy/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoulder of Willey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1iLqti9Zse2zqs9yvnAscI_-cibQ_AVDKFuPkaTIdjQhKsh9IZPCGMYFVS5pXPscRn6lu_phdiTpVoom9KFyH89qilR937ZyUXVPlnacCDQ4jQIYCNtzD_cje8B77aQDbpJp9Rk_eKMYn_kuKkn2UiUCEgTC90FvFIkbvsYbLCj7TdnFYKV9E4jHvRGp/s4032/Nh8.23%20058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1iLqti9Zse2zqs9yvnAscI_-cibQ_AVDKFuPkaTIdjQhKsh9IZPCGMYFVS5pXPscRn6lu_phdiTpVoom9KFyH89qilR937ZyUXVPlnacCDQ4jQIYCNtzD_cje8B77aQDbpJp9Rk_eKMYn_kuKkn2UiUCEgTC90FvFIkbvsYbLCj7TdnFYKV9E4jHvRGp/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridge between Willey and Field</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfxOMYnF6PVjsNK-gwTbwqgZr-2lx96E6zbz0_djC6jNxtcZp-_W4iBJ8ih97y5HefIzoJI5nbWsw1B_HHVOrh5XRxs7IS63Gvj1kL2rweHTCqcbKN7CZ9_UsC69e2HU8UCct7q9AvWE77ISe42_yGZeexC0FKVSuWN6fHeGIqrayQWrFT6dBC7bltSNC/s4032/Nh8.23%20060.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfxOMYnF6PVjsNK-gwTbwqgZr-2lx96E6zbz0_djC6jNxtcZp-_W4iBJ8ih97y5HefIzoJI5nbWsw1B_HHVOrh5XRxs7IS63Gvj1kL2rweHTCqcbKN7CZ9_UsC69e2HU8UCct7q9AvWE77ISe42_yGZeexC0FKVSuWN6fHeGIqrayQWrFT6dBC7bltSNC/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20060.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After enjoying the scenery from Avalon, I returned back to the Avalon Trail. The trail travels close to Crawford Brook. I heard a loud rush of water through the woods and followed the sound a short distance to the brook. A nice little flume 15 or so feet high, rushing into a small canyon caused the roar. I checked on a map and online and couldn't find the name of this waterfall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFJNeQ6RCMCoY5Vo4D58nuaKpcXuVmvuUx854_MfW_fN1nVkgV_x1rJE1AshwO9stNJ2-Be6T41OsZ03O7l4vlKbYU5--bICrUY5r13oDAxrvuZj9JgHYKcH8Py_KCLzZHNr6UwN8YARcZYxn3_DS4yPF4K1KDPpeHjIluMKKNWx78reJdpoZBhe5PTBUN" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFJNeQ6RCMCoY5Vo4D58nuaKpcXuVmvuUx854_MfW_fN1nVkgV_x1rJE1AshwO9stNJ2-Be6T41OsZ03O7l4vlKbYU5--bICrUY5r13oDAxrvuZj9JgHYKcH8Py_KCLzZHNr6UwN8YARcZYxn3_DS4yPF4K1KDPpeHjIluMKKNWx78reJdpoZBhe5PTBUN=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction of Avalon and A to Z Trails</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcMTIGqB2hxuBWvujAieYNfdlHEwQgnXW-8HKOcgpiLVGFPNSKWTZtGAlvsl6x0bXxNyaVl_jatA6jP8lac74I5tdN5mZo5lyX7Gu12tQQ-Tv4LJm4WJgkkUCqQzlJo3_CnjMbDL8yC-xfWETf7xWTi02ArvM6_o-K66VdZmstfVamW8mVwO0_TH896Bd3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcMTIGqB2hxuBWvujAieYNfdlHEwQgnXW-8HKOcgpiLVGFPNSKWTZtGAlvsl6x0bXxNyaVl_jatA6jP8lac74I5tdN5mZo5lyX7Gu12tQQ-Tv4LJm4WJgkkUCqQzlJo3_CnjMbDL8yC-xfWETf7xWTi02ArvM6_o-K66VdZmstfVamW8mVwO0_TH896Bd3=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unnamed waterfall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just below the flume I reached the Cascade Loop, a short spur off of the Avalon Trail. The loop leads to two more waterfalls, Pearl Cascade and Beecher Cascade. Both falls are worth the very short side trip. After a tenth of a mile the loop rejoins the main trail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTy8mVgSMJzx0P8MX3msjqMI094_MAbG4GCq3oTj5mNGD0sd_waPSzCFywsKjk4XBWhJBOkpqHWb5THzpjHqKOaMc772sKR2mF9g7oUHUaoJf1qhBdRZ6B-acFDALoAgeG-uFIxnZYAaN0iJjEZnV3W_SZJiu6w5Z11fDqjC3-dzhnNLq0sVwiJnqGXIg/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTy8mVgSMJzx0P8MX3msjqMI094_MAbG4GCq3oTj5mNGD0sd_waPSzCFywsKjk4XBWhJBOkpqHWb5THzpjHqKOaMc772sKR2mF9g7oUHUaoJf1qhBdRZ6B-acFDALoAgeG-uFIxnZYAaN0iJjEZnV3W_SZJiu6w5Z11fDqjC3-dzhnNLq0sVwiJnqGXIg/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Cascade Loop</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8_yFo6Ulle_GfkvNIVQaZmTFUK1wRHE-z6F5gdFRQ2JK2mWK6EStnm00VfIYNIKrugOGDVophIbxEu2hKsuPd3obkSpojs0OBSbph-Rbq1v974NvQbdsT-igUYVYBJEQhRhYFdipL5Pk0HkiUkouqAlwaAidTZnIflNnsSMMZY9UEEm-eVw_YtrUBcbL/s4032/Nh8.23%20057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8_yFo6Ulle_GfkvNIVQaZmTFUK1wRHE-z6F5gdFRQ2JK2mWK6EStnm00VfIYNIKrugOGDVophIbxEu2hKsuPd3obkSpojs0OBSbph-Rbq1v974NvQbdsT-igUYVYBJEQhRhYFdipL5Pk0HkiUkouqAlwaAidTZnIflNnsSMMZY9UEEm-eVw_YtrUBcbL/w300-h400/Nh8.23%20057.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl Cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1FN3_i4k9iE0wje3BmX_oqvr_Vx0dxk52DV-Pdq4kxsq-PRSPDgKg7BzAXmvhCGnJCAUl2U4_1TZ5yzQmfTWWUMZcZfsNJKb3BTtcbv9Lpd5KU2bHmOjF32ko0_75uPJEJNZgWB4ihKZBIhG-S8_hXcxbQ--LuLSiO1JCitKGcvsO4Om9l_A_PZ3hGiRh" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1FN3_i4k9iE0wje3BmX_oqvr_Vx0dxk52DV-Pdq4kxsq-PRSPDgKg7BzAXmvhCGnJCAUl2U4_1TZ5yzQmfTWWUMZcZfsNJKb3BTtcbv9Lpd5KU2bHmOjF32ko0_75uPJEJNZgWB4ihKZBIhG-S8_hXcxbQ--LuLSiO1JCitKGcvsO4Om9l_A_PZ3hGiRh=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl Cascade from further downstream</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeXAOXrF0r4dzTyjLg6djEUqz5OTt9onSADFbmS3kvbsVOG3FyHiSQAXuiKc0RcYdvsN54rMNAvuOQvd324nS1SgqlEe3rC-n1Qls4M2H-FxnsPUhK53EVtnH7IAGmyRmYKPZ9JIfLx2MASP4oH_PZoiLJ22Ug5F9_tS6-wkNmGyEAbWq-06mz8vvIOd6/s4032/Nh8.23%20053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeXAOXrF0r4dzTyjLg6djEUqz5OTt9onSADFbmS3kvbsVOG3FyHiSQAXuiKc0RcYdvsN54rMNAvuOQvd324nS1SgqlEe3rC-n1Qls4M2H-FxnsPUhK53EVtnH7IAGmyRmYKPZ9JIfLx2MASP4oH_PZoiLJ22Ug5F9_tS6-wkNmGyEAbWq-06mz8vvIOd6/w400-h300/Nh8.23%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beecher Cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">After the Cascade Loop, I traveled the last half-mile or so back to trailhead. I reached the trailhead about 520PM. The total distance for the full hike is right around 10 miles. I couldn't have asked for a better day as far as the weather goes. The day was cool for August with no humidity and great visibility. The valley was only in the 60s with comfortable 50s on the summits.</div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6qBu2MkAsb3GY2B9Dfu5MG2Qx6e8ppXPVDW7WmrCANsxe5_kYIIQdPGU2NAqTyA4gGmlDwuhhXRkSbt6MbrriR5jkwCuqBK4eT3Uy1GPbbTBHUtiK9BNc2HSACbkpXr0h4mlkoeEa1TZV8G7-ibGXII-paSWFlp_rkjqfCtK0h3KybTkVkVA-yx26X2y/s2592/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6qBu2MkAsb3GY2B9Dfu5MG2Qx6e8ppXPVDW7WmrCANsxe5_kYIIQdPGU2NAqTyA4gGmlDwuhhXRkSbt6MbrriR5jkwCuqBK4eT3Uy1GPbbTBHUtiK9BNc2HSACbkpXr0h4mlkoeEa1TZV8G7-ibGXII-paSWFlp_rkjqfCtK0h3KybTkVkVA-yx26X2y/w400-h300/Willey%20Range%208.1.23%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bright orange mushroom</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having not heard much about this hike, I didn't have much in the way expectations. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the this trip. There were more views than I expected from both Field and Willey. The terrain was generally easier than I expected for a 10 mile trip in the Whites. If you are plugging away at ticking off peaks on the New Hampshire 48, I recommend adding Avalon to a trip in the Willey Range. Avalon's scenery really adds to the experience. I also recommend checking out the Cascade Loop to the end of the hike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While there are more impressive ranges in the Whites such as the Presidentials and Franconia Ridge, the Willey Range has its charms. The waterfalls and Avalon probably outshine the actual summits that most people are seeking, but it doesn't take much to add them on to your hike to get the most out of the Willey Range. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>on Facebook where I post photos more frequently and revisit past adventures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-2725606329591382742023-07-29T15:32:00.002-07:002023-07-29T15:32:56.804-07:00Jay Mountain<p>At less than 8,000 acres, The Jay Mountain Wilderness contains the smallest area of any Adirondack Wilderness. Jay Mountain stands as the centerpiece of the Jay Mountain Wilderness The Jay Mountain Trail is the only trail within the Wilderness. The photos I have seen from Jay Mountain look quite impressive. With a long, open ridge and expansive views, I knew I wanted to see Jay Mountain for myself.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie2Fj9ceUjumiT5I6GlD7mZuN2F2vhwxEsjHVHckEKI8NZRm_y57qQtEgd4Z1V3Sx7RYvXujrFrz8typlMGFdwxd-Rv0C0UyObWkFCrd7PX7V8527OXHuNexQ-KTtF6WgssOEmojxSQg1pkJZAeWGB7Xpq6Uj9fKuEpflgrDWVFOjMHtpwBOuS1XgJAeic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie2Fj9ceUjumiT5I6GlD7mZuN2F2vhwxEsjHVHckEKI8NZRm_y57qQtEgd4Z1V3Sx7RYvXujrFrz8typlMGFdwxd-Rv0C0UyObWkFCrd7PX7V8527OXHuNexQ-KTtF6WgssOEmojxSQg1pkJZAeWGB7Xpq6Uj9fKuEpflgrDWVFOjMHtpwBOuS1XgJAeic=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A taste of Jay Mountain offers</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I finally headed to Jay Mountain on the first day of summer. A good forecast without too much haze or wildfire smoke looked promising. Make sure you have good directions to find the trailhead. It's fairly remote. When I hiked it, there was no sign at the trailhead and it may not be obvious if there are no other cars there. With my dog Choya, I hit the trail around 8AM.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The hike starts out easy enough on the Jay Mountain Trail. The trail generally travels through hardwood forests on its lower reaches. Early on, an old stone wall stands near the trail. The footing is good by Adirondack standards and the elevation gain is pretty gradual.</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9d8ROGySKUyj5IYkpFESuzD4jalUYY9UYTjY_huNsXojE9LDySqGCwKfuNyHCH7blNrA5b6BcNht62EFrHAt0RR0bpGXcbga90FYRt7vHW98B5gl4Api5dgacC5wHLVbMA5TU4PeZqoA2Jn0SVFmDbPj42nEUQHxDqO_LjDtav5Mq5jhd7yCq_ybqSQu/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9d8ROGySKUyj5IYkpFESuzD4jalUYY9UYTjY_huNsXojE9LDySqGCwKfuNyHCH7blNrA5b6BcNht62EFrHAt0RR0bpGXcbga90FYRt7vHW98B5gl4Api5dgacC5wHLVbMA5TU4PeZqoA2Jn0SVFmDbPj42nEUQHxDqO_LjDtav5Mq5jhd7yCq_ybqSQu/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old stone wall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KKVm-BGBrxGYkPiBS0oUb5XGGuKXghr8stdRCrqBC2BEc-jIFRKJmEw27RXoZuFsDVsUOC4OkaZoGCN3GloPcdFZzcDY_AQft9AaKM2JwPlcEuwaUJZw0X_tjRNEuV5ZbW60Lc6WEnUmodn4EkjNmhHUrVNTxSo9IlCPWGyXbJgGZNMY71misw4W375O/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KKVm-BGBrxGYkPiBS0oUb5XGGuKXghr8stdRCrqBC2BEc-jIFRKJmEw27RXoZuFsDVsUOC4OkaZoGCN3GloPcdFZzcDY_AQft9AaKM2JwPlcEuwaUJZw0X_tjRNEuV5ZbW60Lc6WEnUmodn4EkjNmhHUrVNTxSo9IlCPWGyXbJgGZNMY71misw4W375O/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy trail early on</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWXoDUjvFu2kBWu1ZGa8UuHcnpcUqsP55f6rjgbEgeGuEc1ss6J27pwW-QaSNg5SlJbHZLdYI_VtX2VNZR308NyAbNQa8i0cN3pQgP2TcvQaEYRhxEhF71a1fM1xTKdCB3PRaFEdtYceq9O8_wIjNSMHGorCLJPbBroO0jOsNKuJgkZlTSZ0LYW23R76y/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWXoDUjvFu2kBWu1ZGa8UuHcnpcUqsP55f6rjgbEgeGuEc1ss6J27pwW-QaSNg5SlJbHZLdYI_VtX2VNZR308NyAbNQa8i0cN3pQgP2TcvQaEYRhxEhF71a1fM1xTKdCB3PRaFEdtYceq9O8_wIjNSMHGorCLJPbBroO0jOsNKuJgkZlTSZ0LYW23R76y/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red eft</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGrmg3ZEfZcrJ8acwMvfzcMxCd0-Ru64yQ0Fw0ZnpoIJxSCXwXbC6J8GtUW9nmlCnul9Yq8kbVQg1t3kLpvpFtVMcPz3MGTz7LR803iqWbf23ibR7VcoPf1Xtkg62Jl1a2YZnYbYIQtSZkdmVPFKfM-XsIgII7wR8jMWn6W_JqVPl9wVTqTn8LWJIrC4x/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGrmg3ZEfZcrJ8acwMvfzcMxCd0-Ru64yQ0Fw0ZnpoIJxSCXwXbC6J8GtUW9nmlCnul9Yq8kbVQg1t3kLpvpFtVMcPz3MGTz7LR803iqWbf23ibR7VcoPf1Xtkg62Jl1a2YZnYbYIQtSZkdmVPFKfM-XsIgII7wR8jMWn6W_JqVPl9wVTqTn8LWJIrC4x/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snail on the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The official trail travels 2.5 miles before reaching a junction. A signs directs you a short distance to an overlook. I followed the trail to the overlook. The first outcropping provides good views toward the High Peaks. Travel just a little further and a more expansive view takes in nearly a full 360 degrees. If you are short on time or just want an easier hike, this overlook is a good place to turn around. From the overlook the views are quite nice. I took in the vista from the overlook while Choya drank some water. I then continued back to the junction.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufU8sTd6M2eq3lBIKLaOf9IXQtVZ754ZQAxtYi9Tg7iYCeeL85J8H2KfHFilySFexBjaF2y5qrAyVCnskamCO9zvfE1mdto6DEPuH26XIMsMvZKCWw2yZdodIW49xWPtSPyOVOZl631Nb-dVvIlZHHQlEExJ-dxjcxHPICl6DK9BL004K4cxRwow2CphC/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufU8sTd6M2eq3lBIKLaOf9IXQtVZ754ZQAxtYi9Tg7iYCeeL85J8H2KfHFilySFexBjaF2y5qrAyVCnskamCO9zvfE1mdto6DEPuH26XIMsMvZKCWw2yZdodIW49xWPtSPyOVOZl631Nb-dVvIlZHHQlEExJ-dxjcxHPICl6DK9BL004K4cxRwow2CphC/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The junction to the overlook</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsrkGIZXzxjP6wpSkf6g3Bo7nseegO8VobcbdMk4Yk4ISrnyPzwiEdL_3vhgEhqsvZQLZyw8TInzlFPWynpHXqgtZdq_TDfMWgHWTkGVbf1OyujEibS4Hmmze_rG40QNroSU5YMgU2QI8Y_-0UDOYLO7_oSADt6u-Wr8mVUtAdj9VAh3sO6zHZD9eP1HL/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsrkGIZXzxjP6wpSkf6g3Bo7nseegO8VobcbdMk4Yk4ISrnyPzwiEdL_3vhgEhqsvZQLZyw8TInzlFPWynpHXqgtZdq_TDfMWgHWTkGVbf1OyujEibS4Hmmze_rG40QNroSU5YMgU2QI8Y_-0UDOYLO7_oSADt6u-Wr8mVUtAdj9VAh3sO6zHZD9eP1HL/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Range from the first overlook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTey6FG31LwQ4lVqaQ9tnzVm7xMzO41Clh_nGZdN5SHbwPpmggTs9QnmCNZkZd6iUbGmGKLRHbfwNlZO3uc_f_wiAJCg5ZBuKpRsxnqNOpEHuEFx-ixVUqn4jBsqnn5pZwxu1yWm56iwx6-khMPE7LZ_6q3nketxBLnxjsEPXcDmX6NU-EY02cuFNQ8NC/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTey6FG31LwQ4lVqaQ9tnzVm7xMzO41Clh_nGZdN5SHbwPpmggTs9QnmCNZkZd6iUbGmGKLRHbfwNlZO3uc_f_wiAJCg5ZBuKpRsxnqNOpEHuEFx-ixVUqn4jBsqnn5pZwxu1yWm56iwx6-khMPE7LZ_6q3nketxBLnxjsEPXcDmX6NU-EY02cuFNQ8NC/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east, with Champlain visible</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLwDqImUYGjR2SX-EgT_u37fzP7SedWh60iPBDtQZNbVzTeFtRmGiLUlTOhD0tm8MemA5cMAyrKOWOax6SpRCMpOyRDyIoMcZLHG7FOPvw5OzBx4UbBVZ3G9UwzBdtW8b3JnyQHVxoL_3B98xC9gS2BiSK6c2rmLcaDNT4CS2veWQVQ4IRMlNeWT4fbUA/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLwDqImUYGjR2SX-EgT_u37fzP7SedWh60iPBDtQZNbVzTeFtRmGiLUlTOhD0tm8MemA5cMAyrKOWOax6SpRCMpOyRDyIoMcZLHG7FOPvw5OzBx4UbBVZ3G9UwzBdtW8b3JnyQHVxoL_3B98xC9gS2BiSK6c2rmLcaDNT4CS2veWQVQ4IRMlNeWT4fbUA/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiteface</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHPl9DouXHbNuP30Lv3YW6NDXrsLz2haZ2Myr3wNJem2vhpKOs6C-U9i2pv6Q3QnuDSLHFUZL4ebVEavYHWsFG4JJZbMzXTAqNbAOWcNc6wDgyvppzByVBEUmCKx7ZZLHR7UjbKE4RX__isrkx6TZ0TjaWb_GzZhJI2Raw-O8BbVpaDpPWQB8c4X3VSif/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHPl9DouXHbNuP30Lv3YW6NDXrsLz2haZ2Myr3wNJem2vhpKOs6C-U9i2pv6Q3QnuDSLHFUZL4ebVEavYHWsFG4JJZbMzXTAqNbAOWcNc6wDgyvppzByVBEUmCKx7ZZLHR7UjbKE4RX__isrkx6TZ0TjaWb_GzZhJI2Raw-O8BbVpaDpPWQB8c4X3VSif/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the ridge of Jay</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back at the junction, a sign with an arrow points the way to the ridge. Although the path along the ridge stays well defined most of the way to the high point of Jay Mountain, the route is not maintained beyond this point. Even with the great views at the overlook, Jay is best known for its long, open ridgeline that lies beyond the officially maintained trail.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTEABBSnYczobdcps4eRso_PseYp441cEndtDr2p47LQLHZL8XADpRqnJsd4Vk8fqi1g1oohRgsbYmi_hD9HWDDavvOfa2z5V3NJuK2qe0XpKdIVpbDa4cmTi7UcnJ7NeBv5Jmtso0UZrck8NCDLSu2QDkOS8PIfq_FUYeG-49bSU3RfP68GPTa3igcG3/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTEABBSnYczobdcps4eRso_PseYp441cEndtDr2p47LQLHZL8XADpRqnJsd4Vk8fqi1g1oohRgsbYmi_hD9HWDDavvOfa2z5V3NJuK2qe0XpKdIVpbDa4cmTi7UcnJ7NeBv5Jmtso0UZrck8NCDLSu2QDkOS8PIfq_FUYeG-49bSU3RfP68GPTa3igcG3/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early clearing on the ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBc-AvkMp2CXnU_rDY32Rqj-GTnmp3dflpuat_UMOpLu6ojIg4vnSktkMIGPxYCvlP3yWa40klHM8D1t_33hHweR4g1wpWmI_-oz8i0pCyQpXYWbhLp38uvG07IVX07RX9xSPaJtvLLIUAdzHEg1UwzqwIJaOFhVbcgbeMpq3rtcqya00rN7YS8DzGo7M/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBc-AvkMp2CXnU_rDY32Rqj-GTnmp3dflpuat_UMOpLu6ojIg4vnSktkMIGPxYCvlP3yWa40klHM8D1t_33hHweR4g1wpWmI_-oz8i0pCyQpXYWbhLp38uvG07IVX07RX9xSPaJtvLLIUAdzHEg1UwzqwIJaOFhVbcgbeMpq3rtcqya00rN7YS8DzGo7M/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The views get better as you go</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soon after leaving the junction, you begin the traverse over the open ridge. The views are nearly continuous. Much of the time you travel over exposed rock. Occasionally the trail dips back into the trees, but never for too long. Cairns sporadically mark the route over the open rock. When in the trees, there is usually a worn herd path to follow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIckk0EkbJ6fSFxYwFtZE5ib7V0pet-pCZXP358qRC9Ddxr_fOT0D9BKvUtCHoF3WERkauJ5jtuXlXtkfeJwTwMIhVtrj0gquIE8rmDFD0A7EdhPpHF_8mxaak9LNJ9uiWJrB58ZLaO_Xu8Y-Uq0detae35rBjD0IWQNn26rGKiBl_NS_8ezun7bM-JS_/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIckk0EkbJ6fSFxYwFtZE5ib7V0pet-pCZXP358qRC9Ddxr_fOT0D9BKvUtCHoF3WERkauJ5jtuXlXtkfeJwTwMIhVtrj0gquIE8rmDFD0A7EdhPpHF_8mxaak9LNJ9uiWJrB58ZLaO_Xu8Y-Uq0detae35rBjD0IWQNn26rGKiBl_NS_8ezun7bM-JS_/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the first open views towards the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Besides the views of the surrounding terrain, a neat aspect of hiking on Jay is being able to see the full expanse of the ridge leading to the peak. The hike from the end of the maintained trail to the summit of Jay only travels 1.5 miles, but its easy to linger and take in the continuous views. At times the route approaches areas that require scrambling. Most of the times a well worn path bypasses the rougher scrambles. A few places still require care and be prepared for at least some scrambling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpjNPcWyPaCqOcy_g7sdBWCsruHHvC2_RGgoactO0oR_KE3bTGmae1IpkAYE0Jwomec0iHA_S0P_l7sYGMESmFtFYjgxTf2RJff9pGpIECdfdJYkLe6_g0hqWHVK06jAAY2dRwgmtcI3qD7E8pBN_CJpK_etjz-OF2y2RLPH2VEuieZbXHN4amqu8VjBK/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpjNPcWyPaCqOcy_g7sdBWCsruHHvC2_RGgoactO0oR_KE3bTGmae1IpkAYE0Jwomec0iHA_S0P_l7sYGMESmFtFYjgxTf2RJff9pGpIECdfdJYkLe6_g0hqWHVK06jAAY2dRwgmtcI3qD7E8pBN_CJpK_etjz-OF2y2RLPH2VEuieZbXHN4amqu8VjBK/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good look ahead along the ridge toward the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdWN-NPegIRyEhwJoIYS6YdVqbn8MxoDWdgraA0DvLi2Ixje2R1gTvO2OuJVay6DELIxavzYKxn90ZSQP2regRKspJ2ixj14PtehJvo0PBouC9UtzU61LfgumShF9gbZFIOEm0s4PW0aK5z2qVYyNuD2jcLUaJMyhcfSebufURwngo1pJYc67opqR2O75/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdWN-NPegIRyEhwJoIYS6YdVqbn8MxoDWdgraA0DvLi2Ixje2R1gTvO2OuJVay6DELIxavzYKxn90ZSQP2regRKspJ2ixj14PtehJvo0PBouC9UtzU61LfgumShF9gbZFIOEm0s4PW0aK5z2qVYyNuD2jcLUaJMyhcfSebufURwngo1pJYc67opqR2O75/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The route is pretty obvious</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhac__aC1Cn0O0tlrlv7X-vRu34IBFRv-1ItFACmVav8O6NsZk6hHPu_jDwKeivYXNaGNZFUMIA_Df-z4REu0z6YGuY2hiMjDqKaWSdEa1n7l5ZQ8Q4LzXFWCSkhTnR5TeZqpfSgnGIBdDx76dvpj185ZE017FvTbiNd3FAbO-kkcGnGghP-6Ru-aWgCbuR/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhac__aC1Cn0O0tlrlv7X-vRu34IBFRv-1ItFACmVav8O6NsZk6hHPu_jDwKeivYXNaGNZFUMIA_Df-z4REu0z6YGuY2hiMjDqKaWSdEa1n7l5ZQ8Q4LzXFWCSkhTnR5TeZqpfSgnGIBdDx76dvpj185ZE017FvTbiNd3FAbO-kkcGnGghP-6Ru-aWgCbuR/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large, open stretch</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part of the way along the ridge, a massive cairn stands out in a large clearing. This would also make a good turn around point or spot for an extended break. This however is not the summit. Beyond the cairn, you will reach some of the tougher sections that require scrambling. In general the hiking becomes more challenging beyond the big cairn.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2duEFpM9WwR_MSsbwaYRwqom5GH0JwC7uDd-NV-XVuUENVjHnTjJRsWIQevy8gs-KHeSjljuK0zW9YZywtCf56ODIiid1zCfQ908iHEzOUEOnm_X9C62VY1WJZdZaF9wgp2oSphh2H9R7cmBHoraOaqasNXJvQECK0nVWt9MLJCWKsLO53H1bS0iLXZs/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2duEFpM9WwR_MSsbwaYRwqom5GH0JwC7uDd-NV-XVuUENVjHnTjJRsWIQevy8gs-KHeSjljuK0zW9YZywtCf56ODIiid1zCfQ908iHEzOUEOnm_X9C62VY1WJZdZaF9wgp2oSphh2H9R7cmBHoraOaqasNXJvQECK0nVWt9MLJCWKsLO53H1bS0iLXZs/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya enjoying the view from his rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLn07njolVDaAFavG-U9ezNRnYHLpeZBMnAX6UnORAM0gKoMhdk6DyoISQ55rW0qGgdCrNV5OfZOecW9WvX-oUxfLmMqXeiZHUtNBeoV1OpmJwtbHFrdzDyIIhXdsC1I7SNaQOGBCxZFPXBhgtW9XFGl4TcAU6-yvVBYG3L0sg5WAzvWo5BKc8f1QEMRai/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLn07njolVDaAFavG-U9ezNRnYHLpeZBMnAX6UnORAM0gKoMhdk6DyoISQ55rW0qGgdCrNV5OfZOecW9WvX-oUxfLmMqXeiZHUtNBeoV1OpmJwtbHFrdzDyIIhXdsC1I7SNaQOGBCxZFPXBhgtW9XFGl4TcAU6-yvVBYG3L0sg5WAzvWo5BKc8f1QEMRai/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rougher terrain ahead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwiv-EPQifHYaLQ4xMlwtTe8OGylTCL4f1evwGezmpH6DBbj-AVopH7RvME0-8PF-9R6b3JS35hzvCQW3dUA2CGhfBW8ztp3lp7j6_me8AieuaAKDilePnvap_xB667ok7LxfX1tjw9EGlPTtl3-dkyUG_5k0tWDfxI6xc608cs7ALpg8LR_-NqBz2CK6/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwiv-EPQifHYaLQ4xMlwtTe8OGylTCL4f1evwGezmpH6DBbj-AVopH7RvME0-8PF-9R6b3JS35hzvCQW3dUA2CGhfBW8ztp3lp7j6_me8AieuaAKDilePnvap_xB667ok7LxfX1tjw9EGlPTtl3-dkyUG_5k0tWDfxI6xc608cs7ALpg8LR_-NqBz2CK6/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Champlain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpiEYsuZLPcqy26iTytRyWmb2-LoiwuMQzVsujdhhjn1Gg_FxW28Ydo___RQPHEYl8vbhmbjx0pXV8it8mktupjOH8VXhUHSmJRQxHL-3icT9h7vpuxdF6_VmNuYcFlhyjvC7G-BTFBR41GNloLZiGTSgDDL6ZTU67orq60gDcyTVNRMntSwHNAyXup5H/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpiEYsuZLPcqy26iTytRyWmb2-LoiwuMQzVsujdhhjn1Gg_FxW28Ydo___RQPHEYl8vbhmbjx0pXV8it8mktupjOH8VXhUHSmJRQxHL-3icT9h7vpuxdF6_VmNuYcFlhyjvC7G-BTFBR41GNloLZiGTSgDDL6ZTU67orq60gDcyTVNRMntSwHNAyXup5H/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working around a rock wall</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It may be a little difficult knowing when you reach the actual 3,600' summit. Several of the open areas stand at relatively the same elevation. The view at the clearing at the the summit proper, while still quite nice, is not quite as expansive as the view from the last open bump on the ridge just before the summit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwY5izMnAUadckDlKRC3s2dzHWzzAeoWFjfUcajMLXjV7_y6B1Miz0NbBFKjWBFSW-zKE_7FI1uvFwCbA5QcdtKUNZbftZaIFpFnv8otiFs9-o-nyvBy4rX_aIyeiiFJjdrQ_XVYKaRkSKpS4HtqXC55S9AHDW076Jnfw-jBJ-N1hvZzfXodQ0L5LJRsb/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwY5izMnAUadckDlKRC3s2dzHWzzAeoWFjfUcajMLXjV7_y6B1Miz0NbBFKjWBFSW-zKE_7FI1uvFwCbA5QcdtKUNZbftZaIFpFnv8otiFs9-o-nyvBy4rX_aIyeiiFJjdrQ_XVYKaRkSKpS4HtqXC55S9AHDW076Jnfw-jBJ-N1hvZzfXodQ0L5LJRsb/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another look at Champlain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BE_b9lTnayvGwvhNW5OyGx-Reslqsyfc65SnYIyppyT4D1Fg9dd6kSUxJRSRBz1c3J68L0OGhy5VWXDVQaUtLOxZk7EqHgfZr6-xez6sobCoQugWEnfJxcSSoptC4LQiZ97MICqb_k-ORizAhWjCJWAjw21SHnEo5fHGbcEMEV0ydImzeuONvfjb5Eah/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BE_b9lTnayvGwvhNW5OyGx-Reslqsyfc65SnYIyppyT4D1Fg9dd6kSUxJRSRBz1c3J68L0OGhy5VWXDVQaUtLOxZk7EqHgfZr6-xez6sobCoQugWEnfJxcSSoptC4LQiZ97MICqb_k-ORizAhWjCJWAjw21SHnEo5fHGbcEMEV0ydImzeuONvfjb5Eah/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at the ridge near the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the higher open areas along the ridge, you can see in all direction. Probably the neatest view is looking back along the ridge itself. You can see where you already hiked and where you would be heading on your return along the ridge. Whiteface towers beyond the ridge almost as if it was framed. The High Peaks, dominated by the Great Range stand across the valley toward the town of Keene. Lake Champlain sits below to the east, with the Green Mountains of Vermont in the distance. The slightly higher Saddleback Mountain stands immediately to the south, with the Soda Range rising a short distance beyond Saddleback in the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once at the summit, I retraced my steps back along the ridge. I stopped for a break to enjoy the views at the more expansive clearing just before the summit clearing. Hiking back along the ridge, you get to enjoy the ridge a second time with views in the opposite direction.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc11-55xUsN26fqZnUw3uOHQ1oUSxfqfghIos5370AYkbu_5tLZUJ2bXYUTDGZBwmx6FxS7lLbN9wzTDORe2RIjwJTQgMfsCq70vglR49DAIcgMYMiW2tGJ1s5U3Xqr5Wpq4TKjFhx6v0Sp3IgHtuDBharrDflSOZj881k7H_Po1CeIaihR3AYBu60fkik/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc11-55xUsN26fqZnUw3uOHQ1oUSxfqfghIos5370AYkbu_5tLZUJ2bXYUTDGZBwmx6FxS7lLbN9wzTDORe2RIjwJTQgMfsCq70vglR49DAIcgMYMiW2tGJ1s5U3Xqr5Wpq4TKjFhx6v0Sp3IgHtuDBharrDflSOZj881k7H_Po1CeIaihR3AYBu60fkik/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IeK7NoZAyDJ-Xk0VUe3quy-cLX3SwSYY6bJccI1Ib97UfF_sB7KQePYvA1P8bQIdqlecG7IpvC_JIGUqDRUxjEHqBtgguaa2j6Gg_CGaQ-8DBoxyj6P4TVEXevngzuf5zPiSPji6Z918zeH55gqt8gsTwcVMPSStQK9z9y5cJsa6h4Gol8hJHGpyyfrp/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IeK7NoZAyDJ-Xk0VUe3quy-cLX3SwSYY6bJccI1Ib97UfF_sB7KQePYvA1P8bQIdqlecG7IpvC_JIGUqDRUxjEHqBtgguaa2j6Gg_CGaQ-8DBoxyj6P4TVEXevngzuf5zPiSPji6Z918zeH55gqt8gsTwcVMPSStQK9z9y5cJsa6h4Gol8hJHGpyyfrp/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saddleback with the Soda Range beyond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1SROu30V4yJf3enZ33VTQSadEepmBebYEoVez5QJwfiy4XfLrLMmhNvfTIOBw-Mmho7neWq6eUKqcnOAvYqYEV8qfzLu6F9tPiDrwNVn2ZCcPtHpy3k8n0uSqE94lLLysev0yfWz1OWKSPBSd-cJ3Q5qPG3vVuuoNFVKfO63Mbg2EiHu3e2D5sFj0yKq/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1SROu30V4yJf3enZ33VTQSadEepmBebYEoVez5QJwfiy4XfLrLMmhNvfTIOBw-Mmho7neWq6eUKqcnOAvYqYEV8qfzLu6F9tPiDrwNVn2ZCcPtHpy3k8n0uSqE94lLLysev0yfWz1OWKSPBSd-cJ3Q5qPG3vVuuoNFVKfO63Mbg2EiHu3e2D5sFj0yKq/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making my way back along the ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's quite impressive looking ahead at the rocky ridge, knowing you will be traversing it soon. As I made my way back along the ridge, I passed several groups making their way towards the summit. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the scenery. On the return, the view towards the Great Range and High Peaks dominates to the southwest for much of the time along the ridge. Whiteface always seems to be looming ahead as well.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnZAiuy65btuxyEonhDwBjQm3pbUfQNV7pGBrnFHCf_ybCSsY-_LdFBbCXpdraH7k4vBSsoKj6vvHqrwCi2NKkNCtwfu_C6P7zBFzI04_5wZ6YrZHakDuRNnI7ZWo9bP8gvgAdCELvADmHTNgxDOYDJofWVNef7fIW9hYI7ucWby7swyqiPsBBQ0qo_u1/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnZAiuy65btuxyEonhDwBjQm3pbUfQNV7pGBrnFHCf_ybCSsY-_LdFBbCXpdraH7k4vBSsoKj6vvHqrwCi2NKkNCtwfu_C6P7zBFzI04_5wZ6YrZHakDuRNnI7ZWo9bP8gvgAdCELvADmHTNgxDOYDJofWVNef7fIW9hYI7ucWby7swyqiPsBBQ0qo_u1/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the valley toward the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa5A8LcoY9mDwIuNBp_oiZ06Q7QxHsEtS6bCHZKx8ZobqVJaJMdL6vDA8M0CIqGhGrtF_nxOFpqJ3lXv_KUZdoBzQlbjZdHOvEiuVsOXx_bnQlgYS1rurJBeEGYcOqbqsR8W3I0AjB72zCAQXOAdgZG1GmVa0_PlelXfbrREFrI8Tb4-7s0ihhRQNhPar/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa5A8LcoY9mDwIuNBp_oiZ06Q7QxHsEtS6bCHZKx8ZobqVJaJMdL6vDA8M0CIqGhGrtF_nxOFpqJ3lXv_KUZdoBzQlbjZdHOvEiuVsOXx_bnQlgYS1rurJBeEGYcOqbqsR8W3I0AjB72zCAQXOAdgZG1GmVa0_PlelXfbrREFrI8Tb4-7s0ihhRQNhPar/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentle open section</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT-CtcQaWJEBu44i8qNUicFFNhl57iW2vJAcEpnG8_hkPBR9NRguHUQHWLtSEQvgN72_Qx-czu9srf8-FwPzk2honrUZlDbLV-4WmcoFYEEpCnj21ObszJEjL0u1OMzUbyDyzzNcKrQ2KtjqKfAbod7swMtuXv-I7Tlk32tT7r25_x-4cxBfkTz8uvjp7/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT-CtcQaWJEBu44i8qNUicFFNhl57iW2vJAcEpnG8_hkPBR9NRguHUQHWLtSEQvgN72_Qx-czu9srf8-FwPzk2honrUZlDbLV-4WmcoFYEEpCnj21ObszJEjL0u1OMzUbyDyzzNcKrQ2KtjqKfAbod7swMtuXv-I7Tlk32tT7r25_x-4cxBfkTz8uvjp7/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiteface always seems to loom over the ridge<br />on the return trip</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F_HrALpIPLmuZkY_KKdO8MunX3p2-c1HZzcJXPdyUi069AUR67pFyxziBc_0imeuH11NkwH8TkZlprGL6AnOtGjhhyyqI50viYclivOvea_GV4J7WeoPk9RksxrRBmBlh5vy0bdbu-lbnFHXws8goAmjeEfBF9S0rjtzhdKxlLtQSxwYjLteV9QVeVVR/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F_HrALpIPLmuZkY_KKdO8MunX3p2-c1HZzcJXPdyUi069AUR67pFyxziBc_0imeuH11NkwH8TkZlprGL6AnOtGjhhyyqI50viYclivOvea_GV4J7WeoPk9RksxrRBmBlh5vy0bdbu-lbnFHXws8goAmjeEfBF9S0rjtzhdKxlLtQSxwYjLteV9QVeVVR/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveling near the edge of the ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once back on the official trail at the junction to the overlook, you enter the woods for good. It's a gentle descent the final 2.5 miles to the trailhead that goes by quickly. When I arrived at the trailhead in the morning, there was only one other vehicle. When I wrapped up my hike, the parking lot was full.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bXzXUoyBngXQIbVI6oV6ejj0yh_9a5coxHRSpwRHQPBZp7Q7dgMDwR_1LyZaAIxn4jtIPox859Dp_sxwiUDv1p7zbCKczPGOB4vZwhe6vkMVDgdynTxafh5mIMPCkvLtsU3-alpjcb0tVFZ77KYb_vTFBnxMV17L9gh7QE6bwRba5O4GiqBBJfLNfh5X/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bXzXUoyBngXQIbVI6oV6ejj0yh_9a5coxHRSpwRHQPBZp7Q7dgMDwR_1LyZaAIxn4jtIPox859Dp_sxwiUDv1p7zbCKczPGOB4vZwhe6vkMVDgdynTxafh5mIMPCkvLtsU3-alpjcb0tVFZ77KYb_vTFBnxMV17L9gh7QE6bwRba5O4GiqBBJfLNfh5X/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working my way across a smooth section of open rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahUZjj-Jyyl6m3de66h3P319Mw3iVka3TVzfkM8w4BBLnVyY5TAjDPghMelvZkl0WUrH7_QtSOMHWIHBuv_Zvm07UhLXraymOfpqjz32BfaeUx2qC8RP-UpumOyyV3Eao2Gdv351Rgu12kyyJV-1pRrLG1qsJ62F645B9i4wGOdCFIFB1tR_xE8zmyvfv/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahUZjj-Jyyl6m3de66h3P319Mw3iVka3TVzfkM8w4BBLnVyY5TAjDPghMelvZkl0WUrH7_QtSOMHWIHBuv_Zvm07UhLXraymOfpqjz32BfaeUx2qC8RP-UpumOyyV3Eao2Gdv351Rgu12kyyJV-1pRrLG1qsJ62F645B9i4wGOdCFIFB1tR_xE8zmyvfv/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh8acOXKs-mcdEcwToNIcxRSSt2LRLs2VTh-jKVKhwOjI5MmLOtAzs9KD9s47XpEKMoiqHx4oCnLj4zcq9XtxiN-FOmdApFOKlnL3ovSsBV_Cm6WzXXmAkhaWi13rJ4VIcutHWh_48Ew-29IuEn1Ofyknkk_P_NNz73pfO4kNFv8UdLTWteURQgvDgXUg/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh8acOXKs-mcdEcwToNIcxRSSt2LRLs2VTh-jKVKhwOjI5MmLOtAzs9KD9s47XpEKMoiqHx4oCnLj4zcq9XtxiN-FOmdApFOKlnL3ovSsBV_Cm6WzXXmAkhaWi13rJ4VIcutHWh_48Ew-29IuEn1Ofyknkk_P_NNz73pfO4kNFv8UdLTWteURQgvDgXUg/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the Great Range</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Hiking the full length of the ridge to the summit of Jay Mountain covers about 8 miles roundtrip. If you enjoy hiking along open ridges, Jay offers one of the best in the Adirondacks. Even compared to hikes in the High Peaks, Jay's ridge stands out. If you can hike it on a clear day, you won't be disappointed with the nearly constant views. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCSC8no43dn7dCP9ZGJnPtI0m9iwpoGxWS4yM_hLhWf9wQcUvuzEabFScg40ylGcWT8RRXKumHn3sKVghHQZ8mK3Qbm9yA17qhbBODYWQIXOedHxUx_J68v7GAXr1ZIxmYrKLY7OEKn7QnKrhAbKt5UyJ08lFS2Wn5xPcjnwL_bqi5B43QcmgBwXzlch_/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCSC8no43dn7dCP9ZGJnPtI0m9iwpoGxWS4yM_hLhWf9wQcUvuzEabFScg40ylGcWT8RRXKumHn3sKVghHQZ8mK3Qbm9yA17qhbBODYWQIXOedHxUx_J68v7GAXr1ZIxmYrKLY7OEKn7QnKrhAbKt5UyJ08lFS2Wn5xPcjnwL_bqi5B43QcmgBwXzlch_/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on an open area of the ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJeyUHA6_c_KJCUE1Qs_P4YRe5hfBADg7eyZpRHbRoCatn7rd4WpunAAue014d06J8d0Ap39kA8ubCgfjxWKNHRc4XzpICgYlnasv06-r4KpQyTmspZF0awMVj_LJDMJd2qksN8tLufRtxaMMasM_-MTPLnVlzCzIPL-0ffkydNzOaQn1mewR6j934FPA/s4032/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJeyUHA6_c_KJCUE1Qs_P4YRe5hfBADg7eyZpRHbRoCatn7rd4WpunAAue014d06J8d0Ap39kA8ubCgfjxWKNHRc4XzpICgYlnasv06-r4KpQyTmspZF0awMVj_LJDMJd2qksN8tLufRtxaMMasM_-MTPLnVlzCzIPL-0ffkydNzOaQn1mewR6j934FPA/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya resting</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jay Mountain's ridge makes for a beautiful hike with no shortage of great scenery. I probably wouldn't recommend hiking Jay if you are new to hiking however. While the route is relatively easy to follow along the ridge, the trail isn't officially maintained. Several paths splinter along the ridge. There are also a few areas that require some scrambling depending on which path you take. This could be problematic if you are uncomfortable with finding you own route or scrambling. At one point I tried to work around a scramble since I had Choya with me. I ended up getting into a short bushwhack and brief class 3 scramble to get back on route. I'd probably consider this at least a moderate hike.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxlRvRKUXKCJ-nR0fG1ORMG2IZp3ikt2eR_m7Z5d4D7yYLHHvHARiwNcOeC-Uo5uraX06EItBOcA9m0bNJCMsdCetUzFtKEe-qJqOh7pwkxtY_3_yILBCTRR8kchAmnJzChvjjM7Q2DPVB1IgteCfroR_MMqaDOjypkgJUyLS0j4I0ZGUKmGyZJISv8ek/s2592/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxlRvRKUXKCJ-nR0fG1ORMG2IZp3ikt2eR_m7Z5d4D7yYLHHvHARiwNcOeC-Uo5uraX06EItBOcA9m0bNJCMsdCetUzFtKEe-qJqOh7pwkxtY_3_yILBCTRR8kchAmnJzChvjjM7Q2DPVB1IgteCfroR_MMqaDOjypkgJUyLS0j4I0ZGUKmGyZJISv8ek/w400-h300/Jay%20Mountain%206.21.23%20055.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite view from Jay</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you already hiked to Jay Mountain and want a similar hike with an exposed ridge, check out the <a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2021/06/the-crows-hurricane-and-nun-da-ga-o.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Nun-da-ga-o</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>of the Soda Range. This is another exposed ridgeline hike with no shortage of views. The Nun-da-ga-o Ridge sits immediately south of Jay Mountain in the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness. Nun-da-ga-o also features an unmaintained trail with less traffic than Jay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-21552986266788454152023-06-18T12:09:00.000-07:002023-06-18T12:09:09.866-07:00Moxham Mountain<div style="text-align: left;">Moxham Mountain risess near the town of Minerva in the central Adirondacks. Its modest height and isolated location help keep it off many people's radar compared to busy Adirondack destinations like the High Peaks. I probably would not have known about Moxham if I hadn't driven by it a couple years ago. Driving from the south on route 28N; just south of Minerva, a large, bare rock dome towers above a meandering stream along the road. I looked at a map to figure out the name of the mountain. It was the south wall of Moxham. I found out that a hiking trail climbs up the opposite side of the mountain. I knew I wanted to check it out at some point.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DJdIsKno-coIOAeYTiqT-LwokfYlQfC0goqfKBYVoTlfLOUN03Z8Ush_NLf2puDdGTIGKpkVDJhTL-CppWdhWtuQyoAlUtzTPgXxOj79a58di5cxOEjyF4rNhavjZVqyGaDz0oAbKyz2cgKBk67jWML70YOh4PzuQDBZJPyV1kWaqGgom1E0m6oPzg/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DJdIsKno-coIOAeYTiqT-LwokfYlQfC0goqfKBYVoTlfLOUN03Z8Ush_NLf2puDdGTIGKpkVDJhTL-CppWdhWtuQyoAlUtzTPgXxOj79a58di5cxOEjyF4rNhavjZVqyGaDz0oAbKyz2cgKBk67jWML70YOh4PzuQDBZJPyV1kWaqGgom1E0m6oPzg/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on Moxham</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trail for Moxham starts just a few miles west of Minerva. The trail only travels about 2.5 miles from the trailhead to the summit. Since its a relatively short hike, I put it on the backburner for a couple years. Finally I decided to check it out in late May as mud season lingered at higher elevations. My dog Choya happily joined me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I reached the trailhead around noon. As soon as I stepped out of the van, black flies let their presence be known. I was a little worried about the rest of the hike, but as soon as I left the parking lot and headed into the woods, the black flies disappeared.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtNFZsCbLg0Ch3XemJ-wqwU5ed0frWmg2J7zb-opeVKFG6BHHokiyOqq8OelLxEGyJebNRzz1rZgnb26vAopkHkfe982hddGr-tYlOBAfnxOostwJ0cff0wsTkeoHJFUOXS5EqeWak4d07KOd0p6hjByZdCZB-60C-riy0vX8L0wg86y80DZ6b4EaUw/s2592/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtNFZsCbLg0Ch3XemJ-wqwU5ed0frWmg2J7zb-opeVKFG6BHHokiyOqq8OelLxEGyJebNRzz1rZgnb26vAopkHkfe982hddGr-tYlOBAfnxOostwJ0cff0wsTkeoHJFUOXS5EqeWak4d07KOd0p6hjByZdCZB-60C-riy0vX8L0wg86y80DZ6b4EaUw/w400-h300/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trail climbed right away, but never seemed steep. Pretty quickly we followed a wooded ravine off to our side. The foliage generally blocked the view into the ravine. A few large glacial erratics sit along the trail. The trail meanders through a hardwood forest on good trail mixed in with smooth sections of rock.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrqTUogDSsS56VRIbOBnHPLw8mEYvK_skQvFKPwJUiS_4TKkfLcyQg48-q0-x5XpCeVm-Hl6APmuMB4VLTg9o1iZDFZ1i3OVPMTBvbr2r-aDFoNTZ7YxCrtGPHE1LMNCbVL5B20qqai6cCOZCibYFHLRxRGbgQi0ZIsbTtqIzELnAZFxtziBOM4u_-w/s2592/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrqTUogDSsS56VRIbOBnHPLw8mEYvK_skQvFKPwJUiS_4TKkfLcyQg48-q0-x5XpCeVm-Hl6APmuMB4VLTg9o1iZDFZ1i3OVPMTBvbr2r-aDFoNTZ7YxCrtGPHE1LMNCbVL5B20qqai6cCOZCibYFHLRxRGbgQi0ZIsbTtqIzELnAZFxtziBOM4u_-w/w400-h300/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in a clearing, with the ravine to the right</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhRRo7YJrvGBv3wBa78ABFrdot7lwdZEtMPR0hIixb_zV_BXqQ9DMsSI62EwUwZxchN_Y1EAzm-_A8KNlFt4AN5h1OxBaGUsiyomhYJghCy09WJ2Al38Me15Pp7XQH92jT_5GaQF0yqTdVCAyKE7QSmY-wLmEoXdtTJych2pEBmRSKvx25CgxtyXd8w/s2592/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhRRo7YJrvGBv3wBa78ABFrdot7lwdZEtMPR0hIixb_zV_BXqQ9DMsSI62EwUwZxchN_Y1EAzm-_A8KNlFt4AN5h1OxBaGUsiyomhYJghCy09WJ2Al38Me15Pp7XQH92jT_5GaQF0yqTdVCAyKE7QSmY-wLmEoXdtTJych2pEBmRSKvx25CgxtyXd8w/w400-h300/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya approaching a<br />Large glacial erratic </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The forest opens up several times as the trail crosses sections of flat rock. It doesn't take too long before you start to have some views. The views build as you hike further along the trail.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJHznnFcE7Iat50N1cakZ-K_hx5yAvwcR8n-aiNNb47q4Df0wxXQoiYDCbt7k677yCBonRMRcuv-7a2wOo0A5BlPHu7LoAcHjoUPKFvJYhtBXQ4-RIXeiOb4No-klm0tjjnO9L2MUOr6EI-IPQxfECixgqIYVa7Uj3sEORkpEmoplCbNNF9xp76d_qg/s2592/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJHznnFcE7Iat50N1cakZ-K_hx5yAvwcR8n-aiNNb47q4Df0wxXQoiYDCbt7k677yCBonRMRcuv-7a2wOo0A5BlPHu7LoAcHjoUPKFvJYhtBXQ4-RIXeiOb4No-klm0tjjnO9L2MUOr6EI-IPQxfECixgqIYVa7Uj3sEORkpEmoplCbNNF9xp76d_qg/w400-h300/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early view from an opening in the forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjVajX1DkXCrRtKF5B48DoMYOVvu12MGOnPz3nBvuGoy_AMOpEzRQ2DD-PtPIJFQXd6yzxjKhUdyJP4o1wookiHJNF1144QJDb3EAlFcbWc5yHeReunoXa1QZrqRMsiL9jmJqUKxLwGzXcwuSxSP0li_KAN_mGQLuWDpg4Ws11nMim-Uc8kzFssIpiQ/s2592/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjVajX1DkXCrRtKF5B48DoMYOVvu12MGOnPz3nBvuGoy_AMOpEzRQ2DD-PtPIJFQXd6yzxjKhUdyJP4o1wookiHJNF1144QJDb3EAlFcbWc5yHeReunoXa1QZrqRMsiL9jmJqUKxLwGzXcwuSxSP0li_KAN_mGQLuWDpg4Ws11nMim-Uc8kzFssIpiQ/w400-h300/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking across section of smooth rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn42kT35qgGD4xcdji_kbsLxqv3PLbCdDvf0aJVN8UAZselQB9TwGLn84ZwQojMfGpJOY_iDUo3dc1NbG75G8saeTrVVudW5RdtOBd-hnQdr6PqvdRvA014SY1zYKgL9oHqFsoiSIHKNq0ylA8k0oVa6UaPZ9-9ieEqv7JgcVLXZ1hS2W4BEaFePgLqw/s2592/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn42kT35qgGD4xcdji_kbsLxqv3PLbCdDvf0aJVN8UAZselQB9TwGLn84ZwQojMfGpJOY_iDUo3dc1NbG75G8saeTrVVudW5RdtOBd-hnQdr6PqvdRvA014SY1zYKgL9oHqFsoiSIHKNq0ylA8k0oVa6UaPZ9-9ieEqv7JgcVLXZ1hS2W4BEaFePgLqw/w400-h300/Moxham%20Mtn%205-19-23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail crosses the top of the rock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eventually the trail starts hiking near a line of cliffs that lead to the summit. The trail generally stays in the forest, but the cliff band is usually just a few feet from the trail. Below the cliffs sits a large meadow in a valley. Short spur trails access the top of cliffs with great views to the south toward the much higher Gore Mountain. A few patches of snow still lingered on the ski trails of Gore even though I was hiking in the second half of May. At times, you can look along the cliff band toward the summit.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWdKd3WlJblER8kd-JG1P5z4r_gMwJem3FgCmITVQAdlqeZJxD9f4IukTCBid751D5mcM7az0CBsOqOCpiaAyubSwShrHOnaJhOnhDu_qQoUl-ITuPaziDcfKg1Bb8ut4UAc7Y7wK2o4nBMKYDqyxTICaISvl8ztL_YSxfA7rCr848m5cAKxd8R3ErA/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWdKd3WlJblER8kd-JG1P5z4r_gMwJem3FgCmITVQAdlqeZJxD9f4IukTCBid751D5mcM7az0CBsOqOCpiaAyubSwShrHOnaJhOnhDu_qQoUl-ITuPaziDcfKg1Bb8ut4UAc7Y7wK2o4nBMKYDqyxTICaISvl8ztL_YSxfA7rCr848m5cAKxd8R3ErA/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gore Mountain visible over a meadow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-kKLmI5vJhV9RUoyUOpMgYFwEfbYteb_WXpeJa8qguSPNXrMlvHsz4ToZMvBenvGCZv-IIOeatVm1WmHkgFTAZM9_soSKMKzM2u01JuNcK9VTqUgZ5TmZSnBiZmvV1-aArXVVD5wOJNjzYdriuuaIjWxcQiNRNzIz-LyDPQE3fRpSwjTJalA6h5L6w/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-kKLmI5vJhV9RUoyUOpMgYFwEfbYteb_WXpeJa8qguSPNXrMlvHsz4ToZMvBenvGCZv-IIOeatVm1WmHkgFTAZM9_soSKMKzM2u01JuNcK9VTqUgZ5TmZSnBiZmvV1-aArXVVD5wOJNjzYdriuuaIjWxcQiNRNzIz-LyDPQE3fRpSwjTJalA6h5L6w/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View towards the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWYTeO9KsEGd8jVtQxD6BKrBOXT4IJjWQ7mx2ymQpWRdL2_kfluk6_eSBmE6vzhdnAIc6Fy2uiXKwfRZZE94hLvd7Y7dMv4KjWQ76IukHpv1OFWIN2aN83grsNcAAtt0Bnmd4vIyVf_LXlXsTy2BwMF0obDxowTp-GttqRYPR5gOt_NS7o8lLxxfG0Q/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWYTeO9KsEGd8jVtQxD6BKrBOXT4IJjWQ7mx2ymQpWRdL2_kfluk6_eSBmE6vzhdnAIc6Fy2uiXKwfRZZE94hLvd7Y7dMv4KjWQ76IukHpv1OFWIN2aN83grsNcAAtt0Bnmd4vIyVf_LXlXsTy2BwMF0obDxowTp-GttqRYPR5gOt_NS7o8lLxxfG0Q/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crane Mountain in the distance from<br />a clifftop vista</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you reach the summit, several spurs lead to different view points. Make sure to check out all the spurs and follow the main trail to its end to see all the different vistas. The 2,464' summit of Moxham consists of a large open rocky area with impressive views to the south and west.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9gb_33vwNXrbX-jZ0gy87QJvoGIYWvHwrYc1IYcgyJSLsLZvkqIm7b6UUsdajxYd5Cs9wGgCzC6zmvFI1gjBGllCnPw--dp1Ad5eha4vKtpLcyZMfzi0MAmv94RFj6zdaBeGcXqQdH99wiBtXtIGLTv2q8VhtpCM9tB8ZozSv6gJbszzfu4c3L2klQ/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9gb_33vwNXrbX-jZ0gy87QJvoGIYWvHwrYc1IYcgyJSLsLZvkqIm7b6UUsdajxYd5Cs9wGgCzC6zmvFI1gjBGllCnPw--dp1Ad5eha4vKtpLcyZMfzi0MAmv94RFj6zdaBeGcXqQdH99wiBtXtIGLTv2q8VhtpCM9tB8ZozSv6gJbszzfu4c3L2klQ/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking to the south towards <br />North Creek from the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCFamrWijl-oVqKsjYV9dUEJmJrIGet0QN7jihhN0GpbSoRxPaFwG9x6qO8TZNjZFoNkBLpJmIXciAyyiY7iyM7tNOJNJAbPiplLUS69ZH3MSGWHAX-txjxyW6Y1DpZB0wCunNaRykR1ZiOZMSRXya0W2a6IeHB2cav0Uvf0FAZ9zcdaxadeRRcjnZw/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCFamrWijl-oVqKsjYV9dUEJmJrIGet0QN7jihhN0GpbSoRxPaFwG9x6qO8TZNjZFoNkBLpJmIXciAyyiY7iyM7tNOJNJAbPiplLUS69ZH3MSGWHAX-txjxyW6Y1DpZB0wCunNaRykR1ZiOZMSRXya0W2a6IeHB2cav0Uvf0FAZ9zcdaxadeRRcjnZw/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya at the main viewpoint on Moxham</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the summit, Gore Mountain dominates the view, immediately to the south with Crane Mountain beyond to its east. The Hudson River reflected the sun and was just barely visible in the haze. The town of North Creek sits below Gore Mountain. To the west Puffer and Bullhead Mountains dominate a long ridge. Snowy Mountain and Blue Mountain can both be seen to the west in the distance beyond the ridge. A large, white rocky patch to the west is the Barton Garnet Mine.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5se371Ga6DDE9FvfL7hVSgTD9NrbP2C0VRSlkuyN-hcl-Rwr3WXWfzchCXZBPCVZk21RnFU-WIsdhJH7ree_OaW7AmcAxJjl4A-Id72sdXVrGaiN5ItBNrxrXX1i92xvW3yCc2rZDmK-duYifEPv7ffhrarrIXG0vUkWC-X7yMhS1GHIqyGJFMaywKA/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5se371Ga6DDE9FvfL7hVSgTD9NrbP2C0VRSlkuyN-hcl-Rwr3WXWfzchCXZBPCVZk21RnFU-WIsdhJH7ree_OaW7AmcAxJjl4A-Id72sdXVrGaiN5ItBNrxrXX1i92xvW3yCc2rZDmK-duYifEPv7ffhrarrIXG0vUkWC-X7yMhS1GHIqyGJFMaywKA/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puffer and Bullhead Mountains are the dominant peaks in <br />the distance, the white scar is the Barton Garnet Mine </td></tr></tbody></table><br />At the summit, I hoped to enjoy the scenery and relax for a while. It was a relatively warm day and I wanted to let Choya get his fill of water and rehydrate myself. Unfortunately, the black flies found us within a few minutes. I'm not talking about a few pestering black flies. We were assaulted by a full on cloud. Choya had some protection with his fur, but they clung to me on any exposed skin. This surprised me since the open summit was pretty breezing at a steady 15-20 MPH with stronger gusts. When Choya drank his fill of water, we departed after maybe just five minutes at the summit.<div><br /></div><div>I followed the various spurs to get the different vantages from the mountain before starting my descent. I found the most interesting view as I left the summit. You look along the ridge over a long line of cliffs that lead away to the west. Just like on the summit, the black flies emerged with a fury anytime you stopped at an open area.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ijou-qDSLyjjodeywa5vrxzh6NXkntKOXGjppE_BrWxyXcr_OHEhl7FPCNEEmWHeumQCw8WdtTnWQNVFrYQbke-4JwRmyzqZlISnhom2SNbH9_MY5-qoiWk5sLMAxdg9ZsOiCY8m2WoZLFIpNouK9mRv4JE_15qj-MUbUeSTIOm5MXk2-LgdI48Bbw/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ijou-qDSLyjjodeywa5vrxzh6NXkntKOXGjppE_BrWxyXcr_OHEhl7FPCNEEmWHeumQCw8WdtTnWQNVFrYQbke-4JwRmyzqZlISnhom2SNbH9_MY5-qoiWk5sLMAxdg9ZsOiCY8m2WoZLFIpNouK9mRv4JE_15qj-MUbUeSTIOm5MXk2-LgdI48Bbw/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good look at the cliff band along Moxham</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgKYkcNu_Hpg60cyncsIVw-rZCWU1HQevHGJ9cbKkqwqFHjqDa7mVNAp5f8Wem8ll-Dfqh4_SEiFnLN42ntk3SdsirslbBJoAKWJZ0nNJwvRTjDYQJG9bWPJ6lHjRlu2tvAJwDIAQHxMcy0JXIOQUa1sFC9ROhKS-PxLOSpEvqe8LJcigcBk_-cMJ-w/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgKYkcNu_Hpg60cyncsIVw-rZCWU1HQevHGJ9cbKkqwqFHjqDa7mVNAp5f8Wem8ll-Dfqh4_SEiFnLN42ntk3SdsirslbBJoAKWJZ0nNJwvRTjDYQJG9bWPJ6lHjRlu2tvAJwDIAQHxMcy0JXIOQUa1sFC9ROhKS-PxLOSpEvqe8LJcigcBk_-cMJ-w/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking west over the cliff bands</td></tr></tbody></table><br />As I retreated back into the woods, the black flies stayed behind. They never bothered me as I hiked as long as I was under the forest canopy. I'm happy that they left me alone in the forest, but was also a little confused since the trees blocked the wind and the air was pretty still. Away from the black flies, the 2.5 mile return to the parking lot was peaceful.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X5tO0Fn8bnzhg00ZVXL5yw8GoMGh3xaSpORxze581boFvEldNivu73-BlllwJPscE8QAK5cD0hd-SDMRNC8siFexBfqeyZKhcXjnT5Qs0XL-7OEHhuQW0cklEAkYw5MM0sk2ilGFmljpivoell-oBZHX_AOwPLwXC4eyCWN-SkR-xrMvrGpfSm2Fmg/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X5tO0Fn8bnzhg00ZVXL5yw8GoMGh3xaSpORxze581boFvEldNivu73-BlllwJPscE8QAK5cD0hd-SDMRNC8siFexBfqeyZKhcXjnT5Qs0XL-7OEHhuQW0cklEAkYw5MM0sk2ilGFmljpivoell-oBZHX_AOwPLwXC4eyCWN-SkR-xrMvrGpfSm2Fmg/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya ready to leave the black flies behind</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Roundtrip, the hike to Moxham Mountain, travels about 5 miles. The elevation change is less than 1,000 feet from the trailhead to the summit. The terrain rolls a little bit and the total elevation gain totals closer to 1,400 feet of climbing all said and done. Along the trail, there are numerous points with views, not just on the summit. This makes Moxham quite a scenic hike. The distance and elevation gain are manageable for most hikers. I'm glad I finally hiked to Moxham Mountain. I wasn't disappointed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though the hike is in a somewhat remote part of the Adirondacks, I still saw at least a half-dozen other groups on a weekday. The trail to Moxham is relatively new (built in 2014), but starting to gain popularity. I found that it is on at least two hiking list challenges, a dog friendly list of nine hikes called the ADK-9 and another list of mostly smaller mountains called the ADK 29er. The inclusion on these lists may be part of its gaining popularity.<br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwc7t1sZq1sVnxspfKFx_GxIMAhx-raWBCaKLn9q998-EUx0vGC6-uOEFch0gIvniDDs_fPHR8ixwuUnN9DPgGTVeMKsh5AHi1ljfnKbTNqnrF5Hh4d98FEVBRgySg9fDEZfzvMfEz5ySaiffVv3vEoozkax99iX0Aefl9jn8_PoLdZQPZz3JMrQxAQ/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwc7t1sZq1sVnxspfKFx_GxIMAhx-raWBCaKLn9q998-EUx0vGC6-uOEFch0gIvniDDs_fPHR8ixwuUnN9DPgGTVeMKsh5AHi1ljfnKbTNqnrF5Hh4d98FEVBRgySg9fDEZfzvMfEz5ySaiffVv3vEoozkax99iX0Aefl9jn8_PoLdZQPZz3JMrQxAQ/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good look at the ponds below Moxham</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</a> </span>on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div></div></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-17548942659916111362023-06-10T09:31:00.000-07:002024-02-20T12:57:41.422-08:00Tomcat Hiking Thomas and Cat Mountains<div style="text-align: left;">Thomas and Cat are two smaller mountains that stand on the west side of Lake George. Last spring, I backpacked on the east side of Lake George and enjoyed the impressive lake views from the summits. I knew I wanted to visit the area again and explore some other mountains. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My plan for the day was originally to hike Moxham Mountain, another smaller mountain near the town of Minerva. Since the hike to Moxham is relatively short, I thought I would add a second hike to my agenda for the day. With Thomas and Cat not too far away, it seemed like a good opportunity to visit these two mountains. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since Thomas and Cat are further away, I decided to tackle this hike first. I had a hiking partner along for the trip, my dog Choya. We started just after 8AM from the Valley Woods Road Trailhead, just off the Northway, not too far from Bolton Landing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBy0g0O6dB05IoxeaB03hk3KqHKljP3MF7jlFEjJKjLxlPgyrALGDvoPDMMDLP2K6whnmqazqFcFJcLMHH5w5XlQtX8V7_eG7lXXXaWrU8qr50x48w5MCeAi8l36-bFiF9dhRqIt3cJrEeIXKWoeLeMOiXYiOPUHJjwb7kgng4OVK0s3yG7EjmmzXAfQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBy0g0O6dB05IoxeaB03hk3KqHKljP3MF7jlFEjJKjLxlPgyrALGDvoPDMMDLP2K6whnmqazqFcFJcLMHH5w5XlQtX8V7_eG7lXXXaWrU8qr50x48w5MCeAi8l36-bFiF9dhRqIt3cJrEeIXKWoeLeMOiXYiOPUHJjwb7kgng4OVK0s3yG7EjmmzXAfQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya enjoying the view from Cat Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trails to both Thomas and Cat travel along old woods roads much of the way. It sounded like Cat has the better views, so I decided to hike up Thomas first to build up to better scenery. The route to Thomas hiked along an old woods road all the way to its vista. The footing was somewhat rocky as it climbed toward Thomas, but fairly easy hiking.</div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZVIomf9rPo98j_rul8v0_9WADvpY0n7O-kD0Jg6iwfQ91jK6gdGX-9k8LbpPpcD5GH9X_ib6skKgkkoMUTWayapIwEfJH5BrwLPBtn8XJ9Lg4amWH_tk6cDCqRSKjLkrCdjEJLsoQ8BJiiK1sN1oft0DktytH4KkbohI3F73BE8QGWzezU0Ppib9UQ/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZVIomf9rPo98j_rul8v0_9WADvpY0n7O-kD0Jg6iwfQ91jK6gdGX-9k8LbpPpcD5GH9X_ib6skKgkkoMUTWayapIwEfJH5BrwLPBtn8XJ9Lg4amWH_tk6cDCqRSKjLkrCdjEJLsoQ8BJiiK1sN1oft0DktytH4KkbohI3F73BE8QGWzezU0Ppib9UQ/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeDx-6kZYI8bekqZzAtEfrKN3m_PAQFP0MuoD6ypDeMV86baDw-RC1jLhYVCKpkB3wyfFGa64CSqdjMPJ2UwFNhbWVm-Ndo_VlIezfzuBl6H9FwyYTsCvCAkPyLFWWLK7PW8SR1VHvY4_rZUkvPn8N0l_NSMcDrQEeBOP2ni2APXrXuaq3QsMb6jGDw/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeDx-6kZYI8bekqZzAtEfrKN3m_PAQFP0MuoD6ypDeMV86baDw-RC1jLhYVCKpkB3wyfFGa64CSqdjMPJ2UwFNhbWVm-Ndo_VlIezfzuBl6H9FwyYTsCvCAkPyLFWWLK7PW8SR1VHvY4_rZUkvPn8N0l_NSMcDrQEeBOP2ni2APXrXuaq3QsMb6jGDw/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first junction</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkbLuvZSRYGKwzOuLqcW_FGaDN96y4BVdhKr6ebd1a4mV4iNJCXw3AW-tut2UiPkmFrCOFJrxfEyIAX4s75A46-aZBJkgo9wyebiqhDheEdbRID3AGXfTzElTffCfxsmOQx4y0Gx-rLCTL4KHrSo78Is0b_y_gPhDjGN9X8yaSmpUefqk651R4sPtmA/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkbLuvZSRYGKwzOuLqcW_FGaDN96y4BVdhKr6ebd1a4mV4iNJCXw3AW-tut2UiPkmFrCOFJrxfEyIAX4s75A46-aZBJkgo9wyebiqhDheEdbRID3AGXfTzElTffCfxsmOQx4y0Gx-rLCTL4KHrSo78Is0b_y_gPhDjGN9X8yaSmpUefqk651R4sPtmA/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical conditions along the old wood roads</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I reached Thomas fairly quickly. From the parking lot, I covered about a mile and a half and gained more than 750' in elevation, but it never seemed very difficult or steep. The trail takes you to an overlook just below the true summit. I went off trail and explored the area and found a high area of ground with a cairn that I assume was the true summit at 2,031'. Another trail comes in near the summit but the main route is well marked with signage.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnOZRpQdho7hdPhD6uGzpa35rj-xzRe71G1ESgfrfiuSVIqkdHlmuMHPP652oof8iBSgMfiLM6dZV8B10fM6uJVEZZVmQcKF8M427XcfoweLWzuLk9MXmcAlylAWOYPMO5ASlyEYv-5iYdjqFtTMaAWZvN9VKYDQqcwSIEeEUrUY89fduCCENo8O_pg/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnOZRpQdho7hdPhD6uGzpa35rj-xzRe71G1ESgfrfiuSVIqkdHlmuMHPP652oof8iBSgMfiLM6dZV8B10fM6uJVEZZVmQcKF8M427XcfoweLWzuLk9MXmcAlylAWOYPMO5ASlyEYv-5iYdjqFtTMaAWZvN9VKYDQqcwSIEeEUrUY89fduCCENo8O_pg/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cairn marking the true summit of Thomas</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back on the main trail, I reached the lookout of Thomas Mountain at an open ledge. The view takes in about 180 degrees, looking mostly to the south and west. Part of Lake George is visible in the distance just beyond Cat Mountain to the south. Crane Mountain dominates the unobstructed view to the west . Unfortunately, the views were somewhat hazy from distant wildfire smoke.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUU9TjMiOH1rh7B-HPmPswOAjl7xi7Qb0C-BC31TKO6-Gi84DJW-EQrgS7LRugh6W_PUgVal3jg5N3qMBKyg7n7HanwiNFfNOQ3GXh5OAJIY-hfr4zDs09vKGmYa91LOpI2DApGQg2GBRvDgYbv99P8r0DGN9LZVH2nCqajegzVzTgz9ypTJmREuKLKA/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUU9TjMiOH1rh7B-HPmPswOAjl7xi7Qb0C-BC31TKO6-Gi84DJW-EQrgS7LRugh6W_PUgVal3jg5N3qMBKyg7n7HanwiNFfNOQ3GXh5OAJIY-hfr4zDs09vKGmYa91LOpI2DApGQg2GBRvDgYbv99P8r0DGN9LZVH2nCqajegzVzTgz9ypTJmREuKLKA/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marker on Thomas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC045Dlp5UUHj9Mdw6hhypqRVGs4s_03FLIEjpFZHyc6a2BHVE4inUKxRau7LQrszF_c5lZIbi-NMg-sf57TnvPwftTHb2PotpAlcaWziCOxA9rqZOk4QL-U8i8I0BenBDZkGDK8K1mEdQ6KfHJlrlUqYb-qnZjs3dd4DnU8YQiKs7kFaAM7U_9sKRQ/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC045Dlp5UUHj9Mdw6hhypqRVGs4s_03FLIEjpFZHyc6a2BHVE4inUKxRau7LQrszF_c5lZIbi-NMg-sf57TnvPwftTHb2PotpAlcaWziCOxA9rqZOk4QL-U8i8I0BenBDZkGDK8K1mEdQ6KfHJlrlUqYb-qnZjs3dd4DnU8YQiKs7kFaAM7U_9sKRQ/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crane Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7e5ZaY8tn19NZShLyJd0K62SRGds4T1WcgW3AA7mE-eBp29TihVEZ71-TBV6Isg_uBQOjumg1Yaj7UMlbHDf2ASTv6Gp8is5hP1PUcvOE34siQ6JN9zRUFyGRvJJGvFNTrXcnmMO4n8RviwlIajKe5HftQ20tkvKaDLa5yJDTY6DaS0sCOMeNRENnfg/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7e5ZaY8tn19NZShLyJd0K62SRGds4T1WcgW3AA7mE-eBp29TihVEZ71-TBV6Isg_uBQOjumg1Yaj7UMlbHDf2ASTv6Gp8is5hP1PUcvOE34siQ6JN9zRUFyGRvJJGvFNTrXcnmMO4n8RviwlIajKe5HftQ20tkvKaDLa5yJDTY6DaS0sCOMeNRENnfg/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake George in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEPRf7l5jeWHug0c4sHrv_Q81qoebZq8Gk2GB7VlTRg4hWvFDKzdZRMm3dbym4zJMt7dhUy7WcXLiBi2BAzGwfvPCF9tEWgzJEwRki_1GcCdq7UJ3qw_IqagkVMtYWrEr8KX6iHMtW91bZb4unK5sLKyZ-68f3u7ldrBhp1ZSqOYrhij78juGX1Gldw/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEPRf7l5jeWHug0c4sHrv_Q81qoebZq8Gk2GB7VlTRg4hWvFDKzdZRMm3dbym4zJMt7dhUy7WcXLiBi2BAzGwfvPCF9tEWgzJEwRki_1GcCdq7UJ3qw_IqagkVMtYWrEr8KX6iHMtW91bZb4unK5sLKyZ-68f3u7ldrBhp1ZSqOYrhij78juGX1Gldw/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on Thomas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE08yPwvbqkqDPkOJ00Chc3g0sWvXsJ-9DGEcCtmM0FJ8KN4aqYCRe7WWSEd8TC-iUwxXwbJJXkjTkUh0N_HTgyEnOoq_qZ7vB4xZHw7S-cRxWQLnZfb87_6m_rmDTzkOIZhY0gYOB5A6PNC6fSV4EQQPX2irKvLZ6eRqG4tV4QP2rC-UtOooGM1xl0Q/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE08yPwvbqkqDPkOJ00Chc3g0sWvXsJ-9DGEcCtmM0FJ8KN4aqYCRe7WWSEd8TC-iUwxXwbJJXkjTkUh0N_HTgyEnOoq_qZ7vB4xZHw7S-cRxWQLnZfb87_6m_rmDTzkOIZhY0gYOB5A6PNC6fSV4EQQPX2irKvLZ6eRqG4tV4QP2rC-UtOooGM1xl0Q/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat Mountain on the right</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Yellow Ridge Trail heads south from Thomas and makes its way toward Cat Mountain. The hiking along this ridge follows a nice trail through a mix of forest. Immediately leaving Thomas, the trail drops along some interesting cliffs. The trail negotiates a series of short, and at times rugged, ups and downs. It's a nice change from the old road leading to the top of Thomas. A small cairn marks a side trail to a lesser vista, before reaching the spur to Cat. I didn't see anyone else and along the ridge and enjoyed this stretch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPboCUUQDIVxTJKyrPgDzFR3qjnTfXn1DPsYW_4ZcmPIwbKDvxGESuy1K8VZ6mZfF5UCVD4q51bHRhUWjERwg_gUIglXCGlwQWMD0p3YmEU2cAAlR2GtgbE1EUk3kBjjFZfOGrwzYFxAlzjADI_HW7TPaqEjqnaRt9duRtwLmpIWgdl6BRVCDM6ZrZgA/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPboCUUQDIVxTJKyrPgDzFR3qjnTfXn1DPsYW_4ZcmPIwbKDvxGESuy1K8VZ6mZfF5UCVD4q51bHRhUWjERwg_gUIglXCGlwQWMD0p3YmEU2cAAlR2GtgbE1EUk3kBjjFZfOGrwzYFxAlzjADI_HW7TPaqEjqnaRt9duRtwLmpIWgdl6BRVCDM6ZrZgA/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliffs along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLkBGnVkjiUyjmnl8LjMQw-2UZayXt-Yz4eTHsw4Sq8_2gJFrpg-eqBWMnIqJMuYKzAvaaEoIAFDrT4CLZAve1KK7L58fyIPl-YWamaXLhJPe-Da7ZQoIN8yCEEfdT9qMimWagzgkr5dAjibKFAbROtQK0QB4xpLFol97D43778wXvtsb98InUJha5Q/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLkBGnVkjiUyjmnl8LjMQw-2UZayXt-Yz4eTHsw4Sq8_2gJFrpg-eqBWMnIqJMuYKzAvaaEoIAFDrT4CLZAve1KK7L58fyIPl-YWamaXLhJPe-Da7ZQoIN8yCEEfdT9qMimWagzgkr5dAjibKFAbROtQK0QB4xpLFol97D43778wXvtsb98InUJha5Q/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail under cliffs</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXB3n167mtfgyxJy5QoOolOVK7MhzESeJeZursFdmk19qmoG0h27ztvCGwmOdq3uCPKUgW6jqpDc8SzUq-x1JShRIlD4ob9A6J_cfgaqIh7fVTcua6evKaahbw0Bewi8pDu2RUgbBmZCR6rusT1mOvSmLS-jcZGl5AbX-6pOSHU3AgGuRKUdXBqpcdA/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXB3n167mtfgyxJy5QoOolOVK7MhzESeJeZursFdmk19qmoG0h27ztvCGwmOdq3uCPKUgW6jqpDc8SzUq-x1JShRIlD4ob9A6J_cfgaqIh7fVTcua6evKaahbw0Bewi8pDu2RUgbBmZCR6rusT1mOvSmLS-jcZGl5AbX-6pOSHU3AgGuRKUdXBqpcdA/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction to Cat Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the spur trail to Cat Mountain, the last .4 miles climbs its way to the 1,946' summit. Cat's summit features a long open stretch of rock. The higher mountains on the east side of the lake, such as Black, Erebus, Sleeping Beauty, and Buck, stand out beyond the Tongue Range in the foreground. A fairly long stretch of the lake can be seen toward the south as well as smaller bodies of water like Trout Lake. You also get a decent look at the mountains in the distance to the southwest.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmojZf3RrT_1mAIOYJlc4d6dnDlYT0qw9udnfJPRl-cWlNgzMS5gDjfQcpB6lc8k-e-DrGnwyUbzMuCyNaawruMPnrCkUwkUKB9_zRhloWelVoDJ2LbWXSsevQAiIUWn9Eh-QTQ49souhVeiAKicvmHL0mpDxvoZ9JkrhHkyNa7Ie90CgwJXv8IjSz-A/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmojZf3RrT_1mAIOYJlc4d6dnDlYT0qw9udnfJPRl-cWlNgzMS5gDjfQcpB6lc8k-e-DrGnwyUbzMuCyNaawruMPnrCkUwkUKB9_zRhloWelVoDJ2LbWXSsevQAiIUWn9Eh-QTQ49souhVeiAKicvmHL0mpDxvoZ9JkrhHkyNa7Ie90CgwJXv8IjSz-A/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya on Cat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztPlL4ydV1L77qRdCak7CLgFWpyNu3ZC7GMB2bCkVmcEH22Y5uzAaFaRtnz4QEgTGUJIa3C3Vdv4nBMcXBwdFYajYEfHulrjEkbF_nutN_C2d61YLfySVfQ9EbKYt4pT93ax18w1tSO80WOPgtqYkVjYCXPQR8ujDHE8YartIIz42fWoT4hgUBOlhUQ/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztPlL4ydV1L77qRdCak7CLgFWpyNu3ZC7GMB2bCkVmcEH22Y5uzAaFaRtnz4QEgTGUJIa3C3Vdv4nBMcXBwdFYajYEfHulrjEkbF_nutN_C2d61YLfySVfQ9EbKYt4pT93ax18w1tSO80WOPgtqYkVjYCXPQR8ujDHE8YartIIz42fWoT4hgUBOlhUQ/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake George with Trout Pond in the foreground</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGMTEnt7mBXCjJrxNDp7KH9unD6yc93O5reU4WtECHf4cCZvv5hsyHXbIG-CCMIuTgQsBTlG-KZaIgER12PHMeAcTAdEoiBSQBOJuGTrspPj6iSAh_dPyNYSzj98kMe9FIY87CJ-3tmX_CexWtqeH8hHAF4Wcrbes712Z_AKfRKRbpPAfCXM6T4abdg/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGMTEnt7mBXCjJrxNDp7KH9unD6yc93O5reU4WtECHf4cCZvv5hsyHXbIG-CCMIuTgQsBTlG-KZaIgER12PHMeAcTAdEoiBSQBOJuGTrspPj6iSAh_dPyNYSzj98kMe9FIY87CJ-3tmX_CexWtqeH8hHAF4Wcrbes712Z_AKfRKRbpPAfCXM6T4abdg/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black, Erebus, and Sleeping Beauty Mountains <br />beyond the Tongue Range</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I enjoyed the views from different parts of the rocky summit while allowing Choya a chance to cool down and drink. Cat's summit definitely outshined Thomas with a wider view and a much better look at Lake George. A steady breeze seemed to keep the black flies at bay. I had the summit to myself the entire time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG545kT2QcSJ-MnbgLQ6ZhqRqzlV2W2wViVOsVbcLGNNYygcO0D8aVWqICbdVcsL7nyJSSUqOoRIZVufugxZWZPju4A7vUPssmZNlit9QM_ret4pdUNuldS5hBqvNRNT9uRKLHfVaAsV08S9tVnPRNaJS920yHgWEL5-SWQ2UqVBcWMIL6L9EiN3Lr1Q/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG545kT2QcSJ-MnbgLQ6ZhqRqzlV2W2wViVOsVbcLGNNYygcO0D8aVWqICbdVcsL7nyJSSUqOoRIZVufugxZWZPju4A7vUPssmZNlit9QM_ret4pdUNuldS5hBqvNRNT9uRKLHfVaAsV08S9tVnPRNaJS920yHgWEL5-SWQ2UqVBcWMIL6L9EiN3Lr1Q/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choya as we are getting ready<br />to leave the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcOmxvcLL-J38KFjAX15fqGKuOCLIQ6lcBOms4bhraYTfLw7LqdbPEdJJQ0ZsIJjAfZsPCKOjDQU5ThSjxcw-BAkSr_Jq1IfRo_GY4KS48Zb46u92zjvFf6LbxhtJ0WesmA2T2tFLEIL-ZZk4bQFAmWEt2UYtdNAWJmgaS__tqjmIy1feW5eozhOXdw/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcOmxvcLL-J38KFjAX15fqGKuOCLIQ6lcBOms4bhraYTfLw7LqdbPEdJJQ0ZsIJjAfZsPCKOjDQU5ThSjxcw-BAkSr_Jq1IfRo_GY4KS48Zb46u92zjvFf6LbxhtJ0WesmA2T2tFLEIL-ZZk4bQFAmWEt2UYtdNAWJmgaS__tqjmIy1feW5eozhOXdw/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20055.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking southwest</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I saw my first other hiker of the day shortly after leaving the summit. After retracing my steps on the spur, I soon reached a junction of the Yellow Ridge Trail and the path to the trailhead. I continued straight, descending toward the trailhead. Soon the trail is back on another old road, occasionally leaving the road for short stretches in more eroded sections. Now midmorning, I passed a handful of groups on their way toward Cat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The three miles from the summit of Cat went by quickly. The trail lost more than 750' of elevation as it made its way back to the trailhead. Much of the elevation loss is early and the terrain doesn't seem too steep after the first mile or so. The old woods road allows for quick travel once it levels out. At one point, the trail passes a nice pond with a view back to Cat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VVfUQmdmLUX_8LpW_FtK8Yw2O8vlvojK9Cj9WOpR5tULpsvlP46HLoqZ7epKWDh29MMBijzewlQGNHUSdxwate8Mm1xkl4eRuvlLxM0xDOYo0SqnEeSxJKAN-hN8Aa3ST7nmZmW6chlUOyh_DgJXAM83WiPDpbavnjRueWcI3QI8jozDZTAz15CKQw/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VVfUQmdmLUX_8LpW_FtK8Yw2O8vlvojK9Cj9WOpR5tULpsvlP46HLoqZ7epKWDh29MMBijzewlQGNHUSdxwate8Mm1xkl4eRuvlLxM0xDOYo0SqnEeSxJKAN-hN8Aa3ST7nmZmW6chlUOyh_DgJXAM83WiPDpbavnjRueWcI3QI8jozDZTAz15CKQw/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfXVkwrTrdKUZrdTlgb19BrpuqvcAwCEXYJZDwDQz3bknpWJo0He_QbgbI8-7PJYGrFmdAJV9PYnuZAAYrXPK_V9t0LXlINcUrPPZKroMyb3juFPWBqt2Y-WIRmPm_E9fq6tS7XdqHKHCd5HzmrKSI03QA5Zzjcphl-EtMPVKZ_aFqHbldFgT9byDvw/s2592/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfXVkwrTrdKUZrdTlgb19BrpuqvcAwCEXYJZDwDQz3bknpWJo0He_QbgbI8-7PJYGrFmdAJV9PYnuZAAYrXPK_V9t0LXlINcUrPPZKroMyb3juFPWBqt2Y-WIRmPm_E9fq6tS7XdqHKHCd5HzmrKSI03QA5Zzjcphl-EtMPVKZ_aFqHbldFgT9byDvw/w400-h300/Thomas%20and%20Cat%205.19.23%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat Mountain barely visible over the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Calculating the route on Caltopo, the total mileage measured 7.3 miles to complete the loop of Thomas and Cat. Signage, guidebook, maps, and online sources show varying mileage distances but they all seem to be in the neighborhood of 7.0 miles. <div><br /></div><div>Although the hazy skies hampered the visibility a bit on my hike, I enjoyed this outing. Compared to strenuous hikes in the High Peaks, this loop is a moderate hike with manageable elevation gain and distance. The views, particularly on Cat were quite nice. Cat's large area of open rock and good views of Lake George invite you to linger. While Thomas's vista wasn't quite as expansive as Cat's, the relatively short, three mile round trip, makes for a worthy outing if you are short on time. These two mountains are also part of the Lake George 12ster hiking challenge, a group of 12 peaks around the lake showcasing the scenery of Lake George's mountains.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YUjdv0Vv6mTvO0nZ6eW-NQDhInvpFEuNsnwFazsUen2GR_MuYQHqqEAGTiZ9spT_QpWDzM7UZrChK4tbfec-wt23RWX70iFf9Q27zYMMhxEZxlDPmx_h88yuFb186tz1AwkTZ76t1tgctE5FFoavcUI30nKY9O5Zaplqlh3wBbEjuJmf--uxH3I5fQ/s4032/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YUjdv0Vv6mTvO0nZ6eW-NQDhInvpFEuNsnwFazsUen2GR_MuYQHqqEAGTiZ9spT_QpWDzM7UZrChK4tbfec-wt23RWX70iFf9Q27zYMMhxEZxlDPmx_h88yuFb186tz1AwkTZ76t1tgctE5FFoavcUI30nKY9O5Zaplqlh3wBbEjuJmf--uxH3I5fQ/w400-h300/thomas%20and%20cat%205.19.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat Mountain view across Montcalm Point<br />on the south end of the Tongue Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br />If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook, where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-15075602310997520062023-06-05T20:28:00.004-07:002023-06-06T06:01:24.718-07:00Backpacking the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness<p>The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness often shows up as a suggestion for backpacking destinations in the Adirondacks. I never hiked in the area, but most pictures of the Wilderness paint a nice picture. Located between Schroon Lake and the northern end of Lake George, the 46,000 acre Wilderness is centered around its namesake lake. While the mountains are relatively small, the Wilderness boasts nearly 70 miles of hiking trails and a large number of ponds. 38 primitive tent sites and 14 lean tos are situated throughout the Wilderness with most of the designated camping areas sitting on a body of water. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiknvirKb0SoxxPinsRK_7tuNX3h_n8UXKEg5sxNxbgN_mv48Tj2hH0nrqU-j2aosnAN6ce8gvXEfo0CeiF5JlL0Ml3em23qNxx8UvYzzzppw8fUXLNLe9mV2PkwvMLcHTdR9P8E3RWl3UTbqGu3RUBkyH5pPC_BL7Tld3psVoOQAfC1cd0mmg633Jf_g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiknvirKb0SoxxPinsRK_7tuNX3h_n8UXKEg5sxNxbgN_mv48Tj2hH0nrqU-j2aosnAN6ce8gvXEfo0CeiF5JlL0Ml3em23qNxx8UvYzzzppw8fUXLNLe9mV2PkwvMLcHTdR9P8E3RWl3UTbqGu3RUBkyH5pPC_BL7Tld3psVoOQAfC1cd0mmg633Jf_g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rocky shoreline of Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">I was looking for an early season (by Adirondack standards) backpacking trip relatively close to home. A trip to the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness fit the bill. My goal was to see as much of the Wilderness as possible as a loop while minimally retracing my steps. I also wanted to visit as many ponds as I could on my loop and visit the summit of Pharaoh and Treadway Mountains. After a busy spring, I finally set off May 22nd. This was a little later in May than I wanted on count of potentially buggy conditions, but I took my chances.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I looked over a map of the Wilderness and came up with a roughly 43 mile loop starting at the Blue Hill trailhead near the small settlement of Paradox. My route would visit nearly 20 ponds and the two most scenic mountains in the Wilderness. I began my hike just after 8AM on the 22nd.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I began my hike on the Long Swing Trail/Blue Hill Trail, which offers an alternative to walking the dirt road into Crane Pond. Vehicles with high clearance still used the rough road to drive up to Crane Pond. The Long Swing Trail is a nice enough hike with a good view at an unnamed, boggy pond. After reaching Crane Pond I headed toward Pharaoh Mountain. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zlxOElprrlyAjD6-Fie3V8XXm-Do4eroh77jvsUTRYJojWKV8esdpFA0BgrxG_XwfBU3aPt_dkcq0lQiHLz8wOwOkB0NXjvqRkQXlOodizQ2CRUFaqXw7iubf5M2DK4p1l5p_qLp6jSlnclB48XrXkm_cUiJBSeJbdPHfNICM60GM84vQcp-duFw_g/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zlxOElprrlyAjD6-Fie3V8XXm-Do4eroh77jvsUTRYJojWKV8esdpFA0BgrxG_XwfBU3aPt_dkcq0lQiHLz8wOwOkB0NXjvqRkQXlOodizQ2CRUFaqXw7iubf5M2DK4p1l5p_qLp6jSlnclB48XrXkm_cUiJBSeJbdPHfNICM60GM84vQcp-duFw_g/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My starting trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSxQ0qZ-IO5cF2yruLoWe1Xn9zFf9nWHp5OgGYFZMa7Kd1nlxxbU8rA3bE1C0eSh2H77kMmMrqPAKv0K76360nqaoA4D1KLngxwZv3c2-WW_iRrVnhBHK9bRkkxK5SXIR3fGNeGy2Iw-87GbmFN-g9WuYMGMU7X03ZCb7_L1bp8vIUzL0hbuT6ivorw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSxQ0qZ-IO5cF2yruLoWe1Xn9zFf9nWHp5OgGYFZMa7Kd1nlxxbU8rA3bE1C0eSh2H77kMmMrqPAKv0K76360nqaoA4D1KLngxwZv3c2-WW_iRrVnhBHK9bRkkxK5SXIR3fGNeGy2Iw-87GbmFN-g9WuYMGMU7X03ZCb7_L1bp8vIUzL0hbuT6ivorw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall by the trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l6LMTQeuA3zD2bryE6CRPsBa3TXohDXILLHKGbp92juRmj7dQXZi6UAnUWtxB654zame3R3EI4B8gBvCa4gDVj6Qr5ctqF_OxE240LyV30nnxf_oGuJL0KbOdsLkNh8c8nRCMDQHBPHdyNzwiPSgHp6gqmu6MuNk4l3-1kqhyKMAeF5sKTfdbS1flg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l6LMTQeuA3zD2bryE6CRPsBa3TXohDXILLHKGbp92juRmj7dQXZi6UAnUWtxB654zame3R3EI4B8gBvCa4gDVj6Qr5ctqF_OxE240LyV30nnxf_oGuJL0KbOdsLkNh8c8nRCMDQHBPHdyNzwiPSgHp6gqmu6MuNk4l3-1kqhyKMAeF5sKTfdbS1flg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boggy area early on the hike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EXQitRo0un1uYeD167xs_dRzUAiHOLSM6__bo2O_YSjLlOAPLR8d89t2od-uFyFSwAzoRvlB5RIfimlGLQLOdyPc2YbFhyg7pjWltd_M3mp-WB_Ow2kuZoEQNQ0N6_EFXfZ_rubc68Sam2BLwgYek3UC1kO_ESl979v3og_7THJzt4z8gJmG5yLcsw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EXQitRo0un1uYeD167xs_dRzUAiHOLSM6__bo2O_YSjLlOAPLR8d89t2od-uFyFSwAzoRvlB5RIfimlGLQLOdyPc2YbFhyg7pjWltd_M3mp-WB_Ow2kuZoEQNQ0N6_EFXfZ_rubc68Sam2BLwgYek3UC1kO_ESl979v3og_7THJzt4z8gJmG5yLcsw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice coniferous forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSOCCvQyPFuP1o5BsN2eMXfr1kNK1gwHtHmaDjiunHCPLumqGGnLjRoQ-VAILOzKFkAeF91qwctmj2eKK3pvLM5w0m6bcBGyv1ZfGQ86VvNaUGgUYIeqqVB8bLLfm4r-kQ0kfCa4fcYqZ0_mKnGieJg0vcG94GGYGdvApIzzBg9w9Xqhv4tXLzU7EtA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSOCCvQyPFuP1o5BsN2eMXfr1kNK1gwHtHmaDjiunHCPLumqGGnLjRoQ-VAILOzKFkAeF91qwctmj2eKK3pvLM5w0m6bcBGyv1ZfGQ86VvNaUGgUYIeqqVB8bLLfm4r-kQ0kfCa4fcYqZ0_mKnGieJg0vcG94GGYGdvApIzzBg9w9Xqhv4tXLzU7EtA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neat fungi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqm3TPL45ArzpjI10Zg5mt5MEnot0eq1rqoZ34UJOvHd7omCzlgNe5UrYcs6BoJglHoMacgc76VuM0p8P2fhjYU5YBqyAOa4cOX_m-XgwcPRYlR2GKXyUlogbJBM3wE0PZhWSkaF90CGxpE1E9Aon94EavdakuZI2EtgktBHipRJ3OshRxORpVWg1Gg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqm3TPL45ArzpjI10Zg5mt5MEnot0eq1rqoZ34UJOvHd7omCzlgNe5UrYcs6BoJglHoMacgc76VuM0p8P2fhjYU5YBqyAOa4cOX_m-XgwcPRYlR2GKXyUlogbJBM3wE0PZhWSkaF90CGxpE1E9Aon94EavdakuZI2EtgktBHipRJ3OshRxORpVWg1Gg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over a small creek<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp7gjr4mLVk2CypYrD0YF8dtahMftXqeAMCPNtuxlHlP06J76P2xv7_2X-hLpd3VpgbHr1MRa1oQKUM-s8N4CUmrMbSYUB8UkBWvy65URcNRAfl1rdbUzXUadR7Q940X8fWAH-9W00bynDMTIj9LxeZ-a-ZOD67XZ4571wwdxLdpHo5aX_6z4YA9lWQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp7gjr4mLVk2CypYrD0YF8dtahMftXqeAMCPNtuxlHlP06J76P2xv7_2X-hLpd3VpgbHr1MRa1oQKUM-s8N4CUmrMbSYUB8UkBWvy65URcNRAfl1rdbUzXUadR7Q940X8fWAH-9W00bynDMTIj9LxeZ-a-ZOD67XZ4571wwdxLdpHo5aX_6z4YA9lWQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crane Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At 2,556', Pharaoh Mountain stands as the highest mountain in the Wilderness. Standing just over 6 miles form my starting point, I gained over 1,800 vertical feet enroute to Pharaoh Mountain. Despite the elevation gain, the climbing never felt too steep. The trail traverses some rocky and slabby stretches, but never seems too difficult.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4Cb5eLZ85-4rOkEHR3SqnUvSWtuWFtc-gNeAzwgVFS5Tae4qzC9dWLIhdZRDcxtUAfG6eADXP6S_YMg0GvlxHFyyssc4zGxPht0PjExYqsxG7UbA_qvgGzf20h9THGeXFVKCRjhAhOuaTdDvsfOeDrLFCwmaa5UpPoZ3ED-8KGhixOLeeuy5RctmZg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4Cb5eLZ85-4rOkEHR3SqnUvSWtuWFtc-gNeAzwgVFS5Tae4qzC9dWLIhdZRDcxtUAfG6eADXP6S_YMg0GvlxHFyyssc4zGxPht0PjExYqsxG7UbA_qvgGzf20h9THGeXFVKCRjhAhOuaTdDvsfOeDrLFCwmaa5UpPoZ3ED-8KGhixOLeeuy5RctmZg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glidden Marsh</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pharaoh Mountain's summit offers pretty impressive views for a fairly low peak. While the summit itself isn't entirely open, it's possible to get views in every direction if you take the time to explore the top of the mountain. The largest open area faces west and provides about a broad view. Schroon Lake dominates the view with the southern High Peaks and Central Adirondacks in the distance. Smaller, rocky clearings face more northerly with a better look at the High Peaks area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjjYMcIvpaxb3eS4QJ1oyHff0p6fYyso4XWwEKhjetnFvcePXIh3o3EfL5Zn69ZkIRJLRv6X_dz70HReb-tqtCLdR9OaqGgAFGdM57zVChjaU2LCPvUbzDzNcC-jg3LPWxZrdxFmcrttMKt7aoBvx091OW-Cu-RMYfDSxZyAD78JpOBnL_H1oBdbQqw/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20213.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjjYMcIvpaxb3eS4QJ1oyHff0p6fYyso4XWwEKhjetnFvcePXIh3o3EfL5Zn69ZkIRJLRv6X_dz70HReb-tqtCLdR9OaqGgAFGdM57zVChjaU2LCPvUbzDzNcC-jg3LPWxZrdxFmcrttMKt7aoBvx091OW-Cu-RMYfDSxZyAD78JpOBnL_H1oBdbQqw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20213.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward Schroon Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtpvYQzujWrsUTX49ZpSr7Z-l54vI6fMLu_uj5fjezKsTlvYW2WVkXlYwOmLxNTBPjbrj47KCP7fGKXYr0OW-C8ANB-Wfsm8WBn2Ggsd9cTu6ghzSMtWao6wRGhKgRvLwucb37L4xzI4AlDmalu9zCBVnw8O_o8BhdVZchiixn3bXFAR6C-Th5SfmGQ/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20226.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtpvYQzujWrsUTX49ZpSr7Z-l54vI6fMLu_uj5fjezKsTlvYW2WVkXlYwOmLxNTBPjbrj47KCP7fGKXYr0OW-C8ANB-Wfsm8WBn2Ggsd9cTu6ghzSMtWao6wRGhKgRvLwucb37L4xzI4AlDmalu9zCBVnw8O_o8BhdVZchiixn3bXFAR6C-Th5SfmGQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20226.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the north</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSmrSbAGxR0pohp87fr_JRYZcGDMnbnx1OsTZgVr7e3j7r4mPkUx84uikzkK_MXa0xqggnqK9FqYJ3StFVDpjpoCW5OrdJOSWkZpt8Ye5NNVnHzBv-hhT0q5KKO-ySQl_88ezb6ZFMdskYOWd6LrmLwvLpO6X2jb-kX-aQkf0hHjcRwqKawvqSWvmIQ/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20227.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSmrSbAGxR0pohp87fr_JRYZcGDMnbnx1OsTZgVr7e3j7r4mPkUx84uikzkK_MXa0xqggnqK9FqYJ3StFVDpjpoCW5OrdJOSWkZpt8Ye5NNVnHzBv-hhT0q5KKO-ySQl_88ezb6ZFMdskYOWd6LrmLwvLpO6X2jb-kX-aQkf0hHjcRwqKawvqSWvmIQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20227.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNfFt1ZibtdyQO33vB0knQ-ECckRWyKSJlFtV-k5w-NmsnLol-c5XDFJ18NQeFksXBLoL6lJng3lkjTdLRAgQ9uYF3AHKIBi9feqR8pcN0D4HF5mcSIzYd7AKJG3Lr-Nvx5H3s9SKB3lQf0VbIAlJ2Jvg2j3dSV-0NIg8FnPpUPy7DXGeWF_10xYXig/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20230.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNfFt1ZibtdyQO33vB0knQ-ECckRWyKSJlFtV-k5w-NmsnLol-c5XDFJ18NQeFksXBLoL6lJng3lkjTdLRAgQ9uYF3AHKIBi9feqR8pcN0D4HF5mcSIzYd7AKJG3Lr-Nvx5H3s9SKB3lQf0VbIAlJ2Jvg2j3dSV-0NIg8FnPpUPy7DXGeWF_10xYXig/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20230.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe this looking to the northwest</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the open clearings near the summit, the black flies started to emerge if I stayed still too long. They weren't bothering me until the summit, and only in the clearings. A steady breeze didn't seem to deter them.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOB7qoF5RX7Qas0KeB2qjHqKvhPRBxFSrVeVGDHOaIUxjc4N0cxnByDnyJqao31mfowErr2Xexp_qTyGInq0ejm8j1hFTL3rv8yczZ7Mlv9yMmV3zQvqyULej7qnHdS9Evs2M6vmfyZpFHujyk_famorqsb0HycQRzmZwZFOhOqKmfSLv9ZUGbS6uDQ/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20242.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOB7qoF5RX7Qas0KeB2qjHqKvhPRBxFSrVeVGDHOaIUxjc4N0cxnByDnyJqao31mfowErr2Xexp_qTyGInq0ejm8j1hFTL3rv8yczZ7Mlv9yMmV3zQvqyULej7qnHdS9Evs2M6vmfyZpFHujyk_famorqsb0HycQRzmZwZFOhOqKmfSLv9ZUGbS6uDQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20242.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Schroon Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6w3CVxiazrxAvyWK6HBkvts7AItcomLMlW8iqzqK2rzTl0OvcFBxLyRnlMcOEPGIDFUDMPgeqdQlD8lESBWBkAS6kXH773uSmCL1kWENvvm1jsHtM50dqLRHANNEG_1qBgv10INqm8GIDIR1Mm7EYc2Ca5W1YoG6IF2oqM6BBgReC1SZFpV2aRMAIQ/s4032/Copy%20of%20Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20222.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6w3CVxiazrxAvyWK6HBkvts7AItcomLMlW8iqzqK2rzTl0OvcFBxLyRnlMcOEPGIDFUDMPgeqdQlD8lESBWBkAS6kXH773uSmCL1kWENvvm1jsHtM50dqLRHANNEG_1qBgv10INqm8GIDIR1Mm7EYc2Ca5W1YoG6IF2oqM6BBgReC1SZFpV2aRMAIQ/w400-h300/Copy%20of%20Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20222.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoomed in view of the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pfLHea0Nkg4X3qNptmaePzKGY2pBZ8-ksHnhGrcwyqCwEr2JayQL3Wo_kSXganmu1tBVvVFBhHzLxQdf_sZ_9R6udHqo60P7sSACFNQB7D01nrH55JrYFeYbv_6hrbkprBVS3ICUk_VYf9KVGSShb0xliShU7bpZtS4zO0pMVbn3exGERE-9FBx2-A/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20224.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pfLHea0Nkg4X3qNptmaePzKGY2pBZ8-ksHnhGrcwyqCwEr2JayQL3Wo_kSXganmu1tBVvVFBhHzLxQdf_sZ_9R6udHqo60P7sSACFNQB7D01nrH55JrYFeYbv_6hrbkprBVS3ICUk_VYf9KVGSShb0xliShU7bpZtS4zO0pMVbn3exGERE-9FBx2-A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20224.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe this looking over Goose Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A designated tent site sits on the top of the mountain. More rocky clearings near the tent site allow for additional views to the north as well as across the center of the Wilderness. The Green Mountains of Vermont and Lake Champlain are both visible. Leaving the top of the mountain, you get an unobstructed view of Pharaoh Lake. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTld8MlIbMwiTuafqPw-DVx-GJXk0TnGQFVG302VjRnnWJVFiKp1pz50oW7MPQ3DNYjVEQ5A3JBQDQ64bunomnHAvcdy2R161IwO0BIU938XWBwuUMaZByz03uFBrPo0TJZJFvi3i0QXdBvAa9btC45058FIqkhjSYtbr-nTNxKCZqQx0v3TprUnb9w/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20241.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTld8MlIbMwiTuafqPw-DVx-GJXk0TnGQFVG302VjRnnWJVFiKp1pz50oW7MPQ3DNYjVEQ5A3JBQDQ64bunomnHAvcdy2R161IwO0BIU938XWBwuUMaZByz03uFBrPo0TJZJFvi3i0QXdBvAa9btC45058FIqkhjSYtbr-nTNxKCZqQx0v3TprUnb9w/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20241.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Descending Pharaoh Mountain toward Pharaoh Lake, the trail traverses tougher terrain. The trail seemed steeper. At one point, I scrambled down a small 6-foot ledge. As the trail drops further away from the summit, the terrain mellows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjto9BrzNwWJ_zK0OwR2VKhB-0BfxvKUxXGw84Z4olJAoPWfXIcNAY9r5IdNYNjXb5LRoXKrP9mX5q51qKTGB6HUuXA9ovNRrmzMMu0xbzzN0DA8arWVaJcYj3eMiXVa-aSyWq_CMed367zQh3x0Irr1dBjxjnNvF7kxpr23oxviXoTq-oobhOV147ZZg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjto9BrzNwWJ_zK0OwR2VKhB-0BfxvKUxXGw84Z4olJAoPWfXIcNAY9r5IdNYNjXb5LRoXKrP9mX5q51qKTGB6HUuXA9ovNRrmzMMu0xbzzN0DA8arWVaJcYj3eMiXVa-aSyWq_CMed367zQh3x0Irr1dBjxjnNvF7kxpr23oxviXoTq-oobhOV147ZZg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6-foot ledge on the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBROwxl9-dMcXwpOMat9-YtbR5Q3raG1AlIpJNW7BMIL_L6C9zZnNVZcSWb0JffC_Tfi_LQ1zVrpbiK9DTrPYUAAYfMyMGILd6XL5lJDd6FZi11a6OK6cP9v8AFKRORqtx96x41b5YUCUDH4J4sZz5XAP1Jleer9aa083zu2uy7ysbpPu9FBqzT0hNg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBROwxl9-dMcXwpOMat9-YtbR5Q3raG1AlIpJNW7BMIL_L6C9zZnNVZcSWb0JffC_Tfi_LQ1zVrpbiK9DTrPYUAAYfMyMGILd6XL5lJDd6FZi11a6OK6cP9v8AFKRORqtx96x41b5YUCUDH4J4sZz5XAP1Jleer9aa083zu2uy7ysbpPu9FBqzT0hNg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moss lining the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trail descends until it reaches Pharaoh Lake. At 441 Acres, Pharaoh Lake is the largest body of water in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness and sits fairly central to the Wilderness. A trail circles the entire lake. To see as much of the lake as possible, I turned left and headed toward the north end of the lake. The trail often walks right along the shore. Several tent sites sit right along the shore as well.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8oySiPGZWBcdyzhKTX0-q9ZncItlcKx9Rt-SwJoCNuq7H3jVhnMyp_J1D6wNwphSo_U4cjbXLrOrS8DE-vcWvq3mgaXTrZle9z_7Tm6mleqkS42tsAA34fjvbxSDvHeJgkVxUqNhfvEF3NNxfRpiCZ3fGrkMFDjk_qdrUn_1SsKcqeaS4dQtCZtoLA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8oySiPGZWBcdyzhKTX0-q9ZncItlcKx9Rt-SwJoCNuq7H3jVhnMyp_J1D6wNwphSo_U4cjbXLrOrS8DE-vcWvq3mgaXTrZle9z_7Tm6mleqkS42tsAA34fjvbxSDvHeJgkVxUqNhfvEF3NNxfRpiCZ3fGrkMFDjk_qdrUn_1SsKcqeaS4dQtCZtoLA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reaching shore of Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrefRvqPB1pA4FmU7TjJ2UocHqQuys3T8BCUS8CMoR6eu6d-kEzfQf81Pzc7CK9d4WEDCp1wpoe_nnNAekzsVX51uMs-HVt46PAbtD2OUin0mOwMzo5ecz-i3H8-iwgU3WhCwysEa_HcSrvTWx3CNzAylhN_-DOK21dELlcbDVSEJhjBz2MuTPLZnbzg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrefRvqPB1pA4FmU7TjJ2UocHqQuys3T8BCUS8CMoR6eu6d-kEzfQf81Pzc7CK9d4WEDCp1wpoe_nnNAekzsVX51uMs-HVt46PAbtD2OUin0mOwMzo5ecz-i3H8-iwgU3WhCwysEa_HcSrvTWx3CNzAylhN_-DOK21dELlcbDVSEJhjBz2MuTPLZnbzg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail along the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I stopped briefly at a lean to at the northern end of the lake to take a couple photos. I encountered a garter snake basking in the sun. Just like the tent sites I passed, the lean to sat right on the water with a beautiful view of the lake.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIK5ZcVOePYM4CmLlGTxQS2nNMFQmHnv95o8v8zOOKEnsWeB4H2KFn44Ha_BmD8bl1cuosZbocLoBJv4cvPdbvkevqTZXOPUMbUwvvARpIAFQ5RPkA4DeGEaOruROtBFQRF7dPlWOZNPwYwOw-2ignGUTrpKEOMaVy0ZPERDDUqKgt9fqYb0UNMrtaSg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIK5ZcVOePYM4CmLlGTxQS2nNMFQmHnv95o8v8zOOKEnsWeB4H2KFn44Ha_BmD8bl1cuosZbocLoBJv4cvPdbvkevqTZXOPUMbUwvvARpIAFQ5RPkA4DeGEaOruROtBFQRF7dPlWOZNPwYwOw-2ignGUTrpKEOMaVy0ZPERDDUqKgt9fqYb0UNMrtaSg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island on Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguw-7VKETX0CJ2eb05gXwnsZzFnCLTNXwlWQ_VwDN76tenLfX9TlJ0ie60MGKys8IbSaORU6CJcc6v486w2IW9eJWpjyXxB0kFBMbijzd35F9-QYOCoaKbdr3mw9QIBo0qAoj93n8P6CUP_ckFPRfgKKzjxnLkrMWDI-bjD-HHEunIqNb95LZl4VALfA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguw-7VKETX0CJ2eb05gXwnsZzFnCLTNXwlWQ_VwDN76tenLfX9TlJ0ie60MGKys8IbSaORU6CJcc6v486w2IW9eJWpjyXxB0kFBMbijzd35F9-QYOCoaKbdr3mw9QIBo0qAoj93n8P6CUP_ckFPRfgKKzjxnLkrMWDI-bjD-HHEunIqNb95LZl4VALfA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garter snake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8vBgR-EUWU_F5Xcp_HKbR9Hv-gj01tzSHYsTnhNbgH9AaotZLI3LnSziy22CTTq9u1Efp3tNmhTBet2pVCgi_BZVdaYVLk-tDNDv-7NzLQYIVmpelf6tQwb0-JvMfxQKhvKtMXPSbKGqvX-O7CfMcYXCKmfWvEJqwGXfMWoBy7WbiJvFnN1WutubVTw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8vBgR-EUWU_F5Xcp_HKbR9Hv-gj01tzSHYsTnhNbgH9AaotZLI3LnSziy22CTTq9u1Efp3tNmhTBet2pVCgi_BZVdaYVLk-tDNDv-7NzLQYIVmpelf6tQwb0-JvMfxQKhvKtMXPSbKGqvX-O7CfMcYXCKmfWvEJqwGXfMWoBy7WbiJvFnN1WutubVTw" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This part of the lake is called Split Rock Bay-<br />I'm guessing this is the split rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3w8zoULhv7-VwRi9oFZbIIkHkzhNwLeziXEhB4-ftNnmKFVHzVXlfyXsjFKZJeYczT6vWaEpDc8DaCaE6qt1w2MLn737CsQn22jVo5WfZF4YW8Pba5NtcBMm-ghCTcVJQXjDF4uVbnWpioZHZtTqTJvSkVyu1LIPryKy1YkLIAa5ki2CN3aOdXfbCSA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3w8zoULhv7-VwRi9oFZbIIkHkzhNwLeziXEhB4-ftNnmKFVHzVXlfyXsjFKZJeYczT6vWaEpDc8DaCaE6qt1w2MLn737CsQn22jVo5WfZF4YW8Pba5NtcBMm-ghCTcVJQXjDF4uVbnWpioZHZtTqTJvSkVyu1LIPryKy1YkLIAa5ki2CN3aOdXfbCSA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYp2NfBeMUFtqQVkywGCyZKXwRm2wPKcfNO1O2gpccW81aasTzUnMHRxFaieWnvDzSN7fwLmPRQDZ_vbpalH4TIE4EAibtxl7Q600QBULYbZguvs7z70LpybYzo58late7ZEY6iY0Bpmm0Sb3q0winsfQavFr1ZSjHXDpHAAxLkR-QiUcdIkMk9xSmw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYp2NfBeMUFtqQVkywGCyZKXwRm2wPKcfNO1O2gpccW81aasTzUnMHRxFaieWnvDzSN7fwLmPRQDZ_vbpalH4TIE4EAibtxl7Q600QBULYbZguvs7z70LpybYzo58late7ZEY6iY0Bpmm0Sb3q0winsfQavFr1ZSjHXDpHAAxLkR-QiUcdIkMk9xSmw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Lake #4 Lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xuTJEM1udI1307RIUMRsCiyHmZk0tXGSahGyb9jPUfnrfO5gjPYBwoegg-34SyBOcqrs0Z4GqJ7Lv-mWm925xzKb50DZ10E9f_G2qxP7TrWBoQJH6o7hGnin9eDsC1cp_t8RMgY31I_2m5EsqA9Qg24QEwejzzjD5kLRYVXEHT0ORPZGlvO_9u1Ctw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xuTJEM1udI1307RIUMRsCiyHmZk0tXGSahGyb9jPUfnrfO5gjPYBwoegg-34SyBOcqrs0Z4GqJ7Lv-mWm925xzKb50DZ10E9f_G2qxP7TrWBoQJH6o7hGnin9eDsC1cp_t8RMgY31I_2m5EsqA9Qg24QEwejzzjD5kLRYVXEHT0ORPZGlvO_9u1Ctw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing by the garter snake again</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I left the lean to and traveled along the northeast shore of the lake. The hiking was quite pleasant through the pretty forest with a constant chatter of bird songs in the background. I even passed a couple of small waterfalls.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUVP6gdIl-hWsRZqi4I-FxveVN1OiEK3ir8IeFgfSShI7GbZEWvkWDIzGK48MS7d_NiTTWmlAj3Dr3Pj-0jNRLislj92MKVLjPOrPeL9ISBgx2J1wDVxIlWcSi2gH-RdukLzzH3UjOPoJf7Gn3vmQ6CqcJwjrsaysFoN6MxKIfv4Tb29W3MY_5GfhPQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUVP6gdIl-hWsRZqi4I-FxveVN1OiEK3ir8IeFgfSShI7GbZEWvkWDIzGK48MS7d_NiTTWmlAj3Dr3Pj-0jNRLislj92MKVLjPOrPeL9ISBgx2J1wDVxIlWcSi2gH-RdukLzzH3UjOPoJf7Gn3vmQ6CqcJwjrsaysFoN6MxKIfv4Tb29W3MY_5GfhPQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy stream</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcaYFjcH9CH9sLC-z0yplPMsmJotC3GRzNJ_VdlgFsGS__BwF4-HM8jKdzvmR9oTef80NKCWK-6tXkDo58uVaEAktKLxUFaUFY-Ak3G1kb1pQ4Krr70XXT_5hHAJjbU6XCPvCxz06KeEUTzwXRDrx6rHZqbkYezLAvqGs8HXLACAa2-eCAc9UVs7d-A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20049.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcaYFjcH9CH9sLC-z0yplPMsmJotC3GRzNJ_VdlgFsGS__BwF4-HM8jKdzvmR9oTef80NKCWK-6tXkDo58uVaEAktKLxUFaUFY-Ak3G1kb1pQ4Krr70XXT_5hHAJjbU6XCPvCxz06KeEUTzwXRDrx6rHZqbkYezLAvqGs8HXLACAa2-eCAc9UVs7d-A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the bridges looked new</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8f4s_1Njv8Xzi0z9UzcN5tsVltKTlGSymNun-aP6rvOitT9oafn27XUISaGn2JW2Eb_0dYTxvITJ6gI8W5-bwwR351Zg58eay1DeS6T4MlZavX6AdMou-r7UpmUX2ce6wU2xTMIL5j_bKkiW21ksqsv_Wa4R2PcFq1Y8v0X7bGi3F6Bd3sg6rIxu2g/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8f4s_1Njv8Xzi0z9UzcN5tsVltKTlGSymNun-aP6rvOitT9oafn27XUISaGn2JW2Eb_0dYTxvITJ6gI8W5-bwwR351Zg58eay1DeS6T4MlZavX6AdMou-r7UpmUX2ce6wU2xTMIL5j_bKkiW21ksqsv_Wa4R2PcFq1Y8v0X7bGi3F6Bd3sg6rIxu2g/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall below the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvU7RNz3R6b-SyuyRPmG4HR2M0RUqnmJ1A8mP62ln7YSPt3YrzaqF_wzeOZBE3Q8M4RTcH6wotskm-X22qBtetTCdA-_A5KRy-3yEWTxqNUj0v6X2K-uYhzIRs_kloHk9oERDaoAp4CV-YbWZKbx_KrSA5jSeoYG8oWVmcApCFOXw8ansDDINSfjNlA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvU7RNz3R6b-SyuyRPmG4HR2M0RUqnmJ1A8mP62ln7YSPt3YrzaqF_wzeOZBE3Q8M4RTcH6wotskm-X22qBtetTCdA-_A5KRy-3yEWTxqNUj0v6X2K-uYhzIRs_kloHk9oERDaoAp4CV-YbWZKbx_KrSA5jSeoYG8oWVmcApCFOXw8ansDDINSfjNlA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stream emptying into Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I stopped at another lean to on the east side of the lake to have some lunch. Just like the previous lean to, this one sat close to the water with nice views across the lake. By now it had warmed up and the black flies started to pest me if I sat still to long. They weren't terrible, but definitely noticeable. I escaped with maybe only a bite or two. This was the first time they bothered me since the summit of Pharaoh Mountain. Once I started hiking again, they didn't bother me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmERW5KijqK_nz96N1gh7fEKsuHYZw6BpB5DS3AmfRtSZzEbz9_wM_wqSolDrrFY7A-JfIeXYbOg7v7ov0cg9wlSe2dx4-LO10ZtXJfUljXbK6ka596ZIF_4OyPKuOa_dgD7ygNfDGbrx9HIahpb0UwA8k8K8_xvNs23GrANnxmTIYAqjpzEkAOtLaw/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20218.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmERW5KijqK_nz96N1gh7fEKsuHYZw6BpB5DS3AmfRtSZzEbz9_wM_wqSolDrrFY7A-JfIeXYbOg7v7ov0cg9wlSe2dx4-LO10ZtXJfUljXbK6ka596ZIF_4OyPKuOa_dgD7ygNfDGbrx9HIahpb0UwA8k8K8_xvNs23GrANnxmTIYAqjpzEkAOtLaw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20218.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake by the lean to where I had lunch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoLqoBZtpGVF8upQ40EI00vxVy6NSgcoNEhYzkU2hkdIcYefoDb3qoo5e_0G2Axn6OCbxj-IdgcK0CVEPsH5q-v0b3WKgW0RyNT5FWTpf2nJVH6nUO104LM0zzws-4YeU65QLakOaLavleYE7hKN1mPHAc6TlEWz8Cfzxl17mryt6riy7FzzOejjZxQ/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20238.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoLqoBZtpGVF8upQ40EI00vxVy6NSgcoNEhYzkU2hkdIcYefoDb3qoo5e_0G2Axn6OCbxj-IdgcK0CVEPsH5q-v0b3WKgW0RyNT5FWTpf2nJVH6nUO104LM0zzws-4YeU65QLakOaLavleYE7hKN1mPHAc6TlEWz8Cfzxl17mryt6riy7FzzOejjZxQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20238.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Leaving the lean to, the pleasant hiking continued along the eastern side of the lake. I stopped frequently to enjoy the views across the lake. Thankfully the black flies seemed to stay away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-T5LlOEv_qIKHs4MnRQB3OzdW5S_53tskPLe3epzj4Wk0ULF4l-C1IAlXG_KDfWUscBcLC69g_4_Lf3XUV1ZZ9GKW1QmwJs6jZjPXTpQB7JP4XRYFVNDPnaXWkim6NZsGIkhP6QeGqJkFKSygXAzuajAcVpJEUPHb106Q9Nc7PunWIAe8tnEMbHqF2A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20060.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-T5LlOEv_qIKHs4MnRQB3OzdW5S_53tskPLe3epzj4Wk0ULF4l-C1IAlXG_KDfWUscBcLC69g_4_Lf3XUV1ZZ9GKW1QmwJs6jZjPXTpQB7JP4XRYFVNDPnaXWkim6NZsGIkhP6QeGqJkFKSygXAzuajAcVpJEUPHb106Q9Nc7PunWIAe8tnEMbHqF2A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20060.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of coniferous forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWBo0-nC6ufWnGPteVhRAtirgmeiAAdFclQpJuBOdOS2K72Qsoz7PnU7CFrDsnwRrvnOQHe2ZzRM3FHVWYnAUm4Yk2MkAOL5cETo2YftddHUCDlR3YLVrYPuR5JMwu644myVPuCTxlBgZ0UV1431bznHIz_N5rK7kuBVTCmJldwP-BzE59CmDbQA4BA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWBo0-nC6ufWnGPteVhRAtirgmeiAAdFclQpJuBOdOS2K72Qsoz7PnU7CFrDsnwRrvnOQHe2ZzRM3FHVWYnAUm4Yk2MkAOL5cETo2YftddHUCDlR3YLVrYPuR5JMwu644myVPuCTxlBgZ0UV1431bznHIz_N5rK7kuBVTCmJldwP-BzE59CmDbQA4BA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Lake was always close to the trail<br />around the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM1Ljjn-yjzwJ-x1O7lmKUolD5530FP1JdgH_O8Dz4tFv5Bdj1YyGi43o4DT6ozv-US_FPUy47uh28Z2RDrX24osK5SCKW-kpm72R-fLkQduzBlv_MaSVSTUrO-Pp_fgNZ-gUUeDv6_dA4N-q1bcthsaET-KRSZllMQXDoAa_kmfHrOS3gqYAn5TkUg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM1Ljjn-yjzwJ-x1O7lmKUolD5530FP1JdgH_O8Dz4tFv5Bdj1YyGi43o4DT6ozv-US_FPUy47uh28Z2RDrX24osK5SCKW-kpm72R-fLkQduzBlv_MaSVSTUrO-Pp_fgNZ-gUUeDv6_dA4N-q1bcthsaET-KRSZllMQXDoAa_kmfHrOS3gqYAn5TkUg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lake visible from the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNgdJJ3IUmojcQQE102X9hUTs_ic0RJTSI0Ur3YxmYwG7gBD0Uvy2KB8Gi-ivI-7fMKeA-gle5ae9VN4juPa1C0wHzGS4dW52Ac9inO4SEEFcSstNJxLXLb1OWcLICbQkcOAlOk-TKdtN8Xunjg1787ODdDrdpHzTSG_Dm9wJ8z_uOOqpL6uxpFsWhQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNgdJJ3IUmojcQQE102X9hUTs_ic0RJTSI0Ur3YxmYwG7gBD0Uvy2KB8Gi-ivI-7fMKeA-gle5ae9VN4juPa1C0wHzGS4dW52Ac9inO4SEEFcSstNJxLXLb1OWcLICbQkcOAlOk-TKdtN8Xunjg1787ODdDrdpHzTSG_Dm9wJ8z_uOOqpL6uxpFsWhQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkRMlhnW3VrO4dW2nUL7ClDi_QBoP3YPzi6YeGoY-hTXUdqZmx45JFj2iH7C0yxQ30I53265Vb4LMgsaDKIlaj6JeQ5f5q5mnmBeB0RmqgoWrIcPO--_43c11-_dRiXYe9TDb297RFLbrNIXvtnWSsz-yVwSaVgFFhpwcgICWuzG62p3nY9xipXTPow/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkRMlhnW3VrO4dW2nUL7ClDi_QBoP3YPzi6YeGoY-hTXUdqZmx45JFj2iH7C0yxQ30I53265Vb4LMgsaDKIlaj6JeQ5f5q5mnmBeB0RmqgoWrIcPO--_43c11-_dRiXYe9TDb297RFLbrNIXvtnWSsz-yVwSaVgFFhpwcgICWuzG62p3nY9xipXTPow/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky shoreline</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWANsB7Ul35TglrtaL2o2hmf77bZVfGgiT9k731nZs2XmQ22uS0os3MHsv7SBRx2bPTUtZjWd8NEUey3vzzcO7KgPOFMP2WbJIyYnD3km3O-GR0WFkWtxnuzp4iLmNmMcFE4xqbNcGC33aySmqz-z-vh8GEGETfsgZ9nxpM--hmTkbDFuLW5Ranbt0-g/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWANsB7Ul35TglrtaL2o2hmf77bZVfGgiT9k731nZs2XmQ22uS0os3MHsv7SBRx2bPTUtZjWd8NEUey3vzzcO7KgPOFMP2WbJIyYnD3km3O-GR0WFkWtxnuzp4iLmNmMcFE4xqbNcGC33aySmqz-z-vh8GEGETfsgZ9nxpM--hmTkbDFuLW5Ranbt0-g/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbtFvfBhZ32yIMRndkzNJ0ZJc_hXcE-_yvzWmZ4ORHGIf6I2fNU9HgV3yzrP3Kc3zw1BzO4eAX72OLJQJA3VLqf_09zmwliV9T0VjZcLZh12f-59hq5kKKKuXm_eIOl4zXR3p4LLh_fUqkmAAd79Zf4oSNPyYnEMNilgPa2H2WOJwh3pc3pDGaQyLcA/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20237.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbtFvfBhZ32yIMRndkzNJ0ZJc_hXcE-_yvzWmZ4ORHGIf6I2fNU9HgV3yzrP3Kc3zw1BzO4eAX72OLJQJA3VLqf_09zmwliV9T0VjZcLZh12f-59hq5kKKKuXm_eIOl4zXR3p4LLh_fUqkmAAd79Zf4oSNPyYnEMNilgPa2H2WOJwh3pc3pDGaQyLcA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20237.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Islands</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Much of the time the trail travels right along the lake. Numerous slabs of rock along the shore would make nice swimming spots. Since it was only in the 60s, I didn't have much a desire to swim. On a hot day I could see taking a dip. I saw the first people of the day in this stretch. They weren't hikers, however. A couple of canoes were on the lake. The lake is at least three miles from the closest trailhead, so I'm not sure how they get the canoes in there. I've heard the DEC brings the boats in for people to use.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueJ7fkya15SKewGduDQ8V2HTZYvhMjcLY_StM4bRgFLqGNsAl3VpOl_FdGQUaCrpCE3C4xM20bnK5KAs0D6Ba-0dASomWGaIX05RFH0kGLqqzHTfPmcU0JtcIyUHjZm_gLpIWFhP_Qm7oS9De3_JwmUqEc1uFsi9CDjLM81gLRT4aCqAS9gMpqj39-A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueJ7fkya15SKewGduDQ8V2HTZYvhMjcLY_StM4bRgFLqGNsAl3VpOl_FdGQUaCrpCE3C4xM20bnK5KAs0D6Ba-0dASomWGaIX05RFH0kGLqqzHTfPmcU0JtcIyUHjZm_gLpIWFhP_Qm7oS9De3_JwmUqEc1uFsi9CDjLM81gLRT4aCqAS9gMpqj39-A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the south end of the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGRbtxUddrJLGe5r8idvg7mMB8Efrk4Q2iHiU_YVJs2DeTm4fKdqtBfDR-ZKraWcNji2Bcckznp052lb2dqHdqIKkrFaNyIAeOf1aQmAhPVjt-4PvMBDlFgkdAVHd13f1NGg5k1Giwvw8frLMVmgKPYmVOiF7kCekmIEkCIUUdg38nYASotf-Cby-Xw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20075.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGRbtxUddrJLGe5r8idvg7mMB8Efrk4Q2iHiU_YVJs2DeTm4fKdqtBfDR-ZKraWcNji2Bcckznp052lb2dqHdqIKkrFaNyIAeOf1aQmAhPVjt-4PvMBDlFgkdAVHd13f1NGg5k1Giwvw8frLMVmgKPYmVOiF7kCekmIEkCIUUdg38nYASotf-Cby-Xw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20075.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walk along the lake was quite nice</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTv3HIfanwjrKumFDoJ7154Jd1gOgf4leb8-6yGSiSatFfhFnkc-DqS4DRvQpJOhm6EbCeGD5a1j3PbwAh7OoBcOHueUj_UVuJb3bd-seQ_hz7dMUm3ehQajtd-Fe_GgA6bBZZqQZjQs-tdt_LvU2oZWPXsehUml8qRMmodbu7_9eL4PUCr3omHTg8SQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTv3HIfanwjrKumFDoJ7154Jd1gOgf4leb8-6yGSiSatFfhFnkc-DqS4DRvQpJOhm6EbCeGD5a1j3PbwAh7OoBcOHueUj_UVuJb3bd-seQ_hz7dMUm3ehQajtd-Fe_GgA6bBZZqQZjQs-tdt_LvU2oZWPXsehUml8qRMmodbu7_9eL4PUCr3omHTg8SQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail crossing a smooth section of rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpaL3qktdBQ2ZlNVvWMyxJZaIfZtrtqcHtwbXUqVB6RmQEWDgj1eJ158AFOm_8ykZEtp6VeUGBJcY_cznytXQ_1M5_sFDOofxtg9me2UlbcjU0caiI5_SYFF8wg3tW5gr6smpv-uOLj7gvh7xIcYBLnJNYa_E1N8SAulcp6eAR1wh0f4rF4pG4CLYBw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20077.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpaL3qktdBQ2ZlNVvWMyxJZaIfZtrtqcHtwbXUqVB6RmQEWDgj1eJ158AFOm_8ykZEtp6VeUGBJcY_cznytXQ_1M5_sFDOofxtg9me2UlbcjU0caiI5_SYFF8wg3tW5gr6smpv-uOLj7gvh7xIcYBLnJNYa_E1N8SAulcp6eAR1wh0f4rF4pG4CLYBw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An improvised lean to along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After traveling along Pharaoh Lake for several miles, I finally departed the lake and headed toward the Springhill Ponds. I don't think the trail toward Springhill Ponds sees as much traffic as the areas around Pharaoh Lake. The start of the trail seemed a little less defined with a couple of blow downs at its start. The trail is never hard to follow though, and a relatively nice walk. I passed a couple of meadows and nice mountain streams. I saw another garter snake in this stretch.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQFc-wchXvzF-Ok5Wgvc31yqqvQEvvjRFhCb3q9rDKJ_3C2xxr0n0Z8CEeJjEWVOYG1k_uIUVDubon7Mpzc1jasCVEqJdvpbdII9vcyo501c7dB6hIYwE6b1trn9gYsDjh1-SO1T5zuvq_jIlCgCK-Yyu_zFxPbNlqlHen2sOmsXvcp6DPaS7Sr1I2w/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQFc-wchXvzF-Ok5Wgvc31yqqvQEvvjRFhCb3q9rDKJ_3C2xxr0n0Z8CEeJjEWVOYG1k_uIUVDubon7Mpzc1jasCVEqJdvpbdII9vcyo501c7dB6hIYwE6b1trn9gYsDjh1-SO1T5zuvq_jIlCgCK-Yyu_zFxPbNlqlHen2sOmsXvcp6DPaS7Sr1I2w/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrSzqRSnxH8i1EmdBE48Kp1rYlI2sbz_64Am9-yZcF02Njb3kPFti6KOyB_IatOLvWv3WOoyUsZXG5nhbGYxEtvdwB2kAeLqg8Y_CKrwctix19ImDqv0jWgxBRnfIravkF_KrScaLxBbTmW3VSozCd9yx65KZWTpo34XV_d4886klMyvUVhBaxWCxdA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20081.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrSzqRSnxH8i1EmdBE48Kp1rYlI2sbz_64Am9-yZcF02Njb3kPFti6KOyB_IatOLvWv3WOoyUsZXG5nhbGYxEtvdwB2kAeLqg8Y_CKrwctix19ImDqv0jWgxBRnfIravkF_KrScaLxBbTmW3VSozCd9yx65KZWTpo34XV_d4886klMyvUVhBaxWCxdA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20081.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large blowdown</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagJxkOLoeEntrUKhVBZwNJZtr3n1xhMdBLYSZMt0-eS3wEQaEnt3JammUTawM4eVtdS0fVOdKKySAIjqOY1aPnMNSoVAcXzuDSS20ECCU0IJW88WNnN6QoR1qt3LUKkI_sRPg0hTJt8R40uipo-PQoiWtXxhvIJVv4Y1_39xoYjaTlYCei8MTyJpLCw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20083.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagJxkOLoeEntrUKhVBZwNJZtr3n1xhMdBLYSZMt0-eS3wEQaEnt3JammUTawM4eVtdS0fVOdKKySAIjqOY1aPnMNSoVAcXzuDSS20ECCU0IJW88WNnN6QoR1qt3LUKkI_sRPg0hTJt8R40uipo-PQoiWtXxhvIJVv4Y1_39xoYjaTlYCei8MTyJpLCw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20083.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moss lined trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HDdwnlIJJuZB8lb15Za1e-lnR1fV0KApupUh3LBj8UcXL1irqtxTkGV1H8e2YUrz8g-0Z-AY5a8bmAVPSciNnfN3hN8aOxby8IWo3hXj8v-Xw2CbK90gst4c1rrJWNue3z-V_59-8DFicWZKSupgCdphLnvyCVFCESqW_JUI3TMC-ddfs4GHL9WPyw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20084.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HDdwnlIJJuZB8lb15Za1e-lnR1fV0KApupUh3LBj8UcXL1irqtxTkGV1H8e2YUrz8g-0Z-AY5a8bmAVPSciNnfN3hN8aOxby8IWo3hXj8v-Xw2CbK90gst4c1rrJWNue3z-V_59-8DFicWZKSupgCdphLnvyCVFCESqW_JUI3TMC-ddfs4GHL9WPyw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marshy stream along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUUDjjtCTGMxwyXL6VxE45Ll84q6xpW4--SSt1nX6qpzS7bpa3OOCQdUIB9qfj1mGft4eU3Bvp2BPoRng0G3lqtuqmPWp_4WZqsRVyfyksTawxyLj3ZDolql6R_dovNmyzjkR1e6ONzUvUB4QDZIa4x67aRS_EQ02f6v706bCSHi5PGdbijCo9zs6zQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUUDjjtCTGMxwyXL6VxE45Ll84q6xpW4--SSt1nX6qpzS7bpa3OOCQdUIB9qfj1mGft4eU3Bvp2BPoRng0G3lqtuqmPWp_4WZqsRVyfyksTawxyLj3ZDolql6R_dovNmyzjkR1e6ONzUvUB4QDZIa4x67aRS_EQ02f6v706bCSHi5PGdbijCo9zs6zQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20085.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tumbling mountain stream</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOnRurn-GAHtnTjS4yr0vg6mhmdhb_N_nzZRhbBY9kQ4-0mmxKzzHi-SHe6oCfJHbdURjKZT2VwPHD5JU7CgIfQlzQGMYXFf1F_QA5z54I_Tm7fkjm3k3jfAlVQbQmIqZ-k188v07sKrtwjGCmhR5JSrEr9cNBq53nc3_NBDI5MCMgjRpeAHPlW1VbA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20087.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOnRurn-GAHtnTjS4yr0vg6mhmdhb_N_nzZRhbBY9kQ4-0mmxKzzHi-SHe6oCfJHbdURjKZT2VwPHD5JU7CgIfQlzQGMYXFf1F_QA5z54I_Tm7fkjm3k3jfAlVQbQmIqZ-k188v07sKrtwjGCmhR5JSrEr9cNBq53nc3_NBDI5MCMgjRpeAHPlW1VbA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snake number two of the day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MLOHlMm3YiSWFV0JLJ6XGTWHBsmulyrtBY6NaqZkUm9kJp3O-e1Rq35RaoDd2czHm4467-cvQoxz7lKyEJMS9k4ZeHX3gMC-BwgiMdN1GhtN8bH376fCvXD7FpF_Seq3M0eART3q4xHLs1zRC7QPCgMUZHEVGrJ00GEllV7rMxB1W3l2sQ8IuDLKyQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20089.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MLOHlMm3YiSWFV0JLJ6XGTWHBsmulyrtBY6NaqZkUm9kJp3O-e1Rq35RaoDd2czHm4467-cvQoxz7lKyEJMS9k4ZeHX3gMC-BwgiMdN1GhtN8bH376fCvXD7FpF_Seq3M0eART3q4xHLs1zRC7QPCgMUZHEVGrJ00GEllV7rMxB1W3l2sQ8IuDLKyQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20089.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 6-foot waterfall along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>To reach Springhill Pond, you need to travel a short distance on a marked side trail. The side trail changes quite a bit of elevation before reaching the pond. I traveled a little around the pond since it seems fairly isolated. After the trail seemed to fade away I headed back to the main trail after taking a few photos. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNzqg9jh88Jkv5mM8VHJhQtSG07n5tu37Rbmr1n30r6e2of0dAVP38DznRSntBoA6gxQGSPg-dDs_2zOP5NdH9D9xM6O7k7ko6xc1DKZkxnmjm5AdmMUYCdsHI8bZ5l-feLZitLK1w2GpgzjlvDR_KDdDTS8-vm5usXiJJ2iYwVXHAOTTxf2IT5ldOw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20091.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNzqg9jh88Jkv5mM8VHJhQtSG07n5tu37Rbmr1n30r6e2of0dAVP38DznRSntBoA6gxQGSPg-dDs_2zOP5NdH9D9xM6O7k7ko6xc1DKZkxnmjm5AdmMUYCdsHI8bZ5l-feLZitLK1w2GpgzjlvDR_KDdDTS8-vm5usXiJJ2iYwVXHAOTTxf2IT5ldOw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20091.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First look at Springhill Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf8z-1PjkBGuBoNgZxC-ZT6kUu4bQV0hmgob9x74f736xdXqjp4lfQRO2JfX-T3BjdjsrWel3lEyPyVT5Jjm-VHmcjG7D09gIhHVxJAF5TdnvnpHXzdluhYjRMZSBqlukxXLtNeePeL1BK4ZGHvGPtJGJAY1xi9cIciUFbxedq14LK8zby8dNGa1tVQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf8z-1PjkBGuBoNgZxC-ZT6kUu4bQV0hmgob9x74f736xdXqjp4lfQRO2JfX-T3BjdjsrWel3lEyPyVT5Jjm-VHmcjG7D09gIhHVxJAF5TdnvnpHXzdluhYjRMZSBqlukxXLtNeePeL1BK4ZGHvGPtJGJAY1xi9cIciUFbxedq14LK8zby8dNGa1tVQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20092.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of Springhill Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Leaving the Springhill Pond area, the trail climbs gradually toward the ridge of Ellis Mountain. While the climbing isn't particularly steep, the descent was a little steeper. As I descended, I saw the first hiker of the day, some 15+ miles into my trip. I stopped to filter water as I neared the low point in this stretch. After a couple minutes of standing still, the black flies found me. They weren't unbearable, but I was ready to move on after a ten minute rest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtH4KUrRXhpj7xM3dtLllq6kvLmtGToGcoN5e_jbwT7VyMvoqjoOXy47UI_lMNUj0BFIk_vmOTfJNeFDfrsHJDIGAijDIO2ROZCNylHGrZfpVyCGhjG248miKliWuiznQ0Z4QdP50cD5dqilChfst7-fOJPz8WlcViIQnfbSnLsRNxEkeGkfJVgMjXw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtH4KUrRXhpj7xM3dtLllq6kvLmtGToGcoN5e_jbwT7VyMvoqjoOXy47UI_lMNUj0BFIk_vmOTfJNeFDfrsHJDIGAijDIO2ROZCNylHGrZfpVyCGhjG248miKliWuiznQ0Z4QdP50cD5dqilChfst7-fOJPz8WlcViIQnfbSnLsRNxEkeGkfJVgMjXw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20094.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction of Springhill and Berrymill Pond Trails</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I reached another junction, not too far from a trailhead, and made my way towards Berrymill Pond. The grounds cover encroached the trail at times, but the trail was easy to follow. Some descriptions I read about this trail made it sound wet and overgrown, but it seemed pretty straightforward to follow and mostly dry. I passed some areas that went by beaver activity, but the trail wasn't affected by it. There was quite a few blooming trillium flowers and blooming hobblebush along the trail here.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiLgEO0HKYosng24VsghPAmxbnQtt0cezTR66hqEMKZ73gMXDpJ3sUNL2gOavZKuFdcIhrts0kOPyJXH0JWkzMlY3m-Vn-BfeYsV4BnGBPVmt39gW13LRwGRS5NcZiGwI4RF6JCLsfRz5k01nASNjOFivTuv8VLe-qpdGWn5qW2BJ9WVh3tImdq3O0A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20095.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiLgEO0HKYosng24VsghPAmxbnQtt0cezTR66hqEMKZ73gMXDpJ3sUNL2gOavZKuFdcIhrts0kOPyJXH0JWkzMlY3m-Vn-BfeYsV4BnGBPVmt39gW13LRwGRS5NcZiGwI4RF6JCLsfRz5k01nASNjOFivTuv8VLe-qpdGWn5qW2BJ9WVh3tImdq3O0A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20095.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brushy section of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBJ45Sy__cd1qI4qKp3_CFamwKQFw6_NMXUrF9Xy17ZfGuJDz-sECaPDyqDe0LMTO9YKF2HhjSSMvTg0PFZkjjgIMxbNWoQl5G9B67PNCpwn7x2TpZElPsZsIxkAXasPtZINsrei-7u9MrVcDg6G2uyOAA_c08mS9CDWvijIp6snEdXUnlHiVB2YrZQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20097.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBJ45Sy__cd1qI4qKp3_CFamwKQFw6_NMXUrF9Xy17ZfGuJDz-sECaPDyqDe0LMTO9YKF2HhjSSMvTg0PFZkjjgIMxbNWoQl5G9B67PNCpwn7x2TpZElPsZsIxkAXasPtZINsrei-7u9MrVcDg6G2uyOAA_c08mS9CDWvijIp6snEdXUnlHiVB2YrZQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20097.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trailside bog</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19IFQcGhU_yUFnQKziFlD6TGeWI7asxzBRnNCERkd1H6-hbuPOQzlY8VaQ_EMiznrB82jBfRyRUoK73M2DVzCopstzIiiLfLcYoSXHdipLNOHngb5ivur48M6s5Z0qCXdzrOC37-JzOLAVh-Xxpjm3xULBKsoouNtr9KVqDm7TIJDiXIk7Fu2L4Vz8Q/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20099.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19IFQcGhU_yUFnQKziFlD6TGeWI7asxzBRnNCERkd1H6-hbuPOQzlY8VaQ_EMiznrB82jBfRyRUoK73M2DVzCopstzIiiLfLcYoSXHdipLNOHngb5ivur48M6s5Z0qCXdzrOC37-JzOLAVh-Xxpjm3xULBKsoouNtr9KVqDm7TIJDiXIk7Fu2L4Vz8Q/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20099.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Log bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS00_ziJ_yeI5cIBeRPbcdLhtSk_RLbWMj4Ruu_SevB2B2kgiqEK05YnBA7rUIwjBwuZ6wFGDfnYeTa5cScFZm80vnjbcoOraRyqLBoeSIDfIzqo1oLsyudVGmzjDRBNr0KVAQE--i0nPHvPT_8G8jyfoWQ90bdSKEgFYE6XtpN2ZouutVE4jnONOsGA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS00_ziJ_yeI5cIBeRPbcdLhtSk_RLbWMj4Ruu_SevB2B2kgiqEK05YnBA7rUIwjBwuZ6wFGDfnYeTa5cScFZm80vnjbcoOraRyqLBoeSIDfIzqo1oLsyudVGmzjDRBNr0KVAQE--i0nPHvPT_8G8jyfoWQ90bdSKEgFYE6XtpN2ZouutVE4jnONOsGA" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blooming Hobblebush</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh65xYOPaoTDT8MTa_z3OxGfyjD8aB3XSkG9xOV5Y_m8Tnsa2IbthD3ZaHfWBNGCzEAUQ7QnK5XU5Bmk5_mfpGaV3Cm3kTsX0kfcB3OoRE_mj36MqQX-T5GSjWt-wgmpQtoJaM55DZfO5xp9RwdMCT7mI5DamRIR-OnvlybOIK9hb-zCFUN8g0HlORg0w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh65xYOPaoTDT8MTa_z3OxGfyjD8aB3XSkG9xOV5Y_m8Tnsa2IbthD3ZaHfWBNGCzEAUQ7QnK5XU5Bmk5_mfpGaV3Cm3kTsX0kfcB3OoRE_mj36MqQX-T5GSjWt-wgmpQtoJaM55DZfO5xp9RwdMCT7mI5DamRIR-OnvlybOIK9hb-zCFUN8g0HlORg0w" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trillium</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At one point, I saw something fairly large and brown move awkwardly across the trail and into the brush. As I got closer, I realized it was two beavers moving across the land. They aren't the most graceful when not in water. They quickly made their way down to a small pond just off the trail. I dropped down to the pond and was greeted by several tail slaps. After a minute they seemed less threatened and swam around a bit. I enjoyed watching them at fairly close range, but the black flies began swarming me after a couple minutes. As I moved away, they slapped their tails again. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3RTos_MDnp97d4NEGWjHCfXt5NzX7lRc724PuUQE5Cyxwp3aHn9W89brp9FLrMBD1jfAG--crWdvPZKdGepiY1yiFjnAZK5plrnHUBKNlKCDNimkaSD2uqF8TvA5_eeN08kKy5Q6pasMJofgyJL0sX7YeHbg2Oe6rwiJxsTPfbW2d8Q-fTh1kKJ4rg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3RTos_MDnp97d4NEGWjHCfXt5NzX7lRc724PuUQE5Cyxwp3aHn9W89brp9FLrMBD1jfAG--crWdvPZKdGepiY1yiFjnAZK5plrnHUBKNlKCDNimkaSD2uqF8TvA5_eeN08kKy5Q6pasMJofgyJL0sX7YeHbg2Oe6rwiJxsTPfbW2d8Q-fTh1kKJ4rg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond with the beavers </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiF5Dl8sV7cSgUb6kFK3tBkKjKLAmuHeNad9tSLZvxSBw0NLhP8BS0CPf6vJkCGuLVE8MB0Xl6eWQS8CwAlMJpCtM2k0b0jm30nfwouDpZbXPWi2s3xTzUX1nlfcL08JGN2Mxogw2YsYAWuz3lP1el-b9lIGcNmtCpAAFPy3z2XTUGsUhUIDZGCUH9qg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiF5Dl8sV7cSgUb6kFK3tBkKjKLAmuHeNad9tSLZvxSBw0NLhP8BS0CPf6vJkCGuLVE8MB0Xl6eWQS8CwAlMJpCtM2k0b0jm30nfwouDpZbXPWi2s3xTzUX1nlfcL08JGN2Mxogw2YsYAWuz3lP1el-b9lIGcNmtCpAAFPy3z2XTUGsUhUIDZGCUH9qg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20106.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two beavers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbN_fDaVV4379rxZJH7YbS3T1POgo7XHbBY-pv4eLBMctIhtjpnCT6HfSTqpX0RADoF5l68gGKqJYUZCDD1F_7290tK3_va3Q7T1LxpKvbWM9f1XcAN_sYkc9eMt7eT3nkBqjNTXVu9pHFrQlSJbU_TabVbZWJrIHrwQax0jq3RY8bfVvnrUoOPc8iig/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20108.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbN_fDaVV4379rxZJH7YbS3T1POgo7XHbBY-pv4eLBMctIhtjpnCT6HfSTqpX0RADoF5l68gGKqJYUZCDD1F_7290tK3_va3Q7T1LxpKvbWM9f1XcAN_sYkc9eMt7eT3nkBqjNTXVu9pHFrQlSJbU_TabVbZWJrIHrwQax0jq3RY8bfVvnrUoOPc8iig/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20108.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of a beaver</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soon after the beaver sighting, I reached the Berrymill Pond Lean to. The shelter sits on a narrow arm near the outlet and it's difficult to see the bulk of Berrymill Pond. There is a nice waterfall at the outlet of the pond however that's worth the short side trip. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6TbtlIQsF5cGlihGQBDAtvH93nJgisP2nuuQvtd3ec4OCPy37AhGKTeE-ZLrGv6wCBdB0qOH4rUZZolDxPrkzx_pQIW6IS-HXGRzE5nAGeTBVhp5OGhwFnZ-xhLGEWduEK4N7MFlu9sS5dVlP3HSDmRPEW-yCsnWFkMTOoIatx7RjIRaEGU9mMwr9A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20112.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6TbtlIQsF5cGlihGQBDAtvH93nJgisP2nuuQvtd3ec4OCPy37AhGKTeE-ZLrGv6wCBdB0qOH4rUZZolDxPrkzx_pQIW6IS-HXGRzE5nAGeTBVhp5OGhwFnZ-xhLGEWduEK4N7MFlu9sS5dVlP3HSDmRPEW-yCsnWFkMTOoIatx7RjIRaEGU9mMwr9A/w300-h400/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20112.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outlet of Berrymill Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmYotJgY3ZxbkK0ig93CGdMpes_2gPGDAkQdnsC9QekFhausIBVgFSS1HFmUyc1_l1oW8QIoJd-WnqO9tTuIoMWpAToVwtD5IrBFcPTsEjtheBhWHQ7TH63ib3oGvB6bR93KBji0vzHfl6UAIyTawtqlnfJ-Wio84XnlaXUxZ9lPHL7Ats0E6JLzTxA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20113.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmYotJgY3ZxbkK0ig93CGdMpes_2gPGDAkQdnsC9QekFhausIBVgFSS1HFmUyc1_l1oW8QIoJd-WnqO9tTuIoMWpAToVwtD5IrBFcPTsEjtheBhWHQ7TH63ib3oGvB6bR93KBji0vzHfl6UAIyTawtqlnfJ-Wio84XnlaXUxZ9lPHL7Ats0E6JLzTxA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20113.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the outlet of Berrymill Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBHdBHpVpVXl9yMKDlrJy-I2Uk6fK0NZLZb9W3LWqL8wErSMr0c25HqVjIquFszKuGxecW8Ng9IpNdxPw6W7knAkkWkplhkaxBGQOe_kSosy7PR43zOge5TNKRNCCIMcJj6ext2QbHMlgRJZgy7xUXx6VGN72aZGd6HyKuDJsWIz_xyaKLvLb7KnH4w/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20114.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBHdBHpVpVXl9yMKDlrJy-I2Uk6fK0NZLZb9W3LWqL8wErSMr0c25HqVjIquFszKuGxecW8Ng9IpNdxPw6W7knAkkWkplhkaxBGQOe_kSosy7PR43zOge5TNKRNCCIMcJj6ext2QbHMlgRJZgy7xUXx6VGN72aZGd6HyKuDJsWIz_xyaKLvLb7KnH4w/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20114.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An arm of Berrymill Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Leaving Berrymill Pond, I descended toward Putnam Pond Campground. While the hiking was pretty easy, this section of trail was heavy with mosquitoes. I put the hood on my shirt up and tried to get through the worst section as quickly as possible. I frequently would look a the back of my arms to find multiple mosquitoes at a time. I was wearing long sleeves which helped, but a few managed to bite me through the shirt. The worst of the mosquitoes lasted only about a mile or so. If I wasn't assaulted by the mosquitos, I would have took more time to enjoy the pleasant walking through the coniferous forest. There was some streams with small cascades that were pretty.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLN0l1F-7oiqJ_Ay4nE0H56MNdsRu8kN1vOvSb-QqglGPy1BIcxM_UrXXaTSY4bTvwwfxwQKYzwX5f1KEU494e2uR_lyBJwA4fXrx6n6AdxhXbZAym5xJsoW4821OJrDELvJeV01P5iULQO6TgcnGbdEjLzJHhxb06AqJVVxgUNQoZTmS4BxjpzhCErQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20117.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLN0l1F-7oiqJ_Ay4nE0H56MNdsRu8kN1vOvSb-QqglGPy1BIcxM_UrXXaTSY4bTvwwfxwQKYzwX5f1KEU494e2uR_lyBJwA4fXrx6n6AdxhXbZAym5xJsoW4821OJrDELvJeV01P5iULQO6TgcnGbdEjLzJHhxb06AqJVVxgUNQoZTmS4BxjpzhCErQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20117.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another newer bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRe8jDwdlJeFc-N2ItPEtRQO7-v9r5qkKKfbwUWgx-WMrsXLU18SfC5-LnIPIzxppFj5_K4aQUwvebwFEg5R0CE9VDeS7BBtjd7ONWLJkBCckP3t39e72c9ZaDLJtqYie5FobuaE9-A9EBfwvkA8F2svYFlpS0jj1Z0coLW4eG98K54quR_OZD4alIWg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRe8jDwdlJeFc-N2ItPEtRQO7-v9r5qkKKfbwUWgx-WMrsXLU18SfC5-LnIPIzxppFj5_K4aQUwvebwFEg5R0CE9VDeS7BBtjd7ONWLJkBCckP3t39e72c9ZaDLJtqYie5FobuaE9-A9EBfwvkA8F2svYFlpS0jj1Z0coLW4eG98K54quR_OZD4alIWg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20118.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy waterfall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu-y60Sd0J4RujDMRvyeGUVjt9b-DLfX6Aw3-sXw9hBYIf4k8CszYpho7cDfrS_n8vgO5xBazD-bt_knVxfMjM0up3tBjetBX2LkvCfqOruJXEpeXti9of2yRUBw9p6GuQnoded3-AK2ITBAdimSDgws18Q8dfwm-wzVoozpfq0iHwSOTRIT-ebKJOQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20119.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu-y60Sd0J4RujDMRvyeGUVjt9b-DLfX6Aw3-sXw9hBYIf4k8CszYpho7cDfrS_n8vgO5xBazD-bt_knVxfMjM0up3tBjetBX2LkvCfqOruJXEpeXti9of2yRUBw9p6GuQnoded3-AK2ITBAdimSDgws18Q8dfwm-wzVoozpfq0iHwSOTRIT-ebKJOQ/w300-h400/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20119.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another small cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not long after the mosquito cloud, I reached the paved trailhead near Putnam Pond. A short minute-long stroll along the road brought me back into the woods on the Grizzle Ocean Trail. A state run campground sits along part of Putnam Pond, I could hear people in the distance at the campsites, but didn't see anyone. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBa_ldxvbH8_ahffztRW8Ke8EYNYllP6a5o6R7uMZ9ts79DjdbI4OQxa1YJNjfy-VFUnRx55ScMgD81dFQNUKDySLt9Tpt69a7S0hfGh67vn-MTTKKfO1SX9EegVzps25zv0Tl6ArbPFvJpE3K4yBE9iuvZsQPHtTi0fv6xsodTiTuE1wEPYUnhbnASg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20121.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBa_ldxvbH8_ahffztRW8Ke8EYNYllP6a5o6R7uMZ9ts79DjdbI4OQxa1YJNjfy-VFUnRx55ScMgD81dFQNUKDySLt9Tpt69a7S0hfGh67vn-MTTKKfO1SX9EegVzps25zv0Tl6ArbPFvJpE3K4yBE9iuvZsQPHtTi0fv6xsodTiTuE1wEPYUnhbnASg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20121.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead by Putnam Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My goal for the night was to camp at the Grizzle Ocean Lean to. The last couple miles from the Putnam Pond road to Grizzle Ocean were rather nice. The trail is rather easy. Several pretty streams flow near the trail. There is easy access to the south end of Putnam Pond. The south end of the pond is far from the campground and much more quiet. I could hear loons in the distance on Putnam Pond. I also scared a large bird. I didn't get a clear look at it through the trees, but it looked like a bald eagle.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBZgNisLJyNr3RSLU9yf7K31vxp2Nf3vP1f3Y5f_AvB-O9O7y4FsgxB4Vh_VybSb9eJ_57We1pCD6QkIduQDwHOQw0lsKJHq16nb3wrQD9PsnWc0QRq1Av77r-cmlo7HTbpxmotRr5jVzUXV_H-PG6LJye_O0YS5en1mG2MMAKzzVIiYN0N5F_wqc2A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBZgNisLJyNr3RSLU9yf7K31vxp2Nf3vP1f3Y5f_AvB-O9O7y4FsgxB4Vh_VybSb9eJ_57We1pCD6QkIduQDwHOQw0lsKJHq16nb3wrQD9PsnWc0QRq1Av77r-cmlo7HTbpxmotRr5jVzUXV_H-PG6LJye_O0YS5en1mG2MMAKzzVIiYN0N5F_wqc2A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20123.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the south shore of Putnam Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Grizzle Ocean Lean to sits about a half-mile off of my route. I was intrigued by the name and wanted to see this pond. While there, I wanted to hike the small mile-long loop around the pond as well. Since I still had about 90 minutes of light, I decided to hike the loop before I settled at the lean to.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGNtXDEQk_cE4OQAgUoPJ12VIKu3fDg4Ub_JlpYrb5sKjO6Yea2KBda2ctNBLTmvwazvLty0gQUPuJYJVj-QQSSrm6TZ2yIqC-PgL6aKas5ce3ACO3qCaVaYhLkDn5mBO6YUU4vu3eqj58TteKX6OtFKhLlXrqULYriqBg61-HMFp0nVIQuGIriYkQg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20128.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGNtXDEQk_cE4OQAgUoPJ12VIKu3fDg4Ub_JlpYrb5sKjO6Yea2KBda2ctNBLTmvwazvLty0gQUPuJYJVj-QQSSrm6TZ2yIqC-PgL6aKas5ce3ACO3qCaVaYhLkDn5mBO6YUU4vu3eqj58TteKX6OtFKhLlXrqULYriqBg61-HMFp0nVIQuGIriYkQg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20128.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long boardwalk over the outlet of Grizzle Ocean</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The loop around Grizzle Ocean was nothing to write home about. The trail is brushy and a little hard to follow. Only a couple spots you actually are on the shore of the pond. I did startle some beavers however and they slapped their tails at me. I reached the lean-to about 715PM.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Grizzle Ocean, despite its name, is a fairly small pond. I've read it gets its name from a fisherman catching a fish so big that it looked like it came from the ocean. In the evening, I saw quite a few small fish near the shore. I also saw some newts along the shore.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV5Dc26BWu0MvvsypZCAYhC5CJoiJBtCXsr-UCjLHRD5JNNKDeG1XTnJzXfR9si6kcBcuMk6P7rRUtQ7ewiQh3pBMl6WTcsDPMPdK3ISgiSPEUqBw7gAyfIQqtBEiHcKXIsTJxiRc8PrWObhkVdcShbO5knuzy1xalBupk4t4BfQ_R1Zxfl5irqaeeg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20133.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV5Dc26BWu0MvvsypZCAYhC5CJoiJBtCXsr-UCjLHRD5JNNKDeG1XTnJzXfR9si6kcBcuMk6P7rRUtQ7ewiQh3pBMl6WTcsDPMPdK3ISgiSPEUqBw7gAyfIQqtBEiHcKXIsTJxiRc8PrWObhkVdcShbO5knuzy1xalBupk4t4BfQ_R1Zxfl5irqaeeg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grizzle Ocean Lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fortunately, by the time I arrived at the lean to, the black flies and mosquitos were both pretty sparse. I was able to filter water, cook, and eat without being eaten alive. I had my tent with me in case I needed to protect myself from biting insects overnight. I decided to sleep in the lean-to since the bugs went into hiding and I had the place to myself</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I pretty quickly turned in for the night just after dark- about 915PM. After all, I did hike close to 25 miles for the day and got up fairly early. There was a pleasant chorus of frogs in the distance and a loon in the pond calling occasionally. I could also hear a loon on a distant pond. I was also serenaded by barred owls. I heard both the classic call as well as their courting calls. The courting call is sometimes referred to as a monkey call. It also sounds like an angry duck at times. If you never heard it, I recommend listening to them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg3zWSKbdnU" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></a>. The owls carried on nearby for about an hour before moving further away. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4N8HrQDzlB7lGRADVI3HI8ZMjAnzTrhVvnlIJyN6lvvaTrUXlCM7m-VP_EE_m3Ex919cMdAz3iYCeo1yynjNKFMa09tHugXxZCr2fAJt4Js_Hf4UsBWNqxkwaxK0wteFxzSawzYcbA4_bPvXzGTz6aBPwGJHnzYX0KaO1TGVyL3fl3CIZ31B_-nxMw/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20236.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4N8HrQDzlB7lGRADVI3HI8ZMjAnzTrhVvnlIJyN6lvvaTrUXlCM7m-VP_EE_m3Ex919cMdAz3iYCeo1yynjNKFMa09tHugXxZCr2fAJt4Js_Hf4UsBWNqxkwaxK0wteFxzSawzYcbA4_bPvXzGTz6aBPwGJHnzYX0KaO1TGVyL3fl3CIZ31B_-nxMw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20236.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grizzle Ocean at evening twilight</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I usually don't like lean tos all that much to sleep. I have not slept in one since my Long Trail hike in 2011. After about an hour of laying down in the lean to I remembered why. I had a mouse friend visit me through the night. I didn't have any food in the lean to and my pack hung from the rafters. It seemed to enjoy scurrying across and through a few stuff sacks I had nearby. At one point I was awakened as it crawled across my head. I had my hood on, but I still didn't appreciate the visitor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I awoke from my sleep a few times throughout the night. The resident loon called several times. I heard beaver slapping at one point. Near morning the barred owls began their calling again. I don't mind those kinds of sounds of nature as sleep disruptions, but I don't enjoy the mice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwNHWGPKvUNMt59LNuvXVFGGEpYx9pIH3eI5jnqFfKmsWxVtaUyR3JOnT6ABsCzn9nJRagmJCIJdsiZazQnwmsC04QBTCxcn2S51CiGgX1S1yCacVO8LW9RL8xP7eNm2SPyJjwVDsk5VV8mS0EZbtTGOZwu-Ru6QHXM83AI5Wl794OR816mSXyPi4Nw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20136.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwNHWGPKvUNMt59LNuvXVFGGEpYx9pIH3eI5jnqFfKmsWxVtaUyR3JOnT6ABsCzn9nJRagmJCIJdsiZazQnwmsC04QBTCxcn2S51CiGgX1S1yCacVO8LW9RL8xP7eNm2SPyJjwVDsk5VV8mS0EZbtTGOZwu-Ru6QHXM83AI5Wl794OR816mSXyPi4Nw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20136.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning sun on Grizzle Ocean</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I enjoyed not having a tent to pack up in the morning. Even with one less chore, I was still kind of slow to get moving and wasn't on the trail again until after 7AM. That may not sound late, but considering it is light around 5AM, I feel it's a slow start when traveling solo. While I was packing up and eating breakfast I saw a loon take off from the lake and circle above the water before leaving the area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Shortly after departing for the morning, my first destination was a side trip to Treadway Mountain. Treadway is reached by a two mile trail. The trail starts off easy enough, but quickly starts climbing over open rock. Cairns mark the way over open stretches and across rock. One small scramble of about 6 feet needs to be negotiated at one point. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPP0RRCXq064mZZN1dzuk5VlNC_gWbY80uiNhq7OoiTk9Wc7S2JsfoBC0Nc0BpwDXpeaOfw6ZXm0WSBh_3EtLx5dJiRRkno7wwpCBRwXfu9P_i5np5zkN0Jf6FLnFl6k4ZZvoRJ3BUWMYhG03rTkAC_6FatVUQ1aL2HqOoVsQlIwyfaAdgh6urMCekBQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20137.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPP0RRCXq064mZZN1dzuk5VlNC_gWbY80uiNhq7OoiTk9Wc7S2JsfoBC0Nc0BpwDXpeaOfw6ZXm0WSBh_3EtLx5dJiRRkno7wwpCBRwXfu9P_i5np5zkN0Jf6FLnFl6k4ZZvoRJ3BUWMYhG03rTkAC_6FatVUQ1aL2HqOoVsQlIwyfaAdgh6urMCekBQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20137.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Grizzle Ocean Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJZeD2hWZhOOnrXUxSs-YOvIyzmMw6VX7VdmUPSnPiAz02xzk7cJyOXKBDtihX98KEEf5nKJ-7tpR8hY24uvvlzoUB2idDDTVF19Tr1duv9zq8Mls1Fctw9_BNi3S42uMI1xoinLRGzPAVX7L1rIesL4AAhA-KQuoQLLktY_2YQ9b09fCSa1NL15xgw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20138.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJZeD2hWZhOOnrXUxSs-YOvIyzmMw6VX7VdmUPSnPiAz02xzk7cJyOXKBDtihX98KEEf5nKJ-7tpR8hY24uvvlzoUB2idDDTVF19Tr1duv9zq8Mls1Fctw9_BNi3S42uMI1xoinLRGzPAVX7L1rIesL4AAhA-KQuoQLLktY_2YQ9b09fCSa1NL15xgw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20138.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mud Pond </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwBNpNtaWcKPCQAh__32arjTVPPS1r-Mom7rbM6aSER5wccpZQLJUSxfq4PFG4Juw7A6hK-0WuBHX8sSaYHSIIpzfVAMVOG1yLspMwBNXChF8UjOHXWpVJNfFnlSf5WoaQrliYedLXI1d4WLNFGUO-VuV3kzJ2hgHJLPv1bT2kyeWc8IIlpQt6_cm2A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20139.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwBNpNtaWcKPCQAh__32arjTVPPS1r-Mom7rbM6aSER5wccpZQLJUSxfq4PFG4Juw7A6hK-0WuBHX8sSaYHSIIpzfVAMVOG1yLspMwBNXChF8UjOHXWpVJNfFnlSf5WoaQrliYedLXI1d4WLNFGUO-VuV3kzJ2hgHJLPv1bT2kyeWc8IIlpQt6_cm2A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20139.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treadway Mountain trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCJtaWJHGoYQ5vNKk2riRnvgWj5xRJ4si-u4e60n9EjU5cEMrmnk61NZMFzNviNdxDgnr1J2ajq24wni2Ij2zL5jTtF0vca1bozQ8uLOaeOB38KP9sICX-wKuP4rSNgB1Z3QKOmAiH-4pJNsTrTEaO8Fu9B-6cLSr-7pkjRQv8Epgi9xLK_TgTzzQFA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20141.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCJtaWJHGoYQ5vNKk2riRnvgWj5xRJ4si-u4e60n9EjU5cEMrmnk61NZMFzNviNdxDgnr1J2ajq24wni2Ij2zL5jTtF0vca1bozQ8uLOaeOB38KP9sICX-wKuP4rSNgB1Z3QKOmAiH-4pJNsTrTEaO8Fu9B-6cLSr-7pkjRQv8Epgi9xLK_TgTzzQFA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky stretch enroute to Treadway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRJjRGWoZUeLMZvd0RuAk0JAaT51-_ULieEyP3vViAXDQa9dlEnmpTze3SmLhD_JvegJwIc0O3Cv1Yl5pwpDZP1GNAKVf3N_eqWjVKvew8cjpZNnimMwoDAONBaTue80JKhHjAsDUZC86UNLNefAXUorLM14XIP3OQw8dVqLFkx7JEtyUIfiUHvo93A/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRJjRGWoZUeLMZvd0RuAk0JAaT51-_ULieEyP3vViAXDQa9dlEnmpTze3SmLhD_JvegJwIc0O3Cv1Yl5pwpDZP1GNAKVf3N_eqWjVKvew8cjpZNnimMwoDAONBaTue80JKhHjAsDUZC86UNLNefAXUorLM14XIP3OQw8dVqLFkx7JEtyUIfiUHvo93A/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20142.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section requiring some scrambling</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcTA6CxkPE1s5ZdV9FAZJsAqiw5nNavFWjCE-Xw9mdCQfATXM8C0jigabK6Ce51Q3XahlaiFlbWLk1UGxBGEIdf2AV1Dnpq7P5IdeSmuaPJNLQIbku4ZFa5SFx3XWfsaS6nC3GK5kBKAYyDLlLm0KsKs-Gmf6efw2BjOjsgKqcjHm3HlzrdiFv_eikA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20143.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcTA6CxkPE1s5ZdV9FAZJsAqiw5nNavFWjCE-Xw9mdCQfATXM8C0jigabK6Ce51Q3XahlaiFlbWLk1UGxBGEIdf2AV1Dnpq7P5IdeSmuaPJNLQIbku4ZFa5SFx3XWfsaS6nC3GK5kBKAYyDLlLm0KsKs-Gmf6efw2BjOjsgKqcjHm3HlzrdiFv_eikA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20143.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking on open rock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A slightly lower summit is traversed before dropping down briefly before gaining the higher summit. Treadway stands at a modest 2,244'. The last half-mile is fairly rugged for such a small mountain. The summit is fairly open with good views in most directions if you take the time to explore the different outcroppings. The view as somewhat obscured by haze while I was there, but you get good views of Pharaoh Mountain and Lake with glimpses toward the High Peaks to the northwest. Black flies tried to find me on the summit, but a stiff breeze seemed to keep them out of reach. I was rewarded with more nice views as I descended. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDRSFy7qRZr54D6G5N--aQo885ylRbIJ1UmhaaoO47xwHKfmMTV9yEcx98Xd9WK7nBZ8FtZs-ZTYJ9L-vWH_so2FTyso1xniR3sR2P2kH87Fc7VeEf2--ads-CtQPwN3-rhQQ1xkWFZ75Y_H2U1tKPQofc7NgRFJXJYL-zOVqIuM1vK-G7_qGswrA9w/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20146.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDRSFy7qRZr54D6G5N--aQo885ylRbIJ1UmhaaoO47xwHKfmMTV9yEcx98Xd9WK7nBZ8FtZs-ZTYJ9L-vWH_so2FTyso1xniR3sR2P2kH87Fc7VeEf2--ads-CtQPwN3-rhQQ1xkWFZ75Y_H2U1tKPQofc7NgRFJXJYL-zOVqIuM1vK-G7_qGswrA9w/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20146.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Mountain poking out above the trees</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQH_HiIGkAWZH-6qvMrd8MF1zUNWJcc6s1KH_rpvemdLc2pCsaALVsPGunbLmz6-MuHdyapF68_Qqz6wSZFjziR3-ywr1V1fUy7lkFP8dsEeIitdJwC26lm1tEi9TnhlP-Um3z09izsZaSCFM9oo5OpFAlwjD9GL1gzc_DOTaYq2lB4has77OXcoOpg/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20217.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQH_HiIGkAWZH-6qvMrd8MF1zUNWJcc6s1KH_rpvemdLc2pCsaALVsPGunbLmz6-MuHdyapF68_Qqz6wSZFjziR3-ywr1V1fUy7lkFP8dsEeIitdJwC26lm1tEi9TnhlP-Um3z09izsZaSCFM9oo5OpFAlwjD9GL1gzc_DOTaYq2lB4has77OXcoOpg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20217.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Treadway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismeIdmLIE8BQ1d64gGxag1UDK3Jl74JEWoOgyfhrRF7NTHb9kRUKawX3C8kqBeEtzE5jLR_bDIHcQQe01Yd86A-8ueGgrwgYA9JaFSQBaG3nvTkq9AgqjLcWgCiWwjng9wHjiDvOsz-Ms105CmBtq32wh5GyGprvLQkztxQasIY-WtkVrQ9fu31wrkA/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20235.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismeIdmLIE8BQ1d64gGxag1UDK3Jl74JEWoOgyfhrRF7NTHb9kRUKawX3C8kqBeEtzE5jLR_bDIHcQQe01Yd86A-8ueGgrwgYA9JaFSQBaG3nvTkq9AgqjLcWgCiWwjng9wHjiDvOsz-Ms105CmBtq32wh5GyGprvLQkztxQasIY-WtkVrQ9fu31wrkA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20235.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2IT1akloCq3tRv9vVWAeM0qYJBjzeIK62jSsn-nn40Ttz7AR9D-07lCFQnBBd98eej8uH8ZyauD_H4zBJ2MXmiUaqJm4gyKJZzdAv1UYrGZUw18HFcwM72KUOhZ2hKJGu0Cd31zWzpvPRParu_TUdVUu6H6ZHLAZL4DETqiSg_MnU5jP5AAA7ud9DA/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20233.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2IT1akloCq3tRv9vVWAeM0qYJBjzeIK62jSsn-nn40Ttz7AR9D-07lCFQnBBd98eej8uH8ZyauD_H4zBJ2MXmiUaqJm4gyKJZzdAv1UYrGZUw18HFcwM72KUOhZ2hKJGu0Cd31zWzpvPRParu_TUdVUu6H6ZHLAZL4DETqiSg_MnU5jP5AAA7ud9DA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20233.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on the descent of Treadway</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My next several miles took me to a series of small ponds. I started passing the boggy looking Mud Pond. Shortly after that, I walked the shores of the small but scenic Clear Pond. The Clear Pond Lean to sits close to its banks. I caught a glimpse of Rock Pond through the trees. I continued over more boggy area and reached Little Rock Pond with nice views of surrounding low mountains.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDG0n3kSqtY0qtHLL_bv2prLZgO0-aIieNvxm801ATGFw6KBXivr8I2TvYQnpiGTlMAN5__EefZz8IG4fN6o1fg2KaejpvOe23nr3WiiIcjgDShBprOOiyCXja5msh3fHhPHTjEVtW6LXvrAbfGA5NtPPs1J8I5XuRDrRkmt2xsQEYDx2SlOFhtXwWFg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20151.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDG0n3kSqtY0qtHLL_bv2prLZgO0-aIieNvxm801ATGFw6KBXivr8I2TvYQnpiGTlMAN5__EefZz8IG4fN6o1fg2KaejpvOe23nr3WiiIcjgDShBprOOiyCXja5msh3fHhPHTjEVtW6LXvrAbfGA5NtPPs1J8I5XuRDrRkmt2xsQEYDx2SlOFhtXwWFg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20151.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small waterfall below Mud Pond's outlet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwAiOKUN-BjReFS5iwpOY40YaEG6FuEjn7G5zF4PBtLxuSwi8PHGBhj5xplAUGl-Z-vDgYMXQzyV39Yjip4RKkpeHPUoZBFbnst5JCbD2yg0b5OZQa3wG4lkMI9vtnAK2nhRx50ZOjrz9O0z7LhGB32nyJh4vTEZpz3ROSq35oAIURj-hG1lWe1kwJQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20154.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwAiOKUN-BjReFS5iwpOY40YaEG6FuEjn7G5zF4PBtLxuSwi8PHGBhj5xplAUGl-Z-vDgYMXQzyV39Yjip4RKkpeHPUoZBFbnst5JCbD2yg0b5OZQa3wG4lkMI9vtnAK2nhRx50ZOjrz9O0z7LhGB32nyJh4vTEZpz3ROSq35oAIURj-hG1lWe1kwJQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20154.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clear Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkGmzZTuVUxlrux1AmZrH-ldSmbqpoCH9mcurBksXt3hcH717KYrIMZTaoj-18ZN-VqLFfmjyxHBapeiI2Lx5jKHVaFDr0D6m36L9Ujpr4aQsoUFA36uIzQc7Cgs_KBgqFV0Cng_EevHjW2-sI8SUD0Kpy6JbbrZFV_F85uVY1wcTfU9qMybnuLJmRw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkGmzZTuVUxlrux1AmZrH-ldSmbqpoCH9mcurBksXt3hcH717KYrIMZTaoj-18ZN-VqLFfmjyxHBapeiI2Lx5jKHVaFDr0D6m36L9Ujpr4aQsoUFA36uIzQc7Cgs_KBgqFV0Cng_EevHjW2-sI8SUD0Kpy6JbbrZFV_F85uVY1wcTfU9qMybnuLJmRw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20157.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over stream between Rock and<br />Little Rock Ponds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVraWn-8vxs18iXrLkIxEukYy1EqM8WVmu4DZZjZSN97TMXHL9FpwiljtJuWZT6NsiWJGdUXc-6LklIb0t4Jf2IenJyuGOuHtK4FjDZ1QFlBTwz0LOkgEOGIyrvgRK8tl-uVKKAdkCiaVt8AP0r_ioWgzqyJGvxtkDuwmsG4qUqFc5EwztIsjKMDyJQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20159.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVraWn-8vxs18iXrLkIxEukYy1EqM8WVmu4DZZjZSN97TMXHL9FpwiljtJuWZT6NsiWJGdUXc-6LklIb0t4Jf2IenJyuGOuHtK4FjDZ1QFlBTwz0LOkgEOGIyrvgRK8tl-uVKKAdkCiaVt8AP0r_ioWgzqyJGvxtkDuwmsG4qUqFc5EwztIsjKMDyJQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20159.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About to cross the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8VA7q8gC9HbLnJL1wrAaeqMTgChmL69otmLA2gSamLFSSTVyito8hReEhux82Hr9IdMcqL2y3hyUbEMLTXJ8mfkQLEUv12SS91q8llQOkzFgL-8rPOEmhJmcmER_BeA3vcK5oznjC-UJ2ACrh0b77dkt_FTBXH_NJNQl7iuFn-A_lsis_zBAsGXRWw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20162.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8VA7q8gC9HbLnJL1wrAaeqMTgChmL69otmLA2gSamLFSSTVyito8hReEhux82Hr9IdMcqL2y3hyUbEMLTXJ8mfkQLEUv12SS91q8llQOkzFgL-8rPOEmhJmcmER_BeA3vcK5oznjC-UJ2ACrh0b77dkt_FTBXH_NJNQl7iuFn-A_lsis_zBAsGXRWw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20162.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Rock Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3D8jOolt4laUdd8vVL62sXj4WTGSPl2uYp8z__mUwwCnplfR5jwM5hhU8YQJQs15VtWHKQhGN6_Pr8cp-l8tXqPnfQcPPNDVqvJJ6_LsVuh_-ENCc0K7IJjzGpUAfXmyVVajrcqxj170wmunZYAvjJsqKO8Om_CsRhwij7U1UqAFbLLDuSXPPZp2rLQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20164.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3D8jOolt4laUdd8vVL62sXj4WTGSPl2uYp8z__mUwwCnplfR5jwM5hhU8YQJQs15VtWHKQhGN6_Pr8cp-l8tXqPnfQcPPNDVqvJJ6_LsVuh_-ENCc0K7IJjzGpUAfXmyVVajrcqxj170wmunZYAvjJsqKO8Om_CsRhwij7U1UqAFbLLDuSXPPZp2rLQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20164.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail along the water</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beyond Little Rock Pond, I walked along another boggy pond. This might be part of Little Rock Pond or one of its streams. The boggy little pond was teeming with wildlife. I startled several frogs along the shore. A few sunning turtles dove off logs into the water as I neared. Waterfowl swam in the distance.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiKfB0caxlpmRTPsC5J69tss3Vyk7ExLtuLEB03icjc5LZgPYlamN3OL4k2LQ3-O7ppOPHE5qLCDJJUXRX-Juhdz7VttefG6y15fVtmAQ2A1KIckqmpQPqXso7pyYu8ru0lLdz0AiXmRRohPSooc65cXn9ZzunewZX0CJJ4ATthWVB_hfKoZ5yY_VdQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20165.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiKfB0caxlpmRTPsC5J69tss3Vyk7ExLtuLEB03icjc5LZgPYlamN3OL4k2LQ3-O7ppOPHE5qLCDJJUXRX-Juhdz7VttefG6y15fVtmAQ2A1KIckqmpQPqXso7pyYu8ru0lLdz0AiXmRRohPSooc65cXn9ZzunewZX0CJJ4ATthWVB_hfKoZ5yY_VdQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20165.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bog just beyond Little Rock Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking to take in more bodies of water and terrain in the Wilderness, I headed east. My destinations were North Pond and Heart Pond. Before I reached North Pond, I startled a huge garter snake. The snake was at least 3 foot long and very fat for a garter snake. It looked like it just ate a chipmunk. It was one of the largest garter snakes I have ever seen.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk9B2UpHvzFA4N3KJZAb0EmJabIVDW-FbxCls_Cad5peQtRHM5SS6f5FyZYpFm1h-rLEHya9dNMwOHan1tFnFnPW-Uw8eB0SNmNG5ifMW7EzaAy4i9JVp-VjMLRxxfIifa2bhd3PiUqszUEwddMGIUjMqWPMP1T8OPHcBPk0VGyfI59iaKwtLN5xLWQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk9B2UpHvzFA4N3KJZAb0EmJabIVDW-FbxCls_Cad5peQtRHM5SS6f5FyZYpFm1h-rLEHya9dNMwOHan1tFnFnPW-Uw8eB0SNmNG5ifMW7EzaAy4i9JVp-VjMLRxxfIifa2bhd3PiUqszUEwddMGIUjMqWPMP1T8OPHcBPk0VGyfI59iaKwtLN5xLWQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20167.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo doesn't show it, but this was a very<br />large garter snake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After taking a few pictures of the snake, I continued toward North Pond, which is really just an arm of Putnam Pond. Just before reaching the campground at Putnam Pond, I headed north past Heart Pond toward Bear Pond. Heart Pond is a boggy looking pond with a tent site right on the water. I was somewhat surprised at the terrain between Little Rock Pond and Heart Pond. I expected flat trail, but there was a fair amount of short steep hills.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RWZb6AtQQbsDMnxTZN1f0Kl1aKfyUbRMdU26k4lVGovM5_2zeyWJ1-bjSRbtt2JETBDtaRIpVcIf1B1NhEulcGuJUTKBLm8UIPOxeM4Bz0I9jxlMcq7-qmBTJNOuhLwTzLQgqwsCn0Bd_v9DRrkrmdef1LoaHWliELNop0eMJIDTQCquYKVyeAnmtA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20169.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RWZb6AtQQbsDMnxTZN1f0Kl1aKfyUbRMdU26k4lVGovM5_2zeyWJ1-bjSRbtt2JETBDtaRIpVcIf1B1NhEulcGuJUTKBLm8UIPOxeM4Bz0I9jxlMcq7-qmBTJNOuhLwTzLQgqwsCn0Bd_v9DRrkrmdef1LoaHWliELNop0eMJIDTQCquYKVyeAnmtA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20169.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKD6iKJBQ-A7n15mnWjHKLNOApGh6WhqizyCGVHvwb6ABHyT3aahnVNsxhZXRn3teh5BolxXtphBJ4k-fA_hDvEXlL2PdkW0SyiAmKRakpWHKZCY-qYAk75hwXdLB4U0PEt8ehk2flDTA-64FMW1LEiMJXjQ3rSFKkmRDvRr89T5oR-DPzdxyLGjGzw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20170.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKD6iKJBQ-A7n15mnWjHKLNOApGh6WhqizyCGVHvwb6ABHyT3aahnVNsxhZXRn3teh5BolxXtphBJ4k-fA_hDvEXlL2PdkW0SyiAmKRakpWHKZCY-qYAk75hwXdLB4U0PEt8ehk2flDTA-64FMW1LEiMJXjQ3rSFKkmRDvRr89T5oR-DPzdxyLGjGzw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20170.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heart Pond from its campsite</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I enjoyed the hiking along the Bear Pond Loop. The terrain was rather easy. I passed through some boggy areas. When not bothered by bugs, I enjoy the scenery of backcountry bogs. The trail traveled along Bear Pond longer than I expected. Bear Pond has an isolated feel to it. I don't think it sees that many visitors. The trail crosses its inlet stream with a waterfall just above the trail.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R78qrLKLVfFmASEStPNKg09A2f21l-Vm4BxjxR6zOqWYZAe8iwH1ypFNkFuXwtx3bZnfhYrpihA_BErklGvjc6yEmAZV-jY0E_S7MAgCMCCqIgqscNYPhMHscCyNEnWJf3fGvg_bwjetFXX6ig4Mci-OjE_wJ5NUor2r4MAhnTdEBvCM1b0Um2LNBw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20172.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R78qrLKLVfFmASEStPNKg09A2f21l-Vm4BxjxR6zOqWYZAe8iwH1ypFNkFuXwtx3bZnfhYrpihA_BErklGvjc6yEmAZV-jY0E_S7MAgCMCCqIgqscNYPhMHscCyNEnWJf3fGvg_bwjetFXX6ig4Mci-OjE_wJ5NUor2r4MAhnTdEBvCM1b0Um2LNBw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20172.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reshette Swamp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhqD2V6KjAVfzi5TuazOtFxsGjb7E2sE_FnoT8MJTvJ8FHcaqj-0BxAWKtSvkax3rQOlc9-KmDBIv_Zm75NYeVUKuNGjRJt1XuNsG6SqOQ3dNYr9K-Trz9-dFwolVloODblE8p6mNsIG-Xoft8-HhZYLge0Acaax_K5yHvttVnjXxxwF8GVAl_z32RQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20174.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhqD2V6KjAVfzi5TuazOtFxsGjb7E2sE_FnoT8MJTvJ8FHcaqj-0BxAWKtSvkax3rQOlc9-KmDBIv_Zm75NYeVUKuNGjRJt1XuNsG6SqOQ3dNYr9K-Trz9-dFwolVloODblE8p6mNsIG-Xoft8-HhZYLge0Acaax_K5yHvttVnjXxxwF8GVAl_z32RQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20174.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYZyhUdKZzf-feKRu6VpWQPtR-A8H6Uy7okg7WnVoHMrqrl4P4u-PS8r4PJGKDN9yk9voYPoL04d0FX25DsqgJZt84_ILIchGSmI1cg5G7fIU0c2hdZGmLT14QoMHD07HpzOIzYVTZw3AjBOXh3GIGE3HYanTz_H-oeznr9xZ0EShncN1EOC5tt0lwA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20175.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYZyhUdKZzf-feKRu6VpWQPtR-A8H6Uy7okg7WnVoHMrqrl4P4u-PS8r4PJGKDN9yk9voYPoL04d0FX25DsqgJZt84_ILIchGSmI1cg5G7fIU0c2hdZGmLT14QoMHD07HpzOIzYVTZw3AjBOXh3GIGE3HYanTz_H-oeznr9xZ0EShncN1EOC5tt0lwA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20175.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall at Bear Pond's inlet</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I expected the trail leading away from Bear Pond to be rough and rocky with steep climbs. I was pleasantly surprised that the trail followed an old tote road with easy footing in a pleasant coniferous forest. The Bear Pond Trail brought me to the north end of Rock Pond.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXw800qdkLWYft0e8M98EWZB6r6sXGxiwOZ9YuCDR34wdjmBfVO7T3IgpyZO0T2a_lf6b02pd78a63IG7ROkGLA1Fk_xWPwNpMFNupvWjf37nb4M5_ylLcVfL8YdEuIWApTYwui6KnYTG5Bs2aN4rdcqfoFzHRf0I7VDVwPtu4n_-Aoet-6DehwCHddg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20177.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXw800qdkLWYft0e8M98EWZB6r6sXGxiwOZ9YuCDR34wdjmBfVO7T3IgpyZO0T2a_lf6b02pd78a63IG7ROkGLA1Fk_xWPwNpMFNupvWjf37nb4M5_ylLcVfL8YdEuIWApTYwui6KnYTG5Bs2aN4rdcqfoFzHRf0I7VDVwPtu4n_-Aoet-6DehwCHddg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20177.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy hiking on an old tote road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgznHfzrNj5hFegsOvUB0q0E_AX0Um7LE6I-rqRQKfBFePPq4yxYz5aW6l5XDKglXKPpsHH2mEwBsCEjxi_aEjCwzWxt72SvDhohpRIcipe6HuK9J9RvYyoo7tGS008Qt3M5KBt89rBs5EKVAe7xLbCEpkGKLHrXq2Vz7mwKFH61_efvowOZMKm0rHA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20178.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgznHfzrNj5hFegsOvUB0q0E_AX0Um7LE6I-rqRQKfBFePPq4yxYz5aW6l5XDKglXKPpsHH2mEwBsCEjxi_aEjCwzWxt72SvDhohpRIcipe6HuK9J9RvYyoo7tGS008Qt3M5KBt89rBs5EKVAe7xLbCEpkGKLHrXq2Vz7mwKFH61_efvowOZMKm0rHA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20178.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the north end of Rock Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Along the north end of Rock Pond are relics of the past. A series of stone foundations, a massive metal pipe, and a mine entrance mark the location of an old graphite mine. The pipe was part of an old steam boiler. Apparently operations started in the beginning of the 1900s.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KmanKmfw1Db1xa0W4T2u77a5_nOKPiMUKKr8kLqCK7_rZUuc9T5vdA-WX-wDSGl4pfbfyhSoBARLFX3XNXMxdRjsBHw-R74NYZRfGET_8TLtu2WLRZyyg1iWPD2jCm188JfxIicIEDFDMVPH7jOSAsV1fWiHr7vediVaUJ7ooW8ZGtQ4NB-qm-nOMQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20179.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KmanKmfw1Db1xa0W4T2u77a5_nOKPiMUKKr8kLqCK7_rZUuc9T5vdA-WX-wDSGl4pfbfyhSoBARLFX3XNXMxdRjsBHw-R74NYZRfGET_8TLtu2WLRZyyg1iWPD2jCm188JfxIicIEDFDMVPH7jOSAsV1fWiHr7vediVaUJ7ooW8ZGtQ4NB-qm-nOMQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20179.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old foundations</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0glvFYeaNXymIibWdj7yvIzs8S8at23z44ZDEJS8Moix5JXecVYEV0Znv0f1qRkuyqiwZzchQXQv5w_XNrZd3sAqTCApNU_hOLx5_x7ADVYrhA29qY_nZZ0hxa2LceMfpXi6YLiaiZFcyapO_uCs9A1h6FNzWYsiK8CB98baB1OyY2h5EA1IhF2udfw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20180.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0glvFYeaNXymIibWdj7yvIzs8S8at23z44ZDEJS8Moix5JXecVYEV0Znv0f1qRkuyqiwZzchQXQv5w_XNrZd3sAqTCApNU_hOLx5_x7ADVYrhA29qY_nZZ0hxa2LceMfpXi6YLiaiZFcyapO_uCs9A1h6FNzWYsiK8CB98baB1OyY2h5EA1IhF2udfw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20180.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old boiler</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHY652m20BcshRd_707yZEgWK5ZDIeIFE383c9MldfmBTm2iYGt3XiCUoGPUuJsfiOEiyUkT3_ZOXpX8Xq61Mvk71V0Ubut47kTV1lbZzA7obMFMgjrKPnrec7ALTjcsQaWQxq7aBLG63nlt59N1Jd9Hrf_Su9EJAFymT4KsNHj7r7kicHCOVJ8y3Tw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHY652m20BcshRd_707yZEgWK5ZDIeIFE383c9MldfmBTm2iYGt3XiCUoGPUuJsfiOEiyUkT3_ZOXpX8Xq61Mvk71V0Ubut47kTV1lbZzA7obMFMgjrKPnrec7ALTjcsQaWQxq7aBLG63nlt59N1Jd9Hrf_Su9EJAFymT4KsNHj7r7kicHCOVJ8y3Tw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20181.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice bridge with benches</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqM9ojeV4qbHqUpU7TTiY6nkgFv1lG4pDdZRBRqYfvSrjDkltE6yHwkR1tN7M0gqywMn53vqhomY90A-r6BtTL2KTftNooUEIniy-ZTmv2yFDUKkga7HNqQ5YFZxoFQKkOerH1edhD41EFPbrqQz9E_tP8woHIUtNvkRs3QqWMo3bAdRbWVF0Y1RXXg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20182.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqM9ojeV4qbHqUpU7TTiY6nkgFv1lG4pDdZRBRqYfvSrjDkltE6yHwkR1tN7M0gqywMn53vqhomY90A-r6BtTL2KTftNooUEIniy-ZTmv2yFDUKkga7HNqQ5YFZxoFQKkOerH1edhD41EFPbrqQz9E_tP8woHIUtNvkRs3QqWMo3bAdRbWVF0Y1RXXg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20182.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine entrance</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the mine, the trail works its way down the west side of Rock Pond. At times the the terrain offers quite the challenge as it negotiates a steep hillside with big drops to the pond below. The frequently rocky trail often descends to the shores of the pond. Large slabs of rock slope into the pond from the shoreline. Several small mountains line the pond. Multiple campsites sit right on the shore as well. At one point, I saw massive tadpoles swimming along the edge of the pond. Later in summer, I would be tempted to swim in the clear water. Rock Pond is quite stunning and a worthy destination on its own.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwsIHd6h2tR8xhXZ-nq8KvxBOmFT_uXd3COHg7x9gxLRC8zDUSFQK2hO3kDKk_0CDx79Ucvmkbddfct0OO3j3Vg9mrYCznfh47IWYjJ0ciZkG-Zir8CLhgF7GUPYsaJLHvOzkzw7cp9LSk66nFucA4--5JCKbnNsVJfNj9yJwgmiHSIVizX08gkYNKg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20183.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwsIHd6h2tR8xhXZ-nq8KvxBOmFT_uXd3COHg7x9gxLRC8zDUSFQK2hO3kDKk_0CDx79Ucvmkbddfct0OO3j3Vg9mrYCznfh47IWYjJ0ciZkG-Zir8CLhgF7GUPYsaJLHvOzkzw7cp9LSk66nFucA4--5JCKbnNsVJfNj9yJwgmiHSIVizX08gkYNKg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20183.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narrow trail along cliffs above Rock Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpg6ut_4raDIjaQfh5_ECsBJwLXcaBjVWA77mOQOctZaJhis5vZ7A3Ri7ggLcQGU3wO-6LmlkmusCMDaeps-ZpQm50x1y-AXEe4FCZ1e18BP0RVPeO8RCD5CX-0NkfJMtSSqO7m5v1DILIotAeAXS73Yz2gpoqURHqOLfmeYpNwiMQOq2H4tqVoYx8Uw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20186.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpg6ut_4raDIjaQfh5_ECsBJwLXcaBjVWA77mOQOctZaJhis5vZ7A3Ri7ggLcQGU3wO-6LmlkmusCMDaeps-ZpQm50x1y-AXEe4FCZ1e18BP0RVPeO8RCD5CX-0NkfJMtSSqO7m5v1DILIotAeAXS73Yz2gpoqURHqOLfmeYpNwiMQOq2H4tqVoYx8Uw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20186.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across Rock Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCT9eDd_n4A-gFjOZmxS7ruf6WlW0MeEMG0i9N810gJgCwIsS46HZ8nL3VRJNzK-o_N2LFEJcEJGXw0vN-KQsJKNo_tK1Tj41ITtJ4zzUvFEpfhfteirQSU-Dydqsvr7GSGiK1bWTDU7mq1QtW0JGQLWo1RLq6TB37uxh-82G9G4VdgahqFRqxDJW1Q/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20188.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCT9eDd_n4A-gFjOZmxS7ruf6WlW0MeEMG0i9N810gJgCwIsS46HZ8nL3VRJNzK-o_N2LFEJcEJGXw0vN-KQsJKNo_tK1Tj41ITtJ4zzUvFEpfhfteirQSU-Dydqsvr7GSGiK1bWTDU7mq1QtW0JGQLWo1RLq6TB37uxh-82G9G4VdgahqFRqxDJW1Q/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20188.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down Rock Pond's shoreline</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0EXoCtvNeGfsLyTUHVgo4p7y8wxLLfh3r7nZunGoXrExmzrEX4yjw6F6WSFWyii4ieZ3n4DS1h-VBvxZXRuCxT7mZoLhKlnD6TECB9hQt-2TJ0JOcwnkhs6Dw31FBqucgNKb1P6B4hiWjE9pv5V3k_tiMdOIOZPhYe0F7xgK2JksqI3N5auyiAc0Fw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20190.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0EXoCtvNeGfsLyTUHVgo4p7y8wxLLfh3r7nZunGoXrExmzrEX4yjw6F6WSFWyii4ieZ3n4DS1h-VBvxZXRuCxT7mZoLhKlnD6TECB9hQt-2TJ0JOcwnkhs6Dw31FBqucgNKb1P6B4hiWjE9pv5V3k_tiMdOIOZPhYe0F7xgK2JksqI3N5auyiAc0Fw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20190.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail right along the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVJViZ4HM-BXD9Sr7oC5AB0xWbBSYHwGhM4lYXL9URO15CYewXtJHN-lkYdVmhcwSmsFaEQf0HmZ2qHqerbu9fngBlFAYUAJ2YQ7OhNF-IGsdhcEixfrURfFqoYDYbijTUIFoyoCzfQ_ZVL6nsExJVM-2QfVr5sXNk0dUS02eUwy4P0_uHleCqF7XWA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20191.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVJViZ4HM-BXD9Sr7oC5AB0xWbBSYHwGhM4lYXL9URO15CYewXtJHN-lkYdVmhcwSmsFaEQf0HmZ2qHqerbu9fngBlFAYUAJ2YQ7OhNF-IGsdhcEixfrURfFqoYDYbijTUIFoyoCzfQ_ZVL6nsExJVM-2QfVr5sXNk0dUS02eUwy4P0_uHleCqF7XWA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20191.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last look at Rock Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After traveling a good distance around Rock Pond, I kept an eye out for my next trail. I crossed over a small outlet stream and reached an unmarked junction. On the map, the junction didn't seem to line up with the trail. The trail I wanted headed toward Lilypad Pond and followed stream leaving Rock Pond. This trail followed a stream so I took a compass bearing to confirm, the unmarked junction was my trail. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After 30 minutes or so, I reached Lilypad Pond, confirming I took the correct trail. Unlike Rock Pond, Lilypad Pond isn't too pretty of a pond. It looks like it was once a larger beaver pond that has since drained. I stopped for a few minutes for a snack and to look at my map at the lean to by the pond. Now in the heat of the day, the mosquitoes and black flies were looking for a meal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8Qlt9lTlANNOW78FCjaUlZSHihzWrRBZqP-IP9X2dsP2nKc7i-k0viWaa3WuzyK8GiW6u3QXLlklo_l5szFyPf15L8GJMGLDnhgtdlgVzIRze6GJLdY7_O-1_J_Qhwzo2GnFbnm8O9oYh1OUXleCt_70WCdie1tKw3jh8-cTJ-iYStwcEgfV7Fvrhw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20192.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8Qlt9lTlANNOW78FCjaUlZSHihzWrRBZqP-IP9X2dsP2nKc7i-k0viWaa3WuzyK8GiW6u3QXLlklo_l5szFyPf15L8GJMGLDnhgtdlgVzIRze6GJLdY7_O-1_J_Qhwzo2GnFbnm8O9oYh1OUXleCt_70WCdie1tKw3jh8-cTJ-iYStwcEgfV7Fvrhw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20192.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilypad Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple minutes after leaving, Lilypad Pond, I crossed paths with the same backpacker I saw the day before. I spoke to him for a minute. During my brief pause, the black flies came out in full force. I moved on quickly to escape the cloud. While hiking the black flies never really bothered me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next several miles brought me to more bodies of water. The trail passed tiny Horseshoe Pond before walking along Crab Pond. Horseshoe Pond sits in a nice isolated location with a secluded campsite. Crab Pond is quite a bit larger with large trees along its shore, islands, and a nice remote feel. Less than a mile past Crab Pond, I reached Oxshoe Pond. Oxshoe features rocky shoreline and a lean to that sits on high ground above the pond just back from a rocky perch. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZWbFFNOsLep3QpdUSbfK2fESn0nNqOzvB3m8hmFZGjVWyxXsygGNQTKnmi_xteNpFhZIFI1jwYfT3qahj6nDLDziSAsNAkyMpRhIoiwQuRPr2yQ2D42-Rj9-gMiehVXEsz575cIjjto8zsA7tD3qfTtMRW9bIcc6ZeLZiZl7USwdNAPpeieFzAlHJA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20193.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZWbFFNOsLep3QpdUSbfK2fESn0nNqOzvB3m8hmFZGjVWyxXsygGNQTKnmi_xteNpFhZIFI1jwYfT3qahj6nDLDziSAsNAkyMpRhIoiwQuRPr2yQ2D42-Rj9-gMiehVXEsz575cIjjto8zsA7tD3qfTtMRW9bIcc6ZeLZiZl7USwdNAPpeieFzAlHJA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20193.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2aqdC8na72NmB881UnMwCBQHohsnxYcjjp_vz6GfIRjty1HAxOYEXlEU7IBZinTASKpG7l2U7RiqxczGVMrMqRxT1r79qEX11x8tEDbI__QuSeLci90c7qRIvNt954eK9oMB8eV7SESZ8uULa_oKODmrzShsr4ZvaOrl5ECBlOz0bFi2KckVhtxpQg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20196.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2aqdC8na72NmB881UnMwCBQHohsnxYcjjp_vz6GfIRjty1HAxOYEXlEU7IBZinTASKpG7l2U7RiqxczGVMrMqRxT1r79qEX11x8tEDbI__QuSeLci90c7qRIvNt954eK9oMB8eV7SESZ8uULa_oKODmrzShsr4ZvaOrl5ECBlOz0bFi2KckVhtxpQg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20196.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East end of Crab Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F_jJzx8jTN_eksjxwyKdwskr2RoV48iimkCjoH35hFsQVFTxKdxVMLDVYyG9WutKoyrFfYyd0aqUsQKgsop9uSElh-bAJeEI3CD_byIoOYylJgZttT8yKySFD-LRhdkeRGjtVhV_6AE7xn-CH9Taf24hWvrD_dQuVbE1s4QePRm7UWSmHP0mhNP0jw/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20199.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F_jJzx8jTN_eksjxwyKdwskr2RoV48iimkCjoH35hFsQVFTxKdxVMLDVYyG9WutKoyrFfYyd0aqUsQKgsop9uSElh-bAJeEI3CD_byIoOYylJgZttT8yKySFD-LRhdkeRGjtVhV_6AE7xn-CH9Taf24hWvrD_dQuVbE1s4QePRm7UWSmHP0mhNP0jw/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20199.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign showing the way</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItOCXyNqlZkGYCO1yKL83AzJv8SEeJyU7p597MTBw2s_7FM6VjsDw24WLCAWwOLik9PdfzB2Z5zTDUuyDKboyx_X-T72RSlAGcFQxVR6GEA-M6X2almNqbNsMQfeYuVj8oP3wo2Rc2pwKvk-lePe1IBKuhET03LPIqGyQDZLIyrpWyrsTl6oHAfnluA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItOCXyNqlZkGYCO1yKL83AzJv8SEeJyU7p597MTBw2s_7FM6VjsDw24WLCAWwOLik9PdfzB2Z5zTDUuyDKboyx_X-T72RSlAGcFQxVR6GEA-M6X2almNqbNsMQfeYuVj8oP3wo2Rc2pwKvk-lePe1IBKuhET03LPIqGyQDZLIyrpWyrsTl6oHAfnluA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outlet of Crab Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84hRQ-Qk-KjjqQRbZRP6ie8uhH3HcHwuD3-eWeBnIdUzJEaKVUBMc7NkINfaVkU1KIzIFHrcWsLM4k1hHBTRrCEBbc2WR143nbgJsruTi35Ci9CfDhukTxGUNfXZceSev572bmUAdzdcDdXX8f7zesob8hiWqcBvuRwnCl9B-_rql4_CXjEzerr7oXA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84hRQ-Qk-KjjqQRbZRP6ie8uhH3HcHwuD3-eWeBnIdUzJEaKVUBMc7NkINfaVkU1KIzIFHrcWsLM4k1hHBTRrCEBbc2WR143nbgJsruTi35Ci9CfDhukTxGUNfXZceSev572bmUAdzdcDdXX8f7zesob8hiWqcBvuRwnCl9B-_rql4_CXjEzerr7oXA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark stretch of forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHjQOvOTw4qTvlA2doDgagiCf3ldGb6TqYsY18EHFxbYDGDRnQY4x7G8VyYDFuY7yqA5Q4_18RWHzwRI-I0pjPOS5N0HPFf0AbSlOM7A36F313rcyKOGUFXP-m1jeK1pvDOPOlkubwOIEhPisy34EoJw-lmgHwsqoaIn7zUROlYhHH-XFEP-vrJ_USQ/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHjQOvOTw4qTvlA2doDgagiCf3ldGb6TqYsY18EHFxbYDGDRnQY4x7G8VyYDFuY7yqA5Q4_18RWHzwRI-I0pjPOS5N0HPFf0AbSlOM7A36F313rcyKOGUFXP-m1jeK1pvDOPOlkubwOIEhPisy34EoJw-lmgHwsqoaIn7zUROlYhHH-XFEP-vrJ_USQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20203.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock outcropping on Oxshoe Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b-EhVyB_p2wYyorUnZ88Brxu0ZOU9eNBz7LYkLE0nOms7eskmfS8BzYKlgSvcyypeH89Irm-mrWcaY-kA_JfmKN5KrE6g7xJzg5mQ8d9AaCnkhlnF9r8EWxZErCETBmk2eCxf4BOBzaE8nDk0tLfdhfWlxebGO8cmmvhHr3cSf6yxmzB8zKK0kAcKg/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b-EhVyB_p2wYyorUnZ88Brxu0ZOU9eNBz7LYkLE0nOms7eskmfS8BzYKlgSvcyypeH89Irm-mrWcaY-kA_JfmKN5KrE6g7xJzg5mQ8d9AaCnkhlnF9r8EWxZErCETBmk2eCxf4BOBzaE8nDk0tLfdhfWlxebGO8cmmvhHr3cSf6yxmzB8zKK0kAcKg/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20205.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down Oxshoe Pond by the lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Oxshoe Pond, I descended to Glidden Marsh. I wasn't bothered by bugs for a few miles. Upon reaching Glidden Marsh, the mosquitoes came out in force. I once again put up my hood and picked up my pace. I frequently wiped mosquitoes off the backs of my arms as they attempted to bite me through my shirt. Within a mile of leaving Glidden Marsh, I was back by Crane Pond and retracing my steps to finish my hike back on the Long Swing Trail. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL61R8sJiLvd_zccO5RPqLkSCRkcnxkVSAyY4k4QZojFeI-YY9W0PJzNb4TUtUuRq5PHb8z3-O4Y_IkRGgMIOZVq9ASA_0lwLguX0aWDESxodaTDIhkNtpv8un4M5O8yI8Sn7GmG4QsN3xRBp5yjI932U50g5yXOrz5CaTDsQelmAXLolTCQu7IBRYA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL61R8sJiLvd_zccO5RPqLkSCRkcnxkVSAyY4k4QZojFeI-YY9W0PJzNb4TUtUuRq5PHb8z3-O4Y_IkRGgMIOZVq9ASA_0lwLguX0aWDESxodaTDIhkNtpv8un4M5O8yI8Sn7GmG4QsN3xRBp5yjI932U50g5yXOrz5CaTDsQelmAXLolTCQu7IBRYA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glidden Marsh</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgAz8uTOhCCsuykGx9MFssoMQGYzngyFV3CTFKcdIqFaj5w9x-GhhG7N1CoG-ouu_s30SZMMVnxUNfzGSua2xcQzRBLmAePs96RCrI9nKeQ61Kc4su2xL-TCjF3kj2gcJQfr7o__r0nMUJrfp8SefbElAYX6bU51WUCN5ZrUJ-KacUrZrD7PSGQmE8w/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20209.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgAz8uTOhCCsuykGx9MFssoMQGYzngyFV3CTFKcdIqFaj5w9x-GhhG7N1CoG-ouu_s30SZMMVnxUNfzGSua2xcQzRBLmAePs96RCrI9nKeQ61Kc4su2xL-TCjF3kj2gcJQfr7o__r0nMUJrfp8SefbElAYX6bU51WUCN5ZrUJ-KacUrZrD7PSGQmE8w/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20209.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crane Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Back on the Long Swing Trail (Long Swing Tail in guide books and maps but Blue Hill Trail on signs), I climbed over a ridge and suddenly the mosquitoes gave up chase after a mile and a half. The rest of hike was peaceful with no more issues with bugs. My final few miles went by pretty quickly.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP26-IkI2xIVac3yOnvNfbYp0Zqe8BPa_1n2GLMZ4ZIrdjdD0P_48DprJRbKKbaXIpngcKu8y8C_zXGRmGNERsDauQfmNvpGKxnLENYkLc_I1XGbnQnNypIVe1OxH_hQHQrBcEjhaQp0KmYpoUaUJMnL1ZJ6H-AcjRGbv357rb375C-HU6qTUnSpZlvA/s2592/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20210.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP26-IkI2xIVac3yOnvNfbYp0Zqe8BPa_1n2GLMZ4ZIrdjdD0P_48DprJRbKKbaXIpngcKu8y8C_zXGRmGNERsDauQfmNvpGKxnLENYkLc_I1XGbnQnNypIVe1OxH_hQHQrBcEjhaQp0KmYpoUaUJMnL1ZJ6H-AcjRGbv357rb375C-HU6qTUnSpZlvA/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20210.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final three miles</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before finishing the hike, I had one more interesting wildlife sighting. I stepped on a rock in the middle of a stream (the outlet to the bog near the top of the post). I stepped a couple feet away from a tiny watersnake. The snake at best was 10 inches long The snake struck at me, but was no closer than two feet from biting me. I stepped away to get a few photos. I had to step on the same rock again to get by it. It struck a couple more times, getting nowhere near me, before slithering into the water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While watersnakes aren't that exciting as far as snakes go, it was pretty comical seeing it put on a big show for such a tiny snake. Watersnakes tend to fade in color as they get bigger. This one looked quite bright and was a darker color than most I have seen. I'm assuming it was just born this spring. I have seen many watersnakes over the years and have handled several. They are usually quite feisty and quick to strike when you get too close or attempt to handle. I didn't attempt to handle this snake, or even get that close to it. It just happened to be extra defensive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sKCruw64kfEnb_SnLe50o9LzsNCCZR9rVdA3jGPWiCM_2prUuPDtSYG3g7fL5IQOYXZtvpez8LYnsJJ2YONS-6PN6tm2FF_XRHubQG3Vcd7wta_bw1VWeN62CYpU8DYy6H3p35XQefSgRTB2rgyADgMb8D1mfxWc5n5GCuknQMYn4HTpnFNdetqirw/s4032/D2D1D677-4618-4B74-B3BE-0A0AF6EEEBD3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sKCruw64kfEnb_SnLe50o9LzsNCCZR9rVdA3jGPWiCM_2prUuPDtSYG3g7fL5IQOYXZtvpez8LYnsJJ2YONS-6PN6tm2FF_XRHubQG3Vcd7wta_bw1VWeN62CYpU8DYy6H3p35XQefSgRTB2rgyADgMb8D1mfxWc5n5GCuknQMYn4HTpnFNdetqirw/w400-h300/D2D1D677-4618-4B74-B3BE-0A0AF6EEEBD3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This watersnake is about 10" long, <br />the zoomed photo is deceiving</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I reached the trailhead about 330PM, having covered at least 18 miles for the day. My total trip distance was around 43-44 miles. Although the elevations in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness are fairly low, I still managed more than 7,000' feet of elevation gain over the route.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjN12rGmHv24CF6FPJUn-Wk_NpALCm_v0epRM3GRDXetPTvnfoRK9d-gQTcj9ak7AAKhENtXSV8PzMmVmQll85T2DLeim09m7WsgQFVlSb1uVM2CgSSz15_ENbAcy5gqEcuFzExh7XzTkAnaSbZ1LTS59BmsntKKWsB6drS7wofD9NzArVWzKBxfsEQ/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20223.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjN12rGmHv24CF6FPJUn-Wk_NpALCm_v0epRM3GRDXetPTvnfoRK9d-gQTcj9ak7AAKhENtXSV8PzMmVmQll85T2DLeim09m7WsgQFVlSb1uVM2CgSSz15_ENbAcy5gqEcuFzExh7XzTkAnaSbZ1LTS59BmsntKKWsB6drS7wofD9NzArVWzKBxfsEQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20223.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharaoh Mountain view</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I was pleasantly surprised by the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness. The abundance of ponds made for nice scenery. The views from Pharaoh Mountain were pretty expansive for a relatively low mountain. While Treadway's vista wasn't quite as nice as Pharaoh, the terrain on the mountain was quite interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was really surprised by how few people I saw. I'm guessing that starting my hike on a Monday helped limit the number of people I saw. People probably avoided the area this time of year because it overlaps with the peak of black fly season. While I did encounter some buggy sections, overall the black flies and mosquitoes were not that bad for the later part of May.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also managed to hike through a couple of great days of weather. My first day was pretty comfortable in the mid 60s. It was cool enough to keep the bugs away and for comfortable sleeping with mid 40s at night. My second day was a little warmer reaching the mid 70s. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFWgkfhFVOOoO60yzYbtw6ImYsnHfO3KtJgCBy1D7C-6g3F3vgj7B3TSStAAWuxP3ha6yEHiy2V744ZNY1AdoAAR9bGFwMdmKGFTZvbd9Nw7OV0re8cY8f433XOhU_ZO-P3qskY8aeMoiyoe32q2Sfa0ASwdt3DAfSz952j4nPMoqht_SRfuJKRlYFQ/s4032/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20225.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFWgkfhFVOOoO60yzYbtw6ImYsnHfO3KtJgCBy1D7C-6g3F3vgj7B3TSStAAWuxP3ha6yEHiy2V744ZNY1AdoAAR9bGFwMdmKGFTZvbd9Nw7OV0re8cY8f433XOhU_ZO-P3qskY8aeMoiyoe32q2Sfa0ASwdt3DAfSz952j4nPMoqht_SRfuJKRlYFQ/w400-h300/Pharoah%20Lake%20Wilderness%205.23-24.23%20225.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant and Rocky Peak in the distance over Crane Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br />With so many campsites and numerous trail options, its possible to create a variety of backpacking itineraries in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness from an overnighter to a week if you take your time. The area can get crowded in the peak summer season and fall, especially on the weekends and holidays. Given the lower elevations and abundant water, I would expect buggy conditions in the late spring through summer so plan accordingly. It is the Adirondacks, so that is to be expected most places in the backcountry. If you are looking for a laid back backpacking trip in the Adirondacks that is suitable for beginners, but still with plenty of variety and scenery to please veteran backpackers, I highly recommend the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additional resources:</div><div><a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/107648.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DEC info for Pharaoh Lake Wilderness</span></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/mappharaohlk.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Map</span></a><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAeGp4ggNQDc8DII20YdyZX0DYA-w06HQdHmKbcO1Z6hWW8VgeG_UeOnvjNEGv06L8HW0WIHcDnW7fXd7AiMkv7ug-3TmPXxZ0XfpKTru241nTUm0m6uyW_72LF7hhTIfiPXvEHxDnSGpeVwsWedoLzwcgI_iwr64y6Cx9yhOH5P-NoPNwGVyVBRjtg/s1334/750CF37B-E30D-4529-889F-70912674634F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAeGp4ggNQDc8DII20YdyZX0DYA-w06HQdHmKbcO1Z6hWW8VgeG_UeOnvjNEGv06L8HW0WIHcDnW7fXd7AiMkv7ug-3TmPXxZ0XfpKTru241nTUm0m6uyW_72LF7hhTIfiPXvEHxDnSGpeVwsWedoLzwcgI_iwr64y6Cx9yhOH5P-NoPNwGVyVBRjtg/w473-h292/750CF37B-E30D-4529-889F-70912674634F.jpeg" width="473" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My route in red. I started at the top <br />left and hiked counterclockwise.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out and "LIKE" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures</span></a> on Facebook where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-16408180307725743592023-03-30T11:11:00.000-07:002023-03-30T11:11:30.646-07:00Skiing to Boreas Ponds<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The 20,758 acre Boreas Ponds Tract consists of former logging company lands that New York purchased in 2016 and opened to the public. Located between the North Hudson and Newcomb, the area is located deep in the heart of the Adirondacks. As its name implies, the 320 acre Boreas Ponds are the centerpiece of the tract. The ponds sit in a remote setting with a beautiful and unique view into the High Peaks Wilderness. From the ponds, many of the Adirondacks highest peaks are visible. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since the state's acquisition of the land, improvements have been made to the dirt road and its possible to drive to the ponds. In winter, the roads are left unplowed, making the ponds even more remote feeling. Closed to motorized traffic in winter, the only access is by ski or snowshoe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> After reading a few accounts of winter trips to the area, a trip to the Boreas Ponds was on my short list of winter destinations in the Adirondacks. A late winter storm dumped close to two feet of snow. Another couple inches followed a few days later. With abundant snow and a promising forecast, I set out March 20th, the first day of spring.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTYsMxgH-Gnb7hEgS-hxPLtGXfleUKn2IPsKiTPOA2lwadgs502biMCQUDc35e1ZS0HZk34NBR-FzBP4ISraE9evnUY0WfdqFWHaLkmISJyLUw1PlnsIr3UKnWIZjmmycyDxD3V-0kXWRfjrE0niWWUov0M32zeaU1FnDBjY2ZwcgKPdvb1DHXuxL-Zg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTYsMxgH-Gnb7hEgS-hxPLtGXfleUKn2IPsKiTPOA2lwadgs502biMCQUDc35e1ZS0HZk34NBR-FzBP4ISraE9evnUY0WfdqFWHaLkmISJyLUw1PlnsIr3UKnWIZjmmycyDxD3V-0kXWRfjrE0niWWUov0M32zeaU1FnDBjY2ZwcgKPdvb1DHXuxL-Zg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Boreas Ponds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trip to the ponds travels over snow covered dirt roads. The skiing isn't particular technical. However, to reach the dam at the south end of the ponds requires a nearly 14 mile roundtrip on skis over ungroomed and relatively lightly traveled terrain. The distance and relative remoteness of the area keeps a lot of casual skiers away from the area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The day called for mostly sunny skies and temps well into the upper 30sF by the afternoon. By the time I reached the trailhead, the temperature stood at comfortable 27F or so. The sky was pretty cloudy though, with the higher mountains toward the ponds appeared socked in. A few flurries fell as skied the first couple miles. A stiff wind added a chill to the air.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unlike the much busier north side of the High Peaks Wilderness at the Adirondack Loj, this area sees much less traffic. The register near the trailhead indicated just one pair of skiers two days prior. I began skiing about 825AM on a Monday morning. Only one set of tracks set out from the trailhead. I started skiing in the existing tracks, but quickly abandoned them. The weekend snow drifted in the tracks, making for sluggish skiing. Skiing my own path required less effort.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0wRA6azcqWwoPuS2RBsI2VEd9KMEK3SIB6E26cwOyPSrsHomC7gstchBARDGvdBYwIzc9BhgGh_LbYD2UR2ARGZCgefibEEd4EzCSqWCJECJ92z06lAMWCnFPcNa7vwWcZU6nva6HKahqo84S5Sq2Cb5_FS4rX82qGLDuexqC4Nb2bHRVmRKb7QHrg/s4032/6C4D505A-C92E-431B-B393-494BFD97D70C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0wRA6azcqWwoPuS2RBsI2VEd9KMEK3SIB6E26cwOyPSrsHomC7gstchBARDGvdBYwIzc9BhgGh_LbYD2UR2ARGZCgefibEEd4EzCSqWCJECJ92z06lAMWCnFPcNa7vwWcZU6nva6HKahqo84S5Sq2Cb5_FS4rX82qGLDuexqC4Nb2bHRVmRKb7QHrg/w400-h300/6C4D505A-C92E-431B-B393-494BFD97D70C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrvheqZ5mhCbCqlLNBdeEOo58B7ZHd26x5iTrJwpVQCW4ppVDbYIrTr02zhKDAutHBd8MhjQc5EOVimXi4Gh0eGj6ea5RgXHWRyImw8BzulODLVHzFEldfFl7CRVDztuQYGtumujl_1tDmz-3Jvfd9qmAUcxdaTWmZ52pTrjQQow9H076V2KiTh7EXQ/s4032/352DF90C-513A-457B-9E74-4FAE8F4B4FDD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrvheqZ5mhCbCqlLNBdeEOo58B7ZHd26x5iTrJwpVQCW4ppVDbYIrTr02zhKDAutHBd8MhjQc5EOVimXi4Gh0eGj6ea5RgXHWRyImw8BzulODLVHzFEldfFl7CRVDztuQYGtumujl_1tDmz-3Jvfd9qmAUcxdaTWmZ52pTrjQQow9H076V2KiTh7EXQ/w400-h300/352DF90C-513A-457B-9E74-4FAE8F4B4FDD.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Existing ski track</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the trailhead, the route travels mostly uphill on a gradual grade before reaching the high point of the trip about two miles from the start. Even though the skiing follows a dirt road, with snow cover, the scenery is quite pleasant as it travels through a nice hardwood forest. I crossed over a few bridges along the way. At the bridges I could truly appreciate how much snowpack covered the forest. The snow piled at least a foot above the side rails of the bridge- a solid three foot base. Eventually the trail changed direction enough that I started to use the existing ski tracks. They weren't drifted as this point and skied much easier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4i4co1757CND0fTP1dnGuKPvZZKhloGQlij0AIwseMJUG4D-rMK-H6pXOR1_CBufu-yynC22JDEAGqmwrz6pO5B9ytBlCyg76qugd3D6MnrBCi717aENuVtwoa41LbOjPeTfzi-B9Mgxs4bcNcFc4YU5W15RSZGc-rLAXicU0b6tZvBV4DIfSig2sg/s4032/4617C5C5-F5A4-499D-AC63-B6A3D772F94F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4i4co1757CND0fTP1dnGuKPvZZKhloGQlij0AIwseMJUG4D-rMK-H6pXOR1_CBufu-yynC22JDEAGqmwrz6pO5B9ytBlCyg76qugd3D6MnrBCi717aENuVtwoa41LbOjPeTfzi-B9Mgxs4bcNcFc4YU5W15RSZGc-rLAXicU0b6tZvBV4DIfSig2sg/w400-h300/4617C5C5-F5A4-499D-AC63-B6A3D772F94F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peaceful forest</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>After about three miles, I passed by a gate near a summer parking area. The trail didn't change too much in elevation after the height of land. With the strong winds, I stopped a couple times to adjust layers. Occasionally I saw a few peeks of sunshine, but never very long. With no leaf cover, I could see the occasional mountain through the trees.</div><div><br /></div><div>After about five miles, the trail descends and eventually reaches LaBier Flow at 5.9 miles, a still water section of the Boreas River. At LaBier Flow, the road crosses the river and I got my first open views of some of the surrounding mountains. The morning was mostly cloudy. By the time I got the the flow, the clouds started to break up and rise above the mountains.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1w20XH07HvpjTTtAZuCe-zR2MAgIPPxjnC1W0o-x2b-WVi4PMex4g-c6fKm31CDAUUrBkH60UjGtD_cvfXuCuKTzExrJpHWMrOY-tsXQ4AD2fAaxjXc1JDqKagSvmMegGeH3PLQPZwapwECqvlXknd3AQ40flLpxuM0Lupq98AohjMbFMobo4DaWJg/s4032/276B5F75-64C1-4B8E-BB3D-882F9EB45773.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1w20XH07HvpjTTtAZuCe-zR2MAgIPPxjnC1W0o-x2b-WVi4PMex4g-c6fKm31CDAUUrBkH60UjGtD_cvfXuCuKTzExrJpHWMrOY-tsXQ4AD2fAaxjXc1JDqKagSvmMegGeH3PLQPZwapwECqvlXknd3AQ40flLpxuM0Lupq98AohjMbFMobo4DaWJg/w400-h300/276B5F75-64C1-4B8E-BB3D-882F9EB45773.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LaBier Flow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2FKHxHNcBn2mifHE6YLOugrCwedOTWXbbJo1mejz0cuXOoLgoFKJVrDNjjlLRv-wbhG_dGHzTtR-5-FFnIDLowBBlp_VBPNtk8lCNnBLr9qRJs3vrbh6Pr3Vwe1dax8_dYUfj9v3-5Kma4CQosLKsYGtpe4cZYBBGXRTlSrzvYiFbJXs9WEb3qwxsZQ/s4032/8177400B-CEC9-498D-A684-B575997BFB46.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2FKHxHNcBn2mifHE6YLOugrCwedOTWXbbJo1mejz0cuXOoLgoFKJVrDNjjlLRv-wbhG_dGHzTtR-5-FFnIDLowBBlp_VBPNtk8lCNnBLr9qRJs3vrbh6Pr3Vwe1dax8_dYUfj9v3-5Kma4CQosLKsYGtpe4cZYBBGXRTlSrzvYiFbJXs9WEb3qwxsZQ/w400-h300/8177400B-CEC9-498D-A684-B575997BFB46.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boreas River</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A couple hundred yards past LaBier Flow, a signed junction points the way to the ponds. The route in this section traveled through a predominantly coniferous forest, a change of scenery from the mostly hardwood forest the first 5+ miles. About a mile from the flow, I reached the dam on the south end of the Boreas Ponds.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83Bz-foSzQ6cyklsNkPQ_Jn9ipxvAgfd7MsthBB7FI9PYhkaVpoQ_z4mVS9Ypn-OMQJhZPBadMXvHuAaHw3XMpXTxDR-yCv0lY9QV0zyYZ5sFMOS_i6Ipct-N7OBk7VpiBGLhEF6zjRdcQVOiF3xJec9EdhU4yGf5-9PJeM6UNQEmVyroSRihaCnRrw/s4032/9E6AA65E-2804-4461-8617-8952EE0B8450.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83Bz-foSzQ6cyklsNkPQ_Jn9ipxvAgfd7MsthBB7FI9PYhkaVpoQ_z4mVS9Ypn-OMQJhZPBadMXvHuAaHw3XMpXTxDR-yCv0lY9QV0zyYZ5sFMOS_i6Ipct-N7OBk7VpiBGLhEF6zjRdcQVOiF3xJec9EdhU4yGf5-9PJeM6UNQEmVyroSRihaCnRrw/w400-h300/9E6AA65E-2804-4461-8617-8952EE0B8450.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction near LaBier Flow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_qZl7jAkodFQb409DgotCuG1u4FCyg1VpQ9V7SZFebjz2buDaU7S8s3YCAtiwAqMNpwx8aSUrtTPOjv05lM1B85BpjGp14aA5cdB0viUcOUDUit681uztLIZYBK0ld5TObSb3HVO3wzvBCgyMOn_N-170Pv0E6KmeQC17RvT3dF9gFol5-TUpv8zMg/s4032/8EEDBACE-2B85-4F51-BA13-CD2A68EFEEA2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_qZl7jAkodFQb409DgotCuG1u4FCyg1VpQ9V7SZFebjz2buDaU7S8s3YCAtiwAqMNpwx8aSUrtTPOjv05lM1B85BpjGp14aA5cdB0viUcOUDUit681uztLIZYBK0ld5TObSb3HVO3wzvBCgyMOn_N-170Pv0E6KmeQC17RvT3dF9gFol5-TUpv8zMg/w400-h300/8EEDBACE-2B85-4F51-BA13-CD2A68EFEEA2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gate to see snow depth</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>From the dam, you get your first look at the High Peaks. Gothics and Pyramid Peak dominate the view from the south end of the ponds with Haystack peeking out above the trees. While this is a pretty good view, it becomes more expansive from the ponds. I skied onto the pond around the first point and the view widened to include an unobscured view of many of the highest peaks of the Adirondacks. Although the clouds were breaking up above me, a few of the the summits were partially obscured.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9Z2WhszhKz91DWgVAxxQZOxU2I-UmPYslZzrE6QQTewFPPX2G-TkX_Bv8Ee51Li8vPmqqfN7UX0iukXLX-wytJGTlLlat26odSIRNZd1yVDk78BXEPJa1MISFdCrXnaN16MLNaKbMtLJsVHPtpI8RzRcbfHXEtYbsp7Tdb9MKI0gXPXG-mrHUASNwA/s4032/E7973DEC-84A0-48F2-B361-84DC16DB7FAA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9Z2WhszhKz91DWgVAxxQZOxU2I-UmPYslZzrE6QQTewFPPX2G-TkX_Bv8Ee51Li8vPmqqfN7UX0iukXLX-wytJGTlLlat26odSIRNZd1yVDk78BXEPJa1MISFdCrXnaN16MLNaKbMtLJsVHPtpI8RzRcbfHXEtYbsp7Tdb9MKI0gXPXG-mrHUASNwA/w400-h300/E7973DEC-84A0-48F2-B361-84DC16DB7FAA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the ponds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhlm3w42Qlo-mQ1DwmzsI9u9fiK9yrpLiG0OLr4-aZfxPNHBEiheSO2xe_UbXhSg_rKz4yN7GtJuGteklv8CsZhjIKulCuIa8X5m-iyTUci_CkwvaALn2g084xZAf_T8UaaQ5ST7DO5bt5qeRWx69ye02Oz-1u5DiUiWfB9HQWwMNLRF6Ahl1lbGMig/s4032/58B9F4A5-74A0-49FD-A53F-59D9BC2E17BA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhlm3w42Qlo-mQ1DwmzsI9u9fiK9yrpLiG0OLr4-aZfxPNHBEiheSO2xe_UbXhSg_rKz4yN7GtJuGteklv8CsZhjIKulCuIa8X5m-iyTUci_CkwvaALn2g084xZAf_T8UaaQ5ST7DO5bt5qeRWx69ye02Oz-1u5DiUiWfB9HQWwMNLRF6Ahl1lbGMig/w400-h300/58B9F4A5-74A0-49FD-A53F-59D9BC2E17BA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheney Cobble on the left, Allen Mountain on the right</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Having skied about seven miles at this point, I stopped just past the first point of land on the pond to have some lunch. Once on the pond, I no longer had the shelter of the trees to protect me from the stiff wind. I found a spot mostly out of the wind. By now the sun started to make its way out as well. With the sunshine, I was able to enjoy my break without adding too many layers. As I took by time eating and enjoying my surroundings, more of the High Peaks came out from hiding in the clouds.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEgpJX4BcvBdfLvp3Zc6-y4aTyurwD2cOBztK3Um1MKs3DYeYHoO_x49J-uZkyzj-ayz-UfDiGBQ5Q9-QDmckG808dgN0zkWnkJFMGw2vEBWqHYlYLDhIPE-ySnmPnkMdTD_UApsdW8vXUz3R7pzFD-4KQ0rQ7-y9xnLk7MuPeIrEtT4GlOLHe9eQzw/s4032/660E7C82-E711-4569-B0C3-9A78F9C7643D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEgpJX4BcvBdfLvp3Zc6-y4aTyurwD2cOBztK3Um1MKs3DYeYHoO_x49J-uZkyzj-ayz-UfDiGBQ5Q9-QDmckG808dgN0zkWnkJFMGw2vEBWqHYlYLDhIPE-ySnmPnkMdTD_UApsdW8vXUz3R7pzFD-4KQ0rQ7-y9xnLk7MuPeIrEtT4GlOLHe9eQzw/w400-h300/660E7C82-E711-4569-B0C3-9A78F9C7643D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North River Mountains</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZPnUWdc0aDHbgZHtr2xg2nOy8DVXGp7poKlhJ9WsssZ3w-K4Sl0stN8Exx3CFdeWeNOusCU8Dk8ExM6v1nJ-L4qdDmKN1bcOJ0ZWKmCpvRrtTTrH1FpyNpmKos8uhOw5ykAqDcB6ZH1GzlMf-oGokhcWvhod3xpl_8ll_o6JWR18Hlmeq0KVR042wg/s4032/C7801F58-D16C-46B6-9C54-1BF3ECFF1240.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZPnUWdc0aDHbgZHtr2xg2nOy8DVXGp7poKlhJ9WsssZ3w-K4Sl0stN8Exx3CFdeWeNOusCU8Dk8ExM6v1nJ-L4qdDmKN1bcOJ0ZWKmCpvRrtTTrH1FpyNpmKos8uhOw5ykAqDcB6ZH1GzlMf-oGokhcWvhod3xpl_8ll_o6JWR18Hlmeq0KVR042wg/w400-h300/C7801F58-D16C-46B6-9C54-1BF3ECFF1240.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allen Mountain with Skylight and Marcy<br />obscured by clouds</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>By the time I wrapped up my break, I was in full sunshine. More blue skies surrounded the High Peaks. Although my view was pretty impressive from where I took my break, I skied further on the ponds to see if the view expanded. I skied to the north end of the islands that separate the first and second ponds. At that point, the closer terrain seemed to block some of the mountains. I turned around at that point.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5YGIctS082BMxLy9E91ZjvK2MzgyxYiejM0apQEg7h-XqEhwvgbq4hcjrALcubjFPcIRDkgsqRGLbluwZqFSAUz4--66cGQ8UG9Ccj3e2_JVgY1Oi3SaQO_1h2ocQfYoTalY8hXadZyKeBRvidBaCPP9yvrpqWCpLYHrUba-NFzdZUwmrzPvfg7TyA/s4032/1A48EFA3-FFE6-4140-88AD-594C933758B3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5YGIctS082BMxLy9E91ZjvK2MzgyxYiejM0apQEg7h-XqEhwvgbq4hcjrALcubjFPcIRDkgsqRGLbluwZqFSAUz4--66cGQ8UG9Ccj3e2_JVgY1Oi3SaQO_1h2ocQfYoTalY8hXadZyKeBRvidBaCPP9yvrpqWCpLYHrUba-NFzdZUwmrzPvfg7TyA/w400-h300/1A48EFA3-FFE6-4140-88AD-594C933758B3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Skylight (L) and Marcy (R)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJOF0nWX1y_NsDmbGYUGgFnNYl1zmChTLmoavX9Ytl4hx-ccj0RgfYwo3r_vlfkHv5oAHwcBWK3wFjnT6faSXyl1CVcvToH4Z65OoaHG4paxTJijHvatlQ0loEog0MoIFK0NUA_ByHbiIiDqFJ_WBICKviVVKPGuTUvyhwuevz3z9wlvNOLuaCS09uA/s4032/2C317E6D-6E3A-45AA-B8E5-1AC3B81973F3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJOF0nWX1y_NsDmbGYUGgFnNYl1zmChTLmoavX9Ytl4hx-ccj0RgfYwo3r_vlfkHv5oAHwcBWK3wFjnT6faSXyl1CVcvToH4Z65OoaHG4paxTJijHvatlQ0loEog0MoIFK0NUA_ByHbiIiDqFJ_WBICKviVVKPGuTUvyhwuevz3z9wlvNOLuaCS09uA/w400-h300/2C317E6D-6E3A-45AA-B8E5-1AC3B81973F3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, Gothics, and Pyramid<br />left to right</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>While the Adirondacks have no shortage of great vistas, the view from Boreas Ponds stand out. The area provides a unique and far sweeping prospective that looks at many of the High Peaks that are deep in the wilderness and not normally seen without obstruction. Perhaps the most striking peaks from the ponds are Gothics and its subpeak, Pyramid Peak. There snowy, slide covered faces form a rugged profile. The symmetrical, snowy cone of Haystack- the third highest peak in the Adirondacks, appears framed above the lake. Basin and Saddleback just barely poke out between Haystack and Gothics. Allen Mountain dominates the landscape in the foreground. The snowy summit of the Adirondack's forth highest summit Haystack rises over Allen's shoulder. New York's highest peak, Mount Marcy rises just beyond Skylight.</div><div> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPWI_ksneK2Q-wjJleBX-dPIfF2eZ80MdraWnG6glIsiQqeb1j-H2Bmpp1OUwHdBmF3aBwAlN8E_Ibpjh0DYNQeBDjxARuM-aM3_Iv9Meg5qNXOBKT_3DHIp6I2vGiil3K_EjhVjS-ntZQguu7WA8RvM6hTYDSC2JSo5nyPbvL68J0pUxd1YxIlqObQ/s4032/215BCAC4-7364-4740-9EE8-CBCDDA5324D3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPWI_ksneK2Q-wjJleBX-dPIfF2eZ80MdraWnG6glIsiQqeb1j-H2Bmpp1OUwHdBmF3aBwAlN8E_Ibpjh0DYNQeBDjxARuM-aM3_Iv9Meg5qNXOBKT_3DHIp6I2vGiil3K_EjhVjS-ntZQguu7WA8RvM6hTYDSC2JSo5nyPbvL68J0pUxd1YxIlqObQ/w400-h300/215BCAC4-7364-4740-9EE8-CBCDDA5324D3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Gothics and Pyramid</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriHdEYYyJ8p1Z1yw0pgFftwVioCfoccKCM8_4OpCCgabpZ3OHdZBoe1eqYebwW9jjwfW3s_kILMwGps6g9Z7YF1Ziktgzz8qY-jL-GPZ7wsks01RMSr1oKh9kCIMSK1IRQZz3gap2ZllhPFRcP1Lypz9qmLSAly_aC3TSXwPD_m77dMwM4Y5lcvb__w/s4032/85F1429E-0432-4F0B-B690-F8D4D85E0292.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriHdEYYyJ8p1Z1yw0pgFftwVioCfoccKCM8_4OpCCgabpZ3OHdZBoe1eqYebwW9jjwfW3s_kILMwGps6g9Z7YF1Ziktgzz8qY-jL-GPZ7wsks01RMSr1oKh9kCIMSK1IRQZz3gap2ZllhPFRcP1Lypz9qmLSAly_aC3TSXwPD_m77dMwM4Y5lcvb__w/w400-h300/85F1429E-0432-4F0B-B690-F8D4D85E0292.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skylight, Marcy, and Haystack left to right</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The North River Mountains, with Rist Mountain and Cheney Cobble make up the view to the west. In the distance, the snowy summit- I think Iroquois Peak, rises over the shoulder of Mount Redfield. East of Gothics- Sawteeth, Colden, and Blake can be seen. Boreas Mountain rises above the trees east of the ponds. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ArL8aHaPFR0FmIOitQ4UNZ17RA4kzrly11TXlw3nwlgANUX_BL-RWkqf_3LQwGmJTmEuYOS-C12fGLRQyPmQhaE3qxWqmpM4wRMX66rx5_3Yi0ulq_Y0yRAW1zp1ldZmR1tkPNgxQQ_SvIwN-pcwGjvhwDmgDG5c0FjzsDSU40mihAtrEd4jS8jz_A/s4032/6AB630DA-5417-46E5-A59B-1A67C4D2E1BC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ArL8aHaPFR0FmIOitQ4UNZ17RA4kzrly11TXlw3nwlgANUX_BL-RWkqf_3LQwGmJTmEuYOS-C12fGLRQyPmQhaE3qxWqmpM4wRMX66rx5_3Yi0ulq_Y0yRAW1zp1ldZmR1tkPNgxQQ_SvIwN-pcwGjvhwDmgDG5c0FjzsDSU40mihAtrEd4jS8jz_A/w400-h300/6AB630DA-5417-46E5-A59B-1A67C4D2E1BC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iroquois (barely visible), Redfield, <br />Allen, Skylight, and Marcy left to right</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc6WLrf-oreLwUJrH9V6UdAVqNoCRRLmKjdmTFL66t52nxPFLvrCzzkH_WQ_Vg8B3DOwrmDyg--7spuBSqY6q-qUAXJxygOhw4StpJhEl8eWCe8i4xK53OV3tNdg_spxl_OYyheokFSpoPDoc-tj9qS9upROzo1PfswgD6QhrP0dB1TPtaNTZSQTnKw/s4032/A3C3BD35-DE9C-4CA2-95C3-AA12AF3F5A57.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc6WLrf-oreLwUJrH9V6UdAVqNoCRRLmKjdmTFL66t52nxPFLvrCzzkH_WQ_Vg8B3DOwrmDyg--7spuBSqY6q-qUAXJxygOhw4StpJhEl8eWCe8i4xK53OV3tNdg_spxl_OYyheokFSpoPDoc-tj9qS9upROzo1PfswgD6QhrP0dB1TPtaNTZSQTnKw/w400-h300/A3C3BD35-DE9C-4CA2-95C3-AA12AF3F5A57.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wide view from Iroquois to Gothics and Pyramid</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OYFbCxK9ge3xwnmUSOdMBaW883C6LweE8EboECOWSKzlvQnaLW0bayHju6Ida_O8KmZILMZGBdSNvDsKL5Rgfhb70SgR-hqkpldXEuLNjRjonPp0sZyM4R-Eq62xy4oLi-29tTfziqPn8WpkzBMKogDy7s1zFXpL5wvVtWZLSmtsDSArNYHIFDQM5g/s4032/DE28C80E-CE1A-4255-B736-9FA9FCC2CDA5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OYFbCxK9ge3xwnmUSOdMBaW883C6LweE8EboECOWSKzlvQnaLW0bayHju6Ida_O8KmZILMZGBdSNvDsKL5Rgfhb70SgR-hqkpldXEuLNjRjonPp0sZyM4R-Eq62xy4oLi-29tTfziqPn8WpkzBMKogDy7s1zFXpL5wvVtWZLSmtsDSArNYHIFDQM5g/w400-h300/DE28C80E-CE1A-4255-B736-9FA9FCC2CDA5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iroquois poking out in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I returned back to the dam after enjoying the vista from the islands. The temperature rose from the full sunshine causing the snow to stick to my skis. A lean to stands not far from the dam. I decided to ski to lean to to put add some wax to prevent further snow from sticking. The day was supposed to reach the upper 30sF. The sticky snow would only get worse without wax.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFVpDolxwlIQtfEAx65s6zba0C-XyVunay1cp9QgKiDh3mbgxia4_X10FdQB4ETzUkkgg7jFJlOEj9JWUpPbv1kUG5pKiX7bg_2miI8EnjiCyT5U_-jVrvzA8wEgbmTSX05EzQw2LES_0DSzuryGBKXIB9TeGEanvnRtNtq8tyPbyePqwkRAkSJe2eQ/s4032/A1063AB6-A8C8-4D86-A8E7-E41499DCE68D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFVpDolxwlIQtfEAx65s6zba0C-XyVunay1cp9QgKiDh3mbgxia4_X10FdQB4ETzUkkgg7jFJlOEj9JWUpPbv1kUG5pKiX7bg_2miI8EnjiCyT5U_-jVrvzA8wEgbmTSX05EzQw2LES_0DSzuryGBKXIB9TeGEanvnRtNtq8tyPbyePqwkRAkSJe2eQ/w400-h300/A1063AB6-A8C8-4D86-A8E7-E41499DCE68D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following my tracks toward the dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5HP3PLHIG2ppnaR5zXTdVZeIhU98hfGRTVoey9BAtDHbZAdUioabRHy7WVIg46fNbUxt6fPZKnEmCwucE1fLrkj3ULSDZd223sYDu2sg9mYmZebxNZjNqpVcz5Fhqw4dxuEhFBuslc_HIeyVWpWDABU-XefwcpEHnzN183X0jpPmVjGDt3042MOG0_A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5HP3PLHIG2ppnaR5zXTdVZeIhU98hfGRTVoey9BAtDHbZAdUioabRHy7WVIg46fNbUxt6fPZKnEmCwucE1fLrkj3ULSDZd223sYDu2sg9mYmZebxNZjNqpVcz5Fhqw4dxuEhFBuslc_HIeyVWpWDABU-XefwcpEHnzN183X0jpPmVjGDt3042MOG0_A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boreas River below the dam</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took another short breather at the shelter to wax my skis for the nearly seven mile ski back to the trailhead. I was happy I made the short side trip to the shelter. This lean to was built in the last couple years since the land in the area opened to the public. This has to be one of the nicest shelters in the Adirondacks. The long winters and damp forests leave many of the shelters in the Adirondacks looking pretty rundown. The lean to stands in a clearing with pretty good views.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAukNCwg15SCxv61Z1X_Eb5xXNL8v7U28-wP0H5SIT9NdacGda_0mT8zZGma1YziepsUM1c5rP-eV1qZ5wall7CXWTWO8h_VEKI_cfaLZyyZUZF-mrFxZdHHLRFdYcJCCiMtigZufyJWW8w-SCpKqc5W3ImqMP0aSusTT2W9T2rgz8ffp8U1zN3LLjjw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAukNCwg15SCxv61Z1X_Eb5xXNL8v7U28-wP0H5SIT9NdacGda_0mT8zZGma1YziepsUM1c5rP-eV1qZ5wall7CXWTWO8h_VEKI_cfaLZyyZUZF-mrFxZdHHLRFdYcJCCiMtigZufyJWW8w-SCpKqc5W3ImqMP0aSusTT2W9T2rgz8ffp8U1zN3LLjjw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still lots of snow on the lean to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBCFSxBf5uuETri-sKNhtPxCj0EVVkXRCcqsIwZHtms-ggcMqT-7ABU4Eh_t2l28u-1Lf16gFUlr6Rab1-fKlAZtW1ML1hFJb6jDI6qiIDiom57Al7jG1k2BsHXwpGHNFBAavDKiKiF7OIOwP5RxFq5k5OEDnFbEpHUB5JqBFoZdjfwRAbOlfsW--zdQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBCFSxBf5uuETri-sKNhtPxCj0EVVkXRCcqsIwZHtms-ggcMqT-7ABU4Eh_t2l28u-1Lf16gFUlr6Rab1-fKlAZtW1ML1hFJb6jDI6qiIDiom57Al7jG1k2BsHXwpGHNFBAavDKiKiF7OIOwP5RxFq5k5OEDnFbEpHUB5JqBFoZdjfwRAbOlfsW--zdQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View inside the new shelter</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCEwHHJMNNk179kcunAy4s9QFzYrZ0KGKLZ-6rQQFolebd-BskX2uG9gpNdf1NzNT1jcnMVKz9Pr95SayLNlTIKXETSXS9wdfDNM2jBNAQy7xn6HBeOnTzn1tfOX4qwKUGlYOvO-bgv9P49gUmlsiaLRksePIAftasaz7wu3KHj189wCbRMAsLSz6Zg/s4032/B5BE6FFE-2641-435D-990A-40D21618224B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCEwHHJMNNk179kcunAy4s9QFzYrZ0KGKLZ-6rQQFolebd-BskX2uG9gpNdf1NzNT1jcnMVKz9Pr95SayLNlTIKXETSXS9wdfDNM2jBNAQy7xn6HBeOnTzn1tfOX4qwKUGlYOvO-bgv9P49gUmlsiaLRksePIAftasaz7wu3KHj189wCbRMAsLSz6Zg/w400-h300/B5BE6FFE-2641-435D-990A-40D21618224B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old cabin along the trail, notice the snow<br />depth at front door and windows</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The coat of wax improved the skiing greatly. On the return, I could ski my tracks back to the trailhead. With the wax and nicely broken track, the skiing went much quicker. I enjoyed the sunshine and having my back to the wind as I skied back to the trailhead.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOxcrHSQIJF1MqpNIwTdIML_lNq1L6w7qsaWeE6_jGgHgQgOnH-LtKxQnzv_oenPdOYFafDVxLb3fAibaQtc_ZMeinlVUlmnBmP3iJE805msGedsN_tCGB0YFAIXvnpfbcUozy-MwG2EtozFcGYrJJuc4P-bo_YwnWDx2irKguIGhzWrRq9r_32ngFw/s4032/0883C5AA-1A19-4E17-BBC5-FCB9AE324D70.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOxcrHSQIJF1MqpNIwTdIML_lNq1L6w7qsaWeE6_jGgHgQgOnH-LtKxQnzv_oenPdOYFafDVxLb3fAibaQtc_ZMeinlVUlmnBmP3iJE805msGedsN_tCGB0YFAIXvnpfbcUozy-MwG2EtozFcGYrJJuc4P-bo_YwnWDx2irKguIGhzWrRq9r_32ngFw/w400-h300/0883C5AA-1A19-4E17-BBC5-FCB9AE324D70.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over LaBier Flow</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS4TrIXolNpQU8RlMbxR3V0yK7XpmVpBZTx7zim5wQ0h2TiFy5BmpTIFVL-luhNHALamqepa2QSkluvS-f5jhqoS853RrJzve65Y6oDf0QGrshj6_Cnb_5lb3V6kTap5GRnxJ9Xy7cUNnxfa781mUtq0eE65bfubGmxXPzCv6jxc9ncQQtNhR1qzngA/s4032/E83DE64C-6AAB-4774-BF12-745010222C78.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS4TrIXolNpQU8RlMbxR3V0yK7XpmVpBZTx7zim5wQ0h2TiFy5BmpTIFVL-luhNHALamqepa2QSkluvS-f5jhqoS853RrJzve65Y6oDf0QGrshj6_Cnb_5lb3V6kTap5GRnxJ9Xy7cUNnxfa781mUtq0eE65bfubGmxXPzCv6jxc9ncQQtNhR1qzngA/w400-h300/E83DE64C-6AAB-4774-BF12-745010222C78.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the hardwood forests</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though the best views were behind me, I still enjoyed skiing back on the road. I still had a few views of the surrounding mountains through the trees. The warming temperatures and bright sunshine actually made it feel more like the start of spring. I always enjoy passing through a hardwood forests in snowy conditions, and this trip had no shortage of snowy, hardwood forests</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighN4pTZGvH0W3nhcn5LUEKV4nRlbolHgijJi_l4pyXE2H2ly546VcvpMikaXk-fqApMBUldq-Ut4WtkaCxGuUcEtjO4XqGV5csQQkFRXsXvYQ899mOcMtqxn7zUwsIKhXnOMuEt-wzQuGhqvktUxHFP77XcaLSlKj8maC0HLC1ziRK3xzaFapCVWujg/s4032/FA86AED9-3473-4A3D-8277-1BF739DD2669.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighN4pTZGvH0W3nhcn5LUEKV4nRlbolHgijJi_l4pyXE2H2ly546VcvpMikaXk-fqApMBUldq-Ut4WtkaCxGuUcEtjO4XqGV5csQQkFRXsXvYQ899mOcMtqxn7zUwsIKhXnOMuEt-wzQuGhqvktUxHFP77XcaLSlKj8maC0HLC1ziRK3xzaFapCVWujg/w400-h300/FA86AED9-3473-4A3D-8277-1BF739DD2669.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Pond Mountain peeking out <br />through the trees</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguG3hvr-3SxwE-JycUW-arNJnWMimvobw9lH2VqFaFA3TYWID10S6SW2cB5KRBDK2aN040Rl04xIRTT6k_bn_LTx2ij3nYkcn3jfBN3dAkMte0G6qq_0VZcFsmwK8RsRYeEHH4c8eqZAU3G7GlqCFhFdoGI10fvNa_43CUSIVEUI0F4t6Hk-8A5ZRziw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguG3hvr-3SxwE-JycUW-arNJnWMimvobw9lH2VqFaFA3TYWID10S6SW2cB5KRBDK2aN040Rl04xIRTT6k_bn_LTx2ij3nYkcn3jfBN3dAkMte0G6qq_0VZcFsmwK8RsRYeEHH4c8eqZAU3G7GlqCFhFdoGI10fvNa_43CUSIVEUI0F4t6Hk-8A5ZRziw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh pileated woodpecker marks </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final couple miles went by quickly. Although the skiing wasn't super fast as the sun softened the snow, the final two miles traveled mostly downhill. I reached the trailhead around 215PM. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlEdic4SMoL4DGG1ej59mT7bMPX2Bx3nsBslgLBze3_I7edu3H3Sie_05v8mTC44zWktvELsp6DpCFFJBqmaD-OEGvbDtHrwCyz_e1AxpENZTAITe_U4H6YoJcgrZKdA7kKgO-M3rJ9xAJHkGX6Y-1eZ8e4aJT6E0TS3cuNkxdJlVB9trIA4RT9ugv6A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlEdic4SMoL4DGG1ej59mT7bMPX2Bx3nsBslgLBze3_I7edu3H3Sie_05v8mTC44zWktvELsp6DpCFFJBqmaD-OEGvbDtHrwCyz_e1AxpENZTAITe_U4H6YoJcgrZKdA7kKgO-M3rJ9xAJHkGX6Y-1eZ8e4aJT6E0TS3cuNkxdJlVB9trIA4RT9ugv6A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains visible to the south</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBEDcIG76pxetWCs9vUH0XUuNQC_zDosKtinDgInZCda9T-iHeJ-12a0VkG9-F0Fa3TIxLdmyL5ynHK1dVo8MFdudk__4hcr91kLHfg9oS2FtCiT5Qd60MLtptJra8vmFJG2756zOE2prZDeFP2K5ZoHwd8mn7NBpqkWlZRRlzCFGDTHa0xZUd_-S7g/s4032/5F530133-D879-4B32-845F-165E1434B82B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBEDcIG76pxetWCs9vUH0XUuNQC_zDosKtinDgInZCda9T-iHeJ-12a0VkG9-F0Fa3TIxLdmyL5ynHK1dVo8MFdudk__4hcr91kLHfg9oS2FtCiT5Qd60MLtptJra8vmFJG2756zOE2prZDeFP2K5ZoHwd8mn7NBpqkWlZRRlzCFGDTHa0xZUd_-S7g/w400-h300/5F530133-D879-4B32-845F-165E1434B82B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large glacial erratic along the road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfiEXr7Z8lZ2Ufh_yKPY7fgcinLake-3uhf9Lc-UxZTwLlTJNpNkX1DxNIsA5Ixrg8PcpfKwoeS-1kMt3Cyw-9yCdnXyGkPPCotQTZYQAW18UHrHIdp0WJ1nwzHM06vS34zE5ETdY2-vsdBLVGTvLsLmkyGN-yAkfGub9sl0I2Ymoghj58wSS8VuT9Q/s4032/C560D078-C539-47D7-9B9A-9DF6BCEEECAA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfiEXr7Z8lZ2Ufh_yKPY7fgcinLake-3uhf9Lc-UxZTwLlTJNpNkX1DxNIsA5Ixrg8PcpfKwoeS-1kMt3Cyw-9yCdnXyGkPPCotQTZYQAW18UHrHIdp0WJ1nwzHM06vS34zE5ETdY2-vsdBLVGTvLsLmkyGN-yAkfGub9sl0I2Ymoghj58wSS8VuT9Q/w400-h300/C560D078-C539-47D7-9B9A-9DF6BCEEECAA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view as I approached the trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really enjoyed this trip. The clouds parted at just the right time to give me the mountain vista I was hoping for. The beautiful, sunny weather during the second half of the trip felt good after the snowy past month. Chances are this was my last time cross country skiing in the backcountry for the season and I was happy to have such a great trip to end my nordic season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5HfsWcqbOgiP9Qy1XpN6Wn05ueAMbpmSmXiromjTZAANemRroyMTvfKuxzjOMMPBaApZKcD6c3s33R4TpULE0ph711wFTWxKvNGjxtgNfwsppK9AxiMZ_3V47YZpJBqX3SRJNqj8aKJfO5ycTXA2HMBakMgWgW0gV871NmWGcLXySnbfZqmxyhJQkpQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5HfsWcqbOgiP9Qy1XpN6Wn05ueAMbpmSmXiromjTZAANemRroyMTvfKuxzjOMMPBaApZKcD6c3s33R4TpULE0ph711wFTWxKvNGjxtgNfwsppK9AxiMZ_3V47YZpJBqX3SRJNqj8aKJfO5ycTXA2HMBakMgWgW0gV871NmWGcLXySnbfZqmxyhJQkpQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skylight, Marcy, and Haystack</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trip from the trailhead to the dam at the base of the ponds travels 6.8 miles one way. I skied further onto the ponds and made a short side trip to the lean-to. By the time all was said and done, I skied about 15 miles. Despite the distance, the skiing never gets technical traveling on the snow covered dirt road. Even a relative beginner could handle the terrain if you have the endurance to ski 14-15 miles. I don't know how often the area sees traffic after a storm and the area may not always be broken out immediately after a storm. The navigation is pretty straightforward. Signs mark junctions requiring a turn to stay on course.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although my last trip to Avalanche Pass and Lake Colden traveled deep into the High Peaks Wilderness, this trip feels more remote. The Avalanche Pass trip sees a lot of traffic compared to the Boreas Ponds. I never seemed too far from other travelers enroute to Avalanche Pass. The lack of traffic heading to Boreas Ponds gives the trip a wild feel despite traveling over a dirt road. Help may be harder to reach if you ran into trouble at the ponds versus Lake Colden or Avalanche Pass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDgzdkp3twrXB5FOC177fBZIyGl8KdOuQytSVe09LJD_l9CQYCDlXYG6Hz_hAiVl_zI-ivR6GTCUdQ55AlJVb4d3VbC3p2Lx0pbDwum3kGGmMvoaeSvbbqHBYTD-H0TVSnoCuP_8ij8zK9UklPaOmaBIxYH8bCVNeZyAUh8v1OBvKJpyNHK7L7ZiHFew" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDgzdkp3twrXB5FOC177fBZIyGl8KdOuQytSVe09LJD_l9CQYCDlXYG6Hz_hAiVl_zI-ivR6GTCUdQ55AlJVb4d3VbC3p2Lx0pbDwum3kGGmMvoaeSvbbqHBYTD-H0TVSnoCuP_8ij8zK9UklPaOmaBIxYH8bCVNeZyAUh8v1OBvKJpyNHK7L7ZiHFew=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more shot from the ponds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I highly recommend making the trip to Boreas Ponds in winter. The unique views of the High Peaks with a snowy landscape are worth the effort. If the ice is safe, skiing on the ponds really helps you capture the best look at the surrounding mountains. </div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-51222637135992605022023-03-24T11:41:00.001-07:002023-03-24T11:41:42.096-07:00Skiing to Avalanche Pass and Lake ColdenThe backcountry ski trip to Avalanche Pass may be the most iconic nordic skiing destination in the Adirondacks. Nestled between Avalanche Mountain and Mount Colden, Avalanche Lake sits below the pass. With nearly sheer cliffs rising from the lake, the area is among the most scenic and unique views in the Adirondacks. A trip on skis to the Avalanche Pass and Lake was on my short list of adventures I wanted to tackle in the area.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZAtvakxXbDrrmyQS9V268nNaCqsHDlYeDtkNCTi88XTzC-GR3_lik5hcU0eilvSX_wguhs-OeWxaxaxBHmX7KR7frVwL7ULZhx4vYzg7F_Rx4L5a0cbezW38rgK4diC6s0O31ncwEFCe7eBscHhRYUTDNiMX8tcE2qXN2klnksVY4uq_-LBLbzOlgg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZAtvakxXbDrrmyQS9V268nNaCqsHDlYeDtkNCTi88XTzC-GR3_lik5hcU0eilvSX_wguhs-OeWxaxaxBHmX7KR7frVwL7ULZhx4vYzg7F_Rx4L5a0cbezW38rgK4diC6s0O31ncwEFCe7eBscHhRYUTDNiMX8tcE2qXN2klnksVY4uq_-LBLbzOlgg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Colden view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Although I have hiked through this area, I never made the trip on skis. Most sources list the ski trip as suitable for a strong intermediate to advanced skier, which I do consider myself. There are a number of factors that kept me from making the trip sooner. I tried to cherry pick a day with the most ideal conditions- a mix of clear skies, good snow, and preferably not an extremely cold day. The scenery around the lake is what makes this area so attractive and I wanted good visibility. Steeper terrain on fairly narrow trails make up the route and I wanted snow conditions that made for forgiving climbs and descents. I planned on skiing across both Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden so I wanted a moderate temperatures to enjoy the day since the area tends to funnel wind through the pass.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a lackluster winter for snow sports, a series of snow events started hitting the area in late February. A couple feet of snow fell in a couple weeks. After a weekend storm dropped another nice fresh coating of snow, I decided my good weather window opened up on March 6th. The snow conditions were looking promising, a sunny day was forecasted, and temps were supposed to be a near 30F.</div><div><br /></div><div>I headed out on Monday March 6th. I chose to start at the South Meadow Trailhead as opposed to the Adirondack Loj. Starting from South Meadow adds about 1.5 miles to the start and finish of the trip, but saves $15 on parking at the Loj. I started skiing about 8AM.</div><div><br /></div><div>The trip from South Meadow starts along an unplowed dirt road for the first mile before joining the Marcy Dam Truck Trail. The Truck Trail is an old forest road that is no longer open to any vehicular traffic. Skiing along the Truck Trail is fairly easy given its wider width and gradual terrain changes. In the snow, it's a rather pleasant section of forest. I made my way to Marcy Dam fairly quickly in the good snow conditions.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxzvUqKhUPuQIZreMUB0hClAIpp8tf7ZXnPB0yOIxUQgX4JIcKH0cHyBpQaQhsm-nn_ejHufeLaXC1o810z_GTXzLsvHmamWb7vzXY_pWg0YSbrc-W2PLOUd5KUHzp8hSfK-dkE3PB8t-yyDLYnioSK0ZJSCYlsHng53qaWimtKXoYRjNBmYKJaRLUA/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxzvUqKhUPuQIZreMUB0hClAIpp8tf7ZXnPB0yOIxUQgX4JIcKH0cHyBpQaQhsm-nn_ejHufeLaXC1o810z_GTXzLsvHmamWb7vzXY_pWg0YSbrc-W2PLOUd5KUHzp8hSfK-dkE3PB8t-yyDLYnioSK0ZJSCYlsHng53qaWimtKXoYRjNBmYKJaRLUA/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Meadow Road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs54R83MtVFnUqKPkrPvSvmFp9-PRcWxmTYXSbgq4Sy3GoWoZjRrvzSbJWCyONgq1TYvFbmQbnh3Lh_0Dei9MTVHjCQlWv_N-Nrlr5UefH4XTOeXNkOwrx9pR2o7RFLxwFqHkIuHrl2KC7hZ93CvLqmA9CnuZ3ua0YrQLtA9K2jy7CPwPcGzWa8ltvAw/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs54R83MtVFnUqKPkrPvSvmFp9-PRcWxmTYXSbgq4Sy3GoWoZjRrvzSbJWCyONgq1TYvFbmQbnh3Lh_0Dei9MTVHjCQlWv_N-Nrlr5UefH4XTOeXNkOwrx9pR2o7RFLxwFqHkIuHrl2KC7hZ93CvLqmA9CnuZ3ua0YrQLtA9K2jy7CPwPcGzWa8ltvAw/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcy Dam Truck Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I've been to Marcy Dam multiple times and have posted photos of the area in previous posts. The dam no longer holds water and has more of a meadow above it. The view from the dam site, however, provides a scenic view of Avalanche Pass area with Mount Colden, Avalanche Mountain, as well as Wright Peak. The area is a popular destination in its own right. The trail from the Adirondack Loj also joins the route at the dam.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIL2EIKcEvtNcZ5inq0aIyatX0IvXB2ffxXRo-SHF-BmY4Vt1aKRWGMbg7li7p-_gKUgd6RiGdKjV-k8LAhLpHoHlEOXbTAsor-BDZmuvzK122hhYgOnx6xi3FiqWNSKf1a6ukdkwZ5glLbmRfFhQJMGaKfgnPW8VRgC_gm8IQcHCp6LcXlbkHOaUDw/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIL2EIKcEvtNcZ5inq0aIyatX0IvXB2ffxXRo-SHF-BmY4Vt1aKRWGMbg7li7p-_gKUgd6RiGdKjV-k8LAhLpHoHlEOXbTAsor-BDZmuvzK122hhYgOnx6xi3FiqWNSKf1a6ukdkwZ5glLbmRfFhQJMGaKfgnPW8VRgC_gm8IQcHCp6LcXlbkHOaUDw/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wright Peak from Marcy Dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6rOUCawsga9W4KfrxKU3p1l44Nbultwss1UZ1dRPNvNej1gqE60v6D7D5l-fD-IUafhzi7BT9aHG8zh51ULH9lD3v6lglQV2WQaBdtWxm5v5_oXPLYMsynJjZrmL894UlsbfojzPbAqZn47LucDq0xtuG-tXK6sVgLFP4NW2lCMWOEiQWAbLkApXlg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6rOUCawsga9W4KfrxKU3p1l44Nbultwss1UZ1dRPNvNej1gqE60v6D7D5l-fD-IUafhzi7BT9aHG8zh51ULH9lD3v6lglQV2WQaBdtWxm5v5_oXPLYMsynJjZrmL894UlsbfojzPbAqZn47LucDq0xtuG-tXK6sVgLFP4NW2lCMWOEiQWAbLkApXlg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20069.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward Avalanche Pass from Marcy Dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After taking a few photos, I made my way toward Avalanche Pass. At this point, the trail follows a narrow singletrack hiking trail. After the weekend hiker/skier traffic, the trail was nicely packed. The trail doesn't change to much in elevation as it makes its way about a mile toward Avalanche Camp. The skiing was excellent over the packed trail. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqreHxWaGwRin3YXdbaFqnUbGyPMq8-AAVi0_Mpal1HDy4TZwB8llhBaWp0_C4QRpoGvljPPMpFpedcPNoP1iEJPNNcSftyo9vNUeNqON18_OAYzFCStTnf6C1xTRdIpkxUI-w8vZWJTX1gmFpdKY47aeYAZCVWIPzRTFP9OnJ-w5FcCv-1f_Xvquog/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqreHxWaGwRin3YXdbaFqnUbGyPMq8-AAVi0_Mpal1HDy4TZwB8llhBaWp0_C4QRpoGvljPPMpFpedcPNoP1iEJPNNcSftyo9vNUeNqON18_OAYzFCStTnf6C1xTRdIpkxUI-w8vZWJTX1gmFpdKY47aeYAZCVWIPzRTFP9OnJ-w5FcCv-1f_Xvquog/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing on the narrow hiking trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS03KF5TUC2-pDomWRY_4z1BbXzoj6Ov38KlGVnir4Tm2DPcXCrJqhiCsECVDSdeI0tSmvEla9PLsdoCZIUmEBdIPFJSpu8eAVgZjjIgR8l_4gvHFToQqMkCnbXmyk88zPSyhsATyrydPHbcLHwuaD_ofJNlm4JZ22TST_VTV2lgnhx7Q7Og0vBVDCtQ/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS03KF5TUC2-pDomWRY_4z1BbXzoj6Ov38KlGVnir4Tm2DPcXCrJqhiCsECVDSdeI0tSmvEla9PLsdoCZIUmEBdIPFJSpu8eAVgZjjIgR8l_4gvHFToQqMkCnbXmyk88zPSyhsATyrydPHbcLHwuaD_ofJNlm4JZ22TST_VTV2lgnhx7Q7Og0vBVDCtQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A trail split after Avalanche Camp begins the start of the serious climbing. There are two separate trails to Avalanche Pass. One is a hiking/snowshoe trail. The other is specifically a ski trail. Make sure you follow signs for the ski trail if you are on skis and the hiking trail if on snowshoes. At the trail junction for Avalanche Pass and Lake Arnold, the ski trail is actually a couple hundred feet down the Lake Arnold Trail. Just follow the ski trail signs, navigation is pretty straightforward.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcTyO1mtv-a1NDFnFAxfaGjr2wMkCXKESvJ1_Pv9csfo28vNgQ1k2lWMJWLBoYE31zkrzteWSZF6g3OXucYwhdgT5x2OjJPKb2w1_o7N77h7fum-qqj1dO5yppCDo4oMSY3o0rK-6MyIOf3bAyFuto8ynAFEQXZwa-_2n8RlipeMvRv58je0T3EDKHw/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcTyO1mtv-a1NDFnFAxfaGjr2wMkCXKESvJ1_Pv9csfo28vNgQ1k2lWMJWLBoYE31zkrzteWSZF6g3OXucYwhdgT5x2OjJPKb2w1_o7N77h7fum-qqj1dO5yppCDo4oMSY3o0rK-6MyIOf3bAyFuto8ynAFEQXZwa-_2n8RlipeMvRv58je0T3EDKHw/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good signage marks the way</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw5x8igOXVOCDRzznA1E83hNkmWrDlyLhFn7TRpfCgpxWpbj0c_XflhnquTEvcB7ci8rD0q6g9Yhl4XsFzb2FT0P1iASxtyUiI_gi9OTK-oByCg7iya5UgTNfssd3Urmu5t9GUZPPe2olAHPvZl18BkBW8v-2NfGCnTE8S6IRFghFYNs-ry-C0UUmHw/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw5x8igOXVOCDRzznA1E83hNkmWrDlyLhFn7TRpfCgpxWpbj0c_XflhnquTEvcB7ci8rD0q6g9Yhl4XsFzb2FT0P1iASxtyUiI_gi9OTK-oByCg7iya5UgTNfssd3Urmu5t9GUZPPe2olAHPvZl18BkBW8v-2NfGCnTE8S6IRFghFYNs-ry-C0UUmHw/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the ski trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The ski trail takes a less direct route toward Avalanche Pass by avoiding the steepest sections of the hiking trail. In the steeper sections of the ski trail I needed to herring bone, but generally my skis gripped the trail pretty well. One short section required me to sidestep. Sidestepping was a little challenging. Although the ski trail is a little wider than the hiking trail, my tips and tails stumbled through the deeper snow on the edge of the trail. The ski trail crosses the hiking trail a couple times as it winds toward the pass.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewr_VvQvXFbdfIPv6uid-teCZfgCcFPunzzO119lf4Y92_FiG4OACB9sXU30jseK4X0-vFQsnpp6DxN9fto964o9m1pbd2tfISTX-3n154qhINbXpg4PPS7SdAThg-D-lT53aZqQFM1UFHRCbPRmq_ASPxE2LSuVHJvD9xxiN5ojQyT58bWcDNOI2FQ/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewr_VvQvXFbdfIPv6uid-teCZfgCcFPunzzO119lf4Y92_FiG4OACB9sXU30jseK4X0-vFQsnpp6DxN9fto964o9m1pbd2tfISTX-3n154qhINbXpg4PPS7SdAThg-D-lT53aZqQFM1UFHRCbPRmq_ASPxE2LSuVHJvD9xxiN5ojQyT58bWcDNOI2FQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the ski trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJqlVOBJDol-DWFtS2ymcyyH3ObDlCyyz07n1UGdK5brmZXRX5uDDTUHIeXUfpt7gaJip6KZ4srxeq7D5WlXwbFSp-30sqOp-okySn8f07UQATWeaMx1sSx7K5H_Yz1jBgG16w2um7cMMC4lobT4bnovuLXU1Pt6Duev4tB7WTye8JK4NO-hi5SmK8g/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJqlVOBJDol-DWFtS2ymcyyH3ObDlCyyz07n1UGdK5brmZXRX5uDDTUHIeXUfpt7gaJip6KZ4srxeq7D5WlXwbFSp-30sqOp-okySn8f07UQATWeaMx1sSx7K5H_Yz1jBgG16w2um7cMMC4lobT4bnovuLXU1Pt6Duev4tB7WTye8JK4NO-hi5SmK8g/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite its designation as a ski trail,<br />it's pretty narrow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I have heard the section between Avalanche Camp and the pass sometimes referred to as the "Misery Mile" for its steeper climbing. Despite the moniker, I didn't find the climbing too bad. I never felt like I needed skins to make the ascent. There were a few steeper spots, but they were short lived. Near the height of the land, the ski trail ends and rejoins the hiking trail.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwnsGYZdr_aQhx1vBI8p-jB4FAv6LlZ5vz8mc646mUZ8auIA38CGM39wJWtPsJrkzHEaYtLjKOw8vUy8HwimO4UDtDDGzF6mR3mWvpjOW9JJAIDCBbc9HWlaK1cpJjqLqUZItBqIpDOpA2Im5dKJnEuGLwMsCaxB4Lzo_qKS6i1SSynHdrriT_ctp6w/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwnsGYZdr_aQhx1vBI8p-jB4FAv6LlZ5vz8mc646mUZ8auIA38CGM39wJWtPsJrkzHEaYtLjKOw8vUy8HwimO4UDtDDGzF6mR3mWvpjOW9JJAIDCBbc9HWlaK1cpJjqLqUZItBqIpDOpA2Im5dKJnEuGLwMsCaxB4Lzo_qKS6i1SSynHdrriT_ctp6w/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back on the hiking trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Once on the hiking trail, the trail rolls with a few short punchy climbs and descents. Numerous large outcroppings line the trail with large flows of ice on the walls. Finally the trail drops on a quick descent onto the ice covered Avalanche Lake and the stunning views of Mount Colden's cliffs. I reached the lake relatively early in the morning and the sun didn't quite reach the lake. I didn't linger on the shady lake. I figured that I would enjoy the lake when I passed back through on my return and the sun reached the lake.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hKS3lj55-VABfNq-VmAm6QqjKj7HpL5HiL7aulviR70X9KIcI9ceEMBz9ZQDzywPIfqubajC-mMV44xEUD09fFT3OkzG1IPb87-81g3qHykDBhRlpeA-5y93jPo6E-CC01SHpDApq2ZqHUiN8xQGSKdoLtuXpnFKlpC-jtq3vmHuYqEc7E5KtF6P8g/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hKS3lj55-VABfNq-VmAm6QqjKj7HpL5HiL7aulviR70X9KIcI9ceEMBz9ZQDzywPIfqubajC-mMV44xEUD09fFT3OkzG1IPb87-81g3qHykDBhRlpeA-5y93jPo6E-CC01SHpDApq2ZqHUiN8xQGSKdoLtuXpnFKlpC-jtq3vmHuYqEc7E5KtF6P8g/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail doesn't actually travel<br />on the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67VL1fcm700pfPBrU3KXV_pdiFH8I5q26tlXJ4MUt-BsFIPMhOosPT1FpowXOiGguZ8GjSdvLYtGIp_oER2heVBf4mYc7UCytPvJfs5Rljfh20Xhrb-iUOK7Mtv0QmXjKEb873MnewNfD2RVl0Veqw0pUkyNyEhMZRpdZ7gPIxuMr0dCs4ujMoQo4rQ/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67VL1fcm700pfPBrU3KXV_pdiFH8I5q26tlXJ4MUt-BsFIPMhOosPT1FpowXOiGguZ8GjSdvLYtGIp_oER2heVBf4mYc7UCytPvJfs5Rljfh20Xhrb-iUOK7Mtv0QmXjKEb873MnewNfD2RVl0Veqw0pUkyNyEhMZRpdZ7gPIxuMr0dCs4ujMoQo4rQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icy flow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLuW5VIf7ZgWmZazzMPncp8T0viiGrsz-OghJoWz2ClfQ4c_GaRqXybPAz3ZckkFPwBZUJUhu2qDzCxcL2UwcBVM7Dxeob1i3sEuCuMoS6VQ9hMPbcp-bmZB-wGTQ_ug2VnlmvT13VX6GjklgbG5yMk4ACIrKJXRynoS2huUg_69MXI2sQhkDvD_NvQ/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLuW5VIf7ZgWmZazzMPncp8T0viiGrsz-OghJoWz2ClfQ4c_GaRqXybPAz3ZckkFPwBZUJUhu2qDzCxcL2UwcBVM7Dxeob1i3sEuCuMoS6VQ9hMPbcp-bmZB-wGTQ_ug2VnlmvT13VX6GjklgbG5yMk4ACIrKJXRynoS2huUg_69MXI2sQhkDvD_NvQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More ice flow in the pass</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I skied across the lake rather quickly. It was fairly chilly on the lake in the shadows of Mount Colden with a stiff breeze through the pass. Winter passage of the lake is much quicker than traveling over the jumbled terrain and walkways under the rocky walls in summer.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv97_jV-4om03JJ8h52jRyPfxirR6wQbsJdBcAmHotAKY2Z28KyvJrqroCzvQsPM5DtWyVFAODe66dV1Zc7jdzCKZu0OYwmDRfJFHT3Qd1N7k2pliNkRZLvHTXfPPld8YZVwymk5W5F1-R4UqoEpR0LFCc1ZQTWQZLQHsv8xqBI0cA1t9CKKz-102HQ/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv97_jV-4om03JJ8h52jRyPfxirR6wQbsJdBcAmHotAKY2Z28KyvJrqroCzvQsPM5DtWyVFAODe66dV1Zc7jdzCKZu0OYwmDRfJFHT3Qd1N7k2pliNkRZLvHTXfPPld8YZVwymk5W5F1-R4UqoEpR0LFCc1ZQTWQZLQHsv8xqBI0cA1t9CKKz-102HQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood walkway along the trail beneath cliffs</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I continued past the outlet of the lake and soon made my way to the ski trail toward Lake Colden. Now in the sunshine, I skied across the lake to get the views from the center of the frozen body of water. From the center of the lake, the view takes in the snowy summits of the MacIntyre Range, including the Adirondack's 2nd highest peak, 5,114' Algonquin Peak. The rocky slopes of Mount Colden dominate the other side of the lake. To the north, you look back at Avalanche Pass. Calamity Mountain stands to the south of the lake. I enjoyed the view from the lake and took some photos before finally making my way back toward Avalanche Pass.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoq1PiROFrnE9nf3wqYjn_LRSJeyUD-eUT7NCE9ZFA7aq-WFl4UZK_PF5902N0MtRil91txWEhPek6D_KezSAvVzduGf8125yC64T-jTCJN62oQWxwrYFR43rf0YH8LGr11_KMNFkWvExLxBCxOsO4fIQHmQteNGyAn8i1nJAM-rPQ6NqUWcZ_lzVlOA/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoq1PiROFrnE9nf3wqYjn_LRSJeyUD-eUT7NCE9ZFA7aq-WFl4UZK_PF5902N0MtRil91txWEhPek6D_KezSAvVzduGf8125yC64T-jTCJN62oQWxwrYFR43rf0YH8LGr11_KMNFkWvExLxBCxOsO4fIQHmQteNGyAn8i1nJAM-rPQ6NqUWcZ_lzVlOA/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20066.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Calamity Mountain as you<br />ski onto Lake Colden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dQchiHc6K9T8GYxY156d2R4o9a7IiafRl0dewQ4nKfB0LsWVQT-dQmmhxI5xH9umsKNDs471FZ_YYq5fdlXIEsYeQID1jKJ9ZYFZwTbZ4_J-05hlNQ50ext7cUdCwSKbwaFmanD8iJDw8yWAR1-5RMpVtfCOtdB2iL5rPLLJI6Nvcs7TfGjcAWS9Dg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dQchiHc6K9T8GYxY156d2R4o9a7IiafRl0dewQ4nKfB0LsWVQT-dQmmhxI5xH9umsKNDs471FZ_YYq5fdlXIEsYeQID1jKJ9ZYFZwTbZ4_J-05hlNQ50ext7cUdCwSKbwaFmanD8iJDw8yWAR1-5RMpVtfCOtdB2iL5rPLLJI6Nvcs7TfGjcAWS9Dg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy MacIntyre Range from Lake Colden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-n_2qST5u6hLVt0lavcPvMjRidwLlXp1F1XSBz4ihc52hyivNSkB4TQ9O_HonLpkQbsBuVuRC7KojJoLeyWdyj5X2kYuK1g1mf1Pzat3HFR28O4pRbUaQNWNsq0t4rtbaDUr83GjqDQFmC9aqUJAzXYKUeYtGL4bs31Q6KyUi3IUVBX5152KezZ_vyw/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-n_2qST5u6hLVt0lavcPvMjRidwLlXp1F1XSBz4ihc52hyivNSkB4TQ9O_HonLpkQbsBuVuRC7KojJoLeyWdyj5X2kYuK1g1mf1Pzat3HFR28O4pRbUaQNWNsq0t4rtbaDUr83GjqDQFmC9aqUJAzXYKUeYtGL4bs31Q6KyUi3IUVBX5152KezZ_vyw/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Algonquin Peak </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>If the weather and time cooperate, I highly recommend continuing to Lake Colden. The wide open view from the middle of the lake in winter is quite impressive on a clear day. The up close views of the snow covered MacIntyre Range and Mount Colden are stunning. You also get a nice view toward Avalanche pass. I have been to Lake Colden in the summer and the view from the dam at the south end is pretty nice, but from the middle of the lake in winter, it's significantly prettier.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghRdSs7WgGe6_89lRmCK9UUxGUyDHnB4u-HzLvR7ZRXMmaL253Xk8pCw9R9xF8IroYfXRupll98Pic5jooZyOOKAFDlSThUOdjaARZonnR478I4vmrpo09seS_L4F45rvjfqWD4JCR-HaazM74CluYIwBc4JzmJXbKwM618USIv84tCgrKGT0rhqh5Q/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghRdSs7WgGe6_89lRmCK9UUxGUyDHnB4u-HzLvR7ZRXMmaL253Xk8pCw9R9xF8IroYfXRupll98Pic5jooZyOOKAFDlSThUOdjaARZonnR478I4vmrpo09seS_L4F45rvjfqWD4JCR-HaazM74CluYIwBc4JzmJXbKwM618USIv84tCgrKGT0rhqh5Q/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from north end of lake of Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUatJztG5heymd-PJoprq23vzXsf7lRJroKkyqHyMpYKt_MTWRU6TZdL4YWkfsjuftprZIn4nuy8PgjSFL6zPn54nuZry9eakL6bdLsvirCL9g-fC-PS00QZMSNIh8WwOQcMco-9i4L2XZNP-xgf9wvMjBOQKyZgbbX3oGx3TUj5fv5-YaD_ddM72OQ/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUatJztG5heymd-PJoprq23vzXsf7lRJroKkyqHyMpYKt_MTWRU6TZdL4YWkfsjuftprZIn4nuy8PgjSFL6zPn54nuZry9eakL6bdLsvirCL9g-fC-PS00QZMSNIh8WwOQcMco-9i4L2XZNP-xgf9wvMjBOQKyZgbbX3oGx3TUj5fv5-YaD_ddM72OQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Colden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQX3ikB3Mzn2vjsdn912L1fzPQEZxr95oPjfMtt5AowwYEEhkXG62SSYSis4tOUjFE9LHxFx3TcyPDritEkjM7z-VOW4OpqDVATb6HY-CXAZhC-Mw9x0fAC-z_tag-kbXW3i2CnJRylG1lvX4tjW3cC3UA0A_Tmx2CUKcc3mMqwGa0Li2G2k539ZSLw/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQX3ikB3Mzn2vjsdn912L1fzPQEZxr95oPjfMtt5AowwYEEhkXG62SSYSis4tOUjFE9LHxFx3TcyPDritEkjM7z-VOW4OpqDVATb6HY-CXAZhC-Mw9x0fAC-z_tag-kbXW3i2CnJRylG1lvX4tjW3cC3UA0A_Tmx2CUKcc3mMqwGa0Li2G2k539ZSLw/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at Avalanche Pass from Lake Colden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After a short time skiing, I reached Avalanche Lake, now in the sun. I took my time skiing across the lake to appreciate the scenery. The steep cliffs of Colden dominate the view. You get a good close up view of Colden's Trap Dyke, a steep cleft leading up toward the summit that can be tackled by experienced climbers for a class 4 scramble up the mountain. You also get an interesting look at the catwalks along the cliffs of Avalanche Mountain. These catwalks are locally known as "Hitch-up Matildas." </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88WQwmZxdOoEl50KoIxPe5ZnTyivX7uypzdZUEjlxMU-tYTLr4vp3v7hdAbKylqZ2HXFRIPJeNzqX5zZCsr1lNA07mMQ91mdPSErOAXspYH15kr1gRLZg4pXg7td9aDF2VhPbfsW0VgZyI6bhDK8RdC8zQz7_9e4yMEbyd352o9RYU87jZ2Limlk3Rg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88WQwmZxdOoEl50KoIxPe5ZnTyivX7uypzdZUEjlxMU-tYTLr4vp3v7hdAbKylqZ2HXFRIPJeNzqX5zZCsr1lNA07mMQ91mdPSErOAXspYH15kr1gRLZg4pXg7td9aDF2VhPbfsW0VgZyI6bhDK8RdC8zQz7_9e4yMEbyd352o9RYU87jZ2Limlk3Rg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avalanche Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95L1DyxYLTZEd2EGEDcxw6UWXaZ55yIWBL3nWVSLx-1y6UasoUh0lX_fdfKOgO1tV_k5o7P8a_rXmTN9lAXqpzOHEBqxpd7PW2zZKlanEjH6WFfqUqhPnYiXvL3LCGMqV1svOLwGmd68JSW8-sqFs_IJBrMiDqQOnDvX-2pmx-n3PqLX9xg7jyx9ytQ/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95L1DyxYLTZEd2EGEDcxw6UWXaZ55yIWBL3nWVSLx-1y6UasoUh0lX_fdfKOgO1tV_k5o7P8a_rXmTN9lAXqpzOHEBqxpd7PW2zZKlanEjH6WFfqUqhPnYiXvL3LCGMqV1svOLwGmd68JSW8-sqFs_IJBrMiDqQOnDvX-2pmx-n3PqLX9xg7jyx9ytQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the Trap Dyke</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34S4ZNHv-XyG0DK1SKK1S0e5WdaG3Z2IHig6DnOcLGZS2X3qQ2-Txetr_uM5fsg9FOF4Dmp6ooPrPc-jnU12OcN7x41xDLJQIo9mgs6clyQKadPJwrdDtPCcDmpbaW7yhnr3-c_h84M0ieXxj4I6vSn3F2iza92uTsGUtd-afrUSLqnmLVtNYFwg9VQ/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34S4ZNHv-XyG0DK1SKK1S0e5WdaG3Z2IHig6DnOcLGZS2X3qQ2-Txetr_uM5fsg9FOF4Dmp6ooPrPc-jnU12OcN7x41xDLJQIo9mgs6clyQKadPJwrdDtPCcDmpbaW7yhnr3-c_h84M0ieXxj4I6vSn3F2iza92uTsGUtd-afrUSLqnmLVtNYFwg9VQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trap Dyke on Colden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5V43K_dA40jtj32NF3AYPvplFUZjJOTc8GMAQGFmFIwX3w5vv3MLDJCA7CC-GeWpaMpVmsFhdvh1J3KVblJEiFU27qdUEYEC1jLmo2b70CAYVxapE8MCKSwpRbT4cc4NWGqAlqmz9LLj8lJJNtjcl-iScHFeJsgmRlzY5XyvFoAie5TG9Gc7k_IzbQ/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5V43K_dA40jtj32NF3AYPvplFUZjJOTc8GMAQGFmFIwX3w5vv3MLDJCA7CC-GeWpaMpVmsFhdvh1J3KVblJEiFU27qdUEYEC1jLmo2b70CAYVxapE8MCKSwpRbT4cc4NWGqAlqmz9LLj8lJJNtjcl-iScHFeJsgmRlzY5XyvFoAie5TG9Gc7k_IzbQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icy cliffs above Avalanche Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Once back across the lake I saw my first group of skiers. I began the climb back to the height of the land in the pass at just over 3,000' while passing another four skiers. I soon reached the ski trail.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUL3AzyO333skqWU5hd8tEi7ni2TQ35fIoi_Yko2wzs1sWYh0DHpPKJn7eNti8-_55eF0YEOEK9wDts6C1tSpQpivKmmB-P2IlPKCyxTRYZYCPdQUBhuMgwIgCiS2fWysUHOb7iGCrqeuCQEKvGCy7bYq77LPiID3LFTWXu15fberANkDGCP_zvqr5w/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUL3AzyO333skqWU5hd8tEi7ni2TQ35fIoi_Yko2wzs1sWYh0DHpPKJn7eNti8-_55eF0YEOEK9wDts6C1tSpQpivKmmB-P2IlPKCyxTRYZYCPdQUBhuMgwIgCiS2fWysUHOb7iGCrqeuCQEKvGCy7bYq77LPiID3LFTWXu15fberANkDGCP_zvqr5w/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of "Hitch-up Matildas"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWW9qcdlaj-j-wRoCYjYyttItUrhOitTs4ctSHIFM884_HG3QqFg4ir8bS99zlCO5E6Lkg-GwQzWVNzvLSNauAGudh9ISIryfMxWhCOoNM0cT2LPtDm6aTKNFE1rzWxK2Bn59qFSJdrfG4Pn3_57TralJK2Zes9e5sucUeReXiZM-c_vpQvJR_UfiWA/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWW9qcdlaj-j-wRoCYjYyttItUrhOitTs4ctSHIFM884_HG3QqFg4ir8bS99zlCO5E6Lkg-GwQzWVNzvLSNauAGudh9ISIryfMxWhCOoNM0cT2LPtDm6aTKNFE1rzWxK2Bn59qFSJdrfG4Pn3_57TralJK2Zes9e5sucUeReXiZM-c_vpQvJR_UfiWA/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last view across Avalanche Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Although I consider myself an advance skier, I wasn't sure what to expect on the descent on the ski trail. The trail is relatively narrow along its steeper stretches. I have pretty good control, but was a little nervous if I crossed paths with somebody coming the opposite direction. I made it down with little incident. I was surprised at how quickly I made it down the ski trail and back to the main hiking trail. My only falls came when I stopped on the edge of the trail in the deeper snow and my poles sank in nearly to the handles causing me to lose my balance when I wasn't even moving. I made it back to Marcy Dam much quicker than I expected.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgOAAPjbUA8xPyZ8k_7hGHbz5EEmObpikcKxw0QT3ZVfKHbZ5h0VyWaWJvXaaYz14QWXodDFpg9a-VY3oobRBOi5GIoAUVvj5IyJJRPKEIlG_lT-ivCU4dAf_KXrjX6SfQel41zVJ2a6XgULnmUBM6Tz52EfRWTtsP01FnyqMXpNbbVGbTq_7zGqGKQ/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgOAAPjbUA8xPyZ8k_7hGHbz5EEmObpikcKxw0QT3ZVfKHbZ5h0VyWaWJvXaaYz14QWXodDFpg9a-VY3oobRBOi5GIoAUVvj5IyJJRPKEIlG_lT-ivCU4dAf_KXrjX6SfQel41zVJ2a6XgULnmUBM6Tz52EfRWTtsP01FnyqMXpNbbVGbTq_7zGqGKQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing back to the pass</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqiyjVGsogjRvRkjvWPjjXXGC8akvQpEs7JcAIRW9k4cMMoo5awuhkEP7MqSYevhQpvUfBm3kJ_DFIkeIj53xck2fl0pr_-XaHLXTIzkit470QhvO71SRjiUVwHYD17rSHkSsbE1CubNfJbUx5_wa4k2iGOj66_wd7Dk_ikWDXk-PV0sFcOj5_v0pSg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqiyjVGsogjRvRkjvWPjjXXGC8akvQpEs7JcAIRW9k4cMMoo5awuhkEP7MqSYevhQpvUfBm3kJ_DFIkeIj53xck2fl0pr_-XaHLXTIzkit470QhvO71SRjiUVwHYD17rSHkSsbE1CubNfJbUx5_wa4k2iGOj66_wd7Dk_ikWDXk-PV0sFcOj5_v0pSg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icy cliffs near the pass</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkrXa6e9NxVxam4YV_MkWgPUEejprVATcMaKNVJHuvlHVz2YFMK6z4xRlSKcSEvw7ghzVj917sfh6eGNpc-xL0S3CA67utPeocZANhDtZ6kkRiC5WHtrLpZAz4imKhKX6XT8kr3uk7C93kkQr4GfeCi1zXIdHFtYvHSV0a2qYB3hepC0f7WQyjxX4Lg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkrXa6e9NxVxam4YV_MkWgPUEejprVATcMaKNVJHuvlHVz2YFMK6z4xRlSKcSEvw7ghzVj917sfh6eGNpc-xL0S3CA67utPeocZANhDtZ6kkRiC5WHtrLpZAz4imKhKX6XT8kr3uk7C93kkQr4GfeCi1zXIdHFtYvHSV0a2qYB3hepC0f7WQyjxX4Lg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick flow of ice</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Back at Marcy Dam, numerous groups of skiers and hikers congregated. In the morning I saw just one other person. The final stretch of my trip from Marcy Dam led me back down the Truck Trail and finally the South Meadow Road. I saw a handful of people on skis and snowshoes on this stretch as well. I reached my car shortly after 1PM.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVP-wjN80J54I_mrLhKMlc0G7aAanlaFi1fv4PNoR4Cc2XXwlh-4QQ3wfMkBzxNSg3HSN3NVEWhsXh07BeT7HhEbNCRtA5C1GiOPfx3lUlROZKLzVzj6IjOHRyXl1sBSAEPBEFhEDp-8jbVLlubR_Cc8IE42H4fL5ylcdSZzakMTl3Mp8DpQkYxZctQ/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVP-wjN80J54I_mrLhKMlc0G7aAanlaFi1fv4PNoR4Cc2XXwlh-4QQ3wfMkBzxNSg3HSN3NVEWhsXh07BeT7HhEbNCRtA5C1GiOPfx3lUlROZKLzVzj6IjOHRyXl1sBSAEPBEFhEDp-8jbVLlubR_Cc8IE42H4fL5ylcdSZzakMTl3Mp8DpQkYxZctQ/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at Marcy Dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBT9aJdPSaOXHzpH0hb0C78lOxjXASxq0y4n2Q_p1cNWy_XZKp4K7X9c7niIpI8KnN34kTYS94LzgdTTIpxPqhNPYdw8iiVZUqhiKniHkyO12t2vLhpnZINdtFqUpRu9SvYCX1XbKvvw8k5ZsaKC-EXqsAJLYtM4oCS5aA4-xEQ2NQCkKod2kMIbOqg/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBT9aJdPSaOXHzpH0hb0C78lOxjXASxq0y4n2Q_p1cNWy_XZKp4K7X9c7niIpI8KnN34kTYS94LzgdTTIpxPqhNPYdw8iiVZUqhiKniHkyO12t2vLhpnZINdtFqUpRu9SvYCX1XbKvvw8k5ZsaKC-EXqsAJLYtM4oCS5aA4-xEQ2NQCkKod2kMIbOqg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleasant skiing on the Truck Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Skiing from South Meadow to Lake Colden covers about 15 miles round trip with at least 1,500' of elevation gain. It's possible to cut off about three miles roundtrip by starting at the Adirondack Loj. The conditions were nearly perfect the day I skied this route. In ideal conditions, I would rate this trip as suitable for an experience skier with very strong intermediate abilities using a decent backcountry- nordic setup. In icier conditions or deeper snow, the route would be more suitable to advanced skiers. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtK-XA4oT1wXwgIIF_RQ--d7KDomf08pfn65CuA6DD3mk3WuJBhM8W39gvhxC38if6-3z-TlXHR5_JVGIL6dnk-jyruvt-5Nn6CaMWbBlhoshomD57obSZNa4yp8-HaM--VriE-3shCA_3IFlbg0ajwNNPm1kmGWGzDsu0LTJX6FAhI9k-pccWJ13h5w/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtK-XA4oT1wXwgIIF_RQ--d7KDomf08pfn65CuA6DD3mk3WuJBhM8W39gvhxC38if6-3z-TlXHR5_JVGIL6dnk-jyruvt-5Nn6CaMWbBlhoshomD57obSZNa4yp8-HaM--VriE-3shCA_3IFlbg0ajwNNPm1kmGWGzDsu0LTJX6FAhI9k-pccWJ13h5w/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MacIntyre Range from Lake Colden</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>With about 1,500' of elevation gain and loss, there are some extended climbs and descents. While the terrain gets steep at times, the real challenge comes with narrow stretches of trail. Numerous blind curves and drops make it difficult to see on coming traffic, which could become problematic if you are not confident in your turns and stopping ability.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZTwcvdBzfkicAnI_h3Txi2E7rWcnO9zoXRb8R0uBlLzqoskWnsnt1B4ix8GQrIMhIDQtMW9Zwn9ZQm0Q_Kc72gFDrb90BHdmwnb4ZCnzpXHiFHJXX6epzZ_y6YYWn3-q3mhGvLJ6wfjYfPVJ57PbMu6ED81nOhcX3e_VadYSrt2ixZH6Qb9t7zIWdA/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZTwcvdBzfkicAnI_h3Txi2E7rWcnO9zoXRb8R0uBlLzqoskWnsnt1B4ix8GQrIMhIDQtMW9Zwn9ZQm0Q_Kc72gFDrb90BHdmwnb4ZCnzpXHiFHJXX6epzZ_y6YYWn3-q3mhGvLJ6wfjYfPVJ57PbMu6ED81nOhcX3e_VadYSrt2ixZH6Qb9t7zIWdA/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avalanche Pass</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The ski trip to Avalanche Pass and Lake Colden lived up to its reputation. The landscape of Avalanche Pass are unique and the winter landscape only enhances the experience. Lake Colden is surrounded by snow peaks and is quite stunning. With clear skies and excellent snow conditions, I could not have asked for a better day to make this trip. If you are a strong skier, I definitely recommend a trip to this area. If you are not confident on skis, you can still make the trip on snowshoes. I just suggest waiting for a good forecast to truly enjoy the scenery of the area.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3X5hAw2fNNKz--CInB74r-903ssJI7XcgXb7tHY6xWqOl-cANRNRa872op9e0h1TAoYO4zHqw8cebHojAoE0Wd1lgi2tgmECc9rjMG4ZTtGbV0KBkCylPSW0ELuzUyFoAtanyHpLWrsr7nwDdeX7ydHQfOKO6LdTc6v7n8pQGCd9ofygS3LU3BxWGg/s4032/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3X5hAw2fNNKz--CInB74r-903ssJI7XcgXb7tHY6xWqOl-cANRNRa872op9e0h1TAoYO4zHqw8cebHojAoE0Wd1lgi2tgmECc9rjMG4ZTtGbV0KBkCylPSW0ELuzUyFoAtanyHpLWrsr7nwDdeX7ydHQfOKO6LdTc6v7n8pQGCd9ofygS3LU3BxWGg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliffs above Avalanche Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>where I post photos more frequently and revisit past adventures.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9w-D8_rdGX4O_jU0rZ-a-FEaO_Qe49OoVx9svHcLADRs2jZ5toBTeUYaKbrkWqhF1x6bMyre_hiyVfa6NauR8GSo_Dt-ZhJTtp_7Uz91qW7REBMjGSjm3oobBxCmZCUaFA5XttCtJxe8uhHSari0-TCIhSoLqK3mTcbFsjb9di4Lx-PvRfgC2saHyqg/s2592/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9w-D8_rdGX4O_jU0rZ-a-FEaO_Qe49OoVx9svHcLADRs2jZ5toBTeUYaKbrkWqhF1x6bMyre_hiyVfa6NauR8GSo_Dt-ZhJTtp_7Uz91qW7REBMjGSjm3oobBxCmZCUaFA5XttCtJxe8uhHSari0-TCIhSoLqK3mTcbFsjb9di4Lx-PvRfgC2saHyqg/w400-h300/Avalanche%20Pass%20ski%203.6.23%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calamity Mountain from Avalanche Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-60486064302456286692023-03-14T08:05:00.001-07:002023-03-14T08:05:15.485-07:00Skiing Whiteface Mountain<p>I don't downhill ski very often anymore. Lift tickets prices have climbed to well over $100 a day at most decent mountains. I usually don't ski unless I can find a deal on a lift ticket. This year however, Puma gave me a day of skiing at Whiteface for Christmas to use when conditions were looking good.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y6Amri8sjuf8ts6PKFWPqx_hYOLOcu_HPNY83S1cUqsviw1oSMzPmc9ZgsKyaPFKyNPld5B6_cFRh2a8cykg7CTeaoG4ZjT_BieX1dzIOHZNPAgKOjqqHLl2wuGHklZG9ZRBODn-_eDPijSW-nXBiiqc8ayxrtj4hPwTR2R0NokovmtLs7ZKro4lgQ/s4032/1350EFB6-972D-4711-9481-24E09974D9F6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y6Amri8sjuf8ts6PKFWPqx_hYOLOcu_HPNY83S1cUqsviw1oSMzPmc9ZgsKyaPFKyNPld5B6_cFRh2a8cykg7CTeaoG4ZjT_BieX1dzIOHZNPAgKOjqqHLl2wuGHklZG9ZRBODn-_eDPijSW-nXBiiqc8ayxrtj4hPwTR2R0NokovmtLs7ZKro4lgQ/w400-h300/1350EFB6-972D-4711-9481-24E09974D9F6.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gondola </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />After a lackluster winter for snow sports much of the season, winter returned in late February with colder temperatures and a couple of good storms. Whiteface reported 33" of new snow over a ten day period. All but a few trails were open. I finally got my ticket for March 2nd.</p><p>I had never skied Whiteface but wanted to check it out while I was still living in the Adirondacks. With a claimed vertical of 3,340' and the highest lift topping out at 4,386', the mountain offers the highest elevation and vertical of any ski area in the Northeast. Whiteface also holds the distinction of being the venue for the 1980 Olympics ski events. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjearHJTneUwfJXxpoorR7YvpMf1FEpEx9izXQJyNIyzhBYTrlndrfYyyP4uJD3yuebIXJYYwALKTao909gcWcR-zxJYOBCSkiIqj2GzS0ZdwQvek_mOiYTOX4vVU-CNoahqXpPjHndSyT6eAKgNeE1vZRt50MiG3wModcVm4yHdWhRwt1U-GlGUk2iAw/s4032/BB2BCE79-49DB-4838-9D99-2EAD1F243A78.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjearHJTneUwfJXxpoorR7YvpMf1FEpEx9izXQJyNIyzhBYTrlndrfYyyP4uJD3yuebIXJYYwALKTao909gcWcR-zxJYOBCSkiIqj2GzS0ZdwQvek_mOiYTOX4vVU-CNoahqXpPjHndSyT6eAKgNeE1vZRt50MiG3wModcVm4yHdWhRwt1U-GlGUk2iAw/w400-h300/BB2BCE79-49DB-4838-9D99-2EAD1F243A78.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding the Lookout Quad</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Whiteface often ranks highly among ski resorts in the eastern US or Canada. It's known for it steep, challenging terrain. While the mountain receives praise for its steep terrain, it also has a reputation for rough conditions when the weather doesn't cooperate. The snow often gets skied off the steep terrain, leaving icy trails, leading to the moniker "Ice-Face." After the snowy week leading up to my day at the mountain, I was hoping I wouldn't have to contend with icy conditions.</p><p>To start the day, I hit a blue cruiser called Excelsior that allowed for a long run back to the base. I was pleased that I didn't seem to have missed a beat since my last time skiing, nearly 4 years earlier. After a couple more cruisers, I made my way onto some easier black runs. <br />I always try to get the maximum value out of my paid skiing days. I arrived at the mountain early and was in line for the gondola so I could start my day right at 830AM when the lifts start spinning. I did not downhill ski since I left Colorado in 2019. My plan was to hit a few blue trails to get my ski legs back in case there was some rust after a few years off the slopes. From the top of the gondola, there is more than 2,400 feet of vertical back to the base and several intermediate slopes to practice some turns.</p><p>The snow was pretty good after the past snowy week. The only real challenge in the first couple hours came from the weather. The morning was misty. This didn't affect the snow, however, the mist left my goggles covered in droplets, making it difficult to see. After a few runs on the gondola, I headed to the Summit Quad. At the higher elevation on the top of the lift, the visibility was nearly zero. I could barely see the next chair ahead of me on the top of the lift. The visibility through my goggles made skiing more difficult. By mid morning, the upper half of the mountain transitioned to snow, helping with the messy goggles.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb1VLOBnpQpvYjJg19Dme7pPG8wW4mi8F36EYYS7niW3_jfCclthjMXwPYaHVT6pnAEUusEBqQ0-YigPxQAIZv-_uVrYm86hot-nWE266pzowHLNaVC95RaC0slTxW-oxrPsc4OUGIuWixS3tYOfmDnRmzhiQ4uDVShjrraC27EfkaPZCNPROoUk46A/s2048/6C0B3502-65E9-4727-AF66-8CCE89FBB886.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb1VLOBnpQpvYjJg19Dme7pPG8wW4mi8F36EYYS7niW3_jfCclthjMXwPYaHVT6pnAEUusEBqQ0-YigPxQAIZv-_uVrYm86hot-nWE266pzowHLNaVC95RaC0slTxW-oxrPsc4OUGIuWixS3tYOfmDnRmzhiQ4uDVShjrraC27EfkaPZCNPROoUk46A/w400-h300/6C0B3502-65E9-4727-AF66-8CCE89FBB886.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Later in the day when the clouds broke a little</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Before lunch I was confident enough to hit the more challenging looking black diamonds and even made a few trips into the glades. Some of the natural runs and glades didn't have great coverage, but were still skiable. My runs in the glades were a little slow as I had to pick my way through sections of thin cover. I mixed my morning with steeper runs with cruisers so I didn't wear out my legs on the steeper terrain.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfoUMIgeUSTgQnr9FszgdfQ7cIBfG6je2ZVQu8Y70u2a1N-cw3HPaFa8ppSTjYM5AqtpgMIMfQd3kJ2YrwcpOq-7kfnoYyU_qzu6DCV4_E4mrKcuHUh8cbvm1Py_NSEr3OiVWk3P7J1hYkJtx8CAabbbxUgKT99dbLTd66ec7U4h1qNAldEAYelhfaA/s4032/AE334E20-E2DB-4F4A-8298-6C41C3B203A4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfoUMIgeUSTgQnr9FszgdfQ7cIBfG6je2ZVQu8Y70u2a1N-cw3HPaFa8ppSTjYM5AqtpgMIMfQd3kJ2YrwcpOq-7kfnoYyU_qzu6DCV4_E4mrKcuHUh8cbvm1Py_NSEr3OiVWk3P7J1hYkJtx8CAabbbxUgKT99dbLTd66ec7U4h1qNAldEAYelhfaA/w400-h300/AE334E20-E2DB-4F4A-8298-6C41C3B203A4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering some glades</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />After lunch, I went to ski the black diamond trails that I didn't in the morning. Most of these trails were reached right off the gondola. The last part of the mountain I was reluctant to try was the black diamonds off of the Summit Quad. These trails had terrible visibility and the terrain difficult to read before dropping into the headwalls. Skyward in particular had a steep headwall that looked like it fell into an abyss in the fog. Despite an icy drop into the headwall, the skiing wasn't too bad and I had most of the runs off the Summit Quad to myself. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiIxDRt-B5d47oluFQEgGW_RFU_FCoIliXYb2M_mKlwQFsXdEOm7RO7QzbhWIX8QuxVvwtcqMUAbeaAnGvlIvFci8EwFMltL0M7lgArxFaqDrbmTaj5hkg6mWl44AAoZdhavAGWCUdnvtKVqSJM0eL--PMuPJ6nSNp8EL5gh_Rftfk8P3t2Zoxc045A/s2048/475B83DF-EE86-4B61-B9BA-2E4973B6703D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiIxDRt-B5d47oluFQEgGW_RFU_FCoIliXYb2M_mKlwQFsXdEOm7RO7QzbhWIX8QuxVvwtcqMUAbeaAnGvlIvFci8EwFMltL0M7lgArxFaqDrbmTaj5hkg6mWl44AAoZdhavAGWCUdnvtKVqSJM0eL--PMuPJ6nSNp8EL5gh_Rftfk8P3t2Zoxc045A/w400-h300/475B83DF-EE86-4B61-B9BA-2E4973B6703D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing Essex</td></tr></tbody></table><p>By late afternoon the trails thinned out pretty well as people left for the day and I generally had most of the runs to myself after 230PM. I even had the gondola to myself on several occasions. The gondola and upper mountain lifts stop carrying skiers for the day at 330PM. I caught my last ride up at 325PM. I took my time on my last run to take a few pictures. Although a few lower lifts still run until 4, I called it a day around 345PM.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8jkoX2FSVRf3Ohnb8NVONRkXBcdTdEsCMX_8rTh0C4ebGL66zOxOFluPUrzcT_YQPrjIbGgnODV6y6F5gkfuB1nRtc5tVjfrkG3gqSOAW3lbfKsXYt3BjiYZL8yQKodaUANxfpMpN8ivWxa0jU6TArE-GeKzNL_uS9cRSyrCOxv5-PaZPZhwzP_9rA/s4032/13B25A3D-D243-4D73-A267-0CE96373C69D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8jkoX2FSVRf3Ohnb8NVONRkXBcdTdEsCMX_8rTh0C4ebGL66zOxOFluPUrzcT_YQPrjIbGgnODV6y6F5gkfuB1nRtc5tVjfrkG3gqSOAW3lbfKsXYt3BjiYZL8yQKodaUANxfpMpN8ivWxa0jU6TArE-GeKzNL_uS9cRSyrCOxv5-PaZPZhwzP_9rA/w400-h300/13B25A3D-D243-4D73-A267-0CE96373C69D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clouds breaking late in the day</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I managed to catch Whiteface on a good snow day. I was thoroughly impressed with the skiing. I enjoy steep terrain and Whiteface certainly delivered some steep trails. Of the twenty or so places I have skied in the East, I would put Whiteface in the top five for challenging terrain. With the steep terrain, I could see the skiing turning quite ugly in bad conditions. My only real complaint was the terrible visibility that made it difficult to read the steeper terrain on the upper part of the mountain at times and the mist that obscured my goggles, but you can't control mother nature.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib1i2BZVh5kcmoFVUd1Mri4E2-Bkjd1uCXAmlnUOUrs1xyTcUflMKWI4M9iaQkyygVz9XXvwB5nKoy-xw77_ggTaz6Yu_Zmv4ateAkTj9QD2X3NavBP7WRDijNW5-9tiABk-7AkO5TAhNPC61S8qzDcll8uCIPDqwRcdtzaunpW-j9E3SUabdbKKJeIQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib1i2BZVh5kcmoFVUd1Mri4E2-Bkjd1uCXAmlnUOUrs1xyTcUflMKWI4M9iaQkyygVz9XXvwB5nKoy-xw77_ggTaz6Yu_Zmv4ateAkTj9QD2X3NavBP7WRDijNW5-9tiABk-7AkO5TAhNPC61S8qzDcll8uCIPDqwRcdtzaunpW-j9E3SUabdbKKJeIQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning view from the gondola. This is also what<br />the view from my goggles looked like after<br />a run in the morning.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Several runs stand out that I enjoyed. Upper Mackenzie and Upper Wilderness were nice black diamonds. I particularly liked the ungroomed snow on Upper Mackenzie. On the same part of the mountain, Essex was a steep narrow run that I enjoyed even with the scratchy snow cover. Despite the rough visibility at the drop in, Upper Skyward was a fun run off the Summit Quad with a steep fall line. Excelsior and Northway allowed for some cruising when I needed a break from the steeper terrain. Although I only skied it once, the Wilmington Trail was a long cruiser off of Lookout Mountain that winded its way all the way back to the base with little traffic or wear. Although the snow cover wasn't the best, Cloudsplitter, and the 10th Mountain Division Glades looked like they would be fun in deeper snow. High Country Glades skied nicely with better coverage.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxkHVSlbyw0yzqnOK8JpLm6lcr289p2V1ZNUiAoamn8QQVEkhfuNIr0AijnS4Fa060i9EahdtaIB0pl5mqLrQBURFAiyno0HE77wOpsH5rb06cRydFnZg4zO35ntLQs_1dQ-eme-E9vtIg2p6TakGIDP9Q5F0gD_yJwEg3QL20jE87kFRdjqjeB42Xg/s2048/F04501AC-BACE-4A25-AABE-DA697AF09C41.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxkHVSlbyw0yzqnOK8JpLm6lcr289p2V1ZNUiAoamn8QQVEkhfuNIr0AijnS4Fa060i9EahdtaIB0pl5mqLrQBURFAiyno0HE77wOpsH5rb06cRydFnZg4zO35ntLQs_1dQ-eme-E9vtIg2p6TakGIDP9Q5F0gD_yJwEg3QL20jE87kFRdjqjeB42Xg/w400-h300/F04501AC-BACE-4A25-AABE-DA697AF09C41.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing the Cloudsplitter Glade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>With the current price of a weekday, walk-up ticket at $119 (relatively cheap compared to ski areas in the West), I probably won't be back to Whiteface anytime soon unless I find a deal. I pre purchased my ticket a week ahead of time and it was still quite pricey. Either way I had a great day on the slopes. Thank you Puma for the Christmas gift.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063454660002" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit old adventures.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-13620598398950929542022-10-04T13:08:00.000-07:002022-10-04T13:08:49.997-07:00Backpacking and Peakbagging in the Southern White MountainsThe White Mountains of New Hampshire are one of the premier hiking destinations in the eastern US. The Whites feature the highest mountains in the Northeast and a dense network of trails. Over the years I have hiked more than 500 miles in New Hampshire. Over 400 of those miles were racked up on backpacking trips. After moving out of the Northeast, nine years have passed since my last outing in the Whites. Now that I live back in the Northeast, I started looking over maps of the Whites to plan another backpacking trip.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GWhIBgwDRvmE_QZdsKk-hWwe36L8DkCcNx7v5HutpNu_TIFCRsq5tfQzbrWu6jiYOJtNo2yxwyEfGFIiCpzd8UOZj9O0hcvLFKAusdi6t2XdK1MABT41L6buamU08UY7newY2CZgqeq9zhKt1RJyGjLUGOHnDYk_zxbZywpcfHpD2lHPj5NVScbbzg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GWhIBgwDRvmE_QZdsKk-hWwe36L8DkCcNx7v5HutpNu_TIFCRsq5tfQzbrWu6jiYOJtNo2yxwyEfGFIiCpzd8UOZj9O0hcvLFKAusdi6t2XdK1MABT41L6buamU08UY7newY2CZgqeq9zhKt1RJyGjLUGOHnDYk_zxbZywpcfHpD2lHPj5NVScbbzg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20181.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mt Carrigain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to visit parts of the Whites I have never hiked before, while incorporating as many summits into my route. I cobbled together a route covering nearly 90 miles with 14 summits over 4,000'. Best of all, with the exception of a couple miles, the route visited areas I have never been before. My route covered much of the southern portion of the White Mountain National Forest. </div><div><br /></div><div>My first challenge was finding a good window of weather that gave me the best chance for a mostly dry trip. This proved difficult. I finally settled on the first week of September around Labor Day. As the time approached, the forecast took a turn for the worst. I originally planned on starting on Labor Day, a Monday. Soaking rains moved into the area, so I pushed it back a day. Unfortunately the rain lingered and I pushed it back one more day, starting on Wednesday, September 7th. I left home the day before to get a good jump on the day.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 1</b></div><div><b>Waterville Valley- Wilderness Trail</b></div><div><b>25.0 Miles</b></div><div><br /></div><div>My trip began around 730AM on the Mt Tecumseh Trail at the Waterville Valley Ski Area at around 1,880' in elevation. Unfortunately, the weather that postponed my trip a couple days, lingered. Low clouds shrouded the area. I began my climb toward the first of many summits of the trip, Mt Tecumseh. Although it wasn't raining at the trailhead, I soon climbed into the clouds where I entered a heavy mist. If there are views on Tecumseh, I wouldn't know, since the visibility was basically zero. Any vegetation I brushed against left me increasingly wetter. From the summit I continued on the Mt Tecumseh Trail, eventually descending to Tripoli Road and loosing all the elevation I gained.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV6AtVTRy6moHYNMPf3RkWmCdoWJo15rCtAsAzDJWhO-HmnzgvmF5JDFd4wGSO0joDNvOQoNgfBmUiejhu67xB5iI5LMgFWv_5myS8lXTmgdCm6fdRBcrs4kH5gd4rAHGAGNvxIsFx0lmF-dYm2mhaypJHvTzNSTFwmXbkV8WpadHi4YYi1MqkbULZw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV6AtVTRy6moHYNMPf3RkWmCdoWJo15rCtAsAzDJWhO-HmnzgvmF5JDFd4wGSO0joDNvOQoNgfBmUiejhu67xB5iI5LMgFWv_5myS8lXTmgdCm6fdRBcrs4kH5gd4rAHGAGNvxIsFx0lmF-dYm2mhaypJHvTzNSTFwmXbkV8WpadHi4YYi1MqkbULZw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My starting point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaNu9fu5XMPD7VUMP34928GqAWzOazOwVq10UsyVjAY-RM0r7evkp2_BCeRnsYWB5l2ZxRVekDKIrie8KlIqhAFHiwOApmAfcCPsi9f_gIVmIBk8kWG1Lthp4uteKwsf2i0AUTZj40NQd9Kl7FckW3FlUfOSrBIwIpZLNYntljkokrp_Ipgt9iVHYWg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaNu9fu5XMPD7VUMP34928GqAWzOazOwVq10UsyVjAY-RM0r7evkp2_BCeRnsYWB5l2ZxRVekDKIrie8KlIqhAFHiwOApmAfcCPsi9f_gIVmIBk8kWG1Lthp4uteKwsf2i0AUTZj40NQd9Kl7FckW3FlUfOSrBIwIpZLNYntljkokrp_Ipgt9iVHYWg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice rock work</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EbgeKb1nj6YAK0Nd1KN2hrI_9i1ASTnEXtDYhiFuG4lMV_XlDzRFr_eDQmIOQxnjckedlUAbKUBw5ZgemDl--HWEqSacCXk1m8HQNLxXNrTmpfqgIIiha6FgB-U9Ri-aqz3GZ5hmOBAbPoZoiZDv9WBFGIJeVhiFaVimNn_ixOUuy78jejqq5f1y_Q/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EbgeKb1nj6YAK0Nd1KN2hrI_9i1ASTnEXtDYhiFuG4lMV_XlDzRFr_eDQmIOQxnjckedlUAbKUBw5ZgemDl--HWEqSacCXk1m8HQNLxXNrTmpfqgIIiha6FgB-U9Ri-aqz3GZ5hmOBAbPoZoiZDv9WBFGIJeVhiFaVimNn_ixOUuy78jejqq5f1y_Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from a ski trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpzdFoJ5AA3hxdYeI5ixGf5ltnzBhLysBLwWRvl5I8FchQzRVYhFfti54WHsG4NrYdSMIW-kXv3ECRFPhvbC7YH2l14A5f2ozyZGddgzml5yXEFswSef5c22nB-6wENIzp4vTi0jB6-ZYyR3J9h_36VZH_DlZTwOVV-liscxAJduW81gojIGwbCysYA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpzdFoJ5AA3hxdYeI5ixGf5ltnzBhLysBLwWRvl5I8FchQzRVYhFfti54WHsG4NrYdSMIW-kXv3ECRFPhvbC7YH2l14A5f2ozyZGddgzml5yXEFswSef5c22nB-6wENIzp4vTi0jB6-ZYyR3J9h_36VZH_DlZTwOVV-liscxAJduW81gojIGwbCysYA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky section</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Mt Tecumseh stands as the lowest summit of the New Hampshire 4,000' Peak list. The elevation has long been listed as 4,003'. A new survey in 2019 measured the peak at only 3,997'. For now Tecumseh remains on the New Hampshire 48 list. My most recent copy of the White Mountain Guide still shows the 4,003' elevation.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_TQtzrRcyhK_9mlH_k7mlaksH1AgVh8yNhovcipG3Omj9EobYkCDbpla8v2CnXhi7MMZDMIy9Y46kABY6dUFFMi8NbR0C_F_5HzGe3YVkD1hZGk5LTSXpiBktAEbW4K9maGdHYdzsOK123uoLu-V5c9zUiOnfG2yjMWoMlF-VjLCuknCWjqV8hycEw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_TQtzrRcyhK_9mlH_k7mlaksH1AgVh8yNhovcipG3Omj9EobYkCDbpla8v2CnXhi7MMZDMIy9Y46kABY6dUFFMi8NbR0C_F_5HzGe3YVkD1hZGk5LTSXpiBktAEbW4K9maGdHYdzsOK123uoLu-V5c9zUiOnfG2yjMWoMlF-VjLCuknCWjqV8hycEw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Socked in summit of Tecumseh</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>When I reached Tripoli Road, I followed the road roughly a mile to the trailhead for Mt. Osceola. Unlike Tecumseh, that I had to myself, the Osceola trailhead was fairly full for a dreary, Wednesday morning. On the lower reaches of the hike toward Osceola I had a brief break from the mist. As I climbed however, I soon reached clouds again and a steady drizzle. In the unpleasant conditions, I trudged uphill. Although steep at times, the trail wasn't overly rough. I passed several hikers enroute to the summit. Despite an open area that probably had good views on a clear day, I could see only a wall of clouds. With no reason to linger at the 4,340' summit, I moved on quickly.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhrEJSBY-RUJhuNHmCJ7_IJH8QgG9IQ4EphRV25Prv5q2J-Bi-PEo8GRXc96dOEfAfGiv0R92VhMMzhbxnVmhtO1wnagXhB0IJOJvyD_Aatew6GsXm_ze6OcPbo6zgNtJJXbcSdZgHuKCU-lTaQd3i726ea4QXQ-ow8f0xPDh2gU1zqJfjNeLvQrvoA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhrEJSBY-RUJhuNHmCJ7_IJH8QgG9IQ4EphRV25Prv5q2J-Bi-PEo8GRXc96dOEfAfGiv0R92VhMMzhbxnVmhtO1wnagXhB0IJOJvyD_Aatew6GsXm_ze6OcPbo6zgNtJJXbcSdZgHuKCU-lTaQd3i726ea4QXQ-ow8f0xPDh2gU1zqJfjNeLvQrvoA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of climb to the Osceolas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From Osceola, I continued toward East Osceola. Although only a mile apart; a steep, rock chimney provides a challenging obstacle between the two peaks. The chimney, while not completely vertical, requires some careful scrambling. Descending the chimney probably isn't too bad in dry conditions, but I took extra care downclimbing in the drizzle. Beyond the chimney, I arrived at the 4,146' summit of East Osceola pretty quickly. The drizzle almost completely let up by the time I reached the summit.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKASS6sG0wDD4GZaB2nPhpEqxLsDjKECHrcLtfB8r8nymoTgZmpnrH3pacWv-sI5rQwxlqlOteIxRvDNWDk-2VIehXsxXhVnlgdZSZ0hIvlsa0QafqGXEnCM-6RN44FkOb4D4WdcY_uuLBHsGY_diS_7OGHngiSWQRx8X39Sa63wEnORwDPlhsGXwiSg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKASS6sG0wDD4GZaB2nPhpEqxLsDjKECHrcLtfB8r8nymoTgZmpnrH3pacWv-sI5rQwxlqlOteIxRvDNWDk-2VIehXsxXhVnlgdZSZ0hIvlsa0QafqGXEnCM-6RN44FkOb4D4WdcY_uuLBHsGY_diS_7OGHngiSWQRx8X39Sa63wEnORwDPlhsGXwiSg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimney between the summits</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHlvOJ68tESu8WbtAWAScG9m8xc79N56B-Pen4uMJ_wUkH2piUhBCMQ-l2KfJj-lO421l8Ej7gz9IUJjvoDfhJzuWkFMcQTKxFt1CZ9EJGnMzGr-V6bW1RstsYU1rH98jX9BIdm3XX1BPRCCLQROLr41L2U89KH8e_Ut4gN9DdZ4YPIg48NTcpAvAQw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHlvOJ68tESu8WbtAWAScG9m8xc79N56B-Pen4uMJ_wUkH2piUhBCMQ-l2KfJj-lO421l8Ej7gz9IUJjvoDfhJzuWkFMcQTKxFt1CZ9EJGnMzGr-V6bW1RstsYU1rH98jX9BIdm3XX1BPRCCLQROLr41L2U89KH8e_Ut4gN9DdZ4YPIg48NTcpAvAQw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Osceola's summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Descending to the north from East Osceola, the terrain becomes much rougher and the pace slows down. As I dropped in elevation, the clouds started to lift. I got a few peekaboo views back toward East Osceola and into the valley over the Kancamagus Highway. Just before reaching the highway, I stopped at a stream crossing for a break, nearly 14 miles into my day. I reached the highway, dropping below 2,000' in elevation for the second time since my starting point. I followed the Kancamagus Highway to the east about 3/4 of a mile before heading back in the woods on the trail toward the Hancocks.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr694QoWH0pXgvqV0i5VNTSn6YVATMSjJiWPKtsoxKVgUysrKDmF4RmOIRRyilrxH6rVQ9T9xVAL86Wyk9ocLGTa-YSWZ7YCui19kDOzCTyKqZdQqBpHcw7EgBfmWz2go240cwkvdOTH06orPX1LJiks285EyOVNBWnDTPGNoF8jIML83y1xHimbexA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr694QoWH0pXgvqV0i5VNTSn6YVATMSjJiWPKtsoxKVgUysrKDmF4RmOIRRyilrxH6rVQ9T9xVAL86Wyk9ocLGTa-YSWZ7YCui19kDOzCTyKqZdQqBpHcw7EgBfmWz2go240cwkvdOTH06orPX1LJiks285EyOVNBWnDTPGNoF8jIML83y1xHimbexA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Osceola visible in a break in the clouds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5mXXuJi73OZLyMLaZh4VUlH3kGLfNdSOL64s5bxCup3W2JZCpFL4ganB0Whhxee5I4Vv5MLGG1WsAfI_JsPlM1-7aII08OhI4DQd8ReoORs8RH5g69-8UA5tdubYt5_0VMZn4KLnfdzIAPhOppMSndgRmXYfIsfMwGnPIEMlG41iZ4CPzPDwRLmuRg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5mXXuJi73OZLyMLaZh4VUlH3kGLfNdSOL64s5bxCup3W2JZCpFL4ganB0Whhxee5I4Vv5MLGG1WsAfI_JsPlM1-7aII08OhI4DQd8ReoORs8RH5g69-8UA5tdubYt5_0VMZn4KLnfdzIAPhOppMSndgRmXYfIsfMwGnPIEMlG41iZ4CPzPDwRLmuRg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clouds are slowly lifting</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wcTO7S701nyi_AXSoF3LfHGshTFz46SgatDkAo3RjSW6vIXRamf_1KIdfiXKOGnh3o8U1o5HGeuUKzvyo8R1bSjhsi2A5jYV491ul2_fMdd9d1NkyDqZJEq7YYRTsmD4gw44EPHSoyA1YNikVeqyMPidxJBn8Sv0AUWM-QZofKGvJ-qg3MXhSYb_Hg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wcTO7S701nyi_AXSoF3LfHGshTFz46SgatDkAo3RjSW6vIXRamf_1KIdfiXKOGnh3o8U1o5HGeuUKzvyo8R1bSjhsi2A5jYV491ul2_fMdd9d1NkyDqZJEq7YYRTsmD4gw44EPHSoyA1YNikVeqyMPidxJBn8Sv0AUWM-QZofKGvJ-qg3MXhSYb_Hg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lingering clouds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmiiP9j2_V_rKeWDYtCtcWRvFnlFUYTLdXtkozanHDOzn_XsHhES_Retgx_Db4IhTqze7Xts4airynQTzyQuFOn4RbfP8jicf9GWJTvJDE-GjsvtPynFcShJsaAUXwBpe_s6JmlzDOOmpf3YpKhmThjxd374nm6OccLwCiCudFoNvHi8uPXOPOaFlKw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmiiP9j2_V_rKeWDYtCtcWRvFnlFUYTLdXtkozanHDOzn_XsHhES_Retgx_Db4IhTqze7Xts4airynQTzyQuFOn4RbfP8jicf9GWJTvJDE-GjsvtPynFcShJsaAUXwBpe_s6JmlzDOOmpf3YpKhmThjxd374nm6OccLwCiCudFoNvHi8uPXOPOaFlKw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greeley Ponds Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKee4uGc575IV5sg1fYdll5gblgrqUzNCwVO_lneMQXxS_LFTMQqUeuA1mGpv3iOm5YjizBqio-OtFUxJ662lICUOUpZIq-cJj9wtEuHdPNdkoIZtnBAqiREeJiImK_BX_cTVlvEZLS-stLDFtU6_oM9hvjjtVdYgfwwOnLMF4IdRP6TWH36mFcXygHQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKee4uGc575IV5sg1fYdll5gblgrqUzNCwVO_lneMQXxS_LFTMQqUeuA1mGpv3iOm5YjizBqio-OtFUxJ662lICUOUpZIq-cJj9wtEuHdPNdkoIZtnBAqiREeJiImK_BX_cTVlvEZLS-stLDFtU6_oM9hvjjtVdYgfwwOnLMF4IdRP6TWH36mFcXygHQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small creek crossing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Leaving the highway, the trail climbs fairly gradually as it makes its way toward a side loop of Hancock and South Hancock. Looking to visit new peaks, I followed the Hancock Loop Trail. The first mile of the Hancock Loop Trail leads to the actual loop. I decided to take the north spur hitting the slightly higher North Hancock. The climb to 4,420' North Hancock was relentless, gaining about 1,100' in about a half-mile according to the altimeter on my watch. By now, the clouds had partially broken up, given me a few views near the summit. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtCOQj65uspftfjK3eqLnJW4yIo6UViN46td76axZvSJwT3Y5fUoHvEzzKt28Z2hnUySjmeXsxdHH0RI2LDiBNEc_ivn3EXmBxzD7qwH7jvYT_gRsSczCQ2s0sNV1fWuUnECQ7OPwLjEDZ1gfx-cWnbhfjg1GaWqOFrTkMMh1y-EsARzuooh1X2qezQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtCOQj65uspftfjK3eqLnJW4yIo6UViN46td76axZvSJwT3Y5fUoHvEzzKt28Z2hnUySjmeXsxdHH0RI2LDiBNEc_ivn3EXmBxzD7qwH7jvYT_gRsSczCQ2s0sNV1fWuUnECQ7OPwLjEDZ1gfx-cWnbhfjg1GaWqOFrTkMMh1y-EsARzuooh1X2qezQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy rock hop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAVF7rDD0R4u5Fk5RKaTZj7-R1SuNdr_ehDAq_IV5hjHOMpSnfFCnQ_o720f_w-ZYZ8WVYncpy2mfxrrJzI5NIoCw2cKBoYJz7GKbeJ5XN6X97niBKgqnXd-YhSEpMyyGECvKPBlQo62mfVI7yOQq0yapCwx8MoTXiVbiA6OONfZcnQuPb_72z069hA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAVF7rDD0R4u5Fk5RKaTZj7-R1SuNdr_ehDAq_IV5hjHOMpSnfFCnQ_o720f_w-ZYZ8WVYncpy2mfxrrJzI5NIoCw2cKBoYJz7GKbeJ5XN6X97niBKgqnXd-YhSEpMyyGECvKPBlQo62mfVI7yOQq0yapCwx8MoTXiVbiA6OONfZcnQuPb_72z069hA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascades on the Hancock Loop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdByZW1e0_sGX9WXvxNr2-IS72yCEjHDByDu4Y-PJ-eSVtlZqfQn0G23akcQyPKQ0OwMCTKMCp3sGfyFiDZZ4LFI6ON9tGsaoNgm73vJhykJdqQ9Nd7B-3XvkcrCLXnPE-YcDlN7AY3Ro2qFRQ2jgjrKvtuOPm-3YA9L0RJh9n8Q3lQhv31W2rquDwQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdByZW1e0_sGX9WXvxNr2-IS72yCEjHDByDu4Y-PJ-eSVtlZqfQn0G23akcQyPKQ0OwMCTKMCp3sGfyFiDZZ4LFI6ON9tGsaoNgm73vJhykJdqQ9Nd7B-3XvkcrCLXnPE-YcDlN7AY3Ro2qFRQ2jgjrKvtuOPm-3YA9L0RJh9n8Q3lQhv31W2rquDwQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign on North Hancock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5oThBihnkoxd2si7sn9yOD3tI4mp_w-Vwzd_AHOA2-DO-EW0ELYVDwvEOxiBi5ycHMx0B0TZUpbu-wTSEaEsiJCu8PQwfndrq6jQ30-pXmfeLW7wpN8a_BEdcKaJGt_CJLXI0SN0QwSQGJMTCLRSE0heD0mBmdSm_LWC1sVm6IoF_oU3YuK3uHKeuQ/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20175.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5oThBihnkoxd2si7sn9yOD3tI4mp_w-Vwzd_AHOA2-DO-EW0ELYVDwvEOxiBi5ycHMx0B0TZUpbu-wTSEaEsiJCu8PQwfndrq6jQ30-pXmfeLW7wpN8a_BEdcKaJGt_CJLXI0SN0QwSQGJMTCLRSE0heD0mBmdSm_LWC1sVm6IoF_oU3YuK3uHKeuQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20175.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial view on North Hancock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From the north summit, the 4,319' South Hancock summit is reached in just over a mile. Although the summits were wooded, open ledges nearby provided decent views. The descent from South Hancock wasn't nearly as steep as the climb to North Hancock. After finishing the loop, I returned to the Cedar Brook Trail, now about 20 miles into my day.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTUnIHneS76NoC7fGDWIU0EWeVo8O0FkUe3E8as5DoVwUicf_UFL7NrGnRAzHCsKCqI08wiNQ9kBTtDM_5MaM7eC-ePAj45mta70YvFhBayUnmoXOGfG9jgbUsTYEVJ0WCildr22jQzCpN9YUlP0mHQrLry_qaltEoOR4ZbyF_De46U3J1Fr1jVEv7Q/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTUnIHneS76NoC7fGDWIU0EWeVo8O0FkUe3E8as5DoVwUicf_UFL7NrGnRAzHCsKCqI08wiNQ9kBTtDM_5MaM7eC-ePAj45mta70YvFhBayUnmoXOGfG9jgbUsTYEVJ0WCildr22jQzCpN9YUlP0mHQrLry_qaltEoOR4ZbyF_De46U3J1Fr1jVEv7Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Between the Hancocks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5cptWT50FoFBQ308otGMna-mFJciMNo17Lk_2l_NcAvgFLtfE5_mjdRSmyzOlSz-G1eHeVZce-X5aBtnPpnfcICvsWzft4dOauSgo-Zlu7FyfC5SwLRDmAQF1zytJoh8gLVfKSg0pNcWCs4d67N1hlScFKi3VtjF_mKcsKqq4wq7JlNi89TXh6PANA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5cptWT50FoFBQ308otGMna-mFJciMNo17Lk_2l_NcAvgFLtfE5_mjdRSmyzOlSz-G1eHeVZce-X5aBtnPpnfcICvsWzft4dOauSgo-Zlu7FyfC5SwLRDmAQF1zytJoh8gLVfKSg0pNcWCs4d67N1hlScFKi3VtjF_mKcsKqq4wq7JlNi89TXh6PANA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice bog bridges</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsekBCV1WhTiMnS0BYv7ASNrGzFxY1DfY3OupePOj25xXvAnJcAQ-YtsLi9norKqRxbMQBO-k5pk0gliPbuqvR8KcBuJJDP7hwXPRNw4q6BY_9oB7TXw5Ls9WkVI7sd_oj1vHouXsmzaOxVHbRyxqUnvlD-mbXCMBQe4mBQ8Cq5rvxlZG2rYa03wwhg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsekBCV1WhTiMnS0BYv7ASNrGzFxY1DfY3OupePOj25xXvAnJcAQ-YtsLi9norKqRxbMQBO-k5pk0gliPbuqvR8KcBuJJDP7hwXPRNw4q6BY_9oB7TXw5Ls9WkVI7sd_oj1vHouXsmzaOxVHbRyxqUnvlD-mbXCMBQe4mBQ8Cq5rvxlZG2rYa03wwhg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View near South Hancock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12VJxIlixsvHlYAUYsNlgm1wPXR3ZqaaZ3lCasFHhCrhsrgXmxff7pkNi7x754B6kZ9VO-a0Fd87hCQ9UV4a_h-uPmDKcE1vgPZnsZb7cOzzQkb2g6XiZcNSPFE6fRIJ2qTUjTpeMfy6CYwywhHNv2oa7zhFMOKnAU4mNlIw3Pp_kv5eE--fbW5vtjQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12VJxIlixsvHlYAUYsNlgm1wPXR3ZqaaZ3lCasFHhCrhsrgXmxff7pkNi7x754B6kZ9VO-a0Fd87hCQ9UV4a_h-uPmDKcE1vgPZnsZb7cOzzQkb2g6XiZcNSPFE6fRIJ2qTUjTpeMfy6CYwywhHNv2oa7zhFMOKnAU4mNlIw3Pp_kv5eE--fbW5vtjQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east from South Hancock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5CZztuyTNA8oh82ReackCZ-a2HsDpyAUnj2Tyb53nAjtdy8ORoRc03DabE0qAR2bJeJhHwNN6AI6niu9e2v1A5bCoBFLwUFO8WfIr8xZlQSyK9EvDdyHfPhcNbgJUFgy4mWj9gBoxotNa53okudAHkWDrPRM1qq0fc5o7UjUwKteJO3TGZS9-a8kIA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5CZztuyTNA8oh82ReackCZ-a2HsDpyAUnj2Tyb53nAjtdy8ORoRc03DabE0qAR2bJeJhHwNN6AI6niu9e2v1A5bCoBFLwUFO8WfIr8xZlQSyK9EvDdyHfPhcNbgJUFgy4mWj9gBoxotNa53okudAHkWDrPRM1qq0fc5o7UjUwKteJO3TGZS9-a8kIA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slides on North Hancock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From the end of the Hancock Loop, I climbed to the north and entered the Pemigewasset Wilderness (The Pemi). Wilderness Areas see less maintenance and the trail conditions immediately deteriorated when I entered the Pemi. The trail immediately became muddier and brushier. My plan was to camp somewhere along the Cedar Brook Trail, a few miles beyond the end of the Hancock Loop. I wasn't able to find any place to camp once in the Pemi. The brushy forest left me no options for setting up my tent. Within the Wilderness, there are regulations on camping within 200 feet of water or trails. The only flat spot that was clear enough for a tent was sandwiched between a stream and the trail and only a feet from either. Finally I reached the end of the Cedar Brook Trail and turned onto the Wilderness Trail.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66h8mR6_EPOVr9QHGZVQTTseZpKKvGvnlnz0Loxxmw3jJJNYnZMdNjIj3AIhIizQZDL1baCUtqW-sb0mPbBhVd5lFo1HhGMfuSabr8SzjHu8oQuNZffe-3Bx9L_Pk62vRXEoig5_Rxf-qxk6bRhNUbDOR1r5XdvoTRng_Ruh1PRrdpb1pQFIDN12mLg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66h8mR6_EPOVr9QHGZVQTTseZpKKvGvnlnz0Loxxmw3jJJNYnZMdNjIj3AIhIizQZDL1baCUtqW-sb0mPbBhVd5lFo1HhGMfuSabr8SzjHu8oQuNZffe-3Bx9L_Pk62vRXEoig5_Rxf-qxk6bRhNUbDOR1r5XdvoTRng_Ruh1PRrdpb1pQFIDN12mLg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Pemi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lD54_8ULcVBTFQrtRM69ceP776JAPJq2Egds5zpQb2Zhf9Q6SzbMPOtS-wa3BJjXbuHF0eRJtiQ76LeDHUeYpZbfrCR1cKGGNo36XWMQIdGP2BTFUxaHqWO0_Bh_oRtN07PE-tLiotmwirI4HOuflwj2d8-IQHwt-4vYivCOJGN3OwH4ekEAPEDjcQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lD54_8ULcVBTFQrtRM69ceP776JAPJq2Egds5zpQb2Zhf9Q6SzbMPOtS-wa3BJjXbuHF0eRJtiQ76LeDHUeYpZbfrCR1cKGGNo36XWMQIdGP2BTFUxaHqWO0_Bh_oRtN07PE-tLiotmwirI4HOuflwj2d8-IQHwt-4vYivCOJGN3OwH4ekEAPEDjcQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muddy trail conditions in the Pemi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIi4n7PE7I-h6Rbe6SRsRuYiQw8960DrhttNf_CTnRRwrdbERtWheYIz-wmw35obj4fG8cakRE6QGoIKhZhhVrQUuwuVKgXonuTOdKQM45Ug52A6qawQ_TIR3d5EyT6uX7Ya8Q5_RUxsoMSbbbdLoyguav2izu9QjtLBEMP0FfOnDhm_rsR3e6zAsbQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIi4n7PE7I-h6Rbe6SRsRuYiQw8960DrhttNf_CTnRRwrdbERtWheYIz-wmw35obj4fG8cakRE6QGoIKhZhhVrQUuwuVKgXonuTOdKQM45Ug52A6qawQ_TIR3d5EyT6uX7Ya8Q5_RUxsoMSbbbdLoyguav2izu9QjtLBEMP0FfOnDhm_rsR3e6zAsbQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't look like many people pass<br />through here</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu57Zx77C4FZnKHpdQsJ6nTEnwF5bSFf6LHTecyokw1xTpqWSX7sy0O05epmCipqcQYamzIntLf4yTjmybsy1yeZGR7Ygd5Z-j9ZlIsXcamBu_MHx5T7ogVZxC1Fw2rQEFz7UIA681WWJlvuCheWJDehHYxgZktELPlKAIXMHoTSsjf3DFdFM9uDi8g/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu57Zx77C4FZnKHpdQsJ6nTEnwF5bSFf6LHTecyokw1xTpqWSX7sy0O05epmCipqcQYamzIntLf4yTjmybsy1yeZGR7Ygd5Z-j9ZlIsXcamBu_MHx5T7ogVZxC1Fw2rQEFz7UIA681WWJlvuCheWJDehHYxgZktELPlKAIXMHoTSsjf3DFdFM9uDi8g/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushrooms enjoy the wet forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>My route had me on the Wilderness Trail for only 1.5 miles. The Wilderness Trail parallels a river over flat terrain. I was more optimistic about finding a place to camp in this stretch. I finally passed a brushed over old trail that headed toward the river with numerous sites to camp. It turns out an old trail at one time crossed the river on a bridge. The bridge has been long since removed and the trail discontinued. The stone bridge pillars still stood however. By the time I reached this spot it was close to 7PM and light was fading. I set up my tent and enjoyed my dinner along the river.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfffNYgGjOssGEwO0_HV-1kyCydwyWha5G2P9GOobKZ4Vzi9J-hvP08LvEHCUz0p3QEmINuTFqQDOJlf2x4FgBZ_sMYMnPt_tZn7hBiaQrHryuFY7p-PC4KtOYNzbKVh1mY0qpMiffVn8NXjw5d4bdV0-Ir9_sH-TYvayXNiIgTcctgu9V2V9TIrc4VA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfffNYgGjOssGEwO0_HV-1kyCydwyWha5G2P9GOobKZ4Vzi9J-hvP08LvEHCUz0p3QEmINuTFqQDOJlf2x4FgBZ_sMYMnPt_tZn7hBiaQrHryuFY7p-PC4KtOYNzbKVh1mY0qpMiffVn8NXjw5d4bdV0-Ir9_sH-TYvayXNiIgTcctgu9V2V9TIrc4VA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River by my campsite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I didn't anticipate hiking so far. I covered close to 25 miles with more than 7,000 vertical feet of climbing over five mountains above 4,000'. Luckily I had fresh legs on my first day. Despite the mileage and climbing, I didn't feel to beat up, just hungry at the end of the day. I certainly slept well.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 2</b></div><div><b>Wilderness Trail- AT near Ethan Pond/Twinway Junction</b></div><div><b>17.3 Miles</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I packed up my gear and hit the trail about 740AM. The weather looked promising for the day. I quickly reached the junction for the Thoreau Falls Trail. With the rain earlier in the week, I was a little nervous about this section. A river crossing early on the Thoreau Falls Trail once had bridge. The bridge has since been removed, requiring a ford. I don't think the ford is too difficult in late summer, but I thought it may be running high after a couple days of rain. Much to my surprise, the river was quite boney and I could easily cross on rocks without getting my feet wet.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cxdrm0kfMitRRVGL5Inu3PuyFwFWelkQ16A_crnx_J7IzO9T0zycZ1O9xT5aD4bdGOCMOz2-1bFELkCx7BFlTtNKQkYrt9l7TYP8FHvy-V9aJxI3dLM-NBHQOfHpqDZedg_Uq8KKFIST4fn_AEvRIOkLKECaOZZWi1cw4Tq_1-ATDBIv1H3us75xgg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cxdrm0kfMitRRVGL5Inu3PuyFwFWelkQ16A_crnx_J7IzO9T0zycZ1O9xT5aD4bdGOCMOz2-1bFELkCx7BFlTtNKQkYrt9l7TYP8FHvy-V9aJxI3dLM-NBHQOfHpqDZedg_Uq8KKFIST4fn_AEvRIOkLKECaOZZWi1cw4Tq_1-ATDBIv1H3us75xgg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice hiking on the Wilderness Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtg8izEud5P4XkZX2-yblSnH915Rki_s8Ul_AAS6PzpPSDmQ91W-gb1qP8tXGWu5Tvs0rYKZiLrw0la2YsTsdEG2cREz0As6gYP8_aYu6bscnHfpSBQSf0jmNkBZptlCY95lJwGaf_u8S2iRWrAL6VenuqbygjN-rYbqKnKa8sZOcHI_EZyymznIRQA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtg8izEud5P4XkZX2-yblSnH915Rki_s8Ul_AAS6PzpPSDmQ91W-gb1qP8tXGWu5Tvs0rYKZiLrw0la2YsTsdEG2cREz0As6gYP8_aYu6bscnHfpSBQSf0jmNkBZptlCY95lJwGaf_u8S2iRWrAL6VenuqbygjN-rYbqKnKa8sZOcHI_EZyymznIRQA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Thoreau Falls Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx28RwEaGykbILkMc9UidO375B-sHqbNzJ9_buvLHkdCNFpg5WM4cXFCjgz9JfTqUoSSxsWEXwqg1CqhCK4qLAfsAwRuyRKWoYK_8YKVcU1tVLf9b6XV8FKu6iD9HS11aCekgMvZVgfLxJFtVRd0IfERCXwWS64OuYnCP76naAUo0tQdOWq2tlPzt7g/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx28RwEaGykbILkMc9UidO375B-sHqbNzJ9_buvLHkdCNFpg5WM4cXFCjgz9JfTqUoSSxsWEXwqg1CqhCK4qLAfsAwRuyRKWoYK_8YKVcU1tVLf9b6XV8FKu6iD9HS11aCekgMvZVgfLxJFtVRd0IfERCXwWS64OuYnCP76naAUo0tQdOWq2tlPzt7g/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old site of the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpyARe3CBUVYxQITZ55ygZhP4MGmM2GNPrR_dIHxS-ug8vguwCQAVcxO82AgVq37rKl2B_g6lBjLsoARhzYr6ag_KVjj6wQhE5q0jGsLTk8Go9_fPeQarP0X-MFBJqPPrSr9PGdXFtxgkkKN1MHbO7wTGwGCqEH97Y--lbPg-B7ggLonfcVVVDKyPlQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpyARe3CBUVYxQITZ55ygZhP4MGmM2GNPrR_dIHxS-ug8vguwCQAVcxO82AgVq37rKl2B_g6lBjLsoARhzYr6ag_KVjj6wQhE5q0jGsLTk8Go9_fPeQarP0X-MFBJqPPrSr9PGdXFtxgkkKN1MHbO7wTGwGCqEH97Y--lbPg-B7ggLonfcVVVDKyPlQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking upriver while fording</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Thoreau Falls Trail runs deep in the Pemi Wilderness. I expected a messy trail with lots of mud and brush. I was pleasantly surprised by the trail however. Its condition was much better than I expected, especially after days of rain. It's a rather scenic trail as well. It travels along wild and rushing mountain streams that are quite pretty. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGb2qcGvyXfsQqkhuLW30fSJ_YdyCZNkiqhdN29ThJE3AxjjSTuytf8bO8moKhJjc7a4xD5gMFcogbi3Bf3YZNZ9A55raHxIlkWu131mmZwOP-zjwgIKhjQEgpQvVVyHLoG0UatG2xx0laOP-SXVItfeM9wKq47z2dpDttE8haA95uy_BXSSV1uJ9nA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGb2qcGvyXfsQqkhuLW30fSJ_YdyCZNkiqhdN29ThJE3AxjjSTuytf8bO8moKhJjc7a4xD5gMFcogbi3Bf3YZNZ9A55raHxIlkWu131mmZwOP-zjwgIKhjQEgpQvVVyHLoG0UatG2xx0laOP-SXVItfeM9wKq47z2dpDttE8haA95uy_BXSSV1uJ9nA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice view over the North Fork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRArxNfNmCf5gtvdrLnNBr9LkCEmj6FdClWKFJjHTiaKGSs9jN8L7kfeib5eX9JXNuhE7twS2ECyT7B7N0hTGiTVFwe-ZrpLbOf_dd78C1BsFwJz6ko-6yQROoYozWBgCcMsqmHB6LqR9nSmV2duZhc51Xx4-PL-Dhj4uMeiDQ3IoS1RFp_erHEpOfkg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRArxNfNmCf5gtvdrLnNBr9LkCEmj6FdClWKFJjHTiaKGSs9jN8L7kfeib5eX9JXNuhE7twS2ECyT7B7N0hTGiTVFwe-ZrpLbOf_dd78C1BsFwJz6ko-6yQROoYozWBgCcMsqmHB6LqR9nSmV2duZhc51Xx4-PL-Dhj4uMeiDQ3IoS1RFp_erHEpOfkg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQmU9d6P8JV_6A1qjeLePiTfZcyyhrIcNhsD2n0ODUn0q6MT8GxIRkKHhKJUFCmo5zrX3Cj68aAjpT3em0txlkrZChH6Q4_cpjprgVburYxmfWOtC7FWEZj3lYRrotLbRuFvatkX0v_9up5sl5VYeNO93nzYMiztRX4UzKfl1vJJBT43MGRwWhTpivA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQmU9d6P8JV_6A1qjeLePiTfZcyyhrIcNhsD2n0ODUn0q6MT8GxIRkKHhKJUFCmo5zrX3Cj68aAjpT3em0txlkrZChH6Q4_cpjprgVburYxmfWOtC7FWEZj3lYRrotLbRuFvatkX0v_9up5sl5VYeNO93nzYMiztRX4UzKfl1vJJBT43MGRwWhTpivA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old logging relics</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZM3-9OkrMmz8AkwUpzc4QKu_IEjEKFDqXX5CY9Exsu-BBA642u09VkQMycC347CqZ-42kUdNZNZyuavRtnJK6qZMsXe6lCxfW0rLpZHx_Y-fL8Lo8YbONKU9QMepEe8afqk9yBktF_H4Gs084XX1UABGXGZsgvHk8LYcixwawFjRXFTlOWNmvIZEKA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZM3-9OkrMmz8AkwUpzc4QKu_IEjEKFDqXX5CY9Exsu-BBA642u09VkQMycC347CqZ-42kUdNZNZyuavRtnJK6qZMsXe6lCxfW0rLpZHx_Y-fL8Lo8YbONKU9QMepEe8afqk9yBktF_H4Gs084XX1UABGXGZsgvHk8LYcixwawFjRXFTlOWNmvIZEKA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail follows old logging roads</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM9Rci0aKf8y92ZhN3SE0OnVQOCiOzB_VNJo5XpcJohYUcXuOpxPtWhJK7rO3recFluF65wL2KgKvAAl4iClr5Tjsmyb4MwEhdkKnQIqIhEq3VvaeScLS4dz_pRKX-nlCW_cZNyuRT4CtxXeLAFDSPV7zLpZfAC7T_WtATSuW8RDp6b367UBKDUk4SA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM9Rci0aKf8y92ZhN3SE0OnVQOCiOzB_VNJo5XpcJohYUcXuOpxPtWhJK7rO3recFluF65wL2KgKvAAl4iClr5Tjsmyb4MwEhdkKnQIqIhEq3VvaeScLS4dz_pRKX-nlCW_cZNyuRT4CtxXeLAFDSPV7zLpZfAC7T_WtATSuW8RDp6b367UBKDUk4SA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The North Fork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-gvKXDwy5FcHKCBqihF084nhzQMsf8URJh70g18zET7XWCu8aLrTD9H-pyq1g3r1LWp901gW-BFjmMdSAGHi3ha0pqmoxGhpgEXo8JoAOHVFhvFtr17mYJDnqtCWlfRsObQF8fv506-rjM0a4OtByk8XUHb9hxkohtSha_YPua_QSo7DeOpqFRrzmQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-gvKXDwy5FcHKCBqihF084nhzQMsf8URJh70g18zET7XWCu8aLrTD9H-pyq1g3r1LWp901gW-BFjmMdSAGHi3ha0pqmoxGhpgEXo8JoAOHVFhvFtr17mYJDnqtCWlfRsObQF8fv506-rjM0a4OtByk8XUHb9hxkohtSha_YPua_QSo7DeOpqFRrzmQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small cascades on the North Fork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho-cxj9T0Wq1VXd8FQZZaRvvJuxbRgP-kB6F0OUtJEM22N6tCZAEHj2grkiZdhUtRE4ONxkYuEpzUpIJ06KZf_KXwOXPurzqJCRBX8IDW9JUi7AsXqwAR4299DIHVC7TQCbSPivMCParKcPOfj1zL2UFE3FUeXfqPBkBMxHicXz0QbJvO28xasr7l7g/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho-cxj9T0Wq1VXd8FQZZaRvvJuxbRgP-kB6F0OUtJEM22N6tCZAEHj2grkiZdhUtRE4ONxkYuEpzUpIJ06KZf_KXwOXPurzqJCRBX8IDW9JUi7AsXqwAR4299DIHVC7TQCbSPivMCParKcPOfj1zL2UFE3FUeXfqPBkBMxHicXz0QbJvO28xasr7l7g/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail follows close to the river at times</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WzmGoLvhheDt5glw4ZR6fAvJ22X-KCogncpMxT39wA3sBIOIt5c-_PjFRhYcAdgsoEh2pt9d_repv79zzSfGzpgKSQzTWntj2jWx6FxvCKHBERMSq23fQzP1bYnGTA_fD6tBTE9GNjOJ5BxVzUjA5440GF1_NIJ2dGmE9mlVEW-2qtq-8C6Aeo7MJg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WzmGoLvhheDt5glw4ZR6fAvJ22X-KCogncpMxT39wA3sBIOIt5c-_PjFRhYcAdgsoEh2pt9d_repv79zzSfGzpgKSQzTWntj2jWx6FxvCKHBERMSq23fQzP1bYnGTA_fD6tBTE9GNjOJ5BxVzUjA5440GF1_NIJ2dGmE9mlVEW-2qtq-8C6Aeo7MJg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cascades</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After five miles the trail reaches its namesake feature, Thoreau Falls. The falls are quite pretty, dropping about 80 feet over a series of cascades and winding slides. The view from the top of the falls takes in the lofty ridge of the Bonds and only adds to the appeal of the area. The falls are a worthy destination and great place to take a rest.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGTIXgWp8B28WKWx-Nj93dkU-hM40CXP37eKLf6BhPZcs0LgkUNrffk_cRjODlJ-GDiWoVLzAQeV56FdXA4NyLfIEDlJ9Xrr40DKySHI7gEjhIZWNUBl2k1w19AMNebhBO_bySZSMIRGLJEIZkC9WIU8w8HNs9Eu_O7iIYEu9KCAqZludVOAiUxSg2g/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20192.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGTIXgWp8B28WKWx-Nj93dkU-hM40CXP37eKLf6BhPZcs0LgkUNrffk_cRjODlJ-GDiWoVLzAQeV56FdXA4NyLfIEDlJ9Xrr40DKySHI7gEjhIZWNUBl2k1w19AMNebhBO_bySZSMIRGLJEIZkC9WIU8w8HNs9Eu_O7iIYEu9KCAqZludVOAiUxSg2g/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20192.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of the falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23_5DK6bfK_CHUgih2HnuvA-WLYILwkhWFBSKNlYrnY8VgPn8TYrJMOi86iiRpNjShCynhICX3qlYm32hxkU4JG6eNnzWgM88AOgyZ3MRN82X12_Y-aZ-pQgZxE7xalTkQJpNzZO-zhDVNYXpwP-gyGJs126u5nuqtipyGE5qKuE22JdUFbJ-vP2R2g/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20193.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23_5DK6bfK_CHUgih2HnuvA-WLYILwkhWFBSKNlYrnY8VgPn8TYrJMOi86iiRpNjShCynhICX3qlYm32hxkU4JG6eNnzWgM88AOgyZ3MRN82X12_Y-aZ-pQgZxE7xalTkQJpNzZO-zhDVNYXpwP-gyGJs126u5nuqtipyGE5qKuE22JdUFbJ-vP2R2g/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20193.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper drop of the falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrbLf_HU4lYfJyq02IaJGo0piE7pis7-AIltv7dRaKGDtMBdet0kgnccwX-PACpo1RemvMDOvFP_8meyBvvUk3HPTt_IXbtpY2WyaQLk8j6l49BGB_fEXVRObsbiHdXWQcAmHsDMKI89pcFJuKm7wLtIfb8kg7EpE-T6OKf0UK2tD9yJOiWEOJsO15A/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrbLf_HU4lYfJyq02IaJGo0piE7pis7-AIltv7dRaKGDtMBdet0kgnccwX-PACpo1RemvMDOvFP_8meyBvvUk3HPTt_IXbtpY2WyaQLk8j6l49BGB_fEXVRObsbiHdXWQcAmHsDMKI89pcFJuKm7wLtIfb8kg7EpE-T6OKf0UK2tD9yJOiWEOJsO15A/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the falls</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJAqvDmBp1q6KMfFG77tHmH_RCNPhWmC5UW3Npbl8tPtBRjytdUFeo4uikVlkzly3vtKMom-mR1SY_XZFFQR1Kt87lF9UQWEQclYnoB0udRmkv8_cbiz_XtFBGg1AgmKn2VzBJCEVihqNrIrPMmglL2kgW1NDtpHJC4H4jo26qi9yS_sDcInq2NNQWw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJAqvDmBp1q6KMfFG77tHmH_RCNPhWmC5UW3Npbl8tPtBRjytdUFeo4uikVlkzly3vtKMom-mR1SY_XZFFQR1Kt87lF9UQWEQclYnoB0udRmkv8_cbiz_XtFBGg1AgmKn2VzBJCEVihqNrIrPMmglL2kgW1NDtpHJC4H4jo26qi9yS_sDcInq2NNQWw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up the falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Shortly after the falls, I left the Pemi and followed the Ethan Pond Trail, which also coincides with the AT. I headed north (which is actually southbound on the AT in this section) toward Zealand Falls Hut and eventually Mt Hale. Along the AT, the trail passes an open area below the crumbling slopes of Whitewall Mountain. In the clearing, you have a nice look at the crumbling jumble of rock of Whitewall, Zeacliff, and Mt Carrigain and the Hancocks to the south.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBWamMU0j5X4Bd3OYofg1hbcI53_QO3c6wV3eLhXm-z5A7EYCvseoRvbSRjpV4Pu4XvrZO8CovxDp5O6jvEmTkwhnC226_LxZpk8kCxa5CDSRBCw733FTWd4qhPRWJFaVHgEfSlEzsowmbOTuIJGG_LHy91n6Ig7SsZN1Y8DUdZPIFoA5z2BYJnWS5Q/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBWamMU0j5X4Bd3OYofg1hbcI53_QO3c6wV3eLhXm-z5A7EYCvseoRvbSRjpV4Pu4XvrZO8CovxDp5O6jvEmTkwhnC226_LxZpk8kCxa5CDSRBCw733FTWd4qhPRWJFaVHgEfSlEzsowmbOTuIJGG_LHy91n6Ig7SsZN1Y8DUdZPIFoA5z2BYJnWS5Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeacliff from the AT</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zgS8KBzLchJatsGHZfrb3JMkTWOaER7ZrZTF3PNJQPPfB12QpjzxkhoA3RTYBjVlxsDMJz-Qx_HyPPsHiLEtDzrPTjBA0-GoSuyp6KQpwwzBFxrZEfwBvqzoRLnYN0_6DpqfAE2M2AmXUTpVRuBwmrLmIThEo1tWoMZKjjN7UArsydPkoatex_7VSg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zgS8KBzLchJatsGHZfrb3JMkTWOaER7ZrZTF3PNJQPPfB12QpjzxkhoA3RTYBjVlxsDMJz-Qx_HyPPsHiLEtDzrPTjBA0-GoSuyp6KQpwwzBFxrZEfwBvqzoRLnYN0_6DpqfAE2M2AmXUTpVRuBwmrLmIThEo1tWoMZKjjN7UArsydPkoatex_7VSg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crumbling slopes of Whitewall Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52WME9SaB6hM343qzRf1bmaSu2r1_YJ5dPNL-UkBlMtlaI-iYgZjkd7KZSDB4Xtnb1-HIfRIBfwoOosqzJtUVVfNVj6mCRBQI6NiTR6-B4_xHtCixk7b-aGYF41DYkS27NJRnIb38FrjQ8W5cHxQiNQeBKPg2mMCoJmi5kNjSTB9dcVHFLpzCLHMRdQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52WME9SaB6hM343qzRf1bmaSu2r1_YJ5dPNL-UkBlMtlaI-iYgZjkd7KZSDB4Xtnb1-HIfRIBfwoOosqzJtUVVfNVj6mCRBQI6NiTR6-B4_xHtCixk7b-aGYF41DYkS27NJRnIb38FrjQ8W5cHxQiNQeBKPg2mMCoJmi5kNjSTB9dcVHFLpzCLHMRdQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view south from below Whitewall Mountains</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPz4X1VSsa668s8yOfDVRM5C5nziUvXSObBNhWEFWtToVkUH_AhZB2BhVkFwXr-O8kP2e0mzphviZiqr_0GTo-pEsVfAHmdBf8k39N6UScU3EIlaYzkpGtWsZnUxpHrHruXDXiTnvZAsUo5gI6NvEL7WTm-e-JuQ_7EGmLAgTE6mNng1ITXiETxI1njw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPz4X1VSsa668s8yOfDVRM5C5nziUvXSObBNhWEFWtToVkUH_AhZB2BhVkFwXr-O8kP2e0mzphviZiqr_0GTo-pEsVfAHmdBf8k39N6UScU3EIlaYzkpGtWsZnUxpHrHruXDXiTnvZAsUo5gI6NvEL7WTm-e-JuQ_7EGmLAgTE6mNng1ITXiETxI1njw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough section of the AT</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After just a couple miles on the Ethan Falls Trail, I continued on the AT to Zealand Falls Hut. Just prior to the hut a side trail leads to the bottom of Zealand Falls, another scenic waterfall. I took a break at the hut, taking advantage of good drinking water and a bathroom. More cascades tumble near the hut. A nice view from the hut looks to the south.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29TAQp6EyE7VaTuvfsVoXNNZ_GrMiL8hBYP6kzDU4rN9JlX3Xr46TV5O_cs0HVB_SphzcqpQJYUMwyDFxdLUNXgNGz2OvM-gGfs5uiG0JQGrtIjf3AEmk1F7M6sW1AfFh-wl57Htg97oN5U6LE2lXvSho0X9yCYRCuHjexzC_j8d8EtM7aP1yvR1nvA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29TAQp6EyE7VaTuvfsVoXNNZ_GrMiL8hBYP6kzDU4rN9JlX3Xr46TV5O_cs0HVB_SphzcqpQJYUMwyDFxdLUNXgNGz2OvM-gGfs5uiG0JQGrtIjf3AEmk1F7M6sW1AfFh-wl57Htg97oN5U6LE2lXvSho0X9yCYRCuHjexzC_j8d8EtM7aP1yvR1nvA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zealand Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVORRCNjwc36HCYv6721cgundgd0hDZDRFjcDblQ_cDLnE9gJ6UhDpptPp82kKg8wS21lSeXQiVSXKBvCPIsNEQcVPGT5Brz4RB_SKt_pUN_F2ybBmqLkwguDCfJ4k6Ya5ucfYl_jpgJ8b7SlygYfY_Ifw05XLSWr1XNtQwdC-xx_DxkoWzd9e3rcfLA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVORRCNjwc36HCYv6721cgundgd0hDZDRFjcDblQ_cDLnE9gJ6UhDpptPp82kKg8wS21lSeXQiVSXKBvCPIsNEQcVPGT5Brz4RB_SKt_pUN_F2ybBmqLkwguDCfJ4k6Ya5ucfYl_jpgJ8b7SlygYfY_Ifw05XLSWr1XNtQwdC-xx_DxkoWzd9e3rcfLA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the hut</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55wKUSnqqlm9ZywLIGJssk9vlkHQrZ-8Gd-yqGlDM1WPhkuXqgtX7cgKC2LtFIBqhITspNfVV3vlJFY2RZ9KLSNybYfG3qxDMfhahBgJzELpSUVE9U8Ax33BAKcSoWEDUvgtK6_EyYOUUa-52dZOqMCle3u5lqfjPSQ0P9L4KY3C8Bg9efWSGOLZTsw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55wKUSnqqlm9ZywLIGJssk9vlkHQrZ-8Gd-yqGlDM1WPhkuXqgtX7cgKC2LtFIBqhITspNfVV3vlJFY2RZ9KLSNybYfG3qxDMfhahBgJzELpSUVE9U8Ax33BAKcSoWEDUvgtK6_EyYOUUa-52dZOqMCle3u5lqfjPSQ0P9L4KY3C8Bg9efWSGOLZTsw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More falls above the hut</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuxeabWD62pUPn_IYHgNVuqXsCvpxxpYfU_xIhwpgnxfI17TUGwmKl58-j2rQk8pb_WxM6n2Mf-UDRItlLU5pERUWnjxfDB68VspEBdqVsk3iLzoMELhrQGF3zx6pOab16oCGWBY7yaygdWthqhR1JKgpSG8i2CoT-eV0BhKfeA-12OxLeH9x73sTXQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuxeabWD62pUPn_IYHgNVuqXsCvpxxpYfU_xIhwpgnxfI17TUGwmKl58-j2rQk8pb_WxM6n2Mf-UDRItlLU5pERUWnjxfDB68VspEBdqVsk3iLzoMELhrQGF3zx6pOab16oCGWBY7yaygdWthqhR1JKgpSG8i2CoT-eV0BhKfeA-12OxLeH9x73sTXQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20066.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From the hut, I turned off the AT, making my way to the next mountain on my itinerary, Mt Hale. The climb to Hale went by fairly quickly. Hale has a reputation as one of the easiest 4,000' mountains in NH and can be reached in only 2.2 miles from the north. I was surprised to have the summit to myself. 4,054' Mt Hale isn't the prettiest. A big clearing within the trees doesn't offer any views. An oversized summit cairn sits where a tower once stood. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8TQeZStaHAjDJ6E2Ah62oWg5P-IJADYcamOdWRnxNd16SmiksgUibWFyx1ba6k7vR1KPgymr1BUkQw-zIYSU2xIlwy8rjnJW3lA9lCFVlPwSnEmlI9AiwJiflDmYV1kUrU-JpoROfDGbGRYtF54NPbmxXH_KPjzDpfqZLYHb8ndAZ8Y7E-olr-WwaQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8TQeZStaHAjDJ6E2Ah62oWg5P-IJADYcamOdWRnxNd16SmiksgUibWFyx1ba6k7vR1KPgymr1BUkQw-zIYSU2xIlwy8rjnJW3lA9lCFVlPwSnEmlI9AiwJiflDmYV1kUrU-JpoROfDGbGRYtF54NPbmxXH_KPjzDpfqZLYHb8ndAZ8Y7E-olr-WwaQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Lend-A-Hand Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1IbK6Sw-hel_SLpLUoC-mDy32ScykhLrH6Ut9cus-ROAdZTnu6lVGHPEojX-Mmb81t-0pZ9ooePJRRn-5atYc_7zK9nJwbS5WRoRRxev-ETfZk6wSWHHKlTc0blNmENZ8g2ugq7JnM7csZtmpzU4WN7MNLpkWj_8pUb9SVg7WURTYiVpPovhFKdFVQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1IbK6Sw-hel_SLpLUoC-mDy32ScykhLrH6Ut9cus-ROAdZTnu6lVGHPEojX-Mmb81t-0pZ9ooePJRRn-5atYc_7zK9nJwbS5WRoRRxev-ETfZk6wSWHHKlTc0blNmENZ8g2ugq7JnM7csZtmpzU4WN7MNLpkWj_8pUb9SVg7WURTYiVpPovhFKdFVQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enroute to Hale</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Almost immediately after arriving at the summit, at least a dozen grey jays emerged from the trees. Grey jays are one of my favorite birds. They have learned to associate people with food and will readily take nuts or fruit from your hand. They were known to live near logging camps back in the day and become tame. Unfortunately I didn't have any jay-worthy food handy. By the time I got some nuts from my pack, they disappeared and lost interest in my presence.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqt2-Jc2l1ovMeqmnrL3tjP4jQttKuFfaBNOep6514p22_Jso8Kv_HAm00mqfnLgBuZnKzGXXZQcb3BVVFJAfgDUfCUGj_jJ8rUeMKp0MUGGPq2zZ_YJzZzhWvC5Z00TwM5UOLaGmQOtmPeyn5B29EMhE1jOz2joqokCQz-Hcim5k3gF2G55IuN_eBQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20069.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqt2-Jc2l1ovMeqmnrL3tjP4jQttKuFfaBNOep6514p22_Jso8Kv_HAm00mqfnLgBuZnKzGXXZQcb3BVVFJAfgDUfCUGj_jJ8rUeMKp0MUGGPq2zZ_YJzZzhWvC5Z00TwM5UOLaGmQOtmPeyn5B29EMhE1jOz2joqokCQz-Hcim5k3gF2G55IuN_eBQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20069.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit cairn on Hale</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I descended Hale to the north to Zealand Road. A short mile along Zealand Road brought me to the Zealand Trail. The Zealand Trail offers short access to Zealand Falls Hut over tame terrain. I passed a lot of people hiking out on the Zealand Trail. Despite the tame terrain and hiker traffic, the Zealand Trail is fairly scenic. Along its course, it travels through meadows and ponds along the Zealand River. Long boardwalks seem to enhance to experience. </div><div> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVvl3KDa2jXGWpe-9k8dHTfe6ZvgU5Y7nAWFkWRfp7aWB5GkpoDhEHLBBIUW9TI6X72CPD4IoanoSEPdZBXklfd5YBEoPx-K9nRWqzYscvI0rvKUbytyLIJHuYx9n6e8MeweOg2L2W5rkELSWyi7tyTAhn8HRjpJoP9UR5Aci2m1_ghejl1fpMQmA1Q/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVvl3KDa2jXGWpe-9k8dHTfe6ZvgU5Y7nAWFkWRfp7aWB5GkpoDhEHLBBIUW9TI6X72CPD4IoanoSEPdZBXklfd5YBEoPx-K9nRWqzYscvI0rvKUbytyLIJHuYx9n6e8MeweOg2L2W5rkELSWyi7tyTAhn8HRjpJoP9UR5Aci2m1_ghejl1fpMQmA1Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20070.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmu_FZSmDD3qjcV8lcoT_-rglfCySaeOlh1usFKr1p_mTkc66ItV2POCqwqJkLBrBxyvj1u-Z-R3CxRBFXZyc24dV2DEOZc3I9u_Aqxb2_2NbUmm1sy2-ACMJ1kBVm9ZWkjJKraJBsg4KvoNkjbS4iLrX44VXnMMJw5_MH4gTPMZZS7suZbhq-205WQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20072.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmu_FZSmDD3qjcV8lcoT_-rglfCySaeOlh1usFKr1p_mTkc66ItV2POCqwqJkLBrBxyvj1u-Z-R3CxRBFXZyc24dV2DEOZc3I9u_Aqxb2_2NbUmm1sy2-ACMJ1kBVm9ZWkjJKraJBsg4KvoNkjbS4iLrX44VXnMMJw5_MH4gTPMZZS7suZbhq-205WQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20072.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting root system</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIICY26zZDFrJ_pB3CvaQ-kEZWQAdPLV-LFBadauWhxvctftXqQ8gagPt17ok_bv43_SoMXyo8xVvizDVKmu6KuAdMBls8tkdJVm4MYi0MBq3_0SKyTLvbjA6HSi2pduQZxpxu4xfZkBLrgTrmSOCIE9Vnk1YrIzAGycBdy9oKtlTJIu2HsCRGT21sg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIICY26zZDFrJ_pB3CvaQ-kEZWQAdPLV-LFBadauWhxvctftXqQ8gagPt17ok_bv43_SoMXyo8xVvizDVKmu6KuAdMBls8tkdJVm4MYi0MBq3_0SKyTLvbjA6HSi2pduQZxpxu4xfZkBLrgTrmSOCIE9Vnk1YrIzAGycBdy9oKtlTJIu2HsCRGT21sg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeacliff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX7ksIqktgnXrDgHTizBNabaCWsaxhLj_zA_raXvQfce5oGai8LfoQDzuDprlIZWLMAsmswQakvIgLZPmeenIFfUGPnNcvFDHf6mA4GTb3MkCxYOO9TcZreDRBNBU_Gzva9U-ytdeZzkx4ZxEdQ_ZZBO5TcZSoaqzZoedP7kWSb6g4KqUmidmFyjyPg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20077.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX7ksIqktgnXrDgHTizBNabaCWsaxhLj_zA_raXvQfce5oGai8LfoQDzuDprlIZWLMAsmswQakvIgLZPmeenIFfUGPnNcvFDHf6mA4GTb3MkCxYOO9TcZreDRBNBU_Gzva9U-ytdeZzkx4ZxEdQ_ZZBO5TcZSoaqzZoedP7kWSb6g4KqUmidmFyjyPg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boardwalk over boggy area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWbVxuGcBneSNCk6fCPvG2H-5ccS4tL2PGt8fAi4kQPpGPdNxSXIVCXMXdefVi5CFe8yuIZ5DXUOO6f2b79cyZ3zFOH4LSqWJ2pb6iARTAdeCSh46VU19Dci7i1K0WYymdUD_2StA-3K4hqrut6F4_SNJyb3lT1sfQZCEt06npdCjiUXcoeHGICBSGQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20078.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWbVxuGcBneSNCk6fCPvG2H-5ccS4tL2PGt8fAi4kQPpGPdNxSXIVCXMXdefVi5CFe8yuIZ5DXUOO6f2b79cyZ3zFOH4LSqWJ2pb6iARTAdeCSh46VU19Dci7i1K0WYymdUD_2StA-3K4hqrut6F4_SNJyb3lT1sfQZCEt06npdCjiUXcoeHGICBSGQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20078.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting fungi </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Near the end of the Zealand Trail, I had to make a decision. My originally itinerary had me turning onto the A to Z Trail, then over the Willey Range. I covered about 17 miles at this point. Continuing on my route, the next definite camping was about 10 miles away at Ethan Pond. Now 330PM, I didn't have confidence making that distance before dark, with three peaks in between on the Willey Range. I didn't like the prospect of a 27 mile day after a 25 mile day on the rough terrain of the Whites either. I scouted a 1/4 mile or so down the A to Z trail, only to find a very brushy trail. I didn't have confidence I would find a place to camp and I knew once on the Willey Range I would be out of luck for camping. After last nights difficulty finding a campsite, I didn't want to risk a bad night. The boggy Zealand Pond sits at the A to Z Trail/Zealand Trail junction. The area was rather muddy and didn't look like an appealing place to camp. I decided to travel about .3 miles south back to the AT where there was a large area to camp just off the trail.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktMRlTMIhEh0zjVF4GBrlgfnhnM4sY6599JgFahYAtZl6uqbRVCkhhJj-udd6UFPrm2Al0WnS5RCtA38tTb3RBNP0GHhYxbIKBvstgS4RGAZoP5ZtXeiNlJVjVvflAFNm8HJubfpLkte-drP3O4C6oYC9tD4E0n7SH2QA5KfV_sHKRFVo2_sEgi7c8Q/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktMRlTMIhEh0zjVF4GBrlgfnhnM4sY6599JgFahYAtZl6uqbRVCkhhJj-udd6UFPrm2Al0WnS5RCtA38tTb3RBNP0GHhYxbIKBvstgS4RGAZoP5ZtXeiNlJVjVvflAFNm8HJubfpLkte-drP3O4C6oYC9tD4E0n7SH2QA5KfV_sHKRFVo2_sEgi7c8Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP5jqhHiru7NzUohMKpmhE4_lKOW1_NJlnL7dQ0blBxA1v-p-DdUveOATfbWinKdYZkhsHvfTKiDsI3JtEJ7KLG8Le1ecMd9QlnYyfgua7bmUqsVMCcQvd9RmrcjIUx71eZ3Ln4PBaCSpnpsWD6qKxkw-AbnlkONFcyfX_Be8rMacIRH2T0OBQQK6sQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20080.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP5jqhHiru7NzUohMKpmhE4_lKOW1_NJlnL7dQ0blBxA1v-p-DdUveOATfbWinKdYZkhsHvfTKiDsI3JtEJ7KLG8Le1ecMd9QlnYyfgua7bmUqsVMCcQvd9RmrcjIUx71eZ3Ln4PBaCSpnpsWD6qKxkw-AbnlkONFcyfX_Be8rMacIRH2T0OBQQK6sQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boggy part of Zealand River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz-AcSO4ftAy-yXyCC69yEuUv0FJo8-VHt0B5ogwHLjEK3nFtG6p2QINJ6Rzb9C-JNSFDlv0DAzVmsUsJlNQZMsGM8_2ZRtEqC2M2xVBoORyFvFrMvDgvPGbjulTJHmWlO0p1gpLKACPVoFloIdYPiUB8w1IJdKywqrzyN_ncZU2y_Hk4DT128qnD4A/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20082.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz-AcSO4ftAy-yXyCC69yEuUv0FJo8-VHt0B5ogwHLjEK3nFtG6p2QINJ6Rzb9C-JNSFDlv0DAzVmsUsJlNQZMsGM8_2ZRtEqC2M2xVBoORyFvFrMvDgvPGbjulTJHmWlO0p1gpLKACPVoFloIdYPiUB8w1IJdKywqrzyN_ncZU2y_Hk4DT128qnD4A/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20082.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over Zealand River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn7fb93FVA7JX_b46ifqQOrx1_fhXNjdvPfqMVAKUR1QrGRVu1TECh0_LdaETvdgMiWxipKmII0cR9I15_H9Pc06u_qIYnZoFXlqT-rG-a0S1hiRaD0iF969CPIXz3Kw6rSxfqeMKfej8thBFvU5hNKQK9CKaV8i9xx4rT0rQpd7kaGhrPBye34cLwA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20084.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn7fb93FVA7JX_b46ifqQOrx1_fhXNjdvPfqMVAKUR1QrGRVu1TECh0_LdaETvdgMiWxipKmII0cR9I15_H9Pc06u_qIYnZoFXlqT-rG-a0S1hiRaD0iF969CPIXz3Kw6rSxfqeMKfej8thBFvU5hNKQK9CKaV8i9xx4rT0rQpd7kaGhrPBye34cLwA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marshy area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I reached the AT campsite around 4PM to find it overrun with numerous tarps and gear, but no people. It looked like a group base camping from the spot. Fortunately there were more sites across a small creek beyond the group. Later when the group returned, I found out a private academy was using the site as a basecamp for a week long orientation in the outdoors. The group was louder than I would have liked and had a large campfire that smelled like burning garbage. I kept to myself and luckily they quieted down by 10PM, a couple hours after I went to bed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before I went to bed, I looked over my maps and tried to determine my plan for the next two days. I cut my day shorter than I would have liked to guarantee a place to camp. I had to be at work Sunday morning. I also had a nearly five hour ride back home. Originally I allotted five days for this hike, but the rain pushed my start back two days. This put a 90 mile trip over rugged terrain down to four days with no wiggle room. At this point I figured to play it safe, I needed to cut some distance to make the last two days more manageable. I decided to cut out off about 10 miles of my trip and skip the Willey Range.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 3</b></div><div><b>AT Near Ethan Pond/Twinway Junction- Camp Rich Tent Site</b></div><div><b>26.6 Miles</b></div><div><br /></div><div>From my campsite, I retraced my steps on the AT toward Thoreau Falls. Beyond Thoreau Falls, I continued another .5 miles to the Shoal Pond Trail. I passed by Whitewall Mountain again. Even though I just saw this area the day before, the view was pretty in the morning light. A wisp of fog hung over the valley below the trail.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucWm3CGEGPAGs4pjDCsnF39yyYSHu9FBlvNe8WZKMcyW01Be8MpL64AfW30cj3KVBBYC0ukTGcNDYF5ZWCGD3DcuduNSwp-8v-y9KZcS1Z0oADkuYZ094thjBLklgoMz_j09OKYellimWbiDbyiVDOG6jDHDJRfi6wCKJMbssrSGo7EjqbJYMk1KsSg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20086.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucWm3CGEGPAGs4pjDCsnF39yyYSHu9FBlvNe8WZKMcyW01Be8MpL64AfW30cj3KVBBYC0ukTGcNDYF5ZWCGD3DcuduNSwp-8v-y9KZcS1Z0oADkuYZ094thjBLklgoMz_j09OKYellimWbiDbyiVDOG6jDHDJRfi6wCKJMbssrSGo7EjqbJYMk1KsSg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20086.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeacliff in the morning sun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5K9HBE3qcaerO3s2vT2gv8PYXMSpH2A-UpDtU88nXf3OzqJ106KYdnnwmaRQiHGZUEfMulVlxbgG4Ks1zHR5DCqQmVLY8q1gUYkxtnVaytfSB2S5ZJflaYTDLchT05NNHcBktPA14w-U4V9p-yavE6oawtZGR3aTiAboYPzkf27hSxyTPQ8AhxoK11g/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20087.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5K9HBE3qcaerO3s2vT2gv8PYXMSpH2A-UpDtU88nXf3OzqJ106KYdnnwmaRQiHGZUEfMulVlxbgG4Ks1zHR5DCqQmVLY8q1gUYkxtnVaytfSB2S5ZJflaYTDLchT05NNHcBktPA14w-U4V9p-yavE6oawtZGR3aTiAboYPzkf27hSxyTPQ8AhxoK11g/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wisp of fog over Whitewall Brook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbdpk-0VKGr44WFJOV7ijE8aFamC-FAw-IWlXttZrLVAyNgddf0Mz93uHhAzMrscyMK2pSTUPdG9HodfCU7XTuFXI3IYDBfg6hol8j7hx71-VNYMNA9OdJXtd1FR5gQ7Dne6GC5Z1bYeNiK3l6wNX6AN33yTNDnh4qK1bHkdqH7XrvGPGYwtB-G7kiQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20088.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbdpk-0VKGr44WFJOV7ijE8aFamC-FAw-IWlXttZrLVAyNgddf0Mz93uHhAzMrscyMK2pSTUPdG9HodfCU7XTuFXI3IYDBfg6hol8j7hx71-VNYMNA9OdJXtd1FR5gQ7Dne6GC5Z1bYeNiK3l6wNX6AN33yTNDnh4qK1bHkdqH7XrvGPGYwtB-G7kiQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20088.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice bridge on the AT</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjz-bHJWmxnx9BOfvOXC3TH0PqOyuJ91SG0SIrOR6kna3RP2EoDKGDj4tQ9Cc2qMNDOjDGTbfDuscwPLzKVQ-Q6OcitZ772RLnxTSyBiYcVsQGsAfsFIFv6GzczMcPjnIrQzExPDAYcRVE4UOq-4H1bXYgdpeiPSbpnfNF2T2jLy3HSwf88yQbebFfw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20089.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjz-bHJWmxnx9BOfvOXC3TH0PqOyuJ91SG0SIrOR6kna3RP2EoDKGDj4tQ9Cc2qMNDOjDGTbfDuscwPLzKVQ-Q6OcitZ772RLnxTSyBiYcVsQGsAfsFIFv6GzczMcPjnIrQzExPDAYcRVE4UOq-4H1bXYgdpeiPSbpnfNF2T2jLy3HSwf88yQbebFfw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20089.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Fork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Shoal Pond Trail has a reputation as an unpleasant trail. I have to say that it lived up to its reputation. The trail starts at the Pemi boundary and travels deep into the Wilderness. The trail was wet and overgrown almost immediately. The upper reaches of the trail are quite muddy with ancient and decaying bog bridges. Fairly quickly, the trail passes its namesake feature. The pond itself isn't too inviting. It looks fairly shallow and is quite boggy around it, making it hard to reach. Over the pond are some nice views, particularly to the south toward Mt Carrigain.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWigxkk1f719aG8sZWaKyi2DpaB1xZycArmxLFRCJ7MmFFzi6Y9hMBIv1hlGj8Ju6bgSYLNc42tGIXaLaGzbhcKC3QUYHAgmT9jk3-dO-U1gfJC0ip3hntEdo4SutjDqhGVwkDNwP7NAfU4tX-ZOPg3e8tthmq1aI6QJprTa3DcPQWYxBK5qZT7_QKg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20090.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWigxkk1f719aG8sZWaKyi2DpaB1xZycArmxLFRCJ7MmFFzi6Y9hMBIv1hlGj8Ju6bgSYLNc42tGIXaLaGzbhcKC3QUYHAgmT9jk3-dO-U1gfJC0ip3hntEdo4SutjDqhGVwkDNwP7NAfU4tX-ZOPg3e8tthmq1aI6QJprTa3DcPQWYxBK5qZT7_QKg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20090.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Shoal Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSk_SExqzAmTfmGjPyDnj7dg9yW-f1lgnawRqLwCNowyWhK0_gAGJX-VkFkEWVdx_2AU72N7zC3kLrSrSlz6Z_JywWflv7FA1SSknv8scjv2ZdCn4ZC-PP6eqiEbrh-s7vE0G5xvjezKxTmkPxBn4aQ8xSgYMSOWHo47U835KYAKqI3Pk3WFXMyYlWw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSk_SExqzAmTfmGjPyDnj7dg9yW-f1lgnawRqLwCNowyWhK0_gAGJX-VkFkEWVdx_2AU72N7zC3kLrSrSlz6Z_JywWflv7FA1SSknv8scjv2ZdCn4ZC-PP6eqiEbrh-s7vE0G5xvjezKxTmkPxBn4aQ8xSgYMSOWHo47U835KYAKqI3Pk3WFXMyYlWw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20092.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign at start of the Pemi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbAOs6narAzbJ9TVLkBiW-weB-SkYUvsZBwOCo0mFSlPc1Mn26eLrbqqD1B7oegE7NYRykML9BNY93AtbwKENlr3V2Wz-GoYWzdH0unbUBZ_EVtZF1ccERY8OIRfrvLnBh_x3Y0KoFCQalU43HePpGqeVfEppdB4VdAuQHeM9Uv_1BEuhU-9NXHk7Fg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20093.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbAOs6narAzbJ9TVLkBiW-weB-SkYUvsZBwOCo0mFSlPc1Mn26eLrbqqD1B7oegE7NYRykML9BNY93AtbwKENlr3V2Wz-GoYWzdH0unbUBZ_EVtZF1ccERY8OIRfrvLnBh_x3Y0KoFCQalU43HePpGqeVfEppdB4VdAuQHeM9Uv_1BEuhU-9NXHk7Fg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20093.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brushy trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8QwmCBUd9a4v9edfpoVWaINcbzmOtFIb3IX2Wov45zKViYTzeJeIxpbBJipI_DC7MrZanZtlQM-oOD35ecKsTlL0szRziwuWAAf2-cJ1MvUAIYSFtXVyYqwcTb2dnI-xO44AGumpYysI4i_-hyLmN2NoS0j2cG3N2bjP9tqTjkjKUpPgeao_0o3hLw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8QwmCBUd9a4v9edfpoVWaINcbzmOtFIb3IX2Wov45zKViYTzeJeIxpbBJipI_DC7MrZanZtlQM-oOD35ecKsTlL0szRziwuWAAf2-cJ1MvUAIYSFtXVyYqwcTb2dnI-xO44AGumpYysI4i_-hyLmN2NoS0j2cG3N2bjP9tqTjkjKUpPgeao_0o3hLw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20094.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the better bog bridges on<br />the Shoal Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aVxSmG-0UJ7L5cFDOSiJ9Na8RuRcKPByX-BgJBaQoLaDiT7Z1uP1OXtlVUBJH6MiVxWphDuymVDn494BJNF515GAffFGdAC-0sZMBUHOPeFCbSwnvZrArnJiFvViwx7JY9SkchSr1cW0kZ3Y5EN4SNyOorJtCfDIAvmk6lbWAbHjT7Cs8wfm7ygEww/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20189.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aVxSmG-0UJ7L5cFDOSiJ9Na8RuRcKPByX-BgJBaQoLaDiT7Z1uP1OXtlVUBJH6MiVxWphDuymVDn494BJNF515GAffFGdAC-0sZMBUHOPeFCbSwnvZrArnJiFvViwx7JY9SkchSr1cW0kZ3Y5EN4SNyOorJtCfDIAvmk6lbWAbHjT7Cs8wfm7ygEww/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20189.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoal Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDMIJy6ZR-6eT71lenbds-IqVA8QRcsqvpctnrBbpSaz0chTw1JhtHyW8n_D48lq_JYh-QmVGaMnDRvEjW_8xC1YkFP1iLaSQApk80qJypUEwzk5UI0ZeR-FbZC7dE4bAfzfTlG8nUadjbQY3Ic57JPv3sRutoaHiTD0DDGp1n9zfcBm-bOriPs5WVg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20190.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDMIJy6ZR-6eT71lenbds-IqVA8QRcsqvpctnrBbpSaz0chTw1JhtHyW8n_D48lq_JYh-QmVGaMnDRvEjW_8xC1YkFP1iLaSQApk80qJypUEwzk5UI0ZeR-FbZC7dE4bAfzfTlG8nUadjbQY3Ic57JPv3sRutoaHiTD0DDGp1n9zfcBm-bOriPs5WVg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20190.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrigain reflecting in Shoal Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Beyond the pond, the conditions didn't improve much. Vegetation was quite dense along the trail, leaving me soaked. It was impossible to not submerge your feet in standing water. Even if you avoided standing water, the roots and bog bridges were extremely slick. I slipped into the water several times. At one point I stepped on a bog bridge that wasn't attached to anything, causing me to immediately sink and submerge my feet. I may have spouted off a profanity or two on this stretch of trail. Occasionally the trail was tough to follow. Periodically the terrain opened up and followed ancient logging roads, but eventually you ended back in the thick vegetation again.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJklonE1tMHouMw4vRd04_OVePFGV-paEP2ZCF8NlZOD3x5cdRXme4T2lkZlekdJRwHBQ5-YQ6VYNbe4ckvDbHmyJvsJvZwGsRmlbIrduUq_797PK93Pr4oG8D9rRYN8SVxJJW-PaZVN6e4rpYb_ewwQHe-qnus2foDaNZPtWqQ21ZWVdvwh7HA-1tA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20099.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJklonE1tMHouMw4vRd04_OVePFGV-paEP2ZCF8NlZOD3x5cdRXme4T2lkZlekdJRwHBQ5-YQ6VYNbe4ckvDbHmyJvsJvZwGsRmlbIrduUq_797PK93Pr4oG8D9rRYN8SVxJJW-PaZVN6e4rpYb_ewwQHe-qnus2foDaNZPtWqQ21ZWVdvwh7HA-1tA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20099.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Messy trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHdEMksuIQvzw22WtjxmQz5npaHZGH_AoLSg7ISkdR9isNnjvGCwfIb-g5xne8W6Wr1Gui9-WBA61WxlKaUYps1e02Jb53X0G9bGfvF6wkjrg4GRAXwLEsenduAWIcgdtHFgdwxxI3z33ENP6bFr2w-w5wqjXZaOiGrpvmqnJnzVRIEa8RtuKRjHlNQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHdEMksuIQvzw22WtjxmQz5npaHZGH_AoLSg7ISkdR9isNnjvGCwfIb-g5xne8W6Wr1Gui9-WBA61WxlKaUYps1e02Jb53X0G9bGfvF6wkjrg4GRAXwLEsenduAWIcgdtHFgdwxxI3z33ENP6bFr2w-w5wqjXZaOiGrpvmqnJnzVRIEa8RtuKRjHlNQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty section of the Shoal Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPZXHcAQU6VdWWWrEt7EypPW553vip499FawAUUSgWjdWo60ORhTn6sZOU9FFHYscRKdTJjNzFsLrfekkYGUs_plEXunE1SJyB7Nzo8ID3KLZZzhv2S4REokHpSPjsvSM9kR6onMSDY7iLPO5nFd_wjg-DwfdeS0HnpR6rdo-6_nwYBP_Ejn2CjlS5Q/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPZXHcAQU6VdWWWrEt7EypPW553vip499FawAUUSgWjdWo60ORhTn6sZOU9FFHYscRKdTJjNzFsLrfekkYGUs_plEXunE1SJyB7Nzo8ID3KLZZzhv2S4REokHpSPjsvSM9kR6onMSDY7iLPO5nFd_wjg-DwfdeS0HnpR6rdo-6_nwYBP_Ejn2CjlS5Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20101.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The trail only runs about 4 miles. After a couple miles conditions improved somewhat, or at least became less consistently bad. After a larger creek crossing the trail entered an area with a lot of step-over logs and tight brush, that happened to be the wettest brush of the trail. Finally the trail reaches Stillwater Junction after another wider creek crossing.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1exFoI58olXiHMkmLGEQgH2iXYtspp0NQxh-sAqweYJ65EWKu9Y4_KoBSVPoqc5ppZNn43tPm7H5eO5p6KVCXoV709MDuYFzW1IOnoztz4lcwE4rUzg6SlhibUKZSZfyWhWop554Ja-O9fgsgGYIIY8tXIj6YWQy02N-c4CkZ7AYah8xEsa8DanDfQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20102.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1exFoI58olXiHMkmLGEQgH2iXYtspp0NQxh-sAqweYJ65EWKu9Y4_KoBSVPoqc5ppZNn43tPm7H5eO5p6KVCXoV709MDuYFzW1IOnoztz4lcwE4rUzg6SlhibUKZSZfyWhWop554Ja-O9fgsgGYIIY8tXIj6YWQy02N-c4CkZ7AYah8xEsa8DanDfQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20102.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slide along the Shoal Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB8gQH9NoSR7xMznma1WFvQxz6V6Qxj_gEKT67lyHJ5Ho7qex2Tldol2gZt3wldUVl6gnsUPL7xcVAeJk_q6K2s6W922Zo1Jtf5R8Lo5YO0KmpbliDCPmdLwTcINDXjHSckiPN0QLDDHK86mV6eqcIozxNQosC4yewfnfYpyhx4Pcy1ouuw8rRdRiaw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20103.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB8gQH9NoSR7xMznma1WFvQxz6V6Qxj_gEKT67lyHJ5Ho7qex2Tldol2gZt3wldUVl6gnsUPL7xcVAeJk_q6K2s6W922Zo1Jtf5R8Lo5YO0KmpbliDCPmdLwTcINDXjHSckiPN0QLDDHK86mV6eqcIozxNQosC4yewfnfYpyhx4Pcy1ouuw8rRdRiaw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20103.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting section of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzA6RDKVqFZ2QlMg6IwihSEjM6leYoq3RGn2rOVm_JFsmYB60QeTSBDX3yYQf59D7zFpl-o1U4ZsFw4afZhFKmxq4dq2fCx6vKklyo7ZDhZ9jSRJIbYWmdLK3tS47_WpG_ciaFcadIAd7E6hw2ksETo1v7Is_uO1FbVR0aHqTunxjAcQfbXkT9yyeUQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzA6RDKVqFZ2QlMg6IwihSEjM6leYoq3RGn2rOVm_JFsmYB60QeTSBDX3yYQf59D7zFpl-o1U4ZsFw4afZhFKmxq4dq2fCx6vKklyo7ZDhZ9jSRJIbYWmdLK3tS47_WpG_ciaFcadIAd7E6hw2ksETo1v7Is_uO1FbVR0aHqTunxjAcQfbXkT9yyeUQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20104.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creek crossing at Stillwater Junction</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Once off the Shoal Pond Trail, I headed toward Mt Carrigain and the start of the Desolation Trail. The stretch from Stillwater Junction and the start of the Desolation Trail follows a beautiful mountain stream with frequent campsites. This is fairly remote country, deep in the Pemi. The Desolation Trail climbs Carrigain from the north. I stopped to refill my water before making the climb up Carrigain.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ALiTZxcUBPnbfeZU80SNF8FxhB0pCI9Kaz5d2TBO98raWXBHRZ65h7EGV_RxIHOC1h4fSlzi5LJ8-OZtmCBAU_9_gJVZoPOmmDE0CBGkI08-dMD_r2DNRqe5J7cytQnM7AfmlPArgY4fwg4IxmUzjrXEA2NWB37TCQ9tJyY_VjlnROmu2iF5gCf0Tw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ALiTZxcUBPnbfeZU80SNF8FxhB0pCI9Kaz5d2TBO98raWXBHRZ65h7EGV_RxIHOC1h4fSlzi5LJ8-OZtmCBAU_9_gJVZoPOmmDE0CBGkI08-dMD_r2DNRqe5J7cytQnM7AfmlPArgY4fwg4IxmUzjrXEA2NWB37TCQ9tJyY_VjlnROmu2iF5gCf0Tw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20106.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desolation Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Z99bTgN0iiKjN8eHl7zx9OD-Saxc4pYFVCbQkW6UpneSe9Wluy1-2UeN3PeIgltUyeYs4UgABvuAytDT6aMRnXQcW7F0qiMNU388CSSS8eC5mzkBATnU608uxLQA2bs8YIi0flMoVFYb9sJOd0sKa3tUMCGKk0K7GBEH7gMx1cli8gbtGeczx6rckQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20107.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Z99bTgN0iiKjN8eHl7zx9OD-Saxc4pYFVCbQkW6UpneSe9Wluy1-2UeN3PeIgltUyeYs4UgABvuAytDT6aMRnXQcW7F0qiMNU388CSSS8eC5mzkBATnU608uxLQA2bs8YIi0flMoVFYb9sJOd0sKa3tUMCGKk0K7GBEH7gMx1cli8gbtGeczx6rckQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20107.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fungus enjoying the damp forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUSk8hcuOtdNIBY10mOf842F26OL90nfyLMexOIOTYD8ylA8TDvp7tEKYCeD3lqptmvzLO-9bTlrs9kQ3qwsnTEDB8PYw-NOsNsVCEeAfdUPUbKh0l7eZbagafFBzjkQ5h37R0uLxdL6oiIQzksV2UNh5axvx88RoCa4Mn4WmaIHnonW-rRLhWAr_eA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20108.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUSk8hcuOtdNIBY10mOf842F26OL90nfyLMexOIOTYD8ylA8TDvp7tEKYCeD3lqptmvzLO-9bTlrs9kQ3qwsnTEDB8PYw-NOsNsVCEeAfdUPUbKh0l7eZbagafFBzjkQ5h37R0uLxdL6oiIQzksV2UNh5axvx88RoCa4Mn4WmaIHnonW-rRLhWAr_eA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20108.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another variety of fungus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Desolation Trail climbs Carrigain in about 1.9 miles. These are relentless miles, with 2,500' of elevation gain. The trail starts off mild enough before becoming much steeper. Despite the initial steepness, the tread is fairly smooth. A little over a mile into it, the trail enters bands of rock with a mix of steps and short scrambles that continues the remaining distance to the summit. The air was humid and I was drenched from sweat for my effort.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWLjCf1oozldxMQDhFUoSdu2Vgu2ZKiG4BD-yzjbZPo_FEPqdshYxAgOi5hH9Mgc1V_q3tzkaryBagfI55qnDk-GesqXJs8N96S-OYQZnwDNCaVEisKwAdO2wZMafY5-7etfBxSW0O1nmklrgmmvUfgJVGv4H04hB5h1ABZUsT1gaE5ih8KYY3a4Tyg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWLjCf1oozldxMQDhFUoSdu2Vgu2ZKiG4BD-yzjbZPo_FEPqdshYxAgOi5hH9Mgc1V_q3tzkaryBagfI55qnDk-GesqXJs8N96S-OYQZnwDNCaVEisKwAdO2wZMafY5-7etfBxSW0O1nmklrgmmvUfgJVGv4H04hB5h1ABZUsT1gaE5ih8KYY3a4Tyg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20109.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky climb toward Carrigain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjnLpsQ1xX0WTXvvchW6O8AHvOLI6AGjk3cVdZet-jx6kwXWwVe1T9zT5x-sQmD9-AU-So5IZ3v23uRjiEkQGLV-i9uf-UqLaX-jJTVOftYwi03JvBZANqlef4apkZYbtZP7h2DUQQAIL6uJJ1RurdkttVNJiHxRDXL3zTRJy0HUusgsG6zpee7KRJQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjnLpsQ1xX0WTXvvchW6O8AHvOLI6AGjk3cVdZet-jx6kwXWwVe1T9zT5x-sQmD9-AU-So5IZ3v23uRjiEkQGLV-i9uf-UqLaX-jJTVOftYwi03JvBZANqlef4apkZYbtZP7h2DUQQAIL6uJJ1RurdkttVNJiHxRDXL3zTRJy0HUusgsG6zpee7KRJQ/w300-h400/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20110.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More rough trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>At 4,700', Mt Carrigain stands as the highest summit on my trip and the 13th highest peak in New Hampshire. Up until this point, it was the highest mountain in NH that I haven't climbed. Although Carrigain's summit stands below treeline, it rewards you with some of the best views in the Whites from a observation tower that rises above the trees. It's said that you can see 42 of the 48 4,000' summits of NH from Carrigain. The views are quite impressive. Despite a hazy day, you truly can see quite the expanse from the tower. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6x9fDTAOupDGo42teA4MOcV44b8W1r9CRDZek_cK4PHBy1PIjWkFNLvhaQeFVWnqVQMKgENxD1b927sgDaV1aOnRJxEBL-ZYR2BS7z57GWB43TTmHwjQMVp1VIC6MvsJYAuOLeo2s1KTIoiM3gxqUANB9bcZhMqV7LW7JeHaph0QC_aFhQS9NLgZA0Q/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20176.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6x9fDTAOupDGo42teA4MOcV44b8W1r9CRDZek_cK4PHBy1PIjWkFNLvhaQeFVWnqVQMKgENxD1b927sgDaV1aOnRJxEBL-ZYR2BS7z57GWB43TTmHwjQMVp1VIC6MvsJYAuOLeo2s1KTIoiM3gxqUANB9bcZhMqV7LW7JeHaph0QC_aFhQS9NLgZA0Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20176.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the Presidential Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrugUTTipAW_haHZEILkHl6CoH1NB08stPg0wrroaDKTKHATpTeaB-H99Q68ZPfTpt2SsjtebMzMpKWepo1o6bX1sx2IwErKUnGygRrygFxhyl3UobJm-DhEOagQPviQobhwBIjEhIzoaUGKzQCGh1lSuUPHiTa5vsqDw1zTwU_nUPd1S27DeadR2Mtg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20178.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrugUTTipAW_haHZEILkHl6CoH1NB08stPg0wrroaDKTKHATpTeaB-H99Q68ZPfTpt2SsjtebMzMpKWepo1o6bX1sx2IwErKUnGygRrygFxhyl3UobJm-DhEOagQPviQobhwBIjEhIzoaUGKzQCGh1lSuUPHiTa5vsqDw1zTwU_nUPd1S27DeadR2Mtg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20178.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east-southeast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVgBfV3fNUHOeeg5yQ5Xqoi3wKmhpDVja0d26wqRmToUEMSk0DsY8G4ymofmMSN2UlLbY3yIB4u6N3Zc4H9XQW02aYnkXE9iulw3ZQCRINJivb1jXqEgZ09vlPM-qyHCF_ivAc99UD5ryUDawXXn_1iI_QsBge6PggRct81vYgg3LmjPzIptAgI8gzg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20179.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVgBfV3fNUHOeeg5yQ5Xqoi3wKmhpDVja0d26wqRmToUEMSk0DsY8G4ymofmMSN2UlLbY3yIB4u6N3Zc4H9XQW02aYnkXE9iulw3ZQCRINJivb1jXqEgZ09vlPM-qyHCF_ivAc99UD5ryUDawXXn_1iI_QsBge6PggRct81vYgg3LmjPzIptAgI8gzg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20179.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signal Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-9b6XX8F3-1bpIZbkUEd9ps-A1md3jJPgtPyWgfKaABIQc1fr0tXxmUOiqStbPxr9PbOyHPpam8Hi1IfcG5fSot1sG9IVS2bnFFCJO6B8ZX2G1IXgji8UnbW1sGesn2s3Wo2rfjq1femxJ4WQ9Oe6DBpmRl8_YZ8yFCdQ_-wtcplGe5_C_1owMdGDA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20180.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-9b6XX8F3-1bpIZbkUEd9ps-A1md3jJPgtPyWgfKaABIQc1fr0tXxmUOiqStbPxr9PbOyHPpam8Hi1IfcG5fSot1sG9IVS2bnFFCJO6B8ZX2G1IXgji8UnbW1sGesn2s3Wo2rfjq1femxJ4WQ9Oe6DBpmRl8_YZ8yFCdQ_-wtcplGe5_C_1owMdGDA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20180.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think looking toward the Osceolas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsRL5kC4e18UrPt1tK1vt8zjbDPQxPSsBPBvcPWkwgPh6SOKCTa25zLZff_V_v7EwSLpUFzZfilK8vq35UD4VMhyDci6uVYtiAykY1SNVxbx0evsB1OT1MGJv0wUVJdqX7WFzqJOdzcni6mBsCu77rC00-GZ6Wky8JVBICu1wYooTsiMps2h9fdgLXw/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsRL5kC4e18UrPt1tK1vt8zjbDPQxPSsBPBvcPWkwgPh6SOKCTa25zLZff_V_v7EwSLpUFzZfilK8vq35UD4VMhyDci6uVYtiAykY1SNVxbx0evsB1OT1MGJv0wUVJdqX7WFzqJOdzcni6mBsCu77rC00-GZ6Wky8JVBICu1wYooTsiMps2h9fdgLXw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20181.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lafayette Ridge in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>While the views definitely make Carrigain a great place, the grey jays tried to steal the show. Several other hikers were already in the tower when I arrived. When one of them open a food wrapper, the jays emerged from the forest to the tower. This time I had a trail mix pack handy and had some of the birds perched in my hand to eat. In the past I put food on my head to allow the birds to land on head. The trick worked again. It's been probably at least ten years since I had fun with the grey jays.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1Hqnpgp_T2cTFWQqSv3YgKTPfR6EEjFheSo2qENtqccW6zq1M7PKtFzb6KYVyK9DWIe9eMm5rKTqrLrrIraKXPC9fPAN9AWupKf4Af0TQ7XfhYDoowLO8oyHRdomgzBYwll7mUwmL6GGpWKQr8S-x38fEehZSsnnd675lGqBvFRuboybpdx1FaBEsQ/s3088/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20186.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1Hqnpgp_T2cTFWQqSv3YgKTPfR6EEjFheSo2qENtqccW6zq1M7PKtFzb6KYVyK9DWIe9eMm5rKTqrLrrIraKXPC9fPAN9AWupKf4Af0TQ7XfhYDoowLO8oyHRdomgzBYwll7mUwmL6GGpWKQr8S-x38fEehZSsnnd675lGqBvFRuboybpdx1FaBEsQ/w300-h400/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20186.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new friend</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujAtG5oWps8_g6iih4SJ05FzUxsxh0tB-VBCx05M7Jn7FLz_Alwyp_IVazUh6kMRl-_rwJJ83YGTCqc9f5Ib70B7VhCXQ7U6_bidh1828voxSUGc-PEauTb3k7QKv2pV-ov39PZdu90SrYo1eRj7cv5d08Gya3NnjeWK1ouBKZdWOF1TvnozTv5CkVg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20188.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujAtG5oWps8_g6iih4SJ05FzUxsxh0tB-VBCx05M7Jn7FLz_Alwyp_IVazUh6kMRl-_rwJJ83YGTCqc9f5Ib70B7VhCXQ7U6_bidh1828voxSUGc-PEauTb3k7QKv2pV-ov39PZdu90SrYo1eRj7cv5d08Gya3NnjeWK1ouBKZdWOF1TvnozTv5CkVg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20188.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying my company</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After an extended break and lunch, I descended on the Signal Ridge Trail. Compared to the Desolation Trail, this route is practically a walk in the park. It descends much more gradually along the ridge. Several narrow spots on the ridge provide more nice views. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE6c0tGsvhPOCcyF2EOzar1vbdIm-KNTFhLUE7DjikraCzoBelWgsdVRpeIqqDiu5LpClP_ac1nCtnTwy2ZmgMjN5bD-M1BW9XskdJOYeZsjX1oRc0WD0WA2RAyX_I8CsHPLYVNuFah-NHIIVyQLJOFmoyd_f1yoZQqESyts0qi_Bg3MHN_8Zg4KALQ/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20206.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE6c0tGsvhPOCcyF2EOzar1vbdIm-KNTFhLUE7DjikraCzoBelWgsdVRpeIqqDiu5LpClP_ac1nCtnTwy2ZmgMjN5bD-M1BW9XskdJOYeZsjX1oRc0WD0WA2RAyX_I8CsHPLYVNuFah-NHIIVyQLJOFmoyd_f1yoZQqESyts0qi_Bg3MHN_8Zg4KALQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20206.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Lowell</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnHhfz7exkioqpEZQj7P4I1aXgE8eu7vEmv9OcEklxKEMhRWo79qslC_P3W_Iml1i2QMITbWiEEXdAespIeQkuQ4LfqBMmduL6g7_pnEP0cm2hFEleHS84nY8MzLoi5_dYS5N4SzpEV9uH75RT6kV8yGPdZEiNS4a-Nb3QQir2F5oZ-Btpp0vEuEdyg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnHhfz7exkioqpEZQj7P4I1aXgE8eu7vEmv9OcEklxKEMhRWo79qslC_P3W_Iml1i2QMITbWiEEXdAespIeQkuQ4LfqBMmduL6g7_pnEP0cm2hFEleHS84nY8MzLoi5_dYS5N4SzpEV9uH75RT6kV8yGPdZEiNS4a-Nb3QQir2F5oZ-Btpp0vEuEdyg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20205.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vose Spur</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNS10p0s-lmUcQ7FNXOAQGEmLhaqjGvJjVZUWHLQgZWBIbR2fhXm8vlaJA4Ax70-32iM9M4s_EOOEU_GUxhovBU3QeGWPcgD5oFsIJ1DjxgSqgUNpP1um4fTqrr9vPx37arczYZ-H1wTPoYUdZiSEFbikaxorLh6te8ngSBBDHuecx1O_ITpXeVemQQ/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20204.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNS10p0s-lmUcQ7FNXOAQGEmLhaqjGvJjVZUWHLQgZWBIbR2fhXm8vlaJA4Ax70-32iM9M4s_EOOEU_GUxhovBU3QeGWPcgD5oFsIJ1DjxgSqgUNpP1um4fTqrr9vPx37arczYZ-H1wTPoYUdZiSEFbikaxorLh6te8ngSBBDHuecx1O_ITpXeVemQQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20204.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open terrain on the descent</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSpYxaBrmvsVDYJIPKIc2r4spVPF-L-LRcAXp2T6mpAjF10G2lrrwNSFzbk35_ZTCmGgxKHDDcpntU1lH3eeT4iXgDjsbG_5NZB8rdgYz9A2f_XcuJUqjhdkn7TY5S5CQ8QZEB8HdiRWhZ9iLgkfVcUZ8WbkPmXr3u7iKvleXL1orub5mUevnFSW7Vg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20116.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSpYxaBrmvsVDYJIPKIc2r4spVPF-L-LRcAXp2T6mpAjF10G2lrrwNSFzbk35_ZTCmGgxKHDDcpntU1lH3eeT4iXgDjsbG_5NZB8rdgYz9A2f_XcuJUqjhdkn7TY5S5CQ8QZEB8HdiRWhZ9iLgkfVcUZ8WbkPmXr3u7iKvleXL1orub5mUevnFSW7Vg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at Carrigain with the <br />tower visible</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>To cut off several miles, I planned on following an old forest road lower on the mountain. On some maps the road is more prominent than others. My AMC map showed it, though less obviously than a Caltopo map I referenced before the trip. When I reached the appropriate spot on the trail I found a brushed over road. Following it a short distance, I came to the conclusion it was and old section of the Signal Ridge Trail that has since been relocated. It wasn't following the right direction and immediately crossed several creeks. I returned to the main trail and soon found another spur that looked more like my route.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVl-PZFEQ0hGToAqptAj58U7zguz6pZ8KoqS4armXYx2GQzsGdeUwUwyDilH1j038diTsSnvGzHkv2azXB-JKf5Bk3bOTO-yz0QpTF9ndXw7LLMS9XM8zTFDDHKspl0Nwi5euPPFLyso-pAKlmj74MM3mUEHz5e127OJ253SejRspuHC7iARmu6qQeQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20117.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVl-PZFEQ0hGToAqptAj58U7zguz6pZ8KoqS4armXYx2GQzsGdeUwUwyDilH1j038diTsSnvGzHkv2azXB-JKf5Bk3bOTO-yz0QpTF9ndXw7LLMS9XM8zTFDDHKspl0Nwi5euPPFLyso-pAKlmj74MM3mUEHz5e127OJ253SejRspuHC7iARmu6qQeQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20117.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the road is visible</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>At first the road appeared obvious, but it quickly became overgrown. Generally, I would call it a herd path at best. A faint tread could be seen as it traveled through brushy, young hardwood saplings. At times the tread disappeared and it became a true bushwhack. To be safe I took out my compass and got a bearing. The most obvious indicator of the route was the canopy was clearly lower where the road once traveled compared to the surrounding forest. This route traveled about 1.6 miles and changed from herd path to bushwhack much of the time, with an occasional short stretch actually resembling a road. Finally the trail dumped me out on Sawyer River Road where I was hoping to end up. My last obstacle was a shallow creek crossing that could be step stoned across. Unfortunately I slipped on a wet rock submerging my feet once again for the day. I wouldn't recommend this route if you are only comfortable following a perfectly defined trail.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkW7DO0IsQhRJoGIBmRKHCq-R3mJt9dd0Bf53NqHVZ0QsimodxW4nchciZ9TpIx6ch5VPSWwqTUspny0kUjzNz9KpKMQYAs4ByA60129dRELQaR2h-QLbrUZ6AMF3RPqoQgUaDWo7UAGJxH_reVU_E__7QhzK43fWJxu4yjWwWrEPCA18yfATbcK3O4A/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkW7DO0IsQhRJoGIBmRKHCq-R3mJt9dd0Bf53NqHVZ0QsimodxW4nchciZ9TpIx6ch5VPSWwqTUspny0kUjzNz9KpKMQYAs4ByA60129dRELQaR2h-QLbrUZ6AMF3RPqoQgUaDWo7UAGJxH_reVU_E__7QhzK43fWJxu4yjWwWrEPCA18yfATbcK3O4A/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20118.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faint path in the brush</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AZQqT4jj8yu20CYAlzBn3yoHtZaYnsQjkDMNK-qMbG5AYm6I_XU2b5kF4He2zFjjUjYxacMNojrHqcx_PYEYr8LRswno6gPDdTpB6H-PsqWAOO9L7c4UqLoEJX3KnFGBD8ejUF1jr4oznW79tVvgwho4a4I7YMCT8CJeWpPG-rycHlykWMsX6NF5aA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20119.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AZQqT4jj8yu20CYAlzBn3yoHtZaYnsQjkDMNK-qMbG5AYm6I_XU2b5kF4He2zFjjUjYxacMNojrHqcx_PYEYr8LRswno6gPDdTpB6H-PsqWAOO9L7c4UqLoEJX3KnFGBD8ejUF1jr4oznW79tVvgwho4a4I7YMCT8CJeWpPG-rycHlykWMsX6NF5aA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20119.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost road-like here</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYYyAovOQPyt2n3cwt-25TeamImsbzC_F5NFyv1WSqEKAclgWC_TgOu55jivOkKtYuTDOYWvXTfcWIiHzByM8uElcwnisvyLkJFaioQil6FA5TXpGm8my8q7-GBvDpvhOmdZ2mGUMq57QJPMJ4ml5z-7HGgJnLIrh_q8JxQwDgQAfDwqcBttKIb4RIA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYYyAovOQPyt2n3cwt-25TeamImsbzC_F5NFyv1WSqEKAclgWC_TgOu55jivOkKtYuTDOYWvXTfcWIiHzByM8uElcwnisvyLkJFaioQil6FA5TXpGm8my8q7-GBvDpvhOmdZ2mGUMq57QJPMJ4ml5z-7HGgJnLIrh_q8JxQwDgQAfDwqcBttKIb4RIA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20120.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not much of a discernable path</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I followed the Sawyer River Road about .3 miles to the start of the Sawyer Pond Trail. The Sawyer Pond Trail runs about 6 miles to the Kancamagus Highway. About 1.5 miles into the trail, it reaches Sawyer Pond, which is the last official campsite for a while. It was pretty early and I wasn't ready to stop at Sawyer Pond for the night. I did stop at the pond to enjoy the scenery from the shoreline of the surrounding low mountains.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYsHcSEhJxxgKCmv00Jut1CPoKzCmk_7kzu5zOCsQ2Z54HbM3l50oEgw1V7TGCCiFPZ_pwwDPgoi1YHrfUUHKTXkD6DALloK5ldRdccSHaQSzO6MwoTK0gWM_IUnyHLoe40FPzInnj-MNuyo_mFMdM1xz4v5FE9_NTBVf9icbEVcXNYc4r-XKIVNJHQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20121.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYsHcSEhJxxgKCmv00Jut1CPoKzCmk_7kzu5zOCsQ2Z54HbM3l50oEgw1V7TGCCiFPZ_pwwDPgoi1YHrfUUHKTXkD6DALloK5ldRdccSHaQSzO6MwoTK0gWM_IUnyHLoe40FPzInnj-MNuyo_mFMdM1xz4v5FE9_NTBVf9icbEVcXNYc4r-XKIVNJHQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20121.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sawyer River Road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU0a19Uqomd525RCGGPLPQCYLoWgf5xl4SlDSYZgk4r6oJ1x7dxTCXepGXoT6oFwzjM-dc5AwrPX-doT_7CWHj2OgGvDCXiT6xYMTj1Q-oj7rrFIbNa6QhjeEp2gR_W2Qmclr00vaATSA96dCHEEYiCpBfwXk91qq6p9GJJw4cf7Nuptm-93flxApWQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20122.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU0a19Uqomd525RCGGPLPQCYLoWgf5xl4SlDSYZgk4r6oJ1x7dxTCXepGXoT6oFwzjM-dc5AwrPX-doT_7CWHj2OgGvDCXiT6xYMTj1Q-oj7rrFIbNa6QhjeEp2gR_W2Qmclr00vaATSA96dCHEEYiCpBfwXk91qq6p9GJJw4cf7Nuptm-93flxApWQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20122.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Sawyer Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGkDpCFUYgn4lhWxwmqieS8CsQLrYpW9odbOGlhdde1P1gUk2lUcD8LRjoeAnda9HeZJdqqRx1TfiW53UxTD1o_jIggeGLBMPRna8Z3t12qLVYIkqLY1c8TKF5rF3A9o-s_bs40I4U1kFUklukx5mMUNI6XzPDfSdnsEMp24kPWMacU7VOkuZuURddw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGkDpCFUYgn4lhWxwmqieS8CsQLrYpW9odbOGlhdde1P1gUk2lUcD8LRjoeAnda9HeZJdqqRx1TfiW53UxTD1o_jIggeGLBMPRna8Z3t12qLVYIkqLY1c8TKF5rF3A9o-s_bs40I4U1kFUklukx5mMUNI6XzPDfSdnsEMp24kPWMacU7VOkuZuURddw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20123.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over the Sawyer River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyd6JnzSDeA2jKj9SAqQSpL9KtctyYd3VDrul7oUszkM8LmwzzE4IMF-2Z9rMmettN7mt-jx8ioLbg1pHR5eGAW8rEq6KW3IgzOAqWpH_fjqq4NoGy9YEwteCIvfmfMo3BDgbitIu3bqjXVwXP_HHyYRzpuP0pxYUS8PUNqXQsmHKFU_nJ_FCdKd1Gg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20124.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyd6JnzSDeA2jKj9SAqQSpL9KtctyYd3VDrul7oUszkM8LmwzzE4IMF-2Z9rMmettN7mt-jx8ioLbg1pHR5eGAW8rEq6KW3IgzOAqWpH_fjqq4NoGy9YEwteCIvfmfMo3BDgbitIu3bqjXVwXP_HHyYRzpuP0pxYUS8PUNqXQsmHKFU_nJ_FCdKd1Gg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20124.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sawyer River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uISJ0VV0tVNinaQ1dgPW1LrSeuSxxqq9tGrUfant41gVO7SUdd5Tj5ZPr20HNy9NGhVUPxZQNtsZebbwzN61Y3EJC5NLEU6yu6YbEtIExlCMdKkTaeZRbNVmSYd8dLK-8J4V_gXjU3vf6eOs-PPeZHG5HV2w_F5hvj0hQ5rt39ZLv-W_1GisNyiUSA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uISJ0VV0tVNinaQ1dgPW1LrSeuSxxqq9tGrUfant41gVO7SUdd5Tj5ZPr20HNy9NGhVUPxZQNtsZebbwzN61Y3EJC5NLEU6yu6YbEtIExlCMdKkTaeZRbNVmSYd8dLK-8J4V_gXjU3vf6eOs-PPeZHG5HV2w_F5hvj0hQ5rt39ZLv-W_1GisNyiUSA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20125.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascade along the Sawyer Pond Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU-jBMyzlIoamRqSJ3sQOMk33eHXUENJxqTX7T_YL_3wSnb7-HE2k3G4EANjJ54eOKy493k5k7jo_5PlSeJE-f6Mrww8BBqQKb0ptE1nTBGiGjZIEMVfUQjpyXgXcD__DKxsTbaY4AMFI5sSFkiHwfm894_3ioKLjC0dX5jIt6ViIpubYPgvaKoDVjg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU-jBMyzlIoamRqSJ3sQOMk33eHXUENJxqTX7T_YL_3wSnb7-HE2k3G4EANjJ54eOKy493k5k7jo_5PlSeJE-f6Mrww8BBqQKb0ptE1nTBGiGjZIEMVfUQjpyXgXcD__DKxsTbaY4AMFI5sSFkiHwfm894_3ioKLjC0dX5jIt6ViIpubYPgvaKoDVjg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20203.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sawyer Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The terrain on the Sawyer Pond Trail allowed for good mileage as it traveled on mostly flat terrain. I had plenty of energy and daylight. From the Pond it was less than 5 miles to the Kancamagus Highway. The highway would put me at just over 20 miles on the day. I set a time in my head, if I reach the road by 4PM, I'd hike the extra 5 or so miles to the Camp Rich tentsite near Mt Passaconway. If it was after 4, I'd find a spot near the road crossing. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuaJnGl0fc0F6OFl93NPMOm-iiBqlXUqZLTxSPsykgHkpJbAeSaY5nrxPwmV6n5KMvH-bOk4124PGSuLI6uDVaoow02Jvtbf7qd6bfvZvBJn7OkpTLMrX5VeRuM8p5OheDIAtiDqJSeHJirBFNpATYaioDstiUvlAygs-ylsw8TNijLZL121uE1rIpA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20129.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuaJnGl0fc0F6OFl93NPMOm-iiBqlXUqZLTxSPsykgHkpJbAeSaY5nrxPwmV6n5KMvH-bOk4124PGSuLI6uDVaoow02Jvtbf7qd6bfvZvBJn7OkpTLMrX5VeRuM8p5OheDIAtiDqJSeHJirBFNpATYaioDstiUvlAygs-ylsw8TNijLZL121uE1rIpA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20129.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentle trail on old woods road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2fE4p_iU4DN_rh_aw4lPsRDE-uP5XfFHwPYHqrKmYr0I_eK7uGPidMpQomiJyXcxyTbehoNoizpMnFUyg4XIo2awTrWw1u0UICsTEJCJ8-ae229c2MbAVo-zA4GXo66A3hM4QjgexrrdBtTKOo6KUJ1idOXd3SudPw4novAwK6CfsANSeezzjfj5AQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2fE4p_iU4DN_rh_aw4lPsRDE-uP5XfFHwPYHqrKmYr0I_eK7uGPidMpQomiJyXcxyTbehoNoizpMnFUyg4XIo2awTrWw1u0UICsTEJCJ8-ae229c2MbAVo-zA4GXo66A3hM4QjgexrrdBtTKOo6KUJ1idOXd3SudPw4novAwK6CfsANSeezzjfj5AQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20130.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting trees</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Just before the highway, the trail crosses the Swift River. I arrived here about 350PM, I guess I was off to Camp Rich. The Swift River was the deepest water crossing on my route. I took off my shoes to cross the eight or so inch deep water. I took a break for a few minutes before I continued.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKS28d3wxFEpua5rs0li-stO_7A9YZDpJYrV3pSbawRBbGCK9QTGAXK1nMLaoPkd9ot_5esXJPh3bMSCW_lTf5sso7jFJWfVnEqz4zV0qSdOoxSXmAfz_3oyiSmHtRwpTQGE97IX3WV-fyOVRbScnxRl15RUtVhnWDPyhKERJIAKB1na851j53tfHjw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20131.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKS28d3wxFEpua5rs0li-stO_7A9YZDpJYrV3pSbawRBbGCK9QTGAXK1nMLaoPkd9ot_5esXJPh3bMSCW_lTf5sso7jFJWfVnEqz4zV0qSdOoxSXmAfz_3oyiSmHtRwpTQGE97IX3WV-fyOVRbScnxRl15RUtVhnWDPyhKERJIAKB1na851j53tfHjw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20131.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swift River ford</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From the end of the Sawyer Pond Trail, a 1/4 mile or so road walk along the Kancamagus brings you to the start of the Oliverian Brook Trail. I followed Oliverian Brook to the Passaconway Cutoff Trail. From the road to the top of Mt Passaconway, the route travels about 5 miles and gains about 2,800'. I was surprised at how docile the terrain was, particularly along the pretty Oliverian Brook Trail. Along this stretch the route enters the Sandwich Range Wilderness.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh2yfQRVfiHgpOh1IxLhv-OrhAVLL9KzElPsjJ5MPMKcbM__lVK4UmEHuwE_aL_AqpUbZHIlAKzLPanwu5Jhq9laFadRUICs6dkgaOaFo8lPTvcSBk198lfE7MzF_DahPr_Tot3kTf-t16zBG2UoSKYuHa5vgKpwYREhFwZjOnyZLd9yGW6lFp5xP-A/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20132.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh2yfQRVfiHgpOh1IxLhv-OrhAVLL9KzElPsjJ5MPMKcbM__lVK4UmEHuwE_aL_AqpUbZHIlAKzLPanwu5Jhq9laFadRUICs6dkgaOaFo8lPTvcSBk198lfE7MzF_DahPr_Tot3kTf-t16zBG2UoSKYuHa5vgKpwYREhFwZjOnyZLd9yGW6lFp5xP-A/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20132.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the Kancamagus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJFlXA-m7RiB3Ye1uzq_iTHAI4OdukQe3o9lRytrhAmUryloC49zzItSKUNJZZEQNbJeM2HTxhaFYzb9TqAjP23_v9uf5oCGj00ImTRnWcbRbhGV1ZaFDYPzoGM1xErnshttu2oWPgGWYYpJ81WeGKaHfMAh_s8hBZHkZNjN78T8D62x_fgz4tnP8Lw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20133.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJFlXA-m7RiB3Ye1uzq_iTHAI4OdukQe3o9lRytrhAmUryloC49zzItSKUNJZZEQNbJeM2HTxhaFYzb9TqAjP23_v9uf5oCGj00ImTRnWcbRbhGV1ZaFDYPzoGM1xErnshttu2oWPgGWYYpJ81WeGKaHfMAh_s8hBZHkZNjN78T8D62x_fgz4tnP8Lw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oliverian Brook Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRsrKKY7GdNlcywn3PVv6MC_NeBym6-2iZjoJX8oh_ALFgVu0zazMttZBLpZxfp33tvWOHNaP_dbi0EXSMuc8iEWDU5EKFbZqYV6j41NWyzsg8VZRGX5QJrTAeVeCsdBhEIBoQx9HW2ORq0N7fsllVZlVOK0hMBiKiP_aNuz0z4qchUX6nRNsRr2Ofw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRsrKKY7GdNlcywn3PVv6MC_NeBym6-2iZjoJX8oh_ALFgVu0zazMttZBLpZxfp33tvWOHNaP_dbi0EXSMuc8iEWDU5EKFbZqYV6j41NWyzsg8VZRGX5QJrTAeVeCsdBhEIBoQx9HW2ORq0N7fsllVZlVOK0hMBiKiP_aNuz0z4qchUX6nRNsRr2Ofw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20135.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Sandwich Range Wilderness</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After about 3.6 miles, I turned onto the Square Ledge Trail and the docile terrain became rough quickly. At this point the route climbs relentlessly as it makes its way toward Passaconway. A 1.3 mile loop goes over Passaconway. My plan was to bypass Passaconway to set up camp and climb it first thing in the morning. As I reached the junction for the loop, I still had a decent amount of light and decided to hit the summit and possibly catch a pretty sky as the sun began to set. The campsite was only .6 miles, all downhill, from the summit.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdM-HlHZQUUL_iP9gPy9TEc95Aj_FemxHuFLGtMSXUgWcTmX4T9NUW92-wkCvKc-TqYT0ABgthoUTx1LHDjJmDmUIUE6wTr3Tdalav3Cn8F3bQOfUQwnSgM7qZ2CntWuymygA1LPesUSjYF0l5IQAIwMZkDmoLa0hZ983fxOzKcqSliw4ErRrKmXw6Q/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdM-HlHZQUUL_iP9gPy9TEc95Aj_FemxHuFLGtMSXUgWcTmX4T9NUW92-wkCvKc-TqYT0ABgthoUTx1LHDjJmDmUIUE6wTr3Tdalav3Cn8F3bQOfUQwnSgM7qZ2CntWuymygA1LPesUSjYF0l5IQAIwMZkDmoLa0hZ983fxOzKcqSliw4ErRrKmXw6Q/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20200.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiteface</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NV9_VG8QRb473epol82bg7bthFgcyLyPTXkQRljPGaQKTPAzNrd4qmXpskV4u9tlvaEKjxhFhocUg2Pw1MBw864JyTPBy8jEBm141Zncmt5CWt3zmC5kPOI6R3iHObkssvDVke_yga0nxUJLmaz7vVCfa0MVb-1KoO4Km-GoYEW1WBg0DXqSpJSRaQ/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NV9_VG8QRb473epol82bg7bthFgcyLyPTXkQRljPGaQKTPAzNrd4qmXpskV4u9tlvaEKjxhFhocUg2Pw1MBw864JyTPBy8jEBm141Zncmt5CWt3zmC5kPOI6R3iHObkssvDVke_yga0nxUJLmaz7vVCfa0MVb-1KoO4Km-GoYEW1WBg0DXqSpJSRaQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lake District in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I headed up the east loop of Passaconway, which travels about .7 miles to the summit. The climbing was still relentless. The difficulty was compounded by the 25 or so miles I had hiked for the day already. It was fairly humid and I was drenched in sweat. I passed a couple of ledges with views and finally topped out near the summit. I knew of a summit view spur near the summit and followed it. It seemed to have dropped a fair amount of elevation to get the view over .3 miles. .3 miles may not sound like much but I was tired and hungry. While the view is good, it looked north and didn't really capture the setting sun.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6kJpdtw4bo4TWrr5afp4kbqiCiw392Az610JrKM-BRd9gR_LLFD-rNqN0llQn7wP27kUdJTIy7GuxrTvfBlpanZJqUdm2Rg5i5ZOvq4zXO6BhpEXE9a7-C5IwOM8hjMmM1oYvUWRn_5qzUW8QuL5_g_QZZXmQTQGUZOCWF-BpGCbsg-PkZdz03ntvA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20170.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6kJpdtw4bo4TWrr5afp4kbqiCiw392Az610JrKM-BRd9gR_LLFD-rNqN0llQn7wP27kUdJTIy7GuxrTvfBlpanZJqUdm2Rg5i5ZOvq4zXO6BhpEXE9a7-C5IwOM8hjMmM1oYvUWRn_5qzUW8QuL5_g_QZZXmQTQGUZOCWF-BpGCbsg-PkZdz03ntvA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20170.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North from Passaconway with Carrigain in the center</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4PtYsDEpYI4v7jbcmcYuCPs3Rqbo18fydIhIqZYtwywxcrvGMbTgn1KKp13yESFwP79BrSLfUK6TXx0QN2XCAsOI6LfFKn-WMN_RtGfjC3SJS-EHNcgvUv7W66ja9kQCLjdui26pvr5HJfv1FDabozLDUnhMHUhD-uc0ijjN3W8a8TIE1uMLKnV5XA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20171.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4PtYsDEpYI4v7jbcmcYuCPs3Rqbo18fydIhIqZYtwywxcrvGMbTgn1KKp13yESFwP79BrSLfUK6TXx0QN2XCAsOI6LfFKn-WMN_RtGfjC3SJS-EHNcgvUv7W66ja9kQCLjdui26pvr5HJfv1FDabozLDUnhMHUhD-uc0ijjN3W8a8TIE1uMLKnV5XA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20171.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocorua</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8LluQRuC_MJM5gPAeeVcP0LQDE4q7XYhKAhwsXacF9hUGv3WXGo63z_pSRPy5SBnWZfimdmlLmPKD8dVMs_JMI1B7bz4YwSS97wS0xg0VAqukEN9rxjHHegjBz8UR3I_R9nqHOavT9vaouoAAZ3pZLdfibQXkR2TONm7waExxxesAatAONnMhHgqNg/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20198.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8LluQRuC_MJM5gPAeeVcP0LQDE4q7XYhKAhwsXacF9hUGv3WXGo63z_pSRPy5SBnWZfimdmlLmPKD8dVMs_JMI1B7bz4YwSS97wS0xg0VAqukEN9rxjHHegjBz8UR3I_R9nqHOavT9vaouoAAZ3pZLdfibQXkR2TONm7waExxxesAatAONnMhHgqNg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20198.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Washington in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I trudged back to the loop. I followed a short spur to the summit proper before descending to the campsite. A few more ledges offered views toward Whiteface and the Lake District to the south. I arrived at the tentsite right around 7PM after covering more than a marathon distance for the day, 26.6 miles not including any side trips. I originally didn't plan on such a long day, but I knew I would wrap up my hike tomorrow at a reasonable time and get home with enough time to wind down before working the following day.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxsTJftV04-ZTphFGaPlVxbMxzzeCGNn2n9RUxPgd3IU9WwZ-vkY51SHzhz-51AYUfOb4OoGwixLIXmJImzzAZ-dlHhxrBTRD-FgzdO3hewNGruS8ITkj4th0TfRQhFpaCyjucAAx2W-RyJzgmcrhBtSpJ_OvbL5WqGnNDfYedFO8U_JM4NiYy3QzQw/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20199.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxsTJftV04-ZTphFGaPlVxbMxzzeCGNn2n9RUxPgd3IU9WwZ-vkY51SHzhz-51AYUfOb4OoGwixLIXmJImzzAZ-dlHhxrBTRD-FgzdO3hewNGruS8ITkj4th0TfRQhFpaCyjucAAx2W-RyJzgmcrhBtSpJ_OvbL5WqGnNDfYedFO8U_JM4NiYy3QzQw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20199.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the Bowl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Camp Rich sits pretty high at roughly 3,500-3,600' or so. After gushing sweat on the climb, I was quite chilly. I put on my fleece shirt, jacket, and the legs on my shorts while I set up camp and prepared my dinner. Given the campsites high location, I even had cell service and called home to let Puma know was alive and my location. I was actually surprised nobody else was at the campsite on a Friday since it sits between two 4,000' mountains. I had absolutely no difficulty sleeping after the high mileage day.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 4</b></div><div><b>Camp Rich Tentsite- Waterville Valley</b></div><div><b>12.4 Miles</b></div><div><br /></div><div>My final morning, I was on the trail about 730AM. The weather was fairly clear, albeit hazy and humid. Despite having three more 4,000' peaks ahead of me, my higher elevation start meant that I had no major climbs for the day. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7rpdrX8nvrEV6mniDCzFT5pgSQYQGhmqsZ17CBLZoRKZHVOSxdVghYd7ndmTSkVEzRn24OhrPpheZEjAYIDt4t6cquOjJXRZHFWZrtVy7jFclki1CI0l3ogipbZAfCMIH41X_wuMvLoffvh6prPBeOc6nBuIvJvdPdrXsO11nNXUxM7EaC19i2Q1vw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20141.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7rpdrX8nvrEV6mniDCzFT5pgSQYQGhmqsZ17CBLZoRKZHVOSxdVghYd7ndmTSkVEzRn24OhrPpheZEjAYIDt4t6cquOjJXRZHFWZrtVy7jFclki1CI0l3ogipbZAfCMIH41X_wuMvLoffvh6prPBeOc6nBuIvJvdPdrXsO11nNXUxM7EaC19i2Q1vw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiteface in the morning sun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>My first peak of the day was 4,020' Whiteface. I reached Whiteface pretty quickly since I didn't climb from the valley and it stood less than three miles from my campsite. Despite a few hazy views from ledges along the way, you wouldn't know you reached the summit except for a small cairn. The summit is heavily treed.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHqveWL7Q49QKB5ayn0FhBcQgUqxOD4WPDIonqvreqAjxSelCMnALmndWBMcCq1nwMqwI3nLE4RbXYg5Ar7cq_K0B3ocb1Wg55UDcD9HPHGTtxzwTn5TA2yPUJJHBYLrmmRXWiEBv0Rpo1c-5dNmnj1ytBO-DrlADGq1gRja6HK1kilU2SQpl3KwuqA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20197.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHqveWL7Q49QKB5ayn0FhBcQgUqxOD4WPDIonqvreqAjxSelCMnALmndWBMcCq1nwMqwI3nLE4RbXYg5Ar7cq_K0B3ocb1Wg55UDcD9HPHGTtxzwTn5TA2yPUJJHBYLrmmRXWiEBv0Rpo1c-5dNmnj1ytBO-DrlADGq1gRja6HK1kilU2SQpl3KwuqA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20197.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passaconway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9V59mTQ4MsNwbuHI1L8tUOmXP2Yv3lPRE8TlUJMcVKlxJf5QcQbnl8ehkdYsYij-Oj2S6pYEsxsOemNvWWrvVZXJc9wsXot_mGzO4MDTNX5tS30KbmUfgcUk8EWwUEwEtCe6XuE15uCy7ADQZe4oYvtVk0xkSZoohWLpiUYIr8VZgRrr4SEvJNMCJA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20169.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9V59mTQ4MsNwbuHI1L8tUOmXP2Yv3lPRE8TlUJMcVKlxJf5QcQbnl8ehkdYsYij-Oj2S6pYEsxsOemNvWWrvVZXJc9wsXot_mGzO4MDTNX5tS30KbmUfgcUk8EWwUEwEtCe6XuE15uCy7ADQZe4oYvtVk0xkSZoohWLpiUYIr8VZgRrr4SEvJNMCJA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20169.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog over the Lakes District</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4MawB6MX7HkFiPlr1iY6pTs3vnrOlqbZxaOcFSzRvU9mbzbp7w4rLVHR4VXZX_iO7nkiJXrtLU3qdoXbRjBC7Z6Rnk0FBlyNAgGB3DBEtvAivCW9sKwqTxdeO-u3npGYjvIzRyazgGX4FITfKPHRSnkj2Ocq5OwzlpkDLn4EAYZIy57RV_DevLzqAw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4MawB6MX7HkFiPlr1iY6pTs3vnrOlqbZxaOcFSzRvU9mbzbp7w4rLVHR4VXZX_iO7nkiJXrtLU3qdoXbRjBC7Z6Rnk0FBlyNAgGB3DBEtvAivCW9sKwqTxdeO-u3npGYjvIzRyazgGX4FITfKPHRSnkj2Ocq5OwzlpkDLn4EAYZIy57RV_DevLzqAw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20144.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty high elevation forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnMheu5OMSA6Mw3svVC4HeZdFufXtph1gPTSzIIN4JDQ-YZSctd_DYftohMC21Zap_Vrdz5J7cgNUKzLGqkvRwgaa_10loKRkIOC2IsdArQl7RqRa6xfxoGY33AwqeNSk1QtLGHmVdzqhmdFSOD-D-SbsMOPxjGyI03XtCTuYBiTto6LItAP0gkUfKg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnMheu5OMSA6Mw3svVC4HeZdFufXtph1gPTSzIIN4JDQ-YZSctd_DYftohMC21Zap_Vrdz5J7cgNUKzLGqkvRwgaa_10loKRkIOC2IsdArQl7RqRa6xfxoGY33AwqeNSk1QtLGHmVdzqhmdFSOD-D-SbsMOPxjGyI03XtCTuYBiTto6LItAP0gkUfKg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20145.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lackluster summit of Whiteface</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>My next trail was the Kate Sleeper Trail, which sits just a couple tenths of a mile below Whiteface. Before setting off on the Sleeper Trail, I headed a short distance beyond the junction to a large, open rock ledge that provided pretty impressive views toward the south and east. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZm_SQpPJTGKNctUqJh4qtWEEs7kEa7wpy4uNk1EXY1YNHpm0Tii4JzZBCIVbHuJyIzUoQJlBHmJVdIgc16Lul8ob-iHCI21AoNKbj-su6GagJOIN781lI6TWKg-GUkg3RtfF2wvscYbQH5PEfAsqr5rOItMoBqk4eZ54woKrwDDcmaoPvMPdMEWBZw/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20195.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZm_SQpPJTGKNctUqJh4qtWEEs7kEa7wpy4uNk1EXY1YNHpm0Tii4JzZBCIVbHuJyIzUoQJlBHmJVdIgc16Lul8ob-iHCI21AoNKbj-su6GagJOIN781lI6TWKg-GUkg3RtfF2wvscYbQH5PEfAsqr5rOItMoBqk4eZ54woKrwDDcmaoPvMPdMEWBZw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20195.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from ledges just south <br />of Whiteface</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYdp-znA5omUwwqUlQ6NKGvFosWpmfHJItO1qJiSxCfQmwMJUzqGpDrUH7-UHyZEcvyJnTrzyaZ9jESYz5bHhjP1pywJtMffl5dh-Tl7ke-zkKzziIAYWv8wCeQL7YaU33TfQVeIugCz7cVS9hvCK6yN0U7_l4W3FUEqxqM9MUDwu_9T3UMi6Js4mDw/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20168.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYdp-znA5omUwwqUlQ6NKGvFosWpmfHJItO1qJiSxCfQmwMJUzqGpDrUH7-UHyZEcvyJnTrzyaZ9jESYz5bHhjP1pywJtMffl5dh-Tl7ke-zkKzziIAYWv8wCeQL7YaU33TfQVeIugCz7cVS9hvCK6yN0U7_l4W3FUEqxqM9MUDwu_9T3UMi6Js4mDw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20168.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the lakes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Back on the Sleeper Trail, I continued west toward the Tripyramids. Compared to the trail between Passaconway and Whiteface, the Sleeper Trail appeared far less used. After an initial descent, the Sleeper Trail climbs modestly toward East and West Sleeper Mountains. Along the way the trail travels through wet areas as well as brushy vegetation. The brushy vegetation consists of thorny raspberries which are quite scratchy on the legs. I was surprised to see a few ripe berries on the plants this late in the season. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx059RuE4bq8X7_g7vdGAvgOW4araGSVqssDAVndBvtRQQRj0HxSejtYSKxtWrDYKHdA31uSPdYvwoq955NfLZn_wHf-49AoIFwy_RHRFo_ZjpEMopG4tiuXUEN3bli7tmtf0qnhFmLP9_wNVuoH7_0DB--G7818l5UCBkUbU5FXKWTt1oqCJSXgdOw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20146.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx059RuE4bq8X7_g7vdGAvgOW4araGSVqssDAVndBvtRQQRj0HxSejtYSKxtWrDYKHdA31uSPdYvwoq955NfLZn_wHf-49AoIFwy_RHRFo_ZjpEMopG4tiuXUEN3bli7tmtf0qnhFmLP9_wNVuoH7_0DB--G7818l5UCBkUbU5FXKWTt1oqCJSXgdOw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20146.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Sleeper Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIekZYqYOx7x969iQf3gqxZKRXXt_iKDwtn6T7QeQ-jVfgx6tKzkYD8FFjY-LUDbk1up3__BOiZbU7u1kIOJlb7eRWpIcnjDPx7EKrJlSARYSjJbMwhPxnRc4sCsMAS6Y3s3KVGi9-sgHm5ajKKhHGEHTjoNJzoFzDBRNyhW5xIV-G81X7BzBSeK1OgQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20150.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIekZYqYOx7x969iQf3gqxZKRXXt_iKDwtn6T7QeQ-jVfgx6tKzkYD8FFjY-LUDbk1up3__BOiZbU7u1kIOJlb7eRWpIcnjDPx7EKrJlSARYSjJbMwhPxnRc4sCsMAS6Y3s3KVGi9-sgHm5ajKKhHGEHTjoNJzoFzDBRNyhW5xIV-G81X7BzBSeK1OgQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20150.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late season berries</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I took an unmarked side trail that led a short distance to 3,840' East Sleeper Mountain. East Sleeper stands high enough to rank as number 86 on New England's 100 Highest List. Despite this designation and elevation, the summit is viewless and the short spur to it brushy and scratchy. Not far beyond East Sleeper, the Sleeper Trail climbs over the slightly higher, 3,881' West Sleeper Mountain. Despite its higher elevation, West Sleeper doesn't have enough prominence to be a ranked peak. West Sleeper offers nothing in the way of views.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk21FYiuV8TooqFBUSX6YmbP1ZLgYk5GHbdmaLvdg-jWdlIjw-77aOAqfZiswYU9MHsDjkGeQ2PlMxEqxlcIT7JkzsyhOzeeMkka_yKQKBxEfcc2Viy-KI5eZ7rm9blNEyBZLYEMH80AEsljj6h0drcMVu6DVpFwDFNjLgxG1h5ubKc_Jcc8F9w5aIyg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20151.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk21FYiuV8TooqFBUSX6YmbP1ZLgYk5GHbdmaLvdg-jWdlIjw-77aOAqfZiswYU9MHsDjkGeQ2PlMxEqxlcIT7JkzsyhOzeeMkka_yKQKBxEfcc2Viy-KI5eZ7rm9blNEyBZLYEMH80AEsljj6h0drcMVu6DVpFwDFNjLgxG1h5ubKc_Jcc8F9w5aIyg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20151.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lackluster summit of East Sleeper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOtzlTFABrIFAewkg2-hcYPsz7sXQP-MbVTezcFchfW3_JwbaXjpJDIOb2LHXaT6yNGqtx5syTXGcYiK6hhRzcuJrP87rc-93SEZHjCiA4h6Zw6x2LwLXCv4DXKM-qc3Ny64AtRQoIGsTGQS08caMl6CGTV0RVIHao5KeNSr6YZyLI4Mv7wB-lTAewA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOtzlTFABrIFAewkg2-hcYPsz7sXQP-MbVTezcFchfW3_JwbaXjpJDIOb2LHXaT6yNGqtx5syTXGcYiK6hhRzcuJrP87rc-93SEZHjCiA4h6Zw6x2LwLXCv4DXKM-qc3Ny64AtRQoIGsTGQS08caMl6CGTV0RVIHao5KeNSr6YZyLI4Mv7wB-lTAewA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20152.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open trail between the Sleepers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Beyond West Sleeper, the Sleeper Trail drops as it approaches the South Tripyramid. Near its end, the trail dumps out onto the South Tripyramid Slide and the Mt. Tripyramid Trail. The trail climbs steeply up the slide following blazes and cairns. Nice views from the slide make the challenging section worth the effort. The Mt. Tripyraid Trail follows a popular loop. Since it was a nice Saturday morning, I saw a steady flow of people the rest of the day.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ONiojikftRsAXZCsAEzmG4ZqlSTxv28Rcgspnp931ax93S_yZLId1w037dM_KB_mjvghy5e61vvcW8zV5qwGlttHNUyfHwt_BgcGN56VUBZWQhmUalv7hg1GrGRCghjmqFIaIk0P0tiky-vzQfDv8LY4myFLdbwVf1QFteVdTWR79ql021WGV_Vhxg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20153.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ONiojikftRsAXZCsAEzmG4ZqlSTxv28Rcgspnp931ax93S_yZLId1w037dM_KB_mjvghy5e61vvcW8zV5qwGlttHNUyfHwt_BgcGN56VUBZWQhmUalv7hg1GrGRCghjmqFIaIk0P0tiky-vzQfDv8LY4myFLdbwVf1QFteVdTWR79ql021WGV_Vhxg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20153.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandwich Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVLyyuwUGDETP1Dr493aR-9D5oxpbcgOwuVMnnw4mziCWlQi_pMC7I7UJANw57aa4_NJ_oqwjzPZMP0QBaPQKHxFOYlCzg-hlOhmkFWvTlzXioNWXozo2MuWDg_8-O0CgFML7scy4zpwRYCmltdGycwgfYlymoAw1dIM9RsyPIZD3EYwcY66fX5bDsA/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20155.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVLyyuwUGDETP1Dr493aR-9D5oxpbcgOwuVMnnw4mziCWlQi_pMC7I7UJANw57aa4_NJ_oqwjzPZMP0QBaPQKHxFOYlCzg-hlOhmkFWvTlzXioNWXozo2MuWDg_8-O0CgFML7scy4zpwRYCmltdGycwgfYlymoAw1dIM9RsyPIZD3EYwcY66fX5bDsA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20155.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf-rfd4Hgrny-LKAU8BpDgwV8gKBZb1flLZeJEmIBuAW6G0TAhu70W4X__PVlgKhIrK1Kbjs_alNpKtI3eDjd4_EqUeqcqwyCQlBrZ6IAAV10c_3Mlz-BDL6Ei8H7aosDLAacH7XoLGrwaeglnPbca7Y7hjQeIBn2HDurypoggwPe2w9pgZoepGUJxQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20156.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf-rfd4Hgrny-LKAU8BpDgwV8gKBZb1flLZeJEmIBuAW6G0TAhu70W4X__PVlgKhIrK1Kbjs_alNpKtI3eDjd4_EqUeqcqwyCQlBrZ6IAAV10c_3Mlz-BDL6Ei8H7aosDLAacH7XoLGrwaeglnPbca7Y7hjQeIBn2HDurypoggwPe2w9pgZoepGUJxQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20156.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View hiking up the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUJKZooz94sUJRO-wn9kOGP1TozG9Fc0GaQQb0xDvtIQqWm3Hb-SnqtLKy9KPde09oPJoM5qrLWtHAto4xBqo-KdJCL7rMzlbWf6Bd5UN26YUF7mCMsLBXEwUsZsoBBtSDBfBtGKJ0_Cck5fdcKjigf1VMY2xQ78Z3g_RY1zL0BgPG-1KFUMpTO09IQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20158.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUJKZooz94sUJRO-wn9kOGP1TozG9Fc0GaQQb0xDvtIQqWm3Hb-SnqtLKy9KPde09oPJoM5qrLWtHAto4xBqo-KdJCL7rMzlbWf6Bd5UN26YUF7mCMsLBXEwUsZsoBBtSDBfBtGKJ0_Cck5fdcKjigf1VMY2xQ78Z3g_RY1zL0BgPG-1KFUMpTO09IQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20158.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterville Valley Ski Area on Tecumseh</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>A short distance up the slide ends at the unranked summit of 4,090' South Tripyramid. After a short drop into a col, the trail climbed to the 4,140' summit of Middle Tripyramid. A small window from Middle Tripyramid looked toward Passaconway. Another brief descent into a col followed before climbing my last peak of my trip, 4,180' summit of North Tripyramid.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4i2RqGbAaU21Lpj-lZgHPiT0SP_qC7-XW7oI-BLClH4m5tOx2xLWlUUz_iO8OZH3iXwT-ZjnK-iAag1SWhr66ka3BSemiLPojXwHykLqqTQS5JZ2kqVaY4tD3bb0Rd1y5AKaUU0aATjH5QokCpx__HGfVULJZQOeDovXvm9b0CHcqKenuwWW9jjFaQ/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4i2RqGbAaU21Lpj-lZgHPiT0SP_qC7-XW7oI-BLClH4m5tOx2xLWlUUz_iO8OZH3iXwT-ZjnK-iAag1SWhr66ka3BSemiLPojXwHykLqqTQS5JZ2kqVaY4tD3bb0Rd1y5AKaUU0aATjH5QokCpx__HGfVULJZQOeDovXvm9b0CHcqKenuwWW9jjFaQ/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20157.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49ifH2cMyoK6MVYmD2Q94xw7zTPq6wJkNhOWc0fm0L-0cErjgIRMW02xx21X7TkzepAjrd5c9iOML6MX5X8bevjtfRl8YDgO_tv9kw2oM9y6HEsNuvI6wg5GV3W2dier54LoyZ40irbtHdi9ATrC9vtwvSfNGx-tStQCF10TeK0-voDG5u0MRNS_Uqw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20159.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49ifH2cMyoK6MVYmD2Q94xw7zTPq6wJkNhOWc0fm0L-0cErjgIRMW02xx21X7TkzepAjrd5c9iOML6MX5X8bevjtfRl8YDgO_tv9kw2oM9y6HEsNuvI6wg5GV3W2dier54LoyZ40irbtHdi9ATrC9vtwvSfNGx-tStQCF10TeK0-voDG5u0MRNS_Uqw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20159.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of the slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF036SQijTCQ2VUbTMtjj4-S4a4zrxIu32GX8Q26t8ximjC6sAvKkv1L8pe2hULuqsZ2pPLnX63JJa4j_aPTOIXN41RDod2KeYGi0GJSAPplgPrAhbaMr7ZsKSLF81b0NoDaZOe3gzTKqYg2bk4ZsK8PXgOGvBEbX6O_iA77uxpvB62tuCgcl5sb4aHA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF036SQijTCQ2VUbTMtjj4-S4a4zrxIu32GX8Q26t8ximjC6sAvKkv1L8pe2hULuqsZ2pPLnX63JJa4j_aPTOIXN41RDod2KeYGi0GJSAPplgPrAhbaMr7ZsKSLF81b0NoDaZOe3gzTKqYg2bk4ZsK8PXgOGvBEbX6O_iA77uxpvB62tuCgcl5sb4aHA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20167.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last look toward the lakes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>By the time I reached North Tripyramid it was well into the morning. The summit was teaming with over a dozen people, including a large group in military uniform. If there were views near the summit I didn't see them. I ate a quick snack and left the summit quickly, not wanting to linger at a high point in the woods with a bunch of strangers.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are two trails descending North Tripyramid toward Waterville Valley. The Mt. Tripyramid Trail descends a steep slide requiring scrambling. The other takes a the more gradual Scaur Ridge Trail. Despite potential views on the slide, it's used almost exclusively for climbing not descending due to steep, slabby pitches. I chose to descend on the Scaur Ridge Trail. The Scaur Ridge Trail offers little in the way of views, but is the preferred descent and was pretty easy.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the Scaur Ridge Trail, I reached the Livermore Trail. Despite being called a trail, the Livermore trail is a dirt road. I followed it about 3.5 miles to its end near Waterville Valley. Since it is a dirt road, and nearly all downhill, the hiking along it goes by quickly. It follows streams most of the way with a few nice cascades. There are options to diverge from the Livermore Trail onto the trails near Waterville Valley. I didn't use these trails, but they may provide a more scenic option.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMmBh4aEER1WhKAOEDNAM_uQ2jT6StSCu5ju0otZTP8OHBJdZH7OgT4CSa2gNF1Nr_kYHfO-LxGQy9qZhzXfTB9Ng_wxqfdlI5gPdZ702QAbAisy_Vd0i_QpQmbselkwD50hCKq6HfE09jlwDIkqhK0QwWg0pr85sXdHMbSnX-V-19Uh4p47sSk-Xtw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20160.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMmBh4aEER1WhKAOEDNAM_uQ2jT6StSCu5ju0otZTP8OHBJdZH7OgT4CSa2gNF1Nr_kYHfO-LxGQy9qZhzXfTB9Ng_wxqfdlI5gPdZ702QAbAisy_Vd0i_QpQmbselkwD50hCKq6HfE09jlwDIkqhK0QwWg0pr85sXdHMbSnX-V-19Uh4p47sSk-Xtw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20160.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of the Scaur Ridge Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGO8k2lFSw9gZ54vN3uZAXxdqYWGpwXfFx2wBpitblxN_d7phGLvXqYDMV6zOUGXCWp5uK1f9ET45Q9KLCCOJFDeuutP3x4kRJTQCTEbYp72h-nStxAY4bTnnn4hbdKk_tMtDsW5X08LWO7eUuvDOZWo-9ttMjAihI9n_IJQiMtFzUT0XK_ezr43jVw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20162.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGO8k2lFSw9gZ54vN3uZAXxdqYWGpwXfFx2wBpitblxN_d7phGLvXqYDMV6zOUGXCWp5uK1f9ET45Q9KLCCOJFDeuutP3x4kRJTQCTEbYp72h-nStxAY4bTnnn4hbdKk_tMtDsW5X08LWO7eUuvDOZWo-9ttMjAihI9n_IJQiMtFzUT0XK_ezr43jVw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20162.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Livermore Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKIgPHqVI9eUZd8ou4EVJCjt0G6T_kMO_FW1FN31tp4TWbddg4QH2yPV2YOo8youjEuTm21boUk9wBsSHLjpl057SuzwpQhG4mP8mvX706UHbpqRilqxum5hgMBX7i-eJNUSl5lv6RH34R048xkG87QOlCgJ525668iUdtPXhlVVZZPVLD5OE7xHxUg/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20164.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKIgPHqVI9eUZd8ou4EVJCjt0G6T_kMO_FW1FN31tp4TWbddg4QH2yPV2YOo8youjEuTm21boUk9wBsSHLjpl057SuzwpQhG4mP8mvX706UHbpqRilqxum5hgMBX7i-eJNUSl5lv6RH34R048xkG87QOlCgJ525668iUdtPXhlVVZZPVLD5OE7xHxUg/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20164.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty falls along the Livermore Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the Livermore Trail, I reached a road. A brief, couple minute walk brought me to a local bike trail called the Pipeline Trail. The Pipeline Trail traveled the last .6 miles of my hike to the parking lot at Waterville Valley Ski Area and my van. I finished my hike around 115PM. Before heading off from the trailhead, I splashed down my legs and feet in the creek near the trailhead and changed into a much less smelly set of clothes for the nearly five hour drive home.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfT-lK7CobvUcWyEksLOljoTIv82FjXmwrE9kc8MPgQtvhV5OQp5a9-aA8TJ4r0MKQfRkQ-SqihjhHITrYmU3IZZz76RTIGecnVQizo391q8wFFu-QEEMEzYcCLfBVyxUOArG9ZLGoETMByuqN29BukMXgfQGGbpUUdi3KiyNip35QQCtagAyn0Jnxw/s2592/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20165.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfT-lK7CobvUcWyEksLOljoTIv82FjXmwrE9kc8MPgQtvhV5OQp5a9-aA8TJ4r0MKQfRkQ-SqihjhHITrYmU3IZZz76RTIGecnVQizo391q8wFFu-QEEMEzYcCLfBVyxUOArG9ZLGoETMByuqN29BukMXgfQGGbpUUdi3KiyNip35QQCtagAyn0Jnxw/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20165.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final connection back to the beginning<br />of my hike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Afterward</b></div><div><br /></div><div>All said and done, my hike covered more than 81 miles (not including 1-2 miles in side trips) over four days. I climbed 11 4,000' peaks, a ranked peak of the New England 100 Highest, and a couple of additional unranked mountains. Over the course of the hike, I climbed more than 21,000 vertical feet. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCib9Y6-rWYVjBbSoT8hyga1jfPBkyFovLV6ZJYFz481_tTZ3z2CKnyiEADYbEIv8HGZ-fiX9_SOw_NbN6Cs3c_NHSBKNUYxUil_mACmTr6pbehFFj7UFSHoKf_F-Ep1IJJ211osQQS3oDWdTIEOUBBGRfb2bMId39Nm4f-yNVpts9m8H9pkksRABk2A/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20173.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCib9Y6-rWYVjBbSoT8hyga1jfPBkyFovLV6ZJYFz481_tTZ3z2CKnyiEADYbEIv8HGZ-fiX9_SOw_NbN6Cs3c_NHSBKNUYxUil_mACmTr6pbehFFj7UFSHoKf_F-Ep1IJJ211osQQS3oDWdTIEOUBBGRfb2bMId39Nm4f-yNVpts9m8H9pkksRABk2A/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20173.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey jay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Even though I had to eliminate a ten mile stretch of trail from my original plans due to time, I managed to have a pretty good trip. I still accomplished my goal to cover new terrain that I haven't visited before while climbing as many peaks along the way as I could manage. I also enjoy planning my own route on trips like this. This route worked out pretty well. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPlMcFnLd-aynI5Nce3wKw4Vg-EpMotqUMTP5e8OAwcDhHKKLhG7rZ3LVdv15G1ShoUR8NR-XI39_9DxLd33D711O9HNpUw5XAjOD1-CpAcr-jIedH03lLQQstyHz8QdLdTkNFV829JkU0c2KwjoO3kAMN90sgvLQLGrNhgdMP00nDR2W3UDhMptLiA/s4032/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20177.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPlMcFnLd-aynI5Nce3wKw4Vg-EpMotqUMTP5e8OAwcDhHKKLhG7rZ3LVdv15G1ShoUR8NR-XI39_9DxLd33D711O9HNpUw5XAjOD1-CpAcr-jIedH03lLQQstyHz8QdLdTkNFV829JkU0c2KwjoO3kAMN90sgvLQLGrNhgdMP00nDR2W3UDhMptLiA/w400-h300/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20177.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrigain view toward Lafayette</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Other than the first five hours or so of this trip that saw mist and rain, the weather stayed dry the rest of the hike. The night were never too cool, staying 50F or above. The days were a little warm after the rain, climbing to the 80s in the valleys. For September, the days were on the hazy and humid side for New Hampshire. I heard some of the haze may be attributed to Western wildfires. Perhaps the biggest weather oddity was the lack of wind. Nearly the entire hike was dead calm, even the summits. This is unusual in the Whites.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having backpacked quite a few miles in the Whites by this point, I knew what to expect for terrain and conditions. Other than the particularly muddy and brushy conditions on the Cedar Brook and Shoal Pond Trails, nothing really caught me by surprise. Living in the Adirondacks, I'm fairly used to those conditions.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ioI8eNpyU00weAqxZULsIeySGaCGCOc1mkh_NzNTw_rwmZPVr2Ewx5sKgEotm48IlGIa4Xuo304SH6scoFFHT6bAN75AwIlXyT11zd0kyQfgbpPfUTjm0Y5r_VecYh9ZuJE4tv2dHJS2Y79HjaubdqGaa9DUNrOxPpKpLWp04-ZgvfOlfXmLGmP1ZQ/s3088/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20187.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ioI8eNpyU00weAqxZULsIeySGaCGCOc1mkh_NzNTw_rwmZPVr2Ewx5sKgEotm48IlGIa4Xuo304SH6scoFFHT6bAN75AwIlXyT11zd0kyQfgbpPfUTjm0Y5r_VecYh9ZuJE4tv2dHJS2Y79HjaubdqGaa9DUNrOxPpKpLWp04-ZgvfOlfXmLGmP1ZQ/w300-h400/Whites%20Backpack%20Sept22%20187.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last shot with my hiking partner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tomcats-Outdoor-Adventures-1708122116123572" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-20727774238502632322022-07-05T07:56:00.004-07:002024-02-25T13:18:14.144-08:00Backpacking the Quehanna Trail<div style="text-align: left;">Over the past few years I have written about the backpacking trails in Pennsylvania. Although the state doesn't get much attention outside of the region as a backpacking destination, the state forests of Pennsylvania contain quite a few backpacking routes. Since moving back to the East, I enjoyed backpacking trips on the Loyalsock, Susquehannock, and Black Forest Trails. (You can read about these trips on this website by visiting the <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/p/backpacking.html" target="_blank">Backpacking Page</a>)</span> Next on my radar was the Quehanna Trail (QT). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrv4NLxGNhVjlIKh6CXUsdGhDlvHviCMpJXDT-jLkuFOVF2dkqvYWdgrPSNDaYCd8KlAR6mvNj3ivafvRn9C4j9tYv8kKDDbGiU2saMfBuQ4cKT8zBhxRS0QeJLtNwpobbQjB_-bi5azfyjCnsE2Ar_cCwCPNlqXkpx5c4Yehfb9UkoLSx-VjBgg7FZg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20164.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrv4NLxGNhVjlIKh6CXUsdGhDlvHviCMpJXDT-jLkuFOVF2dkqvYWdgrPSNDaYCd8KlAR6mvNj3ivafvRn9C4j9tYv8kKDDbGiU2saMfBuQ4cKT8zBhxRS0QeJLtNwpobbQjB_-bi5azfyjCnsE2Ar_cCwCPNlqXkpx5c4Yehfb9UkoLSx-VjBgg7FZg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20164.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QT sign near a road crossing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">While not well known outside of the Pennsylvania backpacking scene, the QT travels over 70 miles on a loop through the Elk and Moshannon State Forests. Located in a part of the state known as the Pennsylvania Wilds, the area is among the most remote in the state. Much of its route it passes through the nearly 50,000 acre Quehanna Wild area, the largest Wild Area in the state. The trail sees relatively little traffic in a wildlife dense area. Besides the usual Pennsylvania wildlife, this region provides the opportunity to spot a wild elk. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I planned on hiking the QT on Memorial Day Week, but temperatures in the 90sF made that look less appealing. I finally settled on the week of June 13th. As the days drew closer, the forecast looked less desirable. The chance of rain increased and temperatures looked like they would be approaching the 90s again. Nonetheless, I decided to hike the QT starting June 13th. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hikers typically begin a hike of the QT at Parker Dam State Park on the western end of the loop. Due to the remote nature of the QT and windy back roads that navigate the region, I chose to begin my hike on Wykoff Run Road. This saved me nearly an hour of driving time. Since the QT forms a loop, it wasn't essential I started at Parker Dam.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AxW3EYnLaELlsAOvMLvm3DXAn6i05to7XeorEixbrkp-A-qlZcx8XkqMlxBjTTyoNi-NeBxKSxSU4PZC4SUIQS3Z8oyyR8Qxv4uFqvT4xliSgb5Kt3q4jFNVM2Sly7xf3QreMRi6FRnJWLkynCEP2VilJ0P0KWdKlAJgWoB8VwxQKkk8K9cjD_B_0w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AxW3EYnLaELlsAOvMLvm3DXAn6i05to7XeorEixbrkp-A-qlZcx8XkqMlxBjTTyoNi-NeBxKSxSU4PZC4SUIQS3Z8oyyR8Qxv4uFqvT4xliSgb5Kt3q4jFNVM2Sly7xf3QreMRi6FRnJWLkynCEP2VilJ0P0KWdKlAJgWoB8VwxQKkk8K9cjD_B_0w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My starting/ending point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A trail guide is available for the QT that comes with maps. Purple Lizard also makes a map of the area. I chose to navigate with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) map of the trail. This map is provided free by the DCNR and can be found at most major trailheads along the trail. I called the offices of Moshannon State Forest and they mailed me one before my hike. The DCNR map appears to be a well made topo map with everything you need to know for backcountry travel. This map doesn't contain turn by turn instructions or show camping spots. It does show the QT as well as any other trail you will encounter, roads of all sizes, water, and some mileages. This map seems to include any recent reroutes as of my hike. The mileage according to this map puts the QT at 71.0 miles. I had no problem determining my location or estimating distance with the DCNR map. The trail enroute is well marked with orange blazes. I never had difficulty following the trail, although some sections were brushy with thin tread. Other sources show the trail as long as 75 miles. The DCNR mileage seemed pretty accurate. If you are using another source than the DCNR map, mileages may slightly vary from my descriptions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWje7JqvhRrr-QTj8PrsDjC1IFV_igPJ7P1w69e2dfZsmKKbRe0KxX0CPH2PNUOEgUzJWXl1L-y6Km5GHGnaGgKjEryFK1YMldAeUI2NRi131X4ou3pn-LrfOn1YdRzp9SyNQsYi0onH6py7MeDSKQ-KGvrQQqBPy50Vfj8RvZXbvGgN0bBH-S0ZfEw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWje7JqvhRrr-QTj8PrsDjC1IFV_igPJ7P1w69e2dfZsmKKbRe0KxX0CPH2PNUOEgUzJWXl1L-y6Km5GHGnaGgKjEryFK1YMldAeUI2NRi131X4ou3pn-LrfOn1YdRzp9SyNQsYi0onH6py7MeDSKQ-KGvrQQqBPy50Vfj8RvZXbvGgN0bBH-S0ZfEw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20140.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange blazes mark the route</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 1</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Wykoff Run Road to Mix Run</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>14.6 Miles</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Due to the long drive from the Adirondacks, I didn't begin my hike until around 2PM. My trip began climbing along Laurel Draft. (Draft appears to be a regional name for a small creek in the area.) My trailhead sat at roughly 1,100' (low point of the trail) in elevation and eventually climbed to nearly 2,000' as it slowly made its way along Laurel Draft. Near the draft, I passed through sections of trail that were heavily encroached by ferns and some parts with stinging nettle. The tumbling waters of the draft provide a soothing sound in the background. Occasionally the trail will follow the banks of the draft, at other times drafts are hidden by the dense brush. After a mile or two, the trail leaves the draft and crests on the Plateau where you pass through hardwood forests, mountain laurel, and the occasional open meadow.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xZxYRvGW_El6fczAAPm8S--L9ngHZqrj5KD3tIiNN-uxrIYE6TOtC09gSRjca7HFXKda1XTXTgJ7IBYyJ7M6Qftjv6sD3qkc6ZTxmCsvKz29CM8XjlcmZ1YYPPetFnYagVdmdYry5_PnIbpYbt2wgOtZA9OEwCGD11BB_eX7TN6rXIQPg8JbVKj4Hg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xZxYRvGW_El6fczAAPm8S--L9ngHZqrj5KD3tIiNN-uxrIYE6TOtC09gSRjca7HFXKda1XTXTgJ7IBYyJ7M6Qftjv6sD3qkc6ZTxmCsvKz29CM8XjlcmZ1YYPPetFnYagVdmdYry5_PnIbpYbt2wgOtZA9OEwCGD11BB_eX7TN6rXIQPg8JbVKj4Hg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first stretch of mountain laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MBWz6EaQ9OAN0rUt5ZNjX23Tsgcdc6FQD8JUWrk1d6I_TkfTcJ1N-32wkf4DFbUNreiNktH5DlwBMwqg8mynMD0vLaFnqccLmeg_Kh-WPVqHuKIZ_uBHndBAr8Hk6CI5GJYOcZEXNu9nXzHLTgnIfE2TNbIM64JSMdoEgGNdEGuJDHPfq7R2QxUfgg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MBWz6EaQ9OAN0rUt5ZNjX23Tsgcdc6FQD8JUWrk1d6I_TkfTcJ1N-32wkf4DFbUNreiNktH5DlwBMwqg8mynMD0vLaFnqccLmeg_Kh-WPVqHuKIZ_uBHndBAr8Hk6CI5GJYOcZEXNu9nXzHLTgnIfE2TNbIM64JSMdoEgGNdEGuJDHPfq7R2QxUfgg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock feature along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxE4nuC7_WfLKDhO_EADhljUx8kPn0lu6B5weKbobZKhjVVjUBV4xzyIw3OklcFeCNsL87M882oPHlKLECGIXywFGpouuHUCogZkqtZHU7ZWWJDDqPa0NCTppfwG2rHPX8zlN4EHRX0lOTdqmup7DjcEXxvvlnf7Gi7rkoH3kVGSB7neQrfzPuI48Fw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxE4nuC7_WfLKDhO_EADhljUx8kPn0lu6B5weKbobZKhjVVjUBV4xzyIw3OklcFeCNsL87M882oPHlKLECGIXywFGpouuHUCogZkqtZHU7ZWWJDDqPa0NCTppfwG2rHPX8zlN4EHRX0lOTdqmup7DjcEXxvvlnf7Gi7rkoH3kVGSB7neQrfzPuI48Fw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail skirting a clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The geography of the area doesn't really have mountains. The Allegheny Plateau sits at roughly 2,000' in elevation. Over time, water has dissected the plateau, carving out ravines and hollows. At times, this results in a gentle hollow, other times larger streams cut small gorges with steep 1,000' changes in elevation. Hiking along the QT you transition between the Allegheny Plateau with long sections of relatively level walking and the dissections carved out by creeks and streams of varying sizes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmPjaemtDNskggEZVbYCXX1lIGJT3Nw4puhGRxfJEZXT4-mxa1wWxq_cEqvJ82y-EIzNBRfqdKkrx4YnS4YaHmCDW8EQ-xCMTzVUhi7kWj8Anv9_Vc78QUlirRvpWvskeB_mdd9Fbst318HGWdw72laIgDQfUbgCaNKNMA5CojFJ6ixFd2XsT62P9mA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmPjaemtDNskggEZVbYCXX1lIGJT3Nw4puhGRxfJEZXT4-mxa1wWxq_cEqvJ82y-EIzNBRfqdKkrx4YnS4YaHmCDW8EQ-xCMTzVUhi7kWj8Anv9_Vc78QUlirRvpWvskeB_mdd9Fbst318HGWdw72laIgDQfUbgCaNKNMA5CojFJ6ixFd2XsT62P9mA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferns are a common sight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3nI7dor9jQ6eiyxJ3Vo_3QsHtgXvtsn5Ce-VgfZkHyouTzqm--Sn_iQyqngq_9eL7ndasNQHCTaUmo2nA5j5DtSP5xxuXzhXns84CLGMmzlb6UYBfa_9YRoJaWj72iy37bRaDOhg_b3PfaajwKaLUKIj5cPOhuc2FOe0yaN1y7q5Ic7wD5hcBpElBQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3nI7dor9jQ6eiyxJ3Vo_3QsHtgXvtsn5Ce-VgfZkHyouTzqm--Sn_iQyqngq_9eL7ndasNQHCTaUmo2nA5j5DtSP5xxuXzhXns84CLGMmzlb6UYBfa_9YRoJaWj72iy37bRaDOhg_b3PfaajwKaLUKIj5cPOhuc2FOe0yaN1y7q5Ic7wD5hcBpElBQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly grown over Little Fork Vista</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdgD6tC_3ZDKTUoI7st7kfLdOSIx9nO2Cwjuz6FtUrWIAzVQuF5NYn4i16uZVGeLSmW5eTfYff-b5ICMqfB3DOvh99emATpL9vd3CIa-iHSGDSRF_morU_-ijC-B_L69eWkZjBu2GuXcxLIKkrUAjQbJoj4CnwwT-g01d2zY90bX32NN7bxwSd-RrPA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdgD6tC_3ZDKTUoI7st7kfLdOSIx9nO2Cwjuz6FtUrWIAzVQuF5NYn4i16uZVGeLSmW5eTfYff-b5ICMqfB3DOvh99emATpL9vd3CIa-iHSGDSRF_morU_-ijC-B_L69eWkZjBu2GuXcxLIKkrUAjQbJoj4CnwwT-g01d2zY90bX32NN7bxwSd-RrPA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of an old structure</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBix9R3sEq6cBUW-nkdfeCaHtyqc3EGSjWFiVqjhoU27-3sU9DzfiOV2uQ7BXzxxKXsuKGPULRyR2u1Yo4aRTf1N_Bc3QwoRth4p5cM9nbSCZGULU8e-TJJ1cQMepn1wfVH3j-lSO4awpgWxcD7ru5tE0zLLz5_wW4hWWrdHNbupmjG6vwejZkswd1w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBix9R3sEq6cBUW-nkdfeCaHtyqc3EGSjWFiVqjhoU27-3sU9DzfiOV2uQ7BXzxxKXsuKGPULRyR2u1Yo4aRTf1N_Bc3QwoRth4p5cM9nbSCZGULU8e-TJJ1cQMepn1wfVH3j-lSO4awpgWxcD7ru5tE0zLLz5_wW4hWWrdHNbupmjG6vwejZkswd1w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice open forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsSKSC2Czu4kxOkFhIBrAE2nXLocIFMS3QFv4eaof172Bog1inhYYo6O_VWLYYk8OP_vd3q9y5KcLATiMT7kSnW9p-9gPyIXqFr1KHSbbVWUdEYdG14EtxkHjpy4CU2XyA7m-mXhKiGUHCMlYibbvCx0JZ5J690ReMJc3kULophrgUX0XhLLNtCwmWA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsSKSC2Czu4kxOkFhIBrAE2nXLocIFMS3QFv4eaof172Bog1inhYYo6O_VWLYYk8OP_vd3q9y5KcLATiMT7kSnW9p-9gPyIXqFr1KHSbbVWUdEYdG14EtxkHjpy4CU2XyA7m-mXhKiGUHCMlYibbvCx0JZ5J690ReMJc3kULophrgUX0XhLLNtCwmWA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearings like this were fairly common</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once on the Plateau, the mileage seems to pass by quickly with little change in elevation. Sure enough the level hiking came to an end when I reached Sanders Draft. The trail along Sanders Draft seemed to have a little less vegetation than Laurel Draft and perhaps a little steeper and rockier. Several small waterfalls tumbled along the trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zhQwIktBb4QL5Eo_WqW6CbioOc_Rmr8N0bgma6LEgphLsjgdHdGQe4eVisRwKM4XNXQQQCalWzydXeHtOJnPw3gmJHMOAj6jAN2k_X8mpQRY4GuKHe5ZwhKPfEISKAL3eZa9iYhvZWCB0s44G7xpirYrWgGbJcOHiAHyH5m_-nqTezgE0WaGxCZOKw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zhQwIktBb4QL5Eo_WqW6CbioOc_Rmr8N0bgma6LEgphLsjgdHdGQe4eVisRwKM4XNXQQQCalWzydXeHtOJnPw3gmJHMOAj6jAN2k_X8mpQRY4GuKHe5ZwhKPfEISKAL3eZa9iYhvZWCB0s44G7xpirYrWgGbJcOHiAHyH5m_-nqTezgE0WaGxCZOKw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanders Draft</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6_tjmgN1rJSBHLGF0zFZ-ATwuRl7uiQRg4jcONE8dTSdAIui9IOU2sw73f-7rDhLe3UsSvUo99ruTKiWvgvBGWXn7M8EZuaWY_xFfmi_KGWZJyhj6D5uk5Dg3kFGI2Ok0WZbUSPSbeqdT0_olS0iZXCIIkViHOwUDKjMBHu3ChGOkZOc25Zzy-Jhbg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6_tjmgN1rJSBHLGF0zFZ-ATwuRl7uiQRg4jcONE8dTSdAIui9IOU2sw73f-7rDhLe3UsSvUo99ruTKiWvgvBGWXn7M8EZuaWY_xFfmi_KGWZJyhj6D5uk5Dg3kFGI2Ok0WZbUSPSbeqdT0_olS0iZXCIIkViHOwUDKjMBHu3ChGOkZOc25Zzy-Jhbg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sound of the water made the hiking pleasant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nYJgZi6MVfx-G8DjC6olX0U7au9G9f6NVW1SfvNMLAPv7vFnv4gMebgaZ2fppH-Nx6dHBQxuLeTTehCTU6iW3XlLK36Uf1BncuuXzc32SQjXTb1aL4uDhDfUqv8k0cJ8ah-f3DGuCITkBhty3IJpc2fi3koRcAE99wAACck78qeCPM4Q2fHQbf7rng/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nYJgZi6MVfx-G8DjC6olX0U7au9G9f6NVW1SfvNMLAPv7vFnv4gMebgaZ2fppH-Nx6dHBQxuLeTTehCTU6iW3XlLK36Uf1BncuuXzc32SQjXTb1aL4uDhDfUqv8k0cJ8ah-f3DGuCITkBhty3IJpc2fi3koRcAE99wAACck78qeCPM4Q2fHQbf7rng/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small cascade into a deep pool</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9HSyt4p01QT6QNGtSqiY89Eped7BcqwAL-X2kwKs4VWj4sDkC5WgU3e5YTqv6WPZUGlYIyaUN9NsQC8UaJW9ZpdV9EXw3xH7VqpBhY-1ZmsV7fAcLxnbNZSeP8-a16wK3UkYu0cerm-Gcj3MOOzAKa_HyptVbFqn6hMDdGprCYdNc1R5gCizMLfk_g/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9HSyt4p01QT6QNGtSqiY89Eped7BcqwAL-X2kwKs4VWj4sDkC5WgU3e5YTqv6WPZUGlYIyaUN9NsQC8UaJW9ZpdV9EXw3xH7VqpBhY-1ZmsV7fAcLxnbNZSeP8-a16wK3UkYu0cerm-Gcj3MOOzAKa_HyptVbFqn6hMDdGprCYdNc1R5gCizMLfk_g/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over Sanders Draft</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I traveled the first 7-8 miles fairly quickly. As is common on Pennsylvania State Forest trails, the trail crosses a few small dirt roads and pipeline swaths. My first real challenge came after crossing Red Run Road. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADKfEtjDXYtuifdv-2rwR8UjWLQdJr5ff_ZE0VnU9UXSehUYXCbtW5hATsTI8Gv2fTpr4VZK3QQ5lnmbN_Xmp776xDyNNVc13PhJwEFZY8y6ovUb5Z2cAKM8522UAcwfNZNccxyBnwQXiH3zwoHQocZq9B9AzG8A-9cdb7Bv9fSlKuoBFrWnAgrXUQw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADKfEtjDXYtuifdv-2rwR8UjWLQdJr5ff_ZE0VnU9UXSehUYXCbtW5hATsTI8Gv2fTpr4VZK3QQ5lnmbN_Xmp776xDyNNVc13PhJwEFZY8y6ovUb5Z2cAKM8522UAcwfNZNccxyBnwQXiH3zwoHQocZq9B9AzG8A-9cdb7Bv9fSlKuoBFrWnAgrXUQw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gas pipeline clearings are a common sight <br />in Pennsylvania</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9cnjSLdgz6K-qfM7sJdbwyewLR_h3N_01ABZ7ThRVpGzgopVNvhhbsIvVAkindYRFBBRGWiTjQsyKbvGYxz9CSyEKgmo_h0pN-nsWA3Yl3t1pLfqap48u2UZg6h6ivxwuIqOS15e4DZw6HG_OUQ6DIgAgXvHKcRNbjWU6h65LjdYlah3x6jfUK4Ufw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9cnjSLdgz6K-qfM7sJdbwyewLR_h3N_01ABZ7ThRVpGzgopVNvhhbsIvVAkindYRFBBRGWiTjQsyKbvGYxz9CSyEKgmo_h0pN-nsWA3Yl3t1pLfqap48u2UZg6h6ivxwuIqOS15e4DZw6HG_OUQ6DIgAgXvHKcRNbjWU6h65LjdYlah3x6jfUK4Ufw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dense vegetation along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimShNul_Aa6-u-J3a_OcMGO2FcLb2TCW_dkwqgzU0E-86ohPUWT_70O0gWCm0xyj_iUYPHPwmG6GY8nno1G43Mp-cqBUvVrQDglN0xGVrHFv3jRF7M8gb30iCTN7sDFcDpsVJ7OHkMtLZ1q587KnJbHUbb5j8FlQ4zK3cZptrypPZykhiG1chwDeCJ4w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimShNul_Aa6-u-J3a_OcMGO2FcLb2TCW_dkwqgzU0E-86ohPUWT_70O0gWCm0xyj_iUYPHPwmG6GY8nno1G43Mp-cqBUvVrQDglN0xGVrHFv3jRF7M8gb30iCTN7sDFcDpsVJ7OHkMtLZ1q587KnJbHUbb5j8FlQ4zK3cZptrypPZykhiG1chwDeCJ4w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite the damp forest, I<br />didn't see that many fungi<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail climbs its way through Porcupine Draft after the road crossing. The first couple drafts that the trail followed were dominated by ferns as ground cover. Porcupine Draft featured stinging nettle as the dominate vegetation. The easy solution to combat stinging nettle is to cover your legs. My past experience in the region with stinging nettle is that it's fairly localized and doesn't last too long. I just deal with the discomfort for a few minutes. This patch of stinging nettle lasted for much longer that I have encountered before. I don't know if everyone's reaction is the same, but for me, stinging nettle leave my legs frantically itch and burn for about 5-10 minutes after it rubs against me. Nothing relieves it until it just stops burning after a few minutes, but seems like an eternity.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltEd3iXMdWB200DAHxgVkoTaaemEJ4QdH4dhjL8sXpSCgq7KEwcluPU_TKn-XuB5aiFY0GHALU8BRHHGY7wN1mEW-59FrTuCqC3-HLdfw9EAxqM6nu_YtK3VODxd3xbfwGfbMUOdecWnh7kmfZ7l0UdaIL3v7A422Kic8P44ovP7cZFthYlkrTz4jFA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltEd3iXMdWB200DAHxgVkoTaaemEJ4QdH4dhjL8sXpSCgq7KEwcluPU_TKn-XuB5aiFY0GHALU8BRHHGY7wN1mEW-59FrTuCqC3-HLdfw9EAxqM6nu_YtK3VODxd3xbfwGfbMUOdecWnh7kmfZ7l0UdaIL3v7A422Kic8P44ovP7cZFthYlkrTz4jFA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascade on Porcupine Draft</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj1I_LSIxzCdQLMSyqOSEiDgJSKLnT610nnvDjthRji9aFobE7s3cNm2YtsKSLbpbVCrEnTsn8TlSNE77TCg1dYdq9xSe3U077YlLuQy5nI2s_6aa-P1bZ4O0ucWodge1vvqlMCNIkc5-zOnr1P6W0DaQoiCj9WBmC-2ctD4PrGpJVkrl17Q5y3bUyg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj1I_LSIxzCdQLMSyqOSEiDgJSKLnT610nnvDjthRji9aFobE7s3cNm2YtsKSLbpbVCrEnTsn8TlSNE77TCg1dYdq9xSe3U077YlLuQy5nI2s_6aa-P1bZ4O0ucWodge1vvqlMCNIkc5-zOnr1P6W0DaQoiCj9WBmC-2ctD4PrGpJVkrl17Q5y3bUyg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinging nettle crowding the trail still looks pretty</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPJ2rwKJqhAvjcU-dHYlwMRmSSLBiwxKA-i4BNnRaT7aWnLEWLl8dSUcGVtQ35vE2sf9Z2xVe9eG52H3O67MLdwpWes_nqKc9rns6qHEaQIM7bSGd1dzCE5jzsyGx-j5Z8RSQ7BptVXm3llkcGSMy0STPFXcXH9r4UMRfX7-IfoATqdaHl6esj3B1dgg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPJ2rwKJqhAvjcU-dHYlwMRmSSLBiwxKA-i4BNnRaT7aWnLEWLl8dSUcGVtQ35vE2sf9Z2xVe9eG52H3O67MLdwpWes_nqKc9rns6qHEaQIM7bSGd1dzCE5jzsyGx-j5Z8RSQ7BptVXm3llkcGSMy0STPFXcXH9r4UMRfX7-IfoATqdaHl6esj3B1dgg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup look at stinging nettle</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once I climbed through Porcupine Lick I regained the Plateau and cruised along at a good pace. The stinging nettle disappeared for the time being. For the most part, the QT stays in the forest with a open meadow thrown in every now and then. Occasionally the trail crosses a forest road or comes within view of a camp, but generally it's a pleasant walk in the woods. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKH1dKhFadVq_xw4yPIF7hv_MBjJmPoLnJiJPzMEyIOQ-7IJVsrAufVkcLJAbrqyuh4yJen1KaYUz4zHlEFoLPXLMgV_DtJTuzElkH_AI43-bVyfqgL8EnRk5yNinc1wb5yXDdskp0dg-AjHSYWWsaNNiJ008qETRG9ldiRilwFrf28gIYZeUO0d3Hw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKH1dKhFadVq_xw4yPIF7hv_MBjJmPoLnJiJPzMEyIOQ-7IJVsrAufVkcLJAbrqyuh4yJen1KaYUz4zHlEFoLPXLMgV_DtJTuzElkH_AI43-bVyfqgL8EnRk5yNinc1wb5yXDdskp0dg-AjHSYWWsaNNiJ008qETRG9ldiRilwFrf28gIYZeUO0d3Hw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The QT passing through a rocky stretch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8dKjCI41ENnSHalahpkFvutng5LtDJ2tcceaGpkDitDTiYm2QNs6HP4TaojclnjmQtCm5FS6lSivPhaRGO-0Sg02JncMQ3vQyG94ud3S3qhb5CTDq-yGUbMqbnHtdBRyewxCW0KDFSV0IlXHxzHcfil8-JKZR4WNOneBTpYZoY2sYI8M9IdTE-PX_A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8dKjCI41ENnSHalahpkFvutng5LtDJ2tcceaGpkDitDTiYm2QNs6HP4TaojclnjmQtCm5FS6lSivPhaRGO-0Sg02JncMQ3vQyG94ud3S3qhb5CTDq-yGUbMqbnHtdBRyewxCW0KDFSV0IlXHxzHcfil8-JKZR4WNOneBTpYZoY2sYI8M9IdTE-PX_A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House-sized rock covered in moss<br />along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I reached my first real viewpoint at the Deible Run Vista, about 13-14 miles into my trip. The view was fairly typical of the scenery in this part of Pennsylvania. Nothing spectacular, but a nice place to take a short break. The DCNR map shows the various vistas along the trail. Several of the marked vistas have become overgrown.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCw1z1GK7p5mfyiYQ93l4RnPcPmgWzvvhoALAMCAU7KYaBmGp9x2tCcHGOhbipRLlU2mho7UmelXOdEd5DxJSDxBMo3WVZ2XgbTtaP7bwPKPZ0H7dde2jOkBp_Qg4bdWPg6EIIxo-0QrKuCg0Et9m2H1zwNmEy8gm56ASgL6nbKG457xuV1t-w_4aYUQ/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20185.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCw1z1GK7p5mfyiYQ93l4RnPcPmgWzvvhoALAMCAU7KYaBmGp9x2tCcHGOhbipRLlU2mho7UmelXOdEd5DxJSDxBMo3WVZ2XgbTtaP7bwPKPZ0H7dde2jOkBp_Qg4bdWPg6EIIxo-0QrKuCg0Et9m2H1zwNmEy8gm56ASgL6nbKG457xuV1t-w_4aYUQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20185.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deible Run Vista</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From the vista, the trail dropped fairly steeply a short distance to Deible Run to where it flows into the larger Mix Run. By this point, it was about 730PM and I was on the lookout for a place to camp. I had a list from an online source of possible campsites. Several options were listed along Mix Run. The first site I passed was well established, but I hoped to make it further up Mix Run. As I made my way along Mix Run, the options weren't looking to good. I saw plenty of flat spots near the run, but most were brushy and overgrown with no indication they were ever used as campsites. Finally around 8PM I reached a section along the run in a grove of pines that was flat and free of vegetation. My estimate put me at about 14.6 miles for the day, not too bad considering the late start.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5_0FTMAMgQvILh0ai9T65QU7CVR5Lj-ZwuD3Q_NlwZ_K8fAgV3GOaEEFcYwme2AV67RjKWLk-O5HWm0-SINpb3Xsn4qbSRugFN_0Bq9MFJySXNIcB26w93Vi8JHNcLEOdQGQE_ybvP8YcxY5McABST3_oXGr4z4-za-royrGFhoF06aERXQI0TJS_Q/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5_0FTMAMgQvILh0ai9T65QU7CVR5Lj-ZwuD3Q_NlwZ_K8fAgV3GOaEEFcYwme2AV67RjKWLk-O5HWm0-SINpb3Xsn4qbSRugFN_0Bq9MFJySXNIcB26w93Vi8JHNcLEOdQGQE_ybvP8YcxY5McABST3_oXGr4z4-za-royrGFhoF06aERXQI0TJS_Q/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over tributary of Mix Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 2</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Mix Run- Alex Branch </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>22.4 Miles</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I slept great my first night on the trail. I woke up about 530AM to a light rain and noticed some lightning and thunder. I wasn't quite ready to get moving. I decided to take down my food that was hanging from a tree so it didn't get too wet. Shortly after I got back into my tent the rain picked up. I decided to wait it out and dozed off. In the shelter of the valley, it still wasn't too bright with the cloud cover. Before long I snapped out of my slumber to the patter of heavy rain on my tent. In no hurry to get wet, I hunkered down. Unfortunately the rain only got heavier evolving into quite a downpour. The last forecast I saw predicted that the rain would break mid-morning. Finally, after three hours of what sounded like biblical rains in the tent, the precipitation let up some. I ate and packed everything besides my tent. By 915AM I made my break for it in a light drizzle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Other than a couple sprinkles, the rain came to an end after I set out hiking for the day. Unfortunately I was still in for a wet morning. The trail traveled through brushy sections of mountain laurel that encroached the trail. Within minutes, I was soaked from the waste down. The morning saw some breaks in the clouds, but the saturated vegetation was very slow to dry in the humid air.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUVpf7gv5sCv1iJ3ZjfhRLchKjvudHB_xO_LWcLN8DeeA5zzQq4TLnPYNR2zVUtwozazjZ0NL1bisckFXxbZBnqj-dOS93EO0OXdpEfMuOPufFEabJshJyNP8c8O_N_1zNYWMVzbXI1-zrq8wItnHMtdKgx7jYokyUfNJCUDCjCPnEui_Jelz9kyS6g/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUVpf7gv5sCv1iJ3ZjfhRLchKjvudHB_xO_LWcLN8DeeA5zzQq4TLnPYNR2zVUtwozazjZ0NL1bisckFXxbZBnqj-dOS93EO0OXdpEfMuOPufFEabJshJyNP8c8O_N_1zNYWMVzbXI1-zrq8wItnHMtdKgx7jYokyUfNJCUDCjCPnEui_Jelz9kyS6g/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This appears to be a newt between the red<br />eft and aquatic stages</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZofNBDikrsFrirYQ2GoS8OmoqybG9TKCBBSn3aZCpCQkOZPv6yrXJpX-MSePcGNEvI5TOiXw0n925VAAjma9Hf_KOpewzP4CfOZf7kVBnvciYYoxmHUcWyN2hLi0rTIWFJGh98ul6b2hVKmls4u9jJFqHByoq_GfSzrdDPhyuAiPRpe0Z78d8u92Ntw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZofNBDikrsFrirYQ2GoS8OmoqybG9TKCBBSn3aZCpCQkOZPv6yrXJpX-MSePcGNEvI5TOiXw0n925VAAjma9Hf_KOpewzP4CfOZf7kVBnvciYYoxmHUcWyN2hLi0rTIWFJGh98ul6b2hVKmls4u9jJFqHByoq_GfSzrdDPhyuAiPRpe0Z78d8u92Ntw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mix Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the most part, the next several miles away from Mix Run passed through a more open forest, so I didn't get much wetter. After about 6 miles into the day, I reached the Quehanna Highway. Here the trail navigates Sullivan Run. I encountered more stinging nettle. To add to the burning and itchiness of the nettle, I managed to get extra soaked from the wet vegetation. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3yZRour-BBROpWyJJ9Jpv05_14U-wzcFmDM0KZSInJfhZLaE0qeLo9Rkj1ccaBH9SaclSMR22uJlVU1yKbZqcLK8nw98J53CKm3iTQyFyxBPzn-J_yIOgMEA3BfTmawrOGh8rDaocLzZ15jDigvSbrbQbvZfE0Ak9E-cW07WKlciO3CV_syEdpdzpg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3yZRour-BBROpWyJJ9Jpv05_14U-wzcFmDM0KZSInJfhZLaE0qeLo9Rkj1ccaBH9SaclSMR22uJlVU1yKbZqcLK8nw98J53CKm3iTQyFyxBPzn-J_yIOgMEA3BfTmawrOGh8rDaocLzZ15jDigvSbrbQbvZfE0Ak9E-cW07WKlciO3CV_syEdpdzpg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of coniferous forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQKhIfV4rtKQX4Pz1pwtX99e-7Qp2IVsJZErtoSlz2QQpwcEknITlvYX7gh8Y1hkGgMzdaIbSS1_mvBPVMkxbdnuguZBfkN1NSuAwEmo8Xw5N62AUe04I-sUnM6ucO7znow-gnief8uSh4LtV2hubh9K00V0WxNDPRCy3uU9V7djFAblPgOx6YtuWRg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQKhIfV4rtKQX4Pz1pwtX99e-7Qp2IVsJZErtoSlz2QQpwcEknITlvYX7gh8Y1hkGgMzdaIbSS1_mvBPVMkxbdnuguZBfkN1NSuAwEmo8Xw5N62AUe04I-sUnM6ucO7znow-gnief8uSh4LtV2hubh9K00V0WxNDPRCy3uU9V7djFAblPgOx6YtuWRg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferns crowding the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPDyMdrxXNkPuYbAoVWDXGMJfaDygcjA_typWHZd3FhuIOxYZdtn7qVMl0142rmIXhpX0RYRHebVls1beAx76Z2xl69tbuJKKIXOwbo-l17A6r9HBynOIFi5JBSlxz1lPqtXaXtk43yaHeLOJF4kko5fJt4mTcaSMb10W0n_PS_6pKF1vONVYOWFLcQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPDyMdrxXNkPuYbAoVWDXGMJfaDygcjA_typWHZd3FhuIOxYZdtn7qVMl0142rmIXhpX0RYRHebVls1beAx76Z2xl69tbuJKKIXOwbo-l17A6r9HBynOIFi5JBSlxz1lPqtXaXtk43yaHeLOJF4kko5fJt4mTcaSMb10W0n_PS_6pKF1vONVYOWFLcQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moisture in the air from the morning rain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNaMQXDGXdAKk01ZfjycudAi-fgMeOZ5fpwd2IiduQZDovl7EIIlKiswuY3aMqGOQC88PULSflPAwvVbx6yHzMtyim0jrQZZiaKFWSb2i5YLGEqt6s2b63RRDLGX2EsYI-8wfW3hM863xgTl0tUaZnxqHzNMyJ4Qb4NckHEt4PkDPxVD1g_7TCw2N9w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNaMQXDGXdAKk01ZfjycudAi-fgMeOZ5fpwd2IiduQZDovl7EIIlKiswuY3aMqGOQC88PULSflPAwvVbx6yHzMtyim0jrQZZiaKFWSb2i5YLGEqt6s2b63RRDLGX2EsYI-8wfW3hM863xgTl0tUaZnxqHzNMyJ4Qb4NckHEt4PkDPxVD1g_7TCw2N9w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The QT along an old grade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Beyond the Quehanna Highway, the trail travels through a newer reroute. The original trail crossed Medix Run before climbing what is now the Bear Run Trail. The trail bridge over Medix Run washed out one two many times before the QT was rerouted to avoid the potentially dangerous crossing, now without a bridge. I heard good things about the old QT route and considered using that route. After the morning downpour, which I estimate to have been 1-2 inches of rain in a few hour period, I quickly abandoned the idea of fording the now swollen Medix Run. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The new QT reroute follows an old road and pipleline swath. It traversed waist high vegetation that was beyond saturated. Water sloshed out of my shoes with every step. On the bright side, the wet grasses cleaned the morning mud from my legs. I also encountered a turkey that scolded me as I passed by it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEbPUAs2FPQow7VnEnFbIeFWvPBDmy9zu9zNz6VJRvHjAt3OyTVFzGJd51GX3vbI7WHdsuRgcBsZeUMudAF1Oe_RwCcm8QZbDtCb1dN8fRSb3hqrq8pCaKsAsaA9CPLVN5ys17Zh_Uuylwczdjctunfr0LfvavNSyu5HRl5rj8-VRqBnBhdoeGstSwg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20044.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEbPUAs2FPQow7VnEnFbIeFWvPBDmy9zu9zNz6VJRvHjAt3OyTVFzGJd51GX3vbI7WHdsuRgcBsZeUMudAF1Oe_RwCcm8QZbDtCb1dN8fRSb3hqrq8pCaKsAsaA9CPLVN5ys17Zh_Uuylwczdjctunfr0LfvavNSyu5HRl5rj8-VRqBnBhdoeGstSwg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail in waist high grasses that were soaked</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After a mile or so of this brushy route, the trail follows dirt roads a short distance to safely cross Medix Run on a solid vehicle bridge. Medix Run looked like chocolate milk and ran quite high and fast from the morning rain. It was a wise decision to skip the ford of it. Along the roads I encountered the first other hikers I had seen to that point, about 23 miles into my trip.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZREkggo5VARyxIaRiKQTgx058pGyeO8F_obZqbt5FpMA9xvGySFVAtk4ARNiy90475p9lq8a_vVLlC-arPvAUxhmcDg7QbXC6IvPvecVa8uGAHOPonIldsZFONpc_8MyN3z_Skoa6uIu8dTVkYLWf0vkSrUj6ks3_o97EUIacnQnvlWTd6mpNu8Inw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZREkggo5VARyxIaRiKQTgx058pGyeO8F_obZqbt5FpMA9xvGySFVAtk4ARNiy90475p9lq8a_vVLlC-arPvAUxhmcDg7QbXC6IvPvecVa8uGAHOPonIldsZFONpc_8MyN3z_Skoa6uIu8dTVkYLWf0vkSrUj6ks3_o97EUIacnQnvlWTd6mpNu8Inw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of an old CCC camp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg52fWll_jl_rxWE5IEc3HYPQKCd5Oje97aJf46-X7J-fTyZGTJU9WHPEGL9A8PlwYX06KZAKP74GmkoaBQAP_4MmSCfnjMud2n_vW0T7_joQfP9q-r4Lb6z5BQht4HvrIm4q2hqOb0Mxhm4CJTt1LpnxCz0uofo96gj3ZaW4WDUYoiNiJcDGW5fwQjA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg52fWll_jl_rxWE5IEc3HYPQKCd5Oje97aJf46-X7J-fTyZGTJU9WHPEGL9A8PlwYX06KZAKP74GmkoaBQAP_4MmSCfnjMud2n_vW0T7_joQfP9q-r4Lb6z5BQht4HvrIm4q2hqOb0Mxhm4CJTt1LpnxCz0uofo96gj3ZaW4WDUYoiNiJcDGW5fwQjA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medix Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although I heard good things about the old QT route along Bear Run, I can't say I was disappointed with the reroute. The trail traveled along the Plateau through a long stretch of mountain laurel in its peak bloom. I found the new QT routing to be rather enjoyable.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgUUdaQ0m6Zf6VSQqVqrpSkdVaXBOdZS5yQ6wm17LCeLsvnM8o3GlKOWX8NWD7ioSdF5EpaBX9ymlarMENMQMJZuwCp9RK_xL0HWYL4C37xvIpE389wNUNyUcbVEkU_qmACtqc4A9hgQbfZkH5tci00tYdMvC3qoCqSlU4xpAho-Na8mwFcKkb91XBQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20049.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgUUdaQ0m6Zf6VSQqVqrpSkdVaXBOdZS5yQ6wm17LCeLsvnM8o3GlKOWX8NWD7ioSdF5EpaBX9ymlarMENMQMJZuwCp9RK_xL0HWYL4C37xvIpE389wNUNyUcbVEkU_qmACtqc4A9hgQbfZkH5tci00tYdMvC3qoCqSlU4xpAho-Na8mwFcKkb91XBQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fern covered clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKulL00inWa43gCjD6rVUvsuKF6iaI5_YR3WBYPp3S9e8U8MNDw-0XB39H3y7d-dmW85uhrYESsMX3PXC1RBnloUav524dGK0nstxD9aU5c0CFl9lL5mLN4DvUBD9J0V69pPXMDIJDHsMkgcqAERd8OXm6D6gSM6nkOeB9OMa74RzWpUtdv5F91QnsvQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKulL00inWa43gCjD6rVUvsuKF6iaI5_YR3WBYPp3S9e8U8MNDw-0XB39H3y7d-dmW85uhrYESsMX3PXC1RBnloUav524dGK0nstxD9aU5c0CFl9lL5mLN4DvUBD9J0V69pPXMDIJDHsMkgcqAERd8OXm6D6gSM6nkOeB9OMa74RzWpUtdv5F91QnsvQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching a clearing along the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy19X0HxX12-Ie0FXh-m9Dm2YvquslPLYTwQyXk-7JW_KsxZZ8WNMylEmSWqRzQMve8wsNljYchA2Kb9MjzkfmupFA4xfFQlf00ofGvRMndVeSpYKvO62YJ4f8wW8d6-tHNxIMpUMthvbmNN6bGBQTwrxiUxBCWD234JdZop-OiYYXNewiCKsU-5rZXg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy19X0HxX12-Ie0FXh-m9Dm2YvquslPLYTwQyXk-7JW_KsxZZ8WNMylEmSWqRzQMve8wsNljYchA2Kb9MjzkfmupFA4xfFQlf00ofGvRMndVeSpYKvO62YJ4f8wW8d6-tHNxIMpUMthvbmNN6bGBQTwrxiUxBCWD234JdZop-OiYYXNewiCKsU-5rZXg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain laurel along the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVZP4Te8T-rnEkt9QN59MKvuKRw334Q75njHY9iOATflK0FTipcguS0orb2SyFraXNwbMLsJLd7BTMxvIl8wHOzPpU98i-9bN4ZwZKdGWUW9dxS3lG_bwF6RUDtjL0SRSdi7C-UXXPilSW02VHl6gG1RKeEHykg_VDqdOc8UOFU8Fq7t9JZt5TCZBPg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVZP4Te8T-rnEkt9QN59MKvuKRw334Q75njHY9iOATflK0FTipcguS0orb2SyFraXNwbMLsJLd7BTMxvIl8wHOzPpU98i-9bN4ZwZKdGWUW9dxS3lG_bwF6RUDtjL0SRSdi7C-UXXPilSW02VHl6gG1RKeEHykg_VDqdOc8UOFU8Fq7t9JZt5TCZBPg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain laurel flowers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the new old and new QT routes rejoin paths, another short dirt road walk follows Laurel Run. With the heavy morning rain, Laurel Run sounded angry. Listening to the rushing water makes the walking more enjoyable. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3BoTFwLaABk8Adow72uvN-pLnDu_zNH6tUXKOqBPY_TjKuUt9SUztK91m_6tA_hW_0DQYfg4GW41gFDurYqWOZYjTLhIB5iLW9CGVTEPPYK29MbZRtTaIIIrfyvnU93qro6VE7E8hGo1SgnBb8iEoJ4CcrfskTfilgQQx149nINj8zwlV2q59AT_WA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3BoTFwLaABk8Adow72uvN-pLnDu_zNH6tUXKOqBPY_TjKuUt9SUztK91m_6tA_hW_0DQYfg4GW41gFDurYqWOZYjTLhIB5iLW9CGVTEPPYK29MbZRtTaIIIrfyvnU93qro6VE7E8hGo1SgnBb8iEoJ4CcrfskTfilgQQx149nINj8zwlV2q59AT_WA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junctions were well marked</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaBq_oR23BIiiJQF9tB2pprb0Q6C7agnESlxiFao2HN7vJpXD-D1I1J7nj_Sm8Ctbpk23t5IBCEgvmzU66Esjff5vDfoGbnwJy_MAo1cjZELUtvzMXjpkX8dLNvtt8i9skImW7W-34N0nkcbejnvcqJV5b2e2viCdalCgWcb8EQTSJzoVrx2ADNuGkg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaBq_oR23BIiiJQF9tB2pprb0Q6C7agnESlxiFao2HN7vJpXD-D1I1J7nj_Sm8Ctbpk23t5IBCEgvmzU66Esjff5vDfoGbnwJy_MAo1cjZELUtvzMXjpkX8dLNvtt8i9skImW7W-34N0nkcbejnvcqJV5b2e2viCdalCgWcb8EQTSJzoVrx2ADNuGkg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20054.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road along Laurel Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the short road walk, the trail reenters the woods along Saunders Run. The trail climbs away from the run and soon reaches Parker Dam State Park. Here the trail passes along the road by the park's campground. I saw a fair amount of people in the distance at their travel trailers and walking to the park's lake.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGONbABC2gsE3gYiWMiV_kXadBlkNSSRdJ6bP_bKZiGotvgkD9Hd_b0au539szMtMLHellgpzG_ewqLPPbSsNL88KijlTUIS7A4QWyRlw603Q_aOM11kZSC8ZiQP-Hcm5ppAD10h5-Tv5J2FdYOpLegBGBJedUz_3TJnTL2osOQlwgdhjjGOedq_ep4w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGONbABC2gsE3gYiWMiV_kXadBlkNSSRdJ6bP_bKZiGotvgkD9Hd_b0au539szMtMLHellgpzG_ewqLPPbSsNL88KijlTUIS7A4QWyRlw603Q_aOM11kZSC8ZiQP-Hcm5ppAD10h5-Tv5J2FdYOpLegBGBJedUz_3TJnTL2osOQlwgdhjjGOedq_ep4w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20055.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over Saunders Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bbmLg576xjHLkQoSnAz_3vAuLSvuGK72arTRI8Kz8iFwdiVoXePUkDxT6FVhd_aZkVhD1NNxEFhqaun0-ImDX8Z9hifRlALP1CaB6h-3bRKGMH8aGgINW-MqGVMBSYnZKfQiQZO1CPQDQ1Rpe_TjO7N5JLBAE5PPvtv58YduxfezgJJqstwdvFCDEA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bbmLg576xjHLkQoSnAz_3vAuLSvuGK72arTRI8Kz8iFwdiVoXePUkDxT6FVhd_aZkVhD1NNxEFhqaun0-ImDX8Z9hifRlALP1CaB6h-3bRKGMH8aGgINW-MqGVMBSYnZKfQiQZO1CPQDQ1Rpe_TjO7N5JLBAE5PPvtv58YduxfezgJJqstwdvFCDEA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20056.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saunders Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmbitOix8I0C06OFmmvvyQJsJK4Z4BLeVSExq0pa8FZbb6XRrTzPtve8-1tIW_ATYNeCAeXB35Y6ZcatRvSTFQebtelKuOtyJgke8XzJH0HOGW8U3u_57orHxru1WLbDSkVVML8W5sp7zd9buvfpJwH20SnZAefKVIC_MvzWIqel0W_rRretwzIMH9w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmbitOix8I0C06OFmmvvyQJsJK4Z4BLeVSExq0pa8FZbb6XRrTzPtve8-1tIW_ATYNeCAeXB35Y6ZcatRvSTFQebtelKuOtyJgke8XzJH0HOGW8U3u_57orHxru1WLbDSkVVML8W5sp7zd9buvfpJwH20SnZAefKVIC_MvzWIqel0W_rRretwzIMH9w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The QT along the run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcXcKlVf4ycQ_u4Es3UfgWmZynG_-aaroshADiCerWwv15q-ZZ6ZU7Yu-qNeZMJXp5VrtBD0MSf9QsHJiaFehYQX0l6GrSB8g-F7rYMpOHjHyP22pQ59-ApjIlT5f4ZzJNKUhj6t76G9XyurPBGxWNU8zDV1lKPeHlYAxjyV8ZHPLEWv84N7JCZNrcg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcXcKlVf4ycQ_u4Es3UfgWmZynG_-aaroshADiCerWwv15q-ZZ6ZU7Yu-qNeZMJXp5VrtBD0MSf9QsHJiaFehYQX0l6GrSB8g-F7rYMpOHjHyP22pQ59-ApjIlT5f4ZzJNKUhj6t76G9XyurPBGxWNU8zDV1lKPeHlYAxjyV8ZHPLEWv84N7JCZNrcg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoy the mountain streams in PA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It seems like the majority of QT thru hikers start and end their trip at the park. I made my way through the park as quickly as possible, eager to get back to solitude of the forest. From the state park, the trail seemed to take on a different feel than I had encountered to this point. I hiked the northern end of the loop so far, which seemed to have more frequent elevation changes between the Plateau and the various runs and drafts. The southern half of the loop seemed to stay along the Plateau longer stretches with only mild elevation changes. By now the sun overtook the morning clouds with temps hitting the upper 80s.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3p9giaBw7f75xvI4Dydy_h37PyvSOU01b6sp2bmNSr5FeCYvXA5Zbm1Ef2aOMEn_lgura57rGGcSeZbSx_AkJZqjLO-aEa0_FJfgU8pasVQZkhETeSFGJYvGRcD5jNlijBd4FLvmdUz-pKRBGaDNK1CH-2rU6R1RRSJQMjNVZVT9UWNVeaURhBAZ9g/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3p9giaBw7f75xvI4Dydy_h37PyvSOU01b6sp2bmNSr5FeCYvXA5Zbm1Ef2aOMEn_lgura57rGGcSeZbSx_AkJZqjLO-aEa0_FJfgU8pasVQZkhETeSFGJYvGRcD5jNlijBd4FLvmdUz-pKRBGaDNK1CH-2rU6R1RRSJQMjNVZVT9UWNVeaURhBAZ9g/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Parker Dam </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfZqwRUUNjBizWNlH8w_WCZdCmpWxmNgXg_kxiL-ah_dZwKhLcnmyKxI0_wMdgWOiIaa9fnYf00MQW0D43IqzSbQGCrHqwTJSuUWP-FfY7gI94RNGQdFsUzGVJFEzDlJFn3NDR3NMZDEQvp802OFMtTxAMILVeTj4qowchBqti4A11QfdXoERGWsXEg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfZqwRUUNjBizWNlH8w_WCZdCmpWxmNgXg_kxiL-ah_dZwKhLcnmyKxI0_wMdgWOiIaa9fnYf00MQW0D43IqzSbQGCrHqwTJSuUWP-FfY7gI94RNGQdFsUzGVJFEzDlJFn3NDR3NMZDEQvp802OFMtTxAMILVeTj4qowchBqti4A11QfdXoERGWsXEg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My foot next to large fungi for scale</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoLbeLRi53hFaVDnC7eGFnub5NpLFhbtInHlqxIWp32z3L3cetJneM-QADGyGjN91We96e-_sVkKlsRroNTfM6Sqz8gfZPIhv9pdrhytdS9ap-9_aQaHb1qEJvRttfEwUPwu2WwRgYJ4gMLoTNfBBbkx1TtWGTa5ARG6z1XtOqMYoRffKJtC0NJjxpA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoLbeLRi53hFaVDnC7eGFnub5NpLFhbtInHlqxIWp32z3L3cetJneM-QADGyGjN91We96e-_sVkKlsRroNTfM6Sqz8gfZPIhv9pdrhytdS9ap-9_aQaHb1qEJvRttfEwUPwu2WwRgYJ4gMLoTNfBBbkx1TtWGTa5ARG6z1XtOqMYoRffKJtC0NJjxpA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiosk at Parker Dam State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3k6XxwBB7n7FCa4AFD5Bw6Eq-HF99_4sY7hQx-_YbTef1xV5_HcgVbAtzx6xQdtlECjnQqZ3JhLF8wdzd3OGkV6n7e76AzTbIyRfUvHqnZMY6Nkj-HqohA5y212cQh0OL7_S34AkR7fMLELN8zLVB-x2ghaLo7K-8fXNoyusVwf0gk2EvNG0ZZlcnaA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3k6XxwBB7n7FCa4AFD5Bw6Eq-HF99_4sY7hQx-_YbTef1xV5_HcgVbAtzx6xQdtlECjnQqZ3JhLF8wdzd3OGkV6n7e76AzTbIyRfUvHqnZMY6Nkj-HqohA5y212cQh0OL7_S34AkR7fMLELN8zLVB-x2ghaLo7K-8fXNoyusVwf0gk2EvNG0ZZlcnaA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Log Slide from lumbering days <br />on display at Parker Dam State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The last five miles of my day stayed along the Plateau for the most part. The elevation never changed much, even when it encountered a stream. Much of the trail passed through blooming mountain laurel. Despite my late start, the miles passed by quickly. I wrapped up my day before 7PM, covering 22 miles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKww5k2cckcu6vdFfNkF1LFlX0r2mnX8hcjMWpUgTIKzcBZGYdUdY2ocAFJiBUuB81iu_j_o3sdqcbwltSdMPGAHBRP7a7LkNvTWT1-PFcGFYdEqQMhX_TBwvtc5BI5SakUadbtcOjA4jOYU_HTqd4_cRGMmGKkqJyFreQgaBC6TPqGCB_uuk-3HsnWA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKww5k2cckcu6vdFfNkF1LFlX0r2mnX8hcjMWpUgTIKzcBZGYdUdY2ocAFJiBUuB81iu_j_o3sdqcbwltSdMPGAHBRP7a7LkNvTWT1-PFcGFYdEqQMhX_TBwvtc5BI5SakUadbtcOjA4jOYU_HTqd4_cRGMmGKkqJyFreQgaBC6TPqGCB_uuk-3HsnWA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back into the mountain laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusUeXxwpaITXge56TnAhS3nOFaezQJOC1a2OBTy14TcqqFiVZsXESHxPa-OjTdm6F7Pxy0DZvwezAeuv6jmXVwbKd1kef4Y9eHhYA5-YUtPUmCzyQXAAiQDGvV2HWlQy8qAkIGIpt_tcr4NecglDpSMlwcJnwkEXjU7UMwn8MzbcBVzi8E2xfPHUeig/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20196.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusUeXxwpaITXge56TnAhS3nOFaezQJOC1a2OBTy14TcqqFiVZsXESHxPa-OjTdm6F7Pxy0DZvwezAeuv6jmXVwbKd1kef4Y9eHhYA5-YUtPUmCzyQXAAiQDGvV2HWlQy8qAkIGIpt_tcr4NecglDpSMlwcJnwkEXjU7UMwn8MzbcBVzi8E2xfPHUeig/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20196.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flowers held water from the morning <br />rain well into the afternoon</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16T5BY23jEQVbAnAdKA9AdKS5dUdGq8PnDl75Sny2_whIcSMB75bsEXIe0KYqzWwsUR2_XLR7rrqgTxmf858ZS2o-Zf_AX-Fujgr3vb15p2AxhsVux4h5dd9xvOYuiPtO12UCABIPVMCxkViziQOYXb8GGTN3sDe-eArPWcnsNsAHp12cDVmQUj_6lw/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20184.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16T5BY23jEQVbAnAdKA9AdKS5dUdGq8PnDl75Sny2_whIcSMB75bsEXIe0KYqzWwsUR2_XLR7rrqgTxmf858ZS2o-Zf_AX-Fujgr3vb15p2AxhsVux4h5dd9xvOYuiPtO12UCABIPVMCxkViziQOYXb8GGTN3sDe-eArPWcnsNsAHp12cDVmQUj_6lw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20184.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the flowers</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8BfpljotvdO7pJEDDSq4NewiwhYPgAS5n923Kl6bUoEQ0RpZdNWKgBoIfz_1vXAc5OboeI7jSXLAMRMvwGV0XOfE9GpqsRpZ4hr8NNvhUpYjNkDjMBksN0KMBGj2vPBbb_TDRGeHw2fvYnRqb3UKndLM6qqJgc2irvr6zMSBjcQ_N3tP9JwI_36Aug/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8BfpljotvdO7pJEDDSq4NewiwhYPgAS5n923Kl6bUoEQ0RpZdNWKgBoIfz_1vXAc5OboeI7jSXLAMRMvwGV0XOfE9GpqsRpZ4hr8NNvhUpYjNkDjMBksN0KMBGj2vPBbb_TDRGeHw2fvYnRqb3UKndLM6qqJgc2irvr6zMSBjcQ_N3tP9JwI_36Aug/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muddy patch </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Similar to Mix Run, my information for Alex Branch showed the possibility of numerous campsites along the QT by the water. After passing the first well established site, I wasn't sure I'd pass another spot. Several sections of coniferous trees stood near the stream providing multiple spots to camp. I camped at the last established site along the creek before the QT turned away from it for good.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1wmpEl4Uduws8pk3wZskElP53WccP4sPc8Ygc2Yit_z2pZDFwYI6CEc5Wxpq5heQkHaiaNP2qUjdkUcx96f9no6OcxVe8HNzNguQDOfKf2N4ougAyp5DnJSG46QstcsO_Wum1QyigiztmG-ag4E9UpPTWjvQOZtEwACQ998toOlFc56kATTTEW4APQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20069.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1wmpEl4Uduws8pk3wZskElP53WccP4sPc8Ygc2Yit_z2pZDFwYI6CEc5Wxpq5heQkHaiaNP2qUjdkUcx96f9no6OcxVe8HNzNguQDOfKf2N4ougAyp5DnJSG46QstcsO_Wum1QyigiztmG-ag4E9UpPTWjvQOZtEwACQ998toOlFc56kATTTEW4APQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20069.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXjuNXjSZrFYnIeBGvx4B5sV_bzUAttEPuGsoypiL3CKadKwv09wiIvDWUAqy4Vtb78rxObyzRytN-YjEM4D1In2ba22-6cFzXJWG1J4krIv7icch82zfx8b8gR7OhKwiJLmyhoXjpncbfx3mM7F12E7ADlLiGaUd_9W2bjlxViGutxlRgGMPamV9iA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXjuNXjSZrFYnIeBGvx4B5sV_bzUAttEPuGsoypiL3CKadKwv09wiIvDWUAqy4Vtb78rxObyzRytN-YjEM4D1In2ba22-6cFzXJWG1J4krIv7icch82zfx8b8gR7OhKwiJLmyhoXjpncbfx3mM7F12E7ADlLiGaUd_9W2bjlxViGutxlRgGMPamV9iA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20070.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond above the dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG72Z95blzPdIzy1XBpSTzwt8FGyO-1CKLrSzRma1VbPc4ENZF1OUfBOgH5sTcrIFGj74oUj8Da-nzmzpjqPSF6WK4IX7geHNaWEJYxFx1yOphUxaBKzO3_352LXEJUN06SObEnpc_QqrOe9O_u3-NwSYY9mcL_iAf-LT7O7c7PBS8ZIYA7fpvc0Uhg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20071.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG72Z95blzPdIzy1XBpSTzwt8FGyO-1CKLrSzRma1VbPc4ENZF1OUfBOgH5sTcrIFGj74oUj8Da-nzmzpjqPSF6WK4IX7geHNaWEJYxFx1yOphUxaBKzO3_352LXEJUN06SObEnpc_QqrOe9O_u3-NwSYY9mcL_iAf-LT7O7c7PBS8ZIYA7fpvc0Uhg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20071.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Laurel Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hoped to use the extra time I had at the campsite to dry out some of my gear from the morning rain and wet foliage. My tent fly managed to dry out in this time, but my shoes and socks needed more time. The air was quite humid from the rain in the morning. Steam rose from the wet ground around the creek well into the evening. I was worried I would wake up in a dense fog with more moisture, but fortunately it remained clear.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr1HU_myUoZS7wXqgca1TRp3aKIudxu6x0yjcPEuyiOdd1z3UrZGy8fNLKct-2ISnoLrYb6TogUAh6DFtIBA3WefgETjTsc8mqs-_vZ2AQw1zMxmnas89QHxTCKxD8Ea79Huc5BnY3mpKYRlHAYe364n83lHDVINfiKmofp4QRmIsMkP9NSxvGxDMeA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20073.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr1HU_myUoZS7wXqgca1TRp3aKIudxu6x0yjcPEuyiOdd1z3UrZGy8fNLKct-2ISnoLrYb6TogUAh6DFtIBA3WefgETjTsc8mqs-_vZ2AQw1zMxmnas89QHxTCKxD8Ea79Huc5BnY3mpKYRlHAYe364n83lHDVINfiKmofp4QRmIsMkP9NSxvGxDMeA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20073.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog rising from Alex Branch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkZwH6BlRwmKNWkwFHPRuNg_PCeoQ4qPWVyhBk5k2Zq6WnAJXkD5jhjNXMi0TG9TI9mCQyhutYIDAmtbxcn4rDQyW-4U2tPmL4N-cSwymr1kgISMnlF2FwcVxoGTYHLqrL6Brg6uKK-zuiA_fuSa5o0t74aYuYPh0jY3F35mcUYvJNCTJ6tfMh4IUSw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkZwH6BlRwmKNWkwFHPRuNg_PCeoQ4qPWVyhBk5k2Zq6WnAJXkD5jhjNXMi0TG9TI9mCQyhutYIDAmtbxcn4rDQyW-4U2tPmL4N-cSwymr1kgISMnlF2FwcVxoGTYHLqrL6Brg6uKK-zuiA_fuSa5o0t74aYuYPh0jY3F35mcUYvJNCTJ6tfMh4IUSw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex Branch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2-DjlPImVxg7PxFH_Xbielop80bGgMt8KQN3H_W9spXk8w_uIzsT5xks_yJPXe84NyI0llQr44V2HDvLJ7Ip-H6TMwOYXwy-B2XhWEqj-jaxtEZiInPHZfGdYvyfGrDeUPfskcOHhjTYGjwXM9tEsIZVPXhrkpmMxhBwjRhY0WqYXl8KuCF67_nglg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20075.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2-DjlPImVxg7PxFH_Xbielop80bGgMt8KQN3H_W9spXk8w_uIzsT5xks_yJPXe84NyI0llQr44V2HDvLJ7Ip-H6TMwOYXwy-B2XhWEqj-jaxtEZiInPHZfGdYvyfGrDeUPfskcOHhjTYGjwXM9tEsIZVPXhrkpmMxhBwjRhY0WqYXl8KuCF67_nglg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20075.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tent by Alex Branch</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQvuaap3dIY6yPqxyLqCz8LumJ8Xt2ijWU0A0VO7hKUfr2zSNzQqDEcKnHd81Mq0pcwr3jeaSwpgC4AM2Gb3aA0KPVnduCZI1kfjZAQ8rsn9_Z_59uV4OHzi1gjEjvhuhYnAUpNj0AI2YEk02gEsZCXKNFIxCDnEIH6TI_e6J_Fj3vNE31ep2x1e9Ow/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQvuaap3dIY6yPqxyLqCz8LumJ8Xt2ijWU0A0VO7hKUfr2zSNzQqDEcKnHd81Mq0pcwr3jeaSwpgC4AM2Gb3aA0KPVnduCZI1kfjZAQ8rsn9_Z_59uV4OHzi1gjEjvhuhYnAUpNj0AI2YEk02gEsZCXKNFIxCDnEIH6TI_e6J_Fj3vNE31ep2x1e9Ow/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tumbling waters of Alex Branch<br />provided a nice background noise <br />to sleep by</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Day 3</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Alex Branch- Wykoff Run Road</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>34.0 Miles</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Alex Branch features numerous small cascades. With the high water level, its rushing waters were quite soothing and let me sleep well. I hit the trail for the day about 715AM. Although my shoes were still damp from the previous day, they dried out quickly with a pair of fresh socks. The southern half of the trail traveled along the Plateau with a lot less ground cover than the northern half. Although there was a fair amount of mountain laurel along the trail, the ferns weren't as thick and the stinging nettle was nearly nonexistent.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5Jy7xo3v4z3oASexW1wk2Ya_nokxldBM-eDe6fAsU8BuJpBI19Di4OmSXRU4ouZb68yOB7Wr7ZHzIfnwwj_apRfOz5rPcqfDNkfMmXUyMFM9MnA0PGjig8BUt_HlpfIr4c50nBXM5A6ezQG1fKOcN2sMHOSCjKSzNXScynV7PDdj2-8ZUlOkaYYbUg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20077.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5Jy7xo3v4z3oASexW1wk2Ya_nokxldBM-eDe6fAsU8BuJpBI19Di4OmSXRU4ouZb68yOB7Wr7ZHzIfnwwj_apRfOz5rPcqfDNkfMmXUyMFM9MnA0PGjig8BUt_HlpfIr4c50nBXM5A6ezQG1fKOcN2sMHOSCjKSzNXScynV7PDdj2-8ZUlOkaYYbUg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open terrain on the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIP_JuXiiYk5bqnbo24EL0jfjGrQgvOzJF8RpRCPUADsDvmObrxsf1a3zrZkEeVmQksv_a1EPuFwY2YeqiZ3towXkCp_bCOkdIXw-wZeA5qKi-D3yYOykbPaK_sdKHNTdvFt6b8LKuY2GxcdEBJSr9YQSKJLIRYXV7QbISjlZ0mjuE-4nsvFp4aaSuQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20078.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIP_JuXiiYk5bqnbo24EL0jfjGrQgvOzJF8RpRCPUADsDvmObrxsf1a3zrZkEeVmQksv_a1EPuFwY2YeqiZ3towXkCp_bCOkdIXw-wZeA5qKi-D3yYOykbPaK_sdKHNTdvFt6b8LKuY2GxcdEBJSr9YQSKJLIRYXV7QbISjlZ0mjuE-4nsvFp4aaSuQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20078.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the flat terrain along the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5JsszKwwkkOfcdHLHnM_0yqN2X5RjcGK9Dref72vs7W5aS3Hcg9HgfVV_flOKlqwYQjfGMSLSgOM93d3VZ2db5hq7xSXm6KC69sRh4JX0pWOZLc8GMVAaExkZkI61TguPukB8U_BYO2tV4RukYzp4LJmfulfEDUauzPw4Uea_h6UZ12HdJGOR2OMkQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5JsszKwwkkOfcdHLHnM_0yqN2X5RjcGK9Dref72vs7W5aS3Hcg9HgfVV_flOKlqwYQjfGMSLSgOM93d3VZ2db5hq7xSXm6KC69sRh4JX0pWOZLc8GMVAaExkZkI61TguPukB8U_BYO2tV4RukYzp4LJmfulfEDUauzPw4Uea_h6UZ12HdJGOR2OMkQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brief rocky section</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7xFGfWsRxeg2RcfkVjB37Wf2_ePUDza1POVRYonDGcLj-jkusscPOFAayi2PIGVy_fOjQLM-h6kBs94-QnuATuRyAH61OCVJA9g2OF38T6ZHwfTy1Z5lr9E_1EmQBx6cPOjtm6PtxJiY3OPNHXMNknlrcHwIHpxYHOI2SyvvRFq9e8eHyRpsOLc1ew/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20080.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7xFGfWsRxeg2RcfkVjB37Wf2_ePUDza1POVRYonDGcLj-jkusscPOFAayi2PIGVy_fOjQLM-h6kBs94-QnuATuRyAH61OCVJA9g2OF38T6ZHwfTy1Z5lr9E_1EmQBx6cPOjtm6PtxJiY3OPNHXMNknlrcHwIHpxYHOI2SyvvRFq9e8eHyRpsOLc1ew/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over Trout Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qWd9YIr2LhPuFBRBpAsnsUnjCQFdMXQKNUS0lGIEwwtb4K-B5XreEtJq5EJ-CM_sPdIT26-Q4VZWCj6cd8R5p2boiXV8cf3GbkeTzSMzfxx21saoSIH9ADvVJvy5bbyx1MjkhnI433jxmWSyvZUb5PDvsFj881MzXgHWbBTXOJcEOy6ayzzatam8zA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20081.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qWd9YIr2LhPuFBRBpAsnsUnjCQFdMXQKNUS0lGIEwwtb4K-B5XreEtJq5EJ-CM_sPdIT26-Q4VZWCj6cd8R5p2boiXV8cf3GbkeTzSMzfxx21saoSIH9ADvVJvy5bbyx1MjkhnI433jxmWSyvZUb5PDvsFj881MzXgHWbBTXOJcEOy6ayzzatam8zA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20081.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small cascade above the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Leaving Alex Branch, the QT quickly gained the height of the land close to 2,000' in elevation. When the trail did drop to a creek, it was usually never more than a couple hundred feet of elevation change. About 6 miles into the day, I reached the high point of the trail along Chestnut Ridge, roughly at 2,400’ in elevation. The trail passed through a good mix of terrain with some creekside walking, open meadows, and through blooming laurel thickets. There were even a couple of viewpoints. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dCLFfeSVxtJj_LKh9_T2Azi2gT1QjX7CvqFauHdragMmPDkpL0V6kfJfd77so-ViY0mmwWiruVHKZq48rJy-TPi9mfhr8Jm44fb267pmh0fKQ3GmevZTO0V33KSjwEgkg9Gja4R-Pf0HYB4-FdENXGAQjgiFsiSTGamRIVMxl-oHElAvqiJzB1GYFw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20083.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dCLFfeSVxtJj_LKh9_T2Azi2gT1QjX7CvqFauHdragMmPDkpL0V6kfJfd77so-ViY0mmwWiruVHKZq48rJy-TPi9mfhr8Jm44fb267pmh0fKQ3GmevZTO0V33KSjwEgkg9Gja4R-Pf0HYB4-FdENXGAQjgiFsiSTGamRIVMxl-oHElAvqiJzB1GYFw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20083.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along Roberts Run in the morning sun</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGyC-Pg3a1Lyd_bDyTnE4btEVrpC1aXZ9lF_bRFdHEMdCLknZ9xSuWoO2qHKgPQENu1S28Axcd3DYwCZ-hghofK8tbgaQ6Hyv52c1_oYIiDsV1_Kfc1uZtAwafgiuV2mEBMrrELgJOLX4zK30nGK_sf08ziYSO0Gy0ZLm_bE6b6F8riPWibsuKTV7Lw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20084.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGyC-Pg3a1Lyd_bDyTnE4btEVrpC1aXZ9lF_bRFdHEMdCLknZ9xSuWoO2qHKgPQENu1S28Axcd3DYwCZ-hghofK8tbgaQ6Hyv52c1_oYIiDsV1_Kfc1uZtAwafgiuV2mEBMrrELgJOLX4zK30nGK_sf08ziYSO0Gy0ZLm_bE6b6F8riPWibsuKTV7Lw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lone garage-sized rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS24Oe6Sq-Y4q0_xEYMcxGgEMA-tDgVIBrzE8bseDmR-hwjWN3BtuIt87TbEBriafW5PDfl9pCED9A5BMwP4JPNPThiSio6HzlJsNoKK_FY1ekCyI-eqDdi__pwwtoLp8al4jOv-0YJ232xTYU_nAMRAecs0t6kpLo0iHgCtW3vXAgFKtm4YB4w8nZQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20086.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS24Oe6Sq-Y4q0_xEYMcxGgEMA-tDgVIBrzE8bseDmR-hwjWN3BtuIt87TbEBriafW5PDfl9pCED9A5BMwP4JPNPThiSio6HzlJsNoKK_FY1ekCyI-eqDdi__pwwtoLp8al4jOv-0YJ232xTYU_nAMRAecs0t6kpLo0iHgCtW3vXAgFKtm4YB4w8nZQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20086.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A meadow with a pond- I saw several deer near here</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbxRZ9XD7aDtc8MamIV9cVOGDOH0-bUeobx8n9ELoBmTHM7ORU_Sz6oYC9zEvd3YmunBnozbM29571Mu7p45eeQkKj0NXlPjTHfg1S0_ApjJV6mjIzRQzraTnjtDcC3YYqh5k7m7UKsi3iN__1WtnHgcrfb5wm00_PtgvSH7Q--ry0Sq7p4FWYmnT9w/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20088.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbxRZ9XD7aDtc8MamIV9cVOGDOH0-bUeobx8n9ELoBmTHM7ORU_Sz6oYC9zEvd3YmunBnozbM29571Mu7p45eeQkKj0NXlPjTHfg1S0_ApjJV6mjIzRQzraTnjtDcC3YYqh5k7m7UKsi3iN__1WtnHgcrfb5wm00_PtgvSH7Q--ry0Sq7p4FWYmnT9w/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20088.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View near the trail's high point<br />on Chestnut Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although there are occasional rocky stretches, generally the QT offers good footing over easy terrain that allows the miles to pass by with little effort while hiking on the Plateau. By early afternoon I had already hiked about 15 miles and felt pretty good. The only real challenge was the heat and humidity. Several days before I started my hike, the temperatures struggled to get out of the 50s back home. Each day on this hike topped 80 and this day was forecast to be close to 90. I kept hydrated and felt strong.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioViVuTksSkA_Kt2XjIr6nF4X6ZE9gcGcag5E4zmd2TEr0Bd_ATyDqJDSyCOLuf9YKa9Zore7MBeOHKvnD10TqlsM7iMnuq-z_nhaBCcVF5Mobrjz5clIBLfhjcUxneze11mnk9OqXsp-LupxbRGf9tWLtZYCSfYXjgXfMS6TcCKPkqoiwfdkbh--acg/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20187.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioViVuTksSkA_Kt2XjIr6nF4X6ZE9gcGcag5E4zmd2TEr0Bd_ATyDqJDSyCOLuf9YKa9Zore7MBeOHKvnD10TqlsM7iMnuq-z_nhaBCcVF5Mobrjz5clIBLfhjcUxneze11mnk9OqXsp-LupxbRGf9tWLtZYCSfYXjgXfMS6TcCKPkqoiwfdkbh--acg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20187.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink mountain laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lgNxlJbGanZE1ktdWVgBzZ3itlPR4MM2j53THEhWcDInoB0srzzvT1hNh3MfP4YHCM4nECLVICPi2KPUzZFinP0jm3U2qr10hMzPHi1NgsNyuXWeb8xPasIbDX4qEkQfU0RP0Uuyyc5D6VF3FEuMUv0LKWDd77vcSVxoeYU8BQoWrzb_W5CEwlb1Gw/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20194.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lgNxlJbGanZE1ktdWVgBzZ3itlPR4MM2j53THEhWcDInoB0srzzvT1hNh3MfP4YHCM4nECLVICPi2KPUzZFinP0jm3U2qr10hMzPHi1NgsNyuXWeb8xPasIbDX4qEkQfU0RP0Uuyyc5D6VF3FEuMUv0LKWDd77vcSVxoeYU8BQoWrzb_W5CEwlb1Gw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20194.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing through the laurel tunnel</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8TDOoDi-WBPW9CVObNwzZ05O6mEgjQLg7FYHfdmPvjHR_ZFGvv1fmMS2BAB7CQiAMUuLkAHb5AclVfTnuKH-1Hq8B6XZ0Faw5v0C8aP8_hZAUUmgIb3sZLcOPSk8bdB3zLPmoDFCZ8_mksUWlQaX2vhRATDbc_IR995Mh9CLvokxl7NnfsMfs30rhg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20090.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8TDOoDi-WBPW9CVObNwzZ05O6mEgjQLg7FYHfdmPvjHR_ZFGvv1fmMS2BAB7CQiAMUuLkAHb5AclVfTnuKH-1Hq8B6XZ0Faw5v0C8aP8_hZAUUmgIb3sZLcOPSk8bdB3zLPmoDFCZ8_mksUWlQaX2vhRATDbc_IR995Mh9CLvokxl7NnfsMfs30rhg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20090.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoy the fern covered open forests</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5rveIUrhkSB1o7M8eAby-LYVXeeQt5eNEkiPMN0CB3LXEjcGCGSVoIYHun0hmEyrG2hHzYiD_h24ApiT9DyaWD969Wee6GDjNj8YChv2sHim7GFPuZzsV7FhIX9ChOKOeaWs9VfT0fAKdzpJKP3wSLgD71FU7LFe_NGPeJdenFPnEjFxOiIeOKoI_A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20091.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5rveIUrhkSB1o7M8eAby-LYVXeeQt5eNEkiPMN0CB3LXEjcGCGSVoIYHun0hmEyrG2hHzYiD_h24ApiT9DyaWD969Wee6GDjNj8YChv2sHim7GFPuZzsV7FhIX9ChOKOeaWs9VfT0fAKdzpJKP3wSLgD71FU7LFe_NGPeJdenFPnEjFxOiIeOKoI_A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20091.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the few blowdowns on the entire trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JfAwN-N7sQ6_IhS7UkSx1ZyCVQK0Z0r1EHmecN9WXwR8Rt2TSio0Q0VAGa8jmubZMd7TLtMImmGCxmjAUvxWOzhbdWV1uxsn4cOgWGsKaKMROL2R44ybWItTimpSuXK6SHMiF-I63sVSkfwppdhgDHuzr7fDtHjDezIQkX46iclzptNKAHQi9B09eA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20093.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JfAwN-N7sQ6_IhS7UkSx1ZyCVQK0Z0r1EHmecN9WXwR8Rt2TSio0Q0VAGa8jmubZMd7TLtMImmGCxmjAUvxWOzhbdWV1uxsn4cOgWGsKaKMROL2R44ybWItTimpSuXK6SHMiF-I63sVSkfwppdhgDHuzr7fDtHjDezIQkX46iclzptNKAHQi9B09eA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20093.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick section of laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMNSjhUTJVseGFHDhBId04P3hlx_GGv25JP9qQYPUYVtNeX2GrfQrcawjvo18wmvDD3U2S9nhjqeSijmLpspFXqSs_toruPX_ZYuv9l4BtDcrAewSbV3_vehjlHbAdg5IAvFUSYM4go31if257txBHK1IJWVtrqSSG9nocr-HKR00nvJPOFgjKEuaPw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20095.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMNSjhUTJVseGFHDhBId04P3hlx_GGv25JP9qQYPUYVtNeX2GrfQrcawjvo18wmvDD3U2S9nhjqeSijmLpspFXqSs_toruPX_ZYuv9l4BtDcrAewSbV3_vehjlHbAdg5IAvFUSYM4go31if257txBHK1IJWVtrqSSG9nocr-HKR00nvJPOFgjKEuaPw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20095.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above an old logging dam on Gifford Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildpCbEgoF_nApW6mA__96NPb4ILtEx0DGh-55tHq8-MkdU6PMcBrJLR21G8cnaUP0r4XdskXXMsX9RQQCNQ_R6u1Cnhd4tfYd-2PbS0nbwKT3pZv9RT9TIiaVUXqZXfVBCEIGMxSYL7uOjQeVJPLtxtmq8u00VccSvDi_39MzfjYnnJNP7rH_48HOFQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20096.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildpCbEgoF_nApW6mA__96NPb4ILtEx0DGh-55tHq8-MkdU6PMcBrJLR21G8cnaUP0r4XdskXXMsX9RQQCNQ_R6u1Cnhd4tfYd-2PbS0nbwKT3pZv9RT9TIiaVUXqZXfVBCEIGMxSYL7uOjQeVJPLtxtmq8u00VccSvDi_39MzfjYnnJNP7rH_48HOFQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20096.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over Gifford Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqxG07VCwFxd-vaMfu9o2mSLDmOBEFIR7w4kfGFMfNgKCpG81SVisA_vpI1UV6k-vp_rTvtKg1_LTbKH8m4a6MtL6ThhRmzVsJ3znTzfgEn-5WonqRaGVA513PmlQM-vjEv97WJWgqvHX69-0ZXrld8HYtrpJ_PQxuFm48o3BeUuFxeyjqT-o8maLyA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20097.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqxG07VCwFxd-vaMfu9o2mSLDmOBEFIR7w4kfGFMfNgKCpG81SVisA_vpI1UV6k-vp_rTvtKg1_LTbKH8m4a6MtL6ThhRmzVsJ3znTzfgEn-5WonqRaGVA513PmlQM-vjEv97WJWgqvHX69-0ZXrld8HYtrpJ_PQxuFm48o3BeUuFxeyjqT-o8maLyA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20097.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short section over rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5tHC5cgAtJD2LoRR_maIgJsI6aKrSmrRF-osRH0-mcjj70W2F2F32s-gCJWSVfXXR6psPec2M2Rt2DYXUPv74oZktO8DKnM3OhgFwdv4n4FZf32C2fTrAfFxBWAKRdFJX38sdnA8JQfhC6R-a_wPAXzBGARHoCfmATWCDic06d_60miOXVAAhjcX3Q/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5tHC5cgAtJD2LoRR_maIgJsI6aKrSmrRF-osRH0-mcjj70W2F2F32s-gCJWSVfXXR6psPec2M2Rt2DYXUPv74oZktO8DKnM3OhgFwdv4n4FZf32C2fTrAfFxBWAKRdFJX38sdnA8JQfhC6R-a_wPAXzBGARHoCfmATWCDic06d_60miOXVAAhjcX3Q/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The QT on Merrill Road for a short distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFhRhjPDOKMonDuAm-3KTscXamY0syX4A26zs-JJNKpqWweDdZdzGiCx_kSIfGayjz7QzpY5nW1V_uxalwaFiH7xLew3kl80VNw8rQ46UmxR07hUOuDSdKlDTQgFQL0E5V4EXp5K_Z8ZiKj9U-tQHbmlQjrN3mymPKgO0HAjOLLYGOy5R8Ux5MtKBjQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20103.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFhRhjPDOKMonDuAm-3KTscXamY0syX4A26zs-JJNKpqWweDdZdzGiCx_kSIfGayjz7QzpY5nW1V_uxalwaFiH7xLew3kl80VNw8rQ46UmxR07hUOuDSdKlDTQgFQL0E5V4EXp5K_Z8ZiKj9U-tQHbmlQjrN3mymPKgO0HAjOLLYGOy5R8Ux5MtKBjQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20103.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking on a bed of moss</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Around the 15 mile point of the day I reached a QT landmark called Wildcat Rock with a plaque honoring a hunter. Here I ran into only the second set of hikers I saw in nearly 50 miles of travel on the QT. I talked to them a few minutes and they actually vacationed regularly close to where I live in the Adirondacks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljAGcqc470CzE84BMgZptu8mZM1XMNeOWGEyqdzkT6PMmljEwAaP-qFig4htaNBP9vLY-34IHxWtSLCYeBwPdZQ-LWEJYvQaupwr34Gxt4V7P-FIVkkWSv_zy-dEwS2z1pLrwpZd1svMO5nbVt7CBNExk-u1D5tsbzW25xDgnXFW3-HHZeJx_GL8WgA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljAGcqc470CzE84BMgZptu8mZM1XMNeOWGEyqdzkT6PMmljEwAaP-qFig4htaNBP9vLY-34IHxWtSLCYeBwPdZQ-LWEJYvQaupwr34Gxt4V7P-FIVkkWSv_zy-dEwS2z1pLrwpZd1svMO5nbVt7CBNExk-u1D5tsbzW25xDgnXFW3-HHZeJx_GL8WgA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20104.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferns overtaking the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qgZo88zJ39exCUY0yi_cQicxFc2_b9gT6aXX2xDpR-vji58dwPRX4IOtGjR4ryc6U0yaG49FbSp2exLtOj2hezVisgFSlNgraZgpZKNWGsELMDnNY-8gxUvf4C2rIQklPGfKr2jKiqOqjQMX2okuHt4xMK8qqjlFP2WA9aDXJdoHfiNFPoQ3gHqVSg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qgZo88zJ39exCUY0yi_cQicxFc2_b9gT6aXX2xDpR-vji58dwPRX4IOtGjR4ryc6U0yaG49FbSp2exLtOj2hezVisgFSlNgraZgpZKNWGsELMDnNY-8gxUvf4C2rIQklPGfKr2jKiqOqjQMX2okuHt4xMK8qqjlFP2WA9aDXJdoHfiNFPoQ3gHqVSg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20106.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberries</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wswpIb6kZRXtbkR7e57_p--tJDz6ljxRgnsnFWq393jP9XbaLR1AKBVRS09pIW60Xk_u6Yjjv-Adp5oCkatVQ_97w3m1Z5eOMfrN6CN8zw_YBP0p2Z68-HxnX23oEEwKjw5uCdGD1xXxAE0jU-ffVp9ks8iq5dhm0mRWruUMaIfYt48_GUj2nm3KLg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20108.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wswpIb6kZRXtbkR7e57_p--tJDz6ljxRgnsnFWq393jP9XbaLR1AKBVRS09pIW60Xk_u6Yjjv-Adp5oCkatVQ_97w3m1Z5eOMfrN6CN8zw_YBP0p2Z68-HxnX23oEEwKjw5uCdGD1xXxAE0jU-ffVp9ks8iq5dhm0mRWruUMaIfYt48_GUj2nm3KLg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20108.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting sign on the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntwOWyDAZrmPtVmqpknwgsFa60sp8q7_ERgIJ8qeD_EW4Aa-GO_YA6zfMctCiBPJaI_646NAdUWf2BA5lW02aeMW9MnEEvtuf8B-CHFBwQkGwJsiLIsVvFTDOGxCMHvyhCP65HBa4m_QI8yUnrtSq2P3kh0pR3hKlWVDfmu7I64QL9nO1joSq1BQKFg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntwOWyDAZrmPtVmqpknwgsFa60sp8q7_ERgIJ8qeD_EW4Aa-GO_YA6zfMctCiBPJaI_646NAdUWf2BA5lW02aeMW9MnEEvtuf8B-CHFBwQkGwJsiLIsVvFTDOGxCMHvyhCP65HBa4m_QI8yUnrtSq2P3kh0pR3hKlWVDfmu7I64QL9nO1joSq1BQKFg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20110.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View along the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1wSO3ubV-43hXV2QIBf-DWf7LwrY2P1asrCTVEo0fKf1Zl6qArP65jMFY-audPe6rA0Embmd4KJA59ka92KoMa2W6UCFJnO0dgqNFzmbO4TDVa0dnflK6V6LbO5EL0uShDfQ1TnnL4uQ_HBa19pkAqy5nC4gaBNmeiO3-G0skfvj93yEK2WuvAJZTw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20115.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1wSO3ubV-43hXV2QIBf-DWf7LwrY2P1asrCTVEo0fKf1Zl6qArP65jMFY-audPe6rA0Embmd4KJA59ka92KoMa2W6UCFJnO0dgqNFzmbO4TDVa0dnflK6V6LbO5EL0uShDfQ1TnnL4uQ_HBa19pkAqy5nC4gaBNmeiO3-G0skfvj93yEK2WuvAJZTw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20115.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed the blooming laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBe_glCSyhDL2OVh3xWIbW4hsIKtpIqxgnaLV_bCoa0ElLYdfhR8WAYmPyf19zdaW6X22h04yoV2Wg_hzIxy_YEqrlnKgo8RJm0N8gjNMw1VFTHizPBHJA7VOUQ7qjraWymYc5FQWaS8RrXXDintM3_2-46S8hCPpMcDyUp79evlRd_wNwC3rrtgK0ng/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20191.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBe_glCSyhDL2OVh3xWIbW4hsIKtpIqxgnaLV_bCoa0ElLYdfhR8WAYmPyf19zdaW6X22h04yoV2Wg_hzIxy_YEqrlnKgo8RJm0N8gjNMw1VFTHizPBHJA7VOUQ7qjraWymYc5FQWaS8RrXXDintM3_2-46S8hCPpMcDyUp79evlRd_wNwC3rrtgK0ng/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20191.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another vista on the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5zW_gwFzc1pe-aWuUDzB37le5Y1gKkoUwF6sLB49d-v_ugCvuP8zoYqXdX-UjOhBn8WyOiPmvx7DwxOY7oBMZo5z0YAHP-9PGm0TajMGY9lx9TEij9r69HRyTQj7gWQgxwup9RrUgVfu-avNy7gB3vSsmqi4-eu1PYGjfxS580FX6ROhgOfcoDQl_g/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20116.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5zW_gwFzc1pe-aWuUDzB37le5Y1gKkoUwF6sLB49d-v_ugCvuP8zoYqXdX-UjOhBn8WyOiPmvx7DwxOY7oBMZo5z0YAHP-9PGm0TajMGY9lx9TEij9r69HRyTQj7gWQgxwup9RrUgVfu-avNy7gB3vSsmqi4-eu1PYGjfxS580FX6ROhgOfcoDQl_g/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildcat Rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Shortly after Wildcat Rock the QT passes a powerline. Just beyond the powerline the QT reaches one of the best vistas on the trail. Beyond the vista, the map indicated several more viewpoints. The map makers were liberal with their definition of a view. I didn't pass anything else that I'd consider a view after this on the ridge. The other vistas on the map in this section were pretty grown over. After the good viewpoint, the trail left the Plateau. The QT descended, steeply at times, to Mosquito Creek.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQW_XeE0JBA02z33Znm6hRpQWAD2ZBBg-EHagAoWklxqVAC-wvZWhdDulkSSzVj9sEl0zJc9yHgkyxTV6wv8NxcYbZdgLh5hID_yiQv-YZXHiAki5W9OYrdIJZUqwScX_Q_mhjBLb2_ibLX8pz5iEaF9CLA6ijEYcmiV_e5aNBpzlw5lq8qoz36Zh1hw/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20188.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQW_XeE0JBA02z33Znm6hRpQWAD2ZBBg-EHagAoWklxqVAC-wvZWhdDulkSSzVj9sEl0zJc9yHgkyxTV6wv8NxcYbZdgLh5hID_yiQv-YZXHiAki5W9OYrdIJZUqwScX_Q_mhjBLb2_ibLX8pz5iEaF9CLA6ijEYcmiV_e5aNBpzlw5lq8qoz36Zh1hw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20188.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best vistas on the QT, just past<br />Wildcat Rock, overlooking the<br />Mosquito Creek Valley</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like Medix Run, Mosquito Creek has a reputation for washing away bridges. The last bridge built has since been lost to raging water. I was a little worried about the crossing with the recent heavy rain. As I reached the creek, the trail was blazed beyond the lost bridge, to a point upstream a short distance. Here a haphazard, improvised bridge crossed the creek. The bridge was comprised of a large blowdown that spanned the creek with cables for handrails and boards screwed into the trunk for better footing. The cables were quite loose, but the "bridge" was otherwise solid. I wouldn't want to negotiate it in wet weather however. Beyond the bridge, I took a break to cool down in a side creek and rehydrate.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8sHwH24ZJN6CpQny3hLlwRSyFBPaJavnuZKcQQLemuhmnOHceFYrK6EtwO8MQWzD05TE9U1CPSHgp2NkLIf3ij4F3Qr9kM8JLEuKXNDCcm2-tFqs98Ly1w9jpwEUT94Qr0j8lO9LdNn77RMo1h6HA4T6CSOJ8xHOxmUZaWQ6SyQ6dIfsaLf7WH-Y9A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8sHwH24ZJN6CpQny3hLlwRSyFBPaJavnuZKcQQLemuhmnOHceFYrK6EtwO8MQWzD05TE9U1CPSHgp2NkLIf3ij4F3Qr9kM8JLEuKXNDCcm2-tFqs98Ly1w9jpwEUT94Qr0j8lO9LdNn77RMo1h6HA4T6CSOJ8xHOxmUZaWQ6SyQ6dIfsaLf7WH-Y9A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20118.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brushy trail along Mosquito Creek</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0beIyGveBpR247Xy9yhZnPcGI4qJ6RPyrxETjrSERb_e_hxJaSozil3W0Is8VdJLFQLLQyqi9QASxalbXTgmyDrQaWbJdLTfkL-08pkZn2IWBiAmMyE-gsd0aGpl17RR9tjKku_8pc5r67h5f953RU2sMDyE008zP5kZT2Fl13mzxrLiQazmsMyLTLw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20119.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0beIyGveBpR247Xy9yhZnPcGI4qJ6RPyrxETjrSERb_e_hxJaSozil3W0Is8VdJLFQLLQyqi9QASxalbXTgmyDrQaWbJdLTfkL-08pkZn2IWBiAmMyE-gsd0aGpl17RR9tjKku_8pc5r67h5f953RU2sMDyE008zP5kZT2Fl13mzxrLiQazmsMyLTLw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20119.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makeshift bridge over Mosquito Creek</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71gfLMdugl4ZS_MZGYjly17-JoKXGwHT0DjjMg25eBRiKTO8UO89f-w8CoNTyxDqGQ7NRdR2RyVgyew6nrZ-5PCR9b4jM9cZbq9s_JpGBhTSoCKwYgVHBfei64cJJSRTHdJiwNepJpCGOOge9O3iNeHIL1UV0-JbKXcTmvmKqhjrVcGvtqmrF92db1Q/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71gfLMdugl4ZS_MZGYjly17-JoKXGwHT0DjjMg25eBRiKTO8UO89f-w8CoNTyxDqGQ7NRdR2RyVgyew6nrZ-5PCR9b4jM9cZbq9s_JpGBhTSoCKwYgVHBfei64cJJSRTHdJiwNepJpCGOOge9O3iNeHIL1UV0-JbKXcTmvmKqhjrVcGvtqmrF92db1Q/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20120.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMJuGfqOOxDA2SqBUe2nCZPHDL56OmXfF_FfuiYd4GZw64VpMbQ8GAkxjUybmtcVHI8vJeXhow26NHQnx9mWkFDpTx3NImboCq1udQtB9FYzSZwEbYv6uEQOkz-I1oDjDnG0-HRdcRI5a-Tsbk55y6vcPtngtHIrO-xQ24shGQQW2RUN-dmIIJ8mzLg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMJuGfqOOxDA2SqBUe2nCZPHDL56OmXfF_FfuiYd4GZw64VpMbQ8GAkxjUybmtcVHI8vJeXhow26NHQnx9mWkFDpTx3NImboCq1udQtB9FYzSZwEbYv6uEQOkz-I1oDjDnG0-HRdcRI5a-Tsbk55y6vcPtngtHIrO-xQ24shGQQW2RUN-dmIIJ8mzLg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20123.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosquito Creek- I wasn't bothered by <br />mosquitos while I was there</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After my break, the trail climbed rather steeply back to the Plateau. Like much of the day, I was hiking in blooming mountain laurel. By now it was about 3PM and in the full sun. I hiked through the laurel, in "the zone", when my daydreaming was interrupted by a common sound in this part of Pennsylvania, a rattlesnake. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hZ3-2weFyZ0_cYovDnHDllcSCbcIBohnw6boePehVzS8O_IjJIbOy6Nv8I1V0gbQWz-tE_z5S4ippqku48z7r7G392BufbS1S7mt951S7cuavLUgZa0D5IrsR8fPL1ZaZSIUnp-r1Hk3l8d3UcPrPEGX0F4GRBlUxGm3B1oM2oEMJZqIfQALxfL4Nw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20124.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hZ3-2weFyZ0_cYovDnHDllcSCbcIBohnw6boePehVzS8O_IjJIbOy6Nv8I1V0gbQWz-tE_z5S4ippqku48z7r7G392BufbS1S7mt951S7cuavLUgZa0D5IrsR8fPL1ZaZSIUnp-r1Hk3l8d3UcPrPEGX0F4GRBlUxGm3B1oM2oEMJZqIfQALxfL4Nw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20124.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock outcropping along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJXgOBcETStSwVD7UkhDJWPXaeAbgdAO36NpdjB4AHDCQMrspdQ59XCQKGQIrPqDKQroNBfpk4PvfinFfbJUVwNEoz8TOzwbAxmDJ85f7a0Dt1_0Xg0EM7zAjAyFcDWjft5HNcPP2Bb-0oV8o0Cez6xrSO7G46mKTl8LHWQPpqJPb4paWApcwOevk3A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJXgOBcETStSwVD7UkhDJWPXaeAbgdAO36NpdjB4AHDCQMrspdQ59XCQKGQIrPqDKQroNBfpk4PvfinFfbJUVwNEoz8TOzwbAxmDJ85f7a0Dt1_0Xg0EM7zAjAyFcDWjft5HNcPP2Bb-0oV8o0Cez6xrSO7G46mKTl8LHWQPpqJPb4paWApcwOevk3A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20125.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House-sized outcropping</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Timber rattlesnakes are abundant in the forests of Pennsylvania and a well known sight to hikers in the region. I have seen them on the last two summer backpacking trips I've made to Pennsylvania in this area. This snake was a beautiful yellow color phase. It rattled well in advance of me arriving as it laid curled up in the middle of the trail, basking in the warm afternoon sun. I took several photos from a safe distance. It was happy in the middle of the trail, so I passed by at a comfortable distance in the laurel on the side of the trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim85BUISGh0I4hvxA6gA8kg1bvacHPFw_Epyd4o6oR-1ThLgAYxWmYNGDtpwBZ84fjw9OTFVHyITlYio4QrnH7cBiUN93TIPRmtKR4UM0FtkHozkxU2HQkVpb84jeNYtffnaQlUzLYnPGJsKTnVAMimjmJFRFSutD7Nvx-QgWgCbb7APtbVpa4lDkKRQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20126.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim85BUISGh0I4hvxA6gA8kg1bvacHPFw_Epyd4o6oR-1ThLgAYxWmYNGDtpwBZ84fjw9OTFVHyITlYio4QrnH7cBiUN93TIPRmtKR4UM0FtkHozkxU2HQkVpb84jeNYtffnaQlUzLYnPGJsKTnVAMimjmJFRFSutD7Nvx-QgWgCbb7APtbVpa4lDkKRQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20126.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timber rattlesnake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_DbLUUh2xe1rG59ke-Y_XBDFt-0N962jKOXZve-0h43XToGVpMRc7ZnLrGad4sQqHxdBvRH-1Y4Clguc0CH_lVH0ioWDS3d9mDrzbkDtu08FdHpUELMD0BVUZFYYtKuCY3Hruf_mxRqsjQsOgvH9FByIFs5kv_yRlGVrW6Y6op2LK5BhiWoeN4T60A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20128.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_DbLUUh2xe1rG59ke-Y_XBDFt-0N962jKOXZve-0h43XToGVpMRc7ZnLrGad4sQqHxdBvRH-1Y4Clguc0CH_lVH0ioWDS3d9mDrzbkDtu08FdHpUELMD0BVUZFYYtKuCY3Hruf_mxRqsjQsOgvH9FByIFs5kv_yRlGVrW6Y6op2LK5BhiWoeN4T60A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20128.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's rattle is blurry in the photo as it rattled</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not long after the rattler, the trail follows quiet dirt roads along the Plateau for a couple miles before dropping slightly back to the Quehanna Highway near Piper. At the highway, a sign indicated that I had less than 10 miles left to finish the QT and reach my car at Wykoff Road. It was only 5PM so I debated if I wanted to finish up the hike. More heavy rain was predicted overnight. Chances were pretty good that I would have a wet tent again and possibly a wet final several miles. I had already hike 24 miles for the day at this point but still felt strong. The day would reach 34 miles if I finished, one of my longest days ever and the longest since I was in my early 20s. I would struggle to finish in daylight, but that's what headlamps are for. I didn't commit to finishing and decided to reevaluate when I passed the various campsites that were ahead of me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvqKUJ5LtzSdKopJfxMzTjZM9n6VenfBDuCAIey7bCLe8TejUpBImn2yRU3FLBcuIOZrVZ-k6hMpqODB-e2yCb90HcPm3oQW6pt2690APszQ9FZ3ODPxVOkp4sl97b5nkrypCTlpP9OicN8kd0mqIOs4otGothM55TFAkTAIs73YaiQM-mqz4Q788OA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20129.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvqKUJ5LtzSdKopJfxMzTjZM9n6VenfBDuCAIey7bCLe8TejUpBImn2yRU3FLBcuIOZrVZ-k6hMpqODB-e2yCb90HcPm3oQW6pt2690APszQ9FZ3ODPxVOkp4sl97b5nkrypCTlpP9OicN8kd0mqIOs4otGothM55TFAkTAIs73YaiQM-mqz4Q788OA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20129.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mountain laurel in a clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP23awfZ5U5yYeF2w3MPOeSZxX8yWRjJTXfM-y5i4I1hov26KtL_7OQKxhM-6Ve48dlK7e8uH8HJtXSf3MCvLb7X3-bOqLMtqHv0z5oE9DBoBI5bNY4sJVDu6xCGWQQFPLdJhw9WRaAJeDpf0XpsApcOXUB_tBn2Lf6xzRHHOImgXa44Vm3nNFl9Fh0A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20131.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP23awfZ5U5yYeF2w3MPOeSZxX8yWRjJTXfM-y5i4I1hov26KtL_7OQKxhM-6Ve48dlK7e8uH8HJtXSf3MCvLb7X3-bOqLMtqHv0z5oE9DBoBI5bNY4sJVDu6xCGWQQFPLdJhw9WRaAJeDpf0XpsApcOXUB_tBn2Lf6xzRHHOImgXa44Vm3nNFl9Fh0A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20131.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along an old road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnyktnS3aF-B-KgMMYkGTc4tY6-dbqkL71Qg_KQFzSkAV70D7Zn3MnMlEbZ3RXV2yCRtCWb1UxmVhEgABp4n2uLE5BaPZ6ShyekMXxA7moMUVh11GQlThKId0Cnlku36hSEfOSm9eaj5eXYiD16ilMlwccCFaIWndfQZkIl1LfqetCk41Pt-jLpt1Qg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20137.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnyktnS3aF-B-KgMMYkGTc4tY6-dbqkL71Qg_KQFzSkAV70D7Zn3MnMlEbZ3RXV2yCRtCWb1UxmVhEgABp4n2uLE5BaPZ6ShyekMXxA7moMUVh11GQlThKId0Cnlku36hSEfOSm9eaj5eXYiD16ilMlwccCFaIWndfQZkIl1LfqetCk41Pt-jLpt1Qg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20137.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dense section of laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUUXH_tg_jJ2ns8ih0LGOobIE9x1VOBFjGqPAn_4nRb0WWiP5nJC042_jaxDDGsgfoawaJz_KMznCQs5IV4B3vEuWLuqZQ1oiUq6zSmdb57gK5aM0N6jnH_TTfN3Yyxbo09n8Oq1nE2RBfjPC70wL6nL9UmhMEN6jJMevcEFZMsvtWYG5uPmdrwb5aQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20138.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUUXH_tg_jJ2ns8ih0LGOobIE9x1VOBFjGqPAn_4nRb0WWiP5nJC042_jaxDDGsgfoawaJz_KMznCQs5IV4B3vEuWLuqZQ1oiUq6zSmdb57gK5aM0N6jnH_TTfN3Yyxbo09n8Oq1nE2RBfjPC70wL6nL9UmhMEN6jJMevcEFZMsvtWYG5uPmdrwb5aQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20138.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2fQSfVcBKt89IPquokcHj7oeelwk-kb446DJ-ufEU6tbQCAhx8N3ZJElsRhYicFYgJlVZMu1HS-uNjWx0qfPFB1gbr_Hfdlip6OcLeW1J8szcdb1JkDCK7oc6K5U_3PHDnloYvMPFQGbeYXJBZ7YDvOa3kZlcjA0knWZT-6OOh4n1KRdKkOjg3Ejrg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20139.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2fQSfVcBKt89IPquokcHj7oeelwk-kb446DJ-ufEU6tbQCAhx8N3ZJElsRhYicFYgJlVZMu1HS-uNjWx0qfPFB1gbr_Hfdlip6OcLeW1J8szcdb1JkDCK7oc6K5U_3PHDnloYvMPFQGbeYXJBZ7YDvOa3kZlcjA0knWZT-6OOh4n1KRdKkOjg3Ejrg/w300-h400/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20139.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last 10 miles at the <br />Quehanna Highway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After crossing the Quehanna Highway, the QT travels through a nice open forest with ferns. As I hiked along, I spotted something black ahead. Sure enough, a black bear casually walked through the forest. It traveled perpendicular to my path, away from the trail at least 50 yards or so from me. If it noticed me, it didn't care. In no hurry, it walked out of sight into the forest, away from me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Sc6AsD9K6xQVa-SdC9XSbZZpnH1m8hiM9ZyfL4tymNUQv3i89_AEieJ44nouTXNNp6UMYTOatI14C3-Fn-45_QXOQpAVYWDOQNIkYU2smvp-uDWO0s8hVf_maO-vF-NgDyqEwUxefBJX7BSdyM6Jj-s7FVQWQmOOmkYdX6BIzV9iVOuE4TmcVvdxRw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20141.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Sc6AsD9K6xQVa-SdC9XSbZZpnH1m8hiM9ZyfL4tymNUQv3i89_AEieJ44nouTXNNp6UMYTOatI14C3-Fn-45_QXOQpAVYWDOQNIkYU2smvp-uDWO0s8hVf_maO-vF-NgDyqEwUxefBJX7BSdyM6Jj-s7FVQWQmOOmkYdX6BIzV9iVOuE4TmcVvdxRw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear moving through the forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm9SxVIgCPcBzx75N9yp9-VpfwxP0jm-o63Sn143RD-EZFi4QQ4kKk8cr4O7piCr8M2yRUDk-c4-i9sNAMytAXrAJw8jk8RvdD5W9QBwJJ3yr11pa5quHxbCzNAPu0cOTkySY1eVrcjK6iZVvZ7LqVcUy4kbqESjngQVDcmoKecAUcwHIGb4fhQVokQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm9SxVIgCPcBzx75N9yp9-VpfwxP0jm-o63Sn143RD-EZFi4QQ4kKk8cr4O7piCr8M2yRUDk-c4-i9sNAMytAXrAJw8jk8RvdD5W9QBwJJ3yr11pa5quHxbCzNAPu0cOTkySY1eVrcjK6iZVvZ7LqVcUy4kbqESjngQVDcmoKecAUcwHIGb4fhQVokQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20142.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better view of the bear</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">About a half-mile further down the trail, I spotted another bear. This one was slightly further away and moving away from me. This one was a cub however. I knew the mother had to be nearby and given the direction it was traveling, I don't think it was with the first bear. The cub moved along quicker than the first bear. With no mother by its side, I was slightly more on edge even though we were moving in opposite direction.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI33YdSIwKzffSNMUZAdRgeeb_vCvRjHw4tGNAIQabs4lEAM8bY4J6uT4qzh0EBRCbHmTSqUC-VWbO3gQ7JpzWrzQPEeAWkJLcdwmY1uwrJgdg18xsPIRKCQ_25ms55FlIJAgFScw6XvX98dYo9DOM-1obOXoOULs1koJb-QvEewMepGuXvbZ9TrW7pw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20143.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI33YdSIwKzffSNMUZAdRgeeb_vCvRjHw4tGNAIQabs4lEAM8bY4J6uT4qzh0EBRCbHmTSqUC-VWbO3gQ7JpzWrzQPEeAWkJLcdwmY1uwrJgdg18xsPIRKCQ_25ms55FlIJAgFScw6XvX98dYo9DOM-1obOXoOULs1koJb-QvEewMepGuXvbZ9TrW7pw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20143.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The forest where I saw the two bears</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Soon after the cub sighting, the trail left the open forest for dense laurel thickets. Having just seen two bears, I was a little uneasy on the narrow trail. I didn't see any more bear in the area, but was startled when I flushed a grouse not too far from where I saw the cub. The grouse had several fledglings with it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQB9GdgEvdZv5ex1klFtfmbmX15FHNEGa9jciticu1xIqM_wvIYxzty-A1ZyOxMPvVxo9Pa56fYSTZf70WkNFeZZio9GE-GS4pnRzbqhiWUQduEUILLpWFX1VjQI4OYgPH5we55fQW-hau4JtQEWd10OcKAvaJNc-OtXv5TT-ejoBDlEj3wN6vrZUTw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQB9GdgEvdZv5ex1klFtfmbmX15FHNEGa9jciticu1xIqM_wvIYxzty-A1ZyOxMPvVxo9Pa56fYSTZf70WkNFeZZio9GE-GS4pnRzbqhiWUQduEUILLpWFX1VjQI4OYgPH5we55fQW-hau4JtQEWd10OcKAvaJNc-OtXv5TT-ejoBDlEj3wN6vrZUTw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20145.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dense laurel thicket just beyond where<br />I saw the bear cub</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After some more open forest, I returned to the laurel. I was startled again when I left the laurel at a pipeline swath and was greeted by a snorting deer. The grouse and snorting deer all happened within a mile or so from where I saw the cub.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusS3SXlD-k60uObb4MIxO7MSDAndtAtkBplrYWcIP4ThzTwEX0KWffcIM27zrYae3vj6zS6yQBQSXdq4XVUcrVvhDCzk_6Xzu0UByuGVkzHiuoAz46Rrg_hsvLA6xhWk2dBYvOsSmDP-KEKEEpSy93AK3d3igPtYXnqA0MNfQyocPyNJSZ2r2aObwYA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20147.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusS3SXlD-k60uObb4MIxO7MSDAndtAtkBplrYWcIP4ThzTwEX0KWffcIM27zrYae3vj6zS6yQBQSXdq4XVUcrVvhDCzk_6Xzu0UByuGVkzHiuoAz46Rrg_hsvLA6xhWk2dBYvOsSmDP-KEKEEpSy93AK3d3igPtYXnqA0MNfQyocPyNJSZ2r2aObwYA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20147.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing where I saw the grouse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I left the Plateau briefly as the QT dropped to Upper Three Runs and Laurel Swamp Draft. By this point I decided to finish the trail. I still had a couple hours of light with less 6-7 miles left. The only thing slowing me down was the occasional break to filter water. I ate a couple granola bars on the fly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhislMonoEQhYy4q55UB3knw4sChfM9WKsO011bkdJWNQOUV22Ce2eCRVQoaWM5dVRAH-EmyIU3JG9L2amIMRRiXWOTJWZjPTbz5Q8JHRlvHeAKclpWD7IHwh6PC3_LaR-x7n6Zh1TryTbCiKvvfaQufulbyLhIMHfl-LoJ2T7Iv0FH0-j8mNNhG99cWw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20149.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhislMonoEQhYy4q55UB3knw4sChfM9WKsO011bkdJWNQOUV22Ce2eCRVQoaWM5dVRAH-EmyIU3JG9L2amIMRRiXWOTJWZjPTbz5Q8JHRlvHeAKclpWD7IHwh6PC3_LaR-x7n6Zh1TryTbCiKvvfaQufulbyLhIMHfl-LoJ2T7Iv0FH0-j8mNNhG99cWw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20149.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinging nettle in near Laurel Swamp Draft. It <br />wasn't close enough to the trail to cause too many problems<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBXaf1iMK2AdOEsyE12dYdycX_o8K_pgWSWFYoZ-cj6jEB8wdF5tEDsozWE9Toomu2iKlZfxsb0OJDr2bkxqjvyNytQfPiBIBVReOifrCgMhdTBiYMG3hhTp-tAhzBs1bm7mpmAfTrjuHpLn8vj_m5OcHSx54FpXqtH1ya7LmKU295NmsiFbQ8ciJIQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBXaf1iMK2AdOEsyE12dYdycX_o8K_pgWSWFYoZ-cj6jEB8wdF5tEDsozWE9Toomu2iKlZfxsb0OJDr2bkxqjvyNytQfPiBIBVReOifrCgMhdTBiYMG3hhTp-tAhzBs1bm7mpmAfTrjuHpLn8vj_m5OcHSx54FpXqtH1ya7LmKU295NmsiFbQ8ciJIQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20152.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetation starting to overtake the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The next several miles of the trail went by fairly quickly. The trail followed a mix of hardwoods and laurel and passed a couple of vistas. At Three Runs Road, the trail passed the crumbled remains of an old fire tower cabin. I also passed a nice piped spring with a good campsite. I reached the last road access of the day at Three Runs Road. From Three Runs Road, I had only five or so miles left on the QT.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9UFWqZ9EB7Ra3gfF3O9UxZU0VsUsu8y520HJlj6FVS0YGjCtyvQZoH-62psso4S_hwhbBFXitK7SKqT2hpY8bdEe9cnmyGOgG4E5AYtKdLxkqcV3q3ev8WApLCazTB0kp75WgeKq4QPvKyENtuCH8WcJ8m-mmuPjHDvwxw4iTin7mx-MgjnPxU0E-A/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20183.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9UFWqZ9EB7Ra3gfF3O9UxZU0VsUsu8y520HJlj6FVS0YGjCtyvQZoH-62psso4S_hwhbBFXitK7SKqT2hpY8bdEe9cnmyGOgG4E5AYtKdLxkqcV3q3ev8WApLCazTB0kp75WgeKq4QPvKyENtuCH8WcJ8m-mmuPjHDvwxw4iTin7mx-MgjnPxU0E-A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20183.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice view above Laurel Swamp Draft</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChnivvStfv26UdQW3m7BMGoAE6FrHJchrcSim4ifpcmZBDLpJbNyYXxrsdrZQOEK1jyo9sTew-Oywqy5RwnDZAP7TLQ5hkc05jHeLg9t16jQ-PVuj0VkiK0bQQf0wWDHYmFsN03OUdOwVfevQJ29yOcnoAMooisG2ibrntqNnQYIaLpYSnMpyCCpJ2A/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20154.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChnivvStfv26UdQW3m7BMGoAE6FrHJchrcSim4ifpcmZBDLpJbNyYXxrsdrZQOEK1jyo9sTew-Oywqy5RwnDZAP7TLQ5hkc05jHeLg9t16jQ-PVuj0VkiK0bQQf0wWDHYmFsN03OUdOwVfevQJ29yOcnoAMooisG2ibrntqNnQYIaLpYSnMpyCCpJ2A/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20154.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bog bridges over a wet section<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqst_5WOLPruaJxA3VvBPL2p3XyIsr0YRDc0bY_oABHwCD9gj-WwJ1dVT0NS6cwdFW6ZS9u34444i8Vu2IYpZIj7K6_8eRE_vQapu3h3jAgfnwBjPa-7FZf2FlgDyN5aFlyJHenNG8dECz0ZjMjnzdCkUc2FfGIoh6jNFHNc6OmsoPeB8Lix-4LYO2zA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20156.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqst_5WOLPruaJxA3VvBPL2p3XyIsr0YRDc0bY_oABHwCD9gj-WwJ1dVT0NS6cwdFW6ZS9u34444i8Vu2IYpZIj7K6_8eRE_vQapu3h3jAgfnwBjPa-7FZf2FlgDyN5aFlyJHenNG8dECz0ZjMjnzdCkUc2FfGIoh6jNFHNc6OmsoPeB8Lix-4LYO2zA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20156.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historical marker along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjsCsUN_8CToYJw5XTjO1jlAAeD69kP_2SX2WZF-Q8q1xcuMJ5guhhOWWb8_vvNw66rWbN61x1lK47q8tVizIitqyicUfMLJ6VdLkeoBlgkkt6feY1Gy0f6amdfMyNhJL3bFl3yhGp8YbNZrurz_e5ooMDeOyYb1z3128mIzxB1iOJBKTGXVJ-8SnEA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjsCsUN_8CToYJw5XTjO1jlAAeD69kP_2SX2WZF-Q8q1xcuMJ5guhhOWWb8_vvNw66rWbN61x1lK47q8tVizIitqyicUfMLJ6VdLkeoBlgkkt6feY1Gy0f6amdfMyNhJL3bFl3yhGp8YbNZrurz_e5ooMDeOyYb1z3128mIzxB1iOJBKTGXVJ-8SnEA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20157.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crumbling remains of the fire tower cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yDKc47f6mePkE7kWxAdNJ5PSUXROMl5VYzziz5T_CgspN92gVCpaFhodYeaKvih9VSjp2DDpvnUtAGUk5Hk5-QrOjDncUd0LJdQ6H04C7I2Sp25CpxSE-U6vFsKwQ-7WNVcIa9ur86yMXW_2TZpMU2S9n46YmdRkjy-I8OVz_IRmzwL6RXZmi51ggw/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20182.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yDKc47f6mePkE7kWxAdNJ5PSUXROMl5VYzziz5T_CgspN92gVCpaFhodYeaKvih9VSjp2DDpvnUtAGUk5Hk5-QrOjDncUd0LJdQ6H04C7I2Sp25CpxSE-U6vFsKwQ-7WNVcIa9ur86yMXW_2TZpMU2S9n46YmdRkjy-I8OVz_IRmzwL6RXZmi51ggw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20182.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing at Three Runs Vista</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EKklchqgyLIcxv0PtmLdecmBso64VfnrjU8mGLSQq97FsWTsOPsP1s8NCVHENNcAO7lHWMWCKVCMt-KZhSxDjYEuK2ZjZjVFMVXAI-XaNVqlSL37DwkjDYP_OKMJNcWOe8_MYOOqAqrh_NE0tCHpnlOZzMvEcIUJdbskHh5bRlsJiOV3eGkXpA_yA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20158.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EKklchqgyLIcxv0PtmLdecmBso64VfnrjU8mGLSQq97FsWTsOPsP1s8NCVHENNcAO7lHWMWCKVCMt-KZhSxDjYEuK2ZjZjVFMVXAI-XaNVqlSL37DwkjDYP_OKMJNcWOe8_MYOOqAqrh_NE0tCHpnlOZzMvEcIUJdbskHh5bRlsJiOV3eGkXpA_yA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20158.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky section of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse6fWuCI1_l4qih_AXr7-BBoPEPo_CGMwSmqbYcHwRIlT7Zhj2845MuFTt3dahDqZwTC7MRvdXy2guavrd6wsnVVVH8NzEpUZHv1RebpKeMvK_5b3hdmaSAq7r980herJyVdHj7Xqsc4XWjTmqxC1_GR-PDXHZ9v1BNyv4gBQcA7il8t_fc8NtO_TJw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20161.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse6fWuCI1_l4qih_AXr7-BBoPEPo_CGMwSmqbYcHwRIlT7Zhj2845MuFTt3dahDqZwTC7MRvdXy2guavrd6wsnVVVH8NzEpUZHv1RebpKeMvK_5b3hdmaSAq7r980herJyVdHj7Xqsc4XWjTmqxC1_GR-PDXHZ9v1BNyv4gBQcA7il8t_fc8NtO_TJw/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20161.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piped spring</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Beyond Three Runs Road, the QT travels through a nice open forest before dropping to Upper Jerry Run. Upper Jerry Run sits in a fairly narrow hollow. The run tumbles over several small cascades in a laurel forest. In the confines of the hollow, the light was fading some. At one point I saw movement above the run ahead of me. Two barred owls took off from the run. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmsPvORQUgYE0-u2h1CieQhUHFSZEzQgTkquxyoXQWaZVMkSABrZS9rd7RBZ-LoKobSBzUlyt8Z117eiM-OhgMqOmZGPLQIIAWN0_E97Dup1WllhzIPP-lrsoXBEqb9pmIKOEFmWU6V0cD1keXns44BrVtT0cmOXYmqWzMc_MWKhZKPs-_KPoQSWrcg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20160.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmsPvORQUgYE0-u2h1CieQhUHFSZEzQgTkquxyoXQWaZVMkSABrZS9rd7RBZ-LoKobSBzUlyt8Z117eiM-OhgMqOmZGPLQIIAWN0_E97Dup1WllhzIPP-lrsoXBEqb9pmIKOEFmWU6V0cD1keXns44BrVtT0cmOXYmqWzMc_MWKhZKPs-_KPoQSWrcg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20160.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gypsy moth caterpillars</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPfS4kLTpxJZNO-GnGf5lAN47Th87aCQsQJhIIDfrtvm3V_4LF15t75q-DFLuYEbGUbo2ufV073s_xhWPEe3BdjlKlYKqi8nYoMfOtALR5iCwv8TSKOJBX9FBc5T90JjTzrKtrGQYrmCJpDx7iv87q5NXrBi9fu51dHMikgkKWmJkTrAY6-HqWQawuQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20163.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPfS4kLTpxJZNO-GnGf5lAN47Th87aCQsQJhIIDfrtvm3V_4LF15t75q-DFLuYEbGUbo2ufV073s_xhWPEe3BdjlKlYKqi8nYoMfOtALR5iCwv8TSKOJBX9FBc5T90JjTzrKtrGQYrmCJpDx7iv87q5NXrBi9fu51dHMikgkKWmJkTrAY6-HqWQawuQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20163.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marker showing the way through<br />grassy stretch</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqQOX06doLA8IKzoqkT6MS2wVBbSaz8GvsppcEqb5auIBexO0JKA-enRDMDCD8XV2IOOqOri3HqwprcxrC0jeTsccEt-O0x0-7fIueYTlo9mOV4ETX3J8AZtujlB-Nk7YQEJsm9A6Sih-5Ac77lQdQ0dDCbOclDPK-MoqqMmHYjVNrcx1zlfyETJoVA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20169.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqQOX06doLA8IKzoqkT6MS2wVBbSaz8GvsppcEqb5auIBexO0JKA-enRDMDCD8XV2IOOqOri3HqwprcxrC0jeTsccEt-O0x0-7fIueYTlo9mOV4ETX3J8AZtujlB-Nk7YQEJsm9A6Sih-5Ac77lQdQ0dDCbOclDPK-MoqqMmHYjVNrcx1zlfyETJoVA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20169.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Jerry Run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCVNLuxghmd7Sh-ZScfO8NsR5CI66lzHPgX7Oszdf-5TFOZlxOFDufHFuuiK7T74_MQtS95aOtn-Ecsu9DLCh-4Wk3FIEkbSraO6zgIVZ1knJVAfhVsAXDY8khl-X08v7n4csyQqJ4qz2Xo_fHXHF42cXR2W0gWHGY2hMgR5bt6EVN6BLKQFiPNL0MA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20171.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCVNLuxghmd7Sh-ZScfO8NsR5CI66lzHPgX7Oszdf-5TFOZlxOFDufHFuuiK7T74_MQtS95aOtn-Ecsu9DLCh-4Wk3FIEkbSraO6zgIVZ1knJVAfhVsAXDY8khl-X08v7n4csyQqJ4qz2Xo_fHXHF42cXR2W0gWHGY2hMgR5bt6EVN6BLKQFiPNL0MA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20171.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The QT follows Upper Jerry Run closely</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh6yqkdi_0HfK9tnE6T6nzagb5VqTZuOxx_qTRukvyQ9J1J4uLucVERgDHuQTcmE3aD7FTa4j6BE1jmmJRZGYR_h-VWiw3H8BmBDqFWlj53x8ZCyYwmXXwrQVPPy1Ten3B1vj1WKxmd9lqmDoxBX6tsUNr_ZfIWb25yYNMAjl9uMvOhupf9wA0kUWBg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20174.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh6yqkdi_0HfK9tnE6T6nzagb5VqTZuOxx_qTRukvyQ9J1J4uLucVERgDHuQTcmE3aD7FTa4j6BE1jmmJRZGYR_h-VWiw3H8BmBDqFWlj53x8ZCyYwmXXwrQVPPy1Ten3B1vj1WKxmd9lqmDoxBX6tsUNr_ZfIWb25yYNMAjl9uMvOhupf9wA0kUWBg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20174.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Jerry Run in fading daylight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Leaving Upper Jerry Run, the QT climbs steeply back up to the Plateau. The next mile or so was one of my least favorite stretches of the QT. The trail came to a large grassy clearing with waist high vegetation. There was no tread to follow, just an occasional tree with a blaze. The trail then turned onto the Old Sinnemahoning Trail, which is just a wide grassy swath. I'm glad it was still fairly light, because it would have been tough to navigate in the dark. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMotdDWg8XupTGdHwD93fz2GiyCYXAxsABECzh4zrgovomdA8W-D2EpMWPFiy8mPA73RtQFMP2BPk83QWKjTsOESK4guxrx8-8tNlaHCLxD1HnSm8mwFe_tjzm8gQ8WeiONK9KENMkCgBuDUtdUNqraQy7KC_ktFbYPOHT_60UvTjxl4ztQf5uOM9vg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20178.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMotdDWg8XupTGdHwD93fz2GiyCYXAxsABECzh4zrgovomdA8W-D2EpMWPFiy8mPA73RtQFMP2BPk83QWKjTsOESK4guxrx8-8tNlaHCLxD1HnSm8mwFe_tjzm8gQ8WeiONK9KENMkCgBuDUtdUNqraQy7KC_ktFbYPOHT_60UvTjxl4ztQf5uOM9vg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20178.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brighter back on the Plateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZS8lv_1fEIoHmQ5tcNcgQpERczbJHE6v-LeEQFjfAlOowQ8xvvnxzDQ6Mexm2WaJ8rqHujWq90Z6ta2Ziy6z_6fsD7nNso3r-5CBXxH4QfcUkr-h0OuIn3NrJsZktl1GeGJ519JLw_Vgku2D6hnl-CIYRQi-863RI5lhEiXElkXjlbO4aXyGtvuWqQ/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20180.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZS8lv_1fEIoHmQ5tcNcgQpERczbJHE6v-LeEQFjfAlOowQ8xvvnxzDQ6Mexm2WaJ8rqHujWq90Z6ta2Ziy6z_6fsD7nNso3r-5CBXxH4QfcUkr-h0OuIn3NrJsZktl1GeGJ519JLw_Vgku2D6hnl-CIYRQi-863RI5lhEiXElkXjlbO4aXyGtvuWqQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20180.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail goes through here somewhere<br />in this waist high grass</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't enjoy the high grass. When I eventually got back to my car, I found several ticks on me. I applied Picaridin earlier, which seemed effective most of the day, but I must have sweated it off by the time I reached this long stretch of grassy trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When the QT finally turned off the Old Sinnemahoning Trail, I gradually descended into a meadow with more trees. At this point it, I was hiking in twilight. I spotted several deer feeding in the meadow. The QT finally dropped into Upper Pine Hollow. Once in the hollow, the lingering light didn't reach the dense forest floor. I finally donned my headlamp for the last mile or so. I didn't have too much difficulty following the trail in the dark. I did have difficulty seeing the thick patches of stinging nettle in the hollow. Knowing that I was less than a mile from finishing the trail after hiking 33+ miles, the stinging nettles were more tolerable. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7Rd7BzlV4ke0MQVbR84rPvVLomGHoDKbyl_tJiTjPeH50kxfIrh2zzzSriFhe-7Ox0EAX3bl8_LGqlxFqvje9swT-G8BI4U_jYP9zGIBNyGTyt6bCrN1TmMhIWZdAG04aemGeIkm5NxFNwZ2xe8vIA7j5oZsyCsVoPDTn32F1S_0986hS_mwby_qfA/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7Rd7BzlV4ke0MQVbR84rPvVLomGHoDKbyl_tJiTjPeH50kxfIrh2zzzSriFhe-7Ox0EAX3bl8_LGqlxFqvje9swT-G8BI4U_jYP9zGIBNyGTyt6bCrN1TmMhIWZdAG04aemGeIkm5NxFNwZ2xe8vIA7j5oZsyCsVoPDTn32F1S_0986hS_mwby_qfA/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20181.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Less than two miles to the end<br />of my hike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Soon I heard a vehicle traveling along Wykoff Run Road. In another couple of minutes I could see my van reflecting from my headlamp. About 915PM I finished my hike of the QT and wrapped a 34 mile hiking day. Although my feet were tired, I felt surprisingly good. More than anything I was ready for dinner and looking forward to my fruit punch drink after drinking gallons of plain water over the course of the long, hot day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's nearly a seven hour drive back to my house from the QT. Since it was already after 9PM, and I was tired from my day, I had no desire to make the drive home. When I got back to my van, I ate my dinner at the trailhead. To clean 70+ miles of trail stink off my body, I stripped down and went into Laurel Draft by the trailhead to freshen up some. Hiking 34 miles on a hot humid day leaves you a little ripe. After dinner and freshening up, I crashed in my van for the night. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not long after laying down, I felt something on my hip. I checked and found a tick trying to dig into my flesh. I scanned my legs and found a couple more tiny ticks. Like I said before, the excessive sweat must have washed the Picaridin off my legs by the time I negotiated the high grasses near the end of the day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was awakened around 5AM to loud thunder and soon a period of heavy rain. I definitely would have packed away a wet tent had I camped. Probably more of an issue would have been hiking through the high grasses after a heavy down pour. I would have been soaked from the waist down my last half-dozen miles if I stayed out one more night. I have had more than enough wet days hiking and backpacking over the years. I was glad that I decided to finish the night before. Other than swollen feet for the day, I had no pain or issues.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0Yd35CuR9GabYsKDnHCiQQdZ2qNpH0lZlbwXLxzw7sV-DHhhNH7-m2s6wdeQF-VWNfXn48366kMSG6BBDn2z7HUY0AA9Kz7gicXm6uknYjwLHkGCEFJp_0nDsWgoMY_Nc-MOUyosQEI2ZmJzf0WLlH13sXoYLxMmb_W-W6y7VYErUC1kzIH-ZfUTnjQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0Yd35CuR9GabYsKDnHCiQQdZ2qNpH0lZlbwXLxzw7sV-DHhhNH7-m2s6wdeQF-VWNfXn48366kMSG6BBDn2z7HUY0AA9Kz7gicXm6uknYjwLHkGCEFJp_0nDsWgoMY_Nc-MOUyosQEI2ZmJzf0WLlH13sXoYLxMmb_W-W6y7VYErUC1kzIH-ZfUTnjQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large fungi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Overall, I enjoyed the QT. The trail may not provide many far flung views. However, it does provide a peaceful, zen-like forest experience. I found it easy to get lost in my mind and take in the different forest landscapes while hiking the QT. Large portions of the trail feature open hardwood forests filled with ferns. I enjoy these types of forests. I also traveled through long stretches of blooming mountain laurel at their peak, which was quite pretty. Stinging nettle aside, the tumbling streams that drain the Plateau are always pleasant to the eyes and ears. Portions of the Plateau along the QT held large grassy meadows that provided a break from the forest as well as a good place to see deer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxu5sZOVYCNgZTlBOQ5bS_WI59_EyyreFUGtXEffK5PhJOZKkrx0r5btarNPTw7OvDUhdi-3RQ_ihWA7scQlkUzeGfTKmc3tbvUL7itYxFflWkzSEhu9lA4xoWj4x08UEH3kxMAbLmOc4_pumHLx1grsBzQwwuQMRMAJ2igfliYNJq9F8CbYwHf0IZg/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20197.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxu5sZOVYCNgZTlBOQ5bS_WI59_EyyreFUGtXEffK5PhJOZKkrx0r5btarNPTw7OvDUhdi-3RQ_ihWA7scQlkUzeGfTKmc3tbvUL7itYxFflWkzSEhu9lA4xoWj4x08UEH3kxMAbLmOc4_pumHLx1grsBzQwwuQMRMAJ2igfliYNJq9F8CbYwHf0IZg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20197.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More tunnels of mountain laurel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like most of the backpacking trails in this region, I find the miles fly by. Much of the trail travels along the Plateau with little elevation changes on nice footing. Most of the climbs and descents are fairly gradual along creeks and short lived. Over the course of 71 miles, the QT gains less than 10,000' in elevation. Compared to the trails in New England, Colorado, and the Adirondacks where most of my hiking has been the past 15 years, the terrain is fairly mellow. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NskZblTxuzgB-oQjGwkcF63cso8aDp2YF_rM1SNXnsBjyG5nrvN5UkKiS0RmijDB2BPMPnMw6WJzKNikdXQXvPAwAkcFTaEZgsxJ8W7kad5ni-e2U5SQCWH_-NG2YPAdhUGs9GJvrgzx7PxCHlPVDI4Io82l_v91azv1BMRzgyvDmlgNYHRDjXR0BQ/s4032/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20192.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NskZblTxuzgB-oQjGwkcF63cso8aDp2YF_rM1SNXnsBjyG5nrvN5UkKiS0RmijDB2BPMPnMw6WJzKNikdXQXvPAwAkcFTaEZgsxJ8W7kad5ni-e2U5SQCWH_-NG2YPAdhUGs9GJvrgzx7PxCHlPVDI4Io82l_v91azv1BMRzgyvDmlgNYHRDjXR0BQ/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20192.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blooming laurel never got old</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I encountered only two other hiking groups on the QT over 71 miles. I enjoyed the solitude. For comparison, I encountered probably close to 20 deer (several snorted at me), 2 bears, 2 turkeys, a rattlesnake, a nonvenomous snake, dozens of red efts, 2 barred owls, a grouse family, and countless other birds and insects. I also heard screaming foxes on at least two occasions. I was lucky enough to hit the trail during peak mountain laurel bloom as well, which was a real treat. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtqaflB44m7_lVaD2Z50n8K3asrvkITWTgPE3YHBujewUjszfBU5RAmD8h944XcM3RvtJy-G7RCNsmbJt03ShD2dUk-wel9KPuU-QInVVFAatOPVHPSnv9GFyIXJ-xvwN6u_jY2GCsQonhFOHDP3kCQIztwzfKDHsul-ADvbbGPxlMTwWrnebyKOBhg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtqaflB44m7_lVaD2Z50n8K3asrvkITWTgPE3YHBujewUjszfBU5RAmD8h944XcM3RvtJy-G7RCNsmbJt03ShD2dUk-wel9KPuU-QInVVFAatOPVHPSnv9GFyIXJ-xvwN6u_jY2GCsQonhFOHDP3kCQIztwzfKDHsul-ADvbbGPxlMTwWrnebyKOBhg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red efts were abundant after the rain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The only downside to the hike was the weather. I was fairly lucky to not have any real rain while hiking. The morning deluge on my second day left the trailside vegetation saturated. As a result I was wet most of the day and my feet were drenched- which is never enjoyable. The temperatures were hotter than I had encountered this year. The region reached the 90s on the third day. Living in the Adirondacks, it doesn't reach 90 all summer some years. While I managed to deal with the heat, I certainly wasn't used to those temperatures. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPULrQLA-90Kzc-BIJUysDIYxvMv-R33VodpCms_OxSYAsh18LUwRVKmXYRuqtm1OJuWldmuPHqc1Z-N7pyeJUIrPNFUFT_UcMDSgEWbny7jBxrdZMzlSPKiBm9x3XUZyIxAHCYpMnDEB4FHcaHhCc8LqFuXB5BPooWSPylYFkddskfO30sFcMhCWw1Q/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPULrQLA-90Kzc-BIJUysDIYxvMv-R33VodpCms_OxSYAsh18LUwRVKmXYRuqtm1OJuWldmuPHqc1Z-N7pyeJUIrPNFUFT_UcMDSgEWbny7jBxrdZMzlSPKiBm9x3XUZyIxAHCYpMnDEB4FHcaHhCc8LqFuXB5BPooWSPylYFkddskfO30sFcMhCWw1Q/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I found the water to be plentiful for the most part, especially after the recent rain. Even with the heat, I never had to carry more than a liter of water at a time. I always made sure I was topped off before I climbed away from a creek to the Plateau. The longest stretch without water was maybe 5 miles on either side of Mosquito Creek where you encounter longer stretches atop the Plateau.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvtTDfHX9Pm5PcFpvQDgsk3UWjQPu57Z11oumqsb2Q9KUXfDgL4IyvqCaVRFFfxxvB0fCFXupttBIxu9NTBnbd-AiQ-forh_78SeEhKicQoocMnJlHG5iy_p_HZkjffzxfQXiOYaRAWRDLhkm7Q93qq0cCUhiQN8okWTKCNoEqw2HaSMa4co4v2FXBg/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvtTDfHX9Pm5PcFpvQDgsk3UWjQPu57Z11oumqsb2Q9KUXfDgL4IyvqCaVRFFfxxvB0fCFXupttBIxu9NTBnbd-AiQ-forh_78SeEhKicQoocMnJlHG5iy_p_HZkjffzxfQXiOYaRAWRDLhkm7Q93qq0cCUhiQN8okWTKCNoEqw2HaSMa4co4v2FXBg/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kentucky Flat Millipede</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you want a quiet backpacking experience with more wildlife than people, the QT is definitely work checking out if you are in the Mid Atlantic region. Although I hiked the trail somewhat fast, I think most would find the QT to be a manageable hike of four days for faster hikers. Hikers looking for a more casual pace might take seven days. Keep in mind, there aren't really options for resupply along the trail. Starting on the eastern end of the trail, you may be able to arrange a resupply at Parker Dam State Park to break up your food load.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_wLECqh1CTo78TjEqacK7KYnksDRIgZIGiScrMZmViwjydm0INqWZP4NP8m4toSOCZd1jHmQahR2La35EQRZog24s1dciGh1UNC4mhTUvbfl5T7VYk0rgJY-FwzWrMXaoV2VugctKdAL29KxZlLRVgT_i8B_REXSTrX1nLShh1j4izQ0YANugqW5_Q/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20087.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_wLECqh1CTo78TjEqacK7KYnksDRIgZIGiScrMZmViwjydm0INqWZP4NP8m4toSOCZd1jHmQahR2La35EQRZog24s1dciGh1UNC4mhTUvbfl5T7VYk0rgJY-FwzWrMXaoV2VugctKdAL29KxZlLRVgT_i8B_REXSTrX1nLShh1j4izQ0YANugqW5_Q/w400-h300/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of snails after the rain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tomcats-Outdoor-Adventures-1708122116123572" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7bs8NEHxxKrGMZTcdR8-O3v9DR6XjMnb4NajuDTBXItfPyxwDxEBGV62nc8x1O1MNSmDIsn8EPfYUq0t3iu-am9cbzKXC1mv-uzEdWOMIBV4h7zXKUdaHsmlFNmwF2iQU2WhNeG1TB2dUi5OQW3x1uE7QVgsxJY3UJFNttlePyxjBWxf8kALx76PAw/s2592/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7bs8NEHxxKrGMZTcdR8-O3v9DR6XjMnb4NajuDTBXItfPyxwDxEBGV62nc8x1O1MNSmDIsn8EPfYUq0t3iu-am9cbzKXC1mv-uzEdWOMIBV4h7zXKUdaHsmlFNmwF2iQU2WhNeG1TB2dUi5OQW3x1uE7QVgsxJY3UJFNttlePyxjBWxf8kALx76PAw/s320/Quehanna%20Trail%206.13-15.22%20151.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-75652766717968810732022-05-23T11:23:00.001-07:002022-05-23T13:53:00.130-07:00Backpacking in the Lake George Wild Forest<p> In the Adirondacks, spring is a tricky time of year to plan a backpacking trip. If you go too early. usually before May, lingering snow can leave unfavorable conditions. After the snow finally melts, mud season conditions leave the trails soupy. Wait too long, black flies harass you endlessly. Usually there is a brief window between the mud and black fly seasons. I hoped to find that window and put in a short backpacking trip during that time.</p><div style="text-align: left;">I chose the Lake George Wild Forest as my destination. I never visited the mountains surrounding Lake George. The photos of the area seem quite pretty with plenty of lake and mountain views. I always enjoy mountains that overlook bodies of water. There are numerous places within the mountains there that I wanted to visit. A good trail network allows the option to link together many of these highlights on the east side of the lake. Since more time than I wanted had passed since my last backpacking trip, I decided to put together a n overnight loop that visited many of the destinations I wanted to see on this side of Lake George.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqAs49LBK9pYzIjI_nERz7iqmF4y_lu2oG63oajZKw7W7T21xO4o2o8M5X_Rcn_M7WqT2eKjXKyQCPsxOgk4891Dkx9O-PcgYjphSKUkXBvaT_hqmfZAlhQF5ZU6n30xyzPBwzT9fCtTn_b5u2gEWtucs3d7o95u0e2q7q8389_zJkYcynLV0gc3ZzA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqAs49LBK9pYzIjI_nERz7iqmF4y_lu2oG63oajZKw7W7T21xO4o2o8M5X_Rcn_M7WqT2eKjXKyQCPsxOgk4891Dkx9O-PcgYjphSKUkXBvaT_hqmfZAlhQF5ZU6n30xyzPBwzT9fCtTn_b5u2gEWtucs3d7o95u0e2q7q8389_zJkYcynLV0gc3ZzA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail register</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Looking over my map of the Lake George area, I put together a loop just over 30 miles that visited, or passed nearby, many of the highlights of the region. My loop went over Black, Sleeping Beauty, and Shelving Rock Mountains, all which have views over Lake George. Buck Mountain, also known for its lake views, could be reached by a five mile roundtrip spur off of my loop. Shelving Rock Falls is easily reached from my loop. Several small backcountry lakes and ponds provided camping opportunities. Finally, I could also visit Erebus Mountain, one of the highest in the area. It isn't known for great views, but I could visit without diverging much from my loop.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The forecast looked promising for May 5th and 6th, so I planned my trip for then. My hike began at the Pike Brook Trailhead below Black Mountain. I started my hike around 920AM on a lovely, cloudless morning . Despite being a fairly popular trailhead, no other cars were there when I arrived. The trail climbs fairly gradually as it makes its way toward Black Mountain, just 2.5 miles from the trailhead. At 2,665', Black Mountain was the high point of the trip as well as the highest mountain in the Lake George area. Although rocky at times, the trail is never too difficult. There was even a very small patch of lingering snow above 2,500'. An old firetower, now serving as a communications tower, stands at the summit as well as a small wind generator.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdPJ3dgALtuqUWhFJiskDevhCGylevzwOY-1my1jGrWGi8QXk1UpmTkYp-Lk5jWszttrU-51BwXEQhqTXSjLHJgqdpRoTqM1o6GC--LOfSCm4OjtlE5kUsM6lj-dHPj7I6fyatp1i2oQsxpnbejoRgVPUvMYCeViflu9o-Mk-SgF4Ob3VfWk82uk3qw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdPJ3dgALtuqUWhFJiskDevhCGylevzwOY-1my1jGrWGi8QXk1UpmTkYp-Lk5jWszttrU-51BwXEQhqTXSjLHJgqdpRoTqM1o6GC--LOfSCm4OjtlE5kUsM6lj-dHPj7I6fyatp1i2oQsxpnbejoRgVPUvMYCeViflu9o-Mk-SgF4Ob3VfWk82uk3qw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailhead sign</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3NdJD0rwfFq89Av3qeAA3A-wvLeBmkrfQ-Xf5NBkNGtGddsrWeJfLJCfTSI50WG4-vNzlt17OmuDXIip9RuslN90gfmH8xq4MPpgJ1848DescOENw4xabjs6XFUprx3JcnLJtpFlDEP_59GWaXb3dpbNdnoZ2wJNvQ4bGA5-281x6Kv1Q99RZQhjUw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3NdJD0rwfFq89Av3qeAA3A-wvLeBmkrfQ-Xf5NBkNGtGddsrWeJfLJCfTSI50WG4-vNzlt17OmuDXIip9RuslN90gfmH8xq4MPpgJ1848DescOENw4xabjs6XFUprx3JcnLJtpFlDEP_59GWaXb3dpbNdnoZ2wJNvQ4bGA5-281x6Kv1Q99RZQhjUw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the lack of leaves this time of year</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFzA1E9RBxTIp3luRRFiWvXPVBQo5GWuAb1hQxMDvCxWbfaVkfh1YqDDcicJykEQdZrKcflAZMBdEfWCs4EqEEjWz7L0iGBnlIzmO6m3eizhY00dT-GWNM3tpY198FzQMFi6ktV75F37n30TNPz7EdkQeogAl1clKbZwCPI6EZfn2QECgp7JUVlkNpQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFzA1E9RBxTIp3luRRFiWvXPVBQo5GWuAb1hQxMDvCxWbfaVkfh1YqDDcicJykEQdZrKcflAZMBdEfWCs4EqEEjWz7L0iGBnlIzmO6m3eizhY00dT-GWNM3tpY198FzQMFi6ktV75F37n30TNPz7EdkQeogAl1clKbZwCPI6EZfn2QECgp7JUVlkNpQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky stretch of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjyvyPvebHi5Qoj2DWqT7sf8HNXLzp23P_latD8kk1eIOx5t774iAKRa9UTpgbrz3DnC47gxnQ1Pl0hTUJN55Fc019drqJibBJff2e1l0JAWleIBIb58VDxE6nG3Ix0Sffb9Jq-Ta8_wUl6UGwJVmS0Dj7gKYWJGfx6-Nj2xy1w94ziiE56KHeX1biA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjyvyPvebHi5Qoj2DWqT7sf8HNXLzp23P_latD8kk1eIOx5t774iAKRa9UTpgbrz3DnC47gxnQ1Pl0hTUJN55Fc019drqJibBJff2e1l0JAWleIBIb58VDxE6nG3Ix0Sffb9Jq-Ta8_wUl6UGwJVmS0Dj7gKYWJGfx6-Nj2xy1w94ziiE56KHeX1biA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First red eft of the season</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR50VPb0TrMxkZaAqNfvynvmaF1G7MsHul2Ze-K2DCLP6IHLIhjmhnjp18nP8ZWbv4Rxb4FZppbgd52c1JNreGkobppJZQ6xAeyWt5uwP5tASat2DkWa8hjh0U1YiWpxnvvQjDr-2prLix6tTMKDwVJms5720gDu-pudvnAwIZ6rMbLJ9NNWj-1bYbCA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR50VPb0TrMxkZaAqNfvynvmaF1G7MsHul2Ze-K2DCLP6IHLIhjmhnjp18nP8ZWbv4Rxb4FZppbgd52c1JNreGkobppJZQ6xAeyWt5uwP5tASat2DkWa8hjh0U1YiWpxnvvQjDr-2prLix6tTMKDwVJms5720gDu-pudvnAwIZ6rMbLJ9NNWj-1bYbCA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On my way to Black Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKrMTCk0U3DKCOZu6Tv_EUZ1y3n7Ea2D80gIG9cNhOtoDPvsKZGNzCBvAFpqws2230RVCuFdmol2A4m7zWe-DCwjRB7Ntq1JExk_VTrEhUyXZohHUdYVLk1sFBIPEIFioOD6mYQ5K296Pxkd6TScQwuuOqgFYQvQgyxHnxvn9jTGK3l0rF8IfE36Qcw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKrMTCk0U3DKCOZu6Tv_EUZ1y3n7Ea2D80gIG9cNhOtoDPvsKZGNzCBvAFpqws2230RVCuFdmol2A4m7zWe-DCwjRB7Ntq1JExk_VTrEhUyXZohHUdYVLk1sFBIPEIFioOD6mYQ5K296Pxkd6TScQwuuOqgFYQvQgyxHnxvn9jTGK3l0rF8IfE36Qcw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It rained the day before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypQEuLTwyfM0RKlgH9179XPfDGvMKlVd4zxC4plKkb06fluuVLEGs9-o523-cHPUIQAUzl7YO6GhwtaYO5tiiw7X0ZVBwaUPvcqKBc92S2HDZyAS8X0REoST7U_4bSn-9M4Mp6bTzY3kxCcJdn7AeKy2NK16T7LDJqBlJtQ_q3tDvfi-bcGX7xmuYjg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypQEuLTwyfM0RKlgH9179XPfDGvMKlVd4zxC4plKkb06fluuVLEGs9-o523-cHPUIQAUzl7YO6GhwtaYO5tiiw7X0ZVBwaUPvcqKBc92S2HDZyAS8X0REoST7U_4bSn-9M4Mp6bTzY3kxCcJdn7AeKy2NK16T7LDJqBlJtQ_q3tDvfi-bcGX7xmuYjg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last small pocket of snow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntG50CuNCa6bgHQ0F4jV-j138WSQNrbyxmIr-ElSSU15JALwi7JzcPR3QojNy1mWFExcYxuzV4Q_44ZQyyX7yMEYrHr4bjILLlYhTzgowrjsFgGXkO8_TtQC012yga6HnWLnKYaWpu1QP-_A-t8s27TR40yFFLHcrEODvyHStwhlW0hQwDbFlM4EVfA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntG50CuNCa6bgHQ0F4jV-j138WSQNrbyxmIr-ElSSU15JALwi7JzcPR3QojNy1mWFExcYxuzV4Q_44ZQyyX7yMEYrHr4bjILLlYhTzgowrjsFgGXkO8_TtQC012yga6HnWLnKYaWpu1QP-_A-t8s27TR40yFFLHcrEODvyHStwhlW0hQwDbFlM4EVfA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tower and wind turbine at Black's summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As promised, Black Mountain offered great views. A couple of open ledges provide a nice overlook to the east to the Green Mountains of Vermont. Most of northern end of Lake George can be seen from the higher outcropping. In the distance, I could still see lingering snow in the High Peaks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6st0Cjq0nNrxcGVPxefKCmcAgJwQKu13Q1zetnHHj1fYEI5TaIe5UZ9MJ4BK5PviJO8E2Dlp73UneDqydhdKWhrRh4M3qzlv0iskQok4W0hXFNuayRkJqiDaPHKt_xlXpwLFYty0q8kjuZTwYy8SmavBPmJ-3jRPTsBXQhDE3p3ylr3BrioUIY_b_Q/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6st0Cjq0nNrxcGVPxefKCmcAgJwQKu13Q1zetnHHj1fYEI5TaIe5UZ9MJ4BK5PviJO8E2Dlp73UneDqydhdKWhrRh4M3qzlv0iskQok4W0hXFNuayRkJqiDaPHKt_xlXpwLFYty0q8kjuZTwYy8SmavBPmJ-3jRPTsBXQhDE3p3ylr3BrioUIY_b_Q/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20157.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from ledge just below the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuXnvehBjdMWpuKpOOVoe7mTSkIiPqgGdh5eg_drYHSQdBS-5F7Pn_njPHQN2hUpnkxBphbBPqrFbxP-cwZMhTIBrUeENPatCtyWVwkf2xv6oegRbZh8URrYTfsqmjK3dgl6I83DZVO2_-TsEXMAXvS9dKZTug2BZXobAxpZOmtf9R1n5oo4LfL66lg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20185.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuXnvehBjdMWpuKpOOVoe7mTSkIiPqgGdh5eg_drYHSQdBS-5F7Pn_njPHQN2hUpnkxBphbBPqrFbxP-cwZMhTIBrUeENPatCtyWVwkf2xv6oegRbZh8URrYTfsqmjK3dgl6I83DZVO2_-TsEXMAXvS9dKZTug2BZXobAxpZOmtf9R1n5oo4LfL66lg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20185.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across a cliff near the summit</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk9r7KzC-pS1Jg6ndghkxt3B3xLaQxbj6fipkLrAhqkxW6SIYibYne3uJNxkIWKofJ12WKv296q6hB9Ok2yTnmUKBsdeqJ9wDDOHwdcl4cQoFIemyTlT057bjUAoNgdviZXbleI2ES57H9dvKPTJRKUW8voOeQhtSZJ8S4NFaLlsnL331S96w-330Jg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20184.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk9r7KzC-pS1Jg6ndghkxt3B3xLaQxbj6fipkLrAhqkxW6SIYibYne3uJNxkIWKofJ12WKv296q6hB9Ok2yTnmUKBsdeqJ9wDDOHwdcl4cQoFIemyTlT057bjUAoNgdviZXbleI2ES57H9dvKPTJRKUW8voOeQhtSZJ8S4NFaLlsnL331S96w-330Jg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20184.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG36tjKIXW2-AvFJqdGlQ8algSsQD62SzESZJawH-JEr-sJ61q-j2WM4SFKO9HolVJQuetzQYLvxsQt2XiyBE9-vI-WW-mPWYOnnpzk6tlg00cvn2gB589XLyvmtLRu3rvRKnDUQ8fwBIDTu_BVkb1JQz-1jLCzJ9BvlNz2gCZH7GIgPM0NGmdRlx_pg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20183.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG36tjKIXW2-AvFJqdGlQ8algSsQD62SzESZJawH-JEr-sJ61q-j2WM4SFKO9HolVJQuetzQYLvxsQt2XiyBE9-vI-WW-mPWYOnnpzk6tlg00cvn2gB589XLyvmtLRu3rvRKnDUQ8fwBIDTu_BVkb1JQz-1jLCzJ9BvlNz2gCZH7GIgPM0NGmdRlx_pg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20183.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugarloaf is the knob in the middle with<br /> the Green Mountains of Vermont in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXwTvDXKG7IYw-EjSuELyr5DWi2xsnZrmAeMqPTkkwveQ9_Tcr9VpUtienw8wkvMQqfsdivoxh3QPcC88Q3biq2tkYuwqsGRDW-Yrkrj4jKWEA38aG2Qc-XWTK9S2f789yLCeuP9wKDSOsefTV7mwns9pm8siumDt-7iUU0TOhZxveG4qWGEbZYxjbw/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20172.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXwTvDXKG7IYw-EjSuELyr5DWi2xsnZrmAeMqPTkkwveQ9_Tcr9VpUtienw8wkvMQqfsdivoxh3QPcC88Q3biq2tkYuwqsGRDW-Yrkrj4jKWEA38aG2Qc-XWTK9S2f789yLCeuP9wKDSOsefTV7mwns9pm8siumDt-7iUU0TOhZxveG4qWGEbZYxjbw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20172.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North end of Lake George</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail descended toward the south. Along the way I passed a couple more ledges with views. I got a good look to the south over the lake. At one point the view looks down onto the Black Mountain Ponds. Just a few hundred vertical feet above the ponds, I could hear the chorus of peepers from the ponds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUN9yVaNxq9MJUZQ0KGjiYQIQq4ZOt06X8h1pyEm7WocyE5MaiGWb_5_NArLbl5pPuuJpmGQVRZyCGI8Hk61Pl8XuZqpPpjXl3sApEY6UlsnaJpiJiuXgEgeayYocl4GdRCsVipPtU4u0nbAqwqeLVLuonAM2J9Ixeiks52VU2YEumQodonIaXXxuHQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUN9yVaNxq9MJUZQ0KGjiYQIQq4ZOt06X8h1pyEm7WocyE5MaiGWb_5_NArLbl5pPuuJpmGQVRZyCGI8Hk61Pl8XuZqpPpjXl3sApEY6UlsnaJpiJiuXgEgeayYocl4GdRCsVipPtU4u0nbAqwqeLVLuonAM2J9Ixeiks52VU2YEumQodonIaXXxuHQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just below Black Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q1vekEKdnOWioD8P7JgGeNW1SipIR6wT9t_D7hGDQuvsoDHkoCk5p8eC-wNz3YKCVrOWTUfL1gOXYjTCvXPmcynha-Fl7f_0IRCo_n7YRSTJNZ0dtj5wsnJ5CzASyr_N6OFIAprZfuKIphX8r6WCdECz3LN9Jb167jfcsvtEQmfee4Ea30WsC3LKpQ/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20171.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q1vekEKdnOWioD8P7JgGeNW1SipIR6wT9t_D7hGDQuvsoDHkoCk5p8eC-wNz3YKCVrOWTUfL1gOXYjTCvXPmcynha-Fl7f_0IRCo_n7YRSTJNZ0dtj5wsnJ5CzASyr_N6OFIAprZfuKIphX8r6WCdECz3LN9Jb167jfcsvtEQmfee4Ea30WsC3LKpQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20171.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south over the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIa1sEu4QypqVW6X3MuGJPmyXX7-jWfnu964gEpzFn_QPXEolBYOI5AAgujUuixWxqUDgYtgnXWAXm-kKqBIi1imFxqpnBBXpnKkie_oDocfSdTXFkNDGvJnJiU3mlils1HDPLJ44JAuptPbFRC1ekx_jiZujM-XVhW_D5TCSsnYoJTyc-3nbOs_FRbg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIa1sEu4QypqVW6X3MuGJPmyXX7-jWfnu964gEpzFn_QPXEolBYOI5AAgujUuixWxqUDgYtgnXWAXm-kKqBIi1imFxqpnBBXpnKkie_oDocfSdTXFkNDGvJnJiU3mlils1HDPLJ44JAuptPbFRC1ekx_jiZujM-XVhW_D5TCSsnYoJTyc-3nbOs_FRbg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20027.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erebus Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQI5pgnc2aAWz974Z-A9B9C0N1zyBBA_EZVsCLFWxy8Fjt4sC3g9gAgzOIiCr7TOh8eBk5YRwlcGMtpVKOoNcKV8j1RKy7-c6z8pvFXJ8Mu7cuTz4BBaagorpZUe_VOGTviEdatrFsrQKx72ruOe9dx2PJGVi4MxPkzEqP3UV-P-O3OHMnnvdqbgQIw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQI5pgnc2aAWz974Z-A9B9C0N1zyBBA_EZVsCLFWxy8Fjt4sC3g9gAgzOIiCr7TOh8eBk5YRwlcGMtpVKOoNcKV8j1RKy7-c6z8pvFXJ8Mu7cuTz4BBaagorpZUe_VOGTviEdatrFsrQKx72ruOe9dx2PJGVi4MxPkzEqP3UV-P-O3OHMnnvdqbgQIw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailside cliffs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfmZ-sElY3JsIrqSfvpn_66vTJAuVjtVB0tEdEG5oMQ56-u8Qb6inLTL2f4LFXN07zgvoEgRi3K05CDbdHN9hagO86LZp_s6ujpUvwIplbhNomHE8M4LidSRo0-cygO5HJDd-gBYSEpFA8cqsSY4vbPkY8jFeyi5WHXxDFhwXI09WD1bXcncNnxiVqg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20030.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfmZ-sElY3JsIrqSfvpn_66vTJAuVjtVB0tEdEG5oMQ56-u8Qb6inLTL2f4LFXN07zgvoEgRi3K05CDbdHN9hagO86LZp_s6ujpUvwIplbhNomHE8M4LidSRo0-cygO5HJDd-gBYSEpFA8cqsSY4vbPkY8jFeyi5WHXxDFhwXI09WD1bXcncNnxiVqg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain Ponds</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I reached a T. Left headed toward Black Mountain Ponds and a popular loop option for those hiking Black Mountain. Right descended to Lake George at Black Mountain Point. I headed toward Black Mountain Point. It became clear pretty that few people visited this trail. A fair amount of blowdown covered the trail. None of it was too thick fortunately. The trail drops some 2,300' in elevation from the summit of Black to the lake in less than three miles. The trail never really seems steep however. A small creek tumbles down the mountain close to the trail with numerous small cascades. I wandered off the trail several times to get a better look at the scenic, tumbling water, just out of sight from the trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7zUTIOwznh9eXnQW-3ox8auB3vzHCdrzAosPGEWAiS9t4LRfTkWfMqpF5HnayJvu4cxVRI_ZzPQqik7dkIA8gANFtSgVyO6AWC9yxPcHX2z3Twt5AFloHEGHUQ1L0WcgLVX58iSyuBThGdlmAc7k840e8PsxaOGL1zSG9XCz--BfeH6fnUkV2rrcAg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7zUTIOwznh9eXnQW-3ox8auB3vzHCdrzAosPGEWAiS9t4LRfTkWfMqpF5HnayJvu4cxVRI_ZzPQqik7dkIA8gANFtSgVyO6AWC9yxPcHX2z3Twt5AFloHEGHUQ1L0WcgLVX58iSyuBThGdlmAc7k840e8PsxaOGL1zSG9XCz--BfeH6fnUkV2rrcAg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fair amount of blowdown</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm7uQWabLzrydpnEm4W9ztVGSu9btLWiDhan-SZ6F-wAan9Yc-qVDFAdVbNTPLzGoEAayl4fdDXrsFDQc33z9M8SWsQ5SZvAsMynLogxsdS3Vscb9fkNalcRsJICZUbQW4Mt5whpm21PJ9A9emrDEDsYwi6mwC1fsaCxqnsjNdTIlLcrRyAq109LRxQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm7uQWabLzrydpnEm4W9ztVGSu9btLWiDhan-SZ6F-wAan9Yc-qVDFAdVbNTPLzGoEAayl4fdDXrsFDQc33z9M8SWsQ5SZvAsMynLogxsdS3Vscb9fkNalcRsJICZUbQW4Mt5whpm21PJ9A9emrDEDsYwi6mwC1fsaCxqnsjNdTIlLcrRyAq109LRxQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many little cascades on the<br />descent toward Black Mountain Point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUz9H5fTRhTFzX7LXkAPaeVrgvvd-s0UUCK3ARXJRfW2gT8ZATzHDyjVy0TGcVW7n79b-KBfAMSJZZ7oG6oSGlrFicHm0rwF1p3XVvCv9otdlsfVOXKQUFEizhAZHX3DhS5UHsupWec9zvoNGmzhMfccVr5qwCoWF6HTr8PWQDCEfKBIkEjjsw3uURg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUz9H5fTRhTFzX7LXkAPaeVrgvvd-s0UUCK3ARXJRfW2gT8ZATzHDyjVy0TGcVW7n79b-KBfAMSJZZ7oG6oSGlrFicHm0rwF1p3XVvCv9otdlsfVOXKQUFEizhAZHX3DhS5UHsupWec9zvoNGmzhMfccVr5qwCoWF6HTr8PWQDCEfKBIkEjjsw3uURg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little drop with two ribbons of water</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANt4Gzg-IOFP9mxtBAB-wmAe5XQkZqcC-SwOhtmdOvPkggdzRVjleAb7X-gzMeEnhVjtgXEaeAg_q1_0I-XFqC_nB-IAFULaafUXQgrx4NctYRAa-vSQbSSQ_3OgkKIvV1gfuZW94FxuPjymZrxXDHldxbtRsNZ3QJYscnEjvLdNS1OsHwBCd_-BoqQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANt4Gzg-IOFP9mxtBAB-wmAe5XQkZqcC-SwOhtmdOvPkggdzRVjleAb7X-gzMeEnhVjtgXEaeAg_q1_0I-XFqC_nB-IAFULaafUXQgrx4NctYRAa-vSQbSSQ_3OgkKIvV1gfuZW94FxuPjymZrxXDHldxbtRsNZ3QJYscnEjvLdNS1OsHwBCd_-BoqQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This stream was full of pretty little cascades</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguYJLtB9PXLZyljbtHoIJfpElC_P3YlBKTM4Y4KtkMUxKE8MFVNKMFQIPeeNze6eOQNZxNseWNKmJqmGiC45yp4QzIzCkJIWNvw_6Il2FnuFydR16cUnEOuafPHNE7HENecpVfGwKwK6EQI92a8nz401e3Ysedywwy9Mfiuy9yD0t596VupUCGtl1OQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguYJLtB9PXLZyljbtHoIJfpElC_P3YlBKTM4Y4KtkMUxKE8MFVNKMFQIPeeNze6eOQNZxNseWNKmJqmGiC45yp4QzIzCkJIWNvw_6Il2FnuFydR16cUnEOuafPHNE7HENecpVfGwKwK6EQI92a8nz401e3Ysedywwy9Mfiuy9yD0t596VupUCGtl1OQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wandered off trail checking out the various falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtenN-pKmUwM-OAVOmCmDXr8aAeKBDpXAvDNXhTqMz5vgScPPM55C7CB4pa-02V5fPX4uh5VqoZnZew0TbJC7gZScYTcIdBxgbp1guOMcSS6bM279AsuDm1I5h9D9L26miN_eUKR7_otdmK90P7HOeqTRjQumCS47nEGbitC8mGJ1ftwY9kL1fHQIIgg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtenN-pKmUwM-OAVOmCmDXr8aAeKBDpXAvDNXhTqMz5vgScPPM55C7CB4pa-02V5fPX4uh5VqoZnZew0TbJC7gZScYTcIdBxgbp1guOMcSS6bM279AsuDm1I5h9D9L26miN_eUKR7_otdmK90P7HOeqTRjQumCS47nEGbitC8mGJ1ftwY9kL1fHQIIgg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most were just out of sight from the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsK4kK2J0SS3UbNWJnoabg_q06WFRl0cZRl1bvnXKdC7VYc1sqsReBFl8ofJzBAwFcFptsAhFtuQerak7D7sSgQwYd8yOBDxue5Hgu1fi-MGrBUnSgM30653F9YrSQoLW3tohctLqXmW6RBtdl12pNVwPcz8qa6PjmqY_OrpoHi3qmlWewWFTGoA7OA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsK4kK2J0SS3UbNWJnoabg_q06WFRl0cZRl1bvnXKdC7VYc1sqsReBFl8ofJzBAwFcFptsAhFtuQerak7D7sSgQwYd8yOBDxue5Hgu1fi-MGrBUnSgM30653F9YrSQoLW3tohctLqXmW6RBtdl12pNVwPcz8qa6PjmqY_OrpoHi3qmlWewWFTGoA7OA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think many people explore this area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJrP4an9E4K1WiF8PBpdCTs98-BZbF5LqQqUZpxZ0R40QUygCJRiBDzRNdVeP1369nwMc7K2gu2iBgXPY9BtoBhsAVlRiC-6lUXjZ1kjtFxbtaE5UNSTdQWPhgVs74A0ZNi7r62R6BCVzNmi1-C8tdY4DZzjl32vM8X_k_blda3VMDMY-fAhJB7ZYKg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJrP4an9E4K1WiF8PBpdCTs98-BZbF5LqQqUZpxZ0R40QUygCJRiBDzRNdVeP1369nwMc7K2gu2iBgXPY9BtoBhsAVlRiC-6lUXjZ1kjtFxbtaE5UNSTdQWPhgVs74A0ZNi7r62R6BCVzNmi1-C8tdY4DZzjl32vM8X_k_blda3VMDMY-fAhJB7ZYKg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last drop before the trail veered<br />away from the stream</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSIf7GPNzZFn_HpWGSd_Vqj4f0EOPN-CtEg7ctb4bnZOvdO8K64YchOdIDgzLB5w_6hqvEF1lVxu44_NDiR4_vv_WZgNXQmhUG3jagJDnhmh4QStZ2szUA9I0UikjhGzEWWmjlPhqggWRLAG_G_FjDWmlJidvEVJH-B1HwTVR092zuD68TLWtdvx-QQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSIf7GPNzZFn_HpWGSd_Vqj4f0EOPN-CtEg7ctb4bnZOvdO8K64YchOdIDgzLB5w_6hqvEF1lVxu44_NDiR4_vv_WZgNXQmhUG3jagJDnhmh4QStZ2szUA9I0UikjhGzEWWmjlPhqggWRLAG_G_FjDWmlJidvEVJH-B1HwTVR092zuD68TLWtdvx-QQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking through conifers</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I soon reached Lake George. At roughly 320', this was the low point of the trip. For the next three miles, I would hike along the shoreline of the lake. Despite a nice wide path that runs essentially flat in this section, I'm not sure many hikers travel the length of the Lake Shore Trail. There isn't easy access by land. majority of the people that visit this area do by boat.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHn9fWJv-AxXmLxhUgenxCDlWOR9Vk_rvL42dERhYkQzyQZG__IjDKRryIgNUH9X2uss5qcLmxQt9foyiteFNhRDjSr29HCSrOm5SnmQ4jvJSpn3ObeFqcDfBRe6YQZZ96grepbKPWCG9sOIBQE0ZKxGT7KVPTaTMl0e1NbxUtdfcxCElu_Zb3eB-zw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHn9fWJv-AxXmLxhUgenxCDlWOR9Vk_rvL42dERhYkQzyQZG__IjDKRryIgNUH9X2uss5qcLmxQt9foyiteFNhRDjSr29HCSrOm5SnmQ4jvJSpn3ObeFqcDfBRe6YQZZ96grepbKPWCG9sOIBQE0ZKxGT7KVPTaTMl0e1NbxUtdfcxCElu_Zb3eB-zw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake George at Black Mountain Point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMV2GkJtcdWpkorIyj63Nbi9cDTpf8BD-6dgn2issgAhv6U1hNgyKyvAokNfP3gkD5Cp7U37l0Rok_99oEzvdVlIGSt-kJozL3ZY59eKOpTzULDqORJ-Hml6p6oJDkUs9Qb-VQpbFtjI1THlvB8cpp38aoL800uoAHdEp3aGOpk7osoanryeZLqVDiw/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20169.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMV2GkJtcdWpkorIyj63Nbi9cDTpf8BD-6dgn2issgAhv6U1hNgyKyvAokNfP3gkD5Cp7U37l0Rok_99oEzvdVlIGSt-kJozL3ZY59eKOpTzULDqORJ-Hml6p6oJDkUs9Qb-VQpbFtjI1THlvB8cpp38aoL800uoAHdEp3aGOpk7osoanryeZLqVDiw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20169.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north from Black Mountain Point</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV0iBkZ_CWe74bEAgbkWOWE505AfLyhNDECqPD5D1UEr-56QiXEEWoVpVEJt8Y8oqL6uHx_wVXPuuwbfxa08u35KmPxKeQAe27YBqf31L4eeyeAl4awNSUTvm_Mldb5CN_06wppyMb6fSVk_-qN602Vh6k_g6qoj05-bQAozxYYCugtVY19yn9b9URg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20168.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV0iBkZ_CWe74bEAgbkWOWE505AfLyhNDECqPD5D1UEr-56QiXEEWoVpVEJt8Y8oqL6uHx_wVXPuuwbfxa08u35KmPxKeQAe27YBqf31L4eeyeAl4awNSUTvm_Mldb5CN_06wppyMb6fSVk_-qN602Vh6k_g6qoj05-bQAozxYYCugtVY19yn9b9URg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20168.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgXWRhMPO476bbOf6fMoOsb2S6xdrFX-vclMRw_7iMcH6VbjrBQIUENwj02g1dRPNfp06hufqt92PF6vtrAKcmGhb5MuT4t7nuP-m_WUXerVVi09CFWeoStmLh7Uc7o15W4UM4XqH60dxvFW4JRE6TgkTHtu1f0I39jNtnR0wcDHtnzjbU8AJI_6Rbw/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20170.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgXWRhMPO476bbOf6fMoOsb2S6xdrFX-vclMRw_7iMcH6VbjrBQIUENwj02g1dRPNfp06hufqt92PF6vtrAKcmGhb5MuT4t7nuP-m_WUXerVVi09CFWeoStmLh7Uc7o15W4UM4XqH60dxvFW4JRE6TgkTHtu1f0I39jNtnR0wcDHtnzjbU8AJI_6Rbw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20170.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tongue Range</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I reached the lake at Black Mountain Point. Black Mountain Point appears to be a day use picnic area for boaters on the lake. On a Thursday morning, early in the season, the place was abandoned. Pretty views up and down the lake can be seen from Black Mountain Point. As I hiked down the shoreline, I passed several tent platforms and campsites. I think these are by reservation and used mostly by boaters. There were no signs of life as I passed. The trail never ventures far from the lake and I passed a couple more picnic areas including Red Rock Bay and Commission Point. Other than one distant boat, I saw no other people along the Lake Shore Trail. Even though it's basically a carriage road, the frequent views over the lake made for a very pleasant hike.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtFVCkxU6h2uH8J16CaG7TzDSydbbNUKZ4AGf2rJwGsYoLxTurHwq6i9V_4RSMvV8JJDGgcVBGvO6-K-1OIxw5DAkINbMt4Qw3-89q2qhX4JfjqLdRRa-2PP8jx85XZ-dGTfYUuTxScRfxqjqCnmGSf-dgqX3-zeWzo0Pmke_QSGUQljR8Qbu7jyNkw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtFVCkxU6h2uH8J16CaG7TzDSydbbNUKZ4AGf2rJwGsYoLxTurHwq6i9V_4RSMvV8JJDGgcVBGvO6-K-1OIxw5DAkINbMt4Qw3-89q2qhX4JfjqLdRRa-2PP8jx85XZ-dGTfYUuTxScRfxqjqCnmGSf-dgqX3-zeWzo0Pmke_QSGUQljR8Qbu7jyNkw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentle trail along the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2x5gnGRRDiYR7LUaveXWW9I6hcg2gyOvYF8eIsmVBDANtTv9ff4MIGjM0ZyDNVlf4wxSfqBzToKkZbFKj72yTExYpdzXD77zIheWmBqg76UrsG9qANp8UmejiVctuNdCPY3r70nCEsQl1mIJ9_gbrSzhxYr6snbJj4OmyyMqEaMXxT4ixmsohFIdXUw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20049.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2x5gnGRRDiYR7LUaveXWW9I6hcg2gyOvYF8eIsmVBDANtTv9ff4MIGjM0ZyDNVlf4wxSfqBzToKkZbFKj72yTExYpdzXD77zIheWmBqg76UrsG9qANp8UmejiVctuNdCPY3r70nCEsQl1mIJ9_gbrSzhxYr6snbJj4OmyyMqEaMXxT4ixmsohFIdXUw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It followed the lake about three miles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJMW4u8gNBjXyllskOoeRdurnnJnXz8SyMVO4Ga9F1AY3K_r50TC4_O7WF_J_0a_7rVZw7qsX1gnRwh608OeD-LnsILTVXIrD2mVJ6RInq8awnTaGRK-ve1H48QWrk2AuLjYHfnMm9HBLFSecBqMwXLyg6RjCNKJs6l4N2MNxmVewubl3Y7fQHomeVA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJMW4u8gNBjXyllskOoeRdurnnJnXz8SyMVO4Ga9F1AY3K_r50TC4_O7WF_J_0a_7rVZw7qsX1gnRwh608OeD-LnsILTVXIrD2mVJ6RInq8awnTaGRK-ve1H48QWrk2AuLjYHfnMm9HBLFSecBqMwXLyg6RjCNKJs6l4N2MNxmVewubl3Y7fQHomeVA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another clearing along the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3l6jkLuUW8LLgrLcJAzbqz-HlIfbEY76yVzxVASrQhBdsnDjMgv2itFeL7yuzV-zXV_0zj4tuVgt1QaQbiDcPPfVnSwVD9JXBbYE_W1SA7CZeSL-m5sIs1skxJeHqlHCEoGOYft-FrkSI3WPHNSGtbs2zLnuAXwglZYUK47uXurAXYaHiycHc7kzIQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20051.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3l6jkLuUW8LLgrLcJAzbqz-HlIfbEY76yVzxVASrQhBdsnDjMgv2itFeL7yuzV-zXV_0zj4tuVgt1QaQbiDcPPfVnSwVD9JXBbYE_W1SA7CZeSL-m5sIs1skxJeHqlHCEoGOYft-FrkSI3WPHNSGtbs2zLnuAXwglZYUK47uXurAXYaHiycHc7kzIQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tongue Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSB5KRi_ALZERBY6wyay5hnCJm7rJkqhvoYH0qnTud52HsmakDELJ4rvhEQdviL701nY2gGlslE8GMMBXbp1BX58rUa7qul2dMDYoQ4YMO9QBDwJ_2eje07r9Hr8oFezLqKRLYL4R1LDVtihTeuYu5ybCvKC-pXaW32aY1-98za6REa3WWdXhV2V7MJg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSB5KRi_ALZERBY6wyay5hnCJm7rJkqhvoYH0qnTud52HsmakDELJ4rvhEQdviL701nY2gGlslE8GMMBXbp1BX58rUa7qul2dMDYoQ4YMO9QBDwJ_2eje07r9Hr8oFezLqKRLYL4R1LDVtihTeuYu5ybCvKC-pXaW32aY1-98za6REa3WWdXhV2V7MJg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain from a lakeside campsite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrnyC1YqVdqp68M3oOXm75am2NLNgWtxyQUBGepDpImmXuPAQSx4QUdWPVY3Nw3K9dJ4FaQCTDvDrccFdngQqPkMDemhJBByx5PbnCU55GUQKGbAnN0WX44Yh-wn_e0NOR3zaCnf5S-2n9PRCz5-cg5IWVMqYpZT7aqPp4lRSNonnNvDhI1GCPHsnuA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrnyC1YqVdqp68M3oOXm75am2NLNgWtxyQUBGepDpImmXuPAQSx4QUdWPVY3Nw3K9dJ4FaQCTDvDrccFdngQqPkMDemhJBByx5PbnCU55GUQKGbAnN0WX44Yh-wn_e0NOR3zaCnf5S-2n9PRCz5-cg5IWVMqYpZT7aqPp4lRSNonnNvDhI1GCPHsnuA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An isolated cove along Lake George</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2CCp1YoIJ64ydhhyCGLYYA05kf8RQBpVtD_EJMlXpOBDHFFCKJ6Zndii1eqq1xfUy5KqfCq-qnzdRNYhl2_1g8Zut80aS7JavqZzg9Lt9p4x8Kn96XajNdRE3wTG5zRHYXS98Vy1XB20l7T5KVXsNVAQMATFKWLLxDLJI8AaOlybQyo7z1tRqDND-w/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2CCp1YoIJ64ydhhyCGLYYA05kf8RQBpVtD_EJMlXpOBDHFFCKJ6Zndii1eqq1xfUy5KqfCq-qnzdRNYhl2_1g8Zut80aS7JavqZzg9Lt9p4x8Kn96XajNdRE3wTG5zRHYXS98Vy1XB20l7T5KVXsNVAQMATFKWLLxDLJI8AaOlybQyo7z1tRqDND-w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More mountain views</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHQnvxSEichAHOOZCakapzx4cAPLv7EWxBF_pOUr-sN8Wbve4koDznBm_duKZIBTme_inuPKNArnUhqgm_VmaFrKAY6ACyrH4FWTPg-YaVi8UgF2WsFmMatrarKVBlOr4ef3c5y-1pVxIVIPRC35z8tC4hItRIslDrmnc3eg9kUTTvxUHRKksQ2s-Lg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20060.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHQnvxSEichAHOOZCakapzx4cAPLv7EWxBF_pOUr-sN8Wbve4koDznBm_duKZIBTme_inuPKNArnUhqgm_VmaFrKAY6ACyrH4FWTPg-YaVi8UgF2WsFmMatrarKVBlOr4ef3c5y-1pVxIVIPRC35z8tC4hItRIslDrmnc3eg9kUTTvxUHRKksQ2s-Lg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20060.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic area at Commission Point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q3Ptcg3dzPzKWPvooG4qDxWDcWoLaN49FV4fdcB0kzfw_qQM1XjO7I7Vi456Vm43sGxgWiHYy5IwoBYWxeYWCmB1ySb92XRD0VEOdG9vpAylC8X-STeXOjZRyNdl3p1mwgxTeqAaKuRZqX5MBjbpf1Aq-nGukhwlDT4K1VAqcaydcm8ile0_qP0scg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q3Ptcg3dzPzKWPvooG4qDxWDcWoLaN49FV4fdcB0kzfw_qQM1XjO7I7Vi456Vm43sGxgWiHYy5IwoBYWxeYWCmB1ySb92XRD0VEOdG9vpAylC8X-STeXOjZRyNdl3p1mwgxTeqAaKuRZqX5MBjbpf1Aq-nGukhwlDT4K1VAqcaydcm8ile0_qP0scg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20167.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View at Commission Point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ocepK8O3N_PU59JzbT5Z_gEEtMuG--gh9UoDKM7MoKnw-y7BkYE4VNs_SWaKiSDbg1f88epCltQIwK856a61bieAwsRuMtXM4vBRcHpEUXlzL-BZNrvvZt5wDGqJV1Po0IIeql35KjwNTB0s9NLwXfRfh80_n2jGImVtn-FvIKVMwH9BtI5aePlsng/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20182.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ocepK8O3N_PU59JzbT5Z_gEEtMuG--gh9UoDKM7MoKnw-y7BkYE4VNs_SWaKiSDbg1f88epCltQIwK856a61bieAwsRuMtXM4vBRcHpEUXlzL-BZNrvvZt5wDGqJV1Po0IIeql35KjwNTB0s9NLwXfRfh80_n2jGImVtn-FvIKVMwH9BtI5aePlsng/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20182.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tongue Range rising above an island</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After three miles I turned off the Lake Shore Trail and headed toward Shelving Rock Mountain. This trail must be taken to avoid crossing onto private property. I'm guessing by its condition, this trail sees little traffic. There is a fair amount of blowdown, at times quite thick. The blowdown was relatively short lived lasting less than a mile, ending by the next junction. I passed a couple of marked junctions before reaching the trail to Shelving Rock Mountain.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-daTQRO3TmMETnWSePDHn6iWkpp6R_ZPD3m54S3tAlIEVP1kfPMW-ZlNvweIKyaLHzJPsNKntJd6L0otIF7CcyAaCPoa1iG2Kpl8r-Mdr8_4IxXjiMHfkedUCMqaELIQ0knMZ9ejZ6LTrbl1yKEOQdFArZ4RzKoqNLnhYMO0oMwoDzWqE3rgWDSxW1w/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-daTQRO3TmMETnWSePDHn6iWkpp6R_ZPD3m54S3tAlIEVP1kfPMW-ZlNvweIKyaLHzJPsNKntJd6L0otIF7CcyAaCPoa1iG2Kpl8r-Mdr8_4IxXjiMHfkedUCMqaELIQ0knMZ9ejZ6LTrbl1yKEOQdFArZ4RzKoqNLnhYMO0oMwoDzWqE3rgWDSxW1w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnoff from the Lake Shore Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHu2zC4jV74Nd8JxafAwXiW9TEuEL1RHRecld8VFChuXN6zU03hJjaLw3KHzdtO6TOdWH13dfMgHuE0ySlgdjg-8BJlteowuWFxJ3gu0M0zcshJb51nMcO3O6XTm2lFqlIyXQ6NprQsqHXN485gna_bRJ7Dg2Uq8tqBkBatc7kZLkP0r2Vmvh0o40AqQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHu2zC4jV74Nd8JxafAwXiW9TEuEL1RHRecld8VFChuXN6zU03hJjaLw3KHzdtO6TOdWH13dfMgHuE0ySlgdjg-8BJlteowuWFxJ3gu0M0zcshJb51nMcO3O6XTm2lFqlIyXQ6NprQsqHXN485gna_bRJ7Dg2Uq8tqBkBatc7kZLkP0r2Vmvh0o40AqQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick blowdown</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Shelving Rock Mountain was reached by a short .6 mile spur off of my loop. The trail to the mountain follows another old carriage road as it winds its way to the summit. The 1,130' summit offers only partial views through the trees. Following the herd path beyond the summit leads a few hundred yards downhill to an open outcropping with excellent views to the west over Lake George. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlCy2Lx9kGMSRIw502Qurayb-R2OR0iOi4IpxeQzsbf1454Wev_qzgNhjiGRl-nWg_c8eC96cjEstZ2e70yX3r52u6zwalxo56GuhoHFRf3Lci1KX1nZQpRkheoG02VJ8VxCZAxV8laQf9_oSQ519gbQ1bSudqEzjPLFs80AhOq68hmLfg0cD0LrREQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlCy2Lx9kGMSRIw502Qurayb-R2OR0iOi4IpxeQzsbf1454Wev_qzgNhjiGRl-nWg_c8eC96cjEstZ2e70yX3r52u6zwalxo56GuhoHFRf3Lci1KX1nZQpRkheoG02VJ8VxCZAxV8laQf9_oSQ519gbQ1bSudqEzjPLFs80AhOq68hmLfg0cD0LrREQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carriage road toward Shelving Rock Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXmXvdHtYipL57D7Fyo9QQ8HxPdAhdzSd1wqFlOHB9yBeNzOiFG6dP7xb5_Aa_nrFG4coDIH9v9URgr3j0UfTdqK1sSxEVPGSi7a68feWR0om5HZkI5BTa78sUi8laJ96YZGRholESyxRth1gZQ9ka77hy5AnE-wBCZj99vUiRBzUnlCwjfTyiJ6jrg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20165.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXmXvdHtYipL57D7Fyo9QQ8HxPdAhdzSd1wqFlOHB9yBeNzOiFG6dP7xb5_Aa_nrFG4coDIH9v9URgr3j0UfTdqK1sSxEVPGSi7a68feWR0om5HZkI5BTa78sUi8laJ96YZGRholESyxRth1gZQ9ka77hy5AnE-wBCZj99vUiRBzUnlCwjfTyiJ6jrg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20165.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing just below Shelving Rock's summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC21k4i2ZlqIUWKe68Eayr27IviGoTizz-hVdnAYupaQJwl6fi8UZuKloYGvu7IYgYYSd00VvnADZlYXOAnXlYwFSzb-BAeyu4xRRnZ4CnaST4rs4KTWcEItkmQ73eQU7F5URr_Iyw1gjMCOvzUdEnVYUtw8zvyInJkmqemkpCq2w13FoDtcEbcHss3g/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20166.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC21k4i2ZlqIUWKe68Eayr27IviGoTizz-hVdnAYupaQJwl6fi8UZuKloYGvu7IYgYYSd00VvnADZlYXOAnXlYwFSzb-BAeyu4xRRnZ4CnaST4rs4KTWcEItkmQ73eQU7F5URr_Iyw1gjMCOvzUdEnVYUtw8zvyInJkmqemkpCq2w13FoDtcEbcHss3g/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20166.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSFO6VGpAxAph7nvos2743hRccI_hAQowBt15nYGT7ji-dWfQgsnr9qi-RF6si-Rf4K-R2g36x5LbR81MSfSkkYIU34ZwU4yj1sHY2hwBu9G0_tWLsWidAimaJqarb2tlwF3gXLsRTzUFcva82zV743zh9MunAWUvseMc0DD1zaMkDk6A2aM_jaM2ug/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20180.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSFO6VGpAxAph7nvos2743hRccI_hAQowBt15nYGT7ji-dWfQgsnr9qi-RF6si-Rf4K-R2g36x5LbR81MSfSkkYIU34ZwU4yj1sHY2hwBu9G0_tWLsWidAimaJqarb2tlwF3gXLsRTzUFcva82zV743zh9MunAWUvseMc0DD1zaMkDk6A2aM_jaM2ug/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20180.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward Bolton Landing</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After enjoying the views, I returned back down the carriage road, following it to Shelving Rock Road. I followed the road a few hundred feet and turned onto a wide trail that led to Shelving Rock Falls. I saw photos of Shelving Rock Falls that looked impressive. I could hear the falls before I reached them. </p><div style="text-align: left;">Shelving Rock Falls exceeded my expectations. The falls were higher than I expected and flowing with a lot of water volume. Most sources list it at 50 foot tall, but it looks larger. I followed a path to the bottom of the falls to get a full view of it and take a few photos. The trail I came in on ended at the top of the falls with no obvious place to cross to the trail on the other side.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2PlJxbUW4mnyHRhMR2mL92Z0NSglHOZrTxU14077IPSLYze0DKu5rtthW-nUj0m1t6WXWs9XVYRAEJG3I_vCCXn60tZy06HkbPMza9mdbkkAqzsps6sth5WcNyw3vaKaY2TDlBjTZIKvk9bMXXbipo4XbFNPlXrpR7DYdD_O9n02gVL-sVogCGbi0w/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20163.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2PlJxbUW4mnyHRhMR2mL92Z0NSglHOZrTxU14077IPSLYze0DKu5rtthW-nUj0m1t6WXWs9XVYRAEJG3I_vCCXn60tZy06HkbPMza9mdbkkAqzsps6sth5WcNyw3vaKaY2TDlBjTZIKvk9bMXXbipo4XbFNPlXrpR7DYdD_O9n02gVL-sVogCGbi0w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20163.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelving Rock Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I returned back to the road for a short distance before rejoining a trail that headed toward Dacy Clearing. Although I eventually would end up at Dacy Clearing, I wanted to take a side trip to Buck Mountain. I could have reached Buck Mountain more directly by walking on Shelving Rock Road, but took the less direct route by hiking on the Big Bridges, Shortway, and Old Farm Trails.</p><div style="text-align: left;">I'm glad I avoided the road because the scenery along the trails ended up being rather scenic. The Big Bridges Trail and part of the Shortway Trail followed a nice mountain stream with several rocky riffles and a few waterfalls. I saw my first snake of the season along the water, a garter snake basking in the sun. I saw the first other people of the day about 12 miles into my trip on the Big Bridges Trail. The Old Farm Trail brought me back to Shelving Rock Road with a half-mile or so road walk to the start of the climb for Buck Mountain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnixWC7kCvEJvAP3Iev_RStxoL6eP0koRa-V6gReKYxqLP8rEWHrNRAGXqEKytESrKpiqr4FxusfKpilXIcZlZCAANTSBd4sf9mr9XHv65F4_6m34YL3MmcfiGs5M-eO4B1GD3G_vib5oHPYJ7DJ0WLRpzzSpH8-rGXV1L0_GchLwEumIwSqd8Fy9n7Q/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnixWC7kCvEJvAP3Iev_RStxoL6eP0koRa-V6gReKYxqLP8rEWHrNRAGXqEKytESrKpiqr4FxusfKpilXIcZlZCAANTSBd4sf9mr9XHv65F4_6m34YL3MmcfiGs5M-eO4B1GD3G_vib5oHPYJ7DJ0WLRpzzSpH8-rGXV1L0_GchLwEumIwSqd8Fy9n7Q/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20070.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along Shelving Rock Brook on<br />the Big Bridges Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkVK60R6d42TpIkZJ61878tztATy8nhJev-vAy5EBAi2a37aVwVgEfdB19MhNlVme0gbAc2Le_qtdB034CS__3N-oZVx8ff9wSaV0REEwazXP7Lu-KWuLuHqtYkXZ0Z75TLdD82cx0IOgrsybOwshIX1FpWiO7P0eXLdgGIOe4f_yi1Muf23NnJCW3Q/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20072.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkVK60R6d42TpIkZJ61878tztATy8nhJev-vAy5EBAi2a37aVwVgEfdB19MhNlVme0gbAc2Le_qtdB034CS__3N-oZVx8ff9wSaV0REEwazXP7Lu-KWuLuHqtYkXZ0Z75TLdD82cx0IOgrsybOwshIX1FpWiO7P0eXLdgGIOe4f_yi1Muf23NnJCW3Q/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20072.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelving Rock Brook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuipunltbtlRRj05pHCtNS2hngDz8BQCw5BDi_0yFHKX6aZWlaQNAVHHHimL7-bfvtB22E2kdtZizIa6pGvR_baZd9oz2hpu3I2QTKGrX2ZSyqMIK0ZtNrDe8A9mRH4sEchWCw91dBy1T6iBJpezjXOC8AT-5fgmyxCFuv1FdXVKzlde4bgLbzAT0NvQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20075.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuipunltbtlRRj05pHCtNS2hngDz8BQCw5BDi_0yFHKX6aZWlaQNAVHHHimL7-bfvtB22E2kdtZizIa6pGvR_baZd9oz2hpu3I2QTKGrX2ZSyqMIK0ZtNrDe8A9mRH4sEchWCw91dBy1T6iBJpezjXOC8AT-5fgmyxCFuv1FdXVKzlde4bgLbzAT0NvQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20075.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This waterfall was a short bushwhack off <br />the Short Way Trail. I followed the sound.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBoUDsObfSjmVUzw0zQNQdAGyPB9miqvyazjJUZk29DFO4Inrex71bjQcSY6vJti0uo_0UOTLAd6OwBc_reDqcgwZDtIQsl2LeG7pp4yP40RItJlTuU7Iwnn7wF6eyJXcBhxD7B5qo33kjOUBetVptUJyudWaLgSVLSXnGnrKTage1AddDy_9mPSHwA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBoUDsObfSjmVUzw0zQNQdAGyPB9miqvyazjJUZk29DFO4Inrex71bjQcSY6vJti0uo_0UOTLAd6OwBc_reDqcgwZDtIQsl2LeG7pp4yP40RItJlTuU7Iwnn7wF6eyJXcBhxD7B5qo33kjOUBetVptUJyudWaLgSVLSXnGnrKTage1AddDy_9mPSHwA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Farm Road Trail, notice the lack of <br />leaves in early May</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Buck Mountain was reached from a spur off my main loop. Since I have never been to this area, I wanted to incorporate it into my hike. It's said to have good views. Buck Mountain is roughly 2.5 miles (distance varies depending on map or sign by a couple tenths of a mile) trail from Shelving Rock Road. The trail never seems to difficult as it gains 1100' in elevation over its length. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT_NENG7zMQaBPaqhLh6Y7rRBMuj2fr0hRYiQH47NtnfX1XwbS3oWk-p9DMRPTEf0BT6wUsdcVcVzCZ5Z7tTeyDdNMSogGqCNFRir54py2jI9cv1JD3q_703zHwAMKI2nzQxR2kOvxbmqhs0RBozmd1aED4JYpBopBrrxD6EKz9-xUB6w4DeWLK3PTw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT_NENG7zMQaBPaqhLh6Y7rRBMuj2fr0hRYiQH47NtnfX1XwbS3oWk-p9DMRPTEf0BT6wUsdcVcVzCZ5Z7tTeyDdNMSogGqCNFRir54py2jI9cv1JD3q_703zHwAMKI2nzQxR2kOvxbmqhs0RBozmd1aED4JYpBopBrrxD6EKz9-xUB6w4DeWLK3PTw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of my hike of Buck Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7ZObAgJrAmNf0-sflJnbQ6fCe5ikG27SeRYH5C_riqzsUg9NbwGMSKk6hc5bhb4w3I455nCEsU5Refdh5To7Y5Xjgzn3ytpLRyMaiX8eF4doY8PcZOKmOMxDtDVrkJtJJnfBgWY7ceS7XXAwESGfcEgJZz1tNzwixWLdC_mREgYYnAELdTzFUilXzQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20080.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7ZObAgJrAmNf0-sflJnbQ6fCe5ikG27SeRYH5C_riqzsUg9NbwGMSKk6hc5bhb4w3I455nCEsU5Refdh5To7Y5Xjgzn3ytpLRyMaiX8eF4doY8PcZOKmOMxDtDVrkJtJJnfBgWY7ceS7XXAwESGfcEgJZz1tNzwixWLdC_mREgYYnAELdTzFUilXzQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open forest</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Buck Mountain's2,334' summit provides more nice views over the lake. Although not as wide open as the perch below Shelving Rock Mountain, the view took in more area with multiple view points. The middle of the lake toward the Bolton dominates the view from the main outcropping. A smaller outcropping, a short distance north of summit, gives a neat prospective of the Tongue Range and the Narrows on the lake.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8-N1fbxhCI1k_Gl0XVatt17NTUmpcmUyIrlF9wsz3VYWVgrPzZxH620R-gSq9Wtccya9JtwwCmq3KmlhQkpRG-NBV_vgc7Ir0DYLZkg5cLHpMjS1Sxkc4eLq7s-2tI7TQkNMJ4IyzGvRRQA0D1xTMKzoLuaipaCBKQrqkhTcBz_EluHehJeeBNAcOg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20081.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8-N1fbxhCI1k_Gl0XVatt17NTUmpcmUyIrlF9wsz3VYWVgrPzZxH620R-gSq9Wtccya9JtwwCmq3KmlhQkpRG-NBV_vgc7Ir0DYLZkg5cLHpMjS1Sxkc4eLq7s-2tI7TQkNMJ4IyzGvRRQA0D1xTMKzoLuaipaCBKQrqkhTcBz_EluHehJeeBNAcOg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20081.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main viewing area on Buck Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MMdIOLsGfW_LY14xR1BlaX8MyI1cFjm5LnTNUQJMo-fJyv1AmDDngp30cpiHo2RaM_Kfih5NhgMGgkqZvjXF3GWW5Ajk3hJ_xVbxhDilcDFlQ4TZbsRsvDbg5LWXiDYEXmqLnF6yFdfQ61S2jzpF2dg46CKLwmh1Rh7zRc7n_Sa7P_pDX5-eS_xNlQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20084.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MMdIOLsGfW_LY14xR1BlaX8MyI1cFjm5LnTNUQJMo-fJyv1AmDDngp30cpiHo2RaM_Kfih5NhgMGgkqZvjXF3GWW5Ajk3hJ_xVbxhDilcDFlQ4TZbsRsvDbg5LWXiDYEXmqLnF6yFdfQ61S2jzpF2dg46CKLwmh1Rh7zRc7n_Sa7P_pDX5-eS_xNlQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over the Tongue Range and the Narrows</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I4UiKIPFGMIVXVo2BwrOVHiIKSX368mlp1_J5O2u4BqOk-QKRd5oQNGzgINhqQbmXSZhxD7rJU1nRSoyRGdpVHJyeo4iqijvWQQ3MVu0ZSvtuAsPZxbt6FavPqjS_S7ZuX-nJM41gsgUWuFuE3oXTYB1SpmiQSZ0SpRXbCXGqweOBdM76SjcdMBkeg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20176.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I4UiKIPFGMIVXVo2BwrOVHiIKSX368mlp1_J5O2u4BqOk-QKRd5oQNGzgINhqQbmXSZhxD7rJU1nRSoyRGdpVHJyeo4iqijvWQQ3MVu0ZSvtuAsPZxbt6FavPqjS_S7ZuX-nJM41gsgUWuFuE3oXTYB1SpmiQSZ0SpRXbCXGqweOBdM76SjcdMBkeg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20176.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montcalm Point off the Tongue</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By the time I time I departed Buck Mountain, it was around 5PM. I was hoping to reach Bump Pond, 6-7 miles away. I ate a quick snack and retraced my way back to Shelving Rock Road. Originally I planned taking the Buck Mountain Connector Trail toward Dacy Clearing. Other than one marker, I didn't see any discernable tread or trail to follow. Rather than bushwhack to save a few tenths of a mile, I just followed Shelving Rock Road to the turnoff toward Dacy Clearing. The route to Dacy Clearing followed a narrow dirt lane past several campsites. Eventually it traveled passed a small stream with old remnants of the Dacy Farm. An old dam and foundations stood along the road before Dacy Clearing. From the Buck Mountain trailhead to Dacy Clearing, I traveled a between 1.5-2 miles on a dirt road, but never saw a vehicle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeqnrFWMNLu6AOSgtLNm-Vj4-BBs-YmouVTEOig_mm-crGE5GE_lt4HLLsJaLWW_YvUyVR62J-pHepz1xKVlnRbaYT38iaD90sktP-W_s2gyyxaHHptCBYjY7UynxKLjgrVoAU0isoE5L4s3O0MLz0GuWumUbmmI0ph6TJyMWyTHjJ7pPy5BNs1jDpA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeqnrFWMNLu6AOSgtLNm-Vj4-BBs-YmouVTEOig_mm-crGE5GE_lt4HLLsJaLWW_YvUyVR62J-pHepz1xKVlnRbaYT38iaD90sktP-W_s2gyyxaHHptCBYjY7UynxKLjgrVoAU0isoE5L4s3O0MLz0GuWumUbmmI0ph6TJyMWyTHjJ7pPy5BNs1jDpA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20085.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking the road to Dacy Clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Mo_3AAMePuq5H4EG2ijb5y0_0vB-K0FZGd30_QA0_3GdLeJk5yCVQK68Ov82oEllgERexGHpQShvtSVzvLMUtfjCxaXQvYZEoqfLOf0us1oNPD0KqctIHTSnzA-ocOV7TCcl9hFo1C10fRvrc4fRNtZIO0n2mAj7C0DmDymeM_0TZqJzNoDRPgIvtw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20087.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Mo_3AAMePuq5H4EG2ijb5y0_0vB-K0FZGd30_QA0_3GdLeJk5yCVQK68Ov82oEllgERexGHpQShvtSVzvLMUtfjCxaXQvYZEoqfLOf0us1oNPD0KqctIHTSnzA-ocOV7TCcl9hFo1C10fRvrc4fRNtZIO0n2mAj7C0DmDymeM_0TZqJzNoDRPgIvtw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old foundation along the road</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At Dacy Clearing, I began my climb to Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The trail to Sleeping Beauty climbs relatively gradually with some rocky sections. At times it travels under cliffs. By now the light was fading in the cover of the trees and thin clouds moving in the area. I reached the clearing near the summit of Sleeping Beauty around 720PM.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVQd-XCNRy0KQn8bjke6ctHiB6Kbs84ZHmtnc_2XKQ-12qTWdtHBqMA9k9YOtX0pN3bPdblIVBJYNlc9jYtmOIg5Awsn7iGt9YWbAeizigdbogr4VxcNnM5kAhMQ3bvQsu3UZeBc1IBhSMtvc8zwsBcvt_yjEW0TYADb-a8MQlkYcA8WD0B7eTGjB6w/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20088.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVQd-XCNRy0KQn8bjke6ctHiB6Kbs84ZHmtnc_2XKQ-12qTWdtHBqMA9k9YOtX0pN3bPdblIVBJYNlc9jYtmOIg5Awsn7iGt9YWbAeizigdbogr4VxcNnM5kAhMQ3bvQsu3UZeBc1IBhSMtvc8zwsBcvt_yjEW0TYADb-a8MQlkYcA8WD0B7eTGjB6w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20088.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dacy Clearing</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like Black and Buck Mountains, 2,347' Sleeping Beauty is another mountain near Lake George known for its views. The scenery didn't disappoint. The vantage from Sleeping Beauty looks into most directions. The Green Mountains stretch out to the east. Buck Mountain stands out to the south. Endless mountains make up the western horizon, with the Lake George in the foreground. This view was further enhanced by the evening light and thin clouds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQyh8xKW6lpyCi0_vOPuOYVbPLF978FCEFGohBhfIu_pj45Xl9ln2EkQ1g9-SfdtcHveGX8GGIFYzA_GmR36zrhQJxMB2kZv18YDxxWaOzTD5hej3_plNSPbNbHJoZxh2_2kAUedbDPbkoTuoR8jW_E3yPQukjhYi808RwoNyyXUuT3-p0LcR6K6CDA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20089.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQyh8xKW6lpyCi0_vOPuOYVbPLF978FCEFGohBhfIu_pj45Xl9ln2EkQ1g9-SfdtcHveGX8GGIFYzA_GmR36zrhQJxMB2kZv18YDxxWaOzTD5hej3_plNSPbNbHJoZxh2_2kAUedbDPbkoTuoR8jW_E3yPQukjhYi808RwoNyyXUuT3-p0LcR6K6CDA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20089.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing toward Sleeping Beauty Mountain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrZ6dh171uZo-XBQkRTUtoLpauPfrw3i3Bu07HXYM5yfrfjDfOtg6J8E0zq02LOFW7_O1_fTUcZd9P-sjUaFuq0x0phpgRAV_E43m4PFZWjnCLHQIJnDDjab52JUUZW09yHa7Hytez2I9xzcAXHXogoM0JH0zHO-lMMN5bS2-JhlZ1d-FMeh5sNZmew/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20160.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrZ6dh171uZo-XBQkRTUtoLpauPfrw3i3Bu07HXYM5yfrfjDfOtg6J8E0zq02LOFW7_O1_fTUcZd9P-sjUaFuq0x0phpgRAV_E43m4PFZWjnCLHQIJnDDjab52JUUZW09yHa7Hytez2I9xzcAXHXogoM0JH0zHO-lMMN5bS2-JhlZ1d-FMeh5sNZmew/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20160.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the ledges on Sleeping Beauty</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJTK2dWfaEwW7PVeT1YWxxCwmY4qyXhVD989qUYKZTwgjgBITzyFAh0iLWRbYv8JJKmOybd5ez3ax4FsCO2LFj6HvNqeN2wkrhwd9NisWCsTBUA77dMk44ebt-ZG9GZbCNjDKKtIvnuUXhMKIeDHnESe0kmync5wdp2akHUMPJnSTbQLQIo5gjik9CQ/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20174.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJTK2dWfaEwW7PVeT1YWxxCwmY4qyXhVD989qUYKZTwgjgBITzyFAh0iLWRbYv8JJKmOybd5ez3ax4FsCO2LFj6HvNqeN2wkrhwd9NisWCsTBUA77dMk44ebt-ZG9GZbCNjDKKtIvnuUXhMKIeDHnESe0kmync5wdp2akHUMPJnSTbQLQIo5gjik9CQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20174.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Green Mountains of Vermont in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9rL7n0kgb-l33nbxQ9W3BtbS6kWZ1WRKhp_TJcGmTg7BEd3zFVccCftYadwSeFLM2MHBi2xVNHg3ZGUAwYWaf2UyITHC3_aKkmj697r0D-7iK-JxTPGkC9bUgWI_VyLtZ-roB4MGaHHgB47wlnUOzeCvr6Hf0rWRBkLkH8B4e3J9k2eFw-VftccK2g/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20156.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9rL7n0kgb-l33nbxQ9W3BtbS6kWZ1WRKhp_TJcGmTg7BEd3zFVccCftYadwSeFLM2MHBi2xVNHg3ZGUAwYWaf2UyITHC3_aKkmj697r0D-7iK-JxTPGkC9bUgWI_VyLtZ-roB4MGaHHgB47wlnUOzeCvr6Hf0rWRBkLkH8B4e3J9k2eFw-VftccK2g/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20156.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake George from Sleeping Beauty</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5j2rL0m1aPzdr2gNdievAyH39Vm2ogLvrG1BkuVXuYEE4tAYicwkCN9NSUZD-1N0g1ofnjnyWxV3uVrg--dXqz3FWoEBPWwZO1GlIFBFhvH6psOL7RUeO2WlLCQvnDd5hmQrACai6NLvohRioCzqaXEuHPmnfalS8yURsrkFQre-1mPZZoc6c5KwJw/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20161.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5j2rL0m1aPzdr2gNdievAyH39Vm2ogLvrG1BkuVXuYEE4tAYicwkCN9NSUZD-1N0g1ofnjnyWxV3uVrg--dXqz3FWoEBPWwZO1GlIFBFhvH6psOL7RUeO2WlLCQvnDd5hmQrACai6NLvohRioCzqaXEuHPmnfalS8yURsrkFQre-1mPZZoc6c5KwJw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20161.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds moving in over the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHC4wpcwugGA1QRHuHw3zh8awCmMK06aw8_d1Y3l8Rzalj-Uj41GIKdJw8wj8tBIA6JEFGIpg_Ao8uQw4RNZWdYAJ5NAWlhszt2ohIFWM6dPuKHR8WQ1ABqho6QUfX5--CSWC4WjfbUJ-gH7eMyPCJ_9lR7UcMAbZ9HYPJgIhlpWyKReZX0ZLUUOcnA/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20175.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHC4wpcwugGA1QRHuHw3zh8awCmMK06aw8_d1Y3l8Rzalj-Uj41GIKdJw8wj8tBIA6JEFGIpg_Ao8uQw4RNZWdYAJ5NAWlhszt2ohIFWM6dPuKHR8WQ1ABqho6QUfX5--CSWC4WjfbUJ-gH7eMyPCJ_9lR7UcMAbZ9HYPJgIhlpWyKReZX0ZLUUOcnA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20175.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliffs along Sleeping Beauty</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was nearly 730PM when I left Sleeping Beauty. I only had about a mile to travel to Bumps Pond where I intended to camp. Sunset was after 8PM, so I figured I'd be okay reaching my destination. By 750PM I reached the pond and soon found the designated campsite after a 24+ mile day. I had enough light to finish all my evening camp chores, but ended up eating in the dark. While filtering my water in fading light, I saw a shooting star over the pond. I was serenaded by peepers for the evening.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIop9Gpedqp6a0-r_RlEOTF4s3tLCHNItv336He_7vRROEl8dQbX7phT7qhNMnfGUFKaS7m4OhCYS7_fV6CjvVPYw81L8Z3MUwdoxFw-WuuEle9UcRNjbB90c2aavHOhaVjSdOnaxPBk1ANdTRgPxbBnp3K91lx4UZ2zLFSKEmYeWE-1hFIkdT4AL7og/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20103.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIop9Gpedqp6a0-r_RlEOTF4s3tLCHNItv336He_7vRROEl8dQbX7phT7qhNMnfGUFKaS7m4OhCYS7_fV6CjvVPYw81L8Z3MUwdoxFw-WuuEle9UcRNjbB90c2aavHOhaVjSdOnaxPBk1ANdTRgPxbBnp3K91lx4UZ2zLFSKEmYeWE-1hFIkdT4AL7og/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20103.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Less than a mile left for the day</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The campsite at Bumps Pond sits just out of sight from the pond. The pond is the most southerly in a series of small backcountry ponds between Sleeping Beauty and the Black Mountain area. The pond sits relatively high in elevation for the area around 2,000', just 300' below Sleeping Beauty. An old rock chimney, once part of a hunting camp from many years ago, stands in the small clearing at the campsite.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8f1duwJYIBZFiZ-pmD4tQYSyLAyGR3EDHZ-7niTG5CHHWQpu-s4c21osMU0NBpHG9pa3nzZiD8fm_VwLQT0t00GPkVqX8DGqU0RFzcFYiFIms0fkIGkVDrU01OZ5Jjj3I_kQuahWSjOfnT_u44saE9BhUpEJOD7ml0mTjqHxCth0NNnsW_vjveLSgw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20107.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8f1duwJYIBZFiZ-pmD4tQYSyLAyGR3EDHZ-7niTG5CHHWQpu-s4c21osMU0NBpHG9pa3nzZiD8fm_VwLQT0t00GPkVqX8DGqU0RFzcFYiFIms0fkIGkVDrU01OZ5Jjj3I_kQuahWSjOfnT_u44saE9BhUpEJOD7ml0mTjqHxCth0NNnsW_vjveLSgw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20107.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping Beauty reflecting in Bumps Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMf90BGBle808pcimTbCM1Errfvo2W3KjuvwzmVK3v6-0PYAvx8Bb0oNZI0E9hLIVP5_SO8Jcr-r1E2YVKaPrrPQbLSU47rNTTLCqQv_7p-HVYNffm6poqNM-NCBRpI2xurYwKuFBbMNNFVTgPSzVVg1dy38ILsoYGcdOHtyNvRSJyvykPunxa9p49g/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMf90BGBle808pcimTbCM1Errfvo2W3KjuvwzmVK3v6-0PYAvx8Bb0oNZI0E9hLIVP5_SO8Jcr-r1E2YVKaPrrPQbLSU47rNTTLCqQv_7p-HVYNffm6poqNM-NCBRpI2xurYwKuFBbMNNFVTgPSzVVg1dy38ILsoYGcdOHtyNvRSJyvykPunxa9p49g/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20106.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old chimney from long gone hunting camp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Shortly after laying down, I heard loud bang or gunshot. When it continued, I realized that I was hearing a nearby fireworks show. I was camped in a bowl surrounded by forest and had no view of the show however. After the fireworks I slept soundly. Thin clouds kept the temperature from dropping too low, but it was probably in the upper 30sF overnight.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItqi36riQL_pV67qIJ8FNpJuKMzHC2YtLqv84xO2D37Jgwx9NAtrWANyQbrKqLvSrLuTEU13m5I3CnP2ry0hQciDEMs_7RH_gW3Lue4GQokLN5WxmUnszEqkjEWZm1rKlgH0EXXfc1250_sunKkm7ahXdw6BPx1x92NcCCDEZb14ZM2_hcj9jRUpYzA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20105.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItqi36riQL_pV67qIJ8FNpJuKMzHC2YtLqv84xO2D37Jgwx9NAtrWANyQbrKqLvSrLuTEU13m5I3CnP2ry0hQciDEMs_7RH_gW3Lue4GQokLN5WxmUnszEqkjEWZm1rKlgH0EXXfc1250_sunKkm7ahXdw6BPx1x92NcCCDEZb14ZM2_hcj9jRUpYzA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20105.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home for the night</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I woke up with the morning light and slowly got moving. After eating and breaking camp, I returned to the trail about 715AM. I began climbing toward Erebus Mountain. Although not known for its views, I wanted to hike deeper into the forest and visit one last mountain. The terrain rolled before finally making its way along the side of Erebus. Despite the leafless trees, the trail passed through pretty terrain as it worked its way around some boggy areas. Luckily it was still a little early for bugs. In another month, this area looked like it would be prime mosquito habitat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcI4zw6ahOhC1K5c7lY4bWUeDxoe-9mb1vDr5tqWa7Yxof9AkMXjVWCl86EDdyyZUOnpmeP5Zib9d1a48JpiO7WRIkbG4yTM2qKipG7XKOIC2eDjXX_w5phiWqCFbSYEoHGFqdJYqjZUd2Ip5WppOcNe-Y_0yQEZF5WFq-G1aAN2ODTgl6-VEeaNmHQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcI4zw6ahOhC1K5c7lY4bWUeDxoe-9mb1vDr5tqWa7Yxof9AkMXjVWCl86EDdyyZUOnpmeP5Zib9d1a48JpiO7WRIkbG4yTM2qKipG7XKOIC2eDjXX_w5phiWqCFbSYEoHGFqdJYqjZUd2Ip5WppOcNe-Y_0yQEZF5WFq-G1aAN2ODTgl6-VEeaNmHQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20110.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My next destination</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkNjqcooWFmKz2Uv2iM0bzzVuHQ0dZxefvWcx0rMkwNgeovrdN-VnMDDKbj_DVLGrziwSDxRKylMnQbC5fwxIHmVKO6d5QO0uF2LIKNJDNLSLgpOmtgpYDPfwUOGiWGumSwPHV9NLdNbkmxZDDA6WfFBath7BiW3egXLVldP4YReFdgg3R32hJJFM_w/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20113.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkNjqcooWFmKz2Uv2iM0bzzVuHQ0dZxefvWcx0rMkwNgeovrdN-VnMDDKbj_DVLGrziwSDxRKylMnQbC5fwxIHmVKO6d5QO0uF2LIKNJDNLSLgpOmtgpYDPfwUOGiWGumSwPHV9NLdNbkmxZDDA6WfFBath7BiW3egXLVldP4YReFdgg3R32hJJFM_w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20113.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial views in the leafless forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzqDTs75HRtI7hXZfaAs5_bn9O1IngngjNdTArY8kVL4jmkTYU1yleHRTTXJIXet0rHH87ahLke93-RvVEMBJy6aef-DlB-XKqxsAOHlAACdF9EFbmsedXpu5yv-_huvDpTuXId9meNX7I2CEdzmBFBR2w7G9-Bv3UFCEbCVYP2ygYqCiXhWHjBgA1w/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20116.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzqDTs75HRtI7hXZfaAs5_bn9O1IngngjNdTArY8kVL4jmkTYU1yleHRTTXJIXet0rHH87ahLke93-RvVEMBJy6aef-DlB-XKqxsAOHlAACdF9EFbmsedXpu5yv-_huvDpTuXId9meNX7I2CEdzmBFBR2w7G9-Bv3UFCEbCVYP2ygYqCiXhWHjBgA1w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm guessing this area would be thick<br />with mosquitos a month after my hike</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail doesn't pass over the summit of Erebus. A small cairn at the trail's highpoint marked the beginning of a faint herd path that worked its way to the summit. The herd path wasn't very well worn, but occasional flagging marks the way as well. The herd path gains a couple hundred feet through mostly hardwood forest and passes through a cliff band before reaching the 2,527' summit. Even with no leaves, the view was extremely limited. A small cairn marks the actual summit. My diversion to Erebus took about 20 minutes round trip.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhe4PtBgzWE12cl21vw3T354LSc0f7IrYjsoWNtKnet7ETQaWcdbZPErhTjvR6d9TVSG19dT1hPysOXIIv4vpm2J9_yMPqmWXypSVHBOvSCQ8QVWYAI9xZ3qeO2DjWGzvWubdMKYjd3UAUAmX74nRdPf0b_FiumXZuTNY9ojGPoLSs0f7E3rgXFl11Kg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20124.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhe4PtBgzWE12cl21vw3T354LSc0f7IrYjsoWNtKnet7ETQaWcdbZPErhTjvR6d9TVSG19dT1hPysOXIIv4vpm2J9_yMPqmWXypSVHBOvSCQ8QVWYAI9xZ3qeO2DjWGzvWubdMKYjd3UAUAmX74nRdPf0b_FiumXZuTNY9ojGPoLSs0f7E3rgXFl11Kg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20124.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cairn marking herd path to Erebus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xx_10wklSaFL-LXWUYadrhOtwquunsyaFOYg0XSu4iQMcMQArG4v6gr7XTrgRHQUbfqjekASx_pZPC1YsM8D3hmNJ7_9NspEFbTsJzuSjO_Q1CSi0P96H8TWll-b_Qw8DoiIceAb7_5MHiAofDQvQ2bfe1Escb1XkJlgUvIq0TEZdLsdn5xV80hEEQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xx_10wklSaFL-LXWUYadrhOtwquunsyaFOYg0XSu4iQMcMQArG4v6gr7XTrgRHQUbfqjekASx_pZPC1YsM8D3hmNJ7_9NspEFbTsJzuSjO_Q1CSi0P96H8TWll-b_Qw8DoiIceAb7_5MHiAofDQvQ2bfe1Escb1XkJlgUvIq0TEZdLsdn5xV80hEEQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20123.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this sign marks the point you need to hike to on<br />Erebus to qualify for the Lake George 12ster hiking challenge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVhkOfuD6pfLG-4UQU6sCW5IRWEP32GkXTGaMOLEjwPeZINHrN-ygr4Ga2ruYHM4qIBTOFo5O1cYPTmvH_ngVSHKiwLQGtiT_B2VbOGY5J95nAi5EgNvVh5v4JTyT9QB4SgEY8uUfRL96V3OjdtyPBtPVDjNTX2XbZq_3VBOFNov-V5QUK8FWFj1N9g/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20117.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVhkOfuD6pfLG-4UQU6sCW5IRWEP32GkXTGaMOLEjwPeZINHrN-ygr4Ga2ruYHM4qIBTOFo5O1cYPTmvH_ngVSHKiwLQGtiT_B2VbOGY5J95nAi5EgNvVh5v4JTyT9QB4SgEY8uUfRL96V3OjdtyPBtPVDjNTX2XbZq_3VBOFNov-V5QUK8FWFj1N9g/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20117.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough section enroute to Erebus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7yDRUe7KtPdasulZR4ZwbDvqjtZxOZ0YxjM-jT3tQqD-XRoHgzbrQn21z3tSsBoyvgLwWzDdS5rSuyaL45BwaeZsIsILT3AKlnwxmUDoeT6SBFD6LC07RztwRb5w822cEAT6BfmPAZmdjEb24AJ4rzx9gALBCj4MgJS2ogncI7IzcPrgdu0zp-Mmdg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20119.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7yDRUe7KtPdasulZR4ZwbDvqjtZxOZ0YxjM-jT3tQqD-XRoHgzbrQn21z3tSsBoyvgLwWzDdS5rSuyaL45BwaeZsIsILT3AKlnwxmUDoeT6SBFD6LC07RztwRb5w822cEAT6BfmPAZmdjEb24AJ4rzx9gALBCj4MgJS2ogncI7IzcPrgdu0zp-Mmdg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20119.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The herd path wasn't always visible</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rJyGsaQ47wbtSwxC63soyC2pLoW9GG5TLO4mr4TL4JmizZtxh14dOUJ67Pzv2KOlvBMUZsa7Fen746ffVM-VJIgeGBRI9i4fgyI6IGLTUA6TqMlMGwk45nONG7JloTS4r91hDkB108J4WFjCYZz45fH4qqllCc4O9jH2mH6-lLKzV6cd_kauVoJUpg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rJyGsaQ47wbtSwxC63soyC2pLoW9GG5TLO4mr4TL4JmizZtxh14dOUJ67Pzv2KOlvBMUZsa7Fen746ffVM-VJIgeGBRI9i4fgyI6IGLTUA6TqMlMGwk45nONG7JloTS4r91hDkB108J4WFjCYZz45fH4qqllCc4O9jH2mH6-lLKzV6cd_kauVoJUpg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20120.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A faint tread on the herd path</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLte3Okd9zt93AavipfNYp4hQyppy9cmywC7CDifCXWRfWYS5rmEHMRGxDbOdswIr-vTmDLU7JO0xYEKs61q5-2zwNdTP8gB66f8I4y-emy7AJmAWdFe4LlasUH4GwOqVBDUnbHqZoA5K35OmGg0o_s2mC8vAuLD0nCDZZvCvCpc-ivXPZjvyqlQz-Rg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLte3Okd9zt93AavipfNYp4hQyppy9cmywC7CDifCXWRfWYS5rmEHMRGxDbOdswIr-vTmDLU7JO0xYEKs61q5-2zwNdTP8gB66f8I4y-emy7AJmAWdFe4LlasUH4GwOqVBDUnbHqZoA5K35OmGg0o_s2mC8vAuLD0nCDZZvCvCpc-ivXPZjvyqlQz-Rg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20118.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The summit cairn, the canteen was already there<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohVWOci979uLJX7D7f9a0hiiMdPsO8ognNrBLOtu1C0PpIEp00DQPhDnFbJGT_qDdcD750BlYfTxhANwNAYyZbCMv2Yb98d0KUToa-OzcsOYxFxhN6b4cg-IiYlmBowSW9TfXkrFRZ6q8-dobZN7Q-etCYyNOvIKIKUy0J-RNJXfT6TNzlSkuFEDeJg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20121.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohVWOci979uLJX7D7f9a0hiiMdPsO8ognNrBLOtu1C0PpIEp00DQPhDnFbJGT_qDdcD750BlYfTxhANwNAYyZbCMv2Yb98d0KUToa-OzcsOYxFxhN6b4cg-IiYlmBowSW9TfXkrFRZ6q8-dobZN7Q-etCYyNOvIKIKUy0J-RNJXfT6TNzlSkuFEDeJg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20121.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red eft</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back on the actual trail, I had a few peeks through the forest of Lake George and Black Mountain as I descended toward Fishbrook Pond. Fishbrook Pond is the largest of the backcountry ponds on my route and probably the most scenic. Trails go all around the pond but I stuck to the northern end. The trail often travels a few feet from the shore. Erebus Mountain rises above the pond, providing a nice backdrop. A couple of lean-tos sit along the lake and would make for a pleasant spot to spend a night. I also saw a bald eagle flying around the area as well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMiv4ustL5J8MpSuoPtZTV_DGN9BdqTDNIGS3yhO7QXdLpsQPv4WvuTZ-d_DirdPxtCKJL2ZD2fhR6OlZTvAC3eEEqTTSJ21eTd6b2D6Ghn_uw52oUjO60Ui7foM-qlLCsQGhYcpH7YC9TK99WI-IF8gRNajH2e2-Yhr7OSoce_IEZ12AtW57WREpSg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMiv4ustL5J8MpSuoPtZTV_DGN9BdqTDNIGS3yhO7QXdLpsQPv4WvuTZ-d_DirdPxtCKJL2ZD2fhR6OlZTvAC3eEEqTTSJ21eTd6b2D6Ghn_uw52oUjO60Ui7foM-qlLCsQGhYcpH7YC9TK99WI-IF8gRNajH2e2-Yhr7OSoce_IEZ12AtW57WREpSg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20125.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain visible through the trees</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfHGaDLcwl6jY3Ca4ufWn62ex_xHwjrrdZk0PpdWynfQ-XJuUklxFcdh0WIOOupEPdSZjsMP5txOSgouBS4xMP-GLQI4bFaF3fALJy_Bb5sDyd8WCNBqYoYvfh6PXyP8V0eo7DmogRBLsorM_7pi6SVLEiZVIzSA79AFoPay3Z6uIaNjAkNMX42GdCg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20127.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfHGaDLcwl6jY3Ca4ufWn62ex_xHwjrrdZk0PpdWynfQ-XJuUklxFcdh0WIOOupEPdSZjsMP5txOSgouBS4xMP-GLQI4bFaF3fALJy_Bb5sDyd8WCNBqYoYvfh6PXyP8V0eo7DmogRBLsorM_7pi6SVLEiZVIzSA79AFoPay3Z6uIaNjAkNMX42GdCg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20127.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swampy trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z1Gat-nW4YXcZ4TFH8XMMFFKYx4TXxqDJx4Q6eXyJ1Yft6d9pHFN0tP9MBuCmOmmXMYkQ6mB2FFvF_-RGtzsIfMW3UhqvWWG0HQzLeAaZHuix-J0_lLQ86Ffqr9vjTShO4ae4Xv7SeucPkVkLFC-2ggNaeNJtG0lMIby5oGR0OxRG5tCrKAKi0J9Lw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20128.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z1Gat-nW4YXcZ4TFH8XMMFFKYx4TXxqDJx4Q6eXyJ1Yft6d9pHFN0tP9MBuCmOmmXMYkQ6mB2FFvF_-RGtzsIfMW3UhqvWWG0HQzLeAaZHuix-J0_lLQ86Ffqr9vjTShO4ae4Xv7SeucPkVkLFC-2ggNaeNJtG0lMIby5oGR0OxRG5tCrKAKi0J9Lw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20128.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing a boggy section</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_L_Qa6JKrqfiQatNddnG4cyyx1V5tncyIhryHUk4FUMvW-Db6ovhDnKMO7Uuaz0PxUR2NDHKtZhbuUF_Gs4Nyw_uVUqNZr3h-3AMswiU3Zw0Fk1LKZttDTgkvQtQibJyV58J0uilGFgb2LYkXjRDyruwSZBdQak5C5tqtAtNLVpg_WtiixrEs3kU6A/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20129.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_L_Qa6JKrqfiQatNddnG4cyyx1V5tncyIhryHUk4FUMvW-Db6ovhDnKMO7Uuaz0PxUR2NDHKtZhbuUF_Gs4Nyw_uVUqNZr3h-3AMswiU3Zw0Fk1LKZttDTgkvQtQibJyV58J0uilGFgb2LYkXjRDyruwSZBdQak5C5tqtAtNLVpg_WtiixrEs3kU6A/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20129.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First glimpse of Fishbrook Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2SnwnXKy30ZsxOXKtkmDvoXh0I5-2j9nAtigAfcycOUctZkbNNldWXV8-oA42wfpzVVNP3EbeN4Xn0UlbpC7G1p32ljISDuKB9-0MHlZVERkNSiz1W1jR1oZHuK4UN54-7MvREkoGLGbTl0bv6MPftnn-8FSr1PsM8wx3S71Nb2a_yqwP0wW6QuFtw/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20153.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2SnwnXKy30ZsxOXKtkmDvoXh0I5-2j9nAtigAfcycOUctZkbNNldWXV8-oA42wfpzVVNP3EbeN4Xn0UlbpC7G1p32ljISDuKB9-0MHlZVERkNSiz1W1jR1oZHuK4UN54-7MvREkoGLGbTl0bv6MPftnn-8FSr1PsM8wx3S71Nb2a_yqwP0wW6QuFtw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20153.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOI77qLqvLSaG1saXrdjVDsMzxqiMre1sfDuWIX7UoeIiyeP5KljefwiXzE6y-F-AaEOMq6Ee_PILsTbinNr6Ty8OjsIBz-nE44uQkPnMAjKo5BoHRLxL5KMaJOK-cNjG43u85j1Gx1RQjgSx-_AmnkQUJ-vQExoIY64Oym-C5BrC84WWkjNznQM2jA/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20154.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOI77qLqvLSaG1saXrdjVDsMzxqiMre1sfDuWIX7UoeIiyeP5KljefwiXzE6y-F-AaEOMq6Ee_PILsTbinNr6Ty8OjsIBz-nE44uQkPnMAjKo5BoHRLxL5KMaJOK-cNjG43u85j1Gx1RQjgSx-_AmnkQUJ-vQExoIY64Oym-C5BrC84WWkjNznQM2jA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20154.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erebus rising above the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxAxAgXMguRSpjnIy-rHaq-ilpsMvTj2fc8a1CHvUnt-DqKaIPX5_f8jNkMstDe8rhHdSrUQeNMmbkRnzFzWLKsv9aqwEwLovwrK90FO8wPq4cdPKLfPDPHJX95A8DFoCIzSgUatLRjtlk3fBJGrl45WT9Ms2jT7w27DjZuIfOrgivBuzXQY2wZzGdw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20133.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxAxAgXMguRSpjnIy-rHaq-ilpsMvTj2fc8a1CHvUnt-DqKaIPX5_f8jNkMstDe8rhHdSrUQeNMmbkRnzFzWLKsv9aqwEwLovwrK90FO8wPq4cdPKLfPDPHJX95A8DFoCIzSgUatLRjtlk3fBJGrl45WT9Ms2jT7w27DjZuIfOrgivBuzXQY2wZzGdw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the lean-tos along Fishbrook Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifARoQC0zuaC2c6ycglQXPhVVRQt5GSGpXs3jeCgMErTX9EHtHXK-S7AptdKwNgbQ4pTnCiP01z2wPcT0ZQqU0w4TuSLnzoqoJXCBT2Ghsjf4cNIjBJkXr6VRvB5ARhZq_TtRtSZE-bWm8xKbYYw_CrPhrRqR0ArvqqP0AgHzCOD1chdQueyAR9fx2kg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20134.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifARoQC0zuaC2c6ycglQXPhVVRQt5GSGpXs3jeCgMErTX9EHtHXK-S7AptdKwNgbQ4pTnCiP01z2wPcT0ZQqU0w4TuSLnzoqoJXCBT2Ghsjf4cNIjBJkXr6VRvB5ARhZq_TtRtSZE-bWm8xKbYYw_CrPhrRqR0ArvqqP0AgHzCOD1chdQueyAR9fx2kg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20134.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the lean-to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8vMYODkkM2CMaaEvqIQ6ykuRhitL5oJvpMYKX764ltwuvmdJEP8uIzd1z8PxRLimsvnZtphgS069MHRKd9pLF4Zf9XGdH1WC4yPAnESXJQm3n3oblDlwiZ_k3wGBV6RR1EAbpg_jLwpC8ECD-0YsPJjwHtfQE-1FRPrynCn9zpLufJo8NQRYNq9RAg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8vMYODkkM2CMaaEvqIQ6ykuRhitL5oJvpMYKX764ltwuvmdJEP8uIzd1z8PxRLimsvnZtphgS069MHRKd9pLF4Zf9XGdH1WC4yPAnESXJQm3n3oblDlwiZ_k3wGBV6RR1EAbpg_jLwpC8ECD-0YsPJjwHtfQE-1FRPrynCn9zpLufJo8NQRYNq9RAg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20135.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last look at the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><p>From Fishbrook Pond, the trail passes a web of trails. A snowmobile trail veers off the hiking trail. A separate marked, but unsigned trail, heads to Greenland Pond. Following the DEC markers to the left will keep you traveling north toward Millman Pond.</p><div style="text-align: left;">I continued north. I reached Millman Pond after a mile or so. Millman also offers a lean-to. A boardwalk allows you to travel out onto Millman Pond, but it was partially submerged at places. The trail travels along its shore before following its pretty outlet stream. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM20X9M_hhhl0JaPhnNGFD1HMhCmCS70mwU59DVqmKTrTg3t3XR9Z89lcDlLNz3LS-KxBl7NBhqRZ19bxMe32KKZZELXKxEL3T5OOv-mq7Xw9CQ-7CiYAH1rTuHhp7thoM50FpCoquB5HWSXKc0-go9lIM9RNgM6S3y6p9umMtEL_6U7u8A8mhebjWQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20137.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM20X9M_hhhl0JaPhnNGFD1HMhCmCS70mwU59DVqmKTrTg3t3XR9Z89lcDlLNz3LS-KxBl7NBhqRZ19bxMe32KKZZELXKxEL3T5OOv-mq7Xw9CQ-7CiYAH1rTuHhp7thoM50FpCoquB5HWSXKc0-go9lIM9RNgM6S3y6p9umMtEL_6U7u8A8mhebjWQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20137.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail following Millman Pond's shore</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9NApiKZvEHRyk34hY8Llke1HrTW0BG7-veWiMgbkCw5lIyW_yM2oIAMK73TcYT-60kO7SAxzAMd2yinHMUfR3f1HIrgBxucrUFlGQ4JlZk9WeQfZA75bQcrxTiGd_A2_fns7RigjgcYyh9eskntjjJ8txzr-Igch2VootZ5XmXRDNvkGwEeNXDkgrA/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20141.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9NApiKZvEHRyk34hY8Llke1HrTW0BG7-veWiMgbkCw5lIyW_yM2oIAMK73TcYT-60kO7SAxzAMd2yinHMUfR3f1HIrgBxucrUFlGQ4JlZk9WeQfZA75bQcrxTiGd_A2_fns7RigjgcYyh9eskntjjJ8txzr-Igch2VootZ5XmXRDNvkGwEeNXDkgrA/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boardwalk to Millman Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zm6sFOwolfyvsetyWUpx4jy5fqPmLzRvCY7krk6i1lr6RAyKdhEts7Ui04BGlofiZ_0MPFMR8Gn1vEc55swCDym-SnFiwCrrlzeG7x2DRjNk6wCSiV3h6wZqPri3jIDpJQckAUnzYb60khgLNjehzYLI271dIyJIGhOdpkjZ22xA_GGfWLfYMjZu8Q/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20142.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zm6sFOwolfyvsetyWUpx4jy5fqPmLzRvCY7krk6i1lr6RAyKdhEts7Ui04BGlofiZ_0MPFMR8Gn1vEc55swCDym-SnFiwCrrlzeG7x2DRjNk6wCSiV3h6wZqPri3jIDpJQckAUnzYb60khgLNjehzYLI271dIyJIGhOdpkjZ22xA_GGfWLfYMjZu8Q/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20142.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Millman Pond's outlet</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My next destination was Lapland Pond. The trail doesn't travel as close to Lapland as the other ponds in this stretch. It could be seen through the trees, but only with obstructed views. At a small stream crossing, I saw a faint path that led toward to the pond. The path ended at an official campsite that sat right on the shore of the pond. This would be a nice spot to camp. As I hiked away from the pond, I passed a junction that lead to a lean-to by the pond. It's also possible to visit the Black Mountain Ponds at a signed junction in this stretch.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPBRbBx1h02mxnuLw4gOpg3j7M-d8Anp-6j5Z_0omMYLvpkVW_wXILBTBXy7ZANggl-c0JTjjzgVoNL9k8zYhIvPOtGZu1JO6dDaRunMN0RZM-NN8l9bk6Rm6F2TsD9QSSkGaHIMptsotB3J5wsMAywEEaxkowpznOFpX-dbzGumr4QdjiQvs_x9LZQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20143.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPBRbBx1h02mxnuLw4gOpg3j7M-d8Anp-6j5Z_0omMYLvpkVW_wXILBTBXy7ZANggl-c0JTjjzgVoNL9k8zYhIvPOtGZu1JO6dDaRunMN0RZM-NN8l9bk6Rm6F2TsD9QSSkGaHIMptsotB3J5wsMAywEEaxkowpznOFpX-dbzGumr4QdjiQvs_x9LZQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20143.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty cascade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O50L2IF9QXnpcW7vceZmqOhCGMPHBT_Zdl0FzmUjW1PasTBPsBa-dmQdBGVor-35tqD0AHzpJeX0WzenfTQSHtKfLtVVkuGw8BVjYhIvKxSLVDuSglmhqV5XyWKNzrwyrFtKJhaQA-DAD9ObKDjV_87bd46iiuc-MAv0nXAdH6NDhzaLMrOOK6RcFg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O50L2IF9QXnpcW7vceZmqOhCGMPHBT_Zdl0FzmUjW1PasTBPsBa-dmQdBGVor-35tqD0AHzpJeX0WzenfTQSHtKfLtVVkuGw8BVjYhIvKxSLVDuSglmhqV5XyWKNzrwyrFtKJhaQA-DAD9ObKDjV_87bd46iiuc-MAv0nXAdH6NDhzaLMrOOK6RcFg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20144.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick forest ahead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeDlwJfE-xQCRqq-AI6PCTKw37LriV3o1r-BhbJwSViiZO9gZAYbGC9OtOV7AogN3Me8AZ9QPjour41o5CxQ0cVhtQHsGIFt0bOq0OL6EY3ESHjKu8fUq_wvSnKOcE6rVBySl5Qpn3HJPiZ_DLv2pCvaOH6zJCK8FsNIjE5rLeI0vavnOCvkJ86I__Q/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeDlwJfE-xQCRqq-AI6PCTKw37LriV3o1r-BhbJwSViiZO9gZAYbGC9OtOV7AogN3Me8AZ9QPjour41o5CxQ0cVhtQHsGIFt0bOq0OL6EY3ESHjKu8fUq_wvSnKOcE6rVBySl5Qpn3HJPiZ_DLv2pCvaOH6zJCK8FsNIjE5rLeI0vavnOCvkJ86I__Q/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20145.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lapland Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6llXWO8tFDVVPjs3thnJKxohTlttM6_U_665GVLabv3YK9YEeXg_DdMp978uDC90e8fnVHpmnmkgFFbTCkfTXvtJ7Bz6V84klU5IlaNwrNPLOiCZdTogghkft2fniw-rHbZ4A4Esq2IqlJWnfrN3gZUdE94tkz3ftF1P3OzpEx_zLZNZngiayaVcjg/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20146.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6llXWO8tFDVVPjs3thnJKxohTlttM6_U_665GVLabv3YK9YEeXg_DdMp978uDC90e8fnVHpmnmkgFFbTCkfTXvtJ7Bz6V84klU5IlaNwrNPLOiCZdTogghkft2fniw-rHbZ4A4Esq2IqlJWnfrN3gZUdE94tkz3ftF1P3OzpEx_zLZNZngiayaVcjg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20146.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo is from the tentsite right along the pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From Lapland Pond, I needed to travel about two more miles to my starting trailhead over easy terrain. I passed one last pond, an unnamed beaver pond with a nice view of Black Mountain. About a mile from Lapland Pond, I rejoined the trail that heads to Black Mountain. On a clear, comfortable morning, I passed a few groups headed toward Black. The last mile went by quickly. I reached the trailhead about 1015AM. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OdFidAaw5e4qHoPZLBZ2L7QoJJWoqTSkPDto35CDCPvFziJH1bLJSPzB9hL8HbNcWW1K8MUPIN1YRNmIJWWN64AxJftZWxOexxvxfD4Ef5nHWzWMtl9SxomFX_b-xWuRgmT8Y0p707xB128uVs9ZkVXsV-eD-0P5AVKvQ1jrNxi9zsZuZkUhuyvT7Q/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20147.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OdFidAaw5e4qHoPZLBZ2L7QoJJWoqTSkPDto35CDCPvFziJH1bLJSPzB9hL8HbNcWW1K8MUPIN1YRNmIJWWN64AxJftZWxOexxvxfD4Ef5nHWzWMtl9SxomFX_b-xWuRgmT8Y0p707xB128uVs9ZkVXsV-eD-0P5AVKvQ1jrNxi9zsZuZkUhuyvT7Q/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20147.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruising through the forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeY8rsw4yxOhTZXBJHFb85OMx-lA0Bz2E_SCCUUGiCsb1GA2LMZ5OgrskCD4TRyQmcY9yhiUGqpZH3sFgrZKzDSQIQDalKpWkPKy4q1pvRmMdlWHEX2YJt8KU5LUyWTNvpqshgaokReknxmVTWfTRpx4PDD2yZRYeIXD65pgNdgPFyDGLp8WwJl4azw/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20148.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeY8rsw4yxOhTZXBJHFb85OMx-lA0Bz2E_SCCUUGiCsb1GA2LMZ5OgrskCD4TRyQmcY9yhiUGqpZH3sFgrZKzDSQIQDalKpWkPKy4q1pvRmMdlWHEX2YJt8KU5LUyWTNvpqshgaokReknxmVTWfTRpx4PDD2yZRYeIXD65pgNdgPFyDGLp8WwJl4azw/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20148.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small beaver pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIJU0qstpjdBYOr08YCg5RAl2Y3JbLA71qT4xN-4jibNQGeLA3AJbPFcgga8qaI0iWyI7Rq1lZGlZB7PcyAonBuKHBJ-I-WqkME5Z3aEjeTGjlb_q08upw3plvB76aCbkuSItecTDVkyt6jq-fp2DHviLzKHVTnSIavQ5RpRq7tc5XoAIEwmXBrWU2A/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20149.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIJU0qstpjdBYOr08YCg5RAl2Y3JbLA71qT4xN-4jibNQGeLA3AJbPFcgga8qaI0iWyI7Rq1lZGlZB7PcyAonBuKHBJ-I-WqkME5Z3aEjeTGjlb_q08upw3plvB76aCbkuSItecTDVkyt6jq-fp2DHviLzKHVTnSIavQ5RpRq7tc5XoAIEwmXBrWU2A/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20149.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back into the open coniferous forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUEzLZCJPsa_EEVHFzjwzVluCPkTXENXo0kVG_BNVBN_muzGWNmJYCfI-yIjwei-dwTDS0rsTXsbLrwIahQjpDpPNMykasLNfofflloDDPYMiZkTJr_fS6cOiUwoDodPp_hvbJxX9P4D3bpnJzG00qRPIc2D_O6GWWwgzPtEQv5Qtq15bnZFlTegquQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20150.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUEzLZCJPsa_EEVHFzjwzVluCPkTXENXo0kVG_BNVBN_muzGWNmJYCfI-yIjwei-dwTDS0rsTXsbLrwIahQjpDpPNMykasLNfofflloDDPYMiZkTJr_fS6cOiUwoDodPp_hvbJxX9P4D3bpnJzG00qRPIc2D_O6GWWwgzPtEQv5Qtq15bnZFlTegquQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20150.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over beaver pond outlet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbCE9lakdsY7lf-aVeOhJn1Bzp2jjveWmtMCnzlNoBwNqPYksPmx6u64l14x02u5dYg0jdx_Vn54o-tZozc9T4OiZLRNPlZ-ba0z3J_7IpEXxmqWxD3D7JB_KdRlhDagwcXU9bKdHxk9_fnoc_uNxaSxb6KjjkbLIjJyx1Q-4JOGsp_sOzYxDMOlUvQ/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20151.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbCE9lakdsY7lf-aVeOhJn1Bzp2jjveWmtMCnzlNoBwNqPYksPmx6u64l14x02u5dYg0jdx_Vn54o-tZozc9T4OiZLRNPlZ-ba0z3J_7IpEXxmqWxD3D7JB_KdRlhDagwcXU9bKdHxk9_fnoc_uNxaSxb6KjjkbLIjJyx1Q-4JOGsp_sOzYxDMOlUvQ/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20151.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Mountain reflecting in a beaver pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs_TsRtlyQMlT7H5JUi1g9SV8-G5C_8BzyvM0NFtBfXfuxbbtG70vg7vDFTbmH0z2rj5gQLWAWufIfBFQqwXShrDYqYu1YhLDhKQcSQ25tAwy0PDn474wWFgChtEr5NC1v17VqrDqdB0JoYUVolnZkKZvp5qdMnh-lWrtFZc6zvcFfL-Dn44Gbx6j8w/s2592/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs_TsRtlyQMlT7H5JUi1g9SV8-G5C_8BzyvM0NFtBfXfuxbbtG70vg7vDFTbmH0z2rj5gQLWAWufIfBFQqwXShrDYqYu1YhLDhKQcSQ25tAwy0PDn474wWFgChtEr5NC1v17VqrDqdB0JoYUVolnZkKZvp5qdMnh-lWrtFZc6zvcFfL-Dn44Gbx6j8w/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20152.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last 1.2 miles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>My route, including side trips, totaled about 32.5 miles. Despite the modest elevations ranging between 300' and 2,600', my route managed to gain more than 7,800' of elevation. While there was a moderate amount of elevation gain, the trails were never too steep for very long compared to other parts of Adirondacks. A couple miles of this loop involved travel on dirt roads to add the side trip to Buck Mountain. Eliminating Buck Mountain would get rid of majority of the dirt roads.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, I enjoyed this trip. Even though the mountains aren't anywhere near the highest in the Adirondacks, there was no shortage of views and nice scenery. I enjoyed my time hiking along Lake George. Even though Shelving Rock Falls outshined the other small cascades on the route, I found the tumbling mountain streams to be quite pretty. The smaller backcountry ponds on the latter part of my hike provided a nice wilderness feel. My timing worked out as far as avoiding bugs. I only had black flies bother me at one spot. Hiking before the summer tourist season and avoiding the weekend allowed me to have the forest almost to myself. I didn't see anyone for the first 12 miles. Even then the few people I saw were mostly near the higher mountains. I hope to travel back to the Lake George area to hike the Tongue Range in the future.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktGnBos9R4Kl3uKOAOdKqmn_R4juWPYzBiOFQW24f70Y63a1enGy2JvkMnG6VjfYHVFk7KUiWDLxxcQmDgvnqEgSpatxhAv5--Xm5f_Hy42SzYnZJAza36r1A5NWSPRrxrMID1w82YXhWaqUgq1LNkzKm3GE5hgdnTfXVsTaR7l-vDHsCkfP_5gJBjw/s750/B77F15CF-D41A-4359-9329-64EEBEF04A92.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktGnBos9R4Kl3uKOAOdKqmn_R4juWPYzBiOFQW24f70Y63a1enGy2JvkMnG6VjfYHVFk7KUiWDLxxcQmDgvnqEgSpatxhAv5--Xm5f_Hy42SzYnZJAza36r1A5NWSPRrxrMID1w82YXhWaqUgq1LNkzKm3GE5hgdnTfXVsTaR7l-vDHsCkfP_5gJBjw/w460-h355/B77F15CF-D41A-4359-9329-64EEBEF04A92.jpeg" width="460" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My route highlighted in yellow<br />Click <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/maplgwfeast.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DEC Map</span></a> for more detail<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbs5CjJedNayoVSdIHo3NBiKzar3Ci7GLmJiDdubCD9ST4aBEgaIWZ02lib0C2KgveMwW4VGo9YDRI4xRLkFC6FdG-qSL3ZRAvCDYe1fPGoIEXBLGbQW5Cbls_C-q6wq-r3uAWL1yzxlxHLYwL2awzCrI97SUef-a1Kg3_TmOVu32sWnKjoR58U4x_gg/s4032/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20159.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbs5CjJedNayoVSdIHo3NBiKzar3Ci7GLmJiDdubCD9ST4aBEgaIWZ02lib0C2KgveMwW4VGo9YDRI4xRLkFC6FdG-qSL3ZRAvCDYe1fPGoIEXBLGbQW5Cbls_C-q6wq-r3uAWL1yzxlxHLYwL2awzCrI97SUef-a1Kg3_TmOVu32sWnKjoR58U4x_gg/w400-h300/Lake%20George%20BP%205.5-5.6.22%20159.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Sleeping Beauty</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tomcats-Outdoor-Adventures-1708122116123572" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-49137620353742552752022-03-11T15:56:00.000-08:002022-03-11T15:56:07.245-08:00Cross Country Skiing in the St. Regis Canoe Area<div style="text-align: left;">This winter brought an unusual season for cross country skiing in the Adirondacks. Consistently cold temperatures didn't really arrive until the beginning of January. In fact is was the coldest month ever of my three years in the Adirondacks or eight years in Maine. Twenty nights dropped below zero, with at least a handful colder than -20F. We didn't have a good snow pack for skiing though, even with frigid temperatures. February saw snowier conditions. However, rain and warm ups between snowfalls left the skiing conditions less than desirable much of the month. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I managed to ski a handful of days this winter. I always like to explore new areas. This year I explored the St. Regis Canoe Area for the first time by ski. St. Regis Canoe Area sits near the tiny settlement of Lake Clear, roughly 10 miles east of Saranac Lake or 15 miles northeast of Tupper Lake. Despite its name, the St. Regis Canoe Area provides recreational opportunities for more than just canoes. More than 50 lakes and ponds lie within the 18,400-acre area as well as 26 miles of trails. Some of the trails are specifically marked as ski trails. With some of the coldest winters in the eastern US, the bodies of water usually freeze solid in the heart of winter, opening up more skiable terrain. The state manages the area similar to a Wilderness Area with no motorized use within its boundaries. Although the summer brings plenty of canoes and kayaks, the winter sees far fewer people in the backcountry here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I skied the St. Regis Canoe Area twice this season. The main cross country skiing thoroughfare is the Fish Pond Truck Trail (trucks no longer use this trail and nature has mostly reclaimed it). This former logging road provides nearly five miles of skiing from the to Canoe Area boundary to the interior of the Canoe Area at Fish Pond. From the Fish Pond Truck Trail, numerous other trails can be accessed, as well as frozen ponds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Skiing to Fish Pond and back seems to be a fairly popular destination in the area allowing for a roughly 10-mile roundtrip. I skied this route my first time skiing the Canoe Area in late January. After looking at my map, I realized the possibility of more interesting excursions and loops by traveling on the other trails and ponds in the area. After a month of temperature swings and less than desirable conditions, I returned to the St. Regis Canoe Area when the snow improved. I planned on skiing a loop incorporating the Fish Pond Truck Trail with some of the ponds in the area as well as side trails and canoe portage trails. This post covers that loop, but I will include some photos from the first trip in January since I traveled on the Fish Pond Truck Trail on both visits.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxiRiSmP4lC2ZD5CNqCGqnMeQ5wPRvRet-RA4fNV9_L528BuMRL6ZRApeicdbC64XZDIVlWze9qyRjKwNJBWFOxZAenFHDDrRWzV5MbEPs6Rgde1hO99oH1G2AXadCNHhRyyy97gON0rB5j9yLJIW7YFCp9bVr5HKi_HkbClm6z2tuU69M9QRM_iNgfA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxiRiSmP4lC2ZD5CNqCGqnMeQ5wPRvRet-RA4fNV9_L528BuMRL6ZRApeicdbC64XZDIVlWze9qyRjKwNJBWFOxZAenFHDDrRWzV5MbEPs6Rgde1hO99oH1G2AXadCNHhRyyy97gON0rB5j9yLJIW7YFCp9bVr5HKi_HkbClm6z2tuU69M9QRM_iNgfA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign at the start of the Fish Pond Truck Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After nearly 20 inches of snow over the previous week, I returned to the St. Regis Canoe Area on Friday March 4th. The conditions of the lakes for skiing looked promising after a week of continuous subfreezing temperatures. In fact I was a little surprised to wake up to a not-so-motivating -17F. Fortunately, the temperature climbed quickly reaching a balmy +8F by the time I started skiing at 10AM with some sunshine helping take the cool sting out of the air. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSRuiOJqFhFkid0p45UppCe7A7r5K0HrvpcvycAPLQ_LirfaoEYBZJLH2LcFzGkaqvLWBxR64QJbVmdYpoLRrI8XpdhfIf6cHNRb56GsHdsUs2gAxFr7l3mlIj16XqL_qDvfjj3mbilFoCzjtkFw4FIkQHHSgZoIbgyHdZDZsnzJnVAjH676BXWedTjg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSRuiOJqFhFkid0p45UppCe7A7r5K0HrvpcvycAPLQ_LirfaoEYBZJLH2LcFzGkaqvLWBxR64QJbVmdYpoLRrI8XpdhfIf6cHNRb56GsHdsUs2gAxFr7l3mlIj16XqL_qDvfjj3mbilFoCzjtkFw4FIkQHHSgZoIbgyHdZDZsnzJnVAjH676BXWedTjg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canoe Area Boundary marker</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The best place to access the area in winter is on a tiny side road near Lake Clear called Station Road. The dead end road stays plowed with parking at the end of it. This parking sits next to a main snowmobile corridor. The skiing begins along the snowmobile trail (be aware of snowmobile traffic as they travel quite fast). Skiing to the left from the parking area, you reach the first marked ski trail that circles Little Green Pond with access to Bone Pond and Little Lake Clear as well as campsites in summer. This is where my trip ended and I'll come back to that later. Passing the Little Green Pond ski trail, I continued another 2/3 of a mile and reached the turn onto the Fish Pond Truck Trail. This also marks the Canoe Area boundary.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNQnAHJtHgta5DbJc6_lGibK1rHMlxyOP1uJMBhRLt4QarU68GDptTSARLkTZw541Q1GcV98K8o9e4uq9KGkoMlepBkDRjomprbTn6lu_szrcieM7wVcoiBuoDaje8E472pe_0wAzblSJdNydTXKVwz8yvjWXDp7FGshJpp0rTPSsKZBlWEH3B_4XC6Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNQnAHJtHgta5DbJc6_lGibK1rHMlxyOP1uJMBhRLt4QarU68GDptTSARLkTZw541Q1GcV98K8o9e4uq9KGkoMlepBkDRjomprbTn6lu_szrcieM7wVcoiBuoDaje8E472pe_0wAzblSJdNydTXKVwz8yvjWXDp7FGshJpp0rTPSsKZBlWEH3B_4XC6Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the snowmobile trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Fish Pond Truck Trail sees a fair amount of traffic. After fresh snow fell nearly every day the past week, only one or two new ski tracks were visible. Not all the junctions are marked well. About a 1/4 mile along the Fish Pond Truck Trail I passed a junction on the right with ski markers. This is the end of the trail around Little Green Pond that I will get back to eventually. About a 1/2 mile later I reached another trail marked for skiing but no destination signs. This trail leads to a canoe carry (the Adirondack word for a portage trail) between St. Regis Pond and Little Lake Clear. I headed down this trail. Although an old trench was faintly visible, there were no fresh ski tracks on this trail and I wouldn't see any for several miles. I skied down this trail roughly a mile until it reached the boggy southeast corner of St. Regis Pond.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuhOW5WCHoOzkfukrMDIW6v611DLZv2YgoIqBRmL8js9NS3yex81jCeKTj021MAchqi61hMHwCMHz1Z-B8VhETYrkkZAIHmzeUvPl2hM4vplbVwwL9xyn_nwrgZhSs-SHv3-usYK-gjtBBaaZiKMW9tjNmKBjHlaP5vkFrrQ4Vs3I-6N4ZlN_MBEq06w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuhOW5WCHoOzkfukrMDIW6v611DLZv2YgoIqBRmL8js9NS3yex81jCeKTj021MAchqi61hMHwCMHz1Z-B8VhETYrkkZAIHmzeUvPl2hM4vplbVwwL9xyn_nwrgZhSs-SHv3-usYK-gjtBBaaZiKMW9tjNmKBjHlaP5vkFrrQ4Vs3I-6N4ZlN_MBEq06w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the ski trail to St. Regis Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMrpGnvrn6KswifYNtJHe1aecp3dGknfi9_gj7XaI9kZqZfeKLffcUFf-XpXPeF2Vnrb_o8Or1VMo7s_oHyG3ZNUTOYFi-KOicDGwD6W1vGfDUhAAo6iVfwpqDKsRFOjtTi5zqyspyWio2V-CK4zGI5Zre3nZTruPLO6ffDTyEXljOiR32MMIPoDKG0Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMrpGnvrn6KswifYNtJHe1aecp3dGknfi9_gj7XaI9kZqZfeKLffcUFf-XpXPeF2Vnrb_o8Or1VMo7s_oHyG3ZNUTOYFi-KOicDGwD6W1vGfDUhAAo6iVfwpqDKsRFOjtTi5zqyspyWio2V-CK4zGI5Zre3nZTruPLO6ffDTyEXljOiR32MMIPoDKG0Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ski Trail marker</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz3z8PV9Vssjl_yYbvwfMEpUjyvkt0pMTCW1VLBi-LpXMKfz9QAiKr2xdtbtYk8DFNpbZ1_260IphJm99w9fcoKB17c9rLbOUzjWIFa33PmlZFWQ9zSqDptHALes6CZL5wGVGsQCm1EawtdSJuU4slMB51fXfFx_qpiY1N_3c1Utv_GeyaygdaZxTJfw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz3z8PV9Vssjl_yYbvwfMEpUjyvkt0pMTCW1VLBi-LpXMKfz9QAiKr2xdtbtYk8DFNpbZ1_260IphJm99w9fcoKB17c9rLbOUzjWIFa33PmlZFWQ9zSqDptHALes6CZL5wGVGsQCm1EawtdSJuU4slMB51fXfFx_qpiY1N_3c1Utv_GeyaygdaZxTJfw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Clear Pond can also be skied </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsB8s5CH3-ohrtBKSboXL8TOpCRMiGYI3CVYs25wsdKSIVhbAuEbisPDh8hQjJFgQ0JP0RPgSwOqThe0rGVoE559YCf8gXFOBv_UKwHPvwQa2e7sMzFH3qH9pGvshgu45t58oO5Vfz4o-SS4gkefUevJX7SmkbhDDt3oLklhsvR4T_eCy3A5mu81x0Og=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsB8s5CH3-ohrtBKSboXL8TOpCRMiGYI3CVYs25wsdKSIVhbAuEbisPDh8hQjJFgQ0JP0RPgSwOqThe0rGVoE559YCf8gXFOBv_UKwHPvwQa2e7sMzFH3qH9pGvshgu45t58oO5Vfz4o-SS4gkefUevJX7SmkbhDDt3oLklhsvR4T_eCy3A5mu81x0Og=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following the carry trail to St. Regis Pond on untracked snow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With snow cover, it isn't obvious that you reached water, so a map is helpful for navigation at this point. Once I reached the pond, I had no tracks to follow for the next several miles, so a map was absolutely necessary to find the portage trails between the various ponds. I followed the bog until I reached the more open, main body of St. Regis Pond. With recent cold temperatures, the snow on the pond provided a solid ski surface with no slush, as anticipated.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmiLvxiGw5o9X7Uk_hY4fnzlY29bbX64E-zst6nEQipih4aVxfnFAKgQysrVwNIsDufMmlgPAN_6yCNsDIBTN-Hi6OK6raW6S9blSZJSYmWEfLQUnWQICgQVIgDz5Za4KJzGC4nAbyHJ85gx28GfVWG1R9Ps-jPuZpu5HRhYLLUMtviyu1nrEvHokTIQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmiLvxiGw5o9X7Uk_hY4fnzlY29bbX64E-zst6nEQipih4aVxfnFAKgQysrVwNIsDufMmlgPAN_6yCNsDIBTN-Hi6OK6raW6S9blSZJSYmWEfLQUnWQICgQVIgDz5Za4KJzGC4nAbyHJ85gx28GfVWG1R9Ps-jPuZpu5HRhYLLUMtviyu1nrEvHokTIQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading onto St. Regis Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At nearly 400 acres, St. Regis Pond was the largest body of water on my route. Even with rock solid ice, I wanted to limit my time skiing on a frozen body of water, so I skied the most direct route across the pond. Out of the protection of the forest, the wind on St. Regis pond put a chill in the air. Blowing snow pelted me at times on the open pond. St. Regis Pond offers the best scenery of the surrounding area on my route with St. Regis Mountain dominating the view.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih4s4hRzbQwRSOld2Bf2CfMhJMsvUjr_iAZw2fGrtYmr6-XmURMkHvc_rY1bG_-8ve_AI6V3xibkY9Jk3J1Nc_QjpKT23GdwKU4xKZy7cmdEJqEqh2-3UogBnrsU8mzuGwO3Z1reQ4-h7hAuA2Sdu_JkogTir34woMz7N1X904u6LQ_MNF3_fjQUyOew=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih4s4hRzbQwRSOld2Bf2CfMhJMsvUjr_iAZw2fGrtYmr6-XmURMkHvc_rY1bG_-8ve_AI6V3xibkY9Jk3J1Nc_QjpKT23GdwKU4xKZy7cmdEJqEqh2-3UogBnrsU8mzuGwO3Z1reQ4-h7hAuA2Sdu_JkogTir34woMz7N1X904u6LQ_MNF3_fjQUyOew=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Regis Mountain's high point is the peak on the right</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I broke the traverse across St. Regis Pond into two segments. I skied the first 3/4 of a mile to a prominent point. A lean to on the point provided a nice spot to get out of the wind for a moment and hydrate. I also took a look at my map so I knew roughly where the canoe carry trail led to the next pond. The last 1/3 of a mile wasn't quite as windy as the first segment. I found the carry trail to Ochre Pond without much difficulty.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiemz9jFt9yXpEtbh6dmLwm1o44OW1vcSJNS4tcKxafEBcf2Nla7u3KmhuNlToinAzxeoyjBpUa2GAqvL4Q-yL0w0oeZfICqsJVEnvs2YLTuAtuBgWHAvnZhM5jNq6rqYRfM0r1-_kJ4qvVKFtTEueeCwsaGwxR8T6DlKLjR9m6aNJDc5CMYPi88Aocvg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiemz9jFt9yXpEtbh6dmLwm1o44OW1vcSJNS4tcKxafEBcf2Nla7u3KmhuNlToinAzxeoyjBpUa2GAqvL4Q-yL0w0oeZfICqsJVEnvs2YLTuAtuBgWHAvnZhM5jNq6rqYRfM0r1-_kJ4qvVKFtTEueeCwsaGwxR8T6DlKLjR9m6aNJDc5CMYPi88Aocvg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lean to sits on the point of land on the left, with<br />St. Regis Mtn.in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuQ7WSXY6ANooKZXRuZVvFNFNABa3B45Uv-BV74Znmd7s3g7FRhd4nJDUHUvqubyBw-invPPBlqgeDVsUxAotBFhoFdCiEz09GqZjTPC2Hkfga3P7PCQkyivXryryfe10M4I0JHVIqwyJbFon2cZpRWqAYFFR2BgZOmvfySgiyB5XdxEi-ZsFE5op14w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuQ7WSXY6ANooKZXRuZVvFNFNABa3B45Uv-BV74Znmd7s3g7FRhd4nJDUHUvqubyBw-invPPBlqgeDVsUxAotBFhoFdCiEz09GqZjTPC2Hkfga3P7PCQkyivXryryfe10M4I0JHVIqwyJbFon2cZpRWqAYFFR2BgZOmvfySgiyB5XdxEi-ZsFE5op14w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back on my track across St. Regis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFDKS8ziM_C2J3p5-NbE2rfmfr6qE77lwcDd6HCbVFB8tsPkp1uKqsji9ZJPEC2VbFJ0hEPqdz-3SRRsfJnadvDf_9XjdJy3lKoW0R54T6OlGEZjGtKIpQDjO949j9Zff7sr_E2JsxxcuNqXK8Fwxra6YhdlpjPS6xhdkx5AjJEGH-JqVE0MFKSsrtVQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFDKS8ziM_C2J3p5-NbE2rfmfr6qE77lwcDd6HCbVFB8tsPkp1uKqsji9ZJPEC2VbFJ0hEPqdz-3SRRsfJnadvDf_9XjdJy3lKoW0R54T6OlGEZjGtKIpQDjO949j9Zff7sr_E2JsxxcuNqXK8Fwxra6YhdlpjPS6xhdkx5AjJEGH-JqVE0MFKSsrtVQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lean to along St. Regis Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1BA9i21DEDtweSRV8rPTaqPpbNIDQk4Uu5PBoP_r3raPVdcI09gPNYUUTTNiDhXuMwCjHompFxINHFyf9XnzCCdu0neUpSyfaiOpjZSN5p-ChrBw-GFPbO8mMippCETL56HeZCjT1qRE-P5yGbBjhv4zMD2daiyrjQHOJLkOD1KrcMiF3DpKFmRwwdA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1BA9i21DEDtweSRV8rPTaqPpbNIDQk4Uu5PBoP_r3raPVdcI09gPNYUUTTNiDhXuMwCjHompFxINHFyf9XnzCCdu0neUpSyfaiOpjZSN5p-ChrBw-GFPbO8mMippCETL56HeZCjT1qRE-P5yGbBjhv4zMD2daiyrjQHOJLkOD1KrcMiF3DpKFmRwwdA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back on the length of St. Regis Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The skiing between St. Regis and Ochre Ponds was fairly straightforward. The snow on the carry trail looked to be untouched all winter long. The carry trail runs maybe a 1/2 mile between the two ponds. Despite the untracked snow, the path is fairly obvious at most times. I only saw one or two markers on the trail, so if you aren't comfortable navigating in remote areas, you may want stick to the marked and tracked ski trails. By now, the morning sun gave way to clouds and light snow.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsfXJHSoYdb3vmYyUadXC5foEq-N0kepfOk4kjZdK50o6nGi9ENA720VYHSL8MGTRcE4WjoR-uXpiXadUgOj8XgfrEARx_MC-L_-keCoW102_GzsIoVdAcEKNa05OfsSSgboRNpHkHDaicNesc9Y3Jw6Rk2f4Pvn6kVJwXSEynjx8-5YZRk9Ce3JFC5Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsfXJHSoYdb3vmYyUadXC5foEq-N0kepfOk4kjZdK50o6nGi9ENA720VYHSL8MGTRcE4WjoR-uXpiXadUgOj8XgfrEARx_MC-L_-keCoW102_GzsIoVdAcEKNa05OfsSSgboRNpHkHDaicNesc9Y3Jw6Rk2f4Pvn6kVJwXSEynjx8-5YZRk9Ce3JFC5Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the carry trail to Ochre</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW7qbp09SOCP8tmS4AUtLumNek4I0ozTOVqSV8AJpNEgivR8WsxSIsOfOxieLNy-PppFMfQZLzEBuq6SwRZo1tqO258s8hw3RWKwHH3JKOeIiIJnvKMtpyVK7gbHI-4fggK-vtrERmMGzQsMAFjqGsL6oTLQTgXgAA1OVvkN4mKPzbhvSaBjUhjRyFXg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW7qbp09SOCP8tmS4AUtLumNek4I0ozTOVqSV8AJpNEgivR8WsxSIsOfOxieLNy-PppFMfQZLzEBuq6SwRZo1tqO258s8hw3RWKwHH3JKOeIiIJnvKMtpyVK7gbHI-4fggK-vtrERmMGzQsMAFjqGsL6oTLQTgXgAA1OVvkN4mKPzbhvSaBjUhjRyFXg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although not marked, the route is fairly obvious</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIllRbEDd4vXmXRZgQCHinRAyshGjVRlv4CqmPfJTIhmOo-YFUR2w1mFH6WZMlhu8BWJsENJsKjsrkd7QX4CbPPyyUW5LQ40Fd5S6R_u1X2P-fnqVKIWvKxxmIiuxWFNLtI_S2RkHxU50yHMbamHsUQ5jbUYBUpP3S1GBe5MyVhHVnANdzsEdaZszdrA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIllRbEDd4vXmXRZgQCHinRAyshGjVRlv4CqmPfJTIhmOo-YFUR2w1mFH6WZMlhu8BWJsENJsKjsrkd7QX4CbPPyyUW5LQ40Fd5S6R_u1X2P-fnqVKIWvKxxmIiuxWFNLtI_S2RkHxU50yHMbamHsUQ5jbUYBUpP3S1GBe5MyVhHVnANdzsEdaZszdrA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back on my tracks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcsi5QJ2x0yUJLbCQZO5eoOcy0av2MYzejdEd9LGzFUJXGxf_okLxvftIc6hZU_Y2Ba5Cp-7C0m5dQSZ2i34NuYEOuVi3TLK2rjyfehHe4cq8IyWbt6Soikxms9uZys1We7LmpAslg9xonUNVoYPxUQihmWF3G6kzUQ_ZecCodhfZMzilmpwUgK5LIeA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcsi5QJ2x0yUJLbCQZO5eoOcy0av2MYzejdEd9LGzFUJXGxf_okLxvftIc6hZU_Y2Ba5Cp-7C0m5dQSZ2i34NuYEOuVi3TLK2rjyfehHe4cq8IyWbt6Soikxms9uZys1We7LmpAslg9xonUNVoYPxUQihmWF3G6kzUQ_ZecCodhfZMzilmpwUgK5LIeA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A section where the trail becomes a little less obvious</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This canoe carry trail brought me to Ochre Pond. The traverse across Ochre runs only about a 1/4 mile. A pretty steady wind blew across the pond, but I was able to cross quickly and head back into the protected forest. The sign marking the next carry trail on the west end of Ochre Pond has seen better days and was a little more difficult to spot at a distance. Combing the shore, I was able to find it soon enough on the narrow pond.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW9yrPIaNfI9dF7mxRD9ZkXO_8aSqC9Q_sxQ0vB6apyeJtmvlrl_DMLU5_Uc_WggAuvRX3iaz3UtCdtm40GIQ1IYlJD8mLr2sqqbSeeqKxqvm57Mpa0J_uFhDXJBKqHL4NJwXbWqSYFCMwzYMB1MZ3J9A8spZiq_TFGsa3Nedkw2gopIX_ZVp4MvD9wg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW9yrPIaNfI9dF7mxRD9ZkXO_8aSqC9Q_sxQ0vB6apyeJtmvlrl_DMLU5_Uc_WggAuvRX3iaz3UtCdtm40GIQ1IYlJD8mLr2sqqbSeeqKxqvm57Mpa0J_uFhDXJBKqHL4NJwXbWqSYFCMwzYMB1MZ3J9A8spZiq_TFGsa3Nedkw2gopIX_ZVp4MvD9wg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ochre Pond<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTRbyapK8eB3P_CZa90tCalKyiRSrDrOCElIJCTZQ9uI-7a4_4_YcaPsGXd5jSabeHsDpEhll89RGEbOMqUMWFQ4kmRk11iaPAygULH-tl6PJzUhWXDDYyr8CZjua-sh6CVYA5-mIg9bEParsBsSbQlJ2ZWzOUU3eKUKRjo5EezS7Dpa_hcVAhuqdXng=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTRbyapK8eB3P_CZa90tCalKyiRSrDrOCElIJCTZQ9uI-7a4_4_YcaPsGXd5jSabeHsDpEhll89RGEbOMqUMWFQ4kmRk11iaPAygULH-tl6PJzUhWXDDYyr8CZjua-sh6CVYA5-mIg9bEParsBsSbQlJ2ZWzOUU3eKUKRjo5EezS7Dpa_hcVAhuqdXng=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sign marking the trail wasn't easy to find in the snow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My next segment on the carry trail between Ochre and Mud Ponds was the most challenging leg of the trip. This trail travels over a mile on rougher terrain. A series of eskers traverse the area. The carry trail climbs up and over these eskers, at times fairly steeply. Like the trail between Ochre and St. Regis, this trail was completely untracked. At times following the trail took some careful analysis to stay on track. Very few markers are found on this trail. Because of the eskers, the terrain gets a little tricky with steeper pitches and narrow trails with a couple of overgrown sections. The snow was quite deep in places. Because of its location and untracked nature, you get a real sense of remoteness along this section.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJE2JLkI5e9uUliFHEeiwpRBKQL9y4KM0CmMwF6rqGark7hUq1Mt5bQHKHDrACjzaMXFcWHqECicCRasvMtLQ241H5Vv_-2nOHLToBR60AoC7aHSA8ZA6zxBe2XjvZmjA6ypLfV0ZWSBxDT_NdfileDaXFeSDx3ToibAAw5tuOA9Ks2-8ERouPsjN7yg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJE2JLkI5e9uUliFHEeiwpRBKQL9y4KM0CmMwF6rqGark7hUq1Mt5bQHKHDrACjzaMXFcWHqECicCRasvMtLQ241H5Vv_-2nOHLToBR60AoC7aHSA8ZA6zxBe2XjvZmjA6ypLfV0ZWSBxDT_NdfileDaXFeSDx3ToibAAw5tuOA9Ks2-8ERouPsjN7yg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing along an esker</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvqP7WVofe2PKEN-oRFh9aImGmNBYjLht_KdRyqGKkW6pSUyPi8ZRwwPWaIG86vMfTWDhU1xRu48uwistZmMHW4dGGcj5undN3hDHVcww5CfoqZz5e5rZA43S89DlGyzo9cGpiCeqBy4xFLEW1WiduNsZByzXfPygHM0t5eFucfB_-BFvM09NI9REieA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvqP7WVofe2PKEN-oRFh9aImGmNBYjLht_KdRyqGKkW6pSUyPi8ZRwwPWaIG86vMfTWDhU1xRu48uwistZmMHW4dGGcj5undN3hDHVcww5CfoqZz5e5rZA43S89DlGyzo9cGpiCeqBy4xFLEW1WiduNsZByzXfPygHM0t5eFucfB_-BFvM09NI9REieA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overgrown section of trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixPAxDdMQ4Kcl6Bn50N9-4iqHErz5E0haajuKBDwWinE-aPedihea-xQletWE1J9N7cQ9pBEkYWAqpBcvIBYRzkWxbBT4myYFLTtfwwTCbfv3ZHjnTVNmRy0F6xQPB3NgXxGjq3NmcVZgTl0mPkDOatdnwfgXpEJ4zrwc8UEz8UHcmdFaZV1yxXEYltQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixPAxDdMQ4Kcl6Bn50N9-4iqHErz5E0haajuKBDwWinE-aPedihea-xQletWE1J9N7cQ9pBEkYWAqpBcvIBYRzkWxbBT4myYFLTtfwwTCbfv3ZHjnTVNmRy0F6xQPB3NgXxGjq3NmcVZgTl0mPkDOatdnwfgXpEJ4zrwc8UEz8UHcmdFaZV1yxXEYltQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairly typical stretch along the Ochre to Mud carry trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZGix4hKRnYy4XSjGZEbPI7IYaUmr5ijt9-zV2kVnbDgj_GFfLwmVZb30WGxsRVZzSRlJvugdXgF2tMzmm37vaEgmYFVHCAQxM4q2w6bPfEKDwHJDLSAsiOOhFThZBHPpJe2OsNoMyXNLNY0dd2bZbEUT-8ss6OVspSlPc934PM2OjLJ17n5nTJ2KTDg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZGix4hKRnYy4XSjGZEbPI7IYaUmr5ijt9-zV2kVnbDgj_GFfLwmVZb30WGxsRVZzSRlJvugdXgF2tMzmm37vaEgmYFVHCAQxM4q2w6bPfEKDwHJDLSAsiOOhFThZBHPpJe2OsNoMyXNLNY0dd2bZbEUT-8ss6OVspSlPc934PM2OjLJ17n5nTJ2KTDg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mild section of the Ochre to Mud carry trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Eventually the trail descends fairly steeply off a final esker as it reaches a junction. At this point, you have the choice to ski across one more pond, or head directly to Fish Pond. I decided to ski across Mud Pond. Mud was the smallest pond on the route so far. Although difficult to tell under deep snow, it looked like would have been more shallow and boggy than the others that I traversed. One last short carry trail brought be to Fish Pond.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0-p5sysLEqzURtMG63_MKFOnnEOlFKLWBy5IWTohNfTGHw0dj9gEL4ly4xBKHZ6w3-X9YhX-pA-BXdL0v8J0CeEBjALEhxVtbrq81rGQjF-5Lfok8EC53lYdCmQNacrQRUCwkKRgLhaiWsTmukGZ09d9FJQHK_y6rkh8ewg9twy9d8AbWlT7RUtUqnA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0-p5sysLEqzURtMG63_MKFOnnEOlFKLWBy5IWTohNfTGHw0dj9gEL4ly4xBKHZ6w3-X9YhX-pA-BXdL0v8J0CeEBjALEhxVtbrq81rGQjF-5Lfok8EC53lYdCmQNacrQRUCwkKRgLhaiWsTmukGZ09d9FJQHK_y6rkh8ewg9twy9d8AbWlT7RUtUqnA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction to Mud Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY1fWzuYWoa92aNBNlQHU0KQWJTXzGo78Ae0TtMvVZxO6UFmxvPELLtvTTxxxIv5ukwPwMQsst4cym-B-rpdwIWBpePNKgvqacoB9KkQbdrjhiQIOBYw7GfXmmdGlFeQvPO9KT9p3cfYE2qlqCx64aYIwVOtY8SlSHts-gbhrKAtw-Ox394YduwX1bmA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY1fWzuYWoa92aNBNlQHU0KQWJTXzGo78Ae0TtMvVZxO6UFmxvPELLtvTTxxxIv5ukwPwMQsst4cym-B-rpdwIWBpePNKgvqacoB9KkQbdrjhiQIOBYw7GfXmmdGlFeQvPO9KT9p3cfYE2qlqCx64aYIwVOtY8SlSHts-gbhrKAtw-Ox394YduwX1bmA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mud Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhPjjuWPAV7xwAeDwQthKgcVqNVQxV8a66G26jZ-EsC9C4rKn6wuMP1xVA9KYZSPitM_ns-lod3cnbNk1oT1zjkiSqez6IvigJUW7zI5eSDPBFF5mXoIzmIGGnhV97gE_ZR2mZV_mZNGcCeesvMJFAqiUlm6fFykwloamtbDPsvISI_vudNTWjjN8ByA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhPjjuWPAV7xwAeDwQthKgcVqNVQxV8a66G26jZ-EsC9C4rKn6wuMP1xVA9KYZSPitM_ns-lod3cnbNk1oT1zjkiSqez6IvigJUW7zI5eSDPBFF5mXoIzmIGGnhV97gE_ZR2mZV_mZNGcCeesvMJFAqiUlm6fFykwloamtbDPsvISI_vudNTWjjN8ByA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final carry trail to Fish Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fish Pond covers more than 100 acres and is a decent size pond. I skied roughly 1/4 mile over the pond to reach the Fish Pond Truck Trail at the southeast corner of the pond. If skiing this loop in reverse, the canoe carry trails toward Mud Pond and Ochre Pond didn't have any signs. With snow, these trails are very difficult to find if you don't know where to look.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP3gdscjU3GVOjRpQBKxxtyWXgevT0sNEbKQYJ8rypnJQK8Ek-eDJ34XenjVqMv5H0Rh4wInlQ_jtaEGcz7Z4kijkCI3ub27t3sX5_yRyz2am0Ko1K96BtNR31a6IsBYJ8VhLoTXjuB9EdOKWmz0fL0TVrnG8H_T3FvPWPhElPiZEntmMqq_xjbAcqxQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP3gdscjU3GVOjRpQBKxxtyWXgevT0sNEbKQYJ8rypnJQK8Ek-eDJ34XenjVqMv5H0Rh4wInlQ_jtaEGcz7Z4kijkCI3ub27t3sX5_yRyz2am0Ko1K96BtNR31a6IsBYJ8VhLoTXjuB9EdOKWmz0fL0TVrnG8H_T3FvPWPhElPiZEntmMqq_xjbAcqxQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjN2QpYTA_NQBD5Ls2-9S7-yOyWxMBMck0WyvZTpFHKtuty1k9hA1mGdDGjnp_qMVqIOPTYDggxh_p9GAiW-b5Xa_cj3B-iyShtZL-rP2Sd753camxAUPIjrxEdJpmsQRkd8CJMFGE4ByyhI2YQp1HI7dvsurSvq2TDTLFOTw7K3ZN3e7JES0_6-RzGKQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjN2QpYTA_NQBD5Ls2-9S7-yOyWxMBMck0WyvZTpFHKtuty1k9hA1mGdDGjnp_qMVqIOPTYDggxh_p9GAiW-b5Xa_cj3B-iyShtZL-rP2Sd753camxAUPIjrxEdJpmsQRkd8CJMFGE4ByyhI2YQp1HI7dvsurSvq2TDTLFOTw7K3ZN3e7JES0_6-RzGKQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hills around Fish Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRhIH1PTfbFK0skZHCNlCVohYibwr5SqV4so7yyM8T_vO3md37xOReeq3u4a_Oo3gDBVi3UI8GQHP16LEEnEuwuzBiXU_0qyfSTdMnOsMm6T8kjpXPcwzFOkv4Ui0shqDeWN5H1K_UhaZtMATfoNUDJz3TnETxjzvK73x7iAzALPZRb44eDSvnaTRPSg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRhIH1PTfbFK0skZHCNlCVohYibwr5SqV4so7yyM8T_vO3md37xOReeq3u4a_Oo3gDBVi3UI8GQHP16LEEnEuwuzBiXU_0qyfSTdMnOsMm6T8kjpXPcwzFOkv4Ui0shqDeWN5H1K_UhaZtMATfoNUDJz3TnETxjzvK73x7iAzALPZRb44eDSvnaTRPSg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obscured visibility on Fish Pond as snow falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlPVh0vNOjDUFWfGkA7UVYJYS5jsnXwu_chrfr2PtvF5DSfSxT6ze2Lyb01xfufqhkgp02eDjQx7lExUd-rx674dI7WUYXibHIPvZ4pdm5k27OJ5I3ugDuAL5ZXbnqnXSc3-vynzkLvlCV9uF9MXnClqRTdgM4AioPxkWtuyCcTVVr9Ao3RNTNFGZZTQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlPVh0vNOjDUFWfGkA7UVYJYS5jsnXwu_chrfr2PtvF5DSfSxT6ze2Lyb01xfufqhkgp02eDjQx7lExUd-rx674dI7WUYXibHIPvZ4pdm5k27OJ5I3ugDuAL5ZXbnqnXSc3-vynzkLvlCV9uF9MXnClqRTdgM4AioPxkWtuyCcTVVr9Ao3RNTNFGZZTQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at my tracks on Fish Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now that the harder skiing was behind me, I took a break to eat and drink before closing out the last five miles of my route. Although there wasn't a fresh track on the Fish Pond Truck Trail, it sees a decent amount of traffic and was fairly packed under the fresh few inches of snow. It's also wider than most standard trails making it a good choice for even most beginner skiers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOMieB6gGoqZWBAN-IJway9HbEHoTS02CBR_IIEszaRvtTEiCrxB4SI38tePGGZlrFXYStthIpNuqSo6L070lm0cDtGBHXPWQy73rIFF_ov8JPpFjk4ShKv3TGxry6KJDo5kxYCzuZyX-5tA_0hCEHxp5B_iyzDWbiZU_tQ4_VwjHJCDX6-4KgBn_iiw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOMieB6gGoqZWBAN-IJway9HbEHoTS02CBR_IIEszaRvtTEiCrxB4SI38tePGGZlrFXYStthIpNuqSo6L070lm0cDtGBHXPWQy73rIFF_ov8JPpFjk4ShKv3TGxry6KJDo5kxYCzuZyX-5tA_0hCEHxp5B_iyzDWbiZU_tQ4_VwjHJCDX6-4KgBn_iiw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transitioning from conifers to hardwoods</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib1VU-tnqg9sVwt6vEaoSdO0M9hhGMFPSJtVx0h49KLSZ8c4JyyRe82sGxpiUx4y1gqHiSEmoL2lDByNqJFGa9Pgl1pZ8NRebC98VrNwX4hjPsEL7p3gBw5_PJXrlbsb5qrgawLgRvKK8F6i6ZXIxcOEPTFeNz7blslicRKZ9UNNTMhtmc14NxX7hPNQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib1VU-tnqg9sVwt6vEaoSdO0M9hhGMFPSJtVx0h49KLSZ8c4JyyRe82sGxpiUx4y1gqHiSEmoL2lDByNqJFGa9Pgl1pZ8NRebC98VrNwX4hjPsEL7p3gBw5_PJXrlbsb5qrgawLgRvKK8F6i6ZXIxcOEPTFeNz7blslicRKZ9UNNTMhtmc14NxX7hPNQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentle terrain on the Truck Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Generally the Truck Trail travels gentle, rolling terrain with no major elevation changes. There is one modest hill in the middle section of the Truck Trail that could be a little tricky in icy conditions. The hill features about 200 vertical feet of elevation gain before dropping back down. In good snow, it can be climbed with minimal herring bone climbing and descended without much danger. Both times I skied it, I had prime conditions. On harder snow, it may pose a little more challenge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl3ArzCzm8HYMwxVJimBXChGAToVO9zNY9lRTF7HvSwtJGV066BjptAYqgJmCdDhczjED7Ydk1QSrfzmw3k_fqOR5zDcvow9UdYaoTEAHji2ilgOW_hmVn71hXihoLAaSbRPMQj34QMn3R2k82w0HqUXamf3nZQRTr2r2rr0hyVVKVW8g614M5MoBHEw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl3ArzCzm8HYMwxVJimBXChGAToVO9zNY9lRTF7HvSwtJGV066BjptAYqgJmCdDhczjED7Ydk1QSrfzmw3k_fqOR5zDcvow9UdYaoTEAHji2ilgOW_hmVn71hXihoLAaSbRPMQj34QMn3R2k82w0HqUXamf3nZQRTr2r2rr0hyVVKVW8g614M5MoBHEw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icy cliff near the height of land</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Skiing from Fish Pond, you pass a few junctions. The first obvious trail leads down a marked trail to Ochre Pond. Another trail leads to the western side of St. Regis Pond. About four miles from Fish Pond, I passed the start of my loop at the ski trail that leads to the southeast corner of St. Regis Pond. Finally I reached the ski trail that travels around Little Green Pond that I mentioned at the beginning of the post. The skiing on the Truck Trail went by quickly on the packed surface compared to the untracked ponds and carry trails.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSt4woEwrIQwJxRwEzWV6oN4DqIVPSfignqo27c3_qRIZsx2Ukh8QBVcnD50oJtdsrwnj0i4Pmq6AgX8d-YGRJMezjfLpprZf11q-ruP85__vFphLrV1eKeOPqKAc3PoU6cNtCCRvcQntcvnXHjjmfzi7kNNyBPT9juW4MeBoshxNdEwkwkGuMfL28Hw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSt4woEwrIQwJxRwEzWV6oN4DqIVPSfignqo27c3_qRIZsx2Ukh8QBVcnD50oJtdsrwnj0i4Pmq6AgX8d-YGRJMezjfLpprZf11q-ruP85__vFphLrV1eKeOPqKAc3PoU6cNtCCRvcQntcvnXHjjmfzi7kNNyBPT9juW4MeBoshxNdEwkwkGuMfL28Hw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing through conifers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis89RokHJ45RUHNWRUOmzTQBNMPiuSM1arZHluZ0TXH9n-dI9mI2Br6MH3PJgc32C_Q9GBFPtKdjygffRoODJz0zzD_jfSCFfUcGmsgIMJ0cHzeG39UDhgDb5Aj0V12G5-5lbVWnlKN0p-f21wXUDP8Ur4QENEpKdT9naGbMxzklvlLMQc9FQU71DKbg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis89RokHJ45RUHNWRUOmzTQBNMPiuSM1arZHluZ0TXH9n-dI9mI2Br6MH3PJgc32C_Q9GBFPtKdjygffRoODJz0zzD_jfSCFfUcGmsgIMJ0cHzeG39UDhgDb5Aj0V12G5-5lbVWnlKN0p-f21wXUDP8Ur4QENEpKdT9naGbMxzklvlLMQc9FQU71DKbg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice forest on the Fish Pond Truck Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To add a little variety from the Truck Trail, I headed down the ski trail around Little Green Pond. The trail begins on a narrower path that's easy to follow with ski trail markers. A short detour leads to tiny Bone Pond. The trail turns into the wider Bone Pond Truck Trail before reaching the campsites on Little Green Pond. The marked ski trail eventually passes a clearing of Little Green Pond and finally Little Lake Clear before ending back at the snowmobile trail a few hundred yards from the parking lot, about 1.3 miles from the Fish Pond Truck Trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCVwflHFTwQYE1twgZ0RuhI2jVx4Heh4hFDAkPzVPbVAlqPhWk1iEnHXjYVhZY71qEmShia9swK_Bo6NG8YpB7T5zXL907r0gzgfY8t7QzdpsrHO_-qfbKCim5I4TbUB7wKZK6yCsoPGlWqnpfUhH05ZISB1h1SZ8DDCbtZU1yiSq8wXL8rHH0U5LKsQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCVwflHFTwQYE1twgZ0RuhI2jVx4Heh4hFDAkPzVPbVAlqPhWk1iEnHXjYVhZY71qEmShia9swK_Bo6NG8YpB7T5zXL907r0gzgfY8t7QzdpsrHO_-qfbKCim5I4TbUB7wKZK6yCsoPGlWqnpfUhH05ZISB1h1SZ8DDCbtZU1yiSq8wXL8rHH0U5LKsQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narrow start to the Green Pond loop</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlSGBFcF8PLP1fzEwkwHeoaETGpj1sN8ET8lbzZFB7ljY2aaZ3IzN_4fXTDRaHjFjIpwMq1uLzFsaIj2tzMtpPeMvIgBb2WbnsiguDJKWC0EVnTpLHIST4omKpd5c9g0kRX1wQI5gW8vUQ8equPTz0eFugpXAXAJSlGWbK1EmF-SrU1DW9NC4qUEoEAg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlSGBFcF8PLP1fzEwkwHeoaETGpj1sN8ET8lbzZFB7ljY2aaZ3IzN_4fXTDRaHjFjIpwMq1uLzFsaIj2tzMtpPeMvIgBb2WbnsiguDJKWC0EVnTpLHIST4omKpd5c9g0kRX1wQI5gW8vUQ8equPTz0eFugpXAXAJSlGWbK1EmF-SrU1DW9NC4qUEoEAg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bone Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCf-k1Ev6oM8gxkOKzJGprskGz4u2e0XhmSNyJ6Y_qhK5dgBGT5qcT2gsxSksFOb1GRtWZDdiTGjx-1uZ8iShZeMi5tNw0iD9pnF6YxDV87KD25Auh7VvoIyVr3_vl1xfUXtasrqLGamnMxgQdN1SNJgYLlNLYnCUW8YheQDPmh8ziAN5fh-PzqyQI4A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCf-k1Ev6oM8gxkOKzJGprskGz4u2e0XhmSNyJ6Y_qhK5dgBGT5qcT2gsxSksFOb1GRtWZDdiTGjx-1uZ8iShZeMi5tNw0iD9pnF6YxDV87KD25Auh7VvoIyVr3_vl1xfUXtasrqLGamnMxgQdN1SNJgYLlNLYnCUW8YheQDPmh8ziAN5fh-PzqyQI4A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail around Little Green Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFXpd_4X_-1FmjrGX5BMOYz5hO-i-db0_qLG6rdCZooMtzGfeQzbjpBYd3Y0l0mU20Mv0TLidJUFNtrhZoe52tMR6VnW82ww60a_KeEUrmKQzf4Yqz4kZDB7cDjl1a5-HiWwh0eoxpab3tHgjyAL1aSdYNJOFbEesXtvEBXnqZWNRdLbtdxieki7Im7Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFXpd_4X_-1FmjrGX5BMOYz5hO-i-db0_qLG6rdCZooMtzGfeQzbjpBYd3Y0l0mU20Mv0TLidJUFNtrhZoe52tMR6VnW82ww60a_KeEUrmKQzf4Yqz4kZDB7cDjl1a5-HiWwh0eoxpab3tHgjyAL1aSdYNJOFbEesXtvEBXnqZWNRdLbtdxieki7Im7Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Green Pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't have a specific measurement on the distance of this loop, but going by a rough mapping estimate on CalTopo, I measured this loop out to about 13 miles, but it didn't feel quite this long. With perfect snow conditions, I couldn't have asked for a better day of cross country skiing. Despite the chilly start, it warmed up to the low 20sF. Apart from some wind on the ponds, the forest sheltered me from the wind most of the time. It snowed for about 90 minutes but nothing too serious. Even with sections where I had to break trail for nearly half of the trip, I still managed to ski the route in less than five hours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr0V-ynm56PsNmNMoHbNySC6Vn6xLGbS-E_Lh9FskVRwCS22WEWr8tv24WYJOXR0-zRqRCp_Svp0E-8Z2YhaUj8Mob3u252DJ6JqWVKfYO5RQ9kD03T2aiSWRcsSy5Oh6SIvjaJkm3kADMOnXgdMOOqfqxcpgmcWa5nKnu3zKfgVgxn_8iWzuU-aDDTw=s1334" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr0V-ynm56PsNmNMoHbNySC6Vn6xLGbS-E_Lh9FskVRwCS22WEWr8tv24WYJOXR0-zRqRCp_Svp0E-8Z2YhaUj8Mob3u252DJ6JqWVKfYO5RQ9kD03T2aiSWRcsSy5Oh6SIvjaJkm3kADMOnXgdMOOqfqxcpgmcWa5nKnu3zKfgVgxn_8iWzuU-aDDTw=w548-h360" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red line shows my approximate route</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I passed one skier not to far from Fish Pond and skied a mile or two with another skier for a couple miles near the height of land on the Fish Pond Truck Trail. I saw one other person at a distance near Bone Pond. My previous outing skiing the Fish Pond Truck Trail, I encountered only one other group. I'm sure the area sees more traffic on weekends with good snow, but the area doesn't seem to get too busy or over skied.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you choose to ski the ponds, be sure to check the safety of the ice before committing to a crossing of a body of water. Also be aware that the ponds are prone to wet and slushy conditions after heavy snow or warmer periods that make skiing miserable. If you aren't comfortable with route finding, stick to the marked ski trails or tracked snow. The area is fairly remote and sees little to no traffic off the main trails in the winter.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you ski this area and have a sense of adventure, there are plenty of options to create your own adventure on the various ponds and trails. If you are looking for a less adventurous outing, the trail around Little Green Pond and the Fish Pond Truck Trail both make good skiing options.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Click the links below for additional resources.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/mapstregis.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">St. Regis Canoe Area Map</span></a><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/70572.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">St. Regis Canoe Area Overview</span></a><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.betatrails.org/conditions" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Local Ski Conditions Report</span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tomcats-Outdoor-Adventures-1708122116123572" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more frequently and revisit past adventures.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-26436069193453724712022-01-14T09:00:00.000-08:002022-01-14T09:00:06.282-08:00The MacIntyre Range in Winter<p></p><div style="text-align: left;">The heart of the MacIntyre Range consists of Wright, Algonquin, Boundary, and Iroquois Peaks. These are some of the tallest mountains in the Adirondacks with Algonquin ranking the 2nd highest in the state, Iroquois 8th, Wright 16th, and Boundary is unranked but just a few feet lower than Iroquois. All of these peaks rise above treeline with dramatic views. A couple years passed since I visited these peaks. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate the last time I climbed the MacIntyres (see <a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2019/06/hiking-macintyre-range-and-avalanche.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hiking the MacIntyre Range and Avalanche Pass</span></a>). Clouds covered the alpine areas most of my time I was above treeline, leaving me with limited views on majority of my time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Living pretty close to the High Peaks, I can cherry pick good weather days for the more scenic summits. That was my goal for this hike a couple days before the New Year. I checked several weather outlets and the worst case scenario had a clear day with clouds moving in by 4PM. As is very often the case in the Adirondacks, none of the four forecasts I looked at panned out. A beautiful drive to the trailhead looked promising with most of the mountains clear. The tiniest, thin cloud hovered on Algonquin's summit, but not enough to block it out. As I neared the summits, any hopes of a clear day vanished. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I began hiking from the Adirondack Loj a few minutes before 8AM with fairly bright skies. As I moved along, the clear skies gave way to less bright conditions. At this point, I wasn't too concerned, the clouds seemed pretty high. After a tame snow year, the packed trail made for quick hiking and the first couple miles passed by quickly. Although I like to make a loop of this route with Avalanche Pass, today my plan was to hike over Algonquin to Iroquois and return the same route with the side trip to Wright.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhih8nfoNyYRwBxXi6T6rWom6uSLgAUNL5p3yOBoXwC2uJzhiGZ422fSuyeP6IhUs4B0lugxo9o4sx8hCiSuUJHqnQpw1L_GUaRuKW02zyca9ZlQvucHOGJOW7Brt4pi_ZktX1rwt_uCRVs-_xaWSZU_-kcwUZOReE6w7rOsrcYqsBGGYHJZ518bOKeqQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhih8nfoNyYRwBxXi6T6rWom6uSLgAUNL5p3yOBoXwC2uJzhiGZ422fSuyeP6IhUs4B0lugxo9o4sx8hCiSuUJHqnQpw1L_GUaRuKW02zyca9ZlQvucHOGJOW7Brt4pi_ZktX1rwt_uCRVs-_xaWSZU_-kcwUZOReE6w7rOsrcYqsBGGYHJZ518bOKeqQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentle trail not far from the Loj</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRPVvtjfzje5uETPpwV6PrJE6tl06Plzovq709eiS0UhOeMBbBsX3Ox1YYYbMkzWdGXWdDk3Xsf33pPuJf42no7z3gbG6Znaq3AyQE6y4VuQFNh6EgZ8rQ2l_2G74Subs3uBKelvu9PRpOapRDTjiPgQLG7KZ3KoXjKKRdLmbYMuRwdfqHqsWyKWMd7g=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRPVvtjfzje5uETPpwV6PrJE6tl06Plzovq709eiS0UhOeMBbBsX3Ox1YYYbMkzWdGXWdDk3Xsf33pPuJf42no7z3gbG6Znaq3AyQE6y4VuQFNh6EgZ8rQ2l_2G74Subs3uBKelvu9PRpOapRDTjiPgQLG7KZ3KoXjKKRdLmbYMuRwdfqHqsWyKWMd7g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not enough snow to cover rockier areas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5z6GIfIw4_CMC63F4iHjcnpvml8mRFbxT0UaheaFsZv-6Tz2o9wPssgbuZu-LWHN6Lcp9dbnO-iEJiw6awxcF49d3kbqyULZACMEDJLChtXjiLMOFu129Sjoh6LfOPeeAnckH72YbBaKyr7lPK9llWOZ4qyUcBomYeMlLoyM7O4RKUisbvse2DJaKTg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5z6GIfIw4_CMC63F4iHjcnpvml8mRFbxT0UaheaFsZv-6Tz2o9wPssgbuZu-LWHN6Lcp9dbnO-iEJiw6awxcF49d3kbqyULZACMEDJLChtXjiLMOFu129Sjoh6LfOPeeAnckH72YbBaKyr7lPK9llWOZ4qyUcBomYeMlLoyM7O4RKUisbvse2DJaKTg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A frozen waterfall along the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I gained elevation, icy patches became more frequent and I put microspikes on my shoes. A couple of short stretches were probably icy enough to warrant crampons, but I didn't feel the need to put them on for just a few steps. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sJ_JVHVw2T_8RoBhw6W8b3APaiyGziCfMd_5e6CLSgKIznL99AEYUX2S8u5L148UhipaHH1sutlZhirhGZKHi81kZPCY5SWEBYKaz5zkRoFTFAo9IMe-HnJb2_lAbrGYLFMBvR4den9U5B9EzmNh5M7ZOYaoMHL_g38bMGJ4xZH3mJd5RDphg6Cirg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sJ_JVHVw2T_8RoBhw6W8b3APaiyGziCfMd_5e6CLSgKIznL99AEYUX2S8u5L148UhipaHH1sutlZhirhGZKHi81kZPCY5SWEBYKaz5zkRoFTFAo9IMe-HnJb2_lAbrGYLFMBvR4den9U5B9EzmNh5M7ZOYaoMHL_g38bMGJ4xZH3mJd5RDphg6Cirg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A steep section of icy trail</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wright Peak is encountered first. The summit stands .4 miles off the main trail on a side trail. Since the I passed by Wright and visibility looked good and headed to Algonquin. I have yet to see the view from Algonquin not socked in the clouds and wanted to climb it first in case the clouds moved in. As I neared Algonquin, I could see Wright's summit still open. Unfortunately, the clouds were dropping as I broke out into the alpine zone.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOfZ7ODtT5q8iijsFjk6f_KGazRp_2SGTeijJ0Ibo29gueE6eefFJdF6xIXhir-PWxCk5x5EH_9umChzFn5i_Fht7oKrjpAajaftVoX0jIDIpPie5HusL2-SiofhbDX72mXD7Nnmc7_6A2Z49sDF88iS7gI4yFMzVNluJixZJ2XMzYKYX5ah45QsS_YQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOfZ7ODtT5q8iijsFjk6f_KGazRp_2SGTeijJ0Ibo29gueE6eefFJdF6xIXhir-PWxCk5x5EH_9umChzFn5i_Fht7oKrjpAajaftVoX0jIDIpPie5HusL2-SiofhbDX72mXD7Nnmc7_6A2Z49sDF88iS7gI4yFMzVNluJixZJ2XMzYKYX5ah45QsS_YQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A glimpse of Wright before the clouds settled in </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV5drz7jzKllYuYbpd0EbxXl45Zh0j4Ep4yDsp_LiJkEcWX24DxrslKvYAR8kRcC8KBVN7E76VgibeCiG91njVOQagn3ZMSlEC7EUU9r4jNurwpwqmLANxaQXf-H9XelW1m19e8B4zzxup8Jhdh-ZaaFO8kSAhC6YUWocwim6-446K4RgbxTDwsiUdDw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV5drz7jzKllYuYbpd0EbxXl45Zh0j4Ep4yDsp_LiJkEcWX24DxrslKvYAR8kRcC8KBVN7E76VgibeCiG91njVOQagn3ZMSlEC7EUU9r4jNurwpwqmLANxaQXf-H9XelW1m19e8B4zzxup8Jhdh-ZaaFO8kSAhC6YUWocwim6-446K4RgbxTDwsiUdDw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the alpine zone</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't get too far above treeline when the clouds settled on Algonquin. By the time I traveled the short distance to the summit, it was completely socked in with near zero visibility. Although the temperature wasn't too bad, a fairly stiff wind made it that I didn't want to linger with nothing to see.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6QdllqU-kquRoz9QCMtfeALGUBThvEvwEZy80dDmvBCqgr7UxXeK1XzBuYMZhuvaB_uw6KrW9sqS5csJSRfT_CkmDrFpFQH8lSKKlfZWqgAqMG9wSA0TgFRgWCwregqaFcUJivaj5pcXZCaDVDbdaeNLRj8PB6OtuC2I_lY47q71EQfg2ERXV7xx8TA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6QdllqU-kquRoz9QCMtfeALGUBThvEvwEZy80dDmvBCqgr7UxXeK1XzBuYMZhuvaB_uw6KrW9sqS5csJSRfT_CkmDrFpFQH8lSKKlfZWqgAqMG9wSA0TgFRgWCwregqaFcUJivaj5pcXZCaDVDbdaeNLRj8PB6OtuC2I_lY47q71EQfg2ERXV7xx8TA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now above treeline, and the clouds are taking over</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhH2KTNJw3DGrkgFIRstKN5mCxg8aENF2Q_hk9CRGyDiBghxcn3K92bVF1QpoWu6FOg-X38xqnSVBv3Z_u6pSiwsbaKQc1PpBCJFvu9prQ2lu0kVTvK7bd5CI55NEDatLcTuuvf_bnhFq5a6y6nbuO59yPIVpaem5G4l1bf8c685VMDqD46GBvAgfRopg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhH2KTNJw3DGrkgFIRstKN5mCxg8aENF2Q_hk9CRGyDiBghxcn3K92bVF1QpoWu6FOg-X38xqnSVBv3Z_u6pSiwsbaKQc1PpBCJFvu9prQ2lu0kVTvK7bd5CI55NEDatLcTuuvf_bnhFq5a6y6nbuO59yPIVpaem5G4l1bf8c685VMDqD46GBvAgfRopg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Algonquin's summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDNl0pH7FCg5InNLGy-huBtr06-i3w7nk4U5urqUATaDUg7Ww-AUJTT1ktUIqp4gVsq4ZFT1aqikaKH8a4kc0C6qt948kfUAj9ruC6HjJUgFmTmqk77wt-ldE7Ar48x6tEfQsQYEMWaNqeS_42jhIXdRR21PUwGvp5dw9hfLp-7W9ljxXa5sP175x5iw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDNl0pH7FCg5InNLGy-huBtr06-i3w7nk4U5urqUATaDUg7Ww-AUJTT1ktUIqp4gVsq4ZFT1aqikaKH8a4kc0C6qt948kfUAj9ruC6HjJUgFmTmqk77wt-ldE7Ar48x6tEfQsQYEMWaNqeS_42jhIXdRR21PUwGvp5dw9hfLp-7W9ljxXa5sP175x5iw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough visibility on Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wasn't thrilled about the possibility of an alpine day and no visibility. I decided to make my way toward Iroquois, hoping the clouds would lift as quickly as came. The visibility became so limited that at times, I couldn't see the next cairn. Most of the snow above treeline had blown off and the surface was covered in a thin layer of rime covering the rock. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC3H86X7tjc73ukcPRZ6ahUPpslzC6Sf3NNbrfDiEFUhTJO_ScuuM-uChj_ZPYTsSxYB8FiZjQNhlDJOFEoNUDy96ED-VxicMDjpcL67N0WvXLrC1sdjVQLR4mySY1awj52XusbDJGB4cRcGGgstMfku8dvRyKysrzgmtXk86XfVYgSaP1wwjOAVC6Uw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC3H86X7tjc73ukcPRZ6ahUPpslzC6Sf3NNbrfDiEFUhTJO_ScuuM-uChj_ZPYTsSxYB8FiZjQNhlDJOFEoNUDy96ED-VxicMDjpcL67N0WvXLrC1sdjVQLR4mySY1awj52XusbDJGB4cRcGGgstMfku8dvRyKysrzgmtXk86XfVYgSaP1wwjOAVC6Uw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into the abyss leaving Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I reached the junction toward Boundary and Iroquois. The travel was a little easier on solid snow and the low trees blocked the wind. I quickly hiked over Boundary (really just a bump on the ridge) with continued low visibility. Out of the trees, on Iroquois's open summit, I was back in the wind. Again, I felt no desire to linger as it was obvious I wasn't going to get a view. After about a minute, I made my way back toward Algonquin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgd5bgLwzPoENUegE2RwFomFA_aTWrL-guGSvSTvRPSrUs-IkTXmxEtaOOiJDBBh0NxcxGFm9hAUD2G4uqC9vmgulan6jRpx6UiQEspmeHbJV1nEMEaYG50kJvfnuLlHhfz0mWj4pHfDoILws55wNullt3-BgBB8l6mvRz0Dvmi6HGSJKoyVwFcxcGWiw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgd5bgLwzPoENUegE2RwFomFA_aTWrL-guGSvSTvRPSrUs-IkTXmxEtaOOiJDBBh0NxcxGFm9hAUD2G4uqC9vmgulan6jRpx6UiQEspmeHbJV1nEMEaYG50kJvfnuLlHhfz0mWj4pHfDoILws55wNullt3-BgBB8l6mvRz0Dvmi6HGSJKoyVwFcxcGWiw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in the shelter of the trees in the col between<br />Algonquin and Boundary</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgJNtpg91K_iQs9xPXhEHgig_fsJCpwRcyrPxhdPuCu33zjqk5PB7TOAwdSx_vBKldNk98Pe3jHFJF7dj4Rg2xYSTfPswyxewjXMw2UvcDzxpFGh4tVY9-nH85uNaeNVMoTOM43ceRoawTazF8SidThyzVV95Ms_cCtveQHoEIFJbiSZx0WsUljLKPGw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgJNtpg91K_iQs9xPXhEHgig_fsJCpwRcyrPxhdPuCu33zjqk5PB7TOAwdSx_vBKldNk98Pe3jHFJF7dj4Rg2xYSTfPswyxewjXMw2UvcDzxpFGh4tVY9-nH85uNaeNVMoTOM43ceRoawTazF8SidThyzVV95Ms_cCtveQHoEIFJbiSZx0WsUljLKPGw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical scenery above treeline for the day<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9u3MoCxfGHmnMlKPBcsQjpP1d-XZg8o_l1_53Bnbv_T8kxb1UZ7PT-wJ2jn10bBftkwDmRaWJvViiLazYPjIgfFmwXFPhpsKx4PKnhbYvLiqlfXg6REAjjMSyEMSwABfwqLFBWVW8wKoc/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9u3MoCxfGHmnMlKPBcsQjpP1d-XZg8o_l1_53Bnbv_T8kxb1UZ7PT-wJ2jn10bBftkwDmRaWJvViiLazYPjIgfFmwXFPhpsKx4PKnhbYvLiqlfXg6REAjjMSyEMSwABfwqLFBWVW8wKoc/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cairn on Iroquois with very limited visibility</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>While still in the relative protection of the trees, I grabbed a bite to eat before reclimbing Algonquin. I don't know if it's possible, but I think the visibility was even worse back on Algonquin's summit. I happily descended back in the trees and hoped I would have better luck on Wright Peak.<div><br /></div><div> <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh86wZUWnEqPtqQCwjTMVmNdEywdbydeounSW7puBN5tZN2Sp2T4nOBMQhZ8ATLSJR15KWVFL2cHjMeYIgAL7_0WL7q4GRe3tktZJHzUUvPpd1EvdzwI98PA9R3AaL_IBDd3YiQhX2QDUE1eq3PX_hDnbiBganccu5asGkPTNA39-TSCVNiaa5nQTD45w=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh86wZUWnEqPtqQCwjTMVmNdEywdbydeounSW7puBN5tZN2Sp2T4nOBMQhZ8ATLSJR15KWVFL2cHjMeYIgAL7_0WL7q4GRe3tktZJHzUUvPpd1EvdzwI98PA9R3AaL_IBDd3YiQhX2QDUE1eq3PX_hDnbiBganccu5asGkPTNA39-TSCVNiaa5nQTD45w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back on Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibMTjHJFZFsFhU5EDURtUBCJn9eVDSfGDDdNSF3MY15wKBcUTDH4832tuL585yq8ecFBCBTnhQMMkXM_E__hqjRpQD9iiEKzfq7_kMLgZz7V_Skz2ZbscIPQIqG0EZA9iFztDlayvt3YCOn2L5vp1eJzMfpc55gzdRyb-rfxBsnWmhA9tm57iuGpcdkA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibMTjHJFZFsFhU5EDURtUBCJn9eVDSfGDDdNSF3MY15wKBcUTDH4832tuL585yq8ecFBCBTnhQMMkXM_E__hqjRpQD9iiEKzfq7_kMLgZz7V_Skz2ZbscIPQIqG0EZA9iFztDlayvt3YCOn2L5vp1eJzMfpc55gzdRyb-rfxBsnWmhA9tm57iuGpcdkA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dropping off Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I reached the junction for Wright Peak pretty quickly. The summit stands a short, but steep, .4 miles from the main trail. The beginning of the climb went pretty smoothly. The crux of the climb comes at a small ledge that's pretty straightforward in summer. In the winter, with care, you can get over this little ledge without too much difficulty. Above this ledge, the trail travels over open rock that is much more exposed to the weather. At this point I debated putting on my crampons after talking to another group at this spot. I stuck with microspikes and had little difficulty on the exposed rock. Like Algonquin, the rock was mostly free of snow with a thin rime coating.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSjBxHy20VCkGM1Aw0j6Uvp9a8Pd9qiqzg1FAS7ZP4agd8nQAXuuJhHOucFbUx-xfSWyagAT7BpoofCTlnCqV9WnNMWknUD48vAnGNFuDFspCD0foQ6pL5YsuBk-nDtqD5j1VQiCpJZi1FbBZwTm0DdzXifgXZyKT7qBPJHfVg8WSYXNfQ-ItBL-PSDg=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSjBxHy20VCkGM1Aw0j6Uvp9a8Pd9qiqzg1FAS7ZP4agd8nQAXuuJhHOucFbUx-xfSWyagAT7BpoofCTlnCqV9WnNMWknUD48vAnGNFuDFspCD0foQ6pL5YsuBk-nDtqD5j1VQiCpJZi1FbBZwTm0DdzXifgXZyKT7qBPJHfVg8WSYXNfQ-ItBL-PSDg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junction for Wright</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXfaTQyi_0ME4Yt3thDqH_whmkz0JX0BxMczMfC0Qdm6aLdBYF3H1fGW9_Hax6-ykIt0Tiq88MehTICvTKhWW4rpLjwF0HcGMnUtSIY_X33My1SeuNWernguCvfrcSs4zVDGnibjbY_cF/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXfaTQyi_0ME4Yt3thDqH_whmkz0JX0BxMczMfC0Qdm6aLdBYF3H1fGW9_Hax6-ykIt0Tiq88MehTICvTKhWW4rpLjwF0HcGMnUtSIY_X33My1SeuNWernguCvfrcSs4zVDGnibjbY_cF/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wright's socked in summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBy6L1-lyqR3ah1QU4tBgDnfTQwxJMl9KvjJExjLdr_but7VUjMizOzA7UGQ7w8hJILZWuhvF5Q3W34JrXFWWu4qNy6S4os2ATG_D0GsBR6YAPmBQjtUeHWCLjSPfvkdeqh_zlIeymDvP5pcdcBAF8ihip1YYZqF4iHJQFrGudo2UxzK2J3yjigFiPWw=s2592" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBy6L1-lyqR3ah1QU4tBgDnfTQwxJMl9KvjJExjLdr_but7VUjMizOzA7UGQ7w8hJILZWuhvF5Q3W34JrXFWWu4qNy6S4os2ATG_D0GsBR6YAPmBQjtUeHWCLjSPfvkdeqh_zlIeymDvP5pcdcBAF8ihip1YYZqF4iHJQFrGudo2UxzK2J3yjigFiPWw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just below Wright's summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Now on my third summit of the day, I still had little to no views. I could see down the ridge of Wright but nothing beyond. With a pretty stiff wind and nothing to see, I made my descent after a couple minutes, realizing far reaching views weren't happening on this trip.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivTUn_RpoBc8SusjkfGN4p2weX7xJItnfpR-dl30w0JQV2dlyz_G1FvQMkx2h5ebPrsFwZcrtb9RaO5AXeDPgfGkgC5zYDUVIPzxEYulgrAiS9CsA1LARNIEXnvdzAivJstlUAKPsId3Zr08lnqSkUm5wqZ09m2UL4CXqb5pdWSoyXDw1wIUYNTefxBg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivTUn_RpoBc8SusjkfGN4p2weX7xJItnfpR-dl30w0JQV2dlyz_G1FvQMkx2h5ebPrsFwZcrtb9RaO5AXeDPgfGkgC5zYDUVIPzxEYulgrAiS9CsA1LARNIEXnvdzAivJstlUAKPsId3Zr08lnqSkUm5wqZ09m2UL4CXqb5pdWSoyXDw1wIUYNTefxBg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the trail near Wright's summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinvyI2T1ElAbrI3PqHFPQne1mK5hycnI17FCNv0NG40xb5aPwKEKxxggLjBFRC3riFMZzKVtMhQsCaxOLjAZT31w_IzVby5Ts6e8F_2viQ4HqOTAq0NGnSHYT5Id-x0e1PA1a0nVzRChrySKNA4at5dn4Hj7TsOpMzd8X0Xl0DA6U_Orl2ETls4gJsjw=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinvyI2T1ElAbrI3PqHFPQne1mK5hycnI17FCNv0NG40xb5aPwKEKxxggLjBFRC3riFMZzKVtMhQsCaxOLjAZT31w_IzVby5Ts6e8F_2viQ4HqOTAq0NGnSHYT5Id-x0e1PA1a0nVzRChrySKNA4at5dn4Hj7TsOpMzd8X0Xl0DA6U_Orl2ETls4gJsjw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The visibility slightly improved on the descent of Wright</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I quickly rejoined the main trail and made my way down toward the Loj. The few miles to the Loj went by quickly. Once I left Algonquin, I passed quite a few people that were climbing toward the peaks. The last mile or so, a light snow started to fall. Since I didn't spend much time on any of the socked in summits, the hike only took just over 5 hours, reaching the Loj just after 1PM.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPMTVxvweAtYnmxXr5cMk-Ke_vDUzgyXl3tB5BOvmIqmnlsAS3XO8l-_2OBYAvttR47j0lwkABefFuUAgFJBBAie9Dh9MZuc1XUdOzETiC4ChW_057etf11-nu-fz3ifUKIeelt5aXGYs03-OSkyMUfGxwHdzZqWmG4pLHQ4FYqsEGv3RVC00FRqxvXQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPMTVxvweAtYnmxXr5cMk-Ke_vDUzgyXl3tB5BOvmIqmnlsAS3XO8l-_2OBYAvttR47j0lwkABefFuUAgFJBBAie9Dh9MZuc1XUdOzETiC4ChW_057etf11-nu-fz3ifUKIeelt5aXGYs03-OSkyMUfGxwHdzZqWmG4pLHQ4FYqsEGv3RVC00FRqxvXQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy bridge not far from the Loj</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I am determined to hike these peaks on a clear day. Despite decent forecasts, I have struck out for clear summits on my trips to these peaks. Mountains like to make their own weather. I have discovered that the Adirondacks seem even more disagreeable to forecast predictions. It's always a crap shoot when you venture into the mountains and you never know what you're in for until you get out there. Often the clouds enhance the scenery. Unfortunately on this day, they pretty much wiped out much of the scenery completely. Either way, it had been a while since I was in the mountains before this outing and it felt good to be out there.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfkgHPbuUxrsuZSQLwwfLoM_6kbfrXj5C_GEvcdrGlETpSoxXF826Pk--b_iqZEBSzrC5rwpLyEo4QzZeiUEsJQO6YMFvJxR2ynhNRYmZl2bN-2Wx06h7WXtSuxxWRFjKZw1uQql_dxEc50NAGxGxeke0rw_ANO8eK3oDQfeKW269fec0hNktXbUUg1Q=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfkgHPbuUxrsuZSQLwwfLoM_6kbfrXj5C_GEvcdrGlETpSoxXF826Pk--b_iqZEBSzrC5rwpLyEo4QzZeiUEsJQO6YMFvJxR2ynhNRYmZl2bN-2Wx06h7WXtSuxxWRFjKZw1uQql_dxEc50NAGxGxeke0rw_ANO8eK3oDQfeKW269fec0hNktXbUUg1Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at the cairns marking the way on Wright</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though I have struck out with the weather on these peaks, it is still one of the finest hikes in the Adirondacks, particularly when made into a loop with Avalanche Pass. I don't recommend the hike in winter unless you are experienced and properly equipped. Winter in the Adirondacks has its own set of risks that shouldn't be challenged if not prepared. For those comfortable with winter travel, this route visits three alpine peaks with panoramic view when clear. You can visit just Algonquin or Wright for a relatively short hike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tomcats-Outdoor-Adventures-1708122116123572" target="_blank"><span style="color: #073763;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946675798784275561.post-81672602311775342482022-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:002022-01-07T11:09:05.622-08:00The Lake Placid 9ers<div style="text-align: left;">Hiking challenges have gained popularity in recent years. With an abundance of mountains, the Adirondacks have their fair share of challenges. These range from the Adirondack 46ers requiring 46 summits to smaller local challenges like the Tupper Lake Triad with only three modest mountains. I have completed many of the hiking challenges close to my home in the Tupper Lake including the Tupper Lake Triad (see <a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2019/06/the-tupper-lake-triad.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tupper Lake Triad</span></a>), the Saranac Lake 6ers (see <a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2019/09/saranac-lake-6ers.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Saranac Lake 6ers</span></a>), and even the Adirondack 46 (see <a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2021/12/climbing-adirondack-46ers.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Climbing the Adirondack 46ers</span></a>). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgb8fkIKXPJ8AUGLPm3zHa5eoIqm3AhlLim55gIIScfusvH-DsMLCHs34O3561F0Ac0e_tsx7wZ47Q9xSQb2MpP_fLh0Wyetq7fXGP_OQUY1Dv9Q5YfS10tcDwEHrDl5BqZOpCPQIAqrha2w3x86L3yEi_k_WdlZTFJor94CDZ5AQjs3fjxMO1diHSmA=s320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgb8fkIKXPJ8AUGLPm3zHa5eoIqm3AhlLim55gIIScfusvH-DsMLCHs34O3561F0Ac0e_tsx7wZ47Q9xSQb2MpP_fLh0Wyetq7fXGP_OQUY1Dv9Q5YfS10tcDwEHrDl5BqZOpCPQIAqrha2w3x86L3yEi_k_WdlZTFJor94CDZ5AQjs3fjxMO1diHSmA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across Cascade Pass from a ledge on Pitchoff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">With the popularity of Tupper Lake's and Saranac Lake's hiking challenges. Nearby Lake Placid decided to start their own hiking challenge called the Lake Placid 9ers (LP9). As the name implies, this challenge consists of nine local peaks. Collectively; Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, and Lake Placid are called the Tri Lakes. Hiking all three of these hiking challenges is referred to as the Tri Lakes Trifecta.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I hiked the Tupper Lake Triad and Saranac Lake 6ers within a few months of moving to the region.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWuuHnmbb0fzLsmUbUM4_iuaJc1H7yUWVleJ30QZUPp6DD1k_vf1hQemeH2Tvbk7j00-UuKyFr3RT_OTuzOKvywCNfCZ1L3yyPg-tNZJKfXANjVWktx8cHOZLTou97gM2Z-3B3y__oCQJMcF9A3swoCcL0ciDtcnPInvE_JelpDgzLmWM7NBbjj5FeAQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWuuHnmbb0fzLsmUbUM4_iuaJc1H7yUWVleJ30QZUPp6DD1k_vf1hQemeH2Tvbk7j00-UuKyFr3RT_OTuzOKvywCNfCZ1L3yyPg-tNZJKfXANjVWktx8cHOZLTou97gM2Z-3B3y__oCQJMcF9A3swoCcL0ciDtcnPInvE_JelpDgzLmWM7NBbjj5FeAQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the LP9 peaks offer views</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I overlooked the Lake Placid 9ers until last winter. I found myself at the base of one of the 9ers while on another hike and decided to climb it. That was Mt. Jo. At less than 3,000' in elevation, Mt Jo was a far more interesting mountain than the two 46ers I climbed that day. I decided I would visit the rest of the LP9. Since most of the peaks are reached by short trails (the longest is in the six mile range and the shortest just over a mile), I usually hiked multiple LP9 peaks in one day, or added one to another hike. I didn't really start focusing on finishing the LP9 until this fall, after I finished the Adirondack 46ers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY05OahU0j3eeyUTtn0iMDFqs8rsAdjgNojNniGuCC1hrr9-qFx8Ms422xPPphk_HRlDl2bSwdowlZ9B1jltWz7bHpuhJTDKXH4ydwVAxmPCkopCD5EVvvstMQYA_FpTmMu8sqJQjmjYJ8VDg2MQ4DggcWfMjd1XUaGuBH7m8kVrlPGTkW8Byv4_HIJg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY05OahU0j3eeyUTtn0iMDFqs8rsAdjgNojNniGuCC1hrr9-qFx8Ms422xPPphk_HRlDl2bSwdowlZ9B1jltWz7bHpuhJTDKXH4ydwVAxmPCkopCD5EVvvstMQYA_FpTmMu8sqJQjmjYJ8VDg2MQ4DggcWfMjd1XUaGuBH7m8kVrlPGTkW8Byv4_HIJg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice along the trail to Mt. Jo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is no specific order to hike the LP9. My list below is in the order I hiked the peaks. Feel free to hike them in any order you like. Some of the peaks have more than one way to access them, so you may hike the from a different approach than I describe. I climbed some of the peaks in conjunction with other peaks not related to the LP9. Feel free to hike them one at a time if you like. If I included the peak in a previous post on this website, you can click on the blue link to visit that post for a more photos and a more complete description.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHAEFalr5Krbs31szfwjqiFSZ4P71fA8fDLrPsA-5vkNK_kWhZjGN-4B52SVj7dhhcCgEpEQt0wj2gJyna_xe8DSRrreyXziZx97MEoUpsr2WAMyr-NiSKFyAAPUVWFxShVkPVUhdyOeP9_DcPev63kVkWCfG1W3Fy0FMIKcEomAXZ6KtBDyCgbftalQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHAEFalr5Krbs31szfwjqiFSZ4P71fA8fDLrPsA-5vkNK_kWhZjGN-4B52SVj7dhhcCgEpEQt0wj2gJyna_xe8DSRrreyXziZx97MEoUpsr2WAMyr-NiSKFyAAPUVWFxShVkPVUhdyOeP9_DcPev63kVkWCfG1W3Fy0FMIKcEomAXZ6KtBDyCgbftalQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the north summit of Pitchoff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Mt. Jo</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2,876'</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>December 23, 2020</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2020/12/nye-and-street-mountains-plus-mt-jo.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Nye and Street Mountains Plus Mt. Jo</span></a> (</b>Mt Jo was part of a longer hike but is described at the end of this post in the link in further detail)<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8BO-bZ4eSOznTu234cdb5iLjURAmEzGMnIP-VNj5P4plhyAwR_lJIsf8xwJLq5-3t0DZf3kKFy7vBbT8iYYnI-Ok15I70BwIRTQEFP6y7gijfgYDAH_cu6ZvwBfbXsp6a10vPnN1SmkgXG83DaXEA1b3mN5ylam4kew0gl4hlqQE6T90d2D9btcUIUQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8BO-bZ4eSOznTu234cdb5iLjURAmEzGMnIP-VNj5P4plhyAwR_lJIsf8xwJLq5-3t0DZf3kKFy7vBbT8iYYnI-Ok15I70BwIRTQEFP6y7gijfgYDAH_cu6ZvwBfbXsp6a10vPnN1SmkgXG83DaXEA1b3mN5ylam4kew0gl4hlqQE6T90d2D9btcUIUQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heart Lake from Mt Jo on a dreary winter day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mt Jo can be climbed as a modest 2.6 mile roundtrip hike from the Adirondack Loj. A second trail allows for a loop option as well. The most direct route travels over some rocky scrambles that may be a challenge for new hikers. Steep stairs help you negotiate the worst of the scrambles, but expect to use your hands in a few spots. The direct route travels under trailside cliffs. You are quickly rewarded for your effort with great scenery. Mt Jo's rocky ledges overlook Heart Lake some 700' below and into the nearby High Peaks, including the MacIntyres, Colden, and Indian Pass. The summit of Mt. Jo provides much better views than many of the much taller High Peaks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggsGX5UP0FQ77fel7taWKXk3bLeuTH677Eeb5bZpdYQpYh4cPp2Pvn1t0yRz23-J5G3nx6cnkqia6I5QysJlrs-7HdkRqHFHUsrDIzy0yVvpbVsBm4G9XCRmRLbBlXYdWG4K9zqolt7k9p4ahov7s5YUGTEWOtY2XvZ_UCFuRrQAxgUiFElvOxur9xnQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggsGX5UP0FQ77fel7taWKXk3bLeuTH677Eeb5bZpdYQpYh4cPp2Pvn1t0yRz23-J5G3nx6cnkqia6I5QysJlrs-7HdkRqHFHUsrDIzy0yVvpbVsBm4G9XCRmRLbBlXYdWG4K9zqolt7k9p4ahov7s5YUGTEWOtY2XvZ_UCFuRrQAxgUiFElvOxur9xnQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladders enroute to Mt Jo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Big Crow Mountain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2,815'</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>June 16, 2021</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2021/06/the-crows-hurricane-and-nun-da-ga-o.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>The Crows, Hurricane, and the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge</b></span></a> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZRYCMaSeYCAJsNhbiVu6KUto0PBKaLAEgCtUYwvNT9Bo1a4r4NbqLYRxEiYRHaaFJJAulQlje4W57795Az3vjxc76BcMPUut3_1HClXwmeLPur6uqW2AsTVVCK0BgkWwn6PuLojYpmfmRWNBHVRvLX4Ju_xkRxSIubhAWZ0q6gkJAh1ZlsfHTO1D8JQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZRYCMaSeYCAJsNhbiVu6KUto0PBKaLAEgCtUYwvNT9Bo1a4r4NbqLYRxEiYRHaaFJJAulQlje4W57795Az3vjxc76BcMPUut3_1HClXwmeLPur6uqW2AsTVVCK0BgkWwn6PuLojYpmfmRWNBHVRvLX4Ju_xkRxSIubhAWZ0q6gkJAh1ZlsfHTO1D8JQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy valley view from Big Crow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Big Crow can be climbed by itself as an out and back from the Crow Clearing trailhead in less than a mile and a half round trip. Although the climb is steep, the reward comes quickly. According the the Lake Placid 9er website, 28 High Peaks are visible from Big Crow as you look down the Ausable River Valley. If you are passing through Keene and short on time but want a quick mountain fix, Big Crow is a good option. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQzGR1v3TOqYBinpWtsehuKkHXgDgSQkmqNc1QAZQCbxBRCI5cuC-6NC1Q0EJcpZf4ahnuk5uo0ia4RxgaOAPtx-T6ccdbW8b-xxcmerTj4BUFXUD1MD97TivxunN-EioCM32QGsw852Uh35tMjCaXVvnTrLB_Ttmw8a2mji2kHfL7KutxEY0e5e_dag=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQzGR1v3TOqYBinpWtsehuKkHXgDgSQkmqNc1QAZQCbxBRCI5cuC-6NC1Q0EJcpZf4ahnuk5uo0ia4RxgaOAPtx-T6ccdbW8b-xxcmerTj4BUFXUD1MD97TivxunN-EioCM32QGsw852Uh35tMjCaXVvnTrLB_Ttmw8a2mji2kHfL7KutxEY0e5e_dag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of High Peaks are visible from Big Crow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For a longer outing, continue to Little Crow Mountain. A longer loop option with a dirt road walk combining both Crows is possible. Big Crow shares a trailhead with the north approach to fellow LP9er peak Hurricane Mountain for a longer outing that visits two of the LP9ers in one trip. If you have the time and are comfortable following less traveled trails, combine Big Crow with the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge. This loop provides plentiful viewpoints with limited traffic and starts and end at Crow Clearing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfpBpnNtqSSg8GZdDRLX56xJ5lbBLpj6WRrBhvHoDUKtthOF-8VDK67uOQri8juYtBK5PHnbhgYaxUoJA4xnULBwN1DBrHwPavP2lBX3mOfmt6dYDkpeafehc03_xx8WDgakA7RbjTkRrWk4ZKMFYX9JcqlCyGSAE5nA7P-z0wfpE-YVFZaLtuYmp4fw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfpBpnNtqSSg8GZdDRLX56xJ5lbBLpj6WRrBhvHoDUKtthOF-8VDK67uOQri8juYtBK5PHnbhgYaxUoJA4xnULBwN1DBrHwPavP2lBX3mOfmt6dYDkpeafehc03_xx8WDgakA7RbjTkRrWk4ZKMFYX9JcqlCyGSAE5nA7P-z0wfpE-YVFZaLtuYmp4fw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not bad view for less than a mile of hiking</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Hurricane Mountain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3,678'</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>June 16, 2021</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2021/06/the-crows-hurricane-and-nun-da-ga-o.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>The Crows, Hurricane, and the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge</b></span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Myv8xhDRMGGjDxjOI_-1zb4PYs4OnoEjNrjyHwEZTKKsgVWGZXKWMl150pUuiWFu832eRyXxjjnW_Px7rqBs9fXHewYTkwUiy3FtdVWtUwkLEHuz-2_VWV6voYOjqwoWoE-VXPfl4no7RBFOPu4wA_ikCj63unBIeFYgkYT5G6YtYAdjc60I_rOyXg=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Myv8xhDRMGGjDxjOI_-1zb4PYs4OnoEjNrjyHwEZTKKsgVWGZXKWMl150pUuiWFu832eRyXxjjnW_Px7rqBs9fXHewYTkwUiy3FtdVWtUwkLEHuz-2_VWV6voYOjqwoWoE-VXPfl4no7RBFOPu4wA_ikCj63unBIeFYgkYT5G6YtYAdjc60I_rOyXg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking into the Green Mountains over Lake<br />Champlain from Hurricane</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hurricane stands as the tallest peak on the LP9 and requires the longest approach to reach. The views on Hurricane are magnificent and far-reaching from its open summit. Its fire tower at the top provides even better views into the High Peaks and over Lake Champlain, well into Vermont. Outside Magazine even listed Hurricane as the best hike in New York a few years ago. Hikers have options as three different approaches provide access to the summit. Expect to travel 6-7 miles roundtrip on any of the routes. Its possible to combine a hike of Big Crow and Hurricane from Crow Clearing. For even more grand views, add Hurricane to a hike of the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge if you have the energy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGslxzmGwG528O6IA_Y9xrzngSGFJCJhmcnRVwZ5mD0QIqfZq3BbFUJqiOsLFhedPZ8NQR8W89MoxyU5GKK0-7MRI32sv_KcVnMuyUHeZXwNsYC6WqJyj9V42-gY95qhl1XswyxckI96D273UXSxArbb8pnmRp-Cdyn37nU-gtg31urp4_aXGWc6-8Og=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGslxzmGwG528O6IA_Y9xrzngSGFJCJhmcnRVwZ5mD0QIqfZq3BbFUJqiOsLFhedPZ8NQR8W89MoxyU5GKK0-7MRI32sv_KcVnMuyUHeZXwNsYC6WqJyj9V42-gY95qhl1XswyxckI96D273UXSxArbb8pnmRp-Cdyn37nU-gtg31urp4_aXGWc6-8Og=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The High Peaks from Hurricane</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJbZ-FiBe2TM4vIAOeRFHoGLE_ud6YTpMddu4vh8ZD7KUX2dld4tE4Nea77o8_eJKvRsBaavG1rqHVm3tH_TjoYCIbSiqYsrssoLucnyQRKyuhgxd5luC46HFbzHjd5-QpqEd0fhuLtbX/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJbZ-FiBe2TM4vIAOeRFHoGLE_ud6YTpMddu4vh8ZD7KUX2dld4tE4Nea77o8_eJKvRsBaavG1rqHVm3tH_TjoYCIbSiqYsrssoLucnyQRKyuhgxd5luC46HFbzHjd5-QpqEd0fhuLtbX/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurricane is on the left in this photo from<br />the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pitchoff Mountain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3,500'</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>September 20, 2021</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tomcatsadventures.com/2021/09/pitchoff-mountain.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Pitchoff Mountain</b></span></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaASqsNgbOTzpzIg1krP9h0UfQKgckCq3TbqdVYbohELoWJKmh5URo3e7tfPO-8qbHqUh1h7aNFb6aRowi_JIST_156-TqqVeouXEwa7KFVATbAdD3jtfNWWsRCQhRD_Qnl46SSQ3YQT4rAvWN2sIxvto7wFiEPZJCgX4SU6gO-7-CuQGcUkzkAfSrEw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaASqsNgbOTzpzIg1krP9h0UfQKgckCq3TbqdVYbohELoWJKmh5URo3e7tfPO-8qbHqUh1h7aNFb6aRowi_JIST_156-TqqVeouXEwa7KFVATbAdD3jtfNWWsRCQhRD_Qnl46SSQ3YQT4rAvWN2sIxvto7wFiEPZJCgX4SU6gO-7-CuQGcUkzkAfSrEw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly nonstop vantage points are the reward<br />if traversing the full length of Pitchoff</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Don't let the overflowing parking situation deter you from visiting Pitchoff Mountain. Most of the cars are there to climb the heavily trafficked ADK 46er Cascade Mountain across the road. You will see only a handful of hikers headed to Pitchoff. From the Cascade/Pitchoff Trailhead, you can reach Pitchoff in less than three miles. While Pitchoff's summit offers little in the way of views, you will pass several ledges that offer a peak across the pass toward Cascade Mountain and the Cascade Lakes below. Balanced Rocks, a short distance below the summit, provides grand views and shouldn't be missed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbIu7IeGLQHxklr8JCL7ctDBeMiSYexQk0JUf2kiC3jJldviEYNH4MLPNxNaQ_ui7OeZaagj39p6P4aPZlGnl3KR_OKAusmTQwVl2aXfPE7PCs4c10vwGaKtQT6OP2QmZWiep9AYVkMJJOlBZVfpudLVXmVdJGlseUUZd6aVYn7B8MufQYZLgsEBPyZQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbIu7IeGLQHxklr8JCL7ctDBeMiSYexQk0JUf2kiC3jJldviEYNH4MLPNxNaQ_ui7OeZaagj39p6P4aPZlGnl3KR_OKAusmTQwVl2aXfPE7PCs4c10vwGaKtQT6OP2QmZWiep9AYVkMJJOlBZVfpudLVXmVdJGlseUUZd6aVYn7B8MufQYZLgsEBPyZQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward Marcy, Colden, and Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To fully appreciate Pitchoff, traverse the entire mountain. beyond the summit, the trail passes over numerous open ledges with much better views. After passing a handful of open ledges, you are rewarded with an open 360-degree vantage from the north summit. If you have a second vehicle, you can hike down to the second trailhead for a 5.2 mile hike. If you don't have a second car, I highly recommend hiking to the north summit and returning the same route. It's a fairly challenging eight mile trip, but you get to take in the scenery twice.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Afiya5Uk4VMnHLCTE4NYSG5eCEeEXYkAZTTkkgTIpRhtlUQppAyDGxJ3ubfHXw49WhQyPi7ImpLkVWAFPyNjqscyPUek7SKTbuzX6zwTfm5nSzHiF8JCBq8-mZLVnZ2YGL_vYGCayJAu9TrZqnK2d7NW3Z00BuBMcyvL1-zd0eq89kr_TTWNzZFFBA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Afiya5Uk4VMnHLCTE4NYSG5eCEeEXYkAZTTkkgTIpRhtlUQppAyDGxJ3ubfHXw49WhQyPi7ImpLkVWAFPyNjqscyPUek7SKTbuzX6zwTfm5nSzHiF8JCBq8-mZLVnZ2YGL_vYGCayJAu9TrZqnK2d7NW3Z00BuBMcyvL1-zd0eq89kr_TTWNzZFFBA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balanced Rocks</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Catamount Mountain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3,169'</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>October 29, 2021</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Zm8Cc7JjaZvvOBIJo4ECFfmf6uJ36kUBw5mljbf6DJqKx3fYVXPNVjhzE0sY7ZyHRU85PXusEwv5uWzp04KuDkRdMZ0-PJ1Nm4-cUr47Bdwrxr632Ia-_DgPdXjZhWjEKrt124GmZ36-xjc7HjEhOoBBSnzjc2NiWdDp_ZwVkgqoxbQKu90NDdoG0Q=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Zm8Cc7JjaZvvOBIJo4ECFfmf6uJ36kUBw5mljbf6DJqKx3fYVXPNVjhzE0sY7ZyHRU85PXusEwv5uWzp04KuDkRdMZ0-PJ1Nm4-cUr47Bdwrxr632Ia-_DgPdXjZhWjEKrt124GmZ36-xjc7HjEhOoBBSnzjc2NiWdDp_ZwVkgqoxbQKu90NDdoG0Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the summit of Catamount</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Catamount is the northern most of the LP9 and in possibly the most unique. Don't let the modest 3.6 mile roundtrip distance full you. After an easy start, the trail traverses several ledges with scrambling on its upper half. You will need to negotiate a small rock chimney that requires a more difficult scramble. While most experienced hikers shouldn't have too much difficulty with the chimney, children and dogs may find the chimney too much to negotiate. Most of the ledges offer some nice views. You may want to skip this one on a wet day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtwkKjlsId-0R9JuFfplTVnYKx4I0s7nnIy6VHQ9ShaKHpvAqki5FPBkqtSVNzEg6TxQB2M6ZbUIamUuVKuAc2InNbCPFG6rEAKlUpX8-N9KV6Elz1YxEiVjNRm4KqShJQnQA3nU6xmbxKQCZOGvNKDyK529okDBTAMatLsFKFIr-8oqZmu5GLULkHJg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtwkKjlsId-0R9JuFfplTVnYKx4I0s7nnIy6VHQ9ShaKHpvAqki5FPBkqtSVNzEg6TxQB2M6ZbUIamUuVKuAc2InNbCPFG6rEAKlUpX8-N9KV6Elz1YxEiVjNRm4KqShJQnQA3nU6xmbxKQCZOGvNKDyK529okDBTAMatLsFKFIr-8oqZmu5GLULkHJg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chimney on Catamount</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After making your way to the open summit, you are rewarded with more views. Several lakes sit below the mountain. You look at the north side of Whiteface. The Green Mountains of Vermont dominate the eastern horizon over Lake Champlain, including Mt. Mansfield and the Camel's Hump. Most experienced hikers will find Catamount to be a fun hike with nice scenery.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzOvy1BZhYRDiVa6W_80XlRVPX6UqQxSJoBn0ZxCm-Zde54aGmrdvAycPc3ZzsI-UGkGVRCKxVFrdmExU0yGnZiI7ACvDoaNpk6IAcBP6z2FUzR9OT6SXeGosLpfmTVr_AbbAqeejvrq9OOJuLTwgWF9Nr19gJQQ_rElrj75nUT3Qi1MsDqlx6QCyTdQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzOvy1BZhYRDiVa6W_80XlRVPX6UqQxSJoBn0ZxCm-Zde54aGmrdvAycPc3ZzsI-UGkGVRCKxVFrdmExU0yGnZiI7ACvDoaNpk6IAcBP6z2FUzR9OT6SXeGosLpfmTVr_AbbAqeejvrq9OOJuLTwgWF9Nr19gJQQ_rElrj75nUT3Qi1MsDqlx6QCyTdQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking lake at the base of Catamount</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Bear Den Mountain</b></div><div><b>2,650'</b></div><div><b>October 29,2021</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC4CLAzXfwFe7Z3udVcW0MNl8u558gNr8RP-uJhxmuwoLPQLOhbdxcE7Uxfe5zk53uKzCY5mV6X1_EBL0_lbD-Nb2H9zEwxAvKXw2fXmCZ9hb712DyvB4z0HNMtE7aJ8Q-0WRPgT2o8_-NALFAU6QFI24oWLCNCCE6CvoEuo-EraV7TQ2VvGtMZ4BGeQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC4CLAzXfwFe7Z3udVcW0MNl8u558gNr8RP-uJhxmuwoLPQLOhbdxcE7Uxfe5zk53uKzCY5mV6X1_EBL0_lbD-Nb2H9zEwxAvKXw2fXmCZ9hb712DyvB4z0HNMtE7aJ8Q-0WRPgT2o8_-NALFAU6QFI24oWLCNCCE6CvoEuo-EraV7TQ2VvGtMZ4BGeQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking southeast from Bear Den</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Bear Den was one of my least favorite of the LP9. I hiked Bear Den during the height of the autumn leaves falling to the ground. Much of the trail had deep leaf cover, often well above my ankles. This left the trail difficult to follow. It also hid the abundant mud, roots, and rocks. Footing was terrible since you couldn't see what you were about to step onto- it was rarely level ground. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheL3xLWcedEyVNpqQBj2qaJYBHwEBZt3QJ6XgzgAWQntpk_H2thXmHvJKta5IcLijgBiIttlKEHAu-O9eGP5PCfa7OdVMYzEcPqIt82P1mTDH9CeiDxsZc-POfhLte-GOrc3zjsm4wgVz-0GZBsdl2a1t3DmwAaNkqbAD_5cGWOdARtZLYQok0QnX1vQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheL3xLWcedEyVNpqQBj2qaJYBHwEBZt3QJ6XgzgAWQntpk_H2thXmHvJKta5IcLijgBiIttlKEHAu-O9eGP5PCfa7OdVMYzEcPqIt82P1mTDH9CeiDxsZc-POfhLte-GOrc3zjsm4wgVz-0GZBsdl2a1t3DmwAaNkqbAD_5cGWOdARtZLYQok0QnX1vQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at the lower summit of Bear Den from <br />the upper summit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Although there are some nice views at the summit, Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort dominates the view. Since you are essentially at the ski area, I found the up close view to be not particularly attractive. A herd path leads higher up the mountain to open ledges that provide better views to the south. When not inundated by leaves, I'm sure the hike is a little more laid back. The roundtrip hike covers 4.5 miles and even with the leaves, the summit seemed to come quickly.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiotEiLTGjiMYbGxMc840-b0aJwxnJ8BgkrnYa-1n4l8rMkVapQUEAjzbnpF5RHDYfwQ9qy23uyll9Vn0KeIz3AzZZwMiI-oOQztSk8nnF2ok8ocTU-DyRZW8kNDn7eKbw-VokRthJor4-dzhUDdwzs6Vx0NNKZOIaP63UZEtbwqxXu4Bg2vkeJnicBNg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiotEiLTGjiMYbGxMc840-b0aJwxnJ8BgkrnYa-1n4l8rMkVapQUEAjzbnpF5RHDYfwQ9qy23uyll9Vn0KeIz3AzZZwMiI-oOQztSk8nnF2ok8ocTU-DyRZW8kNDn7eKbw-VokRthJor4-dzhUDdwzs6Vx0NNKZOIaP63UZEtbwqxXu4Bg2vkeJnicBNg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across ski slopes into the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Baxter Mountain</b></div><div><b>2,440'</b></div><div><b>November 4, 2021</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAVLhgT8yuqkVJGBurAa7thfINDQF1_K92BjdAzbOZnYPiPZlX3Bmop_g5-OCTNETW43obtgGYmMeQ-c3GWoLtbq9UQBj6wDN7vu4bvPLwdmsQYGoX_7_zmAQ8c7BnwYnQsOoMX0-6F5bQkAFGrLv4S9P_1kkGNpmdjgahAJCsD32le8X57-vxMuyHIw=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAVLhgT8yuqkVJGBurAa7thfINDQF1_K92BjdAzbOZnYPiPZlX3Bmop_g5-OCTNETW43obtgGYmMeQ-c3GWoLtbq9UQBj6wDN7vu4bvPLwdmsQYGoX_7_zmAQ8c7BnwYnQsOoMX0-6F5bQkAFGrLv4S9P_1kkGNpmdjgahAJCsD32le8X57-vxMuyHIw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keene Valley and the Great Range from<br />a ledge on Baxter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Baxter sits immediately to the south of Hurricane on the opposite side of the road. Given its lowly elevation and mile 2.4 mile roundtrip distance, I didn't expect too much from Baxter. I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the summit. Numerous open ledges around the summit provide great scenery. You look over Keene Valley into the much higher summits to the south. With the exception of some minor scrambling in the final 1/4 mile or so, the trail is pretty tame by Adirondack standards. I felt this was the easiest of the LP9 and actually hiked it when passing by after another more ambitious hike. If you are fairly new to hiking and want to tackle the LP9, Baxter would be a great place to ease into the challenge.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWW9XweVJPkF4gO7dOItRb-D06f4pTp-8NKWndsz0-R54wZvMCun7nzXNqflkyILc4MGxnGPovHvj722UH6XIgxd89dULS6BMvw43IRmFb883vVb5aXuCym0HbE4hgPmdAzuy-9vGUVWIlFLmT313cIZI_dZ2Fw-TbHsBRUVqSZOn-tZZq5v3dqzlCWA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWW9XweVJPkF4gO7dOItRb-D06f4pTp-8NKWndsz0-R54wZvMCun7nzXNqflkyILc4MGxnGPovHvj722UH6XIgxd89dULS6BMvw43IRmFb883vVb5aXuCym0HbE4hgPmdAzuy-9vGUVWIlFLmT313cIZI_dZ2Fw-TbHsBRUVqSZOn-tZZq5v3dqzlCWA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dix and Dial from Baxter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Cobble Hill</b></div><div><b>2,332'</b></div><div><b>November 24, 2021</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Cobble Hill is the lowest, shortest hiking distance, least remote, and least wild of the LP9. The main access to Cobble Hill begins right in Lake Placid, along Mirror Lake Drive. Two trails access the summit. The first is short and steep, the second more gradual. I recommend climbing the steeper trail and descend the more gradual trail for a short 1.2 mile loop. A steepest section of trail passes over exposed rock with a rope in place as a hand rail. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeG0HxSdwlavniKHSL49S4koeZz-nB01eYgHyCUh_dpMvLhFiIJeuBvIg7XGDHS9UeNKlktWtuuxQtLsltz14Qp9gt_H28fLr8_ZLOLJrwKOYuLRsHiZLkVNvUMSvNFuvq-M_7Sgkjrur9SMEe6G7hh3AkSiIS_tStB-hosjYVf9Ybi5tEb-r7HEd6IA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeG0HxSdwlavniKHSL49S4koeZz-nB01eYgHyCUh_dpMvLhFiIJeuBvIg7XGDHS9UeNKlktWtuuxQtLsltz14Qp9gt_H28fLr8_ZLOLJrwKOYuLRsHiZLkVNvUMSvNFuvq-M_7Sgkjrur9SMEe6G7hh3AkSiIS_tStB-hosjYVf9Ybi5tEb-r7HEd6IA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Placid from Cobble</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Although, the summit actually looks into several directions with some interesting views, I felt like I was hiking in a neighborhood at times. You pass behind several properties at the beginning of the hike. If you descend the longer trail, you pass Echo Pond, but it lacks a truly wild feel as a house sits right on it. Beyond Echo Pond, you come onto a driveway right at someone's house before passing within sight of more homes. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5uz9gbmxhnLbDxdStuXDk84AfnoicRqySEbMUEJQTbus5vu0lE6cFg5cNuzmI6X1nxpsi0nnGYg9nqOVFgtMzigSfEnMKTfdvHBViRmy2vse1X8H2khYTW72dGI0MhhHMNqsgPhk-TTTK9oFJWRDedroPIwwEaGr02BDDTH7ESuMjRTUNP5qZvVYNDA=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5uz9gbmxhnLbDxdStuXDk84AfnoicRqySEbMUEJQTbus5vu0lE6cFg5cNuzmI6X1nxpsi0nnGYg9nqOVFgtMzigSfEnMKTfdvHBViRmy2vse1X8H2khYTW72dGI0MhhHMNqsgPhk-TTTK9oFJWRDedroPIwwEaGr02BDDTH7ESuMjRTUNP5qZvVYNDA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ski jumps and the High Peaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From the summit you have a unique look at the Olympic ski jumps and Whiteface. At times you overlook the village on the ascent. You do look into the High Peaks, but you have to overlook civilization to see them. I found the best views to the east toward the Sentinel Range, which was one of the few places you look without seeing civilization. Cobble is a nice little hike if you're already in Lake Placid and want to escape for an hour or two, but I certainly wouldn't make it a destination by itself.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5z8SZD42TMpCmTuih-TTI2-NKqhKkU_vHPLWUqXFlALtizpbKVm0OCKKT7TBL6iVkmdq9LmWiRortECLNsBO-OQNUUTt1sDaw7l18LExEVvVNqvzPpX3-9yGn7nxtJR_1C5oBgddBFjgL73EsXzsPaic6vbPrjRLE3EI3en1SB7WBTvx7LdchjZxXIw=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5z8SZD42TMpCmTuih-TTI2-NKqhKkU_vHPLWUqXFlALtizpbKVm0OCKKT7TBL6iVkmdq9LmWiRortECLNsBO-OQNUUTt1sDaw7l18LExEVvVNqvzPpX3-9yGn7nxtJR_1C5oBgddBFjgL73EsXzsPaic6vbPrjRLE3EI3en1SB7WBTvx7LdchjZxXIw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sentinel Range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Mt. Van Hoevenberg</b></div><div><b>2,940'</b></div><div><b>November 24, 2021</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrB4eqv5jY72TPwgB4Hd1Pl0_jdj-ZeCFaY0g26tWlnxFS-FGoBSA-GjIYkaZVTqKBRE7_DAPuPzuvy4lG1CMZQNu8KoRrpL1y_iOs-gA3l_5eqrbTTsxxDCViQgDl7rs0nqGHg_URWpGLfZM06Dakocz1BkgvSaT949esLBtWDKMKxvZVMdugiY5nnw=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrB4eqv5jY72TPwgB4Hd1Pl0_jdj-ZeCFaY0g26tWlnxFS-FGoBSA-GjIYkaZVTqKBRE7_DAPuPzuvy4lG1CMZQNu8KoRrpL1y_iOs-gA3l_5eqrbTTsxxDCViQgDl7rs0nqGHg_URWpGLfZM06Dakocz1BkgvSaT949esLBtWDKMKxvZVMdugiY5nnw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Van Hoevenberg vista</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I didn't expect too much from Mt. Van Hoevenberg. I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the summit. Van Hoevenberg stands immediately north of the High Peaks. Several open ledges provide you with in your face, grandstand views of the High Peaks. Although Colden, the MacIntyre Range, and Indian Pass dominate the view; you see much of the Great Range, Marcy, and countless other peaks encompass the view. I found the views even better and less obstructed than nearby Mt. Jo. If you are seeking views, this is a good bang for your buck hike.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOksa1pD33vUtoAT5bdZGnJaPCtgrPImGE-o_F2p3fMcCbP6ElvlC03As4-fcdqgidqYqQIwgEdlvzZ-E48kPMPQfNGNd1M4vt_9YNDnCjgpsnSGN-LD6RMoMTBh3jfrVPLCobi8QEhfZM0a2-JLeFNTLINe-URm8F3F6aCfNJSBelNgaNkUOG7YxKTg=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOksa1pD33vUtoAT5bdZGnJaPCtgrPImGE-o_F2p3fMcCbP6ElvlC03As4-fcdqgidqYqQIwgEdlvzZ-E48kPMPQfNGNd1M4vt_9YNDnCjgpsnSGN-LD6RMoMTBh3jfrVPLCobi8QEhfZM0a2-JLeFNTLINe-URm8F3F6aCfNJSBelNgaNkUOG7YxKTg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colden, Indian Pass, and Algonquin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>From South Meadow, a roundtrip hike clocks in at 4.4 miles and passes a boggy pond with a nice look at Van Hoevenberg's cliffs. You can also climb Van Hoevenberg from the north. There is a new trail from the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex that runs slightly longer on a newly created trail. I never hiked this trail, but I am told it's extremely well manicured and out of place compared to most Adirondack hiking trails.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUrAlPrbIhLoYA9_qZXSyTa0EBuixfh4LBUkqTsIaZ5MfGLLW5mLdOT_arkc9RjrI33I7c5mHLLWaDtcEmSHIb1RRaoxR0doPNNmCfzrTsUjMprAjOpTs_at3kOqFcH8fRoxZLLSVBCy1iS7YaJY-GsLWqocHGRIhXPru3WZLPlkAefZ2LpJDxmcpHGA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUrAlPrbIhLoYA9_qZXSyTa0EBuixfh4LBUkqTsIaZ5MfGLLW5mLdOT_arkc9RjrI33I7c5mHLLWaDtcEmSHIb1RRaoxR0doPNNmCfzrTsUjMprAjOpTs_at3kOqFcH8fRoxZLLSVBCy1iS7YaJY-GsLWqocHGRIhXPru3WZLPlkAefZ2LpJDxmcpHGA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking into the High Peaks Wilderness</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>While the nearby 46ers get most of the attention in the Adirondacks, the peaks of the LP9 are worthy of their own attention. All the peaks on the LP9 offer summit views. This can't be said about the High Peaks. While many of the High Peaks make for a great destination, most require long days with significant climbing. The LP9 can be climbed with much less effort and time commitment with scenery on most of the summits that is arguably better than many of the loftier High Peaks.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWHtL6r8rgB7zHfWV84b9vJXWcwJrdaiEdVIFGLfUlbudJix9eCPyxQHqZr7FhNXuYT_h0BMvvpLzfuuKqTCfPQaYQxT4Hz3NGYhXkiXuu5nqZkk_nbXH0OlEoKMbXY49XDn-yuG0sS0kYxUyffFWYHMsSVA9tRJb4yD8r_-xE43-793cAeYN2RlwLHg=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWHtL6r8rgB7zHfWV84b9vJXWcwJrdaiEdVIFGLfUlbudJix9eCPyxQHqZr7FhNXuYT_h0BMvvpLzfuuKqTCfPQaYQxT4Hz3NGYhXkiXuu5nqZkk_nbXH0OlEoKMbXY49XDn-yuG0sS0kYxUyffFWYHMsSVA9tRJb4yD8r_-xE43-793cAeYN2RlwLHg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the constant views along Pitchoff</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having climbed all the 46ers, I can honestly say I enjoyed many of the peaks on the LP9 than many of the 46ers. The views on Hurricane rival many of the views of the High Peaks. Catamount's rock scrambles are just as fun as any in the High Peaks. Big Crow and Mt. Jo provide awesome views with very little effort. Traveling the length of Pitchoff provides view after view with a fraction of the traffic of its higher neighbors across Cascade Pass. The grandstand views into the High Peaks from most of the LP9 offer a great vantage point of the taller summits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio9pCSoaVTZB0EvhpVOLUY8jCXX5DW6fs0-jK25k7v6AGmp1cAd-F2kDUXJsMDhw9AVnd0g_8Z-LMc6qVgKqPddNR0jHbY24QOlw-g34GwqJxSkOHFYsQjZLaoCob_-8nYBaDjifmzknwJ6dnV3MzCF6p5Fc-ldqzpZnRPFoW8Wi0HPLp_Px9x5BuJ7A=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio9pCSoaVTZB0EvhpVOLUY8jCXX5DW6fs0-jK25k7v6AGmp1cAd-F2kDUXJsMDhw9AVnd0g_8Z-LMc6qVgKqPddNR0jHbY24QOlw-g34GwqJxSkOHFYsQjZLaoCob_-8nYBaDjifmzknwJ6dnV3MzCF6p5Fc-ldqzpZnRPFoW8Wi0HPLp_Px9x5BuJ7A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Range from Baxter</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Novice hikers will enjoy the shorter distances and climbs on a lot of the LP9 peaks. Several of the peaks make for a great introduction to the Adirondacks if you want to ease into hiking the region. Experienced and beginners alike will appreciate the great views from the LP9 mountains. Even if you have no interest in climbing all the summits on the LP9, I highly recommend any of these hikes if you are in the Lake Placid area and looking for a scenic outing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibe4OXmFQcjhRFTohZs6kyU14OuxeLlZrQMu4dXJrbeuEKzepu-hOujV4qOuxLyPzy5PVsR0pO9zeaQSFtikwuvRGt1h9mSBRJLAMkrtazPqDCna6OyjzZFkOUCtCb-zCrH1zZXY7kEQ25EyFcm7x1iu2CGPDM-SO7hnZVJsi99_aelTQ7ltKuuJrKag=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibe4OXmFQcjhRFTohZs6kyU14OuxeLlZrQMu4dXJrbeuEKzepu-hOujV4qOuxLyPzy5PVsR0pO9zeaQSFtikwuvRGt1h9mSBRJLAMkrtazPqDCna6OyjzZFkOUCtCb-zCrH1zZXY7kEQ25EyFcm7x1iu2CGPDM-SO7hnZVJsi99_aelTQ7ltKuuJrKag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy valley from Catamount</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you enjoyed this post, check out and "LIKE" Tomcat's Outdoor Adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tomcats-Outdoor-Adventures-1708122116123572" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook</span></a> where I post photos more often and revisit past adventures.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />TOMCAThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654755402217370740noreply@blogger.com0