10/10/09: Dial, Nippletop, Colvin hike

view hike pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7231131@N04/sets/72157622436421233/

So, one last fall hike in until I start some winter peak bagging. I was really itching to test my hiking speed and do a little recon for next year's hikes with Deb, Paul, and the boys. Knowing Matt is always game for a hike and wanting to keep it simple, I recruited mister "dooit" to help pull my ass up the trails. The plan was to bag Dial and Nippletop in the morning, Colvin and Blake in the afternoon, and finish out with a nice picture opportunity at Indian Head on the way out. Like I said, that was the plan.

Here's what I wrote up for ADKHighPeaks forum:

Let's Sum it up:

St. Huberts parking area... headlamps... Lake Road... Leach Trail... mud... rain... mud... no view on Bear Den... mud... more rain... mud... no view on Dial... mud... snow... mud... sleet.... mud... no view from Nippletop.... mud... Elk Pass trail... mud... clouds lift... great range... wow... mud... Elk Pass... mud... mud... Colvin trail... why not?... mud... this is a trail?... rock... mud... you've got to be kidding me... mud... rock... I'm too old for this crap... mud... rock... thank God... views... wow... nice pair of backpackers... more wow... college kids... ugh... if he throws that Frisbee, I'll have to make what I do to him look like an accident... let's get out of here... mud... rock... rock... mud... on the home stretch... mud... mud... Lake Road... headlamps... St. Huberts Parking area.

A couple of personal observations:

First, I was curious as to why such a small, unassuming peak would be named for one of the Adirondack's first hardcore, bad*ss hikers like Verplanck Colvin. Having finally hiked that trail, I now know why. I could hear Verplanck saying "quit whining and get your *ss up there!" as I slogged to the summit.

Second, with the advancement of headlamp technology the trails are a very popular place no matter what time of day...or night. There was a time when being out at night in the woods caused most people to hunker down in camp. Now, I seem to run into almost as many hikers at night as I do during the day. Really cool!

So, we ended up skipping Blake and Indian Head mainly because we were losing daylight...and I was totally exhausted. We will split them up for next year, even if we do them on longer days. Still, a great day and that gets me down to the 30 peak mark!

9/25/09: Street and Nye hike

view Street and Nye pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7231131@N04/sets/72157622457897688/

Deb’s triumphant return to the high peaks! We headed up to the ADK Loj with high expectations. The tree colors were beautiful, yet still not peak. Lots of reds, more than I remember from previous years. We hit the trail by 9AM, which would prove to be a little late based on how the day would play out. The trail was well worn, but unfortunately covered in fallen leaves. This made it pretty tough to follow since it looked like the rest of the forest floor around it. We spooked a ruffed grouse – a new bird for both of us. The crossing at Indian Pass brook was successful, in that neither of us got wet. Then a slow, steady climb. I almost packed out the trash from the old logging camp site until I realized that the glass was part of the history of that spot. Deb was doing nicely, but started to get a little tired. We would come to realize afterward that will all the dieting we had been doing and her being at her lowest weight since starting the diet that she got depleted really quickly. It wasn’t a grueling trail, per se, but challenging enough for someone with little carb reserves, no real carbs to replace, and also being her first high peaks hike in over a decade. We truly believe whoever wrote the estimated distances for the hike was sippin’ the single malt that day.

It was cool to finally see the junction tree with the “N” and “S” – something I’ve seen in pictures a number of times. Deb insisted on doing Street first, which was probably the smartest decision of the day. It seemed to take forever. As we were walking over the summit rock I looked up and saw the sign. I stopped Deb in her tracks to let her know we were there and the look on her face was priceless! We rested a little, ate a little, and checked out the views of the McEntyre range and MacNaughton to the south. The trail back down and then over to Nye was pretty nice, actually. There’s no way Nye is 0.4 miles from the junction compared to Street’s 0.6 miles. We were there in 10 to 15 minutes. And no, like everyone said, there are no views on Nye – although just back down the trail were some nice lookout areas. I thought we were making good time until then. I started to realize we had been moving slower than I expected, and as the clock winded down I started to think about hiking out in the dark. Not a frightening concept usually, but remembering how difficult the trail was to follow in the daylight got me a little anxious. By the time we were 2 miles from the end, we stopped to take a break. Deb was getting weaker and weaker, and I was kicking myself for not packing the right food. We made it to Indian Pass Brook before we lost daylight, thank God, and I was feeling a little more confident. I still worried about getting out, but at least knew we were past some of the more confusing and difficult trail to cover. The Headlamps came out soon after. It was quite peaceful, although I think Deb was feeling pretty awful by then. When we saw the Mount Jo/Old Nye Ski Trail sign, I knew I could breathe again.

This wasn’t the return to the high peaks that Deb had wanted, but there were definitely some factors I hadn’t thought about. Not the right food – that was one. Not being able to navigate in the dark was another. We agreed that no matter what diet we were on, that a hike day would be a carb cheat day. At the very least, I would carry power bars just in case. Also, I took a serious look into a new GPS unit that would be reliable in the mountains. Being able to set way points on the way up would’ve helped us keep on the trail on the way back. We most certainly lived and learned on this one. For Deb 10 down and 36 to go. For me, 13 down…

9/12/09: Tabletop hike

view the pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7231131@N04/sets/72157622457892770/

I do love September for hiking. Nice cool weather, the air damp and refreshing. The gang was all there again. This time, I was the one to get the sleep . Erin unfortunately didn’t have any hiking boots with her this time, and it would prove to put a damper on her day. By the time we got to Marcy Dam, she has a half dollar sized blister on each heel. The summits were in the clouds most of the day, and provided little views consequently. The hike up the Van Hovenburg Trail was easier than I remember. We decided to do Tabletop first. Unfortunately, it was socked in the clouds when we got up there, and the view was uninspiring. However, it was another one for the books, so everyone was happy with that. As we started down I was getting concerned that we might need some more water, so I sprinted ahead down the VHT to Phelps Brook. By the time I had three liters treated the whole team was together again. Paul was bushed, and Erin was deciding if Phelps was worth the side trip. The trio decided to head towards Phelps while Paul and I rested up. We decided the mountain will wait for us another day, so we were going to head to the car. Shortly after our decision we got word that Erin’s blisters were forcing her to head back. She popped off of the Phelps spur trail just as we came up on the junction, and the three of us headed to the car. The boys took an extra hour to get to the top and back, but their reward was catching the only view offerings of the day. All in all, a nice day out.

9/2/06: West Canada White Fly hatch

Phew…letting time get ahead of me J. Bob and I headed up to TWCC at the beginning of the month to catch the white fly hatch. We headed to a spot in Middleville that’s downstream from our usual white fly spot in Newport. As it was, we realized afterward that it wasn’t as far from our usual spot as we had thought.

Bob had been there the week before to check things out. In a strange twist of fate, he had left his vest behind. Yup……his vest. Let that sink in a little. For a fly fisherman, losing his vest is much worse than losing a fly rod or maybe even having his car stolen. I’ve owned my vest much longer than my car. All those flies. All those gadgets. All that gear collected over the years, tucked away in a garment that becomes an old friend, eventually. Once you’ve been a fisherman for a few years, you gain an intimate relationship with your vest rivaled only by your spouse and closest fishing buddy. Don’t worry, there is a happy ending. In fact, he got it all back. Some nice, local woman who walks her dog in the area of the parking access found it and brought it to the local tackle shop. Bob called the shop on a whim just to see if someone happened to drop it off and sure enough, they had it. Nothing taken. Wow.

So, after chatting up the tackle owner, buying a few flies, and soaking up the old-time-tackle-shop-ambiance, we headed to the parking access that was practically around the corner from the shop. We arrived to find a couple fishing the spot at the parking area. Nice couple. We waded down stream to some very perfect water. The fish obviously didn’t care how nice the water looked, because we could only get a spotty rise or two. As dusk started to set in, I noticed a couple of white flies coming off. I switched to a cream variant that I picked up at the shop and hooked up a feisty little brown. That would prove to be my only one the rest of the evening, unfortunately. The hatch came off as expected – white flies everywhere like a silent blizzard. Fish rising, but impossible to figure out what version of the fly they were eating. Typical. Our nemesis fly hatch wins again. Did I mention the wings at the Hotel Moore are excellent?

8/25/09: a good leg stretching at Highland Forest

After being skunked at The West Canada the previous night, you would've thought I would just mope around the next day. No need to dwell on the past - we will be back out next week so hopefully we'll hit the white fly hatch then. I do have another High Peaks hike coming up, and I really haven't worked out well enough. The stair climber and treadmill sitting in the basement have been so uninspiring to me lately. We have plenty of local parks with good hiking trails, fortunately.

Highland Forest doesn't open until 8:30am, a fact I discovered and sheepishly ignored at 7:00am as I pulled into the parking lot. No one around. Good. Just me and the wildlife - not that I could hear much over the sound of my gasping breaths as I pushed myself for a land speed record. The trail was pretty muddy from the rains over the weekend, and I think that slowed me down a bit. At least that was my excuse. I gave it my all, regardless, and finished the 8.7 mile main trail in 3 hours and 5 minutes. 21 minute miles on a sloppy trail. Not bad for a fat, old guy.

You ever noticed that the larger an animal is, the quieter they are in the woods? The noisiest creatures I came across were a few blue jays fluttering around. The quietest? All dozen or so of the deer I spooked throughout the morning. How can something that large bound silently through the woods as if watching TV with the mute button on? One of life's wonders, I guess.

Muddy

8/24/09: The West Canada Creek

So, I'll keep this short and sweet. Bob and I headed to The West Canada in hopes of catching the white fly hatch. T'was not to be, unfortunately. In fact, it was a beautiful night, water temps in the mid 60's, perfect stretch of water below the yellow gate parking area, and very little action. We were encouraged with three white flies coming off and a decent Isonychia spinner fall. Bob got one ten incher. Me? Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not even a hit once. Stupid fish. Did mention that the wings at the Hotel Moore in Trenton Falls are outstanding?

Muddler

In defense of a finely tuned daypack...

You may have read my previous post of the Algonquin hike, when I had a wardrobe malfunction on the way up the mountain. Of all the comments from fellow hikers, the ones that got to me the most weren't the sarcastic ones. It was when they looked in astonishment and exclaimed how "lucky" I was that I had duct tape and cord to fix those boots. Yeah. It really did bother me a bit, because it implied that my repairs were by chance - as if I fell into some fortune that allowed me to repair my equipment and continue on. It may come as a surprise, but I DID pack my own daypack that morning, and the duct tape and cord are part of an essential kit that I carry for just such problems. It would take forever to regale you with all my experiences and anecdotes that have led me to carry all that I do. You'll have to take my word for it now and email me with questions if you like further explanation.

Here's a list of what I carry:

1. Daypack: 2000-3000 cu/in with a thick waist belt and shoulder straps. I prefer a panel loading design with accessory pockets and lashing straps to keep everything organized.
2. Shell Jacket: a waterproof, breathable parka to keep rain and wind at bay
3. Insulating jacket: a polyester fleece jacket that will keep you warm even if soaking wet, to be layered under the shell parka.
4. Clothing extras: a wool or poly fleece hat, spare pair of socks, bandannas, gaiters if the trail is muddy or snowy, gloves.
5. Water: I use a 3 liter hydration system, and bring at least 2-4 liters extra. In the hot months on a strenuous climb I plan for at least 1 liter per two miles. I also bring along a water purification system to be able to treat more water as we go.
6. Food: trail food should be high in calorie - especially in carbs for energy - and you should have more than enough to get through the day. You should also plan on enough to ration you through at least another full day in case something happens and you are forced to spend the night. Trail mix is an obvious choice, but beef jerky, power bars, cheese, pepperoni, summer sausage, all make great trail food.
7. Headlamp/Flashlight: inevitably, you will find yourself needing to start in the early morning hours or end up losing daylight at the end of a hike. A flashlight is nice, but a headlamp is incredibly more convenient. Remember, the forest canopy will add about an hour of darkness to both sunrise and sunset.
8. Trail book and map with compass: It doesn't take long to learn how to use a compass with your map, and your map is useless if you don't know which direction you're facing. Mine come with me regardless of how well groomed the trails are.
9. Personal items: things like bug repellent, hand lotion, lip balm, sun screen, purel hand sanitizer, tissues.
   
10. Medications: In a medium sized pill bottle I carry a few doses each of these medications - motrin, excedrin, sudafed, and regular tylenol for aches, pains, sinus headaches; pepcid complete tabs, gas-ex, and imodium for stomach problems; Benedryl for allergic reactions
11. Hiking/Trekking poles: like ski poles, most are adjustable and have a smaller basket to help with mud. You'll be amazed how well these things will save your knees and allow you to move quicker. Granted, I look like a hiking praying mantis with them, but they are a joint saver. And they can be used to splint a broken leg or hold up a temporary shelter if need be.
    
12. Essentials Kit: the magical bag! I will break down the essentials kit below...

The Essentials Kit is a grouping of various sub kits all kept in a small stuff sack:

• First aid kit: very basic, it has bandaids, gauze pads, mole skin, an ace bandage, some antibiotic ointment, alcohol pads
• Emergency overnight kit: a tube tent, a pair of space blankets, matches in a waterproof container, firestarter sticks, an emergency whistle
• A basic repair kit: a length of nylon cord, a backpacking roll of duct tape, safety pins, a needle and spool of black thread
• A leatherman or swiss army knife
• Water Treatment system: I currently have a Steri-pen ultraviolet water purifier, but have also used a couple of other small micron filters. If you can stand the taste of iodine, you can carry potable aqua tabs.
• Toilet paper: for when nature calls while out in nature. remember to bury it...

So that's it. When all is said and done, my pack is 20-30 pounds for a long day hike, depending on how much water and food I'm carrying. Yup, it's a lot and probably overkill, but you never know when your boots are going to fall apart, or something. I can say that everything on that list has been used on the trail, with the exception of the emergency overnight kit. That kit was set up because of one hike where a knee injury slowed us enough that we were almost forced into an emergency camp out on the mountain (an earlier Algonquin climb, ironically). Nothing like getting caught out in the woods when the night time temperatures were dropping into the 20's. So, when it comes to packing your daypack, the best thing you can do is follow the Boy Scout Motto - Be Prepared.

Happy hiking,

Muddler