A Two Apple Hike
Mt. Colden, Adirondacks
September 19, 1998
Joe was joined on this trip by a now common hiking figure, Mike, and his girlfriend, fiancée, or something like that, Teena. Being in no hurry, they slept through the alarm at the motel. They didn't even mind the long wait at McD's for breakfast. There was no rush. But it was a close call. They were the last car allowed at the ADK Loj.
The planned trip was up Colden via Lake Arnold and out via Avalanche Pass. It was a gorgeous day. Why hurry? The group took a leisurely pace to Marcy Dam. An hour at the Dam? No problem. Lots of little breaks? No problem. Another long break halfway up? No problem. This was a nice pace.
The summit was reached
around 1:00. Sunny, great views, just a little cool. Perfect
excuse for a long lunch. And Teena eats the first .
They even got to watch a helicopter in the Lake Colden valley bringing in supplies and construction materials for the new Interior Outpost at Lake Colden. The last burned in March due to a chimney fire.
Oops! Look at the time. Oh
well, no trip through the Pass. Out they went the way they came.
Teena begins taking the lead a little more often. Is the pace
picking up a little? Halfway down Teena eats the second .
The pace is definitely
picking up. Teena's on an Empire high. And she's
threatening anyone that tries to take the lead. Including
strangers. Empire highs are relatively rare but can be
dangerous to those around the junkie. The high brings
out the most competitive and aggressive traits of the junkie's
personality. Soon Teena's swinging her trekking poles at anyone
that tries to pass. It was getting ugly.
Mike and Joe could only try to save the others unlucky enough to be on the trail at the same time. They established a perimeter around Teena as she continues on her breakneck pace back to the Loj. After setting a record for longest time to the Colden Summit, they broke all speed records from Marcy Dam to the Loj. Luckily no one was hurt. There are no photos of the return trip. There was no time.
Back to Placid. Dinner suppressed the toxins in Teena and the town was saved.
 |
| Mike and Teena at Marcy Dam for the first long break. See how clean they are? |
 |
| Whales Tail from Marcy Dam. |
 |
| Teena, Mike and Joe on the summit of Colden. Algonquin in the background. |
 |
| Mike and Teena on the summit of Colden. See how clean they're not? |