What to do, what to do? So many possibilities. Record snowfalls. Lots of summits. But so much recent snow most of the trails, especially the trailless peaks, did not have broken trails. With only Mike and Joe, it was not likely that the two of them would be able to break a trail and reach a summit on a day hike. So they decided to stick to the popular peaks. That was OK by them. That meant staying in Lake Placid with a warm bed.
Starting from the Loj, their tentative destination was Mt. Marcy since it was known to have a trail broken and packed to the summit. Since Tabletop was on the way, and Mikey had never done this trailless peak, they decided to see if there was a broken trail when they reached the trailhead at Indian Falls. Sure enough, there was a trail someone had probably cut the day before covered with another couple inches of snow. It seemed to take a bee line to the summit but it was enough to follow.
It was tricky going. Soft powder and the trail did not appear to follow the summer herd path. It was more like bushwhacking for most of the climb but invigorating. Joe managed to permanently trash another shirt blasting through the trees.
Joe was more than willing to let Mikey lead but Mike is starting to get some mountaineering smarts. More than once they argued over who should lead.
Near the summit it became obvious that the person that had cut the trail was looking for the summit canister as there were lots of paths leading all over the place. But no canister.
The other remarkable thing was that they were above the tree cover that normally would have blocked any hope of a view. There was probably 8 to 10 feet of snow.
Even for April it was cold. After shooting the customary summit photos they headed for the protection of the trees for a well-earned lunch. Then a quick descent and back to the Loj where Mike's day was made with a conversation with former Forest Ranger Peter Fish.
You can see Mikey's version of the trip by clicking here.
 |
| The night before the
climb the boys stopped at Camerons for a nightcap with barmaid
Martha. Trying to convince their climbing buddy Alan that he was
missing all the fun, Martha poses for a photo. (She really
wasn't wasted, she closed her eyes as the picture was taken.
Sorry, Alan.)
|
 |
Mikey
|
 |
Actually, if you click here compare these photos with the January trip at the same marker you'll notice that Joe and Mike have both grown significantly. With the help of several more feet of snow, of course. And this is in the valley.
|
 
|
| Views from Marcy Dam While the temperatures were great for hiking, low cloud cover stifled a few of the views.
|
|
|
Looking at their recently chosen destination.
|
|
| These trail markers
are usually about 7 feet or more off the ground.
|
|
|
Mikey on the summit. Normally they would be
standing in trees that are now below their feet. They searched all
over the summit for the canister but it must have been well below the
snow.
|
|
| Just for perspective,
this hole in the ground was actually a tunnel through the brush.
They figured that the person that had cut the trail was pretty
small. Joe found and cut a way around the hole while Mikey
proved the small person theory.
|
|
| Bushwhacking through
the tree tops.
|
|
| Gothics (left) and
Saddleback mountains.
|
|
| "I know
there's a summit canister around here "somewhere..."
|
|
| Panoramic shot pasted
together from a series of photos. This summit is normally known
for having terrible views. Imagine what this would have been
like without the cloud cover.
|
 
|
| Lunch time.
|
|
| Mikey meets one of the Adirondack living legends, former Forest Ranger Peter Fish. |
