CONTINUED: (See blog entry below for the first part of the story)
Again, this is an OLD trip, but a NEW blog entry. : )
We took a risk by driving up the "private" road and parking at the intersection, though we didn't risk it by driving down the other small road to the trail register. The gate keeper is a feisty elderly man and by feisty I mean it! We have a story about him, but that's for another time.
It was bitterly cold when we got out of the car and walked the road. It was very icy and extremely slippery. We got to the register and saw that famous PinPin had been in and hiked Colvin & Blake. We were more interested in doing the Great Range, but not many had been in there. Honestly, we were still exhausted from breaking trail in the Sewards and while we'd planned on heading to Esther, I'd asked my mom via text message which peaks we should do and she'd responded with "Colvin & Blake". It was a sign! That did it. We carefully walked back to the car and decided on C&B for the next day.
Went to sleep beneath our Christmas lights and up early the next morning for a walk down Lake Road. The snow was fairly hard and icy and it was quite cold. Paul took a photo of my frozen hair. The ice on it made it look gray! We eventually made it to the turn off for Colvin and up we went.
The trail was nicely broken and it was easy to follow, just a lot of climbing. I felt very sluggish and slow and still felt as though I hadn't recovered from the few days before. I just wanted to lay down in the snow and take a nap.
Up up up we went and just below the summit of Colvin was a steep, somewhat narrow and exposed section. Paul went first and made it up ok, but I was tentative. I was nervous and wasn't comfortable. I didn't think I could do it. Then came the tears. It was just all too much. Paul reached out and helped me up and I was relieved. We topped out on the summit and the views across to the Great Range and beyond were phenomenal. We took photos and decided to press on toward Blake because we figured it would take a little while to make the careful descent.
As expected, it was slow going because of steep and icy conditions. Paul helped me in certain spots and we made it to the col after what seemed like eternity. I remembered that it was a lot of elevation loss, but apparently I'd forgotten just how much! We finally made it to the summit of Blake and took a couple photos there. No views from the treed in summit, but it counted nonetheless. Had a quick snack then back up up up to Colvin. More photos from Colvin and spent time admiring the majestic peaks across. I was nervous about the tricky section, but Paul helped me down and we were off. We made good time getting down and before we knew it were back at Lake Road.
As we hiked Lake Road I noticed a twinge of discomfort in my right quad muscle. I didn't think much of it and kept going. We got back to the car, changed clothes, and off to the Noonmark Diner we went. We had dinner and my leg was definitely sore, but most of my body was sore. I was still getting back into my hiking shape afterall.
We discussed trip options for the next day and planned on doing Esther. The forecast called for heavy rain, so we wanted to do something that we knew we could accomplish in those conditions.
We decided we'd sleep in a little bit the next morning, but still get an early-ish start. We wanted to beat the rain if all possible. We started off from the weather station just about daybreak and I remembered how steep it was once we started. The first time I climbed Whiteface with Paul and Rick back in 2007 was in deep, deep unbroken snow. It took us forever! This day was different as the trail was broken, but it was still just as steep!
The nice part was that it was warm. Unseasonably warm! I was thrilled to be hiking in only 2 layers instead of my usual multiple layer look. We got to Marble Mountain and it looked so different from 2007. Off toward the trail intersection and the rain finally started to fall. I guess we weren't going to beat it! We trudged along and the wind picked up too. We made it to the trail intersection and of all things found a sign pointing to the herd path for Esther! We were surprised! That was a new addition since last time we'd been through there.
The broken trail continued toward Whiteface, but it did not continue toward Esther. It was ok. The snow was pretty firm and while we had to break it, it didn't compress a lot so it wasn't as difficult as other trips.
We used GPS to navigate and zigged where we needed to zag sometimes, but eventually found the yellow disk high in the tree on the summit of Esther! I had to really look for it too because my hood was drawn tight over my head!
The wind was really howling and the rain was falling and blowing. We took a few quick photos and off we went! I was feeling the same pain in my leg and was hoping it would relent. We raced back to the trail junction and turned left to go back the way we came.
As we descended, my leg became worse and worse. It was unusual. The pain was not in the "meaty" part of the front of my quad, but almost my inner thigh just above my knee. It was honestly excrutiating. I felt like such a wimp.
We made it back to Marble Mountain and the scene was so different from that morning. So much of the snow had already melted off. It was incredible. I was anxious about the steep descent from there and how my leg would hold up. It was a slow and painful descent. Each bend of the knee sent sharp pain signals to my brain. I was in tears multiple times. Paul tried to help where he could, but there really wasn't anything he could do. We made it back down and to the car and had a break in the rain where we could shake off our wet gear, change into dry clothes, and figure out our next plan.
I put Biofreeze on my leg and we decided to head into Lake Placid to get some lunch. I told Paul I didn't think I could hike the next day with my leg as painful as it was. I felt bad. I felt as though our vacation time was being wasted because of me. We grabbed some soup and a sandwich in LP and decided to head back to Paul's parents' house.
On our way we stopped and I bought a wrap for my leg. We grabbed a pizza for dinner and brought it with us.
It was nice to be able to dry out because everything we had was pretty wet. We talked about what trip we'd try next and went to sleep figuring on discussing more options in the morning.
My leg felt quite a bit better the next morning as Paul and I mused over which trip to do. Paul asked what I thought of the Sewards. He figured on doing the unthinkable: returning to the Sewards! We knew the gate was still open. We knew the road was plowed and we hadn't received much snow. This was our opportunity. I was nervous though. I really didn't want any part of it. Why couldn't we do another trip? We had plenty of peaks to choose from! In the end though, I understood Paul's way of thinking and we decided on the Sewards. I was pretty grumpy about it though. Meh...
Packed up the car AGAIN and off toward Tupper Lake. Dinner at The Lumberjack AGAIN and off to Corey's Road AGAIN. Does this sound like deja vu? The wind in Tupper Lake was absolutely ridiculous. I could not believe the ferocity of it. The forecast said it would die down around midnight and I sure hoped so because it was insane how it was blowing.
We started down Corey's Road and not too far down was our first obstacle: a downed tree. Ummm, to me it was a sign not to continue. To Paul it was simply that--an obstacle. He got out to take a closer look and I stayed in the car until I watched him try to move it. I got out and he yelled to me that it was very slick. And it was! I stepped carefully toward him and the tree and we both tried to move it. It was hard enough without the ice, but that made it even worse! With enough "oommphh" we got the tree out of the way and got back into the car. Whew! Now what? Onward we went and the road conditions got worse. The whole road was almost like a skating rink--pure ice. The car was handling it well at first, but soon we started to slide. As hilly as the road becomes, we knew it was a recipe for disaster. We'd made it as far as a parking lot for other trails, but it was still quite a ways from the summer trailhead. So, what to do, what to do. Do we park where we were and hike from there? Do we give up on the Sewards for now and head somewhere else? These Sewards were really becoming my nightmare.
We tossed ideas back and forth. We both really weren't feeling any love toward the Sewards, so back into the car we went and we left Tupper Lake bound for Keene Valley to peaks we love more: The Lower Great Range.
How frustrating though to be eluded by the Sewards AGAIN. Ugh!
We decided instead to do as much of the Lower Great Range as we could. Our goal would be five, but we'd take what we could get.
Up really early the next morning for the LONG LONG LONG walk down Lake Road to start the ascent for Sawteeth. The snow was hard and crusty and I was tired by the time we got to the turn off for Sawteeth. So far the leg felt good and I was glad for that. The trail was broken until, well, until it just wasn't. It appeared that the tracks stopped and just turned back. Again it was compact snow, so breaking it wasn't too big of a deal.
We made the col between Sawteeth & Pyramid and felt good about our timing. I didn't remember much about our first Sawteeth climb and it's probably good that I didn't. I had no idea (no memory) of how steep it was. Paul went first and kicked some steps that I tried to use, but I ended up kicking some of my own. Another tricky section and tree roots provided my hand holds. Got to the top and you'd swear you were on the summit, but it's a quick traverse away. FINALLY we made it! A few photos and a careful descent of the tricky spots. At one point, the toe crampon of my snowshoe stuck so well into the hardpack snow that I tripped and fell over...It was not a good place to fall, but I was able to stop myself and regroup. I was really scared and it definitely effected me the rest of the day and made me take very tentative steps.
On our way down we ran into another hiker--first we'd seen that day. Then it was off toward Pyramid.
I did remember how steep Pyramid was and it didn't disappoint. I was tired and felt as though we weren't making very good time, but Paul assured me we were doing ok. Up to the top of Pyramid and Gothics looked SO far away! Would we ever make it?! We kept trudging and at one point determined snowshoes were not going to cut it, so we stopped and changed to crampons. I was so excited to make the summit of Gothics! Gothics is a great peak. It's a special one. Unfortunately we didn't have any views as it started to cloud in, but we were stoked to have made it!
We were still good on time, so we decided to push to Armstrong. I didn't really even noticed the whole ice cornice thing. It was cloudy and I couldn't see off either side, so I didn't notice. I've seen some pretty cool photos of it in good conditions and it looks much worse than it is. It's a neat section of trail though.
It didn't seem as though it took very long to get to Armstrong and we were happy again! Another peak! It was already a successful day, but we were so hopeful to get all five. We figured we'd push on to Upper Wolfjaw and see how it went. We started on our way down and got to the infamous ladder section. It bothered me the last time we came down and it wasn't covered in ice then! We found the ladder to be somewhat exposed, but mainly icy and it looked treacherous. We put crampons on and skirted the ladder to one side where we descended via tree roots, trees, etc. I was a nervous wreck. Two other hikers decided to downclimb the ladder in their snowshoes. I watched them in awe while I was frozen where I was waiting for Paul's help. I REALLY felt like a wimp then. As we neared the bottom, it was tricky. The guys waited to make sure I got down alright (ok, nice gesture, but very embarrassing for me) and I took my pack off, handed it to Paul, who then handed it to one of the guys. Little by little I got down, but only with Paul's help. We took pictures of the ladder, but it does not do it justice. We came down on the right side of the ladder as you're looking at the photo. Sometimes winter hiking is just plain scary. I was so relieved to get off that section!
We pushed to Upper Wolfjaw and realized that Lower Wolfjaw was not in the cards for that day. But hey, four out of five really wasn't bad, though I was severely disappointed because I don't like not meeting my goals. Still, we had a long way to go to get out and our light was fading fast. The worst was passing by LWJ knowing we were only .5 away. Blah!
We did our best to get down quickly, but the snow was hard, I was tentative with my steps. Do you see "tentative" is a theme this day? Because of that, my leg started to hurt again. It had been very mild all day. I first noticed it coming off Sawteeth, but I tried to tell myself it was fine. Really it was, until the descent toward Lake Road.
I was getting anxious about not being down before dark. I'm not sure why it bothered me so much this time, but I really was worried. I don't mind hiking in the dark, but I don't like descending. Paul reassured me that we'd be off the steepest stuff by the time it got dark, but that we couldn't dilly dally. And all I wanted to do was dilly dally. The more we went down, the more my leg hurt. But, we kept moving at a steady pace and eventually got closer to Lake Road. Much snow had melted down low and there were many patches of dirt, ice, bare rock, etc that were a pain to navigate through on snowshoes sometimes. It wasn't worth removing them though because as soon as we made it through a bare section, the next section was completely snow covered.
As we went, not only did my right leg hurt, but guess what? My LEFT leg started hurting in the exact same place. : ( I was really having problems and was so upset. I didn't understand why my legs were hurting where they were. I've hiked a lot in the past but have never experienced pain in that location on not only one but BOTH legs.
We were racing the clock to get back to the car because we wanted to make it into town to the Noonmark Diner for dinner. We were running out of time, but amazingly we really kicked it into high gear once we FINALLY made it back to Lake Road. The rest of the road was a blur as our stomachs encouraged us to get out of there!
Back to the car and we didn't even change out of our shells. We were on the road to the diner in a flash. We got there about twenty minutes before they closed and we asked if they'd serve us. I think we held our breath while we waited for their answer. Of course they would! We were so relieved and SO hungry. I bet they were annoyed with us, but if only they knew how we tried to hurry to get there!
We ate and ate and ordered pie to go so we didn't keep them any later. We got back in the car and decided that with my legs hurting there was no way I could hike the next day. We were too tired to head home, so we slept in the car and headed toward home the next morning.
And, that was it. While we'd anticipated staying up there the entire two weeks, it just didn't work out that way. I was disappointed and I think Paul was too, but he said he was pleased with us getting seven peaks. I was pleased too, but I had hoped of more.
We took the rest of our vacation time to relax, heal up, and to prepare for our next trip north. That post is on the blog--titled Success in the Sewards.
So, that was the start of winter climbing season 2008-2009 and the beginning of our pursuit of the remaining 23 peaks we had to conquer. You know the rest from there---if you've read our posts! : )
Sawteeth-Lower Wolfie:
Sawteeth, Gothics, Armstrong, Upper Wolfjaw 29 Dec 08
Esther:
Esther 27 Dec 08
Colvin & Blake:
Colvin & Blake 26 Dec 08
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The First Trip of Winter: An F in the Sewards
Since I didn't do blog entries for our first few trips of winter earlier, I decided to go ahead and write those up now. So, this is an OLD trip, but a NEW blog entry. : )
Paul and I spent weeks and weeks talking about the upcoming winter climbing season. We discussed trip options, how to attack the peaks, etc. We knew we had a lot on our plate with 23 peaks to climb, but we also knew it was within our abilities.
The climbing season began on Dec 21 (a Sunday). Paul and I had decided to take some time off work and to spend the entire two week holiday season in the mountains. We thought it would be fun to celebrate the holidays in the snowy north. We came up with an extensive plan which we thought we could handle. Paul designed and built a futon platform for my car thereby creating an elevated sleeping space while utilizing storage space underneath. We bought food, organized meals, gear, you name it. We were set.
We headed up to Tupper Lake on Saturday the 20th with the intent on hiking the Seward Range over several days. The idea was that Paul would drag a sled with gear (lightening our pack loads) and we'd hike in, attempt Seymour either the first day or the second, and try the three Sewards (Seward, Donaldson, Emmons) the next day and possibly hike out--all depending on conditions and how we felt.
We had a tasty dinner at the Lumberjack Inn in town and headed to Coreys Road where we would see if we could get to the summer trailhead. The road is not always plowed in the winter and sometimes they close and lock the gate. If that happens, one must park on the road and hike in from there. It ads an additional 3.5-4 miles depending on where you start from. Unfortunately, because of recent snow, the road was impassable and we had to park at the winter trailhead. Obstacle number 1. We went to sleep for the night and woke up with a hopeful attitude.
We started off down the road and made our way to the summer trailhead. No one had been in (we weren't surprised). We hiked down the trail and the snow was deep. No broken trail. Paul was struggling with the sled because the snow was so soft. It was exhausting. It was snowing pretty heavily and we still hadn't made it to the lean-to. It has to be just ahead we kept telling ourselves. The sled was making things very difficult for Paul and he was wiped out by the time we did arrive at the lean-to. We knew we were not going to make an attempt on Seymour that day. We opted to set up our new tent instead of sleeping in the lean-to. We did so and climbed in our sleeping bags and took a nap. It was still early in the day, but we were quite tired already.
We napped, lounged, etc the rest of the day. Had a meal and slept for the night. We decided we'd get up early and make an attempt on Seymour the next day. Up relatively early and down the unbroken trail we went. The snow was very deep, as we'd received quite a bit of snow all day on Sunday and Sunday night. It was slow going. Paul was doing a great job of navigating but soon we found ourselves on a steep section in thick brush. We knew we'd lost the herdpath and knew which direction we needed to head, but it was too difficult to get there with the brush. Also, Paul was concerned about the snowpack. We weren't sure how stable things were because the snow was soft and there wasn't much of a base beneath it. There was an area of blowdown we were near and he didn't feel comfortable with us going through it. We were both physically exhausted but knew we were on the wrong track. I had gotten whipped in the eyeball by a tree-limb so my eye was burning and watering and my attitude was really poor. Paul was as tired as I've ever seen him. We knew the decision to turn back was best.
Back down we went and we arrived at the tent early again. Same story of napping, lounging, melting snow for water and hot water bottles for the sleeping bag--yay. We discussed our options. Neither one of us wanted to go back for Seymour but we felt confident in our attempt. Why not attempt Seymour and hopefully make it, then hike out? Our original plan had us hiking out with already completing 4 peaks. Here we were already prepping for day 3 with zero peaks. Part of us wanted to just hike out the next day. Forget Seymour. But, we were already that far in there, why not just stay and try again? Seymour was the furthest peak out. If we could at least get that, the other three peaks could be attempted later.
Up early again and we faced a cold morning. We knew it was going to be sub-zero temps, but wow it was cold. I was having a tough time staying warm for the first part of the morning, but once we started climbing, I did finally warm up. We followed our tracks until we branched off toward the direction we thought we should have gone. At this point the trail became very steep. We were basically on the slide itself and it was incredible. The snow was knee-thigh-waist deep and it was super slow going. We did the best we could, but we were not making progress fast enough. We were concerned about daylight and we topped out only .3 mile from the summit. Talk about heart wrenching. Reluctantly AGAIN we turned back and headed down. We both were clearly too exhausted to try to hike out. The interesting thing is that we saw tracks. Others had been in. Paul noted that the tracks followed our old tracks from the day before. Uh oh....well, maybe they had been able to find a better way.
We'd been having problems with condensation in the tent and we decided that we'd sleep in the lean-to that night. We knew the temperatures were supposed to be warmer and indeed we could feel it. It did snow lightly that night and every once in a while the wind would blow a little snow in the lean-to and you'd feel snow crystals on your face. It would give me a chill, so I tried to keep my back to the open side. I didn't get much sleep the whole trip and was pretty tired but so was Paul.
We packed up gear the next morning and made decent time along the broken trail out toward the car. And what did we find when we got to the summer trailhead? The road had been plowed! It figured!
So, it was 4 days, while we saw signs of people we actually didn't see anyone AND we didn't summit any peaks. That was a big drag. It was Christmas Eve and we were bummed. We were starving when we got out, but soon found out that nothing in the small town of Tupper Lake seemed to be open. What to do! The one place that was open was the Dunkin' Donuts in the gas station in town. I had a bagel and Paul had a bagel sandwich and that was enough to take the edge off.
We both were beat down and were not sure what to do. We'd planned on staying up there, but decided that we needed to retreat. To rethink things. Plans had changed completely. Fortunately, from Tupper Lake it was only about a 2 1/2 hour drive to Paul's parents house. We called to make sure we could come to stay and they welcomed us. We were able to clean up, dry out, warm up, do laundry, and sleep in a warm bed. Paul's mom made their traditional sausages (but earlier than midnight!) and for Christmas breakfast we made egg nog french toast. It was delish.
Paul's parents left to head to Paul's younger sister's house and we spent the afternoon sorting gear, food, and packing for another trip. Since we felt as though we needed a confidence boost, we decided we'd try a shorter trip. We figured on heading to hike Esther.
We left the warmth of the house and headed to Megan's (Paul's sister). There, we visited and hung out for a little while before we hit the road. We opted to get an early start, so we passed up dinner (though it smelled great) and headed north.
We took backroads for a while and were having trouble finding something that was open on Christmas. Once on the Northway, I even used the GPS to find restaurants and I called to see if they were open. Only one was: Denny's. We were pretty hungry at that point, so we decided to roll the dice and give them a try. We couldn't believe how busy they were! It was a small restaurant and was quite crowded. We got our food and it was tasty! I was surprised, as I've been to horrible Denny's restaurants and I wasn't sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised and it was good to know where it was, because later it became a favorite stopping place for several of our other trips home.
Back on the road with full bellies and as we approached our exit, decided we'd stop by the Ausable Club parking area to check out what was going on there. Maybe we'd reconsider our trip....TO BE CONTINUED...
Paul and I spent weeks and weeks talking about the upcoming winter climbing season. We discussed trip options, how to attack the peaks, etc. We knew we had a lot on our plate with 23 peaks to climb, but we also knew it was within our abilities.
The climbing season began on Dec 21 (a Sunday). Paul and I had decided to take some time off work and to spend the entire two week holiday season in the mountains. We thought it would be fun to celebrate the holidays in the snowy north. We came up with an extensive plan which we thought we could handle. Paul designed and built a futon platform for my car thereby creating an elevated sleeping space while utilizing storage space underneath. We bought food, organized meals, gear, you name it. We were set.
We headed up to Tupper Lake on Saturday the 20th with the intent on hiking the Seward Range over several days. The idea was that Paul would drag a sled with gear (lightening our pack loads) and we'd hike in, attempt Seymour either the first day or the second, and try the three Sewards (Seward, Donaldson, Emmons) the next day and possibly hike out--all depending on conditions and how we felt.
We had a tasty dinner at the Lumberjack Inn in town and headed to Coreys Road where we would see if we could get to the summer trailhead. The road is not always plowed in the winter and sometimes they close and lock the gate. If that happens, one must park on the road and hike in from there. It ads an additional 3.5-4 miles depending on where you start from. Unfortunately, because of recent snow, the road was impassable and we had to park at the winter trailhead. Obstacle number 1. We went to sleep for the night and woke up with a hopeful attitude.
We started off down the road and made our way to the summer trailhead. No one had been in (we weren't surprised). We hiked down the trail and the snow was deep. No broken trail. Paul was struggling with the sled because the snow was so soft. It was exhausting. It was snowing pretty heavily and we still hadn't made it to the lean-to. It has to be just ahead we kept telling ourselves. The sled was making things very difficult for Paul and he was wiped out by the time we did arrive at the lean-to. We knew we were not going to make an attempt on Seymour that day. We opted to set up our new tent instead of sleeping in the lean-to. We did so and climbed in our sleeping bags and took a nap. It was still early in the day, but we were quite tired already.
We napped, lounged, etc the rest of the day. Had a meal and slept for the night. We decided we'd get up early and make an attempt on Seymour the next day. Up relatively early and down the unbroken trail we went. The snow was very deep, as we'd received quite a bit of snow all day on Sunday and Sunday night. It was slow going. Paul was doing a great job of navigating but soon we found ourselves on a steep section in thick brush. We knew we'd lost the herdpath and knew which direction we needed to head, but it was too difficult to get there with the brush. Also, Paul was concerned about the snowpack. We weren't sure how stable things were because the snow was soft and there wasn't much of a base beneath it. There was an area of blowdown we were near and he didn't feel comfortable with us going through it. We were both physically exhausted but knew we were on the wrong track. I had gotten whipped in the eyeball by a tree-limb so my eye was burning and watering and my attitude was really poor. Paul was as tired as I've ever seen him. We knew the decision to turn back was best.
Back down we went and we arrived at the tent early again. Same story of napping, lounging, melting snow for water and hot water bottles for the sleeping bag--yay. We discussed our options. Neither one of us wanted to go back for Seymour but we felt confident in our attempt. Why not attempt Seymour and hopefully make it, then hike out? Our original plan had us hiking out with already completing 4 peaks. Here we were already prepping for day 3 with zero peaks. Part of us wanted to just hike out the next day. Forget Seymour. But, we were already that far in there, why not just stay and try again? Seymour was the furthest peak out. If we could at least get that, the other three peaks could be attempted later.
Up early again and we faced a cold morning. We knew it was going to be sub-zero temps, but wow it was cold. I was having a tough time staying warm for the first part of the morning, but once we started climbing, I did finally warm up. We followed our tracks until we branched off toward the direction we thought we should have gone. At this point the trail became very steep. We were basically on the slide itself and it was incredible. The snow was knee-thigh-waist deep and it was super slow going. We did the best we could, but we were not making progress fast enough. We were concerned about daylight and we topped out only .3 mile from the summit. Talk about heart wrenching. Reluctantly AGAIN we turned back and headed down. We both were clearly too exhausted to try to hike out. The interesting thing is that we saw tracks. Others had been in. Paul noted that the tracks followed our old tracks from the day before. Uh oh....well, maybe they had been able to find a better way.
We'd been having problems with condensation in the tent and we decided that we'd sleep in the lean-to that night. We knew the temperatures were supposed to be warmer and indeed we could feel it. It did snow lightly that night and every once in a while the wind would blow a little snow in the lean-to and you'd feel snow crystals on your face. It would give me a chill, so I tried to keep my back to the open side. I didn't get much sleep the whole trip and was pretty tired but so was Paul.
We packed up gear the next morning and made decent time along the broken trail out toward the car. And what did we find when we got to the summer trailhead? The road had been plowed! It figured!
So, it was 4 days, while we saw signs of people we actually didn't see anyone AND we didn't summit any peaks. That was a big drag. It was Christmas Eve and we were bummed. We were starving when we got out, but soon found out that nothing in the small town of Tupper Lake seemed to be open. What to do! The one place that was open was the Dunkin' Donuts in the gas station in town. I had a bagel and Paul had a bagel sandwich and that was enough to take the edge off.
We both were beat down and were not sure what to do. We'd planned on staying up there, but decided that we needed to retreat. To rethink things. Plans had changed completely. Fortunately, from Tupper Lake it was only about a 2 1/2 hour drive to Paul's parents house. We called to make sure we could come to stay and they welcomed us. We were able to clean up, dry out, warm up, do laundry, and sleep in a warm bed. Paul's mom made their traditional sausages (but earlier than midnight!) and for Christmas breakfast we made egg nog french toast. It was delish.
Paul's parents left to head to Paul's younger sister's house and we spent the afternoon sorting gear, food, and packing for another trip. Since we felt as though we needed a confidence boost, we decided we'd try a shorter trip. We figured on heading to hike Esther.
We left the warmth of the house and headed to Megan's (Paul's sister). There, we visited and hung out for a little while before we hit the road. We opted to get an early start, so we passed up dinner (though it smelled great) and headed north.
We took backroads for a while and were having trouble finding something that was open on Christmas. Once on the Northway, I even used the GPS to find restaurants and I called to see if they were open. Only one was: Denny's. We were pretty hungry at that point, so we decided to roll the dice and give them a try. We couldn't believe how busy they were! It was a small restaurant and was quite crowded. We got our food and it was tasty! I was surprised, as I've been to horrible Denny's restaurants and I wasn't sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised and it was good to know where it was, because later it became a favorite stopping place for several of our other trips home.
Back on the road with full bellies and as we approached our exit, decided we'd stop by the Ausable Club parking area to check out what was going on there. Maybe we'd reconsider our trip....TO BE CONTINUED...
Cali Time
Paul and I are excited for our upcoming trip to California. We leave this Saturday and will return on Sunday, April 5. It's been 6 months since we've been there, so it will be good to go home. I am looking forward to seeing my folks, my dogs, my cat, my home! : ) And, as luck would have it, two of my dearest friends, Summer and Liz will be in San Francisco the same time. So, as soon as we land in SFO, we're taking BART to the city to meet up for lunch! We can't wait!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Guess Who's Coming to.....Brunch?!
We're very excited to host our biggest fan Walt, and his wife Brenda for brunch on Sunday afternoon. We've got a nice menu of waffles with fresh fruit & whipped cream, Sky High biscuits with homemade razzleberry jam (can never have enough carbs!), eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Mmmmmm. Can hardly wait! I'm already hungry!!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Luck of the Irish
Paul is half Irish, thus St. Patrick's Day is his holiday. Oh, I wear green and all, but heck, I'm too Italian to be Irish! ; )
I decided to cook my first ever corned beef for Paul this year. I had no idea how to do it, so I looked online for recipes and found one I liked. I went to Wegman's and got the beef and other stuff and came home and got to work. It was really easy! I cooked it in a mixture of beer and water with the spice packet, some garlic, shallot, and near the end added red potatoes and carrots. Ok ok, I'm not sure if that's "standard" Irish fare, but hey, I was trying!
It cooked longer than I'd planned because we decided to change the oil in my car and rotate the tires before dinner (taking advantage of the daylight). So, instead of taking the meat out, I just left it in and turned it way down. Paul was pretty excited about it when we finally came upstairs for dinner. We took the meat out and let it rest for a good fifteen minutes and Paul carved it up. A nice portion with potatoes and carrots for dinner and it actually made enough for 3+ lunches for him. I was nervous about how it was, but he said it was very good and enjoyed it! Yay!
A vegetarian that cooks meat--what an oxymoron!
I decided to cook my first ever corned beef for Paul this year. I had no idea how to do it, so I looked online for recipes and found one I liked. I went to Wegman's and got the beef and other stuff and came home and got to work. It was really easy! I cooked it in a mixture of beer and water with the spice packet, some garlic, shallot, and near the end added red potatoes and carrots. Ok ok, I'm not sure if that's "standard" Irish fare, but hey, I was trying!
It cooked longer than I'd planned because we decided to change the oil in my car and rotate the tires before dinner (taking advantage of the daylight). So, instead of taking the meat out, I just left it in and turned it way down. Paul was pretty excited about it when we finally came upstairs for dinner. We took the meat out and let it rest for a good fifteen minutes and Paul carved it up. A nice portion with potatoes and carrots for dinner and it actually made enough for 3+ lunches for him. I was nervous about how it was, but he said it was very good and enjoyed it! Yay!
A vegetarian that cooks meat--what an oxymoron!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Panther, Santanoni, Couch & Friends
Paul and I were finally able to schedule a trip to meet up with our friend Bob from the online forum. I picked him up Friday afternoon and we headed up to Upper Works. We stopped in Oneonta for dinner at the Neptune Diner. Paul had eaten there before but I never had. I was in the mood for breakfast, so I ordered the french toast. I made a joke of it to Paul because it said it was "jumbo" slices of homemade challah bread. Jumbo. Ok, sure. I'll believe it when I see it. While we waited for our food, we enjoyed the ambiance of the giant fish tank just behind our table. It really was quite fascinating. There were fish, hermit crabs, and plant life. It was most interesting to watch the crabs. They came in all different sizes, but from tiny, to small, to medium size. They were crawling around while carrying their home of a shell on their backs.
Our food arrived and then the joke was on me. It really WAS jumbo sized bread! It was quite good, though I wish it would have been cooked just a little more. I know, I'm picky, but I can't help it. I don't like soggy french toast! ; ) When the server returned to clear our plates and bring the bill, she said,"Did he help you with that?" LOL She didn't believe I ate the whole plate of food. We laughed about that!
We made it to Upper Works and decided to park at the trailhead for Allen. We did briefly check out the Santanoni parking lot and the trail register. People had been in during the week and there were cars in the parking lot. The stars were quite amazing and I took a quick look before we turned in for the night.
I was able to get some sleep which was a nice surprise. The alarm didn't go off until about ten of 5 which was a treat. It was almost like sleeping in! I was still tired though and not ready to go. Soon though, headlights filled the car and we noticed the truck of the ranger who apparently was out doing rounds, checking registers and parking lots. He left just as quickly as he arrived and we started moving, putting on hiking boots, and prepping for the day.
We drove down to the Santanoni parking lot and noted it was filling up quickly! There were quite a few people there already. The last we'd heard, there were to be about ten people from the forum for the hike.
We were first greeted by Cindy (Snickers) from the forum who we've traded messages back and forth with for over a year. This was the first time we'd met though! Soon, Lyle (crazymama) and Diana (Lurkette) came to introduce themselves and we chatted briefly while we waited for others to arrive. Our main "character" was Bob (turkeybob), but he wasn't there yet. Cindy was confused because she had seen him the night before and he said all was good and that he would see us in the morning. We waited, but decided we were going to press on without him. Paul and I wondered what happened.
Off we went, the group sort of dispersed, but would soon rejoin. There was Steve (steved), Chuck, another guy whose name I forgot, Lyle, Diana, Cindy, Paul, and myself. We barebooted down the trail and made it to the herdpath turnoff for Bradley Pond when Bob and his son Joe (JuniorTurkey) caught up to us. Not only them, but also Keith, Phil (Prino), Yvon, and Annie. Wow! It was a full group!
Bob wasn't sure who we were at first and when we introduced ourselves was thrilled! He was so excited! It was cute, actually. Bob is 61 years old and had only the three Santanoni's plus Haystack left to finish his Winter 46.
Anyway, again we mostly stuck together on the way up to Herald Square, though we did separate slightly. The day was absolutely extradordinary and the views on the way up were outstanding. It was crazy at Herald Square. So many people! I shared some banana bread and blueberry crumb bars and then off to Panther we went! It was a short trip with really only one tough, icy section. We all made the summit and there were high fives, woo hoos and lots of celebrating. Photos, more photos, and more photos were taken. It was fairly chilly on top, so back toward Herald Square we went. I took my time getting down the steep section and had Paul's help. He was kind enough to make sure others got down safely too and was there in the event that someone needed help.
From Herald Square we headed to Times Square. We didn't dilly dally at all, but instead headed straight for Couch. We saw overnight camping gear that belonged to Clay (Rookie) who had camped up there Friday night. We had sent him a note earlier in the week to let him know we'd be up there and he was looking forward to meeting us and vice versa. The trip to Couch is about 1.5 miles and it's a bushwhack. The herdpath was fairly open, but you still have to push your way through spruce trees and you do get hit in the face by tree limbs. In fact, Diana had a scratch on her nose that was lightly bleeding...most everyone had some form of treelimb damage. It's inevitable.
You lose quite a bit of elevation on the way to Couch. The peak is actually less than 4,000 feet, but is still one of the 46 High Peaks.
On the way we did manage to lose the herdpath but soon found it again and continued on. We met Brian and Janet on their way down (we didn't know them then, but found out who they were after we'd returned home). And, soon we met Clay. That was one of the funniest moments of the day. Cindy was introducing people, going down the line. She got to us and Clay said, "So you're Jennster & Paul!" "I was on the summit of Couch asking everyone, 'Are you Jen & Paul, are you Paul & Jen?" It was too funny! Cindy said,"See? Isn't it like you're celebrities?!"
About 10-15 minutes later we arrived at the sunny summit of Couch. Last year when Paul and I made it, I wasn't in the best of moods. I'd gotten hit in the face several times and was not enjoying myself. My summit photo on Couch was one where I was not smiling. This time it was a different story, however. The summit is small and I'm not sure how we all crammed ourselves on top, but we did. Many, many photos, some coffee, cookies, laughs, and Paul and I felt a little cramped so we decided to head back toward Times Square knowing the others would follow shortly. I was feeling tired, but Paul insisted we were making good time. The trek back up to Times Square was mostly uphill. I guess I was feeling all the running I did earlier in the week.
We arrived at Times Square to find a woman lounging in the sun apparently waiting for the rest of her party to return from Panther. It wasn't long before they made it back. Paul and I had a snack and waited for our group too.
Cindy and Keith arrived shortly, but by then I was getting a little chilly, so we opted to head toward Santanoni while the others returned to Times Square. We took our time and slowly made our way toward the tallest of the three peaks. Before we knew it, it was time to go up! Santanoni is a really neat peak. It has several false summits and the approach is quite spectacular. What's interesting is that because it's a herdpath, from year to year it may differ just slightly. I remarked to Paul that I remembered going up a slightly different way. It doesn't matter really, as we made it to the summit anyway.
It wasn't too long before the others caught up and we all were on the summit together. There were several that opted not to do Santanoni, so we had about ten people up top and this was the ten that pretty much stayed together all day (Bob, Joe, Keith, Lyle, Diana, Cindy, Phil, Steve, Paul, and Me). Much hooting, hollering, photo taking and some snacking before heading down a new trail that neither Paul and I had traveled before.
The last time we took the trail back toward Times Square and out via Bradley Pond. This time, we were taking what's called the New-Old Trail or as Bob dubbed it--The Santanoni Express. It takes a more direct line down and cuts off some distance. It was quite steep at first, but there was some good snowshoe skiing and buttsliding which made it pretty fun.
We had great conversation on the way out and stopped for snacks along the way. My banana bread and blueberry crumb bars were big hits! : )
We made it back to the car and started our farewells. It was funny--Bob asked Paul permission to give me a hug! A big hug from him and we wished him luck with his 46th peak. He was going to attempt Haystack on Tuesday the 17th--St. Patrick's Day. We told him we thought it would be a good luck day. We sure hope he is successful! Nice to meet yous to everyone else, a big hug from Cindy and everyone left.
We did a quick clothes change and hit the road shortly thereafter. We wanted to get as far south as we could and talked about what we wanted for dinner and decided on Red Robin. We hadn't been there since last year after a hike.
We got there, sat down and our server came. I told Paul that she looked familiar. She must have served us before. A few minutes later when she came by, she said, "I've taken care of you guys before. You hike, right?" Paul and I were both flabbergasted. She remembered us from last year! Hard to believe. She must have many, many customers. We were floored that she remembered us AND that we hike. I remember that we stopped quite late one night and I had my North Face fleece jacket and beanie on. She asked if we skied and we said that we hiked...little did we know she'd keep that in her memory! We gave her a nice tip!
I drove from there and we both realized we were too tired to drive all the way home. Paul's parents were in Florida for vacation, but told us to use the house if we needed to. We really appreciated it! Thanks SO much! We cleaned up and each crashed on a couch--zonked out in minutes.
An uneventful drive home Sunday morning and back to the day to day schtuff. It was really one of the best days in the Adirondacks. The weather was glorious, the company was outstanding, and it was just a different experience for us.
I'm currently uploading photos and will post those soon and I will also copy links to the online forum and the trip reports from various people in the Santas on Saturday. I think you might enjoy reading those. For now, I'll close, but check back soon with those additions. : )
Our Photos:
2009-03-17 18:26
Photos from Phil:
Santanonis March14-09
And for your reading enjoyment...Beware, these can take a while to get through! : )
Trip Reports Written By Forum Members:
From Bob (TurkeyBob):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7916
From Bob's son, Joe (JuniorTurkey):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7919
From Clay (Rookie):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7931
From Brian (BushmanBrian):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7914
Our food arrived and then the joke was on me. It really WAS jumbo sized bread! It was quite good, though I wish it would have been cooked just a little more. I know, I'm picky, but I can't help it. I don't like soggy french toast! ; ) When the server returned to clear our plates and bring the bill, she said,"Did he help you with that?" LOL She didn't believe I ate the whole plate of food. We laughed about that!
We made it to Upper Works and decided to park at the trailhead for Allen. We did briefly check out the Santanoni parking lot and the trail register. People had been in during the week and there were cars in the parking lot. The stars were quite amazing and I took a quick look before we turned in for the night.
I was able to get some sleep which was a nice surprise. The alarm didn't go off until about ten of 5 which was a treat. It was almost like sleeping in! I was still tired though and not ready to go. Soon though, headlights filled the car and we noticed the truck of the ranger who apparently was out doing rounds, checking registers and parking lots. He left just as quickly as he arrived and we started moving, putting on hiking boots, and prepping for the day.
We drove down to the Santanoni parking lot and noted it was filling up quickly! There were quite a few people there already. The last we'd heard, there were to be about ten people from the forum for the hike.
We were first greeted by Cindy (Snickers) from the forum who we've traded messages back and forth with for over a year. This was the first time we'd met though! Soon, Lyle (crazymama) and Diana (Lurkette) came to introduce themselves and we chatted briefly while we waited for others to arrive. Our main "character" was Bob (turkeybob), but he wasn't there yet. Cindy was confused because she had seen him the night before and he said all was good and that he would see us in the morning. We waited, but decided we were going to press on without him. Paul and I wondered what happened.
Off we went, the group sort of dispersed, but would soon rejoin. There was Steve (steved), Chuck, another guy whose name I forgot, Lyle, Diana, Cindy, Paul, and myself. We barebooted down the trail and made it to the herdpath turnoff for Bradley Pond when Bob and his son Joe (JuniorTurkey) caught up to us. Not only them, but also Keith, Phil (Prino), Yvon, and Annie. Wow! It was a full group!
Bob wasn't sure who we were at first and when we introduced ourselves was thrilled! He was so excited! It was cute, actually. Bob is 61 years old and had only the three Santanoni's plus Haystack left to finish his Winter 46.
Anyway, again we mostly stuck together on the way up to Herald Square, though we did separate slightly. The day was absolutely extradordinary and the views on the way up were outstanding. It was crazy at Herald Square. So many people! I shared some banana bread and blueberry crumb bars and then off to Panther we went! It was a short trip with really only one tough, icy section. We all made the summit and there were high fives, woo hoos and lots of celebrating. Photos, more photos, and more photos were taken. It was fairly chilly on top, so back toward Herald Square we went. I took my time getting down the steep section and had Paul's help. He was kind enough to make sure others got down safely too and was there in the event that someone needed help.
From Herald Square we headed to Times Square. We didn't dilly dally at all, but instead headed straight for Couch. We saw overnight camping gear that belonged to Clay (Rookie) who had camped up there Friday night. We had sent him a note earlier in the week to let him know we'd be up there and he was looking forward to meeting us and vice versa. The trip to Couch is about 1.5 miles and it's a bushwhack. The herdpath was fairly open, but you still have to push your way through spruce trees and you do get hit in the face by tree limbs. In fact, Diana had a scratch on her nose that was lightly bleeding...most everyone had some form of treelimb damage. It's inevitable.
You lose quite a bit of elevation on the way to Couch. The peak is actually less than 4,000 feet, but is still one of the 46 High Peaks.
On the way we did manage to lose the herdpath but soon found it again and continued on. We met Brian and Janet on their way down (we didn't know them then, but found out who they were after we'd returned home). And, soon we met Clay. That was one of the funniest moments of the day. Cindy was introducing people, going down the line. She got to us and Clay said, "So you're Jennster & Paul!" "I was on the summit of Couch asking everyone, 'Are you Jen & Paul, are you Paul & Jen?" It was too funny! Cindy said,"See? Isn't it like you're celebrities?!"
About 10-15 minutes later we arrived at the sunny summit of Couch. Last year when Paul and I made it, I wasn't in the best of moods. I'd gotten hit in the face several times and was not enjoying myself. My summit photo on Couch was one where I was not smiling. This time it was a different story, however. The summit is small and I'm not sure how we all crammed ourselves on top, but we did. Many, many photos, some coffee, cookies, laughs, and Paul and I felt a little cramped so we decided to head back toward Times Square knowing the others would follow shortly. I was feeling tired, but Paul insisted we were making good time. The trek back up to Times Square was mostly uphill. I guess I was feeling all the running I did earlier in the week.
We arrived at Times Square to find a woman lounging in the sun apparently waiting for the rest of her party to return from Panther. It wasn't long before they made it back. Paul and I had a snack and waited for our group too.
Cindy and Keith arrived shortly, but by then I was getting a little chilly, so we opted to head toward Santanoni while the others returned to Times Square. We took our time and slowly made our way toward the tallest of the three peaks. Before we knew it, it was time to go up! Santanoni is a really neat peak. It has several false summits and the approach is quite spectacular. What's interesting is that because it's a herdpath, from year to year it may differ just slightly. I remarked to Paul that I remembered going up a slightly different way. It doesn't matter really, as we made it to the summit anyway.
It wasn't too long before the others caught up and we all were on the summit together. There were several that opted not to do Santanoni, so we had about ten people up top and this was the ten that pretty much stayed together all day (Bob, Joe, Keith, Lyle, Diana, Cindy, Phil, Steve, Paul, and Me). Much hooting, hollering, photo taking and some snacking before heading down a new trail that neither Paul and I had traveled before.
The last time we took the trail back toward Times Square and out via Bradley Pond. This time, we were taking what's called the New-Old Trail or as Bob dubbed it--The Santanoni Express. It takes a more direct line down and cuts off some distance. It was quite steep at first, but there was some good snowshoe skiing and buttsliding which made it pretty fun.
We had great conversation on the way out and stopped for snacks along the way. My banana bread and blueberry crumb bars were big hits! : )
We made it back to the car and started our farewells. It was funny--Bob asked Paul permission to give me a hug! A big hug from him and we wished him luck with his 46th peak. He was going to attempt Haystack on Tuesday the 17th--St. Patrick's Day. We told him we thought it would be a good luck day. We sure hope he is successful! Nice to meet yous to everyone else, a big hug from Cindy and everyone left.
We did a quick clothes change and hit the road shortly thereafter. We wanted to get as far south as we could and talked about what we wanted for dinner and decided on Red Robin. We hadn't been there since last year after a hike.
We got there, sat down and our server came. I told Paul that she looked familiar. She must have served us before. A few minutes later when she came by, she said, "I've taken care of you guys before. You hike, right?" Paul and I were both flabbergasted. She remembered us from last year! Hard to believe. She must have many, many customers. We were floored that she remembered us AND that we hike. I remember that we stopped quite late one night and I had my North Face fleece jacket and beanie on. She asked if we skied and we said that we hiked...little did we know she'd keep that in her memory! We gave her a nice tip!
I drove from there and we both realized we were too tired to drive all the way home. Paul's parents were in Florida for vacation, but told us to use the house if we needed to. We really appreciated it! Thanks SO much! We cleaned up and each crashed on a couch--zonked out in minutes.
An uneventful drive home Sunday morning and back to the day to day schtuff. It was really one of the best days in the Adirondacks. The weather was glorious, the company was outstanding, and it was just a different experience for us.
I'm currently uploading photos and will post those soon and I will also copy links to the online forum and the trip reports from various people in the Santas on Saturday. I think you might enjoy reading those. For now, I'll close, but check back soon with those additions. : )
Our Photos:
2009-03-17 18:26
Photos from Phil:
Santanonis March14-09
And for your reading enjoyment...Beware, these can take a while to get through! : )
Trip Reports Written By Forum Members:
From Bob (TurkeyBob):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7916
From Bob's son, Joe (JuniorTurkey):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7919
From Clay (Rookie):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7931
From Brian (BushmanBrian):
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7914
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Banana Bread is Cooling
Freshly baked banana bread these days usually means one thing...that we're heading to the mountains. And, indeed we are. Our friend Bob (turkeybob) from the online forum is trying to finish his Winter 46ers this season as well. We've been trying to meet up with him for a few weeks, but schedules just haven't worked out. Finally it appears that we'll be able to hike with him this weekend. And, as it turns out, it won't be just him and his son but a group of about ten other people! We have definitely talked with some of them via the forum and have met at least two while out hiking. It should be a fun weekend and a chance to make new friends.
So, in preparation, I baked banana bread and halved the loaves so it stretches a little farther. I have to share after all! Plus, tomorrow after I get home from work I think I'll make a quick batch of those oatmeal fruit bars I made a while back. I did raspberry last time. I think this time I'll do blueberry. I guess I look for any excuse to bake don't I? : )
Everything is packed, the car is loaded, and now we just have to wait until tomorrow to hit the road. We'll drive up tomorrow night and head to Upper Works where we'll sleep in the car. We'll be hiking the Santanoni's which include Panther, Santanoni, and Couchsachraga (lovingly shortened and pronounced "Cooch" by most, but "Couch" by Paul and I. ; ) We will have SPOT with us and will be broadcasting all day on Saturday. It's doubtful that we'll be getting a super early start since we're hiking with others. They are planning on a 6:30am start which to us is super LATE! We'd like to start earlier, but I think we're outnumbered this time! We still may choose to start a bit before them just to see what conditions are like etc, but we'll see. We haven't hiked with anyone else on any of the 46 with the exception of one, so this will be a new experience!
I'll post a trip report, photos, and any videos hopefully on Sunday when we get home or Monday if I'm too tired! Wish us and everyone else luck with these three peaks!
So, in preparation, I baked banana bread and halved the loaves so it stretches a little farther. I have to share after all! Plus, tomorrow after I get home from work I think I'll make a quick batch of those oatmeal fruit bars I made a while back. I did raspberry last time. I think this time I'll do blueberry. I guess I look for any excuse to bake don't I? : )
Everything is packed, the car is loaded, and now we just have to wait until tomorrow to hit the road. We'll drive up tomorrow night and head to Upper Works where we'll sleep in the car. We'll be hiking the Santanoni's which include Panther, Santanoni, and Couchsachraga (lovingly shortened and pronounced "Cooch" by most, but "Couch" by Paul and I. ; ) We will have SPOT with us and will be broadcasting all day on Saturday. It's doubtful that we'll be getting a super early start since we're hiking with others. They are planning on a 6:30am start which to us is super LATE! We'd like to start earlier, but I think we're outnumbered this time! We still may choose to start a bit before them just to see what conditions are like etc, but we'll see. We haven't hiked with anyone else on any of the 46 with the exception of one, so this will be a new experience!
I'll post a trip report, photos, and any videos hopefully on Sunday when we get home or Monday if I'm too tired! Wish us and everyone else luck with these three peaks!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
A Recap and Many Thanks!
It's still hard to believe we have accomplished our goal. I figured I'd write up just a quick recap and something to sort of tie it all together in case you may have missed something.
I moved to NY in 2006 to start an accelerated BS of Nursing program. Before I moved here, I was a hiker and a high pointer (each state has a highest point, the key is to climb them all). I thought I should take advantage of being in the NE and I met a friend in school who was also a hiker. We planned on heading to the Adirondacks to hike Mt. Marcy, the highest point in NY. We did so in September 2006 in the pouring rain and blowing wind. It was undoubtedly a very tough hike! Even in the rain though, the fall colors and the area were beautiful. Little did I know that very soon I'd be spending a LOT of time in these mountains.
The first High Peak Paul and I successfully climbed was Wright. It was March 2007. It was quite an experience. It was my first time on snowshoes and crampons and we had summit winds that we approximate were gusting to 55-60mph. I was scared witless. We had planned on attempting Algonquin, but decided against it in those conditions. A few weeks later we climbed Whiteface with our friend Rick. It was an exhausting hike in fresh, deep, unbroken snow. You would have thought I'd never return to those mountains again! And it was a while before we went back. Neither of us enjoy hiking in the mud or with bugs!
We completed more peaks in the fall of 2007 and we had discussed the possibility of completing the regular 46, but weren't sure if it was a commitment we wanted to make. We enjoy so many activities that it's hard to do them all.
It wasn't until the winter of 2007-2008 when we asked ourselves the possibility of not only completing the 46, but completing the WINTER 46. Really? Ok, we'd better get going then! And we did. Last winter we completed 21 peaks which added to W&W gave us 23 peaks. We were only halfway to the winter 46! We knew it was going to be difficult because we had 23 peaks to go--13 of those being peaks we'd already climbed in the fall which we'd have to re-do.
So, when this winter started, we were gung-ho ready to go. The first few trips of the year aren't on the blog yet, but I will do my best to get write-ups for those and post them soon. Long story short, we did it and are very proud of ourselves for doing so!
Currently, there are fewer than 500 recorded Winter 46ers, less than 90 of those are women. We will be recognized at the ADK Winter Gathering later this month, but we'll be in California and will be unable to attend. Paul and I aren't much for those types of events anyway. : ) We will each receive a climbing number but not until February 2010. The number will most likely be in the 6000 range, followed by a "w" i.e. 6999W. That's because there are over 6,000 registered regular 46ers and they don't have separate numbers for regular and winter climbers. The "w" is the distinguishing factor.
This journey meant a lot to both Paul and I and really, I couldn't have done it without him, nor would I have wanted to. He is one of the strongest, bravest, and most patient persons I know. This experience certainly taught me a lot and I can tell that I've come a long way since Wright in 2007. But again, I (we) didn't do this all on our own. We have an outstanding "Supporting Cast". So now, it's the THANK YOU part of my note....
We really want to thank our families for their support. We're sorry we worry you so much!! Mom and Dad, thanks SO much for SPOT, for the constant weather updates, late phone calls, gear, food, and everything.
Mr. & Mrs. F, thank you for watching Moab so frequently, the dinners, desserts (yum!), a place to stay, breakfasts, and everything else.
And to our friends too, for their support. Here's a shout out to our biggest fan, Walt! High five, buddy!! : ) We've loved hearing how you all have enjoyed reading the blog, looking at the photos & videos, and following us real-time on SPOT. Knowing people were watching us on SPOT reminded us that this adventure wasn't only about us anymore. We were glad to be able to involve so many people and hope it was a great experience for you all as well.
So, in two words, THANK YOU! We appreciate everything! We'll keep you posted as to our next adventure.
COMPLETION LIST, IN ORDER OF HEIGHT
I moved to NY in 2006 to start an accelerated BS of Nursing program. Before I moved here, I was a hiker and a high pointer (each state has a highest point, the key is to climb them all). I thought I should take advantage of being in the NE and I met a friend in school who was also a hiker. We planned on heading to the Adirondacks to hike Mt. Marcy, the highest point in NY. We did so in September 2006 in the pouring rain and blowing wind. It was undoubtedly a very tough hike! Even in the rain though, the fall colors and the area were beautiful. Little did I know that very soon I'd be spending a LOT of time in these mountains.
The first High Peak Paul and I successfully climbed was Wright. It was March 2007. It was quite an experience. It was my first time on snowshoes and crampons and we had summit winds that we approximate were gusting to 55-60mph. I was scared witless. We had planned on attempting Algonquin, but decided against it in those conditions. A few weeks later we climbed Whiteface with our friend Rick. It was an exhausting hike in fresh, deep, unbroken snow. You would have thought I'd never return to those mountains again! And it was a while before we went back. Neither of us enjoy hiking in the mud or with bugs!
We completed more peaks in the fall of 2007 and we had discussed the possibility of completing the regular 46, but weren't sure if it was a commitment we wanted to make. We enjoy so many activities that it's hard to do them all.
It wasn't until the winter of 2007-2008 when we asked ourselves the possibility of not only completing the 46, but completing the WINTER 46. Really? Ok, we'd better get going then! And we did. Last winter we completed 21 peaks which added to W&W gave us 23 peaks. We were only halfway to the winter 46! We knew it was going to be difficult because we had 23 peaks to go--13 of those being peaks we'd already climbed in the fall which we'd have to re-do.
So, when this winter started, we were gung-ho ready to go. The first few trips of the year aren't on the blog yet, but I will do my best to get write-ups for those and post them soon. Long story short, we did it and are very proud of ourselves for doing so!
Currently, there are fewer than 500 recorded Winter 46ers, less than 90 of those are women. We will be recognized at the ADK Winter Gathering later this month, but we'll be in California and will be unable to attend. Paul and I aren't much for those types of events anyway. : ) We will each receive a climbing number but not until February 2010. The number will most likely be in the 6000 range, followed by a "w" i.e. 6999W. That's because there are over 6,000 registered regular 46ers and they don't have separate numbers for regular and winter climbers. The "w" is the distinguishing factor.
This journey meant a lot to both Paul and I and really, I couldn't have done it without him, nor would I have wanted to. He is one of the strongest, bravest, and most patient persons I know. This experience certainly taught me a lot and I can tell that I've come a long way since Wright in 2007. But again, I (we) didn't do this all on our own. We have an outstanding "Supporting Cast". So now, it's the THANK YOU part of my note....
We really want to thank our families for their support. We're sorry we worry you so much!! Mom and Dad, thanks SO much for SPOT, for the constant weather updates, late phone calls, gear, food, and everything.
Mr. & Mrs. F, thank you for watching Moab so frequently, the dinners, desserts (yum!), a place to stay, breakfasts, and everything else.
And to our friends too, for their support. Here's a shout out to our biggest fan, Walt! High five, buddy!! : ) We've loved hearing how you all have enjoyed reading the blog, looking at the photos & videos, and following us real-time on SPOT. Knowing people were watching us on SPOT reminded us that this adventure wasn't only about us anymore. We were glad to be able to involve so many people and hope it was a great experience for you all as well.
So, in two words, THANK YOU! We appreciate everything! We'll keep you posted as to our next adventure.
COMPLETION LIST, IN ORDER OF HEIGHT
| PEAKS | ELEVATION | DATE CLIMBED |
| Marcy | 5344 | 21-Feb-09 |
| Algonquin | 5114 | 25 Mar 07, 18 Jan 09, 24 Jan 09 |
| Haystack | 4960 | 3 Nov 07, 7 Feb 09 |
| Skylight | 4926 | 21-Feb-09 |
| Whiteface | 4867 | 18-Mar-07 |
| Dix | 4857 | 15-Mar-08 |
| Gray | 4840 | 21-Feb-09 |
| Iroquois | 4840 | 25 Mar 07, 24 Jan 09 |
| Basin | 4827 | 3 Nov 07, 7 Feb 09 |
| Gothics | 4736 | 20 Oct 07, 29 Dec 08 |
| Colden | 4714 | 24-Jan-09 |
| Giant | 4627 | 26-Jan-08 |
| Nippletop | 4620 | 12-Jan-08 |
| Santanoni | 4607 | 23-Feb-08 |
| Redfield | 4606 | 9-Feb-08 |
| Wright | 4580 | 3-Mar-07 |
| Saddleback | 4515 | 3 Nov 07, 17 Jan 09 |
| Panther | 4442 | 23-Feb-08 |
| Tabletop | 4427 | 8-Mar-08 |
| Rocky Peak | 4420 | 26-Jan-08 |
| Macomb | 4405 | 15-Mar-08 |
| Armstrong | 4400 | 20 Oct 07, 29 Dec 08 |
| Hough | 4400 | 15-Mar-08 |
| Seward | 4361 | 10 Nov 07, 10 Jan 09 |
| Marshall | 4360 | 25-Jan-09 |
| Allen | 4340 | 16-Feb-08 |
| Big Slide | 4240 | 31-Jan-09 |
| Esther | 4240 | 27-Dec-08 |
| Upper Wolf Jaw | 4185 | 20 Oct 07, 29 Dec 08 |
| Lower Wolf Jaw | 4175 | 20 Oct 07, 17 Jan 09 |
| Street | 4166 | 27-Jan-08 |
| Phelps | 4161 | 8-Mar-08 |
| Donaldson | 4140 | 10-Jan-09 |
| Seymour | 4120 | 11-Jan-09 |
| Sawteeth | 4100 | 20 Oct 07, 29 Dec 08 |
| Cascade | 4098 | 13-Jan-08 |
| Carson (S. Dix) | 4060 | 15-Mar-08 |
| Porter | 4059 | 13-Jan-08 |
| Colvin | 4057 | 29 Sep 07, 26 Dec 08 |
| Emmons | 4040 | 10-Jan-09 |
| Dial | 4020 | 12-Jan-08 |
| Grace (E. Dix) | 4012 | 15-Mar-08 |
| Blake | 3960 | 29 Sep 07, 26 Dec 08 |
| Cliff | 3960 | 9-Feb-08 |
| Nye | 3895 | 27-Jan-08 |
| Couchsachraga | 3820 | 23-Feb-08 |