Snowy Mountain

Today Randy and I decided to hike up Snowy Mountain. It's next to Indian Lake and is a 3.4 mile hike in, 6.8 round trip. The mountain is 3899 feet, just shy of being one of the NYS 46'er mountains. Our total ascent was over 2000 feet. Anyway, today is just a perfect hiking day. Moderate temps, low humidity, sunny, everything a hiker can ask. We signed into the trail register at 0810. The 1st part of the trail is relatively easy. My knee is still bothering me and I also wanted to test out how painful the nearly healed blister and achilles tendons are. So I was going kind of slow and careful. Anyway, we did have to cross some pond on boards and logs. A little scary for me since my bog incident on the NPT. But we managed to get across OK. The climb got really steep and rocky about 1 mile from the summit. It took us 3 hours to get to the top but boy, is the view worth it. We also found the fire tower and climbed up that. Great views from all around. We went back down to the "ledge" with the view and had some lunch. We left about 1200 and weren't 15 minutes on the way down when we encountered a couple coming up. After that I think there were about 5 or 6 more groups of 2 or more coming up the trail. Some starting close to the time we were nearly back to the trail register. A late start but what the heck, it doesn't get dark till 9pm. We got back to the register and signed out at 2:40pm. A pretty good trek. My feet are a bit tired. The back of my heels didn't bother me at all. The knee (actually both knees) behaved and I didn't try any fancy manuvers with them either. The blister site was a little sensitive but also didn't cause any problems.

Finishing the NPT June 22nd

I woke up at 0500, still raining, I go back to sleep. At 0600 (wow! a record for me on this trip) it's still raining. If it is cold and wet all day, I'm going to skip Wanika Falls. (Wanika Falls is a side trail off of the Duck Hole to Lake Placid section of the NPT. It's at about the halfway point of the section and is only .2 miles to the falls) It's also cold so I'm getting my money's worth from this trip. 90 degrees the 1st day, cold and rainy the last! Still - I think I prefer it cold instead of hot. I'll start the day with rain jacket and pants then see how it goes. I've bandaided the 4th toe of left foot. It must be rubbing in the boot. I'll have to get water one more time as by the end of breakfast I'll only have a liter or so left in the bladder. At 0700 - breakfast in bed to stay warm. I've done everything I can from inside the sleeping bag. The sky is still solid gray and it's still raining. I haven't even heard the ducks or loons this morning. However, a female hummingbird did fly in - attracted to my red Walmat fake CROC's. It might have been the same one who visited last night. But now it's time to fetch water and pack up.

1750 - Arrived at the Lake Placid trail head at this time. What a day. the trail guide describes the trail as "very rough' and "the hiker should not expect to make good time here". What an understatement! There should be warning signs - Trail From Hell! My usual hiking speed this trip has been 1.5 - 2 MPH. I've been doing 13 mile days in about 7.5 hours with 15 minute AM and PM breaks and half an hour for lunch. From Duck Hole the trail runs north along the side of a gorge. It involves continuous root climbing - most times only a boot width wide. Given the rain, they are also slippery. When not root climbing, the trail is very rocky and steep. Slipping could break an ankle if you didn't actually fall down the gorge wall. So, I go carefully. Where the trail does level out, it's completely overgrown with brush. Not so much a hike as a bushwhack. Again, lots of rain and brush dumping water on me too. Have to go slow here too cause you can't see your footing when pushing thru the brush. Could be rocks, mudholes, fallen branchs, holes or any combination thereof. My morning break should be at the Moose Pond Leanto, only 3.9 miles from my 0810 starting point at Duck Hole. By 11am I reach the place the guidebook says I go around a beaver dam. Since the book was published, turns out the little guys have built an even bigger dam just upstream from the one described in the book. The trail is covered with water so the rangers have flagged the way with surveyor tape. I saw in the Duck Hole trail register that the ranger caring for this section was here just 2 days ago and I've been following his tracks in the mud since Duck Hole. I see that along with the surveyor tape, the tracks go right up the the big beaver dam and we're supposed to cross the dam. OK, I'm a little leary but what the heck. It's still raining and the beaver haven't been nice enough to put in steps or level walkways so I go carefully. I get to the middle and stop and take a couple of pictures, trying to keep the camera dry. I realize that I'm soaked thru to the skin and the soft camera case is damp. I'll have to get the camera into the bear canister (I've been carrying it im my rain jacket pocket) as soon as I get to the leanto. I get all the way across and find myself in a brushy beaver clearing. No sign of a trail. I search for a worn path thru the brush, nothing. I look for more surveyor tape, nothing. I beat around the clearing looking for the tracks I've been following, nothing. Panic sets in. I get under a pine tree and pull my guide book out of my rain jacket pocket. The guide doesn't describe this 2nd dam, so no help there, the map scale is too small to be of any use. Unfortunately I didn't have my panic totally under control. I decide, from the map, that the trail follows the stream the beaver have dammed up so I struggle over to the downstream outflow of the beaver dam and finally see the surveyor tape. But here's another beaver dam! Smaller than the one I just crossed and the surveyor tape is on the other side. (I can see my mistake now, hindsight is 20/20. A good example of panic at work.) So I walk over the top of this dam and finally see a trail marker. Still fuming over the lack of trail markers, I march off. Pretty soon I realize I've seen this scenery before. I pull out my compass and sure enough, I'm going south! How the heck did I get turned around. I've come a good distance which I now have to recover. I get back to the big beaver dam and cross it again. I get to the other side and try to put brain in gear. I pull ou the guide description, the map, and stand next to the last surveyor tape marking the end of the dam. Then I realize my mistake - I needed to go upstream, not downstream. I head across the clearing to where I think the tail may be and with just a little scouting, find the trail marker. Finally! But I've lost an hour or more on this error. I trudge on and in short order, arrive at the Moose Pond leanto at 1pm. Five hours to go 4 miles. Big unhappy face. There's still 8 miles to the trailhead and 1.5 miles into Lake Placid village. I take off my pack and dig out a food bar. Eat that, take a drink, eat another food bar, drink more water. I open the bear canister and wipe the outside of the camera off with my fleece hat and wrap it up and put it in the canister. I cinch the canister on really well and pack everything up to go. I've only been resting 15 minutes but I'm getting cold, time to move on. While resting I've read the guidebook again for notable features. At 6 miles is Wanika Falls turn off. The guide describes lots of streams, steep and muddy places and bridges. Of note was a bridge at 8.5 miles and a tote road at 10.5 miles. So on I trudge, the way not so steep as the 1st 3 miles but still overgrown and rough.

I pass the trail junction for Wanika Falls about 2pm. It's only .2 mil to the falls but I don't have the energy. A little after 2pm I meet a hiker coming in. He's dressed in a wicking Tee and shorts. He's covered 6 miles in the rain but looks fresh as a daisy. I'm soaking wet and my feet are starting to hurt. It's still raining and I'm wondering why he isn't cold. Anyway, we speak for a moment and move on. I know Wanika Falls is the 6 mile point so I expect to see a "notable" bridge in about 1 - 2 hours at 8.5 miles. The trail has eased up some and I am back to doing about 1.5 - 2 MPH but there's still lots of holes, rocks, mud holes and stream crossings. Several streams have logs over them, some have a built flattened log bridge, some are just rock hops. A few times in the rain, my feet slip off the wet rocks or logs and I'm ankle deep in water or mud. After 2 hours I begin to fret cause I haven't seen any notable bridge. I'm expecting a suspension bridge or something but nothing remarkable has popped up. I'm dissappointed and am wondering just how fast I'm going? I get to a wide stream/bog/river? which might have been Snow Brook. This is a wide expanse and has some logs across it but no bridge. I follow the ranger's tracks (I am assuming these are the same tracks I've been following all day) across a muddy bit to some logs. They're not a bridge, just some logs that have been tumbled into a somewhat stable position that hikers are using to get across the water and mud. Because everything is wet and slippery, I avoid using the logs when I can, walking the round, slipper logs can be hazardous. So I follow the tracks to the mud, intending to bypass some/all of the logs. Big Mistake!!! I take a couple of steps and start sinking fast. Next thing I know, I'm hip deep in the center of the stream, knee deep in mud and sand and sinking. I let out a yell but of course there's no one to hear. I start thinking furiously about all the ways I've heard of or seen on TV to get out of quicksand. Finally my foot hits something solid. I brace against it and pull my left leg out ot the muck, get turned around and thinking light thoughts, fight my way out of the bog and back to where I entered. I'm breathing heavily, covered with mud to the knees and my boots are full of mud and water. At this point I should have sat down and as best as I could, rinsed out boots, socks and pants. But I didn't do that. Big mistake again which I'll explain later. I et up on the log and cross very carefuly. I'm thinking this is where the bridge should be! On I trudge. I'm beginning to think I've wandered into the 1st level of hell. No bridge, no tote road, I have fallen into a cold, rainy, muddy, never ending trail from hell. The trail has become easier, less brush, more level but still lots of mud holes and stream crossings. I keep telling myself to stop whining. Lots of people have had it a lot worse. Anyway, I'm doing this for fun! Aren't you having fun yet? Finally, I hear cars! Cars? Where's the bridge? Where's the tote road? Doesn't matter, here's the trailhead and the register. Yeah! I've made it! I sign out of the trail and head to the village. It's about 1.5 miles and I get to Main St and the Art Devlin Olympic Motor Inn. I get the last room, a king for $122. I don't care. There's a free newspaper available which I take. when I get to the room i spread the paper out and start peeling the muddy boots and socks and pants off. Then off with the rest of the wet clothes. I put on my sleeping clothes and take the boggy smelling boots, socks and other stuff out on the balcony. The rest of the pack stuff is spread out to dry. The trash compactor bag liner for my pack did not keep water out. Thankfully most stuff was in baggies. I called Randy and talked with him about my trip and picking me up. By the time I hung up, I was shivering with cold. I signed out of the train at 1750 so I had been hiking 10 hours with just a 15 minute break. I got in the shower, when I get out I look at my feet. They're a mess. The mud had sandpapered my skin on my heels. the bandaids and moleskin were soaked off. I carefully moleskin and bandaid my feet. I feel better now I'm warm and dry. The clothes I brought as "town clothes" had stayed clean and dry. I dry off the clogs and put them on and head out for dinner. A nice family neighborhood place about a block away where I had steak, mashed potatos and a glass of wine. I felt better but my feet were really protesting so I hobble back to the room. I'm in bed by 9, watch a little TV but by 9:30, I'm lights out. I had to get up at 11:30pm to take some asprin, my legs were really aching.

Lessons Learned
1. Panic kills. Need to take a breath and remain clear headed.
2. Mud in boots is serious. Take the time to clean my feet.
3. Read and understand the guide book. That's what you bought it for. Don't assume, read and understand the directions.

Finishing the NPT June 21st

Was bored last night so went to bed about 1900. No wonder then I was awake and got up about 0530. Any way, took my time and had some tea, cooked from my sleeping bag. Went to fill my water bladder (having saved our a cup of water to cook my cereal.). That chore done, got back in my sleeping bag cause it was very chilly, and made and ate breakfast. I had forgotten my fleece so have been using the sleeping bag liner (silk) as a shawl. I cleaned up my pot and dried everything then took a look at my feet. The left one has a big blister on the ball of my foot and some kind of cut or rubbed raw spot from my boot on my heel. Put iodine on them and a bandaid on the cut and moleskin on the blister. Helped out quite a bit. The right foot has a big callous on the big toe and the 3rd and 4th toes are sore from hitting the boot. Those nails are already starting to bruise. Nothing I can do about that. I had a set of dry underwear and socks so I put them on. The boots are still wet - oh well. The shirt was still damp, I put it on anyway. the socks were still wet so I will hang them on the back of my pack to dry during the day. I packed everthing up and was on my way by 0810. By 0930 I waas a Sewards Leanto and took a break. On the trail I came upon a pink lady slipper and took a couple of pics but I was under attack by mosquitoes so I suspect they are going to be blurry. (Turns out they were blurry) By 1130 I was at Ouluska Leanto and ate lunch. Bugs really bad now and a storm is coming. I put the camera in the bear canister. I was going to take pictures of "The Hermitage", the remains of Noah John Rondeau Hermitage "City Hall". He was a hermit, living in this clearing 1912 - 1950 and famous to all woods people in this area. Nothing left now but the clearing and some iron goods; hoops, etc. But I was afraid of rain so put the camera away.About 2pm the storm hit. I just kept walking. It didn't last long. By the time I got to Cold River Leanto #2 the sun was out. The place has a picnic table so I sat in the sun and let my shirt dry a little. Happily there were few bugs out now but I sparingly put on bug repellant. I still need to get thru tomorrow. By 1530 I was at Duck Hole. No Kathy or Gail here to great me but they did say they were going to wimp out if it rained. (Note: At the beginning of the trip, Kathy let me know she and Gail were planning to come into Duck Hole from the Upper Works trail and stay overnight with me at Duck Hole.) I stayed in the new leanto and from there could see the old beaver dam and the remains of the bridge and dam looking downstream. I could also see another storm coming up the valley so at 4pm I went and filled my water bladder. I had spent some time gathering firewood for a small celebratory "last night on the trail" fire but by 1645 it was raining. I'm watching it rain wrapped up in my sleeping bag liner in my dry sleeping clothes. Everything else is hanging up, drying as much as it can in damp weather. My feet are resting, not too bad shape for a 12 mile day. Soon I'll make dinner and eat it in my sleeping bag. I've saved a chocolate Cliff Bar for dessert. Someone left an old Reader's Digest in the leanto so I read for awhile, watched the rain come down and went to bed about 8pm.

Finishing the NPT June 20th

There was lots of rain last night. Also hot and humid. I'm glad I decided to stay in the lean to rather than test my tent. In preparation for the mice in the AT shelters, I had several visitors during the night. A couple of creatures were right up on my bug net. I'm up at 0545 and it's still sprinkling. The warm weather is also making lots of mosquitos active. Hope I have enough repellant to last the trip.

I left the leanto at 0810 and hiked to Kelly Point leanto without incident. Had a snack and left there abut 0945. At 1000 I met the church group who were staying at the Plumleys Leanto. I saw their register entry yesterday. They were heading out. I asked if they would call Randy and let him know I was OK and on schedule. They said sure. (They did make the call.) So I march on, over lots of mucky terrain till I get to Plumleys, about 1150. Still hot and humid and the mosquitos are fierce. Luckily the lake breeze was keeping the bugs at bay a little. I took a half hour for lunch. Took off my boots and socks and let the blister and new callouses I got on Tuesday dry. A half hour isn't enough time, even with the breeze, for my socks and boots to dry. So I put them back on and packup and hit the trail. It's very muddy in spots, several beaver caused water hazards to cross. Just after leaving Plumley's, I came upon a doe standing in the middle of the trail. She wouldn't move, even after I talked to her so I took a couple steps forward. She still wouldn't move. Finally, within 10 feet from her and pointing my hiking pole at her, she ambled off the path about 5 feet. Didn't seem to be concerned about me at all. About 50 feet farther down the trail, I was startled out of my wits when a doe broke cover from brush right beside the trail and dashed off a short way. She must have been bedded down and didn't like me being very close.

Hiking on, I had some confusion after the Shantuck clearing. The guide book says the Cold River Leantos are just left of the end of a suspension bridge. It also says I have to cross Cold Stream on foot. Turnes out the Cold Stream- a pretty big stream!, has a suspension bridge. Thus my confusion. I even went left at the end of the Cold Stream bridge, even tho it was obvious there is no trail there and bushwhacked around for 100 feet or so. Then I recrossed Cold Stream and went back to the little campsite and reread the guide book. I determine I'm at Cold Stream and decide to hike on. So I go about 1/2 mile and there is a huge suspension bridge and the leanto is right where it's supposed to be. The Cold River has some great water fall action going on and I took some pics from the suspension bridge. While making today's journal entry I looked up just in time to see and animal; possibly pine martin, otter or weasel. I don't know cause it was going pretty fast but it did stop for a second to look me over. After dinner I rinsed out a pair of worn socks and my shirt. The socks to have for Friday and the shirt cause I'm starting to smell to high heaven. The day has turned breezy and cool. Hope these things dry by morning.

Finishing the NPT June 19th

I had a stretch of appointment-less days and my torn muscle had healed so I decided to make another stab at finishing the NPT. Randy and I left the house at 0705 with my pack weight at 31 pounds. It took and hour and a half to get to Blue Mountain Lake to pick up where I left off a few weeks ago. Randy took a couple of starting out pictures and I was off and hiking by 0845. It only took an hour and a half to get to the Tirrell Pond and NPT trail junction (3.3 miles). The trail was pretty easy going till my 1130 lunch break. The it was up, up, up the Blue Ridge for 2 hours. At about 1330 I reach the height of land, a little over 3000 feet, but there's no view, too many trees. Then it's down, down, down very steep terrain for a little over an hour. At 1430 I have a sit down break on a nice log and eat a snack. I finally came to Rt28 about 1530 and hiked up Tarbell Rd to the trailhead. The whole day was very hot and humid and mosquito filled. The road hike was in full sun and boy was I roasting! I had to reapply repellant every time I took a break. It only took me half an hour to get to the trailhead and sign the register. About 1/4 mile along the trail, a partridge charged at me with her neck all puffed out and wings spread, screeching. I realized her chicks must be close because she was making such a fuss. I thought she was going to attack but as I kept moving along the trail, she just kept screeching and flapping and hissing at me till I finally got far enough away from the chicks. I got to the Caitlin Bay lean-to about 5pm. The 1st lean-to is right on the trail but also right next to a swampy area. There is another lean-to on Long Lake and I'd rather spend the night there where the lake breeze will keep the mosquitos down abit and be cooler for me too but my feet are really tired and I walk to the lake shore but the lean-to must be much farther along because I never saw it. I took some time to refill my water bladder, it had been so hot that I drank 3 liters of water by 4pm. I shlep back to the 1st lean-to and set up for the night. I see that a thunderstorm is brewing and I get into the shelter and settled in just in time. The storm hit about 1730. The 1st part of the storm didn't last long and it didn't clear the mosquitos or decrease the humidity. I decide to pull my bug net out of my tent and rig it up inside the lean-to. By 1830 I had eaten and it's been a long day. I'm in my sleeping bag by 8pm.

Mud Lake Once More

Well, since May 30th, I've been letting my leg heal. On Wednesday, the 13th, my spouse and I decided to hike up to Mud Lake once more, hoping to find the elusive ATV trail we just know is there. My leg withstood a 25 mile bike ride on Sunday for the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure ride so I felt ready to tackle a short hike. Off we go at 8am and reach the trailhead about 8:15 and head off. We decided to try once more, the old farm road trail. It took about 20 minutes to get to the hunting shack and after taking a couple of compass bearings, head off to the left on the ATV trail. The trail winds around alot, taking advantage of the contours of the mountain. We found all of our last surveyor tape trail markers and got to the point where we turned around before. We went ahead and kept on going, following the old ATV trail. Other than our marks from weeks ago, it didn't look like anyone had been up there. So, on we go and lo and behold, not more than 1/3 to 1/2 mile farther on, we come to Mud Lake on our left. We were sooooooo close! Anyway. We find a relatively less steep descent about mid-lake to the lake shore and go on down. A really nice view of a small lake. There was a lot of beaver sign of them leaving the lake and coming on shore, chewed beech trees and two beaver lodges at the north end of the lake. All around the lake, lots of bunchberry and sheep's laurel were in bloom and the whole lake perimeter was covered in blueberry bushes. Can't wait till they're ripe. We skirted around the edge of the lake, going south to reach the point we came to the lake when we bushwhacked in. I found a pink lady slipper in bloom, on a very steep bank, in amongst the blueberries. Nice find and I expect there was more but I didn't see any. At any rate, I felt it was a great hike and was glad to find an easier way to the lake than bushwhacking straight across the woods. I think I'm ready to bring my hiking club into the area.

Also, I'm glad to say my knee felt fine. I was also testing my new boots with the commercial orthotic support. The boots felt fine, the orthotic support not so much. I think a long hike would have me in pain. I'll get my custom orthotics back into the boots. I'm closer than ever to being ready for a major long distance hike. I'm ready to tackle the rest of the NPT, probably starting the 19th. Can hardly wait!