MarkNC
06-14-2005, 02:29 PM
Hello all,
I was introduced to the area thru skiing at Gore, but am really getting into the other stuff the area offers. Did a Hudson River raft trip in April and my first Adirondack Hike (Blue Mt, see below; hope its not too long). Can't wait to get to the High Peaks. I'm a true Newbie, but I'm learning fast!
Saturday May 28, 2005 Blue Mountain
Hikers: Mark, Jim
Start: 3:55 Finished: 6:35
4.1 mi. RT
Originally we planned to hike Mount Vanderwacker, but being new to the area I didn’t realize 28N is a separate road from 28 (although they eventually meet). About the time we hit Indian Lake I realized it wasn’t right and we went to Plan B — find another trail. Consulting the ADK Central Region guide book, we settled on the Blue Mountain Trail. The distance appeared long enough to be challenging and the views met Jim’s criteria of “views,” as per the guide book.
It was warm and a little buggy with some dramatic storm clouds in the distance. We hit the first of many “Hilary Steps,” as we jokingly referred to the step-like portions of the trail. These quickly turned into long slabs of rock. We were both breathing rather hard, but I felt rather good over all. We were starting to get glimpses of Minnow Pond and Blue mountain Lake, and I was really looking forward to the summit. We took a break for some trail mix; we only had fanny packs with a pint of water each. One section started to descend for quite a while and we started to doubt we were on the right trail. It finally started back up again and started to get fairly steep.
After about 45 minutes Jim started bitching, “This thing is endless! I’m not going any further!” (I guess Jim's claims of being out of shape were true)I felt like I had come too far to be denied. “It can’t be much farther. I’m going to keep going and I’ll let you know when I get to the top,” I told him I would yell when I got to the top and kept going. After about 20 minutes it actually started to get steeper. Long slabs of rock with running water trailing down it at a pitch easily 35-45º. Luckily it wasn’t that slippery, but I made sure to test my footing where it was wet. There were a number of people on the way down, since that was a popular hiking trail, including a man I would judge to be about 60 with two girls in their early teens.
Finally, the trail flattened and became more closed in with vegetation and much more shaded. I could hear buzzing sounds and thought I was about to have my first run in with the dreaded black flies, but I was not bitten by anything. It made a few more lazy turns and then I could see open daylight.
I started to hit large patches of granite (?) and could see the fire tower. Parts of the view was blocked in spots by trees, but what a view it was. Good visibility with beautiful views of Blue Mountain Lake and Minnow Pond (I would later find out) to the southeast, and the high peaks to the north. The fire tower didn’t look open. It was a little after 5pm, and since we got a late start (tried to find sneakers for Jim’s girlfriend Lauren) and I knew the wife and kids were waiting for us, I started back down but ran into Jim, who decided to tarry on, about 5 minutes down. Since we were a short way from the top I went back up. A couple that was hanging out on top told us that you could go up the fire tower, just not onto the platform. The views were even better up there, and I regretted letting my wife take the camera. You could see all the way to Marcy and Whiteface. It was a bit breezy, especially with a good sweat. We didn’t stay too long, since everyone was waiting for us to go to dinner.
We moved well coming down, and only took only one break. There was water running down the rock slab trails, so you had to watch your footing on the steep parts. During the last half, storm clouds threatened, but decided to hold off and it cooled off a bit. We drove back past a beautiful twilight on Blue Mountain Lake.
Jim was hurtin’ the next day with knee pain that had him limping. We had quite a few laughs at his tirade about not going on. My wife (his sister) starting razzing him about his tirade on the trail: “Mother, can you make it?” But the views gave us both the bug for more mountains, and even my wife wants to hike a few. I’m a newbie to the Daks (at least in summer), but you have to start somewhere.
I was introduced to the area thru skiing at Gore, but am really getting into the other stuff the area offers. Did a Hudson River raft trip in April and my first Adirondack Hike (Blue Mt, see below; hope its not too long). Can't wait to get to the High Peaks. I'm a true Newbie, but I'm learning fast!
Saturday May 28, 2005 Blue Mountain
Hikers: Mark, Jim
Start: 3:55 Finished: 6:35
4.1 mi. RT
Originally we planned to hike Mount Vanderwacker, but being new to the area I didn’t realize 28N is a separate road from 28 (although they eventually meet). About the time we hit Indian Lake I realized it wasn’t right and we went to Plan B — find another trail. Consulting the ADK Central Region guide book, we settled on the Blue Mountain Trail. The distance appeared long enough to be challenging and the views met Jim’s criteria of “views,” as per the guide book.
It was warm and a little buggy with some dramatic storm clouds in the distance. We hit the first of many “Hilary Steps,” as we jokingly referred to the step-like portions of the trail. These quickly turned into long slabs of rock. We were both breathing rather hard, but I felt rather good over all. We were starting to get glimpses of Minnow Pond and Blue mountain Lake, and I was really looking forward to the summit. We took a break for some trail mix; we only had fanny packs with a pint of water each. One section started to descend for quite a while and we started to doubt we were on the right trail. It finally started back up again and started to get fairly steep.
After about 45 minutes Jim started bitching, “This thing is endless! I’m not going any further!” (I guess Jim's claims of being out of shape were true)I felt like I had come too far to be denied. “It can’t be much farther. I’m going to keep going and I’ll let you know when I get to the top,” I told him I would yell when I got to the top and kept going. After about 20 minutes it actually started to get steeper. Long slabs of rock with running water trailing down it at a pitch easily 35-45º. Luckily it wasn’t that slippery, but I made sure to test my footing where it was wet. There were a number of people on the way down, since that was a popular hiking trail, including a man I would judge to be about 60 with two girls in their early teens.
Finally, the trail flattened and became more closed in with vegetation and much more shaded. I could hear buzzing sounds and thought I was about to have my first run in with the dreaded black flies, but I was not bitten by anything. It made a few more lazy turns and then I could see open daylight.
I started to hit large patches of granite (?) and could see the fire tower. Parts of the view was blocked in spots by trees, but what a view it was. Good visibility with beautiful views of Blue Mountain Lake and Minnow Pond (I would later find out) to the southeast, and the high peaks to the north. The fire tower didn’t look open. It was a little after 5pm, and since we got a late start (tried to find sneakers for Jim’s girlfriend Lauren) and I knew the wife and kids were waiting for us, I started back down but ran into Jim, who decided to tarry on, about 5 minutes down. Since we were a short way from the top I went back up. A couple that was hanging out on top told us that you could go up the fire tower, just not onto the platform. The views were even better up there, and I regretted letting my wife take the camera. You could see all the way to Marcy and Whiteface. It was a bit breezy, especially with a good sweat. We didn’t stay too long, since everyone was waiting for us to go to dinner.
We moved well coming down, and only took only one break. There was water running down the rock slab trails, so you had to watch your footing on the steep parts. During the last half, storm clouds threatened, but decided to hold off and it cooled off a bit. We drove back past a beautiful twilight on Blue Mountain Lake.
Jim was hurtin’ the next day with knee pain that had him limping. We had quite a few laughs at his tirade about not going on. My wife (his sister) starting razzing him about his tirade on the trail: “Mother, can you make it?” But the views gave us both the bug for more mountains, and even my wife wants to hike a few. I’m a newbie to the Daks (at least in summer), but you have to start somewhere.