A few of you might immediately notice that this says "just" Algonquin, and there is good reason for that...stay tuned
A few of you might also remember that I had asked about what mountain would be good for a few of my "semi-experienced" hiking friends from CT visiting for the weekend to try, and the vote for Algonquin/Iroquois/Wright was almost unanimous- thank you for that!!! This past Saturday was the trip in question...
My hiking buddies (not that I'd ever hiked with them before, they were just old friends who also happened to like hiking) came to visit from my hometown in CT as they often do. I've known them since high school (we won't go into details, but basically a longg time ago ), and even though we've both gone our separate ways, we have both developed an interest in hiking. Me, living where I do, I would say my interest is a BIT more fanatical but nevertheless I managed to coerce them into agreement in joining me on a journey up the second highest peak in the ADKs.
It was also my plan that, while there, to just mosey on over to Iroquois as well. As obvious of a good idea that I thought that was, I guess (so they say) I had never mentioned it to them in our discussions of plans ahead of time...and *shockingly* they were not so enthusiastic in adding another 2 plus miles of hiking time to our already long and early day.
Our day started at about 6:30AM, and after breakfast, a few stops, avoiding vehicular homicide to cyclists (it is THAT weekend, after all), etc, we finally pulled into the Loj parking lot and hit the Van Ho trail at about 7:30AM.
The first few parts of the trail were extremely pleasant, and I still had high hopes that once they got to the summit they would *catch the bug* and agree with me that Iroquois was a fabulous idea, as I sneakily hinted and tried to work the suggestion into casual conversation. However, they have known me far too long, and thwarted all obvious attempts with suggestions that we get one peak done before adding to our day.
Right before we got to Wright Falls, I noticed the campsite that many here have mentioned and wanted to check it out. It was beautiful, and I immediately thought to myself what a shame it was that we would get both further peaks done today, so that we wouldn't *need* to come back camping any time in the near future.
The falls were also beautiful, and my friend made the mother in me extremely nervous by prancing up them with the dog. Since it's been so dry, I was disappointed to find the falls little more than a small trickle. Anyway, on we went, past the Wright junction, shared a Cliff bar, blah blah standard trip report stuff.
We kept going, and my friend Tim who had seemed LEAST excited about the hike was the one flying ahead and waiting for us most of the time. It was all we could do to keep up! Anyway, it was nice to not be the one waiting and to have someone else setting the pace and pushing me. My quads and calfs are thanking me now as I sit here typing.
Anyway, we started passing quite a few groups, one being a group of 3 younger guys in jeans with their huge Chesapeake Bay retriever. Poor girl tried so hard to go up the scrambled and it was all they could do sometimes for the three of them to push her up some of the steeper sections. I just remember her clinging for dear life to the rock face and just sliding backwards with the awful sound of grinding dog nails....ugh.
We continued on, passed a summit steward, (incidentally first I've ever seen) and I decided how much I really liked this trail. Every turn was something new and different, and after the long Lake Arnold trail stretch back to the dam last weekend it was a welcome change. What a great morning. We went up to the summit without incident, just having a great time with the open rock and beautiful Alpine terrain. Looked for those endangered blue butterflies mentioned in either the ADK or McMartin's book but didn't find them...
The summit was full of me begging and pleading to go on to Iroquois to no avail, lunch, chatting with another summit steward who helped me play name that peak, picture taking, etc, but honestly we didn't stay long as the old wind plus sweat combination started to make us pretty chilly.
The first part of the descent was full of me pouting that we didn't do Iroquois. I was more than a little disappointed, even though I guess I had known all day that it wasn't going to happen. My friends understandably didn't come JUST to hike, and wanted to get back before dinnertime.
The second half of the descent was full of my crazy knee acting up again. I stupidly thought that its bad behavior on Colden the week before was a fluke, and since all week it had behaved decided that some more Macs would be a good idea. All I can say is stupid me. Had a fantastic time hobbling down the rest of the trail slow as can be with my knee out of commission Thankfully, one of my hiking buddies is a physical therapist and did a beautiful job of wrapping it for me, and also let me know it's a weird something-to-do with the way I walk/bone structure, not torn ACL's or MCL's and is totally fixable within a few weeks of crazy PT exercises. I pick hiking buddies pretty well I guess Got back to the Loj at 2:30.
Anyway lesson learned besides the obvious "don't hike large mountains with busted knees" is that, not to be cliche, but everything happens for a reason. I now have a great reason to drag my husband up Algonquin, share the love (though he may disagree from his sadly very different view of hiking), finish the trio, AND camp at that awesome campsite. I'm just thankful my knee didn't stop deciding to function at the TOP of Algonquin, on the way back from Iroquois.
Algonquin Superlatives (suffixed by so far, as always)
Pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=c5d0d66d21
A few of you might also remember that I had asked about what mountain would be good for a few of my "semi-experienced" hiking friends from CT visiting for the weekend to try, and the vote for Algonquin/Iroquois/Wright was almost unanimous- thank you for that!!! This past Saturday was the trip in question...
My hiking buddies (not that I'd ever hiked with them before, they were just old friends who also happened to like hiking) came to visit from my hometown in CT as they often do. I've known them since high school (we won't go into details, but basically a longg time ago ), and even though we've both gone our separate ways, we have both developed an interest in hiking. Me, living where I do, I would say my interest is a BIT more fanatical but nevertheless I managed to coerce them into agreement in joining me on a journey up the second highest peak in the ADKs.
It was also my plan that, while there, to just mosey on over to Iroquois as well. As obvious of a good idea that I thought that was, I guess (so they say) I had never mentioned it to them in our discussions of plans ahead of time...and *shockingly* they were not so enthusiastic in adding another 2 plus miles of hiking time to our already long and early day.
Our day started at about 6:30AM, and after breakfast, a few stops, avoiding vehicular homicide to cyclists (it is THAT weekend, after all), etc, we finally pulled into the Loj parking lot and hit the Van Ho trail at about 7:30AM.
The first few parts of the trail were extremely pleasant, and I still had high hopes that once they got to the summit they would *catch the bug* and agree with me that Iroquois was a fabulous idea, as I sneakily hinted and tried to work the suggestion into casual conversation. However, they have known me far too long, and thwarted all obvious attempts with suggestions that we get one peak done before adding to our day.
Right before we got to Wright Falls, I noticed the campsite that many here have mentioned and wanted to check it out. It was beautiful, and I immediately thought to myself what a shame it was that we would get both further peaks done today, so that we wouldn't *need* to come back camping any time in the near future.
The falls were also beautiful, and my friend made the mother in me extremely nervous by prancing up them with the dog. Since it's been so dry, I was disappointed to find the falls little more than a small trickle. Anyway, on we went, past the Wright junction, shared a Cliff bar, blah blah standard trip report stuff.
We kept going, and my friend Tim who had seemed LEAST excited about the hike was the one flying ahead and waiting for us most of the time. It was all we could do to keep up! Anyway, it was nice to not be the one waiting and to have someone else setting the pace and pushing me. My quads and calfs are thanking me now as I sit here typing.
Anyway, we started passing quite a few groups, one being a group of 3 younger guys in jeans with their huge Chesapeake Bay retriever. Poor girl tried so hard to go up the scrambled and it was all they could do sometimes for the three of them to push her up some of the steeper sections. I just remember her clinging for dear life to the rock face and just sliding backwards with the awful sound of grinding dog nails....ugh.
We continued on, passed a summit steward, (incidentally first I've ever seen) and I decided how much I really liked this trail. Every turn was something new and different, and after the long Lake Arnold trail stretch back to the dam last weekend it was a welcome change. What a great morning. We went up to the summit without incident, just having a great time with the open rock and beautiful Alpine terrain. Looked for those endangered blue butterflies mentioned in either the ADK or McMartin's book but didn't find them...
The summit was full of me begging and pleading to go on to Iroquois to no avail, lunch, chatting with another summit steward who helped me play name that peak, picture taking, etc, but honestly we didn't stay long as the old wind plus sweat combination started to make us pretty chilly.
The first part of the descent was full of me pouting that we didn't do Iroquois. I was more than a little disappointed, even though I guess I had known all day that it wasn't going to happen. My friends understandably didn't come JUST to hike, and wanted to get back before dinnertime.
The second half of the descent was full of my crazy knee acting up again. I stupidly thought that its bad behavior on Colden the week before was a fluke, and since all week it had behaved decided that some more Macs would be a good idea. All I can say is stupid me. Had a fantastic time hobbling down the rest of the trail slow as can be with my knee out of commission Thankfully, one of my hiking buddies is a physical therapist and did a beautiful job of wrapping it for me, and also let me know it's a weird something-to-do with the way I walk/bone structure, not torn ACL's or MCL's and is totally fixable within a few weeks of crazy PT exercises. I pick hiking buddies pretty well I guess Got back to the Loj at 2:30.
Anyway lesson learned besides the obvious "don't hike large mountains with busted knees" is that, not to be cliche, but everything happens for a reason. I now have a great reason to drag my husband up Algonquin, share the love (though he may disagree from his sadly very different view of hiking), finish the trio, AND camp at that awesome campsite. I'm just thankful my knee didn't stop deciding to function at the TOP of Algonquin, on the way back from Iroquois.
Algonquin Superlatives (suffixed by so far, as always)
- Best View (especially of Colden- wow!)
- Best hiking buddies
- Most people wearing jeans
- Most people wearing brand new sneakers
- Most people wearing thong flip-flops with socks (I'm serious, there was a group of three)
- Most people seen on descent. I don't know how many but it seemed like a bus had dropped off a group to Algonquin on the way back. I need to go back to weekday-only hiking
- Most summit stewards! (2- I've never actually seen any before)
- Worst regret that I didn't bring the dog (he was sleeping and didn't want to wake when I left)
- Longest trip report- sorry!
Pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=c5d0d66d21