Giant- September 19, 2014

We finally made it up to the ADK!  I've been sad that my blog has been slightly dry, but because we renovated our kitchen this summer we really haven't had time for much else.  We were ambitious and planned four peaks in two short days- but we only made it to the top of one.  Lessons in topography, people- steep climbs are tough! Make sure you plan accordingly based on sunset times (if you don't want to hike in the dark which, admittedly, I don't), slope grade and the last time you went to the gym (it was far too long before this trip for us- my legs were shot by the end of the day).

Me in my new jacket and pack!

Since we were extremely limited on time, AJ and I woke up at 4AM on a Friday to make the journey upstate.  We got to the trail head a little after 8AM and waited for his dad and sister, Cara, to arrive.  We all geared up and got the day started.  We began with a few pictures and got  moving to warm up (it was a pretty chilly morning).  Cara brought both her dogs- Charlie the golden and Jozie the pit.

They're thrilled!

As much as I love them both, I think another lesson learned on this trip was exactly how taxing it is to hike with a dog on a lead.  Charlie was pretty good by herself, but Jozie would wander too far or get too excited with other dogs around and couldn't be left alone.  I can't blame her for being excited, but it takes a lot out of you making sure to keep her in sight.

Ready to get that mountain!

On the path up we passed the Water bowl.  What an interesting piece of nature!  We had already started climbing a bit, and part-way up you approach what looks like a pond.  Oddly enough, it was surrounded by a lot of dead trees- and there were some logs that helped us over the water (the dogs mainly ignored the bridge, though).

AJ helping Jozie to drink- she was too stubborn to get water for herself

There were some people that came up just to reach this point- as you could see/hear people getting ready to set up camp.  There were a few other designated "camping" points that we passed along the way, and after that day it makes complete sense to me why people would stop.

The trek to the top of Giant, as I mentioned, was quite steep.  There were a lot of big rocks to scale and a few sections that were difficult to find grip.  There were also quite a few switchbacks and we spent the majority of our hike with the same views off one side of the mountain.

For those of you who are interested in doing this hike, you will come to this junction:

Go around it, trust me.  I am always the first one to pick the challenge so we went over the bump... but it was literally just that.  A giant annoying boulder that you had to climb down on the other side and you didn't even get a view from it.  All you did was waste some extra energy that you didn't have to in order to make it to the same spot.

Halfway through the hike I decided I was warm enough to take my sweatpants and under-armor off- but quickly realized that was not the best idea.  Even though I was warming up, the temperature really didn't- as we climbed higher you could tell it was colder.  We started seeing ice-chips on the ground from the frost, and there were some icicles from the melting water.

At one point, AJ and I decided to run up ahead so that I would make sure to get in the peak of Giant.  Everyone else had already conquered that summit except for me so I wanted to spend some time up there.  It's so interesting how different the view from each peak is.  On top of Algonquin you had 360 degrees of viewing pleasure- on giant you had about 180.

Still worth it, though

I liked this peak because you could see a lot of other ranges and mountain tops from here- some really interesting-looking ones!

Sun setting behind Gothics/Armstrong/WolfJaw area

Guess which one is NippleTop???

Once AJ and I reached the summit, we turned back down to meet his dad and Cara at the junction to Rocky Peak Ridge- and we attempted to make it over to the next one.  Unfortunately, we reached a point where the descent was quite steep, and the daylight was running out, and we realized we weren't going to make it... so we turned around to get back to the junction, and then started the descent down.

AJ and I took Jozie down and Dad and Cara followed behind with Charlie.  We ended up making a game out of getting Jozie down the mountain which made it a lot easier.  I would go down a steep set of rocks while AJ and Jozie waited, then he would let her go and I would call her down to me... then we switched.  We leap-frogged it all the way down the mountain and made it out just after sundown.

Although tiring and steep and long, this hike was still rewarding.  Aside from making it to my fourth peak, we got to see some amazing natural wonders in this section of the mountains.

Look at some of this amazing moss! It was everywhere- and at the top of the mountain it was red.

AJ and I also really got to bond with Jozie.

Especially AJ.

Also can't forget the figurine we picked up! The sign on ours says "Adirondacks"

Family Hike

Nothing is better than hiking with family!  And I think the key to a fantastic family hike is to take one that all members of the family can enjoy.  There are so many different types of hikes- you can do large mountains like the ADK, you can walk up wider man-made hiking trails (such as Hubbard Park or the easy path up Sleeping Giant), you can drive up to the top of the mountain and walk around (less recommended but still counts) or you can even take a nice easy stroll through some very picturesque fields!

Our family hike in Vermont last weekend

I absolutely loved the hike we took with my in-laws. I am so grateful and happy that we have such an active family that has a common interest in nature we can all share.  It was my favorite part of the whole trip (and we stopped at a cheese store).

Frolicking in the fields

We were on a mini-vacation and looking for something fun to do in Manchester, VT.  Normally, we might head downtown, but that day we were feeling a little more adventurous!  This trail was recommended to us by a family friend.  We started on a beautiful grassy path that took us into the woods.

Part of the reason I love my family is because they aren't afraid to explore- or even get a little beaten up- in order to have fun!  There was a good portion of the hike where we all attempted to climb the trees.  Branches are not quite forgiving when you scrape up against them- but it was the most fun I've had in awhile!  Plus we had battle scars to compare later.

 And the wildlife! It was fantastic to watch.  Mostly we saw chipmunks and birds- but there were all different kinds.  AJ had plenty to practice his master-photographer skills on.  We almost got a picture of this chipmunk!

The chipmunks in VT are monster-sized- not as skittish as the ones back home. And everywhere.

When we made it through the trail in the woods we came to a clearing where there was a floating bridge built over a marsh.  We saw a snake here, which had me a little jittery, but it slithered away the moment there was movement on the dock.

There were lily-pads all along the bridge, and tall plants growing out of the marsh.  We spent quite a while here, as there were so many birds- and a beautiful view of the mountain.

 One of AJ's favorites from the day

The afternoon sported some fantastic weather as well- with light puffy clouds and low humidity.  You can't beat those conditions.  Blog entries like these really help me to reflect on how lucky of a person I really am- and how thankful I am to be able to wake up and see the world as I do.  I remember being in elementary school and asked what my favorite sound was. I proudly exclaimed "WATER RUNNING OVER ROCKS!"  How grateful I am that I've been able to keep that piece of my childhood alive.

This may get repetitive- but I love being able to share this with people- so if you have the slightest interest in spending the day out in nature, let me know and we'll make a day of it (or an afternoon, or an entire weekend).

New Gear!!

I've always believed I defied the "every girl loves shopping" stereotype.  There has never been a time where I've truly been excited about it.  Even when I bought my wedding dress- it took me one day and 2 stores and that was it.  About a month ago I realized that I was partially kidding myself...  I LOVE SHOPPING FOR HIKING/CAMPING GEAR!!

Love it.

I could spend a week at REI picking out the workout/hiking gear that I want and then drooling over the kayaks they have sitting in the rafters.  I love lying in the display tents and figuring out which shade of jacket I want to wear (I settled on purple, by the way).

REI Chinuka Jacket

I spent no less than 30 minutes traipsing around the store- climbing up and down the stairs multiple times- wearing all different kinds of backpacks.  I ended up with a Gregory brand that was gray with pink accents.

Couldn't find a pic of mine... but I was so close to buying this one just because of the flower.

Having a backpack that fits is very important from a comfort perspective since it's likely to be the heaviest thing you carry.  For me, I'd compare it to picking out just the right purse because I'm a "pockets" gal.  I need to have the zippers and clips and adjusters where I want them and I want my stuff easily accessible.  It needs to feel right on my shoulders.  Interestingly enough, it was more important for how it felt sitting on my hips.  The guy at the store placed weighted bean-bags in the ones I tried out so I could compare to how it would actually feel on the trail.  The weird thing is that it actually fits better the more stuff it has in it because it pushes the pack down on my hips so the straps aren't sitting around my stomach.

Now that I have a jacket, a backpack, hiking boots, socks, and new spandex workout gear (from my mom for Christmas), I feel like I'm just about ready to get going.   I'm hoping that even though our schedule is packed we'll find some time to get out!

(Not) Naked and Afraid

Everyone is afraid of something at some point, but I used to be a particularly special case.

When I was in elementary school there was a boy named Justin who told me he wasn't afraid of anything.  I remember trying to be like him- to act like I wasn't scared.  He made fun of me until I agreed to go on a "daring adventure" so far into the woods behind my house that when my parents called I couldn't hear them and my dad drove halfway around town looking for me before he found us at the playground around the block.  That was the first time I broke out of my comfort zone and I never really strayed far from there again.

I've been called a "goodie-two-shoes" on more than one occasion (yes, those exact words).  But it was because I was too scared to be anything but perfect.

Earlier in my 20s I started having panic attacks.  Literally everything terrified me- all at once.  Any straying from what I considered "normal and appropriate behavior" would set me off.  I could be alone and driving my car and all of a sudden I would need to pull over because I was so overcome with this tightness in my chest that it hurt to breathe and my vision blurred.  Mental health, in my opinion, is just as important as (if not more than) physical health.

From my favorite point of reference:

Unfortunately, it's not as easy to come back from that as most would think... I allude to the many people surrounding me telling me to stop being so dramatic and let it go (just like Sheldon exclaimed: "Calm down!").  Once the panicking starts it's like trying to convince yourself you're not going to die while your organs are simulating a heart-attack.  If you compare it to your physicality, it's like telling a person with no muscles or exercise experience to just start dead-lifting 200lbs.  Just Do It doesn't exactly work here. It's not impossible- but you need training.  The key to maintaining good mental health is like anything physical- and that's through prevention and exercise. I can thankfully say I've learned how to prevent my anxiety (and the best part- without medication). To be honest, I feel stronger mentally than ever before.

So- why bring up such a topic?  What does this have to do with a hiking blog?

The answer is my newest obsession- watching "Naked and Afraid" on the Discovery Channel.

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid

If you've never watched Naked and Afraid- I highly suggest it for the people that think they're tough (like my friend, Justin), or for people that truly appreciate the beauty and power that is Mother Nature- and the ability to use it to your advantage.  The premise of the show is to drop two people (one man and one woman) in a remote location with nothing but one tool a piece and a camera crew of people that aren't allowed to interfere except for medical emergencies.  The players can tap out at any time (and I've seen it happen), but then their partners are left to fend for themselves- and to be honest, no one ever lasts alone.

Why is it that no one lasts alone?

I once watched an episode where a guy bailed before he even got to the remote location.

It's scary.

The show only selects trained professionals based on a survival skill rating (PSR).  They're not exactly throwing amateurs out there.  They have exactly 21 days to survive- and guess what?  The majority of it has NOTHING to do with physical ability.  You need to be smart. You need to make good decisions (one guy drank unfiltered water a few days in- and that was it for him).  You need to not kill your partner when their only job for the day is to hunt for food and they come back empty-handed.  They've had "complainers" on the show.  The people that get mad at everyone else except for themselves- or worse- ridicule.  At the end of it all, they learn the hardest lessons (watch Episode 8- Double Jeopardy- probably the best example of this).  The people that survive together- the people who finish strong together- are the people that work the best mentally.  The strongest guy swung his machete too hard and nearly chopped off his leg.

I like hiking because, mentally, it makes me stronger.

From my post: "Was it Algonquin or Algonqin?" I talked about thrashing my toe into a rock about an hour into the hike.  I couldn't quit then... otherwise Mother Nature would have won.  I exercise my mentality by challenging it.  By stretching it. I prevent my anxiety by surrounding myself with people and things that make me happy, by being active (and staying hydrated).  Could I ever see myself on a show like Naked and Afraid?  Probably not.  Coming from where I was, mentally, I would need a lot more training to Just Do It.

But, I have to admit, it's an admirable goal.

In the meantime...

So we're at the point where we're beginning to plan our next adventure- and I'm so excited that I've tried to figure out ways to get involved.  With those random warm-ish days that have come and gone as quickly as you take a moment to appreciate them, I'm itching to get outside again.  Unfortunately, as much as I think I understand things- I really have no clue what I'm doing.  As I mentioned in my very first blog post, AJ and Jared pretty much took the responsibility of planning the hike.  AJ even packed everything for me.  I just showed up- which was really great for what it was... but there were some uncomfortable moments that I know I could fix with the right equipment and preparation.  Plus, if we ever decide to do a true backpacking trip (where you can only take what you can carry for shelter, food, equipment, etc), I will definitely need to start researching and saving some money for that.

Through my internet browsing, I came across an amazing website called Hiking Lady:

http://hikinglady.com/

The website is maintained by a woman named Carol Roberts, who hopes to educate and inspire anyone and everyone about the great outdoors, with a particular focus on women.  The site is clean and user-friendly, and it offers topics on all kinds of things for beginner hikers that I've found extremely helpful.  When you head to the main page, it's suggested that you start with "Hiking 101" where she lists pieces of equipment that she believes to be necessary: boots (with the correct lacing technique), socks, a proper-fitting backpack and trekking poles.  I was happy to dig further into her suggested foot gear and discovered that I selected a brand and style that she recommended for day-hiking.  However, if I want to get into overnight backpacking I'll need to select a different style.  I bought new socks for the trip, but was using a borrowed backpack, and had no trekking poles.  My biggest complaint at the end of the day was the fact that my knees were killing me.  Carol suggests that to save your knees in the long run, a good pair of trekking poles is essential.  I'm going to need to look more into that...

I'm also hoping to purchase my own jacket- the one I borrowed belonged to AJ's dad- and although I was extremely thankful, it was just a LITTLE bit big.

And perhaps a better set of hiking pants... the shorts were great when I was hot, but that was only for the first hour or so.  Then I contended with a lot of mud and pine trees.

Avalanche Pass- The End of Hike One

And then... we made it to the clearing of Avalanche Pass.  We took one last long break here, as our throbbing legs couldn't take anymore.  I ate a cucumber (judge away- it was the best decision ever) and some more trail mix- and Jared gave me some ibuprofen to help get me through the rest of the trip.

Kasie and I at our finest.

We were all sore and ready to be out of the woods, but this had to be the most breathtaking part of the entire hike- so we meandered through slowly for a little while.  Avalanche Pass was the exact moment I realized that I was truly committing myself to completing these trails.

The pictures will never do it justice.

Above our heads and all around us there were HUGE rocks. There were sections of bridges jutting out from the rock face so that the trail was passable.  As we approached one of the bridges I heard a very strange sound coming from across the water.

I actually closed my eyes to listen because it was such a faint echo- it almost sounded like there were people across the valley- I listened harder, and for a moment it sounded like a loud whisper coming from inside the mountains...I opened my eyes and looked directly across from where we were standing. Right in front of me, even though I almost glanced forward and missed it, was the tallest waterfall I had ever seen in my life. Without a doubt it will be one of the most memorable moments of my entire life.

The waterfall (courtesy of Jared)

We passed a few people hiking in to camp for the night- but were otherwise fairly alone at this stage.  At one point, Jared told AJ and I to go ahead and that he and Kasie would catch up... so we took off across the, mostly flat, section of trail towards Marcy Dam.

View from Marcy Dam (photo also courtesy of Jared)

We rested for barely 10 minutes at the dam when they caught up. We all had some difficulty at this point- I'm pretty sure none of us were thinking clearly. After what seemed like ages, we reached the main trail. Jared finally sprinted ahead (no idea how) with Kasie, myself, and AJ trailing far behind. The three of us kept each other going at a (fairly) quick pace as other hikers whisked passed us- we worked as hard as we could to keep up with them, and would gradually slow back down once they were out of sight. It started to get darker and darker-- at points there were raindrops starting to fall... and then we finally saw Jared, and the lights of the cabin near the cars, and we basically leaped/collapsed into the car.

Even though we were out of the woods- mother nature wasn't done with us yet.  It was drizzling as we sped down the road headed towards town.  We passed the edge of the trees and approached a large field- and out of the darkness, the sunlight appeared- you could see the sun slowly setting over the mountain.

We found a dirt patch and stopped the car. At the exact same time, the rain cloud that followed us from the trail was approaching... and what happened next was nothing short of spectacular.

That's all I can really say.

It's pouring in this picture

Iroquois and the Descent

After finishing lunch at the peak of Algonquin I was so rigid that I started to shiver and my teeth started chattering- I was ready to sprint down the other side to our third and final peak- Iroquois. I followed slowly behind Jared, Kasie and AJ down the other side of Algonquin- they were quite far ahead of me. My legs were resisting movement but I scurried as quickly as I could to keep them warm.

Photo Courtesy of Jared

Technically, the only way to Iroquois is on an un-marked path over “Boundary Peak”- apparently named after the boundary that separated the Algonquin and Iroquois Indians' ancient beaver hunting grounds.. It was an extremely narrow trail, and I was, once again, thankful for the over-sized rain jacket that AJ's father let me borrow as I whisked through the pines. We made it to a steep rock incline that took some time to maneuver. Thankfully Jared and Kasie have both done a lot of rock climbing before and were there to offer some assistance. Jared jumped up ahead a little and helped to hoist me, and then Kasie, up to the top. I was so excited about getting to the next step that I started to take off to the peak without looking back. Next thing I heard was a loud grunting noise and I turned around- Jared was completely hunched over, unable to breathe from how hard he was laughing. I ran over to the ledge and AJ was holding on very tightly, half-dangling over the edge and completely hugging the boulder he was lying on. After assuring us that he was safe (and just... “stuck”)... Kasie and I also doubled over with laughter. We decided to take another small break on the top of Iroquois.

Jared conquering Iroquois

We took our final set of pictures from the top of the mountains- even though it was our third peak of the trip, Iroquois was amazingly beautiful in its own way. The view was very clear- and you could see easily down to some of the valleys below- beautiful bodies of water tucked in between all of the mountains. It was quiet- peaceful- not as many people at the top of this peak.

Looking down on the valleys from Iroquois

As quickly as we got there, I was ready to turn around. Everyone was prepped for Avalanche Pass. On the way back down I had to pee for first time on the whole trip... I'll spare you the details but for any woman thinking about hiking that has never "gone" in the wild before... just be prepared.  Especially when you're near the tree line and there are people hiking down towards you.  I was literally in a pine tree.  Anyway....

We eventually made it back to where the paths crossed and started our descent around 2:00PM. At this point I was the most tired I had been all hike and was so excited we were “almost done”.  The way down was all rocks and slides – very slippery.  Although it was extremely difficult, it was actually one of the coolest things I've ever done.  We actually followed a small trickle of water from the top of the mountain and watched as it pooled into a stream, slowly growing and ended up as a waterfall in a few locations on the trail.

No pictures- sorry! I was too busy hiking down the rocks.

As wonderfully in-shape as I was, I was pretty awful at this descent.  My knees and ankles hurt VERY badly- everyone had to stop a few times for me. Jared and Kasie were much better at this part... though they they assured me it was because they are fairly seasoned rock climbers. I felt bad they had to wait for me so I tried to go faster and I hit my knee on a rock.  I was starting to get frustrated.  Eventually we even ran out of water- but thankfully were able to refill with an awesome water filter we got from AJ's dad. Water from the stream cannot be consumed directly- it's actually quite dangerous.  It is teeming with bacteria and would make you very sick even though it looks so tempting.  However, once it was filtered, it was the coldest and most refreshing water I've ever had.

Similar pump to the one we used- I'll have to do some research to buy my own!

I will also be purchasing one of these for myself- best way to stay hydrated and keep your hands free for climbing.