Good times

I just found this picture as I was organizing an unsightly mess in my scraproom. I'm not exactly sure where it was taken---maybe at Moreau Lake State Park on one of our family camping trips. I do remember getting lost and feeling terrified...which is why I probably didn't "hike" again for another 30+ years. It also might have something to do with my fear of bushwhacking.

Me, age 8 or 9

The Mt. Marcy trip report is coming soon!

Call me kooky...

Yes, I signed up for an 18 mile hike in the middle of freakin' no-man's-land. Nobody in their right mind would be out here unless they were working on their 46. Seriously.

Our adventure began the night before around 6:30pm...Brian and I car-camped at the 1st UpperWorks trailhead parking lot. Chip and Siobhan met us there shortly after. We set up our chairs, stove, lantern, and cooler. After appetizers (chips, finger rolls, and a shrimp ring), we dined on Bertolli Shrimp Scampi--very delicious and full of fat (which will come in handy the next day). After supper, we cleaned up and made some Jiffy Pop popcorn for dessert. Around 9pm, we decided to call it a night and crawled into our vehicles to get some sleep. Some of us slept better than others--I was not in that group. Anyhoo, we got our "wake-up knock" on the window at 4am. I was scrambling half-awake in the back of the Blazer trying to find my UnderArmour underwear---one very important piece of equipment I can't do without! Finally dressed, I donned my headlamp and cooked breakfast (bacon, eggs and hashbrowns) while Brian made lunches. The other half of our hiking party (Bob&Nancy, Linda and Bud) arrived at 4:30am and were anxious to head out. We finished eating, packing our packs, and attending to last minute necessities and were at the sign in box at exactly 5am.

We headed up the gravel road for about a mile and a half and took a right at the intersection. We kept a good steady pace and stopped at this spot below for a quick break--not sure what the name of the brook is. Oh well, farther up, I think we crossed the same brook. Rock-hopping with short legs is always a little sketchy so I had to be doubly sure I could nail my landings in certain spots. We picked up the trail only to lose it due to recent beaver activity in a nearby swamp. Bob and Brian managed to find the herd path and we were off again.

I think that's Chip headed up a very tame rock scramble, so tame in fact, it doesn't even deserve to be called a scramble.

Ahhh, the wilderness...views from the trail headed up to Santanoni Peak

It's the middle of June and Brian found ice!

Now this, this would be a gnarly rock scramble! Actually about 20 feet beyond this, there was a similar slab with a knotted rope for hikers to go up. We chose to take the more eroded and muddier path.



Made it to Santanoni Peak at 9:30am! Santanoni was the Native American version of Saint Anthony. Oddly enough, the day of this hike--June 13th--was the feast day of Saint Anthony of Padua. Cool. Anyhoo, about 10 to 15 minutes after this was taken, my foot slipped and I jammed my left knee on a rock. I mean JAMMED! Right square on the knee cap. I could feel the blood drain from my head and immediately felt nauseous. I thought I was going to pass out. I composed myself, bent my knee to make sure it wasn't broken and tried to catch up to Brian and Chip to inform them of my misfortune. I still felt queasy and felt I could complete the hike, but boy-o-boy, was that knee sore.

A poor old weathered tree

Time Square---that's where we're headed. Time Square is just beyond the small rock below the summit in this picture. It's actually a flat area surrounded by trees--a nice little resting spot. We had lunch, recharged a bit and headed out to Couchsachraga (the lowest of the High Peaks). Unfortunately, we had to leave Bud at Time Square because he was having terrible leg cramps.

This is the small rock in the previous picture.

And there is Couchsachraga or Couchie, as some call it. It means "dismal wilderness"--no explanation needed. It took 2 hours to get there and two hours to get back. No offense Couchie, but that was not a pleasant experience.

Nearing the summit of Couchie

Us ladies on the summit of Couchie--Me, Nancy, Linda and Siobhan
OMG, where did my boobies go...seriously! The downside of sports bras--they either make your flatter than you really are OR they give you a uni-boob...take your pick.

Me and my man--thanks Scooter for the helping hand. What a way to celebrate my 1st anniversary of High Peaks hiking.

After an exhausting 2 hour haul back to Time Square in a drizzling rain, we headed to "Herald Square"--a smaller version of Time Square 200 yards away. Panther Peak was our final summit of the day. I wasn't sure what to expect terrain-wise, it was only .3 of a mile away. Turned out it had 2 really steep spots, leveled out and then boom, there you are at the top. It was still drizzly, so we started down to pick up our packs and head out. Bud had a good long rest and was able to summit Panther while we did Couchie, so he did get 2 out of 3. Bud is 69 years old btw!

We took the Bradly Pond Trail down to the main trail. Several words come to mind when I think of this trail and none of them are nice. Think....slippery roots, knee crunching, ankle twisting, wet, muddy, steep...I could go on. I somehow managed to dislodge my contact lens and in the process of putting it back, I dropped it on a rock. Crap. Having only one good eye really messes with my depth perception, so I had to stop and try to pop in a spare lens in the rain. Good times.

This picture was taken in the area of the cliffs as we headed toward Bradley Pond. Water was dripping down on my head.

We stopped for a nice 15 minute break near the pond. Everybody changed their socks and stuffed their faces, or was that stuffed their socks and changed their faces.....darn it, I can't remember! Anyhoo, Nancy said we were about 2.5 hours from the trailhead...yay! It was 6pm at this point so we tried not to stop again unless it was for a pee-break.

A rock cairn leading us out

The brook with no name

Crossing the second bridge going out (or the first bridge if your going in) approximately 7:30pm.

We reached the trailhead at 8:20pm---muddy, sore, exhausted, smelly, and hungry. What a great day! Glad to be in the company of a great bunch of people and happy to spend some quality time with my hubby....26 down, 20 to go!!

The Dawn to Dusk Hike

also known as the Dix Range Loop---5 High Peaks over the course of 16 miles.

Our adventure began at 2am Saturday morning--wakey wakey. I had to re-shower because I had some serious bed-head going on. We made breakfast (can you call it breakfast that early--it was more like a late midnight snack), packed lunches and liquids and headed out to pick up Pam at 3:10am at Friendly's. We got to the trailhead by 4:30am and decided to snooze for a few minutes while waiting for Chip and Siobhan to start stirring. After a last minute gear check, we hit the trail by 5:10am. The sun was just starting to come up but it was still on the dark side.

We headed up a shaded, rocky and wet trail until we crossed a brook and eventually reached the Macomb Slide. This was my first time going up a slide and Pam's too! It was littered with huge boulders, loose rock, and dirt. It took a little fancy foot work, but we managed okay.

This is Elk Lake from the Macomb Slide. The clouds were rolling by and it seemed as though it was going to be dismal and drizzly all day, but the sun popped out for a few minutes and then hid behind the clouds again. Go figure.

There's Chip headed up...it took about an hour to get from here to the summit. It was really wet the closer we got to the headwall.

Me--taking a breather

"Pride Rock", as Siobhan calls it, because it reminds her of the rock in the Lion King where Simba's father perches to survey his "kingdom". I did walk out on it and roared, but those pictures won't ever see the light of day.

Woohoo #19 and it's only 8:30am!

We headed to Carson and passed by the "Dome"--had to do a little scrambling in the wind and in the clouds. Here we are on Caron (South Dix) just a little after 9:30am. Two down, three to go.

Me and Pam on Grace Peak (East Dix). Brian said we had to stand on that huge boulder to make it official. What you don't see it the wind---which was gusting around 20 to 25 mph. Small victory and it's only 10:30! We all went out to the lookout on that faces east. Pam and I changed our socks, had an early lunch. Brian got some video of a rainbow while Chip and Siobhan braved the wind and went all the way across the ridge.

We backtracked to Carson to pick up the herdpath to Hough and met a group of four young guys headed in the same direction. We kept leap-frogging with them for the rest of the day. The trail to Hough was steep in some sections and there was more rock scrambling. Brian got this photo of Awned Haircap Moss with water droplets on the way over. The man loves his Macro setting!

Four down, one to go---which is right behind that pointy prominence (The Beckhorn) in the photo.

We took about a 20 minute break and chatted with the other hikers. Pam could have used a nap at this point! I could have used a cold beer but there was none to be had at 4,409 ft. I'm pretty sure it would have made me tipsy and I would have toppled over the side of the Beckhorn. That would be messy, so I'll wait and have the beer at home.

There's the Beckhorn and beyond that Dix, only 1.3 more miles to go! We encountered a few tricky slabs, but with helping hands, we made all made it.


Chill-axing on Dix at 4,840 ft. Dix is the 6th highest High Peak. The only High Peak I've hiked higher than that was Algonquin--back in December. We saw some clouds and virga rain in the distance. Brian said it might be about 20 minutes away from us, so we suited up. Turned out to be a false alarm, but it was still windy so I kept my rain shell on until we got back in the trees.




Around 4pm, we started down the Beckhorn Trail which was incredibly steep in some spots (only 6.6 miles to the truck, by the way). This was right near the beginning. It was slow going for about the first half mile. Eventually, it leveled off--Adirondack style, that is....laughing to myself.
Siobhan, Me and Pam



We stopped to filter water out of a brook and take a rest halfway down. We passed a lean-to and were invited to sit and take another rest around 7:30. Shortly after that, we crossed Lillian Brook and made our way out--only 2.3 miles to go and 90 minutes of daylight left.

We made it back to the parking lot right before 9pm---exhausted and stinky. I really didn't expect to get all 5 of the Dixes that day. I would have been happy with 3. Totally worth the hard work, effort and untold calories expended!