Adirondack High Peaks
(Sawteeth -28, Skylight-29, Gray- 30)
With the first leaves of September beginning to turn, a cool chill in the air, and yet another EPIC summer winding down, I finally get a moment to reflect upon perhaps the most “EPIC-EST” of all summer hiking seasons. It’s been all about the hike lately, and I just could not sit still long enough to put these experiences into words. Well I suppose I’ve had quite enough of a break, and cannot avoid it any longer. About time for another one of these blogs, while these memories are still fresh in my noggin. By now, I’ve written quite a few of them and still, there never seems to be a shortage of words to describe the new challenges and gifts each hike brings. Recently I’ve looked back on a few of them and honestly cringed a bit when faced with the notion that I have, at times, dug deep within my soul, and put it out in the open. But if I had not, and had kept these things to myself, and left the moments to happen and then possibly be forgotten, it would have been more like a dream to fade away and get lost in the clutter of everyday life. To me, when I put these thoughts into words it makes them REAL, and it becomes a permanent part of who I am moving forward.
For the most part, if you interact with me face to face, I am of course usually NOT this profound and insightful. There is some sort of shield that surrounds me, that keeps things light-hearted and makes me feel safe in my own skin. When I start writing I somehow get in touch with a more thoughtful side of myself, and it’s like I am almost outside looking in, and maybe like it’s not even me. Its almost as if I get to pretend I am someone else, some author of a book writing about a fictional character. But as we know, that is not the case. It’s just me sharing my trail stories and all that happens around me and within me. When I first started these sort of journal entries, and realized that they were perhaps a bit revealing of a side of me that is not known by many, I was of course hesitant to put it out there for all to see (if they so choose). But in the end, I said ‘the hell with it’ and took the plunge to go public, willing to except whatever consequences and reap whatever benefits, that may come develop as a result…”BLAH BLAH BLAH! GET ON WITH THE STORY ALREADY!!!”
Anyway, as I said there always seems to be new challenges and gifts with each hike, no matter how many journeys I embark on. These two hikes are no exception. June led me back to the Adirondacks after a long spring hiatus to finally get back to the places I love. To make it even better, I had company on both of these! First it was a 15 mile, 10-hour loop with my niece Janelle, along East Ausable River, up by way of Gothics Trail to Sawteeth and down what is known as Scenic Trail, stopping at some breathtaking waterfalls and mountain views along the way. The biggest challenge came at the end on this one. Next was an even longer 18 mile, 12-hour out-and-back with my sister (and trusty #1 hiking buddy) Therese, to the remote area of Mount Skylight and Gray Peak which brought its own set of unique challenges, and a very special tribute.
First a long day’s journey, bound for Sawteeth… (6/11/17)
These days I’m finding it harder and harder to get an early start after a Friday night gig. That being the case, along with how the weather lined up and the length of my drive, it made sense to name Sunday as the big day. I slept in and used the first half of Saturday as my travel day. Janelle did the same. She has a physically demanding job as a landscaper so it was pretty important for her to be well rested, before this long slog. I pulled up to the now famous lake-house (assuming there are at least a few readers out there), and Janelle is already settled in and lounging on the dock enjoying the lake. I follow suit shortly after and we enjoy a relaxing day before setting out at the crack of dawn the next day.
A small detour for an extra coffee boost on the way, had us pulling into Ausable Rd parking lot at 8:30am- a bit of a late start, but days are long now with the arrival of summer, so this is a non-issue.
A family of beavers greets us for our stretching and gearing up, and sends us on our way 20 minutes later. A familiar first stretch of a paved roadwalk through the Ausable Club property and to the Gate to the dirt surfaced Lake Rd. I’ve walked this long boring road before, so this time I figured we can make it a bit more interesting (and slightly longer) and follow the East River trail.
Janelle is loving it out here. “I would love to live in this setting” I hear her say, more than once. We stop to marvel at the scenes I may have otherwise (sad to say) whizzed by if I was solo. Her new fascination with her work with an arborist, and recent tree climbing class has her attempting to identify several species of flora. It’s a rather warm day (mid 80s) so we have made sure to pack ample water and making a conscious effort not to skimp on drinking plenty of it. The second half of the trip down Scenic trail has minimal, if any water sources, so we are refilling as we go while the getting is good.
Speaking of water, after a few miles of some gentle ups and downs, we come to the dramatic cascading Beaver Meadow Falls. The cool mist and draft are refreshing, and Janelle decides to get a closer look. I love seeing her reaction to these things of beauty. I couldn’t be happier, and gladly take the extra time for an extended break. After some time enjoying the falls, Janelle now soaked from the mist, we head on our way to the next attraction.
We headed a short way up Beaver Meadow Trail, up a ladder, and split off to the left to Lost Lookout where we got a nice view through a clearing in the trees. Then continued the side trail downhill, to a junction of trails and took one more worthwhile side trip to an awesome sight, the towering wall of water known as Rainbow Falls. 
After times of heavy rains, this can be a risky area to approach, but today it is a lush cascade tumbling off the cliff side to the boulders and brook below. Once again, an extended break is in order, so we can soak in this breathtaking spectacle. “Soak” is an understatement as Janelle once again moves in for a closer look.
Much like the racing water, my heart overflows with joy, being able to bring these magical places to family members. She returns from her close encounter saying, “I was gonna go under but…” “BUT WHAT??” I say. We both gaze up at the falls, and as my eyes follow the towering flow down the cliff side to our level, I realize Janelle is already halfway back to the showers. This time, she plunges into the wall of water.
What the hell, you only live once, and as the song says, “We may never pass this way again”. Carpe Diem, I say! Besides, with the warm temps today, and plenty of time to dry off before the cool summit winds, hypothermia couldn’t be further from my mind.
We eventually drag ourselves away from what has to be the highlight of the trip, to continue onward and upward, VERY upward. Heading up the Pyramid/Gothics trail we get one last look from above the falls to witness… yup you guessed it, A RAINBOW stretching across the spray of the falls. 
We are 3 hours into our journey now as noon approaches, but we have some miles to make up so we push onward after a snack and re-hydration. Janelle checks her blood sugar levels (being a type 1 diabetic) and discovers it is a bit out of whack, and gives herself an insulin shot. Now I am entertaining the idea of scrapping our next stop which we had planned, Pyramid Peak. It is not a 46er, but I included it in the itinerary because it is said to have one of the best views in the Adirondacks. But our early stops have kind of put us behind schedule with still many miles ahead. I mention my thoughts to my niece and her reaction is “I’m down for anything!” So, we agree to play it by ear and make our decision at the next trail junction.
After some hard work, with a good stretch of steepness and the sun beating down, hunger is now creeping in. We sit on a log on the side of the trail just before the junction, and refuel with a lunch in the woods. At this point, I break the news to my partner that we are scrapping Pyramid for today. Her blood sugar is now normal but I don’t want to run out of daylight or energy. We can always come back and do a Pyramid/Gothics loop. I’ve already done Gothics, but from a different approach, so this would be a good hike to plan for the future. She agrees with my judgement and we now turn our sights on Sawteeth.
As we turn left and start our scramble to the summit, we get some looks behind us to the sheer cliffs of Pyramid, and this makes me glad that we are saving it for another day. Plus, now my companion is complaining of a turning stomach, but assures me she is good to go.
A few challenging spots later we have made to our destination just after 2pm. Janelle’s first ADK High Peak and #28 for me. The views are of course astounding! We take a well-deserved rest and enjoy the landscape with the Great Range spread out before us.
Before too long, we are joined by a family of 5, including 3 young kids, maybe 6 years to 9 years of age. We chit chat for a bit and learn that they have done a 5-peak day, including the Wolfjaws, Armstrong, Gothics, and Pyramid. Aaah youth! We took some comfort in the fact that they had a 5am start, in contrast to our 9am start. This put some wind back in our sails, enough to get a move-on to the 2nd of the double summit and then down the Scenic Trail.
I remind Janelle to stay hydrated and I check in on her health from time to time. Still a bit queasy but “good to go”. One more short side trip brings us to Marble Point, and a nice view to the Lower Ausable Lake, and Mt Colvin and Blake across the way along with Indian Head and some other more distant high peaks.
But my partner is no longer by my side. Instead she is fertilizing the woods with the contents of her stomach. She staggers onto the ledge refreshed (for the moment) and enjoys the southern views with me, although clearly now less enthusiastically. I give her a rest here to compose herself before moving on.
The rest of the way down the Scenic trail is us moving at a decent clip, interspersed with a series of outlooks toward a Lower Ausable, growing gradually larger and closer. There are no further health issues, although she is drinking less for fear of yacking again. A mistake, in hindsight.
We make it to the base where we had planned to take the West River trail back, but after a foot-soak in the lake, I suggest taking the road back, for hopefully a more straight forward final stretch and possibly easier on the stomach.
I forgot how long and grueling this road was. I am dragging at this point, my feet burning and Janelle is even worse, but all there is to do at this point is shuffle onward to the end. In the final miles, Janelle is clearly dehydrated, spent and in rough shape. We pass a fellow hiker at the Ausable club who had finished her hike earlier in the day and was just hanging out on Club grounds. She notices the zombie-like demeanor of my companion and walks with her, offering some water and amino-acid formula which she has had good luck with, fighting dehydration.
It wasn’t until the ride back to the lake house, when things took a turn for the worse. I had to pull over a few times for Janelle to puke her guts out. I stopped for some ginger ale and she tried to keep it down and failed. Bed could not come soon enough. Surely, she just needs a good night’s rest and will be much better in the morning…
NOT THE CASE. She woke up in the middle of the night vomiting violently again. I suggested we may need to go to the hospital at this point, and after the next puking session she agreed and dialed 911. Once the EMTs finally found us, they were off to the hospital. I stayed back and got some rest. The next morning, I learned that she was being treated for Ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening complication from Diabetes. I am glad we didn’t wait any longer to get to the hospital! She wasn’t stabilized until another day later. A scary ending, to say the least, to a trip that started out so well.
I don’t know if there is anything to be learned from this experience. I only hope that Janelle remembers the majority of the day, the good parts that filled most of it, and not the ordeal that followed. I beat myself up about it for the morning that followed. What more could I have done to stop the escalation of her sickness? Did I push the envelope too much? Why have I not made myself more educated with the difficulties and complications of diabetes? But in the end, I let myself off the hook, as it is ultimately up to the person with the disease to manage their symptoms and monitor their levels and be proactive with treatments. Not to put too much blame on Janelle either. I can understand her not wanting to be the one to hold back progress. I would probably want to push beyond the limits too if I was in her shoes. I just hope she figures it all out, and those shoes hit the trail again soon. It was after all, a great day. THE SILVER LINING WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD…
Next was a long, treacherous, wet, and muddy, journey to probably the most remote, and definitely one the most beautiful peaks in the Adirondacks. And to sweeten the deal, we got to say farewell to a dear friend, making this our most emotional voyage by far. (6/25/17)
What can you say about the unconditional love of a dog? There is something so pure and natural about the bond we have with our canine friends. They don’t judge you in any way, they would never hurt you, and their needs are very simple. Love, Love, and more LOVE. They know not of the daily stresses we humans put ourselves through, of the pain and suffering we are capable of inflicting upon each other, of the worries that consume us, of the bills we have to pay, the list of chores we create, the complexities that fill our days, the blame we pin on ourselves and on others when things don’t go according to the master plan… No, they know not of any of those things. And yet they somehow know us better than we know ourselves sometimes. For isn’t that what we desire the most? Peace, simplicity, harmony, and love. Our dogs are the purest version of ourselves. The child inside us that just wants to go out and play, run in a field, jump in pile of leaves, roll in the snow, splash in a lake, and at the end of the day sit by a warm fire cuddled next to your best friend in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was all there was to life? Maybe that’s what is truly important though and we too often lose sight of these pure and simple things. I am thankful I was reminded of these things and that Simba was there to make sure I didn’t forget.
Simba had been my sister’s trusty companion in recent years, and throughout his lifetime had grown alongside the members of her family, and had become such an important fixture in all of their lives. As my visits to the lake house became more frequent, thanks to my renewed love of nature, I became a familiar being in this wonderful golden retriever’s world. He let me in as one of the family, and he became a symbol of the new direction and approach I was taking in life. For me, it was the mountains that became my savior. And even when he wasn’t up for the challenge, he was often there, sitting lakeside to send me off, and there when I returned. When his health was on the upswing he would even join us on the journey, and I have never seen him so happy and excited! During this past winter, he shared many of our snowy treks, and it seemed as though he was rejuvenated and healthier than ever! Over the spring break (not the best time to hike), I remember thinking “This was going to be Simba’s summer!”
…And then, just like that he was gone. And somehow in many ways it hurts even more than losing a fellow human family member. My sister texted me the news that he was to be put down that week, and I was absolutely heartbroken. I felt like leaving work at once and make the 3-hour drive midweek just to say goodbye, but it was best to leave the family in their space to spend the final hours in their own way. I began to remember the times I shared with Simba, and just then realized how much he had meant. I wrote a poem that summed up how I felt and emailed it to my sister, with the hopes that it would be read in his presence.
In the weeks that followed, some healing took place, but Simba would never be forgotten. He couldn’t be. He was too important! We decided to dedicate this hike to Simba and take with us some of his ashes to be released at the summit of Skylight, where I would read my poem aloud and we could make our contribution to the closure of this chapter and celebration of his life. This is our journey…
It’s another gold weather day. The weather gods have parted the rainclouds for Mike and Therese once again. Or maybe we just obsessed over the forecasts, and jumped while the getting was good. In any case, we had our window of sun amongst a series of rainy days to make the long approach into the heart of the Adirondacks. Skylight is out just beyond Marcy with a summit that sits in the middle of it all with nothing but mountains and wilderness as far as the eye can see. Nothing but a 360 view will do for a hike in honor of our friend. We are not sad or melancholy this morning as we set off from Heart Lake, more filled with happiness and joy, as if Simba is here by our side, racing ahead in the trail soaking up the woods and all that is good in the world. The obligatory kicking up our heels takes place, and we are on our way.
In no time at all, it seems, we are at the all too familiar spot – Marcy Dam, where we take a quick breather to acknowledge the blue skies we are granted by Ma Nature and hope that the weather holds up long enough for the main event. There are some showers expected later, but we think we can make it in time to dodge any soaking (from the sky at least). Gray is the lesser of the 2 views, so we will tackle that after.
Branching off to the first section of trail toward Avalanche Pass, we make our way through flora with eyes and ears peeled for fauna. A bounty of green surrounds us in the forest, in stark contrast to the bleached blanket that coated the last trail we shared with Simba. No doubt he would have loved to be here today, but then again, he is most definitely here, and we are doing our best to keep up with him.
Memories of Simba fill my mind, and I am sure Therese’s as well, mixed with recollections of our first attempt at what we have designated as our finishing peak – Mt Colden, as we ascend up to Lake Arnold for another quick breather. 
All these images of winter land frolicking with our golden companion, and an icy cold autumn day that tested our tenacity to the breaking point, are in perfect balance with present, day surroundings, one of those being a relentless reminder of the wet season we have had and the muddy results that haunt all who set foot on (or should I say “in”) these grounds. At one point, my trekking pole sinks into the muck almost up to the handle!
But this is nothing compared to what awaits us in the bog area down Feldspar Brook Trail. At first it is some manageable maneuvering over wood log bridging through the waterlogged area. Then this reaches a new level at the most flooded zone.
The bridging has now become a series of floating, and not so floating walkways (or should I say swim-ways) through a football field length of waist deep water. I watch Therese sink to her knees as she carefully makes her way across being careful not to fall over into the pool, then I follow, nudging the drifting sections of this sorry excuse for a bridge into place, as I too, sink to my knees. All hope for dry boots is long gone at this point, so we squish along and let our feet prune away, as we bang a left at the lean-to onto the yellow marked trail along Feldspar brook to find our next landmark, Lake Tear of the Clouds – the starting point of the Hudson River.
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Even though our feet are hopelessly soaked it feels good to walk upon dry ground. The higher we climb, the more open and vast expanses of land, and the more hopeful we will be allowed blue skies upon summit arrival. We have each carried with us a rock to set upon the massive cairn as we reach the bald peak, which is said to ensure good weather. We will see if superstition holds true. We pick up the pace and complete the final stretch without a break in order to beat the clouds making their way into the area. A sole hiker is retreating opposite our direction and comments “looks like I just made it, now all I have to do is survive the hike out”. We chuckle and shrug off his remarks, all the while unyielding in our stride and our resolve for the height of land. Then finally the successful mission realized as the two huge stacks of rocks come into view and beyond them, the endless stretches of hills reach out as far as eyes can see until they fade to kiss the sky upon the horizon.
We stand in wonder and amazement at the scenes spread out before us in every direction. And then just like that, with little warning, a healthy gust of wind, dark shadow envelopes the earth, and the sky opens up to shed her tears of joy upon us. We race to put pack covers and rain jackets and laugh hysterically at the timing of this swift transformation in the clouds. But we care not. We made it here after 9+ miles and a good soaking from below, and a little bit of a soaking from above will not dampen our spirits.
We make our way down to a somewhat more sheltered area for a well-deserved feasting upon the sustenance that fills our packs, and as we do, the clouds move on as quickly as they arrived. We sit on our little area just north side off the summit and devour our sandwiches and snacks while gazing upon views of Marcy, Gray, and Colden before us, as well as the MacIntyres and “HaBaSa” of the Great range to our more distant left and immediate right.
Following our lunch, we sit for a moment and then begin our little ceremony for Simba.
I read aloud the words I wrote to honor our friend, and as I do, a lump in my throat develops, my heart races, and my eyes fill to blur the passages I struggle to read on the screen of my phone:
GOLDEN SEASONS (in memory of SIMBA)
SKY OF GOLD~
The evening horizon floods with color
In my westbound highway drive
They promise a place where I can retreat
Renewed, reborn, revived
This is YOUR kingdom, playground, & home
A peaceful state of mind
You welcome me with an open heart
To leave my chaos behind
LAKE OF GOLD~
Summer sun glistens upon the ripples
A warm and gentle breeze
A kayak, pontoon, duckling or loon
The only movement we see
You sit by my side for hours on end
The dock sways to and fro
You look back at me as if to say
“Is anything better? No.”
LEAF OF GOLD~
I’ve walked many miles, seen so many colors
I wish to share the story
But somehow you know in your monochrome vision
The beauty I’ve witnessed, the glory
You answer the door a tail wagging joy
Hoping that soon you can join me
As I hit to the trail to find all that’s good
The simple world you have shown me
COLD OF GOLD~ 
Your coat glimmers bright against fresh fallen white
Health has not always been kind
But today you are charged up by fresh air and trail
Renewed, reborn, unwind
You sprint far ahead then back to our pace
The summit awaits, we arrive
Like a kid in a candy store eating it up
Days like these let you thrive
HEART OF GOLD~
With spring thaw complete, a hopeful new season
Alas our time is cut short
Your sick aging bones too much to endure
So many good memories to sort
Your final sun sets as family surround you
A loving ending unfolds
You’ll always be with me wherever I gaze
Wherever a lake
Wherever the trees
Wherever a mountain
Whenever at peace
MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND OF GOLD
Then a moment of silence mixed with more tears and an embrace from my sister, and she reaches into her pocket to remove a ziplock bag and asks me to capture this moment on video, as she moves further toward the backdrop of Haystack (my first Adirondack high peak) to release the ashes into the wind and whisper a few words of farewell to her trusty pal. What an emotional send-off for our friend!
click here for video clip of “farewell to Simba”
We gather ourselves and realize how blue the sky has once again become. I decide to race back up to the summit to get a few more shots before heading back down to Lake Tear of the Clouds for our 2nd destination. My heart is really racing now, from the jog I just completed, fueled by the emotional ceremony, and further amplified by the amazing heavenly views before me. I pan the camera from horizon to horizon several times around as I am panting heavily, fighting back the tears that have overcome me once more. Eventually I catch my breath and plunge down the mountain trail to rejoin my sister. We feel like this journey could not have been scripted more perfectly as we snap a few more alpine shots before dipping back into the trees.
Click Here for video clip of “Skylight Summit”
A sign marks a tree at the Lake near our junction that echos our sudden drenching from the sky we had just experienced. A few gels for energy boost, and we begin the climb up to Gray.
My legs are fighting me now with every step but I push on through the steep scrambles and muddy herd path to finally reach our 2nd peak of the day, marking #30 on the list – Gray Peak.
Another rest with a snack and a gel is needed to keep up our strength for the long return trip. We take note of our mud soaked footwear and legs and realize we still need to go back through all that. Uuugh! Whatever, it makes no difference at this point. Let’s get on with it.
The scrambles down Gray are more challenging to descend in some spots but we manage to make our way down and around them, and then shuffle and squish back through the wet muddy steps from which we came.
I finally hit a wall heading back up to Lake Arnold but claw my way through it, for one final resting point. I remember an item that is in my pack from the Sawteeth hike, when Janelle was struggling mightily at the end and a nice girl offered her some water and this amino acid supplement powder. Janelle never used it that day, but now with my energy reserves well spent I figure I’ll give it a shot. What have I got to lose?
We head out on the final 5 miles down the northern flank of Colden, bound for Marcy Dam and eventually Heart Lake, when suddenly out of nowhere I find myself running and hopping the rocks down the mountain with renewed energy. This stuff really works! I don’t know how long this burst will last but I am riding the wave for as long as I can! Therese is doing her best to keep up with me at this point (Its usually the other wat around in the final stretch), but doing a decent job since she hadn’t hit her low as I had. We finally make it back down to Marcy Dam and give our feet a good soak in the cold water and change into dry socks. This gives us a new pair of feet to endure the final miles back to our car.
On the way out to route 87 we stopped at a little diner along 73 in Keene Valley and devoured some nachos, a burger and fries, the stumbled back to the car with filled bellies for the long drive back to the lake house for a hot soak and some much needed sleep. Although we were aching from head to toe we felt blessed once again to have had this experience in honor of our friend and in celebration of this lifestyle. I wouldn’t change this day for the world! One of my favorites for sure!