Well it is good to be back in the Adirondacks.  I decided to pursue another of the Hundred Highest peaks – Slide – a part of the Sentinel Range just SE of Lake Placid.  There is a fairly easy bushwack route that is only a 5 mile roundtrip so I figure it would be a good warm up hike for the winter season.  I got to the trailhead at about 8:15 am and started with a brisk walk for 3/4 of a mile on a trail.  At a large bridge I left the trail and started the bushwack toward the summit.  It was a nice, gentle type of bushwack – mostly through open hardwoods.  Down low there was about a foot of snow and up high there was 2-3 feet.  I enjoyed the quiet of the woods as I slowly climbed through snow clad trees.  Every once in a while I stopped to take in the beauty of the scene -  the solitude and silence of the mountains in winter.  These are moments of intense clarity, where all is suddenly well with the world.  All troubles and all worries fade to nothing in the overwhelming fullness of the scene.

I slowly gained on the summit and finally topped out on a completely viewless summit that was also clouded in.  I took a break for a few minutes to get some food, semi-frozen Gatorade, and check the thermometer – +2 degrees F.  I didn’t spend long there as my fingers were alreading starting to hurt.  The descent was rapid and I returned to the car in about an hour.  I managed to beat the snowstorm that is supposed to drop ~6 inches this evening.  I’m currently enjoying the warmth of the Lake Placid Public library before heading somewhere to sleep in the Subaru for the night.  Tomorrow I will be joining forces with some other guys for another assault into the Sentinel Range in pursuit of another ADK100 peak.  Then Sunday should be a foray to Nippletop and Dial to help some other guys get some more winter 46er peaks.  Then it will be south to the Catskills for a long day to bag a bunch of 3500 peaks before heading home for Christmas.  Updates to this site should continue for the next few weeks!

A few more pictures, but nothing too exciting: http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/Slide121908?authkey=1Atln9ALhBU#

Apparently a few people still occasionally check this site….but I will be (temporarily?) discontinuing its use for a while.  Just not enough trips to make it worth while.  And I don’t want to have a blog where every entry starts out with “Sorry I haven’t written in forever but life has been really busy…”

If you want you can read about my last Adirondack adventure in a trip report written Neil, the guy I hiked with, found here: http://forums.adkhighpeaks.com/showthread.php?t=6889.  If you scroll down through the posts you can find a link to his pictures – some of which are excellent.  It was an awesome hike, but if you want to know more…well….just ask me about it.

This is from a week ago, but still fresh in the memory.  Joined by Sir Hathaway we headed to the ADKs for the weekend.  Saturday was a hike up Wright via the Left Wing Slide. We started the bushwack from Kagel shelter and just followed the stream seeing the occasional bootprint along the way. We then turned up the feeder stream that would take us most of the way to the slide. Things started to get a little thicker and we ended up hiking most of the way right in the stream. It’s a delightful little stream with beautiful pools, cascades and waterfalls. Dave and I were both having a great time before we even got to the slide. I was also surprised to see how easy the navigation was. I hardly even looked at compass/GPS.

The slide itself was awesome. Nice and steep but with excellent rock for climbing. We slowly made our way up, turning often to enjoy the views of Colden, Marcy, etc. What a beautiful weekend! Part way up we discovered that there is a fantastic echo from the slide – the noise “rolls” around the basin created by Algonquin and lasts for 5-10 seconds. After a variety of strange noises we continued on up. At the summit we enjoyed the nice views despite the hordes of people up there. We then took the trail to Algonquin for a bird’s eye view of the park though much of the time was spent waiting for people to get out of the way. Not that we didn’t deserve it for hiking Algonquin on a Saturday in September. The slide is a great way to climb Wright though and we didn’t see anyone from Kagel shelter to the summit.

Sunday morning we got up and went for a short hike up Mt. Adams.  Mt Adams has a firetower on it and would have had some nice views except for the low flying clouds.  As it was, there were some limited views of nearby Calamity Mountain and some of the lowlands.  Adams is an ADK100 peak so I believe I am now up to 57/100.  Progress is a little slow for my tastes but thus it must be.  A few pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/LeftWingSlideWrightAlgonquin?authkey=eMBe21Vo-N8#

Headed out to the annual Outing Club pig roast this weekend.  Then the following weekend should be 4-5 days of hiking in the White Mountains.  Can’t wait to be up there again!  Also exciting, it is getting cold and winter is approaching!

After months of goofing around I finally made it back to the Adirondacks for three days of hiking.  I will now be focusing on chasing the ADK Hundred Highest list.  In addition to the standard 46 high peaks, there are 54 more peaks to climb.  Many of the “Lower 54″ are truly trailless – and climbing them brings a whole new meaning to the word “bushwack”.  Some signs you might be on an Adirondack bushwack:

a.) You can’t see the guy six feet in front of you

b.) Downclimbing a section of cliffs is the “best” path forward

c.) You happily climb back uphill to avoid blowdown

d.) You hear the lead guy say “This way is stupid.”

e.) Two days later you are pulling pine needles out of your hair

f.) You have so many scratches people ask you if you got in a fight with a bobcat

Fortunately I have found a few other idiots who are starting the ADK100 list:

L-R - Me, Jay, Jason

 Friday we did a nice traverse of Jay and Saddleback.  A nice trail with open views took us to the top of Jay Mt.  Then a bit of gentle bushwacking took us over to Saddleback where we then descended to a spotted car.  Along the way we went over many open rock areas that kept the hike fun and interesting.

Saturday our original plan had to be changed due to rain.  Several people in our group were working on the 46er list so we ended up hiking Street and Nye – Nye is arguably the ugliest high peak there is.  With those two in the bag I only need to hike to more mountains to complete my second round of the 46 (but who’s counting?).  Then most of the group headed back down while Jay, Jason, and I (being the idiots of the group) decided to bushwack over to Lost Pond Peak (an ADK100) which was only 1.25 miles away.  From the summit it was only another mile or so back to a trail.  Now the three of us would usually hike at a 3+ mph pace on most trails, but this bushwack took four hours.  Much of the bushwack was actually very nice despite the cooler temperatures, occasional rain, and completely soaked clothing.  Perhaps the most impressive part was the moss along the route – in some places it was a couple inches thick!  At one point I fell sideways into a rock face only to laugh because the moss on it was softer than my pillow.  We got to the summit amidst the heaviest downpour (see picture above) and rapidly proceeded with the descent.  The whole mountain was socked in heavy – it is incredible how disorienting thick pines and fog is!  I took a compass bearing at the top and starting walking.  Two minutes later I checked the compass and found we were starting to descend the opposite side of the mountain.  We adjusted accordingly and kept a close eye on the instruments.  Then a steep bushwack down to a trail and a brisk jog out the last 2 or 3 miles to the car.

Sunday was a climb of Colden via the Trap Dyke – a route that I have done before but is well worth doing again.  The route ascends 1800′ in 0.65 miles.  For the first half you are scrambling up rock ledges with a few class 3-4 moves along the way.  Then you cut out to a delightful Adirondack slide that ascends directly to the summit rock.  We had an absolutely beautiful day that reminded me how much I love those mountains.

http://picasaweb.google.com/home?hl=en&tab=wq

I have returned to PA and am now busy climbing to the peak of academic excellence.  If I can get internet access at home I will post some more pictures from the last two weeks in Colorado (including mountain goats!).  Updates for this site will likely slow down but hopefully not cease.  The next task is to pursue the Adirondack 100 highest (54/100 complete) and the Catskill 3500 (12/35) to be followed by the Cat3500W.  When I’m not busy fishing, that is.  Or, um, pursuing academic excellence…

It’s true.  I readily admit it.  I’m a peakbagger.  And I love it.

The past 3 days I’ve been chasing 14ers in Colorado (peaks over 14,000′).  Depending on how one counts them, I’ve either done 3 or 8.  It is pretty incredible territory – and pretty rugged.  The past 3 days the hikes have not been too long (only 8-10 miles) but the average climb has been over 4000′ per day.  The total shows 13,000 vertical feet in the last three days – that’s like climbing the stairs in your house over 1100 times.  Yes…it hurts.  Yes…I’m tired.  Yes…I’m going for more tomorrow.

Today’s climb of Mt. Massive (yes it is big) was particularly fun.  I took a non-standard route that was largely off trail and allowed me to walk the long summit ridge of Massive.  Though only the main summit officially counts as a 14er, Massive has five different summits over 14,000′, of which I managed to do four.  For fun the first couple pictures a good portion of the route.  Take a look: http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/MtMassive

Also, pictures from the other two days:

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/COCastleAndConundrumPeaks

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/COHuronPeak

Also, July stats added.  Somewhere in the Winds I hiked my 1000th mile for 2008.

The Wind Rivers – is there a better place?  Hidden away in northwest Wyoming, you will hear of the Grand Tetons or Yellowstone long before the Winds.  But (in my humble opinion) the national parks pale in comparison.  The Winds are the place to go for endless alpine scenery and many trailless miles of solitude.  Katie and I planned for a four day trip with the first night being in the Cirque of the Towers – the rest we would plan as we went.

Day 1

We started from Big Sandy trailhead which is many miles off the paved road (full of hazards like antelope, cattle, and random hippies still there from the Rainbow gathering).  We hiked six miles in to Big Sandy Lake where the peaks started to tower over us.  We decided to drop packs and take a spur trail a few miles up to Deep Lake.  What a place!  As we climbed up to the lake the trees receded until it was wide open rock and meadows.  We then left the trail and headed to Temple Lake before making our own trail back to the packs.  What incredible fun, walking wherever one wishes through open meadows full of wildflowers.  At this point Katie asked me why we had wasted so much time in the Tetons.  We picked up our packs and began the tiring climb over Jackass Pass and then descended into the Cirque of the Towers.  The Cirque forms almost a complete circle of towering cliff and mountains.  We found a spot to set up camp and soon found the it is mosquito season in the Winds.  Really bad.  Like, it’s not worth going to the bathroom because you’ll itch for the next few hours.  Like don’t breathe too deeply because you’ll inhale them.  We never really escaped the buggers for the whole trip.  Nevertheless, the scenery was beautiful and kept us going from day to day.  That night I crawled out of the tent after dark to use the facilities, and was awestruck by the view – the Cirque under the light of a full moon.  Words cannot describe…

Day 2

We headed off trail to climb out of the Cirque via Texas Pass – a steep pass on the north side that provides access to the other side of the range.  After plenty of huffing and puffing we crossed through the pass where the most recent visitor appeared to have been a moose.  Then there was a steep descent to Texas Lake and several more miles of cross country travel before picking up a trail at Shadow Lake.  Did I mention that most of our route was above 10,000′ and above treeline?  Endless views.  After picking up the trail we headed north to spend the night at Pyramid Lake.  We were treated to a bit of a light show from some nearby storm clouds and blessed the 20 minutes of rain because it gave us some relief from the mosquitos.

Day 3

Time to get off the trail again.  We headed north up a basin toward Mt. Bonneville, once again enjoying the open alpine walking and great views.  We were suprised to see several other groups going through the same pass we were heading for.  Upon talking to some of them we found out they were a NOLS rock climbing course, out for 30 days in the Winds.  Our final ascent to the pass just south of Mt. Bonneville was tiring, being a large boulder field where you had to pick your way between rocks and jump from one to the next.  Once we hit the pass I scrambled up to an unnamed peak a few hundred feet above the pass and was treated to incredible views deep into the heart of the Winds.  Some of the best mountain country I have seen this summer and at least on par with the Sierras.  After a brief lunch hiked a few more miles cross country through mosquito infested lands until striking the Continental Divide trail.  The lands to the west of the range consists of high tablelands, some rolling hills, and mostly wide open country.  We pounded south on the trail on the way back toward the trailhead, hoping to travel as far as possible before the mosquitos broke our will.  We made it to Dad’s Lake, about six miles from the trailhead and about the 15th tough mile for the day.  Dinner was followed by the best night of rest yet.

Day 4

Not much to say.  Woke up early to a beautiful scene of early morning sun on mountains above a quiet lake.  The mosquitos were a little late waking up, so we took advantage and hit the trail by 7 am for a quick walk out to the car by 9 am.  Now we’re back in Jackson Hole to do one more day hike in the Tetons before Katie flies home.  Then….if I can muster the courage for the mosquitos, it is back to the Winds for a solo adventure through some more of the high country.

I won’t blink an eye if I never see the Grand Canyon again and I won’t shed a tear if I never return to Yosemite….but I hope to see the Winds again.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/WindRiversCirqueOfTheTowers

Katie and I hiked the Teton Crest Trail.  The end.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/TetonsTetonCrestTrail

As with the Trinity-Alps, the Sawtooths are a little known gem.  It is one of the most scenic areas in scenic Idaho.  It is also often overlooked in favor of the bigger parks like Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, and so forth.  I did two different day hikes, one to Sawtooth Lake, rated by readers of Backpacker Magazine as the best place to take a dip.  I myself wimped out when a small iceberg floated past me.  Beautiful water surrounded by striking mountains make for a nice place to sit back and relax.  The Sawtooths are a place that I hope to return to in the future – particularly to do some cross-country travel to remote lakes and peaks.  Here are a few pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/SawtoothsImogeneLake

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/SawtoothsSawtoothLake

Well not enough time for a proper update, but I figured I would upload a few pictures.  After 3 days of driving I arrived at Glacier National park for some fun in the Rockies.  Highlights – Spending a whole day hiking on snow and actually using crampons, practicing self arrest (stopping yourself with you ice axe when sliding down steep angle snow), watching some big horn sheep, 4th of July fireworks, and (intentionally) experiencing the effects of bear spray and then being “incapacitated” for the next 15 minutes.

Currently in Idaho’s Sawtooth mountains.  Awesome country.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/GlacierHiddenLake

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/GlacierIcebergLake