Adirondacktastic (2007)

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percious

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Messages
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Location
Arvada, CO Avatar: Colden Spies ADKs
Ropes and gadgets packed, John's Brook trail passed as we glided by, passing some deer and a few leanto's. Howard leanto contained a slumbering family, so good weather meant a night under the stars.

Five water crossings deposited us at the junction for the Brothers. A short 'whack lead us to our destination for the day. A broad rock face loomed above, garnished with flakes and small imperfections to make a climber think. We roped up. I was pleasantly surprised by the options for protection and flew past the two bolts on the first pitch wondering why at least one of them were there. Ben rocked the first section after a tricky traverse and we started up the second pitch. Some problem solving and zig-zagging later and I was starting at some mossy ugliness and soon stationed at a pine tree. We tunneled to the summit to find 15 people hell-bent on finding the elusive view that we enjoyed for the better part of the day!

211 slid down our throats while the brookies nipped at our feet. The cool water and some pleasant dinner revived us. We made it as far as Bear Brook before calling it quits for the day.

Ben agreed to some ground school lessons and I wanted the practice. Since I am leaving soon, I wanted to make sure Ben had some knowledge about climbing if he was to continue learning from others. It was hot. Owl's head is a beautiful small peak nestled in the Keene Valley between Cascade, Porter, Pitchoff and Hurricane. It has a rewarding view. At the top there is a short cliff which is great for instruction, but it is south facing which makes it a scorcher on a hot day.

Kish Duna is a special place for my family, and for Ben and I it provided a reprieve from the hot and sweaty back country. Showered up and steak-filled, we raced off to the secret campsite for the night. The nipping bugs limited our beer-intake to 1 apiece and we were soon sleeping beneath the stars.

I found myself balanced on one ski behind a roaring motor boat. Schroon lake is a beautiful place even if it is being developed. It is a place of relaxation and childhood memories. We zipped around the lake a few times before calling
it quits. It was soon time to head back into the high peaks.

(cont.)
 
Because of the hot and sticky weather we were forced to go shirtless through the Ausable club. Hope the residents didn't mind my t-shirt tan. We were then cooling off in the beautiful cascades of Gill brook when thunder arrived along with some large rain drops. A drop in temperature accompanied the rain and we were glad as we searched for an adequate water source on our way to the Colvin cut-off. We soon arrived at Elk Pass.

Finishing a good day on a remote high peak fills you with such a warm feeling. Ben inquired if I was ok after I sat and stared for a while. I was just soaking it in. We arrived back at camp no worse for wear, satisfied with our day's work.

The half-a**ed trail down to the Nippletop Slide is quite pleasant, and the water from elk pass is well-filtered by the time you reach the bottom of the slide. There is a beaver dam right near the bottom of the slide, so we made certain to get our water just before the dam. My ultra-violet decided to crap out on me, so I gave ben the treated water and took my chances. I have been feeling ok so far.

A few technical moves and we followed the left drainage up and up. This was a mistake ending in a horrendous bushwhack of spruce-fun depositing us at the middle of the slide. We missed half the fun, but the beautiful views made us quickly forget the thrashing we had just experienced. I dislodged a large stone which caused a "minor" rock fall. The smell of friction permeated the air. It was a good thing Ben and I were traveling in parallel.

Options left or right made a few 5th class moves to more bushwhacking for the summit. A few gentlemen from "the city" noted that they heard my echoing yell of "rock" when the "avalanche" occurred. We moved on.

The un-relenting trail down Dial made us yearn for the car. We ran down parts of the lake road to get it over with. We were soon back at Schroon and the lapping water of Kish Duna's sandy beach. My sister "forced" me to drink beer at the local pubs. The night flew by; Ben and I found a place to rest for the night. By 3am, it had been a long day.

(cont.)
 
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Prologue

I hate when you go to a place thinking it might be the last time you are ever going to be there. It makes you feel all bitter-sweet and rushed to accomplish everything you will be missing. I needed time to relax but I wanted to do so much. In all we made all of our goals. I wanted to add Roger's Rock to our experience, but opted to spend an evening partying with my sister instead. It was a good decision.

As the brunt of my Northeast Hiking comes to a close, I am thankful for everything I have experienced here. I know I will be back to visit, and I put my self in a place to "finish up" the 46. This trip had a bit of everything. There were some new experiences too. It makes me wonder how much more there is to see.

I hope all of you have enjoyed my "little" TRs. This is the last one I am likely to post here. From there on out you will have to find me over on www.adkforum.com, www.14ers.org, or www.rockclimbing.com. As always, www.percious.com will remain.

cheers.
-chris
 
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