Following the trench to Street and Nye

I started my "winter" hiking season on Saturday with a hike up Street and Nye mountains from the LOJ. I say "winter" because I only hike in the winter as the weather tends towards spring. Spring is certainly in evidence down low where the ice across the brooks is starting to melt and break up and in fact a lot of the fields along the roads on the drive down were snow free. However once you gained any elevation there was plenty of snow in and around the snow trench that is the herd path to Street and Nye. The is one of the "trail-less" hikes in the Adirondacks which means that there are no signs (except for the S and N carved into a tree at the col) pointing the way. Nevertheless the trail is obvious and easy to follow in summer and in winter, well there is the trench. Impossible to miss on the way up and like a luge run on the way down. Just sit down and let gravity have it's way with you (which I did)! Sadly, the bright sunny day with few clouds when I started out was replaced by a snow shower when I got the summit of Street so I missed the under-rated views from Street of the MacIntyres. A fine day that served to whet my appetite for more of the same!

Check out the impressive work by a local beaver near Indian Pass brook.


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