Highpeaking

Penguin picnic area

2012-01-22T16:44:00.000-05:00

Currently, more suitable for penguins than picnics!

Have you seen ... the Gatineau Seal?

2012-01-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

We are very lucky to have a place like Gatineau Park so close by. A great place in the summer for hiking, biking and cooling off in some beautiful lakes and in the winter a wide variety of ski and snowshoe trails: both on the parkways and in the woods. It is also home to a wide variety of wildlife. I myself have seen plenty of deer, all sorts of birds and a saw beaver couple frollicking in their pond. I know people who have crossed paths with bears. I believe that there are packs of coyotes as well as wolves and even a mountain lion was once spotted crossing the Fortune Lake parkway. Many of these animals are shy and prefer to avoid contact with the humans who visit their "neighborhood".

None, however is as reclusive and rarely seen as the Gatineau Seal. The Gatineau Seal is a solitary and slow moving creature. So slow in fact that you would swear it hadn't moved at all. It keeps a stony silence and you would not notice it unless you happen to be looking up at the right time and in the right direction. I have only ever seen one in the winter time so I don't know where it hides its snowy white coat in the summer months. It has a hypnotic stare and I have yet to stare long enough to see it blink. I first saw one a few winters ago near P16 and saw a slightly larger one on the parkway near P1.

If you are lucky you might see one next time you are out on the trails. Hey, Mr. Seal, You rock!

Hey Jo

2011-11-21T15:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful day more suited to early fall than mid November. Temps were around 10C with clear sunny skies. There was just enough daylight to get a reasonable night's sleep, drive down to Lake Placid, hike Mt Jo and head back home. It turned out I was also able to take some roadside pics as well to take advantage of the clear weather and I made it back to the border before it started to get dark.

I took the "Short" trail up Mt Jo and descended via the "Long" trail. Since the longer of the two is about a mile and a half, neither of the names are really appropriate. Having said that, the Short trail was ice free while the Long trail was icy in spots and also wetter. It was quite windy up top but not too cold. The views from Mt Jo are great from Street in the west around to Cascade and Porter in the east. The main event of the view is of the MacIntyres, Colden and back to Mt Marcy. The best time of day to do this hike would be early morning or late afternoon to avoid looking into the su. I made it up for noon but enjoyed the half hour stay nonetheless.

On the way out I purchased the ADK calendar for 2012 (two thumbs up for this year's version) and stopped at a few spots off the road (Connery Pond) to take some photos in the clear conditions.

This is a great hike to take photos of the fall colors as it takes about a half hour to hike up and has an awesome view. OK, c'mon snow!!

More photos

Mt Hale via Zealand Falls Hut

2011-10-13T17:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday I was looking for some more color but also a hike away from the crowds so I headed up towards Zealand Falls hut after parking my car at the Hale Brook trail lot. There were a lot of people out including a group with a team of huskies that was heading up over Zealand mountain to camp. Wrong season if you ask me as the humans in the group could have had a free ride were there snow on the ground! The are several beaver ponds along the way that have interesting views along the valley formed by Zealand on one side and the Willey range on the other. I had been along here on a hut to hut hike several years ago. On that day it was a death march amidst a deluge and no interest in the passing scenery. I stopped in at the hut to check out the falls and the view from the hut as it is a couple hundred feet above the valley floor. On the way up I found a memory card that I handed in to the staff at the hut. It had more than 400 shots on it so I hope it gets back to its owner.

I had thought of hiking further down the trail to Thoreau Falls but it was so nice sitting in the warm sun on the deck outside the hut that I just lounged there and ate my lunch while chatting with some "locals". Instead of curling up for a nap I set off up the Lend a Hand trail for Hale mountain. This trail is reputed to wet but the extensive trailwork of bridges across swampy areas made it a joy to hike. I didn't see anyone until I got to the steep sections approaching the summit of Mt Hale. That summit is a small grassy meadow with a 6 foot cairn in the middle (no view). If you stand atop the pile you can just see the tops of various surrounding mountains. The Hale Brook trail is pretty steap, especially at the top. I ran into a lot of groups on their way up. I was a bit confused as Hale itself does not seem to me a good destination for a leap peeping hike. Nearer the bottom, I saw a windbreaker, and then a wicking shirt and lastly a nike hat on the side of the trail. Thankfully, there was no naked hiker further down!

This was my last visit to the WMNF until ski season but if the weather agrees I hope to get out to the Adirondacks before the snow flies!

More pics

Middle Sugarloaf

2011-10-11T19:09:00.000-04:00

On Friday, I opted for a short hike that I hoped would have stellar views. I hit the jackpot by hiking to Middle Sugarloaf from the parking area a few miles down Zealand Road. A hike of a mile and a bit that rises 900 feet. The summit is about 2500 feet and has a nice closeup look at Hale, North Twin as well as Tom and Field and at a further distance is the Presidential range. While it would be best to hike this peak when the light conditions are best (I'm guessing early morning and late afternoon) there were no complaints from me or any of the other lucky folks up there. I lounged for about an hour or more and had some interesting chats: politics with some locals (lucky) and how awesomely beautiful this spot is with a couple visiting from Holland. The colors were sweet, especially on Mt Hale which was the closest peak and they filled the Zealand Valley.

If you have a few hours to spare I highly recommend this gem, I think I will give this a visit over the winter (note that the road is closed so add 2.5 miles each way).

More pics

Chocorua, was it summer or winter?

2011-10-11T18:12:00.000-04:00

I hiked Mt Chocorua last Thursday via the Champney Falls Trail from the Kamcamagus Highway. The forecast was for clear sunny skies but temperatures in the 50s (yikes). Hardly Indian summer weather but on the plus side it was perfect to keep the leaf peeping hordes to a minimum. The trail was a beauty, never particularly steep until the end with a constant grade and a series of switchbacks to get you up to the ridgeline. I had to cover up against the wind with a windbreaker, toque and gloves although I saw several folks who were hiking in shorts. OK, I was too but I had thermal longjohns under them!

It was really windy above the tree line and on the summit cone but a great place to duck down behind cover to take photos. On a warmer day this would be a good mountain to hike as there are extended trails that are above the trees and have fine views of surrounding mountains as well as Chocorua's pointy summit.

On my way back down I spotted a bit of trash on the trail (click on photo below). Can you see it?

Then later at a Kamcamagus scenic spot I saw the following bolts in a rock face across the road. Any idea what they are?

More pics

Snowy mountain

2011-09-27T11:12:00.000-04:00

I went for a dayhike to Snowy mountain yesterday. Snowy mountain is just south of the village of Indian Lake, a long drive especially for a day hike but I figured that autumn would be a good time of year to make the longer drive and the colors did not disapoint. Snowy, at 3899 feet is bigger that 4 of the ADK 46 4000 footers and it is certainly tougher than several of them. It is a wooded summit but there are ledges for views east as well as north (be careful not to get too close as there are sharp dropoffs). The show stopper is the fire tower that rises well above the trees.

This hike got off to a bad start and it continued downhill (well, you know what I mean) from there. I got my pack out to find that the bladder had deposited all it's contents on the back seat floor mats. On the plus side I was amazed at how much water the mats had absorbed. So to start I was low on water. To make matters worse it was almost mid summer like yesterday and I starting the hike at 10am in the heat of the day. The trail meanders over mostly flat ground crossing and re-crossing brooks for a few miles. Like with many adirondack hikes, a few miles of flat approach and then all of a sudden straight up.

The trail got ever steeper until you climbed out of a steep shute onto a ledge looking east over Indian Lake. I could hear a lot of loud barking from some idiot who had brought cujo up the mountain. The vast majority of dogs that you meet on the trails are friendly but this guy was anything but. To further ruin the usual zen of the mountain summit, there were hordes of deer flies that didn't seem willing to let me take a few photos. I stuck it out for a few minutes to get a few photos before making for the exit. The flies followed me down the trail quite a ways before deciding to let me stop and eat my lunch.

Not the usual relaxing hike but the drive there and back made the day worthwhile.

Leaves, flowers, shrooms and beavers

2011-09-23T19:18:00.000-04:00

I went for walk in Gatineau park today. I started up the steep side of the Wolf trail loop. Hard to believe that there are still biting insects at this time of year. There are occasional patches of color but the full color of fall is still a couple of weeks away.

I saw:

some interesting tree mushrooms

a turkey vulture from the Wolf trail ridge (excuse the dot on my camera's sensor).

some nice flowers along ridge road that the bees were loving

and a beaver pond on ridge road with an active local couple!

More beaver shots

Mt Hight and Carter Dome

2011-09-16T11:19:00.002-04:00

After a day off from the Kinsmans hike to rest my feet, I hiked to Mt Hight and Carter Dome. I went up via Zeta Pass and descended via Carter Notch. This is a beautiful set of trails and the 19 Mile Brook has a healthy amount of water flowing. It was obvious from the start that this is a violent place when the volume of water is high as with hurricane Irene. There was a lot of tree damage along the 19 Mile Brook trail although almost all of it looked pre-Irene. There was plenty of trail erosion in evidence: trail sections gouged to a few feet lower than they were or bank erosion where the trail was directly along the brook. At all water crossings there was some form of bridge although this is due to the excellant work by trail crews as all bridges were damaged or washed away by Irene.

The Carter Dome trail uses switchbacks to lift you up to Zeta pass where there is a bench to take a break. From there and then up the Carter Moriah trail to Mt Hight I met several AT thru hikers approaching from the south. All were raving about the view from Mt Hight (and they were right) and one looked a whole lot like my hiking buddy Mark. I had the open summit to myself for about 45 minutes. This is a spectacular spot looking across a valley at Mt Washington and the Northern Presidential range. Great timing for lunch and photography and general spiritual wellness!

Shortly after setting off for Carter Dome I could hear the first of three groups of high school students. Great to see kids getting to experience the mountains but I was happy to have had the quiet time on Mt Hight. Carter Dome's summit is wooded so I did not stop there and headed down the steep slope to Carter Notch which drops 1500 feet in 1.2 miles. That is very steep although it did not seem so until I reached a lookout with views of the notch and Wildcat ridge. Eventually you reach the hut which has a nice remote feel to it and two small ponds that one could cool off in mid summer. I stopped here for a welcome cup of tea and chatted with the caretaker (it is open off season but you bring your own food), a thru hiker and a woman training a service dog. Having made the steep drop to the hut, the hike out was a gentle grade with the sound of the brook even when you could not see it.

This is a great day hike to do when the forecast calls for clear skies for the view from Mt Hight.

More pics of hike and trail erosion.

Flags on the Kinsmans

2011-09-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

Every year since 2002 hikers mark the 9/11 anniversary by installing flags on all the 4000 footers in the WMNF. Since there would be a big turnout this day I opted for a hike with a big parking lot, North and South Kinsman via Lonesome Lake. The switchback trail up to Lonesome Lake is a great warm up. Three long switchbacks lift you 900 feet up to the lake. It doesn't seem that you gained that much but I won't argue with it and it is much easier on the legs at the end of the hike than many trails. There was a steady stream of families with kids coming down from a stay at the Lonseome Lake hut (reputed to be kid friendly). The lake has great views (on clear days) of the Kinsman ridge from the east side of the lake and of Franconia ridge from the west side.

From Lonesome Lake I took the Fishing Jimmy trail up to Kinsman ridge. To begin with this trail goes downhill. I was about to turn around and check that I was on the right trail when it abruptly started up and didn't let up for the next hour when it reached Kinsman ridge. I was leap frogging with a few other hikers (hike some and stop to catch your breath). We agreed that the trailwork was quite "civilized". The FJ trail features some wooden steps that are bolted into the rock to get you up some steep rocks slabs. There must have been 30-40 of these steps. In general the trail building in the WMNF is excellant and a pleasure to hike on.

Both summits have great views to the east of Franconia ridge and beyond. North Kinsman has a small ledge and South Kinsman is flatter and open (this has the better view). I headed for South Kinsman rather than stopping at NK. It was a great place to stop for a while. I chatted for a while with a local who had all sorts of info on hike ideas and trail recommendations. Unfortunately the cloud cover was not great for photography so you will have to take my word for it! Eventually the flag crew arrived and started to set up. The pole was 4-5 pieces of pvc piping which had to be tied to stabilize to support the weight of the flag in the stiff breeze. The crew had obviously done it before and it was nice to see three generations of team members working on their task. A military helicopter flew in from the east and came so close by that you could see the pilot. A similar fly by was done for each peak.

On the return trip I stopped at the hut for cup of coffee and a break sitting in an adirondack chair taking in the view over the lake (again...civilized!). I highly recommend hikes in this area either to Cannon or the Kinsmans.

More pics

Whiteface via Connery Pond

2011-08-28T09:32:00.002-04:00

Whiteface was one of my first Adirondack high peak hikes, Mark and I hiked up from the Atmospheric station several years ago. That trail starts with a relentless climb up Marble mountain. Friday's hike from the Connery Pond trailhead was the inverse. The first 3+ miles gain little elevation and are generally soft underfoot. It is a pleasant "walk in the park" to that point. The trail makes a big right turn at Whiteface Landing (a small dock on the shore of Lake Placid) and heads up the side of a brook until reaching a lean-to. At Whiteface Landing you pass a sign that indicates 3 miles to the summit and 2932 feet to gain (yikes!!). The section between the landing and the lean to is not too bad and is still soft.

From the lean-to on, the party is over. From that point on it is steep and rocky (and nasty) with no let up. Thankfully it was almost completely dry. I'm pretty sure that the trees, rocks and whatever wildlife lives up there hear plenty of cussing and complaining from hikers on their way up (probably down too). Most of the ascent is in the woods which at least gives you some protection from the sun as well as trees to use to pull yourself up the steeper bits. Just as you are about to throw in the towel and call for a helicopter the trail breaks tree line and you start to see some views. There are some fun short scrambles and thankfully the rock wall above is the summit.

The summit is a somewhat strange experience. You haul your sorry self over that last rock and think to yourself "Hey, where did all these people come from and how come none of them have backpacks? And who ever heard of families with small kids hiking up a mountain in flip-flops?". Whiteface, has an auto-road to the top. In the summer you can pay to drive up (and in the winter you can xc ski up). It would be a great bike ride, although you would need to check your breaks beforehand! For those that make the drive there is the option of hiking the last few hundred feet with a railing to hold onto or taking the small elevator. There is a restaurant as well as a small gift shop and those binocular things you put a quarter in. While the masses seemed to be enjoying the summit, I bet they secretly wished they were hot, exhausted, sweaty and not quite sure they were going to make it back down to their cars like me! The view from Whiteface is quite something and especially on a clear sunny (not hazy) day and there is plenty of space to find a spot and soak in the view.

The return trip was slow going. I met a few groups on their way up. A short nap at the lean-to was a welcome rest stop. Just as I was nearing the parking lot I could hear someone crying. At first I thought it was my sore feet voicing their displeasure but it turned out it was a family setting out on a walk that one of them was not happy about. I don't know what he/she was complaining about, being carried in a backpack and all!

More photos.

Late start to hiking season

2011-08-07T10:23:00.001-04:00

I spent a few days this week in NH getting my vacation off to a relaxing start and getting a late start to hiking season. I figured it would be best to ease into it to make sure that the equipment was still working. By equipment I mean knees, lungs etc rather than boots and hiking poles (although those still work too. Some scanning through my White mountain guide led me to two peaks with short trails and trailheads at least 2000 feet above sea level. It is always a welcome sight to be driving uphill on the way to a trailhead, less elevation to gain on foot!

Thursday, I hiked Moosilauke from the Ravine Lodge. I went up via the Snapper-Carriage Road trails and returned via Gorge Brook. The Carriage road was a welcome trail for the first time out as it was pretty soft underfoot and a consistent but never steep grade. The cloud ceiling was low which made it cool on the way up but obscured almost all views when at the top. I stopped for some long breaks at South Peak as well as the summit waiting for the clouds to break up but they never did. There were plenty of people out including a couple of AT section hikers. After about an hour with no views to speak of I headed back down the Gorge brook trail. This was a short day so I headed down the Kancamagus highway to North Conway for some tax free shopping.

Friday, I opted for another short one to Osceola from Tripoli Road. This may be the shorted 4000 footer hike in the WMNF. It is rocky underfoot and entirely made up of switchbacks. I appreciated these on the way back down but was getting pissed on the way up as they did not seem to be gaining much elevation. When I arrived at the top I encountered a few hikers and the inside of a cloud. The hikers were Bruin fans who appreciated the Ottawa connection for all that Chara, Kelly and Chiarelli helped them accomplish. The book described an excellant view. While there is an open summit facing east, the best views are to the north and west but you have to stand on a small boulder to see the Pemi Wilderness from Franconia Ridge to Mt Carrigain.

More Moosilauke pics

More Osceola pics

Spring trailwork

2011-05-29T13:16:00.000-04:00

I volunteered for the spring meeting trailwork day and joined one of the 46er crews working on the Indian Pass trail for the day. Our job was to clear all the debris from drainages so that standing water on the trails (there was a lot) would have a way to drane off the trail. It was a stellar day for cleaning drainages as there was plenty of wet dark water on the trail so you could see an immediate result of your work when you cleared a channel and the water poured through. After a few hours we came upon the one of the blowdown crews who were struggling with a beast of a tree that had fallen across the trail. This was an opportunity to use some real tools. I had a go with the two man saw as well as an axe. Even when the saw had cut clear through on both sides it took a lot of man power and a little brain power to finally dislodge the section of tree trunk and move it off the trail.

It was a fun group of people to spend the day with and a lot of work. I was surprised that it took us about 4.5 hours to do the 2+ miles from the LOJ to Rocky Falls. We stopped for lunch at Rocky Falls and were rewarded with a roaring brook. We went for another couple of hours before turning around and heading back. Good timing as most of the walk back was in heavy rain and the sound of distant thunder. Not good weather for the guy I met in the parking lot who was hiking MacNaughton via Wallface Ponds in order to "legitimize" the 46er certificate he was to receive the next day.

Certainly a worthwile experience and I will do it again. What more fun can you have than whacking away with an axe or unblocking little creeks in the mud with a shovel.

Tom ain't so bad after all

2011-03-29T19:08:00.000-04:00

Six years ago in June Mark, Munch and I were doing a 6 day hut to hut hike from Pinkham Notch to Greenleaf (highly recommended). On day 3 it was raining as we took the scenic route from Mizpah to Zealand Falls, diverting to go over Mt Jackson (a 4000 footer) instead of taking the gently sloped Crawford Path. We were pretty sore when we exited the woods at Crawford Notch after slip sliding down a rough trail with at least one of us sporting a bruise that swelled up like an egg. We were wet, muddy, sore and not exactly happy. What had looked like an easy day was anything but and the 2000 foot climb out of the notch to the Willey range was a butt kicker. When we reached the range there was a sign saying "spur trail to Mt Tom". A quick stop to ask "Should we?" followed by some muttered curses and "no $#@@ing way" before we continued on our way to the hut (which drops down on the range before going up a steep hill to Zealand Falls hut. It was a nasty day that was only saved by the hut which is in a sweet location and has a nearby waterfall, it is a great place to stay.

Well, I returned to the scene of the crime while on a ski trip to Gorham. It turns out that Mt Tom has some sweet views of the southern presidentials and Mts Washington and Jefferson (in the winter at least) and of a variety of peaks like Carrigain and the Twins from the actual summit. There is also a local group of grey jays that will eat out of your hand (and will give you the stink eye if you don't opt to share your spicy italian sub with them). The hike up from the Highland center is steep but not overly so and uses switchbacks in the steepest parts. The spur trail is pretty short and mostly flat. The butt sliding is quite good on the way down although on the side hill sections it tends to steer you to the downhill side so you have to watch where you are going.

I guess what I am saying is Mt Tom is worth a visit, especially in the winter and makes a nice loop with Mt Field and Avalon. Bring some food for the birds and a butt sled!

All's right on Wright

2011-03-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

After hiking Colden, the weather was forecast to be even better. I opted for Wright Peak as it had a similar elevation gain but a much shorter hike. My legs were tired and sore and I had some semi blisters on my feet but a bluebird day is too good to miss. Again there were few cars in the lot for such a nice day. The first mile is flat but from then on it just goes steadily up without stopping. From summer hikes I remember this trail as quite rocky with awkward footing. Today it was nice and flat. As with yesterday's hike it was plenty of stops to get some oxygen and keep the pulse rate at bay. There were several brook crossings and a quick stop at the waterfall that is currently all thick ice. The first views start with the Seward range off to the right and Whiteface if you turn around.

I was expecting to see a 3500 feet sign and was getting worried that I was hiking slower than I thought when I arrived at the trail split to Wright. None too soon as I had thought that the white summit I could see above was Wright when in fact it was Algonquin!! The Wright trail had that nice winter look to it with trees coated in white stuff and there are views in all directions as you stop and look around. This was the first peak with a rocky summit that I have hiked in winter and I realise I will have to invest in some crampons as the snowshoes aren't really up to the job. Lucky this day though as there was no wind to speak of and hardly a cloud in the sky either. My only complaint was that if I had been quicker on the ascent the sun would have been behind for photos towards Colden and Marcy. But no complaints about a beautiful day with a peak to myself. I spent about an hour snacking and snapping photos and making a mental note to put some sunscreen in my pack in the future.

As I made it back to treeline the afternoon shift arrived in the person of a guy from Vermont. Yesterday's butt sliding lessons were put to work on the return to the Algonquin trail. This would be a great hike to have a sliding device. As it was I was able to slide down most of the Wright trail below tree line and many big sections of the trail back to the LOJ from there. On the way down I met four groups going up. Two of the groups were heading up Wright armed with skis. The highlight of this hike is the views in all directions from the rocky summit but the sliding on the way down is a close second!

More pics here

Winter wonderland on Colden

2011-03-16T22:20:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed last year's March vacation that I decided to do it again this year. What's not to enjoy about spring skiing and winter hiking in generally sunny and warmish temperatures. To kick off the holiday, Ken and I decided on a hike up Mt Colden via the Lake Arnold trail. It is a 6.5 mile hike that starts out mostly flat, until you reach Avalanche Camp that is. Thereafter it more than makes up the difference with a constant uphill grade that gets steeper as you get higher up. If you have read any of my previous reports from last summer you would know that this is my fourth time up the Lake Arnold trail since last June. While I almost know every boulder by name you could not see any of them now as they are buried under a generous snowpack that forms a well packed sidewalk (tilted for sure but a flat surface).

I haven't been out that much this winter and the inactivity made itself apparent as soon as we started uphill. Numerous stops (without the usual excuse of taking photos) to keep the pulse rate down got us to Lake Arnold and the junction with the trail to Colden. We stopped for a snack and went to investigate the tent site and found a privy that was half buried in snow, when you gotta go .... This section of trail was less packed and definitely steeper but also beautiful with snow and rime covered trees all around and many trail disks at knee level or below. We made it to the north summit with its beautiful view in all directions and marshmallow trees. I decided that the view from there was just fine and that was as far as I was going to go. Ken headed off to the actual summit which is about a half mile and several hundred feet higher.

This worked out well as we were able to take some nice photos across the gap between the peaks. I also appreciated a bit of quiet time as monday was the funeral of a friend of mine in Scotland who died too young. These mountain are a great place to reflect and get a little healing of the soul. The clouds were hanging at about 5000 feet and so we could not see the top of Marcy and Algonquin was drifting in and out of the clouds most of the time we were up there.

The descent was much easier. Ken had brought a red mini sled that added jet fuel to the manouver referred to as the glissade or butt slide. All the steep bits that we huffed and puffed up slid by in a flash and even the walking down hill went by fast. You can slide down on snow pants but I think the red rocket is the way to go. The last three miles of the hike was a bit of a trudge and I could feel blisters starting to form and muscles starting to tighten. No complaints though, it was another awesome day out in the high peaks.

More pics here

Aerating the wolf trail

2011-01-03T19:43:00.000-05:00

After two trips with the microspikes on they have already paid for themselves (or I should say I sure am glad I bought them!). The recent thaw and rain has made all the trails in Gatineau Park like skating rinks or thawed them down to the rock. It was interesting to see two ladies setting out from the Wolf Trail parking lot and then one of them slid back down the 15 feet or so back to the level ground of the lot. It defintely was indicative of the conditions for the day. Enter yours truly with his trusty spikes and it was clear sailing. They gripped like a charm and made an otherwise miserable day quite fun. On the south facing ridge section of the trail it was down to bare rock in many places to I took to the "vegetative" ground cover off the side of the rocky trail to save my spikes from walking on the rock thereby aerating the soil. If you notice especially healthy growth there next summer, well you're welcome!

The forecast is calling for a few days of snow and we sure need it!

Winter equipment check

2011-01-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

Not the best of starts to the winter. Various weather reports showing large snowfalls but none were happening in around Ottawa. Still there was enough of the precious white stuff to get out on both skis and snowshoes to see if the legs still work and to try out new gear. I hiked the Wolf trail on Tuesday with winter hiking boots and some newly acquired microspikes. Surprisingly there was about a foot and half of snow outside of the well packed trail. Taking the right fork in the loop I got to test the spikes out on the somewhat icy steep sections. They worked great, not crampons but giving some extra stability on slippery sections of trail. It was a cloudy day but the sun came out as I got up on the ridge and I had a nice sit on the bench for about 20 minutes.

On Wednesday I went for a ski around Lac Phillipe where I learned to check my boots before putting them in the car (insoles were missing) and also that the payment for a day pass in Gatineau Park is optional (their term not mine).

Thursday I headed to the Luskville Fire Tower trail. It was quite mild and not as icy as I had anticipated. The steep sections weren't too slippery but the creek ice was solid enough to walk across. I tried out a new pair of winter hiking boots that were a lower cut than my other pair. I found them much more comfortable but I'm not sure if they would be the ones to wear in new or deep snow.

Here's hoping for some fresh snow especially around the Adirondacks where I have a few peaks on the winter to do list.

Finally some leaf peeping

2010-10-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

Between the ton of wet weather in September and a relative visiting for a couple of weeks I hadn't been able to get out for a hike since finishing the 46 on Grace at the end of August. I headed down Thursday to find a place to stay and drive around to do some leaf peeping. The weather was forecast to be sunny but cold. I found a cheap room just past Lake Placid and headed out to take some photos towards Whiteface. There are several viewpoints along the Ausable river that have great views on a clear day and good fall colors. I also hiked in the Connery Pond trail to see the view of Whiteface across the Pond. This approach to Whiteface is on my list for next year.

Friday morning I headed to the South Meadow road to hike up to Mt Van Hoevenberg. No cars parked at the trailhead. Sweet, as on Saturday there would be cars parked all along this road as the hordes descend to peep them beautiful leaves. The trail to Van Ho is flat and wet until it rises up the ridge to a sweet ledge. The colors were a little past peak and it seemed that reds in particular were missing but no complaints from me. This is a great hike views for effort wise. On the way back I had a small mistep when I attempted a triple jump manouvre to avoid a swampy spot. Mostly soaked but the camera was dry so all was good.

After stopping to change clothes, I headed to the second leaf peeping stop of the day, Owl's Head. This is an awesome spot, about half way down the hill towards Keene. It is a short climb of about 400 feet to a nice pointy summit. Another great hike for views per effort. The view back towards the notch between Cascade and Pitchoff is a great one. The wind was really howling up there which must have worried the group of college students learning to rappel on a rock face near the summit. Not the best day to be doing that but a fine day to be leaf peeping!

There was an overnight frost Friday night and it was noticeably colder. This would not deter the holiday weekend crowds. I got to the AMR trailhead at 9am and it was already full and overflowing onto route 73. I figured the best place to hide from the crowds was Round mountain so I headed up via the trail to Dix with the plan to return via the trail direct up Round. Round has a nice open summit with clear views west and slightly obscured views to the east (Giant). After a round of photo taking I headed back down via the steeper trail down the north side of Round. This is definitely the steeper of the two approaches. Round is a great hike and a nice quiet spot to aim for on a holiday weekend.

A good way to end the hiking season if I don't get out again before the snow flies!

Grace and Carson again!!

2010-08-29T22:51:00.000-04:00

I headed out on Friday morning at 7 from the Elk Lake trailhead, knees still sore from the Allen hike. Lucky that there were spots in the parking lot as there was a waiting list when I got back. A few people were signed in ahead of me, the most recent of which were apparently hiking Dix and Haystack (Good luck with that bushwack). It had rained on Thursday night but it was nothing you couldn't walk around and I had some brand spanking new hiking boots with a gore-tex liner so I was safe. I passed one group and then didn't see anyone until much later. The Dix range has a nice remote feel to it and each of the peaks in the range has great although different views.

I followed the Lillian Brook trail up to the Macomb-Carson col. I think that trail is my favorite of all the herd paths. I understand it used to be one of the worst so a lot of work must have been done to clear all the blowdown. From the col it is a short climb to the Carson summit. I picked a great weather day as it was blue skies and no haze to obscure the great view. A few photos and off to Grace. I'm not sure about the rules for including peaks in the 46 but there doesn't seem to be much descent and only a short climb up to the Grace summit.

The summit marker is nailed to a large boulder. There is somewhat of a view if you stand on the rock but the real treat is when you follow the herd path past the summit and come to the ledges that look across the Bouquet valley at Hough and Dix as well as down the Keene Valley and over at Giant and Rocky Peak ridge. I have a feeling that this might be the best spot in the High peaks to see the fall colors. I had a peak over the edge at the slides which must be pretty steep as I could only see the lower sections. I dropped a lens cap from my new camera down a deep crack so if you find it somewhere below...

The trip back was pretty slow as I had the same knee issues as from the Allen hike. It took more than two hours to get down the LB trail. I think I will have to stick to short hikes for a while.

See more photos on flickr.

A slippery day on Allen

2010-08-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

For obvious reasons I left most of the difficult 46er hikes to the end. All of the ones I have hiked this year have been either long hikes or remote hikes or long and remote. Well they don't get any more remote than Allen and most are not as long either. Last Saturday was a perfect weather day with little humidity and not much recent rain. I managed to book a spot in the annex to Aunt Polly's which is a b@b in Newcomb nearby to the Upper Works trailhead. This is the perfect spot to stay in order to get an early start for Allen or the Santanonnis and the hosts are great folks. I hit the trailhead at 6ish and was first in the lot. Ken had said he might show up but after a 10 minute wait I decided to take off solo. Turns out he had an appointment he had to keep but by the end of the day I could think of several other reasons to avoid this hike.

Allen is a hike broken down into two sections. The first is long and flat and quite scenic. It is about 8 miles of gravel roads and dirt tracks that crosses land owned by various hunting clubs. All intersections are well marked and it is easy to follow. Near the end of the yellow disk marked trail is a crossing of the Opalescent river. It was low when i got to it but I still made use of the sandals I brought along. As I was changing shoes another hiker came along and although I offered the use of my sandals he proceeded to walk across the calf deep water in his hiking boots. To each his own I guess. I caught up to this fellow a half hour later as we both started the ascent.

The second part of the hike is the ascent up the mountain beside or in Allen brook. This has to be the steepest trail section I have encountered in the Adirondacks as it gains 2000 feet in about a mile and a third. Add to that the slippery surface of the rocks with some nasty brown slime that is slippery even when dry. Deliberate steps are called for. About two third of the way up when you are stopping often to catch your breath there are nice views of Mt Adams, the Santanonnis and the Sewards. We hiked up the trail together and reached the top after about two hours. There is a sweet view to the east with the highlight being the angle of Haystack and Panther Gorge.

The hike out was a real grind for me. I met four groups of hikers coming up as I descended slowly. I wiped out once on the slime and thought I had seriously damaged my left knee which hurt with every step. This is not a good thing when you have 9 miles to get back to your car. Luckily I experienced some sort of Allen miracle because as soon as I made it back to flat ground it felt fine. To re-cross the river I again used the sandals. I had planned on leaving them there for others to use but one worked it's way loose as I walked across and floated away downstream. Since one shoe is kinda useless I tossed the other in as well. With any luck they are well on their way down the Hudson by now. If you find them, well you're welcome!! There were several groups coming in to camp including one misguided youth in a Toronto Maple Leafs t-shirt that I heckled appropriately. I staggered into the parking lot about 12 hours after I left. It was a well earned 45th but at the time all I was thinking about was the ice cream cone I was going to get at the Stewarts in Long Lake.

For more photos you can check out the flickr set.

Next stop...the Great Slide on Grace (East Dix)!!

Lake Arnold again?!?!

2010-07-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

Following my recent half successful hike of Skylight and Gray, I had to go back and finish the job. Since this weekend marks the combined celebration of Canadian and American holidays I opted to take the less travelled Lake Arnold/Feldspar approach. Less travelled perhaps except by me. This would be my third trip along the Lake Arnold trail in a month (Cliff, Skylight and now Gray). As I made my way along I wondered to myself if this qualified me for some sort of discount or maybe helicopter ride back from the Feldspar lean to??

The holiday weekend solitude was complete as I didn't encounter a soul all the way to summit of Gray. There were however a lot of different kinds song birds chirping and singing as I followed these familiar trails which made for nice company. The herd path to Gray is steep, wet and muddy but mercifully short. I managed to stay dry and made it to a short cliff section where there is a tenuous detour around to the right. I was almost more nervous on this stretch than I would have been on the cliff as it does not appear to be very stable. I bet it will itself need a detour in the future. The summit itself has some surprisingly nice view, especially of the slide on the back of Colden and from a distance of Big Slide. It is always a highlight for me to get a view of Big Slide from a peak.

I gave some thought to the bushwack over to Mt Marcy but after about 50 yards I decided not. I met my first person of the day on the way back down the herd path. Back at Lake Tear I gave some thought to returning via Mt Marcy but it was hot and I figured by then it would be a carnival up there. I stopped at the Feldspar lean to to see if that helicopter would show up. I spent a half hour snacking and easing my sore feet in the soothing waters of the Opolescent Brook but the copter never showed. A slow slog out on a hot afternoon and I'm happy to say that I won't be walking that trail again for a long while.

Next stop ... Allen ... who's in?

Perfect timing on Skylight

2010-06-20T13:13:00.000-04:00

Saturday started out as a great day. Mark and I had been looking forward to hiking to Skylight and Gray for a week or so. Ken had agreed to meet us but he would be hiking via Mt Marcy. The weather forecast had gone back and forth but had settled on hot, sunny with a chance of late afternoon t-storms. We hit the trailhead a little later than planned, signed in and each grabbed a rock from the pile to take to the Skylight summit. I also had a some rocks I had collected from Mt Bond in NH and from the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Things started to go wrong when we got to Marcy Dam and saw that Ken had signed in at about the same time as we left the LOJ. Mark and I headed for the Lake Arnold trail. We decided to go at our own speeds up this steep stetch and then meet up at the top of the hill. I got as far as the Indian Falls cutoff and then waited. I was sitting there for about 10 minutes before Mark showed up. He said things were not "right", he had no energy and was going to turn back. We debated for a while about us both turning around but eventually he set sail back to the LOJ while I took off to meet up with Ken.

I figured I was going to be pretty late and that Ken would be some kind of pissed when I eventually showed but then I remembered that he would be sitting on Skylight on a nice sunny day. I actually made in to Four Corners in about 4 hours which seemed pretty good after all the stops along the way. The Feldspar trail was steep but well constructed. I asked each group I passed if they had seen Ken on Skylight but it seemed no one had. I made my way up the steep wet trail. The view once you break treeline is pretty sweet. I was just soaking a little of that in when who should emerge from the trees but Ken.

We spent the next hour eating, taking photos and waiting for the sun to shine just right on Haystack. I suppose because it is more remote there are not the same crowds that you encounter on Mt Marcy. We were surprised when a group of about 6 people arrived and spent about 5 minutes then promptly sped off. Why go to the trouble of hiking to this gem if you don't want to enjoy its view?

For a number of reasons we skipped Gray and made the slow, rocky trudge back to our cars. The trail is rough and hard on tired knees, ankles and feet. Skylight is an great peak and a reasonable distance for a dayhike. Hopefully next time Mark will be feeling better.

A "starter" hike to Cliff

2010-05-30T11:55:00.002-04:00

Most hiking seasons begin with a "starter" hike of a short peak (usually with a stellar view) in order to ease back into the grind of Adirondack hiking. A test run of sorts to make sure one's legs remember to move one in front of the other. Well this season I decided to break with the usual. The peaks I have remaining on the 46 are all long days hikes that require long hours of daylight (at least for me), especially a day hike to Skylight and Gray.

With all that in mind I set off early Saturday morning from Heart Lake to hike Cliff mountain via the Lake Arnold trail. Last year when I hiked to Redfield I went via Avalanche Pass. This time I took the shorter (by a mile) route that makes you go up 1200 feet to Lake Arnold before descending 500 feet. I was interested in seeing how much time it would take as this is the route to take when hiking to Skylight/Gray. There is a swamp just at the bottom of the descent that has some awesome log bridges that keep your feet nice and dry. Contrary to recent reports passage was clear and dry through this section.

I arrived at the Cliff/Redfield herd path much earlier than I had by the alternate route and I like the wild quality of the Lake Arnold trail. As advertised the lower section of the herd path was wet and muddy but some workaround paths get you past that. Just as I approached the cliffs it started to drissle so I stopped a few minutes to see if it was going to stop. These cliffs have a reputation for being somewhat of a "death-trap". While I agree that they are pretty steep, I would describe them as scrambles that are common to other Adirondack hikes. There are plenty of handholds and various folliage to help you make the ascent.

At the top of the cliffs you have a half mile walk to reach the actuall summit sign that apparently is only ten feet higher than the top of the cliffs. There is a small mud pit (much dryer than below) followed by a flat half mile walk. I hadn't noticed any bugs until I stopped at the sign to take some self photos. It seemed as soon as you stop moving they swarm and then after you have been bit they must leave a scent on you that all their relatives are attracted to. Even so I did stop at the top of the cliffs to take a few photos of Colden, Gray, Marcy, Redfield and Skylight. That said I look like I have chicken pox today.

An enjoyable hike to peak #42 with surprising views and a fun scramble. Next up in a few weeks is a day hike to Skylight/Gray!

Pierce or Clinton (both have an awesome view!)

2010-03-27T19:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday was still bluebird sunny and cold. I had another short hike with sweet views planned. I headed up the Crawford Path from Crawford Notch towards Mt Clinton/Pierce and perhaps Eisenhower. The Crawford Path is one of the oldest hiking paths in the US and since it was originally made for horses it is a consistent and gentle grade. The peak I was headed to was originally named Pierce but has since been named Clinton. There is still some controversy as to which is the correct name.

It didn't matter to me as the skies were clear and sunny in all directions. I'm sure there is a trail and some sort of summit marker but in the winter it was all snow and tracks running everywhere. To the west you could see the Twins and further west the Franconia Ridge. To the northeast is almost all above treeline hiking over several Southern Presidentials (Eisenhower and Monroe) leading to Mt Washington. This above treeline hiking is what makes the Whites so great. A cold day but stunning views to warm the soul!

Cannon via Lonesome Lake

2010-03-26T18:56:00.003-04:00

Friday was still sunny and clear but the temperature had dropped considerably. I headed to the Lafayette campground parking area and headed up the Lonesome Lake trail. No need for an early start for this short hike. The trail switchbacks it's way up the 1000 feet over the first ridge to the hut at Lonesome Lake. Microspikes would have been sufficient as there was just a slick crust. I wore my snowshoes since I don't have any spikes. The coldest spot of the day was at the lake where the wind was howling. The view across the lake of the Franconia ridge is definitely worth the hike. I took a lot of photos and went inside to warm up and get some water. In the winter the hut has a caretaker so you can stay there and use the kitchen and woodstove. On the way up I met a guy who was carrying up supplies for a big party on the saturday night.

I headed up the Lonesome Lake trail to Kinsman ridge. It was supposed to be less steep and I hoped not icy. It turned out to have a nice firm crust and about 3 inches of powder. The steepest section of the day was the Kinsman Ridge trail. Two steps up and one slide back. Thankfully it was short (but steep). I was busy etching an arrow in the snow when I noticed the trail sign that was all but burried by snow. The views from the top were stellar and you can see down the ridge to Mt Flume and points south. Heading back down was a blast. I butt slid down the steepest section, 20 minutes up and 5 down!!

Another stop at the hut for a welcome cup of tea to warm up and a chat with some of the people staying the night and the rookie caretaker. I don't know if she knew what she was in for the next night! This is a great short hike (3.5 miles to the summit) whether done in winter or autumn and the run up the lake (1 mile) is also well worth it.

Sunny day at Wildcat

2010-03-25T17:38:00.000-04:00

I have long had my eye on a hike of the Wildcats in the autumn to combine the fall colors with the stunning view of Mt Washington. But since I have walked to the top of many mountains it seemed appropriate to ride a chairlift for once! After all the recent cloud and rain, it was finally a warm sunny spring day and the temperatures were going up to a high of 50F. The views from Wildcat are truly spectacular. You look directly across the valley into the two bowls (Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines) and the summit of Mt Washington. To the right you have a good view of Mt Madison and Adams and to the far right you can see both Carter Dome and Mt Hight.

I stuck mainly to the beginner and intermediate runs and a lot of time gazing at the view instead of watching where I was going. Many stops to whip out the camera for yet another perfect shot! By mid afternoon the temperature was affecting the snow so that it would go from slick to sticky depending on the exposure to the sun. This was a great place to ski. The only ski hill I can compare it to in terms of view would be Lake Louise. I will be back to do this again for sure.

Note for back-country skiers there is a trail from the summit of Wildcat south to the town of Jackson. A vertical drop of almost 4000 feet (and a wild ride I bet)

Sunday River

2010-03-24T08:37:00.021-04:00

After some spring peakbagging in the Adirondacks I decided to take a vacation and combine spring skiing and hiking in the White Mountains of NH. I located a great motel deal in Goreham that is in a good spot close to Mt Washington and a short run from Crawford and Franconia notches. The first day it rained all day but that was ok as I went shopping in North Conway (no sales tax!!). Day two it was snowing and since Wildcat was closed I headed to Sunday River which is a half hour away in Maine. This was the first time on skis in several years but my twenty year old skis still worked and I couldn't have asked for better conditions. There was about 3-4 inches of fresh powder. Although the low cloud cover hid any views it was a great day to rediscover how much fun spring skiing can be. I gotta get some new equipment and do this more often!

A cloudy day on Tabletop

2010-03-13T23:04:00.000-05:00

The weather forecast looked good for one day out of the weekend so I decided to head down to the Adirondacks to get another W peak before the season ends next Sunday. I decided on Tabletop since the views are better in winter as opposed to summer, my camera batteries died the last time I hiked it and I was never quite sure I got to the actual summit last time as I never saw the sign. I made fast time under cloudy skies. Something that looked like a jellyfish was floating over Marcy Dam. Some sleet and light rain fell while I was hiking up to Indian Falls and it helped to cool me down. Views from Indian Falls were nice but again cloudy. The trail up to Tabletop is short and not too steep. I did make it over to the summit sign this time and then a short distance past to a view of the Great range. I even encounterd my first spruce trap as I edged further out to get some shots without the cripplebush in them. No worries as I only went in up to my waist. Back at Indian Falls and only 11:30 I thought about continuing on to Marcy but I did not have much water and my feet were getting sore. On the way back I was glad to have made that choice as the wind was howling and I ended up with blisters on both my shins. It won't be long before bear-booting will be the mode of transport to Marcy Dam but otherwise there is still plenty of snow.

more photos on flickr

Lookouts loop

2010-03-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

Another after work ski. Melting was more evident although there is still lots of snow. The track alternated icy or sticky depending on shading from the sun. Poling was the way to move and a great arm workout. I stopped for a nice break at Champlain before heading back to the car. The descent was pretty fast as the track had iced up by then. Hoping to be able to get out again next week!

Phelps

2010-03-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

Excited to give this winter hiking thing another shot, I headed early to the LOJ parking lot on Sunday morning for a hike to Phelps. If anything it was a little warmer and less windy than Saturday. A familiar walk from the trailhead to Marcy Dam. From there to the Phelps split is a little more up hill but not much. Everywhere there is still a ton of snow. The trail up to Phelps was less steep to start but got progressively steeper the higher I got. Near the top it opens up so when you stop to catch your breath and let your heart rate settle down you get sweet views. On top it was a little windy but nothing like Saturday on Cascade. Again, coming back down was a joy and a lot less effort than going up with a few butt slides thrown into the mix. Back on the Van Ho trail I met more people on skis than snowshoes. Some had xc skis but others had skins over telemark skis and were headed to Marcy and Phelps. Am not sure where one would ski off Phelps but I'm guessing it involves deep powder and trying to avoid trees!

Starting my W list!

2010-03-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

I finally got down to the Adirondacks with my snowshoes after several hikes in Gatineau Park. I did what any rookie would do. I headed to the Cascade Porter trailhead on rte 73. I got an early start as there were only two groups ahead of me. This is a good thing because come midday there would be group after group heading up as I made my way down. Winter hiking absolutely rules. The footing is on a completely flat surface and at an easier grade as the snow has filled in any rocks and holes on the summer trail. And don't even get me started on the downhill which is much easier on the knees. Of course I know not all winter hikes are on well packed trails and on days when the temperature is hovering around 40F but I still say I love it.

The hike seemed shorter and less steep than I remembered it and I had to duck in several places (due to the several feet of snow on the trail) and in a short time I was at the split. I opted for Porter as I knew it would be sheltered from the wind and a primo spot for taking photos. I hung out there for about 30 minutes soaking in the views. I made my way back and headed up to Cascade. The summit was covered in snow so I kept the snowshoes on. It was however blowing enough to make it tough to stay for too long. Just a few photos and thanks to another hiker for stopping one of my poles before it blew off the mountain.

An awesome day ... and sure to be the first of many!

More photos from the hike on Flickr

Sunset at the lookouts

2010-03-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

With warmer weather and no snow in the future forecast I decided to head out for an after work ski. I headed to P10 and then skied to Champlain lookout via Huron cabin. The view was great as the setting sun was getting low in the western sky. On the way back via the Champlain Parkway and Huron lookout I stopped a couple of times to take more photos. The conditions were quite slick but just about right for the waxless skis. Not so great going up parts like Khyber Pass but awesome for double poling on flats and coasting down hills. On the way home there were more great views of the sun setting from the Ottawa river parkway. Best to get out and enjoy the snow while it is here!

Drip, drip, drip

2010-02-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

In his last blog entry, Kenmore suggested going out for a 50k ski today as per the men at the olympics. I opted for a snowshoe hike along the Wolf trail and am satisfied that I made the right choice. Temps are rising and two layers of fleece were enough today. The new snow that fell during the week was welcome and the packed trail is plenty thick but if it stays this warm it will melt soon enough. I enjoyed taking photos of the water drops on twigs in the forest. If you enlarge and look at the drops you can see reflection of trees in the drips, pretty cool. On the ridge I was looking for a section where there was a frozen cedar tunnel when I last hiked here after Christmas. Good news is that the ice melted and the tree is back to standing up straight as trees are supposed to do! A nice day to be out but I hope winter sticks around for a couple more weeks before the spring melt.

Now:

After freezing rain:

After work Rideau Canal skate

2010-02-10T20:16:00.000-05:00

A nice warm afternoon for a skate but that should have told me that the ice conditions would be crap. There was the occasional stretch of decent ice but mostly it was try not to wipe out in the ruts and slush. That said, there was some nice lighting in the Patterson creek area from the sun low on the horizon.

Super hike to King Mountain

2010-02-07T16:20:00.000-05:00

A beautiful sunny day for a hike with plenty of time before heading home to the couch for some super entertainment. I figured I would try a hike I had read to a popular summer hiking loop. In the summer you gain most of the elevation in your car before walking a loop with plenty of interpretive plaques. The winter route is up the escarpment from the west. It is short but plenty steep to get your blood pumping. Again the snowshoes grip was great on even the steepest slopes. I found it more uncomfortable when the trail was switching back and forth and the footholds were not flat. I managed to sit on one of the benches up top (actually I had my pick) for some water and snacks and some fine winter sunshine. Fun times on the way down. The shoes grab quite well but sometimes it is fun to just sit down and slide!

Winter Duathlon

2010-02-07T07:45:00.000-05:00

With the Winter Olympics about to start I got in the spirit by getting in a two sport day on Saturday.

Rideau Canal skate

First off it was the canal skate. While not a sanctioned event and with un-olympian conditions, I did enjoy the skate. Starting at Patterson creek I headed downtown before turning around and skating to Carleton U and then returning. The ice was not great and was bad, especially between the Bank street bridge and Dows lake as well as the last stretch down to the Rideau centre downtown. It always amazes me how it is 10 degrees colder there than the rest of the city, or perhaps it is just because I skate so fast :-)

Randomn snowshoe

After the skate I headed up Mountain road to do some exploring on snowshoes. I basically followed various tracks in the snow for an hour or so before hitting one of the parkways in Gatineau Park. While I did not end up getting to any sort of lookout I did enjoy the hike and tested out my new boots and some steep terrain where the shoes worked great.

Stroll to Carbide Wilson

2010-01-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

I went for a short stroll from P11 to the Carbide Wilson ruins, an abandoned mill that has an impressive waterfall beside a long vacated building. At other times of the year this is a haunt of photographers taking shots of fall folliage and the falls or a spot favored by nude sun-bathers. In the winter it is a short snow shoe hike from P11 and while the water is still powering down the falls there is plenty of ice formations and rime ice collections on rocks and nearby trees. An interesting time to visit when there are no bugs and no risk of seeing something you didn't want to see.

Hockey Day at the Luskville Fire Tower

2010-01-30T16:02:00.001-05:00

Today is hockey day in Canada, a creation of the CBC where hockey is celebrated in small towns all across the country and there are three games shown (on CBC) featuring Canadian teams. What to do to celebrate the day? Well I decided on a snowshoe up to the Luskville Fire Tower. It was killer cold (-25C) in the morning but I wasn't about to downgrade my plans and wait for warmer weather. My collection of fleeces and tocques were put to good use along with two neck warmers and an old set of ski goggles. The rain from last monday meant the first part of the trail was steep and sheer ice and snowshoes were of no use. I put them on once I got to the first lookout and there was quite a lot of snow from then on. Both creek crossings were ice and therefore a breeze. I got to the tower just in time to meet up with a guy who had skied from Camp Fortune and got him to take my picture. On the way down I met a group of four with full packs. "You must have big lunches in there" I joked. It turned out they were practicing for an upcoming trip to Mt Washington. I did the loop taking the right side trail on the way up and the left side (left side of the creek) on the way down. A great sunny but cold Canadian winter day and an awesome day to be out on a hike. I think I may suggest a hike/ski outing from the Fire Tower to P10.

PS Senator beat Habs 3-2 in overtime for their 9th straight win!!

To the back door of Healey

2010-01-24T16:21:00.000-05:00

I went for a short snowshoe today. On the map it looked like a longer hike with plenty of ups and downs but it turned out to be mostly flat with really only one hill on the trail. Not exactly good practice for some bigger mountains in the adirondacks but a nice day nonetheless. Healey cabin was packed with a big crowd milling around outside as well. On the way back to the car I detoured onto different snow surfaces as often as possible. Maybe next time out will be one of the easier scenci spots in the Adirondacks like Van Ho or Indian head.

Perfect Winter Day

2010-01-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

Today is the kind of day that makes me think we would be better off if it were winter all year long. A clear sunny day with a blanket of clean white snow all around. The temperature was just about perfect too at about -10C. I went back to the Lac Phillipe area as it is usually less busy and there were some races happening in the lower park. The tracks were fast and there is still a lot of snow up there even with the recent warm temperatures. Here's hoping the expected rain on monday does not do too much damage.

Half way round Lac Phillippe

2010-01-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

With the NFL playoffs starting at 1pm I headed out for an early ski. Hadn't yet been up to P19 so I skied from there to the other end of Lac Phillippe. The track was groomed (wow!!) and the glide was good so it was a nice trip. I toyed with the idea of heading up to Lusk cabin but decided to leave that for a later date and a nicer day. I figure I will come back and do the other half of the lake on snowshoes as it looks like a nice trail.

New shoes on the Wolf trail

2010-01-16T16:48:00.000-05:00

I bought myself a pair of snowshoes just after christmas, figuring it would be a good change of pace to try some of the showshoe trails in Gatineau instead of always xc skiing. Today was the maiden voyage. As expected the trail was a well packed path. I meant to go up the steep way and back down the flatter part but missed the right turn and did it the other way down. I love the way the snow covers up the uneven bits of rocks and roots on the trail. The sky was overcast which dulled the views but there is still some beautiful sights of ice in the trees. The temperature was quite mild so there were a lot of people out enjoying the day. I loved this mode of travel and will do a few more Gatineau trails and maybe venture down to the Adirondacks for some of the easier scenic hikes.

Lunch at Western

2010-01-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

After a weekend out of town I took Monday off to stretch my legs and join the otherwise unemployed (retirees) on the ski trails. I figured P7 to Western via Ridge road would be a good trip. A bit of climbing to start and then rolling hills the rest of the way. I had the option of stopping at any one of three other cabins along the way but stuck to my original choice. Western is in a prime spot, nestled on the western edge of the escarpment with a nice bench behind it for those warmer sunny spring days. It was a shame none of my sometimes ski buddies had come out today as I aced the downhill approach with some sweet slalom turns and a sharp stop right in front of the ski rack. As I entered I was slightly bummed that the fire in the woodstove was out but then I remembered that my sandwich was not wrapped in foil anyhow. A nice day to be out, can't wait til I am one of the retirees cruising this neighborhood every day.

New Year, more snow!

2010-01-01T20:13:00.000-05:00

The first day of a new year and 10 fresh cms of overnight snow, I think I am going to like this 2010!! The much needed snow was well appreciated to cover up the crusty trails and especially so in the trails other than the parkways. It sure was nice to make some first tracks in ankle deep snow on the trail down to the Brulé lookout. There was no view from the lookout due to clouds and more snow to come! I made a short stop at Huron to warm up and have a snack. There is more snow in the forecast and I hope to make the most of it this weekend!

Comparison shots of the Brulé lookout:

Other shots from today:

Crystal Forest

2009-12-28T19:02:00.000-05:00

The recent weather (freezing rain) did not bode well for the xc ski conditions. Nor did the NCC website that claimed all trails were not recommended. Well I had been away for a few days and seemed to be coming down with a cold so I thought a ski would be the tonic. I headed to P10 which was full of cars. While there was a guy in the parking lot checking for ski passes I did not see much signs of Demsis work anywhere else. I guess they are all off for xmas holidays? Well the parkway was crusty and slick but it was actually good conditions for my waxless skis. There was signs everywhere of debris from the rain and trees coated with a thin sheen of ice. It had the look of crystal trees everywhere. Some just coated with ice and others either broken or bent over with the weight. It is strange that a sight that is so beautiful is so destructive to the forest. Every once in a while you would hear some tinkling and the odd crash of some ice falling from a tree. I would guess that the back country trails might not be so great but the parkway was good for a days skiing. With some extra snow and some grooming we should be back in business soon.

Pine Road

2009-12-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

Today was another cold one. It felt colder than yesterday although the thermometer disagreed. I opted for another wooded trail to stay out of the wind. P16 to Healey/Herridge cabins fit the bill. The Pine road trail starts with a long climb out of the parking lot. It really warms you up and the extra bonus is that it makes the return journey take half as long. Healey cabin looks really cosy in a small grove of tree, looks more like someone's house than the other cabins in the park. Thankfully today someone had stoked up the fire beforehand so it was toasty warm sitting in front of the fire. Great to be getting out skiing before Christmas but we really need another good dump of snow.

Kennedy Road

2009-12-19T17:30:00.000-05:00

With temperatures hovering around the -20 mark I was decided to ski a trail with plenty of tree cover, Kennedy road. Running from P17 to P19, this trail is almost completely in the woods. There is the occasional stretch along a pond but the rest is hemmed in by evergreens that are usually coated with the most recent snowfall. It has a festive air about it that seemed appropriate with Christmas approaching. There were a few bare spots and bumps on the hills that will be filled in if we get a needed extra dump of snow for Christmas.

All I want for Christmas

2009-12-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

Forecast today called for 5cm more snow and that is what I encountered as I headed up the Fortune Parkway from P10. It was warmer today than yesterday and the new snow is welcome. It doesn't look like they have groomed yet but perhaps that is because the base is too thin? I encountered some asphalt near the top of the hill from P10 and the occasional pole hit the road but who's complaining. Not me for sure. Also, a good sign when people are snowshoeing into Keogan from Camp Fortune. More snow forecast for early in the week. Let's hope we get another big dump. That's all I want for Christmas!

More comparison photos...

Leg stretcher in the Doldrums

2009-12-12T16:55:00.001-05:00

I went out this morning to check out the snowfall in Gatineau Park and get in some first tracks of the season. The goal was to stretch the legs and see if I could remember the technique without pushing thinngs too much. Often after the first ski of the season I end up walking like Frankenstein for a day or two. I can report that there is plenty of snow. Occasionally the poles hit some asphalt but there must have been a good 4 or 5 inches covering the Doldrums. More snow is forecast for next week so the season is on!

Here are some comparison photos of a recent roller blade outing and from today.

Looking for snow

2009-11-21T23:05:00.001-05:00

We are currently in-between seasons. Fall is almost past and the leaves long since dropped. The days are pretty cold and daylight is too short for any long hikes in the Adirondacks. Although we were teased with some of the white stuff a few weeks ago there is no snow on the ground either. I figured I would head up to the Gatineau Park today for a hike and check if there was any snow hiding at higher elevations. There was none.

I hiked from P7 along Ridge road to the intersection with the Fortune Parkway. The main trail was mostly dry but all the side trails looked pretty wet. It was pretty quiet with the occasional group of hikers and a few mountain bikers. The wind was definitely winter like but not carrying any white flakes. I stopped at Keogan for a while taking photos of blue jays at the bird feeder. That got me thinking that I was kind of hungry so I headed back. Near the top of Suicide corner I saw a ten pointer male white tailed deer. Although he strutted slowly across the trail I was too slow getting my camera out of the bag. It is not uncommon to see females and youngsters but that is the first time I have ever seen a male. Too bad because that would have made an awesome photo! The forecast for next week does mention some flurries. Let's hope they stick.

Rolling in the Doldrums

2009-10-28T06:13:00.000-04:00

The NCC have already closed the parkways that are used as xc ski trails for the winter. As such these roads are now the exclusive domain of roller blades, roller skis and road bikes. I took advantage of a sunny afternoon and came after work to roller blade along a shortish flat section of parkway, called the Doldrums. It is awesome to have the network of roads almost all to yourself. The leaves have mostly all fallen and the color has pretty much gone but I did have fun taking photos as the light was bright and you could see all sorts of reflections in the various ponds. As I returned to my car there was a kids xc ski team heading out for a training session, getting an early start on the xc racing season!

Wolf trail

2009-10-26T20:05:00.000-04:00

On sunday I went out for a hike on the Wolf Trail in Gatineau Park. I was hoping it would help me kick the nasty cold I have had for the last two weeks. Also it was a sunny day which is something you have to take advantage of at this time of year! The Wolf trail is always a nice walk heading up from the parking area at the end of Meech Lake to the top of the escarpment with a lookout over the Ottawa river valley and then back. It seems this was a popular hike as the parking lot was almost full and the trails were crowded. The NCC had recently closed all the parkways for the winter (c'mon snow!!) so the trailheads were limited. On the plus side the trails were very muddy which I think discouraged some people and so I had some nice quiet time sitting on the open ridge soaking in the rays and cool breezes. I had a nice chat with a crow that floated up on some thermals. At least I thought it was talking to me but then another crow appeared and they soared off into the distance. It was several weeks too late for the autumn colors but as always a nice hike.

Leaf peeping - Mt Van Hoevenburg

2009-10-08T23:03:00.001-04:00

This has not been the best leaf peeping season as it has rained repeatedly since the leaves started changing. So I headed down to get in one more peep before returning to work next week and before the hordes of Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving peepers who will be out in their peeping thousands this weekend. Todays target was Mt Van Hoevenburg. It has all the hallmarks of an excellant leaf peeping peak: short hike, small elevation gain and sweet view across terrian populated with deciduous trees! This is the kind of peak you can carry a picnic lunch to and then after sit and smoke a cigar (if you smokes cigars), all the while taking in the views from Cascade, Big Slide to the MacIntyres and Street and Nye. And I think it also has the most awesome view of Mt Jo.

The leaves were in their orange, yellow and red glory today. Not to be outdone the mud was also outstanding. While the trail to Mt Van Ho is only 2 miles, at least half of it is either mud or wet that looks like mud or at least dark water. At the trailhead I asked a couple who were returning from the hike what footwear to use. They seemed confused but waterproof ankle boots are the only way to go. Sadly the cloud cover was sitting at about 3500 feet so the colors in the valleys was spectacular but many of the peaks were hidden from view.

Definitely a spot worth a return visit when the skies are clearer but don't forget your waterproofs boots and gaitors if you have em!

Leaf peeping

2009-10-06T22:56:00.000-04:00

Hiking outdoors produces karma instantly, 'nuff said!!

ps Leaves are peaking and it feels like winter on the summit so bring a toque and gloves!

Jack Pine stroll

2009-10-03T23:44:00.000-04:00

I went for an afternoon walk on the Jack Pine trails in the greenbelt. It has been frustrating to see rain, rain and more rain in the forecast for the last few weeks. And now snow has already started accumulating on many of the high peaks. I figured it would be nice to get out to see some colors and Canada Geese activity on these trails that I usually avoid in the summer due to black flies, mosquitos and panhandling chickadees. The ducks in the beaver pond were quite active but there was not a lot of activity in the pond with all the heron nests (sometimes there are hundreds of geese in there). I saw a few deer and was hastled by a chipmunk for some food.

Lets hope we get some indian summer soon so I can get a few leaf peeper hikes in before I have to go back to work.

Fall colors on McKenzie mountain

2009-09-27T12:11:00.000-04:00

Bryan, Ken and I headed down to the Adirondacks on saturday for a hike to take in the fall colors. Along the way we debated several options including Whiteface via the Connery Pond/Whiteface Landing trail or McKenzie/Moose mountains. The debate came to a head as we passed through Saranac Lake and we dumped Whiteface in favor of McKenzie. We headed past the McKenzie trailhead on rte 86 and found the closer one on Whiteface Inn road (shaving 3.2 miles round trip the hike). We decided to take the state trail to McKenzie and then to descend via the Shore Owners Association trail. The trail starts out at a reasonable grade after passing a lean to and meeting the rte 86 trail it starts up at a steep grade which does not let up until you are on top of the first false summit.

Near the top of the false summit is the first of several ledges with stunning views east and south of Saranac Lake, the Seward and Santanoni ranges as well as the rest of the High peaks as far as the Great range. We stopped at each of these spots to eat, rest and take lots of photos. We finally reached at small lookout with views of Lake Placid and a somewhat blocked view of Whiteface. As we passed over the summit of McKenzie we were still hoping to find a ledge with clear views of Whiteface and even stopped at a viewpoint marked with a sign that seemingly went nowhere. At the split in the trail we decided against continuing on to Moose mountain and headed down the SOA trail which was very steep to begin with but soft underfoot. We stopped for a nap at Bartlett Pond and then continued back to the car.

All told, it was a great day exploring a great new mountain. I will come back sometime and hike along the lake and then up to Moose for that sweet view of Whiteface. The fall colors are not peak yet but well on their way.

Noonmark is my happy place

2009-09-20T22:12:00.000-04:00

Let's say, just hypothetically of course, that you are having a rough day: some unpleasant medical procdure, your boss is yelling at you, you are stuck in traffic, etc,etc. What you need is a happy place. You close your eyes and imagine yourself in your happy place and all your troubles melt away! All you see is the wide open space and peaks as far as the eye can see and in every direction. The mountain breeze is soothing you with its soft whispers and there isn't a cloud in the sky. The occasional hawk sails by on thermals and there isn't a cloud in the sky.

Well Noonmark is a fine candidate to be your happy place. I hiked it for the second time yesterday. I was on the trail at 8 and on the summit by 10 with several short stops on various ledges for photos. It is a short hike at 2 miles but it sure is steep, especially when the trail is mostly rock at the top. I was surprised for a saturday to have the summit to myself for about an hour. I made use of the solitude to snap a few photos and otherwise soak in the views in every direction. Noonmark has probably the best view of Dix in the ADKs and also has views of Nippletop/Dial, the Great Range, Giant and RPR and at a distance Whiteface. There was cloud cover over some of the peaks when I first got there but it soon listed. After a few people arrived I packed up and left and was glad I did as a steady parade of hikers were coming up as I descended.

As I signed in the logbook...Noonmark rules!! :-) :-)

Gotta love the Couch

2009-09-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

After today's hike I am a big fan of Couchsachraga (or Couch or Couchie), I think it gets a bad rap. People seem to complain about having to hike up over the Santanoni ridge and then down 800 ft and then back up to bag peak # 46 and they only do it to complete the list. I must say I really enjoyed hiking down the hill and said several times how much I liked the trail (Note that I only said it once on the way back up). The more I hike the long tough trailless 46er peaks, the more I find I enjoy them as much as the easier ones with killer views. I previously hiked the Santanoni range in 2007 but I didn't have time to get Couch that day. So, I returned on Thursday with my friend Mark with the goal of hiking only Couch. We knew we would have a clear sunny day and we hoped that the last few weeks of dry weather would mean clear sailing across the mud pits on the trail to Bradley Pond.

We arrived early to find one car and two tents in the parking lot. We were signed in and on the trail by 6:30. The gravel road was a nice way to warm up as the morning was somewhat brisk. After two mud-pit tap-dancing and rock hopping miles on the Bradley Pond trail we arrived at the Panther Brook herd path. You would think that after all the recent dry weather there would be less mud in the ADKs not so. There was plenty of mud, much more than the last time I hiked this trail. The herd path up Panther Brook is one of my favorites and by 10:30 we were at Herald Square. Some confusion ensued as we tried to follow a sketch of the area I had printed off the internet a while back. Eventually we followed the leftmost trail shown in the sketch and a minute later we were at Times Square. I guess the network of trails up there illustrates why the 46ers started to maintain herd paths so that there would be one clear path instead of many.

From Times Square it is clear which way to go and we were off with a right turn heading down the ridge to Couch. At first the trail is very closed in and you would be happy to have long sleeves and pants and some sort of eye protection. The grade is quite gentle for most of the way and the trail gets a bit wider as you descend. Having pictured some hellacious bushwack, I kept saying how this was quite a nice trail. It did get steeper especially just before it descended to a col before two false summits. The col featured a swamp that was real nasty and it was pretty hard to avoid getting wet there. There was one good viewing ledge on the way down that had a sweet view of the Seward Range and Seymour as well as Whiteface.

On the way back we opted to use the New/Old Santanoni trail and in doing so we bagged Santanoni by mistake, We missed the herd path and since it is so close to the summit we didn't realise the mistake until we saw the summit. The trail itself is a shortcut if you intend to hike Santanoni but I otherwise am not a fan. It is very steep and currently quite muddy and slick. We managed to get back to the gravel road as the remaining daylight was fading and had to use the headlight for the last mile.

My shoes got wet early on and I had some nasty hotspots to treat at the end of the day but all told it was a very long day but enjoyable hike. Gotta love the Couch!

Treadway mountain

2009-09-11T18:55:00.000-04:00

Mark and I were looking for a short hike to do the day before a longer dayhike. We were going to stay overnight in Schroon lake so we opted to hike to Treadway mountain in the Pharoah Lakes Wilderness. The book said "hidden gem" and "great views from mostly open summit". This little fella didn't disapoint! We left the trailhead at 2pm after asking an older couple who just finished how long it took. It was a nice up and down walk through open woods (mostly deciduous) and along the shoreline of Putnam Pond. The terrain was reminiscent of Gatineau Park. After an hour, we hit the side trail up to Treadway. It was not steep but got progressively rockier as we went up until it was open slabs. The summit was as advertised, mostly open with views of Pharoah Lake (as well as the rest of the Wilderness) and a whole lot of the high peaks. A spirited game of identify the peaks ensued. The debate raged (That is Algonquin! No, you are blind, it's obviously Marcy! etc) until we spotted the distinctive saddle shape of Saddleback.

A nice warm up hike in what looks like a great place to do some backpacking!

Redfield from LOJ

2009-09-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

A wise man once described the Seward range as not the type of hike to do after a winter of watching NFL football from the couch. Well I can add that Redfield from the LOJ is not the sort of hike to do in NFL pre-season if you haven't hiked in the ADKs since the middle of the NHL playoffs. What I mean is, it is a very long day and even though much of the scenery is stellar the footing is often rough and it is a long way whichever route you choose.

On advice from my trusty ADK advisor, I went from via Avalanche Pass in both directions. This was smart advice as there were numerous stops for photos (Marcy Dam, Avalanche Pass, Avalanche Lake, Lake Colden etc) and the elevation is gained gradually. I left at 7 and had plenty of daylight for what I figured would be a long day. I motored along pretty fast to begin with and was passing people left and right. By the time I got to the Opolescent trail I was slowing down and I never did get a second wind. There was still a lot of mud, especially on the trail along Lake Colden and the Opolescent trail as well as the herd path. It took me 3.5 hours to the Uphill brook lean to, which was not bad considering all the photo ops. I had a quick chat with a guy in sandals who was staying at the lean to and clearly not on his way to either Redfield or Cliff. Today was a rest day (and sandals would not be appropriate for the herd path ascent).

The herd path is nice (as are all the 46er herd paths) and never too steep. It always amazes me that someone comes to such a remote spot to maintain a trail like this one. I did not stay long on the summit as although it was a clear day there is not that much of a view and I knew I had long trek ahead of me. Also the sandwiches that I had brought (in toasted english muffins) tasted like cardboard (not a good hike to try something new). It took me an hour and 45 minutes both up and down the herd path.

From there I took almost an hour longer to walk back to the LOJ that on the way in. Daylight wasn't an issue but the miles just seemed to drag on forever. There were many people backpacking in for the long weekend but not many dayhikers heading out. In the end it was a 12 hour day that was tough but one that I enjoyed. Having said that, it sure would have been nice to have stayed at the lean to and taken advantage of the many pools on the Opolescent or Uphill brooks. Perhaps that will be the plan when I return to hike to Cliff. Anyhow it felt great to finally get my 40th peak. I hope this will garner me more respect with my 46er friends!

Northern Ireland trip

2009-08-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

Two weeks spent recently visiting my Aunt and a cousin in Northern Ireland. My aunt lives near Bangor on the south side of Belfast Lough. The house has a great view of the Lough and all the ships that come and go from Belfast. Northern Ireland has a mix of beautiful scenery (Mourne mountains, Giant's Causeway) and old historical landmarks (Carrickfergus Castle, Mount Stewart estate). Belfast is best known for the sectarian violence. It is also a beautiful city bordered by the sea and a set of steep hills and it has a once thriving shipyard where the Titanic was built. The climate is well suited for gardeners as it rains often and the temperature is mild year round. Many of the estates and castles have spectacular gardens. One thing I never got used to was the site of palm trees.

We visited many of the various tourist attractions. We spent a day at the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce castle and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge all of which are on some awesome coastline. Other day trips to Castle Ward, Mount Stewart and into Belfast itself for a bus tour around the city. One of the highlights was that the tall ships were in Belfast for the first weekend that I was there. Seeing them in the docks downtown was ok but seeing them sail out the lough from the shoreline was really something. Too bad that only one sailed down the shore where we were perched. The rest of them hugged the opposite shore (good thing the new camera has a healthy zoom!).

Speaking of shores, a lot of the shoreline is public land that you can walk along. We spent a few days going for walks along the coast taking photos and enjoying the views. In the end we did not make it down to the Mournes to bag any peaks but I figure that can be left to another time when I bring my golf clubs and hiking boots.

Pint of guiness anyone?

For more photos, see:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8643144@N02/sets/72157622138709816/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8643144@N02/sets/72157622018244577/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8643144@N02/sets/72157622139017472/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8643144@N02/sets/72157622025151249/

Dead weather

2009-08-05T10:26:00.008-04:00

For the most part this summer has sucked. Rain, rain and yet more rain. Trying to find a reasonable day to get in a hike has been impossible. With many of my remaining 46er peaks, wet weather is not an advantage: Allen (drown crossing rivers), Santannoni (drown crossing mud pit) or Redfield/Cliff (drown crossing beaver pond between Lake Arnold and the Feldspar trail. There is a small patch of land in my back yard where there used to be a tree that has really appreciated the constant rain but otherwise it aint a good thing.

Last weekend was the Highland games in Montreal. It did rain that day but there was a window of dryness in the afternoon for most of the festivities. It is great fun to watch the various sports like the sheef toss and of course the tossing the caber which had an added element of danger with the muddy slippery field (see videos). Listening to the various bands being judged is awesome if you like the bagpipes.

Then back in July it was Bluesfest, the best music value going. In fact if I lived in upstate New York I would consider a trip to Ottawa to take in the local sights and catch a few shows! This year's line up was not as good as prior years but as always I discovered some new bands like the Black Keys. The highlight by far of the festival was the Dead Weather who rocked a side stage on the last day.

Grow baby grow

2009-06-26T09:14:00.000-04:00

One of the things I enjoy about hiking in the mountains are the micro environments that you see near or on the trail and the way that decay of one form of life feeds a whole lot of new life. The mountains are a hostile environment with a short growing season but there seems to be no shortage of plant life continually sprouting up. Perhaps continual wet weather is great for plants even if annoying to hikers?

Square Ledge

2009-06-25T19:34:00.002-04:00

We stayed overnight at Pinkham notch and had wanted to hike either the Wildcat ridge or Mt Moosilauke. However the forecast called for rain and afternoon thunderstorms and as the Presidentials were in the clouds we decided to do a short hike that promised some views and then pray for a miraculous break in the weather. Square Ledge is a ledge that is 500 feet above Pinkham Notch. It is a short but quite steep climb that takes about a half hour. On a clear day you would see the east face of Mt Washington, Tuckerman and Huntington ravines and a couple of the Northern Presidentials.

We hiked up and stayed for about an hour or more and though the clouds lifted a bit we only saw glimpses of Madison and Adams (?) and the lower half of Washington. The white cloud cover was like a whiteboard so Mark and I debated as we pointed at certain cloudy bits and offered our opinions as to what was where. It was a nice spot and worth the trip up. On a clear day this would be a spectacular view.

On our return to the parking lot we met a thru hiker that we had seen previously at Galehead and I was able to donate all my remaining food to his worthy effort!

The Fog of ... hiking

2009-06-23T18:52:00.000-04:00

Mark and I took a week off to go hiking in the White mountains. This was the 3rd such trip and also the 3rd time to be there the last week in June. Of almost two weeks spent at various huts over the last five years I have always had sunny clear days. This year, not so much. As we approached Franconia Notch we could see that Cannon mountain summit was in the clouds and about the top third of Lafayette was hidden. It was to be this way for the week due to a weather pattern from the south and east that was not moving other than rotating counter clockwise.

This year's goal was to hike into Galehead hut for a couple of nights and then to hike the Bonds which are a spectacular ridge that is surrounded by the Pemi wilderness. The various other ridges (Franconia, Twin) make for some great photography highlighted by Bondcliff which has long been a target of ours to duplicate its impressive photo.

We started up the twinway (1200ft up in .7 mile) in a cloud. It was welcome as it kept you cool during this "waker-upper" of a climb. The summit of South Twin was socked in and the wind was howling. Our summit photos look more like ghosts. From there it was a mostly downhill walk to MT Guyot and the Bonds trail. We hiked out as far as Mt Bond but as visibility was almost nil we decided to stop there. It was a shame that the weather did not cooperate but it was still fun to stay at the huts as you always meet some interesting people there and the hike itself was great.

We crossed paths along the way with a few interesting folks:

a runner who was doing a 30 mile jog across the Bonds, Twins, Garfield and the length of the Franconia ridge before descending back to the Pemi trailhead. Note that he didn't say what he was doing AFTER lunch :-)

a grouse that did not do the broken wing or attack Mark (I had the camera rolling). Instead it trotted along in front of us as if it wanted to join our crew. OK by me as it moved at my pace and we could always eat it if we got stuck out all night!

the huttie we met in the parking lot after hiking out. In between hiking out a full pack of garbage from the hut and carrying in a full load (40-50 lbs) of food to the hut she went for a several mile run for fun!

No luck with the weather this time but we will be back.

Not bad for an Adirondack "starter" hike

2009-05-19T18:07:00.010-04:00

May long weekend started out great with a sunny day hike up Ampersand but it dropped off quickly from there. Temperatures and rain on saturday and sunday were great for my newly seeded lawn but little else. It was even too cold to plant some new perenials and annuals. But enough with the zone 4 gardening report.

Ken and I wanted to get in another ADk "starter" hike to acclimitize the legs before subjecting them to something more strenuous like Allen or Couch. And besides there is still snow at higher elevations. We managed to avoid the school bus traffic in the busy towns of Malone and Lake Placid and headed down route 73 in good time headed for a sub-4000 trailhead. Ken spied a non-descript sign on the side of the road and on a whim we parked the car and headed up.

Other than the numerous times I managed to lose the trail, we were treated to s nice day. The trail was a gentle grade which usually means you are approaching a steep cliff. It was also mostly dirt and soft underfoot. The cool temps aided in making it an enjoyable hike. After an hour and half or so of hiking and exploring the local hydology we topped out after a short little steep rocky and muddy bit (a poor attempt at being tough by this peak). We were muttering "Is that all you got?" to each other as we emerged on the open rocks. We looked up and were silent for a second or two. "Nice view", said Ken. "Agreed!", I agreed. We spent an hour eating lunch and snapping a few pics before heading back down.

A short day for sure as we were back home in time to catch the NHL playoff action. This was a real nice day hike and in retrospect we really should have paid more attention to the location of the trailhead or the name of the peak. I'm sure we will make it back there someday even if just by coincidence. Oh and yes my grass seed is coming in nicely.

Ampersand is all mine

2009-05-16T10:19:00.007-04:00

I took Friday off to extend the long weekend and to take advantage of the best looking weather day of the four. This turned out to be an excellant decision as it was a nice hiking day, sunny yet cool. Ampersand is a great hike to choose to start the season for several reasons. It has all the features of a longer Adirondack hike but is only 2.5 miles and 1750 elevation gain. The bald summit has great views, especially the up close perspective of the Sewards and Seymour. The added bonus, when driving from Ottawa, is the short drive of 2 1/2 hours.

Taking advantage of the shorter drive I left home at 7am and was at the trailhead by 9:45. One group signed in ahead of me and I met them about 3/4 of the way up. This hike starts with a nice walk in the woods. It gradually gets steeper and becomes rockier until it gets to some well built staircases. You definitely do get a workout but it is a fairly short climb and well worth it when you top out and have a south and east view of many of the high peaks. Seymour and Seward dominate the view to the soutn as they are just a few miles away. You can see parts of the Santanonni ridge behind Seymour. Off in the distance to the east is the MacIntyres and way to the east you can see Whiteface. To the north are the Saranac lakes. I had this vista all to myself for about an hour. Enough time to eat, have a short nap and snap a few dozen pics. On the way down I met five hikers and two dogs.

All in all a great start to the season. The black flies were out but not biting. My legs still work and do so at about the same pace as last season. My calfs seem in mid season form although knees were complaining after the hike. I highly recommend this hike!

Lounging at Lusk

2009-04-10T17:25:00.006-04:00

Having put the skies away last weekend (at least in my mind) it was a welcome surprise when we got some snow mid week. Turns out there was 10-15 cm of new snow in parts of Gatineau Park. So Bryan, Ken and I decided to take a chance and head up to Lusk cabin once more. We figured the parkways might be thin but the narrower trail up to the cabin should be good. Well it turned out the parkways were bare in spot (including the first 150 yards) but there was enough snow to do most of the travelling on skis. Sometimes you were in the grass on the side of the road and sometimes you had to take off the skis and walk across the pavement. The snow in the road was crusty and quite rutted from atv traffic.

The trail up to Lusk was as expected, mostly full coverage with some debris and the odd rock or root sticking up and somewhat icy. As was not surprising, we had the cabin to ourselves for a good hour or two. Alone that is except for the chickadees looking for a free meal. You would think they might know a trick or two but no they just buzz about looking for a handout. It was a mostly sunny afternoon and a great time of day to lounge on the deck soaking up the rays, enjoying a few beverages and remembering ski trips when the weather wasn't quite so warm.

Since no one took up the challenge of heading out onto the ice to see how strong it was, we finally headed back down. As usual it was a much shorter trip than coming up. Some more care was required to miss the few bare spots and debris but this is always a nice relaxing cruise. We made one last stop at Renaud cabin for some more refreshments.

There had been a lot more melt during the day and we had to walk about 50% of the trail back to P19 but there was at least one good section near the parking lot to enjoy as perhaps the last bit of skiing until next winter. A great winter season and a sweet day today. Good Friday indeed!

2009 Summer Hiking List

2009-04-05T13:00:00.003-04:00

With the snow quickly melting and the skis tucked away for another season it is time to compile a hiking list for the summer. If I manage to visit some of these and convince some friends to join me it should be a great season.

Adirondacks

Hopkins -A good hike to start the season
Snowy - Some steep slide climbing
Blue - It must be great if they named a town after it
Moose and McKenzie
Whiteface via the Connery Pond trail - This one is flat then real steep
MacNaughton
Couchsachraga
Allen
Cliff and Redfield
Skylight and Gray
Grace (East Dix) - If I manage to hike the other six peak remaining for my 46er patch then this will be the last one.

White Mountains

Bonds - Planning to hike these last week in June
Lion's Head trail on Mt Washington - Same June trip to help with a bucket list
Wildcats and Carter Dome - With an overnight stay at Carter Notch hut
Moosilauke
Cannon

Elsewhere

Slieve donard - Hope to do this while visiting relatives in August
Giants Causeway - Not a peak but an awesome spot

Thanks to Kenmore for pointing out a glaring ommission (MacNaughton) from the Adirondack section. Add !!

Pontiac Lookout

2009-03-28T17:33:00.005-04:00

After yesterday's "running out of snow" ski outing I figured a beginning of season Fire Tower hike was in order and the weather was forecast to be downright summer-like. With the snow disapearing up top I thought there would be little or none on the west facing side of the escarpment. New camera (Canon SX-10) in hand I parked amid a long line of cars and set off down the muddy entrance road to the summer parking lot with the roar of the falls clearly audible.

I was surprised by the amount of snow and ice still there. The falls themselves have a few sections of ice and snow clinging to the rock and several sections of the creek higher up are mostly bridged from one side to the other with ice and snow. I hiked as far as the Pontiac Lookout and went no further as the next section of the hike was completely snow covered. That said it was a prime day to stay a while and catch some rays!

Spring skiing

2009-03-27T08:51:00.000-04:00

In what was likely the last ski of the season, Bryan, Ken and I set out from P10 at about 10:30 for some spring skiing. As we made our way up the Fortune Parkway it seemed as though we had our own personal groomers as we were passed twice by two grooming machines. The freshly groomed tracks ranged from icy to soft to downright slush and they progressed towards the latter as the day progressed. But how could one complain when out skiing in shorts and thin fleece with the temps above 10C?

We headed up Ridge road, stopping briefly at Shilly shally and Huron before settling in a Brulé lookout where we had our pick of the picnic tables that were buried under snow the last time I was there. No woodstove to toast our sandwiches but a gentle breeze and warm sun. The occasional skier passed below on the Champlain parkway that was mostly pavement. There was a thin ribbon of snow about 2 feet wide! After lunch and some beverages, Ken announced that he was returning to work. Was he getting paid to ski?

Bryan and I then headed west. We went first to Champlain lookout which was bare pavement and the view along the escarpment showed no evidence of snow. We then continued to Western cabin. The trail there ended about 30 yards from the cabin, just past the duct taped ICE sign. We enjoyed a half hour sitting out back before setting out for P10. The trails were softer but still skiable and that last 2K down the parkway was more effort than normal but still a sweet way to end a ski day.

This was a great day and a great way to end a ski season that was four months long by my count! OK, now to plan my assault on the 46er patch!

Shoulda brought my skates

2009-03-14T18:25:00.007-04:00

One place I had not yet been in Gatineau Park this winter was Western cabin. Given the sunny warm day forecast I headed up there to take in the view from the bench behind the cabin. Western sits right on the western edge of the escarpment with a sweet view of the Ottawa river valley. A prime spot to sit and take in some rays on a sunny spring day.

While it has been springlike and the day was warm and sunny, the trails were crusty and slick. I took the direct approach from P12 and headed up the black trail. On the steepest sections I decided to take off my skis and walk up which was much faster (and an early warm up for hiking season). The only sections of trail that were not icy were those exposed to direct sunlight and no wind. I found myself gliding on parts that looked flat with little or no effort. On the short trail heading down to Western there was a tree limb across the trail to stop people as the last 50 yards were sheer ice. Yet again I did a little walking.

A relaxing half hour on the bench behind the hut enjoying my toasted sandwich and watching a chipmunk run around digging up nuts. The ride back to P12 was exciting. Great care was taken to try to not build up too much speed as the crust was not much help when trying to slow down. A potential crisis was narrowly averted near the end as my skis could not agree on which way to go but I managed to gather them back up just in time and use a "run off lane".

A great day to be out but I think I will choose some flatter terrain for tomorrow or do some hiking instead.

Melting Away

2009-03-07T21:14:00.005-05:00

With a monsoon forecast for tonight and temperatures hovering at or above zero for the last week or so I headed for my favorite Gatineau Park ski, P19 to Lusk Lake. I'm sure it got above the forecast high of +7C on this sunny day. The parking lot was a muddy mess but there were still a lot of cars there this morning. The track was somewhat icy but also soft and it did not look like it had been groomed in a while. The melting was evident everywhere and especially on each of the lakes that I passed by. There was no snow cover at all and although there was still ice it was covered by a fair amount of standing water.

I got to Lusk cabin and had it to myself so I installed myself on the porch after stoking the fire inside and putting my sandwich on to heat. Some five minutes later the first of a big group arrived and broke the sweet silence. The kicker was the guy who arrived after the main group wearing a tank top and shorts! No real complaints though as it is hard to beat a warm day sitting on that porch soaking up the rays. About an hour and a half later I headed back down the trail and back to the car.

There is still plenty of snow up there but it seems to be melting away quickly so get out while you can!

P9 to P9 ... the long way round

2009-02-21T20:39:00.007-05:00

I went out for a short ski today as a way to get some fresh air after recovering from a bad cold. It was a sweet day with sunny skies and fairly warm so it wasn't too surprising that P10 was full to overflowing when I got there. I opted for P9 (just down the hill) and a short, flat ski out and back on the doldrums. However, when I got to the gate at the far end, I decided to cross the road and continue. After climbing the first few hills on the Gatineau Parkway I was committed to the parkway loop. I've skied this loop a few times now and it is a great way to spend a sunny day. There are several long hills but because it is road they are never too steep. The stretch of the Champlain Parkway between the Gatineau Parkway and the Fortune Parkway has the most uphill and I was really feeling it near the highpoint and was pretty happy to finally see the intersection with Fortune. From there it is flat for a few kilometre and then at last you see the road sign with the car pointed diagonally down (the universal symbol that tells skiers that they can glide from here back to the parking lot.

A great day to be out, work on the winter tan and sweat out some germs!

The night shift

2009-02-10T09:35:00.009-05:00

With several days of rain/freezing rain in the forecast and a full moon, Bryan, Ken and I decided to go for an evening ski from P10 up to Huron cabin for supper and some then skiing under the full moon. The outing took a near disasterous turn right at the start as Bryan left something behind at work: it was his foil wrapped sandwiches. The traffic was much lighter now that the busses are back running. We got to P10 under sunny blue skies and headed up the Fortune Parkway to meet up with Ken around Fortune Lake. The tracks were slick which made for lots of poling on the way up and predicted a quick ride back to the car later on.

We stopped in at Shilly Shally for a beverage before heading up to Huron Lookout to check out the sunset. While the sun was blazing, the mostly cloudy skies kept the photo session short. We headed back to Huron cabin and started preparing supper. There were pots of soup and sandwiches cooking on the wood stove, chili bubbling on a portable burner, french bread and cheese on the table and a well stoked fire. As we were working on dinner we were making mental lists of items to add to the menu for next time. We had the cabin to ourselves for more than an hour before a birthday celebration arrived.

With that we made our way back down Ridge road through the Khyber pass by the moonlight. The was no one coming up through the pass and it was clear sailing back to Shilly Shally. From there we stopped several times to take photos of the moon when it emerged from various bank of clouds (I have some practising to do on my night photography). The ride back down the Fortune parkway was awesome, other than a few bumpy moments in the tracks. At the parking lot there was some debate about finding the steepest, narrowest trail in the park and doing it in the dark but that was all talk.

Nights at the cabins are a cool scene and something to be done again, soon!

Trailblazing

2009-01-31T19:52:00.004-05:00

I made some randomn plans with Ken to ski in the Lac Phillippe area today. I was surprised to see plent of space in P19 as other lots that I passed on the way there seemed quite busy. It was quite cold in the wind but sunny, a perfect winter day with 25 cm of snow fallen in the last week. I headed towards Taylor lake along Trail 55. I was cooling off rapidly in just two layers of fleece so I was making my way along the shore of Taylor Lake towards the yurt to warm up when I met Ken. We made a quick pit stop at the yurt. It's new location near the shore of the lake is a great spot and I think a local colony of turtles are in agreement. It was cold inside with no fire so we decided on a plan and left.

We took a shortcut across the lake. It looked like the thing to do from the shore but it was hard work making trail in snow that was 2-3 feet deep. I stayed behind taking some good photos before feeling guilty and taking over. It was no picnic getting up the slope to the trail at the other end of the lake but no complaints here about the abundance of snow. It was 2-3 kilometres up trail 56 to the lookout and at first it too was unbroken but we soon encountered a threesome who had skied in from Lac Richard so it was broken until the trail split. Mostly uphill but a lot easier than crossing the lake. It sure was a winter wonderland with snow covering all the trees along the trail. We broke out a short section of the trail to the lookout and then stopped for some snacks before heading back. The descent was a blast in a track that was more like a 2 foot deep trench, gotta love gravity!

On our return, someone had started a sweet fire at the yurt so we stopped for lunch, The fire was so hot that the sandwiches toasted in a couple of minutes and mine burnt on one side. We returned to the car the way Ken had come along trail 55. This has to be one of the nicest trails in the park. It makes its way through a remote valley and has a nice combination of ups and downs. The steep descent away from the lake and the hydro line section near the parking lot make all the uphills earlier on worth the effort. This loop is on the must-do list for every ski season!

Toasted fleece at McKinstry

2009-01-23T19:41:00.007-05:00

The weather forecast called for 2-4 cm of snow and temperatures around -5 and Bryan's carpool gang were taking the day off so we decided it was a good idea to do likewise and go for a ski. Today's goal was McKinstry from P12. This is a 20km ski on some of the less travelled trails in the park. Some healthy climbing right away to get you up the ridge and then up and down along Ridge rd. There was a real frost in the air right from the start and the temps were a bit colder than forecast. The climb up from Meech lake really gets the heart pumping and warms you up. We had a brief encounter with Santa at the Wolf trail bench but it turned out to be a snowshooer with bear bells. The trail up on the ridge was a winter wonderland of snow covered evergreens.

It took a while to get the fire going at the hut to toast up lunch and dry off clothes. I added a new item to the menu, home made chick pea and tomato soup. This was a success although a biggger thermos will be required for future trips. The stove is a good place to warm up food, dry off clothing and if you are carefull...warm up clothing. A strange odor that wafted over while we eating suggested someone had overdone their fleece. Turned out it was Bryan's and his sleeve had reverted back to some sort of plasticy goo that quickly hardened to a sharp edge. He etched "BvT" into the picnic table before deciding to remove the offending part to avoid cutting himself accidentally.

It took a while to warm up on the way back but it was great to be going down all the hills. A great ski day for sure!

Slow down, old fella

2009-01-11T15:06:00.010-05:00

It was a sweet day skiing in the lower part of Gatineau Park. I think I may even have gotten a little sunburnt. Today's route was a loop from P1 along the Gatineau Parkway then Trail 5 and Trail 15 to Pink Lake and then back via the Gatineau Parkway. I hadn't done this route in several years and my recollection was that it was somehow uphill in both directions. Of course that is impossible and just an illusion.

Conditions were perfect with a nice glide. The sun was warm and although it was -10 it did not feel cold at all. I aggravated some muscle strains from earlier in the season and was laboring most of the day being passed by a steady stream of people with babies in sleds and retirees. One retiree (a 78 year old) even stopped to chat before saying he wanted to pick up the pace to get some exercise. But hey, I enjoyed the day and made it back to the car under my own steam. There was some brief alarm when I saw two airplanes that seemed to be on a crash course (see second pic below) but they missed each other and all was ok. The parking lot was 3/4 full at 10:30 when I set off but when I returned it was overflow with lurkers circling the lot waiting for someone to leave. I got home in good time to build a roaring fire and watch some NFL playoff football.

Short walk, Nice view

2009-01-11T09:15:00.002-05:00

I went out to get a Sunday paper this morning and got a nice view as I walked across the intersection of Jackvale and Fable. Looking west was the full moon setting while in the east the sun was just coming up on the horizon.

Rideau canal skate

2009-01-10T18:39:00.004-05:00

Instead of going for a ski today I headed down to the Rideau canal for a skate. It has been years since I laced em up on the canal. This is often true of tourist attractions in one's hometown. It was a great day for it with the sun out but a mighty cold wind. Yeah it was cold but warmer I'll bet than Winnipeg :-). The ice was pretty good although you could tell it was windy the last time they flooded it. The only section that was closed was from the Laurier bridge to the NAC and there were crews out on Dow's Lake removing the snow.

It was not too crowded for a Saturday morning and it was an great skate although I would dress warmer on the next occasion.

Keep that fire burning

2008-12-22T17:59:00.002-05:00

An awesome day to be out skiing and considering the bus strike and time of year it was surprising that there were few people out skiing. But hey, less traffic on the trails. There are many fine ski trails in Gatineau Park (200 km of them in fact) and several great cabins to ski to but none are finer than a run up to Lusk cabin from P19 on a sunny winter day. It is mostly up hill to the cabin but that just makes for a fun and relaxing ride back. The cabin itself is nestled half way up the escarpment beside a small lake.

Today it seemed that there would be nobody there as Bryan and I made it most of the way there before being passed by a guy who was carrying more weight in patches on his pack than my entire pack. Then when we got to the cabin there was a couple who seemed to be cooking their gloves and socks on the woodstove in the provided cookware. They had further committed a faux pas by allowing the fire to die down. In the spirit of the season we waited for them to leave before discussing their lack of cabin etiquette. And of course we went out and chopped some more wood and stoked the fire up good. A few toasted sandwiches hit the spot and fueled a blazing downhill run (45 minutes up trail 54 and 15 minutes down). Thankfully we got back on the road in time to miss the traffic. A nice sunny day at Lusk cabin and likely not the last day there this season.

She's a cold one out there

2008-12-21T09:23:00.005-05:00

It was cold out Saturday. I'm talking cold you can still feel in your bones long after you are back inside. I set out for a ski from P7 and took trail 8 to the Champlain Parkway. There was plenty of snow on trail 8 for a backcountry trail but in a couple of spots there were ditches with not quite frozen water which called from some quick thinking. It is great to see this much snow on the ground already. Add in the snow-bomb from Sunday and we will be set for the season.

It was much colder on the parkway than in the woods but the skies were cloudless and blue and the track was fast. I had planned to go as far as the lookouts and maybe Western cabin but instead I made a hard right turn on the Fortune Parkway and the cozy confines of Keogan cabin. After warmup and a snack and some bird feeder photography I set off back to the car along Ridge Road. As always the last 2 kilometres to P7 are some fun fast downhill gliding.

A great day to be out but for sure a day to stick to the wooded trails.

PS
As requested by a subscriber(since I only have two I have to comply):

Make delicious muffins from scratch

Cracker

Among the bears

Do not own a cell phone, never have

Passed out while taking off boots after a hike of Nippletop and Dial

Best bowl of soup ever ... Beef lentil at Greenleaf hut

That was awesome!

2008-12-14T17:03:00.005-05:00

The youngest in our group today described the trip from P16 to Healey Cabin and back as her best ski ever. Her father might suggest that the sample size is too small but it was a great day to be out skiing this was the perfect distance for my sore legs. Yesterday's sunny skies had given way to some brief snow flurries and it was much warmer. I got on the road a bit late so I missed the main section of the group but I got to P16 just in time to meet up with Kenmore. We missed seeing the vT van in the lot but soon met up with them about 15 minutes down the trail.

Three generations of vTs were out today and all enjoyed the trip into Healey and the lunch of chocolate, toasted sandwiches and assorted fruits. The activity out at the bird feader was active with woodpeckers, blue jays and chicadees all having lunch. I like Healey cabin as it looks kind of like grandma's house tucked away in the woods. The trip back was fun with more down than up and one of the best descents to a parking lot in Gatineau Park. Awesome indeed!

Winter...you're back!!

2008-12-13T15:39:00.006-05:00

First ski outing of the season. There has been snow in Gatineau Park for several weeks but Wednesday's dump of 30-40 cms sealed the deal. I headed for P10 and although I had not bought my pass I got by with a "forgot it at home". I like skiing from this parking lot because at the end of the day you get an effortless cruise of 2 kilometres down the hill. I made a nice loop up the Fortune parkway and Ridge road to the Champlain Lookout and then back via the Champlain Parkway and the Fortune Parkway.

As per usual with the first xc ski of the year, several muscles groups announced their displeasure with this "new" activity but no permanent damage was done. It was a nice sunny day albeit quite cold until I started back towards the car. It was cold enough that I got an ice cream headache on the descent but I am guessing the people on their way up would not have been sympathetic. I stopped in at the visitors centre on the way home to get my pass.

Eardley Escarpment

2008-11-11T18:34:00.013-05:00

Rememberance Day in Ottawa is most often a cold and windy day. I guess that is somewhat fitting the sombre occasion and normal for the middle of November. Bryan and I usually take advantage of the day off to hike to some quiet part of Gatineau Park which I figure is as good a place as any to take some time to contemplate the day. Today, we were joined by Ken for a hike along the Eardley Escarpment and a visit to Lac Hachet. As this was the first hike with all three of us since Ken's 46er finish, we presented him with a custom designed, but not official, 46er t-shirt. A collector's item for sure!

We hiked some trails along the escarpment at the northern end of Gatineau Park which is less visited and quieter and for my money the more enjoyable part to hike in. There is a complex set of trails there that have the feel of 46er herd paths. The path is faint with just the odd cairn or paint splotch to keep you on track. This trail runs across the top of the escarpment with views looking west along the Ottawa River valley. These trails are best hiked at this time of year when the bugs are gone and the leaves are down so you get better views.

On the way back to the car we detoured to Lac Hachet which is one of many small lakes on top of the ridge. A small beaver lodge in the middle of the lake but little sign around the shore of beaver activity. We stopped a while for some refreshments and photography and surprisingly no one went for a swim! There was snow in the air and that cold breeze that said winter is on the way...one can hope at least!

Heading South

2008-11-10T11:02:00.011-05:00

Having taken Monday off I went for a walk in the Stoney Swamp area and stopped off along the trail at a pond. This pond is remarkable for the area in that it contains several heron nests. I thought it might be a good spot to check out migrating geese and I was not disapointed. About a minute after I got there, several hundred canada geese flew in from the east side of the pond and landed in the middle while honking as loud as they could. For the next ten minutes groups of stragglers came along and circled around and landed too. Quite an awesome sight (and sound) and not something you see very often.

Last (and first) paddle of the season

2008-11-09T19:32:00.009-05:00

I headed out Saturday afternoon to visit a friend's cottage on a bay on the Mississippi river just west of Carleton Place. While it was raining when I set out, the sun came out and made it a nice day for November. They have a sweet setup there. A three bedroom house with a west view across a bay with a seperate "shack" with two loft beds. Apparently the cottage was moved in various pieces from a location along the Ottawa river back in the 1950s to make way for the Ottawa River parkway.

After a tour of the property and of the nearby "point" we put the canoe in the bay and went for a late afternoon paddle around their bay and the one next door. The water level was low but we were able to investigate some beaver and muskrat dwellings as well as some really nice houses along the shore. Then as we were returning the sun was glowing bright in the sky just before sunset. A great way to spend a November afternoon!

Jack Pine stroll, dammit

2008-11-02T20:56:00.011-05:00

I went out for a walk today in the Jack Pine forest looking for some relaxation. One of the benefits of living in the west end of Ottawa is the plenty of forested greenspace that is 5 minutes from home. It was a sunny but cool day and I was out walking and taking photos but mostly getting molested by chickadees who seemed to think holding up a camera meant it was breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or at least snack-time. These mini panhandlers are trained by people feeding them and they will dive bomb you anywhere in these woods wanting a handout. Further along the walk, I found an empty Dasani water bottle wedged in a tree. You really have to hand to a business that sells a product to unwitting rubes that they can already get for free. Ummm, gotta love that refreshing Boston tap water!!

Hey, old man winter, send us more snow.

PS Let's hope that Barack kicks the crap out of that wrinkly white haired dude and the rest of his red state buddies this Tuesday!!

Colvin

2008-10-19T22:46:00.006-04:00

After our lengthy stay at Indian Head-Fishhawk Cliffs, we left at about 12:45 and started up Colvin. There would be no Blake on this day due to time and daylight but Bryan wanted to add another 46er to his list and Colvin has a nice view. I had been to Colvin-Blake before on a hike with the Albany ADK chapter but we did not spend a lot of time at the summit. This is a typical Adirondack hike with mud, roots and rocky ascent up slippery slabs with some fun steep scrambles and at least two false summits. It was a welcome bonus that the cold temperatures made the mud pits solid so one could walk right across them.

It seemed that everyone we met was going the other way and it was getting colder as we went up. Regardless we spent about 15 minutes up there snapping pics in all directions and hopping around to keep warm. I related to Bryan that it was too bad that we would not be able to head over to Blake as the autumn colors would have been awesome!! It was past three already and daylight was becoming a factor so we headed out. The Gill Brook trail is a real nice trail lower down as it passes many nice flumes and pools that one could stop at to cool down on a warmer day. As always the Lake Road is a brutal slog, to put it nicely, that punishes ones feet that have already taken a beating. Bryan tried walking in the leaves at the side of the road but I doubt it made any difference. We kept hoping the bus would come by and give us a ride but no such luck. The last two miles were in the dark but the road is wide enough that you don't really need to see where you are going. There were plenty of stars in the sky as we walked past the golf course to the parking lot.

A nice full day to cap off the hiking season....let it snow!

Indian Head and Fishhawk Cliffs

2008-10-19T21:13:00.009-04:00

Bryan and I wanted to get one last Adirondack hike in before it snows for good there. He wanted to up his total of 46er peaks while I just wanted to take in the remaining folliage from a good viewing area. We settled on hiking to Indian Head and Fishhawk Cliffs and then if time allowed after the requisite photoshoot we would continue on to Colvin. We arrived at the trailhead later than we wanted due to a few stops for must see photo-ops at Barnum Pond (mist on the water) and LOJ road (frosty grass).

It was colder walking along the LOJ road that I had thought and there were tons of leaves falling from the trees and lying on the ground. We took the Gill Brook bypass trail and there were even more leaves covering that trail. After a short hike we stepped out on Indian Head and had it ourselves for about twenty minutes. A spectacular view for sure even though most of the color was gone leaving a frosty white shade where the color had been and patches of yellows and oranges here and there.

We took many photos of the various views: Gothics and the lower range, Colvin, Lower Ausable lake. This is a great spot to sit and have lunch. After soaking in all we could we head off to Fishhawk cliffs. This is a short walk that starts with a real steep drop off. This viewpoint shows you the profile of the Indian face and makes for some great photos of this profile with the great range in the background.

This a great hike that you can do in half a day and can be combined with a visit to Rainbow Falls and a leisurely stroll down the East or West River trails.

Dix from rte 73

2008-10-06T14:14:00.009-04:00

Yesterday I hiked Dix from the Round Pond trailhead with Ken and Pete. The day started out badly as I had a nasty headache and a quick stop at the LOJ road showed that Algonquin, Colden and Marcy were each wearing a covering of snow on their summit cones. Regardless, this was to be Ken's 46th high peak so we were not gonna let a little snow stop us Canadians.

This is a really nice hike on a trail that is maintained by the 46ers, some of whom were out cleaning waterbars and chopping up some blowdown (Thanks!). The first stop along the way is Round Pond which looked great in the early morning with fall colors reflecting in water. The trail is mostly soft underfoot and at a gentle grade until you reach the slide that is past the Boquet river leanto. The slide provides a great spot for a break with views of a couple of slides, of Noonmark, Giant and RPR and plenty of autumn colors.

Beyond the slide the real ascent begins and it does live up to the guide books that describe the trail at this point as "murderously steep". It was steep but as Ken pointed out, you don't get as tired because the pitch means that you move more slowly. At this point the temperatures were dropping but at the same point we started to get views of Nippletop and the Great Range. We also started to see snow on the sides of the trail and in the trees. As we topped out on the ridgeline there was a spectacular sight of Elk Lake surrounded by fall colors.

Onto the summit itself, where Ken was presented with a 46er...ale and congratulations were offered. Lunch was eaten, photos were taken, snowmen were assembled and photographed. This is a great peak with spectacular views but the cloud cover was at approx 5000 feet so the light was not perfect for photography. It was too cold to stay up there for long. The murderously steep section was slow but in general I found the grade of the trail and the colors in the trees to make for a pleasant walk out.

A great day to be out and celebrating Ken's accomplishment!

A new 46er

2008-10-06T12:22:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I hiked Dix from rte 73 with Ken and his friend Pete. This hike completed the 46 for Ken and it was great to be with him on this hike. We have hiked to 14 of the high peaks over the last few seasons.
Ken is a great hiking buddy:

happy to slow down his pace to the slow poke in the group (me),

pretends to be tired too when you need to stop for a break,

full of insightful commentary on the surrounding peaks

and generally quick to dig a cold beer out the back of his truck after a hike

We enjoyed a cool 46er ale on the summit to toast the occasion. Congrats Ken!

King Mountain

2008-10-03T14:22:00.007-04:00

This is another nice short hike in Gatineau Park that has plenty of bang for your buck. The parking area is off the Champlain Parkway about halfway up to Champlain Lookout. It is a loop of about a mile with a climb of about 200-300 feet from the parking to the top of a ridge. As you make your way along the ridge there are open ledges looking south across the Ottawa River valley, the lower section of Gatineau Park and the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa. Along the trail are signs that explain the various types of trees and why they grow where they do.

The payoff today was the glorious colors in the trees, especially in the forest below the ridge, and the wide open viewpoints to see them from. I sat for a while on one of the benches and soaked in the oranges, reds and yellows as far as the eye could see. I managed to time it just right as I returned to the car there was a loud group of school children that sounded like a herd of cattle as they headed out.

Colors seem pretty close to peak.

Pink Lake loop

2008-09-30T18:22:00.007-04:00

On Monday I went for a drive on the parkways in Gatineau Park to check out the leaves. A recent cold snap has caused the colors to change quickly. While they were plenty red, orange, yellow etc they were not at peak. I hit both lookouts (Huron and Champlain), stopped the car many times to snap a shot of colorful trees lining the road (it was early and there was no traffic) and pulled over at each and any vista point such as small beaver ponds or swamps.

On the way back to town I stopped in at Pink Lake and walked the loop. This is a great little walk at any time of the year and especially when the leaves are changing. There was even more boardwalks and staircases that the last time I was there as erosion of the steep shores is a problem. Not only were the leaves looking great but there was a constant sound of geese flying overhead on their way south.

The colors are not at their peak but should be there in a weeks time.

Down in the hole

2008-09-13T19:05:00.008-04:00

After hiking a glorious peak last Wednesday, Bryan and I decided to visit a local landmark in Gatineau Park. I had never been in Lusk Cave even though I have hiked, biked and skied past it many times. Too bad because it is a ton of fun. I think we picked a good time to visit as the water flowing through the cave was warm and the water level was reasonable.

You need a minimum of spelunking equipment (headlamp, water shoes, bathing suit) and a sense of adventure. For the most part the ceiling was quite high with the exception of the exit from the first half and the final exit from the cave where you had to bend over to move forward in the thigh deep water. The surface was not slippery and there were handholds where needed. It took us about an hour to go from one end to the other but that was mostly due to posing for photos. When combined with the hike from the parking lot and a swim at one of several nearby beaches, Lusk Cave makes for a great day out in Gatineau Park.

Best hiking day...ever

2008-09-10T16:13:00.007-04:00

I've been known to throw around superlatives when it comes to various hikes (often the hike I am currently on). That said, Algonquin is my favorite mountain of any that I have hiked and Wednesday was about as perfect a weather day as one can get. It was cool (low 60s), sunny and crystal clear. A day made for hiking peaks and taking photos! I managed to talk Bryan out of going to work and joining me on a hike up Algonquin Peak instead. It is a long drive from Ottawa to the Adirondacks to day hike but the advantage is that you can cherry pick the weather.

We were approaching the border when we saw that there was a mass of clouds blanketing the Adirondacks. Luckily it was early and soon to burn off. We took some cool photos in the early morning light and stopped for break in Saranac Lake to fuel up and to sit at a favorite spot.

We hit the VanHo trail at about 8:45 from a mostly empty parking lot. The hike starts out a comfortable pace and is mostly flat for the first mile. It gets gradually steeper and rockier as it ascends. It is only a four mile hike but you do have to watch where you step on and around the rocks. We stopped at the waterfall which marks the half way point and were passed by the first of several hikers with dogs for the day. All were well behaved and gave us the opportunity to chat up their owners.

Past the cutoff to Wright there are some interesting steep slabs and once you get above Wright you start to get views to the east of Pitchoff, Cascade, Porter, Big Slide and eventually the Great Range. You really see the the full effect of Big Slide from this angle. Our pace slowed as we were taking lots of photos and videos. Above treeline the summit grass were a particularly colorful shade of gold and the views in all directions were crystal clear. I particularly enjoyed getting photos of the Santanoni and Seward ranges that I had hiked since the last time I hiked Algonquin.

We stayed on the summit for almost two hours and for such a perfect day there were not many people up there so it was nice and quiet. We took even more photos on the way down, at least until we hit tree line. It was great to stop at the falls and dunks our heads in the cool water. We met a few hikers on the way oot (out as pronounced by Canadians eh). One from the Buffalo area identified us as Canucks based on our accents. We talked photography for a while before he took off back to the LOJ as he was late for dinner.

A perfect day hiking Algonquin. It may take as long as the hike to go through all the photos!

Hough via Lillian Brook

2008-09-03T21:34:00.008-04:00

It was overflow parking in the Elk Lake parking lot when I went to check it out on Sunday afternoon. I got there early on Monday morning to make sure there was a spot and was happy to find plenty of room. I was the first to sign in the log book that day and one of only four groups to sign in all day. The Elk Lake-Dix trail is somewhat rocky, a little bit muddy but generally is flat and takes you past two lean-tos and the herd paths to Macomb (Slide Brook) and South Dix-Hough (Lillian Brook). My goal for the day was to head up the Lillian Brook trail and follow it up to the ridge on the Dix range between Pough (bump on ridge between South Dix and Hough) and Hough.

The Lillian Brook trail was yet another example of trailwork by the 46ers. Each time I hike another trailless peak I gain more respect for the work they do. This trail had a reputation of being full of blowdown and a place one could easily get lost. It started out a bit swampy but after a hundred yards or so it was dry and it ascended at a gentle grade through a fairly open forest until at 3200 feet there was a split with the right fork leading to the col between Macomb and South Dix and the left fork leading to the col between South Dix and Hough. The grade immediately steepened considerably and stayed steep for the next 800 feet. Hard work to be sure. Once up on the ridge it was a steep but fairly short climb up to Hough summit with some short rocky scrambling near the top. There were two good viewing ledges with views of Dix and many of the high peaks to the north. Dix looks especially striking from this angle with a very pointy top almost like a narrow volcano cone. It was a clear sunny day with a stiff breeze to stay cool and it was an awesome spot to sit and gaze.

I debated heading back over South Dix to East Dix and then back down but I decided that I would leave East Dix until another day as it would make a good candidate for a peak to finish the 46 on. Also my toe was acting up again. This was a great dayhike with a return trip of about 12 miles on nice trails with an elevation gain of approximately 2400 feet and a sweet view from the summit.

Again, well done 46ers on maintaining the excellant Lillian Brook trail!

Panorama from Hough

A scenic ride down Rte 73

2008-09-03T09:42:00.013-04:00

On the way to many high peak trailheads (Cascade, Pitchoff, Marcy Field, Ausable Club, The Garden, Roaring Brook, Giant Ridge, Round Pond) you have to follow the stretch of Rte 73 from Rte 86 in Lake Placid to the Northway. There are many great viewpoints along this road but one is usually in too much of a hurry to stop and appreciate the sights on the way to the trailhead and too looking forward to a post hike beer at a pub after the hike.

Enjoy the sights!

A Full Day on Pyramid and Gothics

2008-08-20T21:16:00.003-04:00

My friend Mark likes to describe short but demanding hikes in terms of "full" miles. Well on Wednesday, Bryan and I made a full day of a hike over Pyramid and Gothics. Full, in that we took our time chatting to people on the Lake Road, visiting side attractions along the trail, lounging on Pyramid's awesome summit for an hour and setting a slow pace on the trails. All told we took 11 hours and made the most of a beautiful dry and somewhat cool day in what has been a wet summer.

We followed the Lake Road to the dam on Lower Ausable Lake. Along the way we chatted with some retirees who were headed to Indian Head (Lucky that they all live nearby). Bryan found some keys near the mile 2 marker and when we handed them over to the guy driving the bus along the road he suggested we might get a free ride back at the end of the day. Sweet!

From the Lake Road we turned to the Weld trail and started heading up. A half hour detour to Rainbow Falls was well worth the diversion. The Weld trail starts out quite steep but gets better and is quite soft under foot. Regardless it is quite a climb as it rises 2500 feet from the Lake road in 2.5 miles. The stretch of trail after the col between Sawteeth and Pyramid is fun with many steep slabs to scramble up. Fun on a dry day but maybe not so when wet.

The summit ledge of Pyramid offers some close up views of the sheer slides of Gothics as well as spectacular views of the upper Great Range. We stopped for lunch, some needed rest and to take as many photos as possible! For the better part of an hour we had this awesome spot to ourselves which must be rare on such a nice day. Although not a 46er peak, Pyramid is a must visit.

The trip from Pyramid to Gothics is a short one which I guess is the reason why it is not included in the 46. More photos were taken from a few ledges on Gothics as now we could see Pyramid! It is striking how steep the sides of Pyramid are. You don't get that impression when hiking up it. As we reached the summit of Gothics we were treated to several demonstrations of flying. First a pair of ravens were riding the air currents and then an airplane flew past us and down the middle of the John's Brook valley (I would pay to take that ride).

The hike back the Lake Road along the Beaver Meadow Falls trail seemed endless and had me questionning the altitude readout on the gps. Eventually we arrived at the falls and cooled off in the icy cold water. As we walked out on the road the bus driver passed us but the bus was full from a picnic at the Lake house so no ride for us. The Lake road is always a painful slow grind at the end of the day. We arrived back at the car at about 8 and got underway just as the last light faded.

A full day!