Indian Falls two times

I went for a hike last Saturday from the Adirondack LOJ, usually not the greatest idea due to the crowds. I got an early start and opted to hike Tabletop, figuring it was the least popular destination along the Van Ho highway. The real views on this hike are from Indian Falls (just past the Tabletop herd path) so I headed there for a break before hiking up Tabletop. The herd path is pretty wet but it improves as you get higher up. The Tabletop summit view is definitely better in the winter when the snow-pack allows you to walk on top of the trees for a better angle of the Great range. Back down for a lunch stop at Indian Falls and a chat with some hikers who were filtering the water with a product that I will soon be adding to my pack. The view at Indian Falls is certainly worth a stop any time one is in the neighborhood! For some reason it always leaves me thinking I should hike to Algonquin again! I decided to return via the crossover trail to avoid the crowds. A good choice as I only encountered hikers at either end. The crowds were out in force near Avalanche camp ("Have you seen any available tent sites?"). A great weather day to be out and surprisingly quiet hike considering!

A cloudy day on Tabletop

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.



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