Day 5 - Whiteface

We actually set an alarm this morning because we wanted to get into Lake Placid at a reasonable time and after yesterday's rough climbing and descending, we knew it was going to be a slow day. Heading out at the break of dawn we started the first part of a 3000 foot climb by following and old abandoned rocky ski lift up Marble Mountain. It was cloudy at the top as the sun started to peak through when we then continued climbing up the ridge around Esther Mountain. 

Around 2500' elevation is when patches of snow and ice started to appear on trail slowing us down for short bursts. The climbing got steeper and the trail grew wet, rocky, and muddy with more frequent ice and snow nestled between and over every rock. Large sections of trail were flooded with icy snowmelt water up to your calves.

Since we hit the trail early both of us only portholes every so often but usually up to the knee. When we got closer to the wall of the Whiteface Highway, the snow was at least three or four feet deep at a sharp angle but holding the stone wall as we hiked our way up along side of it made it easy. Popping out at the highway there is a big rock scramble you have to climb to back onto the trail and we immediately hit steep snow. Trees came in handy big time to keep leverage as we went towards the top. When the trees cleared so did the snow and we got a quick relief from the snow and shot of the top of Whiteface and hiked up to the summit.

the summit was hazy and cloudy and it began to drizzle as we were up there. Very sketchy clouds were headed this way and we didn't waste time heading down. The first part of the decent was rock scramble as the rain got harder but let up after a short time. When we got into the woods the trail was REALLY steep with lots of wet/icy exposed rock and snow and all the nice things you want to take it extra carefully on. The first good bit of going down was fun and exciting but after having to focus so hard on not falling and really hurting yourself for hours, it got old fast. Grabbing trees and limbs and trusting them to keep you from falling strait down on very slippery ice was only enjoyable the first few times before it got frustrating but a bit of dehydration and hunger will do that to you. When the trail finally evened out it was a easy hike out along a old truck path which lead to Rt. 86. A local drove by us and came back to give us a ride into town. He drove us to the grocery store first so we didn't have to run errands once we hit the hotel, he understood us at a level we greatly appreciated. Stocked up on ice cream and crappy microwaved food we were ready to binge watch crappy tevelvison for the night and will hit the trail tomorrow. My phone died this morning so I have no pictures for the day but Spins does over on Spins Blog.

Day 4 - Bushwacking, Mountain Climbing and Rock Scrambling

Waking up to the sound of loons on the lake in the comfort of the shelter this morning was a serene experience that embodies the reason I come out to nature; to relax and enjoy the tranquility of the moment. The rest of the day beat my ass. 

After a quick jaunt on the trail we started a just under two mile bushwack up Catamount Mountain through thick forest, blow downs, even thicker evergreen forest, and rock scrambles. It was painstakingly slow and difficult but was absolutely awesome. 

The really challenging experiences on trail always make for the best reward. When we got to the summit of Catamount Mt. It was hazy with storm clouds rolling in.

The second half of Catamount, going down was just as intense. Defending 1500 feet for 1.8 miles scrambling down exposed granite using hands and feet gave me flashbacks to the Whites and Maine on the AT. It was one of the steepest sustained grades on the route. It was a a jungle gym, tiring, but a blast. 

We reached the bottom and came out to the trailhead for lunch and took our time because we had another 2.1 mile uphill bushwhack right away and after draining nature of the first one this morning we weren't looking forward to it. We came about a quarter mile uphill and then crossed a snowmobile track and decided that if it headed the right direction up it would be 100 times less strenuous than fighting saplings and fallen trees uphill. Out guidebook mentioned an old map with a trail on it and I believe the snowmobile track to most likely be it. We followed it the whole way up and it meandered here and there but took us directly up the direction on the map. It was our first trail magic of the trail! The track went less directly at the top to reunite with another snowmobile track to take us down the mountain but it got us there in way better time. After cruising down the mountain we came out to the trailhead, headed down the road and ate a bit at a nice lake alongside the Whiteface Memorial Highway. We jumped off onto more snowmobile track until it intersected with our road to the base of Marble Mountain. We found a nice campsite off to the right by the water and called it a short but super strenuous day. Tomorrow we have around 3000ft of elevation within the first three miles and then it's a downhill cruise into Lake Placid for the night.

Day 3 - Hiking not Roadwalking

Yesterday evening was a accurate foreshadowing for a rough morning today. That being said, we hit the road by 7:30 and slowly moved our sore, burnt bodies along Silver Lake Road. When the ibrupeofen kicked in I hit a stride as we turned off onto Casey Road which was something of a miracle. Ample shade and dirt compressed asphalt was like walking on a cushion.

After a couple miles it went back to asphalt then grit and back and forth but made for more comfortable walking than Silver Lake Road. We took a short break once we crossed Union Falls Dam and made our way back on a more solid road over to Silver Lake. Before reaching the lake, we passed Silver Lake Road again and then mosey on over to Silver Lake for lunch at a great picnic table spot!

Under a mile left of road walking was left until we hit the wood and I was more than excited. When we got to the dirt bushwalk it seemed a bit pointless but it got to an ATV track under power lines which was scorching. I didn't care a bit though because my feet weren't pounding on pavement. After a bit we turned right strait into a half mile bushwack.

It was dense and thick forest where I had to head to a stream then interest another stream to follow it out to a snowmobile trail. The bushwack was really fun in my option (not so much in Spins' opinion) and the hiking afterward on the snowmobile trail was a much more glorious feeling on the feet. We meandered around and reached a campground and followed it out to Taylor Pond Dam which we crossed over.

The rest of the day was on occasionally muddy snowmobile track. It dragged on a bit because of my mileage miscalculations from the previous night. Arriving at the shelter, we were greeted by a decent showing of mosquitos. I took the inner part of my tent out and rigged us a big net for the shelter and watched the sunset over the mountains in front of a beautiful pond while not being eaten alive by mosquitos, I couldn't ask for a better ending to the day. It feels great to be off the road and into the woods.

Day 2 - Burnt Out

Today was not a fun day. Setting out around 7am we took off back on the road. It didn't take long for the sun to appear and it warmed up fast, especially on the reflective asphalt. The morning roadwalk passed by uneventfully and by the time our first break of the day arrived, it was got and my sunburn was angry. We made sure to stay super hydrated because of the heat. I'm sure the temperature was I. The 80's and on blacktop I'm sure it was even hotter. We could see the heat coming of the road in the distance and after a while I put on the bottom half of my pants to keep the sun off. Without my umbrella this whole experience would have been 100x more miserable. The road turned into lighter pavement but by that time the assaulting rays of the sun had already done their damage.

While on this section of road there were  really cool private homes as well as neat abandoned homes. The trees gave way and a nice view of mountains flooded me with excitement.

The second half of the day was coming up to and following Chazy Lake, pounding some more pavement. The sun from 12-5 was when it was at its strongest and my legs were on fire even with pants on. The reflectiveness of the road was burning my arms even with the umbrella out so I put on a long sleeve for the rest of the day. That left me overheated and when we made camp for the night both Spins and I were crispy. I had to take a good half hour to hour to cool down after we stopped for the day and the heat rash on top of the sunburn felt oh so nice. We did around 19milea of roadwalking and my feet sure as hell felt every step. Tomorrow is a new day. Hopefully a cloudy one!

Day 1 - Roads and Dogs

After a comfortable night in the hotel in Ellenburg, we got coffee at the general store and headed out on the 2.7 mile roadwalk to the beginning of the trail. (For our 2am call from the police, check out spins' blog at: http://spinscdt.blogspot.com ) As the windmills got closer we reached the start of the Trans Adirondack Route, the junction of Star Road and Brandy Brooke road. 

In the distance is the start of the trail. The best aspect about the roadwalk in the morning was that the shoulder of the road was wide and dirt which made for way better travel than the asphalt. 

The first section of road was farmland and rural houses. Every house had a dog and it seemed they were all out. All of them were friendly thankfully! 

The farmland transitioned into woods and the scent of pine overtook the air which is so refreshing coming from Buffalo. Lunch break was on the side of the road by one of the MANY water sources along the roadwalk. (Water everywhere so far) 

We quickly approached Hwy 374 and mad our way past Lyons. There's a gas station there where you can grab a drink and snack (or beer) for reference and we then walked up the 'pass' that lead to a view of Chazy Lake. Descending down we reached Chazy Lake Road and then stopped for a snack and water. We continued along Chazy Lake and found a great camp spot off the road about a mile or so past the end of the lake. 

We passed over twenty water sources today and the trees don 't have leaves yet so I got my first layer of sunburn before breaking out my umbrella for the rest of the day. My body and feet are quite sore from pounding on the asphalt and hustling to carry some weight on my back again. Tomorrow morning will be fun and way more sore. We covered roughly 22 miles today counting the walk from the hotel; not a bad start!

Trains, Cars, Luck and Getting to the Trans ADK

Waking up before sunrise, we got out of town before 5am for a long day of travel to the Southern and Northern Terminus of the Trans Adirondack Route. A mile and a half ON the Trans ADK is a long term parking area (more of a remote campsite) where I parked my truck and met our ride to the Albany amtrak station. That stretch goes from dirt road to what is pretty much an ATV track to a dead end campsite. Lando thanks again for the ride and company from the southern terminus to Albany! 

The amtrak was relaxing and quite scenic, following Lake Champlain up to Plattsburgh and the price of travel was comparable to bus fairs. When we boarded the train I got a message via Facebook from a woman named Gracanne who asked if we had a ride from Plattsburgh to Ellenburg (three miles from the start of the trail), which we did not. I messaged her back but did my hear back so when we arrived in Plattsburgh we went strait for food. 

After grabbing a milkshake and dinner for the night we found the road to start hitching Rt 22 which in town was a two lane one way with no shoulder.....optimal for hitching. After following the road for a good hitching spot, we walked up near an elementary school and low and behold a familiar face was sitting in her car! Gracanne had just pulled into the parking area to turn around because her young granddaughter spotted 'backpackers' and we walked right to her!! The trail always provides. 

Gracanne was kind enough to drive us to Ellenburg and also drove us to the start of the trail because she was curious and it is a road intersection with not much else. After checking out the beginning of the trail she drove us back to Ellenburg where we scored the last motel room at the Matthews Motel, roughly three miles from the start. If we don't get a ride to the trailhead in the morning it's three extra miles on a forty three mile roadwalk! We anticipatey getting up extra early to bang out as many miles as possible and get the roadwalk done and behind us. Excited to get hiking again!