Johnny Rocket and I set out for the Adirondacks for the New Year. The high peaks have not received much snow yet. This usually means one thing: plenty of ice. So moving would be slow. This did not deter the Rocket from thinking a 14 mile day up Marcy would be obtainable. I was having none of it. After talking to a local the previous night, I thought Avalanche Lake to Algonquin would be realistic. If it wasn't, at least we'd check out Avalanche Lake.
After hitting the Noonmark Diner in Keene, we made our way to the Adirondack Loj. The Rocket set a blazing pace to Marcy Dam through the freezing rain and snow. Would he keep this up for 11 miles and the 2300 foot climb? The Rocket showed some signs of slowing down on the small ascent to Avalanche Lake. But once there, the Rockets legs recharged and crossed the lake at a brisk pace. Walking across the lake was an amazing experience. I felt like I was an extra in fargo, except for the mountains rising steeply from both sides. To the left Colden rises sharply. Some ice climbers were making there way up the trap dyke. To the right, Avalanche Mountain rises up. The trail runs along that side. In spots there are boardwalks.
Although the weather didn't look inviting, we proceeded on. Once we hit the trail to start ascending Algonquin, the weather eased up on us. It stopped snowing and the wind was slight. The clouds never cleared, so views were minimal. But I was O.K. with that. The temperature never dropped below 20 and the cloudy, low visibility added some character to the hike.
On the way up, we met Tim. We stopped and talked. He told me he was heading to Iroquois. Unfortunately for him, he dropped down over a thousand feet, missing the junction to Iroquois. Tim made for a great companion to hike up the mountain with us. He has made his way up Kiliminjaro and Rainier. In a month he's planning to do Aconcagua in Chile, the highest mountain in the Americas. I had plenty of questions to ask. Basically, I found out I really need to get out and winter camp if I plan on entertaining thoughts of climbing these peaks.
Fortunately for me, the Stabilicers (one of my absolute favorite purchases I've ever made) were sufficient to ascend and (most importantly) descend big bad Algonquin. Last year while attempting to summit big Al, I left the stabilicers in the car and wore snowshoes instead. On top of that, I did not have poles and the ice was far thicker. Live and learn.
Hopefully the Rocket does the same. The walk down from Algonquin was mercilessly slow. The Rocket was hurting. His feet were sore. His hands were cold. The Rocket did not bring waterproof gloves. He did at least have wool. And we all know why wool is so great, right? It keeps you warm even when wet. The Rocket's crampon bag came off and gone also were his micro spikes as he changed to crampons on the ascent. We walked the last 2 miles in the dark. Did Johnny Rocket have a headlamp? Yes. Did he have batteries that worked? No. He did have a light from his phone. So the Rocket slipped and slid to the finish, having taken off his crampons and having lost his micro spikes. But finish he did. The last time I saw the Rocket, this walk would have been out of his reach. Live and learn.
And why did Johnny Rocket's feet hurt so bad on the way down? The Rocket would soon discover in the hotel room he forgot to put the soles in his boots. Live and learn.
The weather conditions looked interesting. The place looks like one big freezer. Thumbs up to the Rocket for completing the hike. Microspikes are a bit expensive, eh? Hopefully someone else found them and are putting them to good use. Looks like the Rocket finally acquired some gear instead of just talking about it. I admire the MC, who buys his gear from Dick's sporting good, and who wears his clothing right to the bitter end, when even duct tape can't make it wearable anymore.
ReplyDelete