GIANT
HIGH PEAK #4
SEPTEMBER 13, 2008
It is September and we suspect this will be our last hike of the season. So, we are prepared for it to be a good one, but are in for a surprise…more on that later. We have seen Giant from The Ausable Club, and it you can see it has been scarred by avalanches and rock slides as it is a bit barren. Giant is a popular hike with climbers…could be the name, or the awe inspiring summit. . You can see most of the high peaks from the summit.
We will hike it via The Ridge trail on RT73 in Keene by Chapel Pond. This hike is `strenuous, but we enjoy the semi-barren slopes, and a walk along The Giant’s Washbowl – a glacial pond. We stoop on the ledges along the way for the spectacular view. We still have 2 miles to go and we know there is a steep climb ahead.
At about a ½ mile shy of the summit, Mike starts to cramp up, and is feeling nauseous. He is hoping this will pass and we can move on, but our pace is really slow. I stop to chat with some hikers on their way down, and they offer us an orange for Mike, and insist that he eat the pith. These were “new age” guys, a little strange, but helpful and courteous. We relax and do as they say. Mike continues on and manages to summit, but there is no enjoying this accomplishment. Mike’s head is in buried in his knees as he tries to recover. And, I am worried but optimistic that the orange remedy just might help. Well, the summit is in and out of the clouds, so I am happy to hang out and wait for it to clear. And it does. Oh my god, what a treat. It is like a giant amphitheatre below. And the views of so many of the high peaks are like no another high peak we have hiked so far. I am no problem hanging out here for awhile. Mike thinks we need to descend, but he is not much better so it will be a long slow climb down. We take very frequent breaks, but all of a sudden, Mike is fine, and he takes off to make up lost time. I am thankful, and amazed. Like every hike we do, our experience tells us to add just one more item to our pack. Now we always hike with orange.
In conclusion, I know we have to repeat this peak, and I don’t mind. Mike needs to see the summit of Giant on a nice day.
Total time for Giant – too much to state!
BIG SLIDE
HIGH PEAK #3
AUGUST 1, 2008
So, Big Slide it is. The route we choose is via The Three Brothers and back down via The Yard. Oh, it is approximately 10 miles. This trailhead begins at The Garden in Keene Valley. So, what is the Garden? For those of us who are newbies to the High Peaks, we were in for a bit of a surprise. Well, The Garden is a parking lot. And guess what? – there is a fee to park. Unfortunately, our guide was a bit dated and this was not stated. Additionally, one needs to arrive early to get a parking spot…lesson learned.
It is a steep climb up to the first ledge of The Three Brothers. The views of Giant and The Great Range convince us to linger and enjoy the spectacular views. The hiking gets a little easier for a bit. We are hiking over bare rock ledges, and much of the climb seems to be in the open. We reach the second brother and we still have a mile to go to The Third Brother. The hiking is quite pleasant, lots of white birches and not too much evergreen here. We have quite a view of Big Slide from the summit of The Third Big Brother.
We reach the summit after some very steep climbing. There are magnificent views of The Great Range, Giant , and Algonquin. Lunch it is, and then back down via The Yard. It is heavily wooded and uneventful, but long. The reward is our first time at JBL – Johns Brook Lodge. JBL is in the midst of the high peaks, and provides lodging for up to 28 people to use as a base for hiking. So, we just need to hike out to the parking lot and head home. But, it is still 3 ½ miles to go – not a walk in the park when you are tired.
Big Slide was unique for its rock ledges and open views. The view of Big Slide itself was amazing. We did well on this hike and complained only on the long walk out from JBL.
Total Time for Big Slide – 10 hours
PORTER
HIGH PEAK #2
July 28, 2008
The climb up Porter comes with some negativity. Most folks take the cut-off from Cascade to summit Porter, perhaps just a ½ hour detour. But, our goal is to climb the 46 peaks, not taking shortcuts. And besides, we are curious about the mountain since some of the guidebooks are not enchanted by this hike. The word “boring” is stated.
So, we proceed to the trailhead which is from the parking lot of a place call “The Garden”. This blog would not be complete without a comment about this place. It is “a schlep” to drive into The Garden. Once there, it is 5 bucks to park (who knew? – not stated in the guidebook we consulted). And, the lot is full. So, we have 2 choices – turn around, park in Keene and shuttle up, or 4-wheel it into a spot. Squeeze we did, and we are off to hike Porter.
Porter is lush with green. The ferns are so tall they dwarf me (5 feet, 1 ¾ inches). The mountain streams are flowing, and the path is not very well trodden. The serenity of the woods is exhilarating. It is just Mike and I and the forest. There is not a human in site or sound for almost the entire hike. At one point it is hard to find the trail, and we seem to be hiking up a mountain stream. There are some incredible views of The Great Range on the way up. We linger a little bit as we summit Little Porter, which is about halfway up the trail. We seem to hike through some very different terrain. Some of the geography is very grassy, perhaps from an earlier fire. We cross lots and lots of brooks, and are rewarded by the view along the way.
We think we have reached the summit, but there is no benchmark. We can see Cascade and the crowds on top. Someone hikes towards us who has summitted Cascade, and we are comfortable that this is it. We rest on a large horizontal slab, enjoy our lunch, and the view. Marcy is in site, and the view is actually similar to Cascade.
We really enjoyed Porter and the peacefulness of the climb. After Cascade with the crowds, this was a treat. This mountain was named after Dr. Noah Porter, president of Yale in 1875. So, it is just another mountain climbed for over a hundred years, and highly recommended by this blogger.
Total time for Porter - 5 hours
CASCADE
HIGH PEAK #1
July 12, 2008
After our research and some discussion, our first hike will be Cascade. It is July and we set off for the climb to the summit. This is a popular hike since it is short and not so challenging, but still a workout and a good start to the season. We feel pretty darn good at the start. Mike sets the pace and it is fast. I need a slower pace, but his style is to move along and reach the summit ASAP. So, he moves quickly and does some waiting. I drink a lot of water (as always), but I just sweat it out. I do need to stop, but this hike today is like Fifth Avenue in NY, so I need to hike in a bit for privacy…Mike waits. We are off and running and stop just once for some trail mix…the chocolate kind – YUM! So, the guide book says approximately 2 hours to the summit, and we are there in 1 hour.
The climb at the top is just rock face and fun to hike. We reach the summit with the rest of Manhattan and it is just a spectacular view. We hike around, take our many photos, have our lunch, and relax a bit. We are ready to descend. Well, we have a choice. We can take a side trip to Porter and knock off another high peak, or just descend. Mike feels it is cheating to hike a ½ hour across the ridge to the summit of Porter, so we work our way back down in record time.
Total Time for Cascade – 3 ½ hours
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