Mt. Marcy via Van Hoevenberg Trail, Adirondack Mountains, High Peaks Region, 16 Miles RT, 3,734' +/-, 5,344' Max Elevation, September 20, 2021

September 24, 2021

“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth ... the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need -- if only we had the eyes to see.” -- Edward Abbey (American writer and naturalist)

After over a year we were finally back in the mountains. Leaving California with its limitless peaks and vast wilderness and relocating to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania which lacks high-elevation mountains was a very hard adjustment for me. We decided to drive to upstate New York and hike the High Peaks Region in the Adirondack Mountains. We would set up basecamp in Lake Placid, sleep one night and the next morning hike from Adirondack Loj on the Van Hoevenberg Trail to the top of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York state. The journey would be an arduous climb of over 16 miles, most of which required bouldering, rock scrambling and climbing up large and oftentimes slippery slabs of rock. It had been over a year since I’d done any hiking with much elevation, but I craved the challenge and the rewards that come with reaching the summit after putting in a hard day’s work on the trail.

We arrived at Adirondack Loj at 5:30 am, about an hour before sunrise. We donned our headlamps and headed out on the Van Hoevenberg trail towards Marcy Dam. The trail was mostly easy going for the first two miles. We moved quickly to the first junction, and as we reached the dam the sun was starting to come up. We took a moment to enjoy the views of Mt. Colden, Avalanche Mountain and Wright Peak, but we couldn’t linger knowing we had a lot more miles to cover. We crossed the bridge over Marcy Brook and began to ascend on a moderate grade as we hiked along Phelps Brook. We passed the junction to Phelps Mountain and from here we began a steep climb up the trail which was covered in nothing but boulders. After the first steep pitch, the trail crossed Marcy Brook and briefly leveled off for a short distance as we passed the junction to Indian Falls. At about 5 miles in we began another steep ascent which seemed like endless scrambling and climbing. The terrain was slippery in sections and required a lot of mental concentration and careful foot placement. As we reached the top of the ridge, I began to see hints of blue sky. I knew we were getting closer. Now, the trail eased slightly except for the mud and the obstacle course of wooden planks we had to negotiate, and we began to get our first views of Mt. Marcy. We hiked through thick scrub and scrambled up more barefaced boulders before reaching the Alpine Zone. We were starting to get above the treeline, and I was beginning to feel anxious as the climbing got even harder and steeper. Higher and higher we ascended, scrambling the bare rock and slabs. We followed the cairns and the yellow paint blazes guiding the way straight up. And then, finally, we were there… standing on the summit of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York State at 5,344 feet. It was an amazing feeling! One I haven’t felt since leaving the mountains of California. We took in the views and fueled up on snacks, but the moment could not last because we knew we had miles of strenuous descent before we could finally relax and celebrate. The climb back down the mountain was even more taxing. We were tired both physically and mentally, and the amount of concentration it took to descend the boulders and rocks was even more laborious then it was going up. It was about 6:30 pm when we finally reached the Loj. We were tired, sore and even a little delirious, but it was an incredible day and one which we will not soon forget.

Hiking Mt. Marcy was both a physical and mental challenge. It pushed us to our limits. There comes a point in hikes like these when you know you’re stretching yourself, but you just can’t turn back because you don’t want to waste all the effort you’ve already put in so you just keep pushing. The feeling of reaching a hard earned summit is a feeling that’s difficult to describe. It becomes an addiction. It’s a challenge not everyone will have the privilege of experiencing. It’s a journey that makes you stronger and brings you closer to those who are on that same journey. And although the moment of reaching the summit may be fleeting compared to the hours you put in to get there, it will always be worth it.

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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Dunnfield Creek Natural Area, Sunfish Pond, Appalachian Trail, May 24, 2021

June 02, 2021

It was a beautiful Monday morning and we headed to the Delaware Water Gap to the Dunnfield Creek Natural Area. The trailhead was right off the 80 Freeway, so there was a lot of traffic noise at the beginning of the hike. But as we moved further into the woods, the traffic noise was washed away by the sound of the running creek and birdsong. The trail started off on a wide path following along Dunnfield Creek and crossed over a wooden bridge. I noted wild geranium and other wildflowers in bloom along the way. In less than a mile we crossed another wooden bridge and arrived at Dunnfield Falls, a small waterfall just off the side of the trail. From here the trail became single track and gently made its way up into a forest of emerald green. I noticed fallen blooms of yellow poplar on the ground and more wildflowers amongst the bright green foliage of the abundant fern covering the forest floor. We passed by the Pahaquarry Trail which leads to the top of Mount Tammany, another very popular hike in this area. The trail began to get more rocky the further on we hiked and I saw tiny flower buds starting to form on the mountain laurel. We then reached the Holly Springs connector trail that could take us back in a loop along the AT. We weren’t ready to turn back yet, so we decided to continue on Dunnfield Creek Trail to its termination at Sunfish Pond. The trail crossed the creek several times before making an ascent leading away from the water. Soon we arrived at Sunfish Pond, where we stopped for a snack and listened to the bullfrogs calling back and forth to one another. After our break, we made our way back on the A.T. Along the way we crossed paths with a large Eastern Black Rat Snake who was sprawled out along the trail. We passed by her slowly so as not to disturb her as she made her way back into the woods. We ended the day with about 9 miles. When we arrived back at the trailhead, the parking area was full. I can only imagine how packed it must be on a weekend. Nonetheless, this was a beautiful area and I would love to visit again.

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Tuscarora State Park, Spirit Trail, 5 Mile Loop, January 30, 2021

February 01, 2021

Saturday morning we had a lovely walk around Tuscarora State Park. The temperatures were below freezing again, but there was no wind and the day was sunny. We hiked the Spirit Trail which we had done in the summer when it was filled with wildflowers. Today it was covered in a dusting of snow and patches of ice. The trail starts off following along the lake for about a mile ascending through an oak and hemlock forest. We could see views of frozen Tuscarora Lake below and also hear the water shifting under its thick coating of ice. It makes an eerie sound; kind of hard to describe. We then took the loop south heading back down towards Locust Creek where we hiked in and out of rhododendron tunnels. Parts of the creek were frozen solid and others had a coating of ice above with water flowing underneath. We passed by the Spirit Tree which is covered in a green coating of moss and mushrooms, even in the winter. We made our way to a newly added bridge and crossed over the creek to begin another ascent. At the top we came to a clearing with lovely views and an evergreen forest. Before continuing onto the second loop (the trail is actually a figure eight if you look at it on a map), we explored a side trail which ascended the mountain again. I believe would have taken us to the Crow Trail. We’ll have to explore that one on another day. The trail then dropped us back down for more creekside hiking. We crossed another bridge over the creek that had been broken by a fallen tree. When we arrived back at the trailhead, we took a walk down to the lake. By this time there were ice fisherman and ice skaters taking advantage of this beautiful winter’s day. It was a nice contrast to when we had visited over the summer.

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Locust Lake State Park, 5 Mile Loop on Another Chilly Day, January 24, 2021

January 25, 2021

It was another bitter cold morning, but I wasn’t about to give up a perfectly beautiful day outdoors. Today we headed to Schuylkill County to visit Locust Lake State Park. Temperatures were in the 20s again and the winds still hadn’t let up much since yesterday. We parked in the lot on the south east side of Locust Lake which was frozen solid. There were a couple of ice fishermen in the lot getting ready to head out onto the lake to try their luck. We geared up and headed west on the paved bicycle trail that would take us to the trailhead and into the woods. As we walked, we passed by the campground which I imagine would be absolutely beautiful (and also very crowded) in the summer. As we approached the trailhead I could see Locust Creek coming into view. There was a dusting of snow on the ground and the water shimmered in the morning sunshine. We crossed over a foot bridge and onto the Oak Loop Trail which followed along the beautiful Locust Creek. The sunlight cast a warm evergreen glow on the hemlocks above us and the icicle covered cascades sparkled as we hiked along the edge of the creek. This was a beautiful section of trail. I must have stopped every 5 feet to snap a photo. The trail had interpretive signs pointing out the trees and different vegetation. At about 1.7 miles the trail started to lead us up and out of the evergreen forest and into the hardwoods. It then made a beeline up the east side of Broad Mountain on a fairly steep grade. I was happy for the climb to keep the blood flowing on this chilly winter day. Along our route we passed an interesting rock outcropping. We stopped here to check it out before continuing. The trail eventually looped back east, and we descended down some switchbacks until we arrived back at the creek. Before leaving we decided to walk around the lake on the Bicycle Trail. By this time there were a few more people out braving the cold. It was a beautiful day and this was a very beautiful trail.

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Trexler Nature Preserve, November 22, 2020

November 24, 2020

Today I hiked around the Trexler Nature Preserve. Pennsylvania is doing a thing this year where they are allowing hunting on three Sundays, this past Sunday being one of those weekends. It’s very odd to me that the state lets people hunt and hike in the same areas, but many of the state parks here seem to be on state game lands. Regardless, I wanted to play it safe and not have my head mounted on someone’s wall, so I stuck to the nature preserve where most of the trail was on open lands and did not allow hunting. I started on the Border Trail which actually goes around the entire preserve and then crossed over Jorden Creek to make a loop back to the trail head. During the hike I crossed path with a deer and saw plenty of birds in the open fields. It was a short hike, just a little over 5 miles with a lot of ups and downs in the hills. I was happy to get out for a bit and enjoy the outdoors.