rebeccmeister: (Default)
[personal profile] rebeccmeister
So, our hike yesterday!

First off, I am enormously grateful to one of my rowing teammates/friends, because she took the initiative to organize us to go for this hike. That included figuring out a date, figuring out where to go, getting us to RSVP, finding a place to stop for delicious bagels on our way up, and reminding us of things to wear and bring.

It turns out that for some period of time, she was working to hike all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks, so she had this fantastic guidebook with information about the day's hike:

Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

I didn't realize it until later, but the day's hike was not too far from where [personal profile] scrottie and I attempted to go bike camping in the summer of 2022:

Sleeping Beauty Mountain and Bumps Pond Hike

R watched the weather forecast all week on our behalf, and by Thursday when the forecast was increasingly looking like rain, checked in with us to see if we were still all interested in hiking, in spite of the forecast. We were. We're rowers, after all. It looked like things would get worse as the day progressed, so we rolled back our departure time to 6:30, and managed to get ourselves on the road promptly.

Apparently for R, for any hike in the Adirondacks, it's a requirement to make a breakfast stop at a place called Lox of Bagels in Queensbury. No complaints from me! They had dill pickle cream cheese, which was fantastic on a whole-grain everything bagel. Excellent hiking fuel.

Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

It did indeed rain. Here we are, looking pretty dry at the beginning:

Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

Here's the incredible view at the top of Sleeping Beauty Mountain:
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

Let's see that again, in case you couldn't properly admire it:
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

Looking slightly more damp:
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

We didn't linger at the top, because it was exposed and windy.

While the views were obscured, there were still lots of flowers, trees, lichen, and fungi to admire.

The local trillium!
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

Turkey tails and more?
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

Ferns unfurling:
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

The trees were half leafed out. I love seeing the forest at that stage. It doesn't last long.

Roots and rocks.
Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

And salamanders!

Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

I think this is my first time seeing them in the wild, and they were everywhere. So cute.

From Sleeping Beauty, we continued in a loop around Bumps Pond, which was also beautiful:

Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

We all managed to stay warm, and thanks to R's advice, we all had clothes to change into when we got back to the car.


Sleeping Beauty and Bumps Pond Hike

It was a shorter hike, just under 5 miles, but that was a perfect distance for us for a wide range of reasons. I felt a little silly about bringing trekking poles with me, but on the other hand, I used them throughout the hike and I do think they make hiking a little easier on one's body when one is out of hiking shape, which I am. I also wanted them with me as a preventative in case anyone turned an ankle on the rocks. Thankfully, none of us did.

I am so glad to have gotten in a hike here, finally. I'm now at least a little more confident about finding other hiking and camping opportunities out here. Not only that, but it's great to know that many of my rowing teammates are up for other kinds of non-rowing adventures, too. I'm sure we'll do it again sometime soon!

And maybe on that occasion it won't rain and we'll have a view? I won't count on it. Besides, on a rainy day we had the trails completely to ourselves.

Date: 2024-05-06 06:31 pm (UTC)
twoeleven: Hans Zarkov from Flash Gordon (Default)
From: [personal profile] twoeleven
Yay, salamanders!

Date: 2024-05-06 07:56 pm (UTC)
cmcmck: (Default)
From: [personal profile] cmcmck
Love the fungi but you knew I would! :o)

Date: 2024-05-06 08:31 pm (UTC)
bluepapercup: (Default)
From: [personal profile] bluepapercup
Great view! LOLOL. ;)

I adore the root rock. Glad it was such a nice time! Looks like a great hike overall.

Also - never be embarrassed to bring trekking poles on even short hikes. They come in handy for 100 reasons.

Date: 2024-05-06 08:41 pm (UTC)
myka: (Default)
From: [personal profile] myka
oh my goodness that looks like UK weather. Reminds me of the time I walked with a friend up Scafell Pike, famous peak in the Lake District - we had a similar "panoramic" view at the top :-p

Date: 2024-05-07 07:20 pm (UTC)
ivy: Two strands of ivy against a red wall (Default)
From: [personal profile] ivy
I did Ben Nevis and it was just the same! I keep wanting to go back and, er, hope again. [grin]

Date: 2024-05-07 12:58 am (UTC)
altamira16: A sailboat on the water at dawn or dusk (Default)
From: [personal profile] altamira16
This is so lovely, to go on a hike and have someone else plan the whole thing and let you know how to prepare.

Date: 2024-05-07 02:45 am (UTC)
threemeninaboat: (Default)
From: [personal profile] threemeninaboat
oooh Trillium!

Date: 2024-05-07 03:41 am (UTC)
house_wren: glass birdie (Default)
From: [personal profile] house_wren
Thank you for posting photos of your hike; I let myself imagine I was walking there also. Lovely. Thank you.

Date: 2024-05-07 04:08 am (UTC)
From: [personal profile] annikusrex
Lovely! Five miles is great for a first-of-season hike I think. Looks like the one i did last weekend was six. I was wondering how long it was though--the animated thing you posted on FB made it seem epic!

Date: 2024-05-07 07:19 pm (UTC)
ivy: Two strands of ivy against a red wall (Default)
From: [personal profile] ivy
I also think I have never seen a wild salamander; thanks for sharing yours. Last San Francisco trip I hiked up the volcanic preserve nearby, and I think we had the identical view to your summit there, heh. Glad y'all had fun!

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