Mud Season Hiking

My son and I started hiking two weeks ago. I used to post our hikes on this blog, but we are the new "hiking with kids" bloggers on the Schroon Lake Region site and we're putting our trip reports there from now on. You can follow our trip reports on our blog page.

During our hikes we have encountered snow, herons, frogs and, of course, mud. It's great to be outside, though. And it's great to see spring returning to the Adirondacks.

Mountains on Wednesdays

Although my son tries to convince me every week that sleeping in would be better than hiking, we've seen the tops of a good number of mountains this summer. We're not done, but, since I haven't posted any pictures yet, I thought I'd share some highlights.

Near the summit of Pharaoh Mt. in Schroon Lake with my niece

Exploring the trails after a storm at the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb

Treating a friend to the views on top of Baxter Mt.

Standing on the top of Bald Peak in New Russia

Looking up at the fire tower on Goodnow Mt.

Looking out at the High Peaks from Rooster Comb Mt.

The Resuscitation of Wednesday Adventures

Since the unseasonably high temperatures are probably the first sign that the Mayans were right and the human race is doomed in December, I figured I'd better take advantage of the time I have left and not let a beautiful day go by without getting outside. When my husband saw me pull out my hiking boots, he took a vacation day to join me.

Mount Severance happens to be just a few minutes down the road from our house and is a great first hike of the season. It's short, not even 2 miles round trip, but just steep enough to wake up our legs after a winter's rest. And the views from the summit are outstanding.

We watched the ice melting on Schroon Lake

I enjoy hiking mid-week because we often have the trails to ourselves. We were on our own at the summit until two gentlemen came over the crest. The elder looked like he was wearing his "Sunday drive" clothes and I wondered if his wife would scold him for getting mud on his shoes. (While the mud wasn't too bad due to the lack of snow this winter, there was still a number of squishy spots.) The younger snapped a few pictures, then they disappeared back down the mountain and we were left to eat lunch in peace.

Mountaintops are perfect places to journal

And it was peaceful. Other than the hum of trucks going by on Route 87 below, there was nothing but the birds singing and the shutter clicking on my husband's camera as he captured the view. The breeze carried the smell of pine.

When I get to mountaintops, I never want to leave. When the mountain is serene and the sky is a perfect blue, the sun is warm with just enough breeze to keep it comfortable, and it's too early in the season for bugs except a few happy butterflies, I need to be dragged back down, kicking and screaming. (That is a bit of an exaggeration, but I really didn't want to leave.)

The last of the snowmelt running downhill made the stream very pretty

My husband and I wandered down the back side of the mountain for a bit, delaying our descent. When we returned to the summit we discovered we were again not alone, but this time one of the trio which had arrived was a friend of ours. It would have been nice to stay and chat, but we did have to beat the school bus home.

Being married to an amateur photographer requires patience

It's been a tough month, preparing for a busier spring and summer at the yoga studio and launching the Bona Fide Butterflies, and I needed an adventure. And, judging from how heavy my legs felt, my body needed a hike. The mountaintop breathed new life into me and I'm ready to get back to the work at hand.

I'm grateful to Mother Nature for a beautiful Wednesday, even if it's the calm before the apocalypse. I hope She lets me summit a few more High Peaks before she wipes us out. Or, better yet, She gives us another chance.

Off the Mat, Into the Wild

The summer solstice is days away, so our Green Yoga Sangha group trekked into the woods for alittle rock-top yoga.  For me, there is nothing better than standing in mountain pose on a big, flat expanse of stone, looking out over the tree-tops or, as I did today, over a lily pad covered pond.  I like to be barefoot in the dirt. Once, in Warrior II, a dragonfly landed on my hand.  Besides, if you saw my last post you know I need all the sunlight I can get.

If you'd like to practice yoga outside, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Go anywhere.  Yes, an asana practice on top of a mountain is amazing, but you can have an equally amazing practice in a town park, on the beach, even in your own backyard.  Just get outside.
• Leave your mat at home.  Mats are a must-have for yoga studios and on your slippery home floor, but when you head outside take a break from your mat and discover what earth feels like.  Unless you're planning to down dog in a parking lot.
• Scout out your spot.  Before you put your bare feet down, make sure the place you've chosen for your practice isn't covered with sharp rocks or, worse, broken glass.  Unfortunately many beautiful places get ruined by those who don't know enough to...
• Leave no trace.  You wouldn't walk out of a yoga studio leaving all the props you used scattered on the floor, would you?  Show the outdoors the same respect and carry out any trash you make.  Better yet, do what we do and carry an empty bag to pick up what others thoughtlessly left behind.
• Find a natural insect repellent that works and use it.  I've got nothing against bugs in general, but it's hard to hold a pose with mosquitoes biting every inch of exposed skin.  Mosquitoes and ticks can carry diseases that will bring your asana practice to a halt if you contract them, so protect yourself when you're outdoors.  I also like to show them dead bug pose, just to give them a warning. 

Once you've found a place to practice, here's some poses to try:

• Tadasana (Mountain). The most natural outdoor pose there is. Close your eyes, feel the earth under your feet, the breeze brushing your skin and the warmth of the sun. Then just breathe.
• Moon Side Bend.  Reach overhead, interlace your fingers and bend to one side, then the other.  Imagine yourself swaying side-to-side like a tree in the wind.
• Uttanasana (Forward fold).  Bend your knees really deep and put your hands flat on the ground.  If you're lucky a bug will crawl over your hand.  Embrace the sensation.
• Standing up, clasp your hands behind your back, roll your shoulders together, and look up.  Open your heart to the sky.
• Utkatasana (Chair).  Just because you should.
• Crescent lunge.  High runner's lunge with your arms overhead, hips sinking toward the earth.  Find two rocks the right distance apart and this gets really fun.
• Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II).  You never know when a dragonfly might need a place to land.  Beside, the view past your fingers is great.
• Reversed, or Proud, Warrior.  For another look at the sky.
• Vrksasana (Tree).  Enough said.
• Airplane (Virabhadrasana III variation).  Fly in the breeze.
• Balasana (Child).  Yup, put your forehead in the dirt.  Get really close to nature.
• Sirsasana (Headstand).  My favorite pose anywhere is especially gratifying when my head's in the grass and my feet feel the sun.  If headstand isn't available to you, take another inversion or rabbit pose to get the top of your head on the ground.
• Savasana. Let the earth support you, absorbing all of your tension and doubts.  Feel yourself being cradled by the ground beneath you, relax and breathe deeply.

The View from (Almost) the Top

It was a beautiful November day, 48 degrees and mostly sunny. The kids were off from school for Veterans Day, and the county offices were closed so my husband had the day off as well. I don't have any yoga classes on Wednesdays, so I was free. We had to take advantage of this day.

After sleeping in a bit, we stuffed lunch into a day pack and drove to Putnam Pond in Ticonderoga, NY. We hiked around the south end of Putnam Pond, then picked up the trail to Treadway Mountain.

Hiking in the Adirondacks in the fall is magnificent, but not without its challenges. The trails are blanketed with brown leaves. Green moss and the occasional fern provide contrast, and the scene is highlighted here and there with white curls of birch bark. The leafless trees no longer block the sun, and it streamed down to sparkle off the quartz embedded in Treadway's rocks. The trails are quiet and there are no bugs. The trails were damp and even squishy in places, however, and the leaf cover makes it hard to see the rocks and mud, so we had to take it slow at times.

Of course, when you're hiking with a six year old, you're always taking it slow.

We had been hiking almost 3 hours when we reached the last knoll before Treadway's summit. The guidebook estimated the total hike at 2 1/2 hours, but the writers of the guidebook must not have tried it with a first grader. He never stopped and he tried hard to keep up, but his legs are short and he just can't go as fast. The guidebook said the last bit to the summit should take 15 minutes, but we knew it would be longer than that and we wanted to be down before dark, so we decided it was enough for today and satisfied ourselves with looking at the summit while we ate our lunch.

Next spring there will be pictures from the top.

We were pleasantly surprised by this trail. The terrain changes from soft forest floor to almost solid rock as you near the top. There was even a five-foot rock wall to scramble up. Cairns marked the trail over the rocky bits, and my son amused himself by adding a pebble to each one. The hike took us past Mud Pond, which was not muddy but actually crystal clear and as smooth as glass. The quartz top is fantastic, and the views were great even though we didn't reach the summit.

During our hike, we caught glimpses of the rarely seen teenagera surlyous (commonly known as the American teenager). This solitary creature roams the trails, usually just out of sight. The only way to get a good look at one is to leave food out. The teenagera surlyous can't resist a meal and may risk being seen for a cheese sandwich. This species does not seem to get a properly insulating winter coat until the temperature is well below freezing, perhaps due to a genetic deficiency, therefore if may be possible to tell if one is near by listening for muttering about the cold. The impatient animal might also be spotted pacing near a locked car, especially if there is no cell service. (We thought this species was native to the Northeastern U.S., but we've since heard they've been spotted across the continent.)

Each time we go out, I am impressed with my son's ability to navigate the trails. He spots trail markers, and at junctions remembers which color marker to follow next. He took a couple of spills, and got "kissed" by the rock when we climbed down a ledge, but he never stopped smiling. I feel blessed to share these experiences with him.

Every now and then my son would slip a cool hand into mine and walk with me. I know that he will soon outgrow holding mom's hand, and in a few years he will probably only reach for my hand to help me up. I treasure these moments now and will gladly walk slowly along the trails with my baby, even if someone is already pacing by the car.

We made it down just as the sun was setting spectacularly behind the mountains.

A Breath of Fresh Air

The alarm went off at 6:30 am and I opened my eyes to discover......it was light out! I love standard time. I wish daylight savings time would go away forever, but I'm just happy it's over for a few months. Since it was Sunday, I didn't have to hop out of bed and I got to watch the sunlight stream in the window for awhile before I finally got up for my run.

I ran 4 miles this morning under blue skies.



At noon, I persuaded my daughter to get out of bed (she was at the midnight showing of Zombieland at the Strand Theater for Halloween) and got everyone into their hiking boots. We hiked the Blue Hill Trail in the Pharaoh Wilderness for a couple of hours. It was a perfect day for hiking. Bright light spilled down through the trees. The air had a nip to it, but it wasn't cold. Everything looked brilliant!


We found a newt on a rock by a stream and some cool fungus. I kept my youngest amused looking for all the colors in the rainbow. He's been carrying around my husband's old camera and he took pictures of the colored things we found.

Here's a red leaf...



and some orange fungus...


and a blue trail marker.


















He lost interest after blue, but stayed out of trouble anyway.

My daughter hikes much faster than the rest of us, then she has to wait for the rest of us to catch up. I'm trying to convince her to try trail running.

Days like today remind me of why we came to live in the Adirondacks. Days like today also tire me out, especially because it's 9:30 pm, but my body remembers that last night it was 10:30. It also remembers that my daughter needed a ride home at 1:45 am, and this body didn't sleep until noon. Fresh air kept me going all day. Hopefully it will help me sleep all night.