Because its there!!
I have always loved the mountains. Summers in the Guaderrama mountain range north of Madrid Adirondack Park in NY, state - home of the high peaks region and the mountain Mecca
So when the neighbourhood guys proposed we now take our own sons, the ladies thought it was just another reason to go hiking. Wait - a free weekend without husbands and teenage boys - they were on the first flight to Italy
That first trip was with a long time university friend Mike, he knows too much about me and my previous lives. Although we are very different our love of the outdoors has given us a good reason to spend a few weeks a year canoeing or hiking. As many people do, we planned to climb the highest peak first. We had spent a fitful day of being tent bound, while multiple snow squalls lashing our tent. There was a break in the weather so we made a dash for the summit, encountering a weather beaten scout troupe descending from the summit. They looked like they had been through hell. But with the break in the clouds we made it to the top, even though we had 50km winds at the summit. As we were descending, there was a side trail to the 2nd highest summit Skylight. But because of bad weather and the lateness in the day, we vowed to do it next year. Well 17 years later we have our chance. This time with out sons, the real reason I began this journey 17 years ago.
Our destination is the Adirondack Loj just outside lake placid, a 6 hr drive from Toronto
If you are not a mountain enthusiast, don't come here. You will not appreciate the rustic hardwood floors, log cabin style architecture and quilted cedar furniture. It has 4, 6 and 14 person bunk rooms. It has clean communal washrooms. No TV! No cappuccino maker! The dining room – if you must call it that is basic - communal tables and benches. Suzie your sommelier will gladly make some wine recommendations, “We have both kinds of wine …… red and white”.
My son, Cameron, is 16 is too good looking for his own good. He wears the “cool” homeless dishevelled look. Grunge meets “Red Green” or “derelict” in the movie Zoolander. He loves the outdoors and practically runs up and down the mountain during our trips. We are getting close to the end of the school year and it may be the last time we’ll go on the father son hike to “bag” this mountain. This trip has come at an opportune time. We are having father son, “issues”. I’ve used this as a motivator to ensure he’s completed his school work before going. He is up the night before completing the last of the delinquent assignments.
Along for the ride are my friends and their sons, 14 in total. Steven, one of my closet friends, an architect, and an amazing cook with a propensity to tell sheep jokes at all occasions. Mike my old university friend. Jack, magazine adverts, the gregarious personable and ex-member of “Lee Aaron” – heavy metal queen fame. He has a knack of keeping the party going but don’t open any emails of his in the office. It may get you fired. Alex , we’ve coached hockey together and Stephen, a sports doc... Originally, from South Africa
The Loj attracts a mix bag of hardcore hikers, the sweater crowd, dads and sons, and couples - soon to, “not” be couples. Then there’s the 46ers - a group, who have climbed all 46 Adirondack peaks over 4000 ft. These people are gods around these parts. I was once asking by one, how many of the 46 had I climbed. I replied “I’m not entirely sure” His left eye twitched uncontrollability. What’s wrong with you!
After an unsatisfying breakfast of rubbery eggs and wonder bread, our daily hiking planning meeting convenes. Stay away from the pork sausage. Pork and hiking do not mix! That’s of course unless you like…. the taste of garlic pork fat for 9 hours. The group hastily decides to split into 2 groups, one group doing an easier hike and the second hiking to Mt. Colden
We leave at 9am and our first day we arrive at Marcy dam, which has view of our destination is Mt. Colden
After signing the registry at the trail head, this is so the rescue team has a place to mail the bodies, you begin your hike. The morning is a refreshing cool temperature, so you’ll make the mistake of putting on too many layers. Within 10 minutes layering down! If you've never hiked up a mountain, you in for a treat; the 1st hour will have you calling for your mommy. Heart rate jumps up to about 140 beat per minute, to fast to maintain for the whole day. You could turn around and go back. But you know price to pay, the ribbing would be continuous throughout the night and then there’s 6 hour drive home. Breathing grows laboured and previous day’s aches and pains reappear. As the body starts to adjust, breathing becomes deep and deliberate. Arms and legs begin to work in unison. The month opens permanently to maximize air intake. Thoughts of pain begin to clear from the mind. Above the temples there is a slight dizziness almost a high - endorphins start kicking in. You begin to lessen to your breathing, heart rate settles down. It's a comfortable 130. Thoughts clear the mind, eyes focus on the obstacles, arms and feet react instinctively. You move from rock, to ground to tree route swiftly and purposefully. You’re in the zone, nirvana. Your body switches from food reserves to burn high octane keystones. The body settles into a purely efficient state. This state is nothing new. It has always been there since we existed on the Savanna on constant move when we were hunter gathers. We exist on a different plane. Some jube jubes to keep the feeling going and it is all good.
After a number of false summits we reach the summit of Mount Colden Alex ’s son. This is his first summit. We eat lunch, tell some bad sheep jokes and have our father son photo ops. Jus to prove to the wives we did not spend the weekend in Vegas. But as the saying goes “the summit is only half way there”. We begin our descent into Avalanche pass, a mountain lake at the bottom of 2 sheer rock faces. We arrive back at the Loj and it has been a nine hour round trip. We are tired but high with a sense of accomplishment.
We head into the dinning room! They say, “Hunger is the best sauce” - I want more sauce. Even after expending 4000 calories, after a 9 hour hike, the food has little flavour. People eat the food because it’s convenient, they’re starving, and they feel bad for Josh the cook - the earnest environmental studies student. After dinner we head to the common room and around stone fireplace with the mangy moose, people talk about the latest treks in the Presidential Peaks NH, the latest gear, and a climbing team recounts a week long accent of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State Adirondack mountain club member is in the dining room. Outside guests have unknowingly put their coats in the drying room. It contains pungent hiking gear from today’s hikes. They will realize their mistake on the ride home.
George Mallory, famous Everest Mountaineer was asked “why climb?” He replied “because it’s there”. But really we climb mainly because - we’re here!! We need to mark our time and do something significant, personal and binding. Our boys will remember these trips. We’ve given them the chance to step out of the ordinary routine, away from emails, text messaging, and the daily grid and have a real true life adventure. I’m glad we did not climb Skylight that weekend… it just means … we’ll be back!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/jackdumoine/ADKMay2010?locked=true#
http://picasaweb.google.com/stevejgawron/2010ADKLOJ#
