Another Exciting Weekend

Me, happy, somewhat clean, and energetic right near camp at Marcy Dam...before the hike

Taking a lunch break at the (almost) top of Mount Colden

They are called the Adirondacks. Although, not as big as the mountains we see back on the west coast, theses beauties still attract quite a crowd on the weekends and summers. Friday at 4pm, we left our comfy cottage on a weekend camping excursion to these very same mountains. Of course, on the way we stopped for a quick shopping trip to get snacks and trail mix. After the 3 hour drive (by which time it was getting a little dark), we had dinner at a diner near the trailhead. By the time we got out of there at 9pm, things weren't looking so good. It was thundering and lightinging (spelling ?) and was pouring rain for a while. We start the two mile hike in at 10pm, get there by 11pm, wander around in the dark with two flashlights (for 6 people) trying to find any campsite. Pitch the tents by 12pm. I crawl into bed an die while everyone else "relaxes" a bit (ask me if you can't figure it out).

Rise and shine at 7:45am. Very slowly dress and drag myself into the cold. My pants were still went from yesterday, but I deal. Spend an hour heating up water for breakfast. Iodize our water and head out on the trail by 10:30am. We're pretty slow to begin with, looking at everything interesting that we come across, but when the trails get steeper, we're more business. We make it almost to the top of Mount Colton (sp.) by 1:00pm, where we stop for much needed rest and lunch (the only reason we even made was the gorp). After lunch and lounging, we head out again more than an hour later! We take our time on the trail (especially down, which is very steep and clif-face-like). We get back to camp at 6:30pm and start the ordeal of boiling water again (for tortellini), while we sustain ourselves on trailmix, cashews, and nutella. After the tortellini is made, I can heat up my dinner (soup, mmmm!) and then I crawl into my sleeping bag to read and then sleep.

Finally, today. After going to sleep around 9:30pm, I get up at 6:30am no problem. However, I don't move my butt out of the bag until 7:30, because it's sooo cold! Ok, that done I can purify some water and get it boiling. We're out of the campsite by 10:30 again. We're back at the parking lot by 11:30am! Now, we head off to lunch at the diner again. ICE CREAM!!! Drive back in good time. I go to set up my next beetle trial and low and behold all of my worms have melted! Aye caramba. I'm too tired now to do anything, so tomorrow I have to go dig up a lot more!

-A very tired signing off.