Give it a tri! (Part 1 of 2)

This past week, I got in the pool and swam. I also took my bike off its roller in the basement, pumped up my tires, and got out for the first ride of the season. Folks, this is very good news considering I'm signed up for a triathlon and it's in less than a month. I have called myself a runner since sophomore year of high school, when I joined the cross country team and was instantly hooked. An event like a triathlon offers me a new challenge and gets me out of my comfort zone.

This is not a pool; this is the ocean.

Azure: The Magic Mountain

Last Saturday I began my foray into the Adirondack Mountains with a short but sweet hike up Azure Mountain. Azure sits in the northern part of the park where the mountains glide into the foothills, and holds a special place in my heart. A friend once referred to it as 'Magic Mountain' because you can hike it, ski it, rock or ice climb it, love it...the list goes on. It's where I learned how to ice climb, but I had yet to actually hike to the summit and climb the 93-year-old fire tower that sits up there, and so it felt like the perfect place to kick off the summer.

The trail head lies at the end of Blue Mountain Road in Waverly. We parked next a pile of fist-sized rocks bearing a sign urging hikers to take a few to the top to help fight erosion. For a mountain that gives so much it was an easy decision to stuff some rocks into our backpack and pockets. It was really the least we could do to give back. 

Evan fighting erosion at the summit

The High Peaks from the Azure Mountain Fire Tower 

The trail is exactly a mile up, gaining just under 1,000 feet of elevation and topping off at a summit of 2,518 feet (give or take a handful of rocks). It was warm in the woods, and a torrent of spring melt water was still running down the trail, enough of it to be audible on the steep parts. Where the trees thinned a cool breeze kept the hike at a perfect temperature. There is a large boulder pile of almost perfectly rectangular blocks sitting off the trail about half way up, and we indulged in some scrambling. At the summit the mountain opens up to a perfect view of the high peaks, and from the fire tower the view is a completely unobstructed 360-view of upstate New York. We turned our gaze from Marcy to the St. Lawrence River Valley and into Canada and back again, and it struck me how happy I was to be back in the good ol' North Country.

Sneaky Woodpeckers

Critters caught on film

Treading Lightly

Avalanche Pass, ADK

As MontAnia mentioned, this weekend marks my move to the captivating Adirondack State Park. I will be working for The Wild Center as a canoe guide/naturalist, and I've been excited about the move for a while now. The Adirondack mountains are my favorite playground and a wonderful example of the delicate balance between wild and settled areas. For those of you that do not know, the Adirondack State Park, which is larger in area than the state of Massachusetts, is a mix of public and private lands, a working harmony that has been evolving for over a hundred years. If you can do it outside you can do it in the Adirondacks, and visions of adventure have been dancing in my head for weeks on end. I invite you all to come visit.

Now, I have packed up and moved my life a couple of times, and I try to pack light, but this time I decided to take on a special challenge. I had read once about a minimalist who lives with only 100 personal objects in his possession. 100 sounds like a lot of stuff at first, but that includes clothes, technology, books, jewelry, even his wallet. He did not count items he shares with his family-forks, TV, bed, etc. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to take on that challenge for myself this summer.

Signs of Spring

These photos are from an afternoon hike with my Dad at the Pound Ridge Ward Reservation from a few weeks ago. Life has been a bit busy lately (in the best of ways) so although I am just posting them now I think we all still have spring on the mind anyway. It's a rainy day in the North Country for me today, and looking back at an afternoon of sun is a welcome sight. Enjoy!

To the mountains for Mother's Day

I'm not sure what most people do for Mother's Day. I usually just get my mom some flowers and chocolate. This year, however, I thought outside the box. A few weeks ago, I casually floated the idea of a Mother's Day hike. No one seemed to object. With this past Sunday forecasted to be gorgeous, the parents and I thought we might as well get outside and enjoy it. 

Lunch break on the ledges of Burnt Meadow mountain.

Weekend Wanderings: Madame Sherri Forest

Earlier this week, I had suggested to my boyfriend that we go hiking this weekend with his dad as a belated birthday present. I had picked out a small hike (~3 miles) in western New Hampshire and having never done it before, I was very excited to explore a new area. Well, explore we did!

Madame Sherri's Castle Ruins

For starters, there are the ruins of a burnt down castle that once belonged to an eccentric Parisian lady with its massive staircase to nowhere. The foundation is still there, along with some large pillars, the fireplace and several more (though not quite as impressive) staircases.