Sunny 46

Although the weather didn't cooperate the way we all hoped this year and I didn't get as many High Peaks adventures in as I'd hoped, I can't really complain too much about 2023. In all, I was able to get quite a few hikes in this year, both near and far, short and long. Numerous trips around Moreau Dickinson Hill Fire Tower, January 16 100 Acre Wood, January 21 First Brother, January 28 Cat Mt., March 7 Hurricane Mt. (Berkshires), April 8 Buck Mt, April 13 Hurricane Mt., April 27 Moreau West Ridge, May 7 Lower Wolfjaw, May 9 Natural Stone Bridge, May 28 Algonquin, Iroquois, Wright, June 7 Lost Pond, June 15-16 Colden, June 22 Santanoni, Coochie, Panther, July 11-12 Stewart Mt., August 5 Spa State Park, August 6 Sleeping Beauty, August 19 Cat Mt., September 17 Black Mt., September 23 Sawteeth via Gothics, September 29 Trombley Landing, September 30 Thomas Mt., October 9 Big Slide, November 4 Cat Mt., November 18 Wolf Pond, November 19 Anchor Diamond Park, December 10 Hur...

  I wasn't sure I'd have the opportunity to join some friends up Slide Mt. in the Catskills this weekend, but Wendy encouraged me to do so. I'm very grateful for that because hiking really recharges the batteries. I managed to get up in time despite forgetting to set my alarm properly, though Sunny was once again reluctant to get off the couch. We were very concerned during our trip to the mountain. Despite the weather forecast, it rained almost the entire way; rain and mid-30s Farenheit do not mix. We were relieved when it started snowing less than ten minutes from the trailhead. There were plenty of parking spots to choose from, but there were quite a few folks hiking that day. For this hike in the snow in the mid-30s Farenheit, I wore my synthetic base layer, normal hiking pants, synthetic shirt, moisture shell, and my new pair of Darn Tough socks. Sunny was slightly excited to get started. The trail starts off right away with a stream crossing. It was moving, but it was...

  "Hey, Quinn. Do you want to go on a hike on Christmas Eve before we hang out with our family?" "Sure thing!" "Awesome." "I want to hike in the dark and get scared!" "Uh..." "But Sunny will be there so I won't get scared." "Okay..." Quinn and I woke up before 5:30 on Christmas Eve morning.  Sunny was really funny that morning and had to be coaxed into his harness for the day's activities. Our plan was to go on a hike up Prospect Mountain in Lake George. Rain was forecast at home and most parts of the Capital Region, but there was supposed to be snow in Lake George. We packed up a bunch of gear in our packs and headed North. It was about 7:00am by the time we got started at the trailhead in Lake George. I figured we could tackle the steep ascent up the East trail directly from the village.  Although the sun  was starting to fill the cloudy sky with a blue glow, Quinn still got to use the dinosaur headlamp Aun...

Sunny and I were lucky enough to be invited on a hike up Hurricane Mt. this weekend. We'd intended on doing it last Sunday, but it rained all day and  we rescheduled to this gorgeous Saturday in mid-December.  Sunny was very patient waiting for the hike to start and was more than happy to take a selfie with me. We took two vehicles and, fortunately, one of them was a Jeep. We parked my RAV-4 at the bottom of the hill and carpooled through the snowbank and up to Crow Clearing. The expectation throughout the High Peaks region was that folks bring snowshoes, so we did. I thought it might be sloppy up the valley, but deep snow as we gained elevation. I figured it might be a good time to try out the new  day  pack I bought  for  backpacking  trips. It was unseasonably warm, so I  left  my fleece  and  put on  my puffy. I forgot my bladder's  hose down at  the  other  car,  but  I'd  packed a...