Sunny 46

With a second person to pack for (plus Sunny), the gear pile was somewhat daunting. I asked folks on the trail conditions page on Facebook whether the main source of the Washbowl was flowing or not. I didn't get any first person reassurances, so I decided to pack over 7 liters of water (two with Quinn, four with me, and one with Sunny). This made things a bit heavier, but I wanted to make double sure I had reliable water.

The Deuter (which I still have to pay Drew for) was up to the task. I intentionally didn't weigh the pack... partially because I didn't want to weigh myself and partially because I wanted to delude myself about how much I had to carry up to the Washbowl.

We arrived at the trailhead before 8am. There were lots of cars parked along the road, but there was also still plenty of spots available. We were geared up and signed in a bit after 8. There was a friendly trailhead steward there to chat with us and take a group photo before we headed up the trail.

Not happy with how I look in these hiking shirt sometimes but I really haven't gained any weight. At least they're comfortable.

The trail wasn't much different from the last time we were here in November. Last time there had been only a thin layer of snow on everything, so the trail had still been quite rugged and rocky. This time, however, there was no ice to contend with and we faced the steeper ascents with relative ease.

One of the fun things about hiking with Quinn is that pictures of him with the landscape provide a sense of scale that sometimes gets lost without a subject in the photo. Quinn tackled these boulder ascents with gusto.

Much of the trail up to the Washbowl is switchbacks and stairs of natural stone. It's actually a really great starter hike for young folks. I haven't been up to the Nubble yet, but I bet that makes for a quick half-day hike with kiddos. I left Sunny on leash for this entire stage of the hike; the terrain is safe and it's a very popular trail.

We were at the overlook just before the Washbowl within an hour. Here we snapped a few photos and called Mom to report on our progress.

At first we started setting up camp at one of the sites near the pond. I'll talk more about that site later. At first, Quinn was keen to camp there because he likes throwing sticks and rocks into the water. However, after a few minutes there, he asked if we could go up to the site in the woods instead in the hopes that there would be fewer bugs.

I'm not sure if there were or not, but we set up camp in the alternate site just the same. Even though he had his bug net hat on, the sound of the flies were really getting to him, so I let him use his tablet to drown out the noise. A little Bluey improved his mood.

The site on the hill is a lot bigger than the one by the pond. It has two fire rings and numerous spots suitable for a tent. All-in-all the camping near the Washbowl is pretty nice. The only real problem is that there's no privy to be found. The little valley behind our site is basically a toilet which is really kind of gross.

I wasn't too keen on drawing water from the Washbowl itself. I wanted to check out a flowing water source that was on the map on the West side of the lake which seemed near the trail. I brought the boys with me on the short jaunt along the pond. I didn't realize it, but Quinn was getting very anxious because the bugs got worse as we progressed and he was struggling to keep up.

The water source was a wild goose chase anyways... choked with weeds and flowing from a bit of a murky area anyways. I let Quinn slowly lead the way back to camp, then gave him some time in the tent away from the flies while I finished setting up camp. I decided to save the other flowing water source to explore later.

Quinn and Sunny made quick work of the stairs (and a couple of switchbacks) from the campsite to the first junction. The terrain here is very much like the trail from the trailhead to the Washbowl... steep, and eroded with human-placed stone stairs in many spots.

About a quarter mile uphill from the campsite, the trail passes a little stream which was gurgling with fresh water. I collected some on the way down later, but the presence of water here made me feel good about the possibility of collecting more water later on where this stream empties into the Washbowl.

We arrived at the Giant/Nubble junction within 15 minutes. I explained that I'd heard it was a pretty good view. Later, Quinn said he wanted to come back in the winter again when there are less bugs, but hike up to the Nubble instead. I said we could absolutely do that.

There were a few more boulder-field climbs left to the hike. Quinn tackles these like a pro. Sometimes he takes paths that make me wonder what he's thinking, and I haven't decided if he's just picking the most fun path or the path that's right in front of him. Either way, it's funny to watch.

After the last of the boulderfields, there are loads of switchbacks for about a quarter of a mile. We ate these up pretty quickly. Some of them got a little narrow and I figured it was safe to finally cut Sunny loose.

Quinn was in very high spirits. He was hiking with his best pal and the bugs had been nearly nonexistent so far. The sun was shining and there was a calm breeze in the air. What's more, Quinn was crushing the mountain, leading the way the entire time and keeping a pace that shocked me at times.

The exposed slabs start coming at around 2900'. Quinn crushed these ascents as well. While I tried to zig-zag up the easiest, safest path up the slab, Quinn just charged straight up the damn things with ease.

There were lots more areas where the trail was bare rock, but clearly not due to a slide of any kind. These sections are surrounded by woods, but the soil is so thin that hikers have worn the trail down to the the living rock. This is why it's so important to stay on trail here; the soil takes years to build up enough lichen, moss, and then plants to provide the soil necessary for trees to grow again.

With the sun beating down, I tried to avoid tarrying at the exposed sections for Sunny's sake, but Quinn started letting me know he was getting tired. It was nearly noon, so I figured it was time for lunch and some Gatorade. We took in the views and fueled up. After this, Quinn said, gesturing with his hand sideways, "I was all the way down here at zero, but now," gesturing with his hand rising to 90 degrees "I'm all the way up to a thousand percent!"

Sometimes being a Dad means not correcting your kid's hyperbole.

More of the slabs were exposed as we ascended to Giant's "bump" which is a little false summit on the South side of the mountain. Quinn continued to ascend these with gusto. It was the short treks between the slabs through the woods that were starting to get to him. There was a bit of mud and the mud was fuel for the spawning of flies. The flies weren't biting and he had his bug net hat, but the sound was driving him batty.

A big family passed us as we crested the bump. Quinn and Sunny socialized with them several times on this hike. There were loads of people today despite it being a weekday. It was a truly gorgeous day for hiking a mountain, so I definitely was not surprised.

I was feeling pretty good about our progress. It wasn't even 12:30 yet and we'd climbed more than 1100 feet in just two hours which I must say is pretty amazing for some guys with little legs. However, the toughest part of the hike was in front of us as the woods closed in and the bugs returned.

After the Bump, the trail still features lots of slabs, but they reveal themselves periodically between short stretches of woods. In the flatter wooded sections, when I looked South, I could tell the terrain we were crossing was steep as hell. I assume these sections were zigzagging above and below parts of the mountain that would have been impossible to climb directly. It kind of reminded me of the ascent up Pyramid. Even though Sunny stays on-trail fairly religiously above 1100' or so, I made extra sure to keep him close here. Who knows what sheer ledges hid beyond the trees?

There was mud up here and although it was minimal, it was still rife with insect life. Quinn was more up to the task of the climbing but we needed to take short breaks when we got into the open spaces away from the bugs. Here, Sunny would hide in the shade while Quinn and I replenished our food, water, and resolve.

In all, the climb above 3500' was less exposed than the previous 600' had been. The woods were pretty and provided shade for Sunny and Quinn did a great job focusing on the climb.

We met lots of groups hiking today, many of them college students from across the state. Sunny got tons of love going up and coming down. I got called "mister" for the first time in my life ("You have a real athletic dog there, mister!") so that's a thing that happened.

On one of the exposed slabs, we met the family group again as they headed down the mountain. I asked them if there was a breeze keeping the insects away up there and they said there wasn't ("Sorry!").

Once they left, Quinn and I stopped and reassessed for a moment. I said we could take as many breaks as he needed and in the end he said he wanted to finish the climb.

Here he is again, choosing to go straight up the obstacle in front of him. He did a great job keeping points of contact and when he slipped a couple of times, he went straight to his belly like I taught him and either recovered himself or let me assist him. He really didn't want any help, though. I could tell he was loathe to ask for it. We've raised a pretty independent kid, but I want him to know it's okay to ask for help when he needs it.

Watching him tackle this mountain made me think how much easier slab and slide climbing would be for me if I shed a few more pounds.

When we got there, I realized I'd forgotten to leash Sunny and he went towards someone enjoying their lunch. I was able to recall him right away, but felt foolish and apologized.

The sun was really shining; it was glorious. I was having a bit of anxiety though, torn between wanting to keep Quinn out of the shady buggy areas and wanting to keep Sunny out of the sun but close to me. In the end, Sunny made the decision by plopping on the slab very near the summit and looking up at us, expecting summit treatos.

I've learned that some dogs like Goldens aren't as negatively affected by the sun as I previously thought. Obviously, heat and exposure are considerations, but their oily outer fur reflects sunlight while their fluffy inner layer of fur seals in the air near their bodies, helping to regulate their body temperature. This is the reason you don't want to trim their hair down too short; you'd be limiting their natural ability to resist the elements. Moreover, for Goldens, the air pocket helps with buoyancy as well.

While there were some bugs up there, Quinn didn't seem bothered by them (it was nothing like what was in the shade). He was genuinely enjoying the summit and his victory. He asked a lot of questions about the mountains we were looking at -- what their names were and whether I'd climbed them before. It was a really pleasant time and I feel so lucky I could experience it with him

The hiker who was sitting near us congratulated Quinn as she passed by, providing him some great compliments. I really appreciated that.

Quinn once again demanded he take point on the way back down. He led the hike the entire day. I think it won't be long before I'm huffing and puffing to keep up with him.

I feel like I managed the return trip fairly well, but I was once again impressed by my kid.

Quinn raced down the mountain like a Penguin on an iceberg. He hopped down ledges taller than him that I feel like if I were to do the same, I'd break every bone in my legs. He confidently slid down slabs that made me queasy to look at.

We did take a few breaks along the way. We were moving so fast that electrolytes were more essential than usual. I could actually see the change in his demeanor after a few snacks and gulps of Gatorade. We definitely still took these breaks in the sun away from the bugs. Sunny took these opportunities to find the nearest shade and wait for us.

The last overlook provided a stunning final view of the Washbowl below and the High Peaks Region beyond. I had to stop and take a photo.

Several groups passed us going both directions on our way down. They cheered Quinn on and gave Sunny lots of love. I know I don't have much in common with a lot of these folks, but the hiking community in the Adirondacks and High Peaks in particular is regularly awesome. I know there are a few insular folks out there and I don't begrudge them that, but most people are pleasant and downright friendly on the trails. Despite all of our differences, we have so much in common, too.

We arrived back at camp before 5:30, having descended the mountain in less than 3 hours.

I walked back over to the campsite by the pond and found that it was now occupied. There's another site adjacent to the first one, but I'm not totally sure how official the second one is and there's a very unfortunate evidence of a ground fire near this one.

A herd path winds around the Washbowl to the stream which we'd passed earlier today further up the mountain. It is really easy to find from this direction. However, attempting to get at it from the other side of the pond would be a total waste of time; if you're coming from the Northwest, just go around the pond.

As expected, the water was much cleaner than the standing water in the Washbowl and it was gurgling happily. I was able to place my filter bag under a little streamlet and fill it with clear, cool water in no time.

Quinn was very excited to get the fire going. I'd laid out a lot of kindling and branches in order to leave no doubt that we'd have a good base to keep adding wood to. The main goals of the fire on this warm day were to keep the bugs away and entertain Quinn. At this, the fire succeeded.

I had two new pieces of gear for this trip which I'd gotten for Father's Day.

The BeFree gravity filter was shockingly fast. I'd say it filled a cup of water in less than 15 seconds. It probably helps that it's brand new, but I've always had good experiences with the BeFree products.

The Jetboil is quite a bit bigger than the stove I currently have, but it's got a great capacity and it does pack the fuel canister right in it, so it's not too much of a space sink. It works incredibly, too. It starts right up without the use of a lighter and it boils super fast. I love it.

The gas canister pictured above isn't the one that normally comes with this unit; instead it was one that was left in the campsite by a previous camper. There was actually quite a bit of junk left lying around that we packed out with us. One piece of litter was a battery powered tent fan with a light on it. When I put batteries in it at home it actually worked!

We cheerfully ate dinner by the dwindling fire and enjoyed nature. Easy Mac was a big hit. Of course just about any meal tastes good after a hike, but I'll take it just the same. While we ate, lots of folks hiked past the site from the mountain. We talked to some of them; others just smiled and waved.

After we ate, I let Quinn relax by the fire while I packed up camp a bit. It was then that I heard strong vomiting noises coming from down the trail. I grabbed my water filter and an electrolyte packet and went to help the hiker. He'd collected some clean water he found streaming from a moss bed and had plenty of it. He assumed the water was bad and I told him that it was unlikely the water would have made him sick so quickly.

I gave him the rest of the water from our smaller filter and poured in the electrolyte packet. I told him to drink it slowly and take it easy back to the bottom of the trail. He seemed heartened that the trailhead was only a half mile away. We parted ways and I ran back to camp.

I'd planned on watching a movie with Quinn at bed time, but I forgot that his tablet has a hard stop at 7:30pm. I'd disabled the time limit, but I'd forgotten about the blackout time. Quinn and I went off to the ledge to see if we could get service to disable the blackout, but we couldn't do it because the tablet was in Airplane Mode. We gave up. The fact that we got to watch the sun set behind the mountains was a really nice consolation prize, though.

We soon turned in. Quinn and I looked at photos on my phone for a while; he loves reviewing our activities. When he got tired, we put on some music very low for sleepy time. It was warm and I had a tough time getting to sleep at first, but I passed out before too long. I woke up twice after that, once at 2am to some weird hooting noises then at 4. I eventually got myself up at 5:30 and I started putting a morning fire together.

When Quinn woke up, he was surprised we were doing a fire. I explained that it would take some time to pack up camp and I wanted to make sure we kept the bugs away.

Several groups hiked past our camp on their way up the mountain that morning. One time Quinn asked loudly, "If it's going to be thunderstorms later, why are they climbing the mountain?" I had to stifle a laugh at that.

Feeling fresh and happy, we left camp at around 7:30. I left Sunny unleashed for the time being because I kind of dreaded facing that steep descent while wearing a heavy backpacking pack without a 70-lb Golden Retriever tied to my waist.

A few more folks heading up the mountain passed us and gave Sunny pets. One camping group and a hiking group passed us heading down. The hiking group had actually hiked in last night for a sunrise on Rocky Peak Ridge. I was understandably impressed, then had a thought; "So that was you passing by at 2am?" to which one replied "Yeah!".

The Noon Mark Diner is not one to deny a boy his post-hike need for the best of French cuisine. I assure you he was much more pleased with his meal than his expression in this photo would lead you to believe.

When we got home, we jumped in the pool and spent hours there. I'm sure the filter had to work overtime with the grime that came off us when we jumped in. It was the perfect end to a fun adventure.

I'm really proud of Quinn. He showed a lot of grit and courage on this trip. There were a couple of times that I thought we were going to turn around, but he always chose to push on. I wondered whether he was doing it for himself or for me, and I hoped it was the former. But in the end I have to admit it's a bit of both.

I'm glad to know he's ready for bigger adventures, but I'll remain vigilant about the mitigating factors like the time of year and location. I still want to hike Phelps with him, but I don't know if I want to do it this year. The campfire thing is probably going to end up being a deal breaker.