Dennis Dixon is heading North!: Adirondacks July 2020

Tuesday, July 7, 2020 - Up to this week I have done 16 of the 46 mountains (4000 footers) in the Adirondacks, and I want to do 3-mountains-in-3-days:

Rocky Peak Ridge on Monday, Table Top Mtn. on Tuesday, and Seymour Mtn. on Wednesday.

Well, yesterday I did not complete Rocky Peak Ridge - let's have better luck today with Table Top Mtn.!

A nice easy morning's drive:

and I was at the trailhead at 8:50

This trail is the main feeder trail for a lot of mountains and lakes and rambling hikes, and it is a joy walking through these woods for the first couple of miles:

At just-shy-of-2-miles, I took a shortcut down across Marcy Brook:

and then I went up that trail on the left.

I hiked up Phelps Mountain last November, and the 3.3 miles to that mountain-trail are very nice. Unfortunately, right beyond that turn-off, the 1.1 miles to the Table Top herd path are not-so-nice:

Beautiful crossing Phelps Brook:

upstream:

downstream:

The water is cool, clear and clean!

From here it was a good hard "Adirondack hike" up to the Table Top herd path at 11:05

The trail up to Table Top Mountain has 3 parts:

and took me 40 minutes.

There was a nice group of us up on the summit, and yes, I did wear my mask:

These are the mountains you can see:

It is pretty cool finding out what you are looking at.

And Yes, I do have to climb all those in the future! (except Little Marcy)

Back down to the main trail, then south for a little bit to the turn-off for Indian Falls:

It was pretty cool hanging out, boots and socks OFF, on the rocks right above Indian Falls:

10/15 minutes later I was back on the trail, heading home. My body was hurting, mostly from the day before (raising the question of the wisdom of multiple-consecutive-hikes over multiple-consecutive-days), and my feet were also hurting. Because the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) had Issued a "Late Season Muddy Trails Advisory" ["Hikers Advised to Temporarily Avoid High-Elevation Trails, Especially in the High Peaks"], I have worn my LL Bean Hiking Boots these past 2 days. I certainly did not need them (almost everywhere was dry as a bone), and my regular hiking boots would have provided much better support-and-protection for my feet.

I am healing up fast, but at the time hiking was no fun. My muscles/body really enjoyed going downhill, and I passed many hikers, so I know I still have my skills. I think the key for the future is to carve-out separate days for travel, and not try to bundle travel-and-hike, or hike-and-travel.

So while I'm thinking these thoughts, and bounding down the trail, my left pole went in some mud. I kept going, and heard a snap:

Wow, and only the second day of use.

Three miles later, and I was back at the parking lot - 11.52 miles in 6 hours 18 minutes.

Looking at my trail, from the south-looking-north:

and then looking from the north, toward the mountains I still need to climb:

23 miles driving round-trip today. Hot shower, pepperoni pizza for dinner, A nice phone call with Wendy, and then Heavy Rescue on The Weather Channel: