Today I'm heading to Lake Placid for a hike ahead of Hurricane Irene. By moving forward a day I should be home by the time the rains hit...
I learned this week that the foot pain I've been experiencing is due to arthritis between the metatarsal and medial cuneiform bones. X-rays showed this and why I've been experiencing pain on the top of my foot.
I'll be wearing a brace on my right foot, which is worse than left, to see if this helps. If so then will get one for the left.
As fast as the symptoms have come on makes me wonder how soon before I find hiking just too painful to continue. For now I just will keep moving...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Giant - Aug 12, 2011
For my second "High Peak" of the year I chose to hike Giant Mountain. My decision influenced by the short distance to this peak and over concern for my feet. While my broken foot has healed and feels great three months later, I have been having problems with sore feet. New shoes for work and inserts for my walking shoes seem to have made a difference but I didn't want to push my luck.
Originally I had planned on taking the northern trail which starts on RT 9N. This is actually a longer walk but hopefully not as steep or rough. By morning I decided to take one of the western trails because of the shorter distance.
Passing the junction of 9N on 73 I just happened to look over my shoulder and saw the first sunlight peaking over the hills and under the clouds. It only lasted just long enough for me to get a couple shots then was gone.
From the same point as the previous picture, behind me was an old barn and beyond that Porter Mountain hidden in the clouds.
Heading towards the Ridge Trail to Giant I caught a glimpse of Roaring Brook Falls from RT 73 and decided I had to take that trail. From the trailhead a short diversion brought me to the base of the falls.
Back onto the trail and about a mile up, the trail crosses Roaring Brook. If I hadn't stopped to take a few pictures and relax listening to the brook I would have followed another group just ahead who didn't realize the trail crossed here and walked another 5 minutes before realizing their error.
A view across the valley toward cloud topped mountains.
The bright red of the roots of this tree caught my eye. Wish I had spent more time studying the tree as I now would like to know what kind it is. In a couple weeks I'm headed back up into the hills and surely will come across another.
For the most part this was an easy hike. However in a few places where it was bare rock the slope was about a steep as I'm comfortable walking on. Going up not too bad. Going down made me nervous. At one point I wasn't at all confident in the traction of my treads. It felt as though they were right at the limit of grip. So, leaning towards caution, I resorted to sitting down and using the feet, butt and hand technique to get myself down. Even this was questionable as one time I began sliding on my bottom, hands and feet. This only lasted for an inch or two but long enough to think, "this could hurt!"
Along the shoulder of the mountain the trails' slope eased and for a short while it felt like a walk in the park.
I believe this is Narrow Leaved Gentain. (As with any of the plants that I name, if you know I am incorrect please tell me)
For most of the day I had to deal with high humidity. First in the cool forests down low, then increasing again as I approached cloud base. At times my camera lens was fogged up and had to be wiped dry. Luckily as I approached the summit of Giant the warming day dried the atmosphere and pushed the clouds above the peak and gave me a great view across the valleys and into the distance. This panoramic was created from 8 images stitched together in Photoshop CS5 and shows the view from the south through northwest.
Fruticose Lichen. "Fruticose" meaning shrub-like types of Lichen.
Other types are "Foliose" leaf-like raised from surface or "Crustose" the granular looking and as name implies grows as a crust tightly attached to the surface.
Foliose Lichen
One of these climbs I will bring my Sigma 105 macro lens and flash for some detailed work on the interesting flowers, fungi and lichen found at the higher elevations in the High Peaks area. It looks like another world to me. One of my favorite lichen is the cone shaped "Pixie Cup"
"British Soldier" Lichen
Bay Bolete
Scaly Vase Chanterelle
An Old English Sheepdog. This is had to include for my coworker Doreen, who owns and shows this breed. I know she spends many hours working to clean and fluff the long hair of her dogs for a show and the sight of one covered in mud will make her day...
Originally I had planned on taking the northern trail which starts on RT 9N. This is actually a longer walk but hopefully not as steep or rough. By morning I decided to take one of the western trails because of the shorter distance.
Passing the junction of 9N on 73 I just happened to look over my shoulder and saw the first sunlight peaking over the hills and under the clouds. It only lasted just long enough for me to get a couple shots then was gone.
From the same point as the previous picture, behind me was an old barn and beyond that Porter Mountain hidden in the clouds.
Heading towards the Ridge Trail to Giant I caught a glimpse of Roaring Brook Falls from RT 73 and decided I had to take that trail. From the trailhead a short diversion brought me to the base of the falls.
Back onto the trail and about a mile up, the trail crosses Roaring Brook. If I hadn't stopped to take a few pictures and relax listening to the brook I would have followed another group just ahead who didn't realize the trail crossed here and walked another 5 minutes before realizing their error.
A view across the valley toward cloud topped mountains.
The bright red of the roots of this tree caught my eye. Wish I had spent more time studying the tree as I now would like to know what kind it is. In a couple weeks I'm headed back up into the hills and surely will come across another.
For the most part this was an easy hike. However in a few places where it was bare rock the slope was about a steep as I'm comfortable walking on. Going up not too bad. Going down made me nervous. At one point I wasn't at all confident in the traction of my treads. It felt as though they were right at the limit of grip. So, leaning towards caution, I resorted to sitting down and using the feet, butt and hand technique to get myself down. Even this was questionable as one time I began sliding on my bottom, hands and feet. This only lasted for an inch or two but long enough to think, "this could hurt!"
Along the shoulder of the mountain the trails' slope eased and for a short while it felt like a walk in the park.
I believe this is Narrow Leaved Gentain. (As with any of the plants that I name, if you know I am incorrect please tell me)
For most of the day I had to deal with high humidity. First in the cool forests down low, then increasing again as I approached cloud base. At times my camera lens was fogged up and had to be wiped dry. Luckily as I approached the summit of Giant the warming day dried the atmosphere and pushed the clouds above the peak and gave me a great view across the valleys and into the distance. This panoramic was created from 8 images stitched together in Photoshop CS5 and shows the view from the south through northwest.
Fruticose Lichen. "Fruticose" meaning shrub-like types of Lichen.
Other types are "Foliose" leaf-like raised from surface or "Crustose" the granular looking and as name implies grows as a crust tightly attached to the surface.
Foliose Lichen
One of these climbs I will bring my Sigma 105 macro lens and flash for some detailed work on the interesting flowers, fungi and lichen found at the higher elevations in the High Peaks area. It looks like another world to me. One of my favorite lichen is the cone shaped "Pixie Cup"
"British Soldier" Lichen
Bay Bolete
Scaly Vase Chanterelle
An Old English Sheepdog. This is had to include for my coworker Doreen, who owns and shows this breed. I know she spends many hours working to clean and fluff the long hair of her dogs for a show and the sight of one covered in mud will make her day...
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