Panther Mountain from Fox Hollow

 

To start, it was steep, deep and glorious with towering trees blending off into infinity up the steep slopes of Fox Hollow

Our packs were certainly heavier than they should be.

But...they were as heavy as they needed to be for ultimate enjoyment of our time

Because life is fleeting and true friends are few and far between. 

When things line up just right

and beauty is impossible to ignore. Impossible to ignore

We both love our Coghlan's Sierra saws. 

And camo hammocks apparently. We both fell asleep in them then crashed on the floor when the night turned chilly. Michael made grits and turkey sausage for breakfast. We drank coffee. It was heaven.

after gaining the first ridge, the way was pleasant, the morning still and serene, the forest dynamic/ ever-changing

The climb onto the next ridge went on for a lot longer than we expected, a lot harder too.

When we finally got to the first star, it was just exactly perfect. We made lunch there. And more coffee.

There are several false summits on the way to Panther. Also some of the prettiest terrain and forests I've seen in the Catskills

Can't you just smell this picture?

It was, in fact, a long hard climb but SO rewarding!

Coming off Panther there was some uncertainty about campsites and water. 

But we found a great site, unloaded our gear and climbed off the ledge to the spring below.

It was an unexpectedly magical place

While we were searching for a campsite, I was too distracted to really absorb the view from Giant's Ledge. 

So we went and made dinner there at the suggestion of our neighbor.

We stayed till the sunset. Drank some whiskey. This is the longest I've spent at a view on a mountain in many years. I'll admit I rush off. But we stayed till the sun went down then went back to camp, had a little fire and listened to the wind roar over the ridge.

Sleep was deep and heavy. But we went to bed early enough that we were able to catch the sunrise back out on the ledge.

We met some younger guys that had left Westchester County at 2 AM to see the sunrise there. They packed in a thermos of hot cocoa. Their enthusiasm and passion for the woods was intoxicating. We made a big pot of coffee and shared it with them before packing our things and hiking out. 

Before you go, Check out this jaunty tree!

Camping with Hunter: Lost Pond and Weston Mountain

 It's been really nagging at me, how to proceed with writing about Hunter and Rider. It felt a bit odd writing about Koda for all those hikes and homeboy was just an animal. Unlike Koda, these kids are going to grow up and read this (maybe). They're going to grow up thinking about consent. How are they going to feel about me writing about them? Their privacy is something I think about a lot, at times with anxiety, as we share photos of them on social media. Is it too much? Is it unfair to them to not give them the choice?

So I've been a bit paralyzed, though I've wanted to share so much about our time in the woods as a family. The things we've seen and done, the moments where I feel so joyful knowing they're sopping it up. That the shinrin-yoku is calming their brains and opening their eyes. The moments I feel so close to them, deep in the forest. Or am I just dreaming and hoping they'll love what we love?  I don't quite know. So here I am, 5 years into being a parent, trying to write about being in the woods with my boys for the first time.

Lost Pond with the overlook on Weston Mountain in the background

I've been dragging my heels a bit on camping. Lots of families we know have been going camping since before their kid's first birthday and had a blast. As much as I adore camping, that love just wasn't enough for me to want to deal with the challenges of camping with tiny beans. I knew Hunter has been ready and interested for a while and there was just something about this summer that made me feel ready too. He really enjoyed and did really well on the Fulton Chain Trifecta. After doing the full Black Bear Mountain loop, I knew he was strong enough and had the desire to hike a few miles into the woods, to see and do some awesome stuff. 

Joe Bogardus has always been a guiding force and inspiration for my hiking practice. I've greatly benefited from his advice and definitely gone on some really special hikes based on his recommendations. When Hunter was born, Joe mentioned the lean tos in the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness as a good location for a first family camping trip and the more I looked at it, the more I felt it fit the bill. There is a sizable camping area and lean to a relatively flat mile in and then a second lean to a bit over 2 miles in. With a bit of a climb. So if it seemed like pushing it wasn't going to be a good idea, we'd have an option very close to the road. Feeling more adventurous? Hike a little further. Past Lost Pond was Weston Mountain, most often visited by people completing the Nun-da-ga-o Loop. From the trail head to the top of Weston Mountain its about 1000 ft of elevation gain. While Hunter had walked the total amount of miles of this hike many times, this would be his biggest climb.

Signing in. The trekking poles were a big hit

Hunter was excited but also seemed nervous about the trip as the date approached. He worried about bears and I worried about...well a good many things. I did my best to put him at ease and explain what it would be like. That morning we packed his favorite stuffed animals and some books in a dry sack for him to carry. In the first mile or so he kept saying he felt tired and was literally dragging his feet. I think he was pretty nervous! Which I totally get, both Jeanette and I have been there many times at the start of a big unknown adventure. Patience as a parent doesn't come easy for me but I knew it would be absolutely critical to work hard on it for this trip. He'd have to feel safe, not rushed and supported. So I did my best to be there with him and make it fun. We did parkour moves off the roots and rocks for a bit and I kept reminding him of the specific treats I had planned for each stop on the route lol. 

Hands on STEM in the wilds

We got to the first lean to and had a big snack/lunch and he started coming around. He crushed a big ole bag of peanuts. More excited and enthusiastic. All that good peanut energy he kept telling me. We hung out there and explored the branches of the Gulf Brook drainage that crept by the lean to. Visiting our dear friends the Blanton's this summer, all the kids got really into damming the creek in their backyard. Hunter used the skills he had learned there and made a little dam on the rivulet closest to the lean to. Ok I got a bit impatient here, I'll admit. I wanted to get moving. So I just did my best to enjoy the scenery and wait till he was ready. I wanted the trip to be self-guided for him. I gave him several options (keeping it simple) and he could choose what he wanted to do. So this lean to was an option to camp at, as well as the tent site just down the trail. I told him about the next spot, next to Lost Pond and he seemed pretty into it. So we headed on, knowing we could come back down if we didn't like that option.

Dad, these baby pine trees are so soft!

From here on out we were on the road less travelled. The first mile of the trail we did is the northern approach for the very popular Hurricane Mountain and gets lots of use. While the trail up to Lost Pond is used by folks hiking the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge (a trendy little hike in it's own right), it gets a fraction of the traffic Hurricane gets. It's a lovely trail, gradually climbing along the creek until it makes a hard left and starts the climb up to Lost Pond in earnest. The whole hike is like a mini version of a high peaks ascent. So I was able to share the terrain and scenery that makes the region so special with Hunter without having to take him on something too grueling. I know kids his age can hike a lot of miles but nothing in my time with him has ever given me the impression he wants to hike 10 plus miles right now. Nor do I want to take him on the high peaks trails. Until he's ready. If he doesn't ever want to, that's fine too. But maybe at least once. to humor his old man.

He was calling the live Ghost Plant white wolf pipes and the dead ones black wolf pipes. Which I think is a pretty rad name. 

So up we climbed, steep and rocky, beautiful and and aromatic. At this point I was feeling the weight of my pack so I was happier to take the breaks with Hunter. It was a pretty challenging climb! We started making jokes about why it's called Lost Pond, as we had reached the height of land and didn't see any indication of the shore line. The woods were thick up there. We did finally find Lost Pond and were struck by its beauty. "Dad, this is gorgeous!" We then had to make our way along the shore to the lean to on the other end. If this hike was a microcosm of a full high peaks ascent, this trail was definitely the mini version of the trail around Flowed Lands, one of the few stretches of high peaks trail I truly don't like. Lots of little muddy ups and downs after you've already hiked for quite a while. I think we were both ready for a break. I know I certainly was, so we were very excited to come around a bend and see the Biesemeyer lean to.

Dad, this is gorgeous!

We got to the lean to and started scouting for potential tent sites. During our planning conversations, Hunter was interested in sleeping in a tent and I think we both would've felt safer in tent but I had let him know that if he felt comfortable, we could stay in the lean to. Joe had mentioned a tent site that had fallen into disrepair years ago. I checked it out and  I can confidently say that it has been reclaimed by nature. Don't expect to find any easy tent site in the vicinity of this lean to. The coniferous forest is tight and the terrain steep. We settled in and ate some snacks. I was trying to save the KitKat for the summit of Weston Mountain but he wanted it then and I wanted him to feel proud of what he'd done so far, so it was candy time. Hunter decided he'd like to stay in the lean to so we got our sleeping bags out and enjoyed relaxing for an hour or so in our cozy home for the night.

I was pretty interested in seeing the views from Weston and it seemed like Hunter still had gas in the tank so we started along the herd path up the little peak. I carried our snacks and water and swapped out his boots for sneakers so he could feel more free and easy. The climb was steep but short and before long, we found ourselves basking in an absolutely stunning view of a good majority of the high peaks. He got very excited and explored all over the top, found great joy in hiding from me while I begged him to be careful and stay away from the edge. 

With dinner on the horizon, he nearly flew back down to the lean to. I had promised a camp fire to roast marshmallows  so we worked together to gather firewood. Everything was kind of damp so we had a slightly smoky little fire but it was enough to roast the perfect marshmallow. 

The perfect marshmallow

I had been gushing to him for weeks about how delicious the Mountain House beef stroganoff dinner was. He seemed interested but I was a bit skeptical so I had mac and cheese as a back up. After it cooled down he found it quite delicious! We made hot cocoa for dessert. So we just sort of hung out and watched the fire smolder as the night rolled in. We tried to figure out how many cook pots of water it would take to put out the fire. Turned out to be 6. I brought a deck of cards that Jeanette and I had taken on many camping trips and we played Go Fish and War as the sun set. He told me he was pretty tired after the sun went down so we settled into our bags. We read Just Me and My Dad, which my dad read to me as a kid. He wanted to bring all camping related books. 

"The peace of heart and mind he found in this wilderness will be forever shared by those who lift up their eyes unto the hill."

When we laid down, there was a lot of fussing with the lantern and the headlamp I gave him for the trip. I can't imagine what it felt like to settle in for his first night in the woods as a 5 year old! I didn't sleep in a lean to until my late teens and it felt a little nerve-wracking even then. Oh...I forgot to mention the harmonica. An added pleasure of this trip was sorting through all of our camping gear and seeing what we had after years of it gathering dust. Jeanette and I have both found more time to get outdoors now that the most labor intensive part of childcare is fading into the distance. It feels good doing it and we also feel its important our kids can see us as more than just parents and 9-5 workers.  That we have hobbies and passions. Along with the cards, I found a harmonica I brought along a few times. Can't really play it, but that hasn't stopped countless harmonica owners through the years from having a little fun. Well I gave it to him in the lean to and he about lost his mind. Brought it in the sleeping bag with him. So after about 45 minutes of fussing he quit trying to sleep and started rocking out on the harmonica. Which, looking back, is probably my favorite memory of our trip. 

Fox and Bunny made the trip

After the jam session he seemed a lot more settled and drifted off into deep, peaceful sleep. I stayed up a bit longer. It was a bit overcast, so no stars, and the lean to site is pretty treed in so it was just about as dark as dark can be. There wasn't the usual symphony of crickets and cicadas we have this time of year in Albany so it almost felt like a sensory deprivation chamber. I felt at peace, happy and fulfilled. I did eventually drift off, only to wake up around 4 with a very stiff body. It had been a long time since I've slept in a lean to and I was really feeling the pressure points. Might be time to upgrade my sleeping pad as I hurtle towards 40. 

SO happy

Hunter slept in till nearly 7! I was so surprised and pleased. My main concerns for the trip were that he'd be too scared being out all night in the woods or he wouldn't be able to sleep, but all was well in the end. Not totally shocking that a kid growing up amidst a global pandemic would be resilient. We shared oatmeal and Mac and Cheese for breakfast, both of which really hit the spot. I made bad instant coffee and marveled at how delicious ANY hot coffee tastes in the woods. The hike out went a bit more quickly than the hike in. We talked about what we were going to eat when we got out of the woods. It was decided he wanted a sundae with strawberry AND vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles at Stewart's. 

Serious business in the hallowed maroon halls

I feel so happy, still, weeks later, from this trip. Our big adventure. If he wants to, I'll take him backpacking again next year. We also want to do a state campsite as a whole family soon. While its hard at times watching our babies grow up into big kids, being able to do things like this add a new depth to our relationship and hopefully affects the way they see and exist in the world. 

Kane Mountain Loop

  

I got to the trail head and almost didn't want to get out of the car. It was just so peaceful, pretty and cozy, alone in my car with the music cranking. What if I just chilled here and read a book for a few hours? I used to always plan a snowboarding trip or high peak ascent for my birthday. Once Hunter and Rider came along my needs changed. I still want to be in the woods but I'd rather chill right now. So for my birthday hike this year I set my sights on something smaller and closer to home.

The music made it especially hard to walk away from my warm den. I've been working my way slowly through the Grateful Dead's legendary Europe 72 tour (again) and happened to land on 5/11/72 (check out the gorgeous Jay Ashley Bertha remaster) starting at the Dark Star segment for the drive up. The Dark Star itself contains multitudes. Its an entire human lifetime, expressed musically, clocking in at over 45 minutes. I was lost in joy and beauty as I puttered through Johnstown and up north into Caroga Lake. 

Having kids has completely changed how I experience nature. I'll admit it, in the before times I got pretty addicted to going bigger/ faster/ farther in the woods. I always paid a lot of lip service to the whole connecting with nature thing but was rarely satisfied just being there if I wasn't pushing myself. I really want my boys to connect with nature. I don't want it to have to be on the terms I connected on. So when we go outdoors together its rarely with an ambitious itinerary. Sometimes the best days we have out in nature we stay in sight of the car. Getting to know a stream, looking for salamanders, experiencing being content when rain is falling, or the wind howls around us. 

I spent the first 10 years of my hiking hobby working to go faster. I'm beginning to think I should spend the next 10 learning to slow down.

When I started hiking, I found the Adirondack High Peaks forum to be a wonderful resource. Not only did I learn a ton from the discussions,  I also connected with other hikers. There was an ongoing dinner/ drinks meet up for Capital District area high peaks hikers I attended several times that was organized on the forum. I met a bunch of wonderful people, including Alan Via. Alan is a legendary hiker, with his name on the roster of all the northeast hiking challenges. He's the authority on the Catskill hundred highest, having written the guide book and climbed the peaks many times. He's also a doghiker extraordinaire, publishing a wonderful guide book (check it out here!) on the subject in 2019. He helped me so much while I climbed the 46 with our German Shepherd Koda. Barbara, his wife, is a wonderful artist and did a watercolor of a white throated sparrow Jeanette and I absolutely cherish. I decided to climb Kane based on Alan's recommendation and  to follow the loop route he touts in Doghiker.

The large parking lot was empty so I cranked up the tunes a bit and got my boots and layers on at a leisurely pace while The Grateful Dead blazed through Caution (Do Not Stop on the Tracks) with Pigpen delivering his rap with all the fire and swagger. I took the time to eat my breakfast, read through the guidebook again and get centered. I was finally ready to step out.

Entering the woods that morning was like transporting to another dimension. It was silent. A silence so complete it was deafening. Something so absent from my day to day life right now. It was surreal. All I heard was the crunching of my boots in the snow and my breath. At first I had to stop completely and allow the pulse to stop beating in my ears in order to hear anything at all. What I did hear was the merest whisper of wind higher up on the slope of the mountain. The next time I paused there wasn't even any wind. After about a minute I heard the distant caw of a crow. I chugged a long a while longer, getting a good deal of the elevation change behind me, before stopping again. Now on top of the ridge I enjoyed hearing the low booming bass of a woodpecker whamming away at a hollow tree. 

As my brain adjusted to my surroundings I kept noticing branches and trees bending with the exact same arc along and over the trail. I felt a little crazy or like I was bending lines to fit my narrative but I really feel like what I was seeing was real and sort of odd. The way patterns in nature spiral or branch, repeat and dissolve reminded me of the way the Grateful Dead enter and explore the vast territories of Dark Star. Then I began seeing incredibly delicate spikes and needles of ice and the Dark Star/ Nature connection intensified. 

Dark star crashes, pouring its light into ashes

Reason tatters, the forces tear loose from the axis

Searchlight casting for faults in the clouds of delusion

Shall we go, you and I while we can

Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?

Mirror shatters in formless reflections of matter

Glass hand dissolving in ice, petal flowers revolving

Lady in velvet recedes in the nights of good-bye

Shall we go, you and I while we can

Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?

-Robert Hunter

Lost in a revery of nature, internal music and external silence, I stumbled out into the clearing at the base of the fire tower. It was a lot taller than I expected LOL. The delicate pin and needle constellations of rime ice that had coated the trees along the the trail, climbed up the tower. I slowly sauntered up the steps taking in the intensely calm input data. Contour lines, waves of trees, undulating lake shores, lines of winding roads, the right angles of buildings. The ice crystals clung to any surface they could. The girders, the handrails, the fencing and steps. I tried not to disturb this frozen cathedral.

The day was gray, with shrouds of mist accentuating,  rather than taking away from, the beauty of the world around me. I spiraled up the icy steps until I emerged into the tower cab. I was greeted with ice-framed views of the seemingly endless unfolding of lakes, ponds, hills and peaks. The more I looked the more I saw. I lingered. Which I don't get to do nearly enough. I paced around the cab scanning the landscape. I've never hiked in this area so everything was new. The ice formations coated the inside and outside of the fire tower. They were impossibly delicate yet almost sinister looking. Like some sort of rare and dangerous crystal. I sopped in the quiet stillness for a good while and then did the unthinkable: I turned the Dead show back on just in time for Truckin'. I rocked out. I played air guitar. I sang loudly off key. Its trashy but I just had to violate the sanctity of the moment to let out my joyous YAWP. 

I took my time climbing down the icy steps and then went and checked out the old caretaker's cabin. The way down to the lot was a happy blur. Saw people for the first time that day which shook me out of the forest revery a bit. It only took me about 2 hours round trip and I thought I dawdled and lingered plenty. It was such a treat to just have a nice relaxing hike. Too many times since I've had kids, I've tried to cram a really big hike into whatever free time I had available to me. So I'd come out of what was supposed to be a restorative outing pretty drained Especially since my overall fitness levels are down from my most active hiking period. Kane was a great success and I really reaped the benefits of slowing down.