Grand Canyon, river to rim with a heavy pack? Lone Pine to Mt Whitney? Answer: mighty Ampersand. Why: just got over an intestinal monster I inherited from my loving wife. After a week on the toilet, I had to get out of Dodge. I thought about Grace, with the approaching blizzard sure to obliterate the herd path, but a semblance of common sense dictated Ampersand. Besides, it would count towards my little winter Saranac 6.
I dropped pack at 2,500’, something I don’t usually do unless Hans is along to rescue me. My gps said Ampersand was only another 80’ higher.* I thought, that’s weird, maybe I’m not as wasted as I thought. 800, not 80, vertical feet later, 10 feet at a time, and almost puking from exhaustion, I reached the top.
And what a top it is! The views are incomparable. I love the great expanse over to the Sewards with the Santanonis lurking behind. And all the lakes. You don’t see that many lakes from most of the High Peaks. And, did I mention the wonderful forest of well-spaced, huge, strong trees on the flat part of the trail? I’ve read it’s old growth.
Last week, it took me 7.5 hours to do the 15 miles and 4100’ of Colvin and Blake. Ampersand’s 5.4 miles and 1,750’ took me a blistering 5. Anyway, it was worth it – I guess.
I’ve been dying to check out the new Blue Line Brewery in SL. But, with the Franken-biotic said wife prescribed for me, I can’t drink alcohol until Friday! Good excuse to go check out Baker and St Regis to finish my S6.
*The gps was right but, as is sometimes the case, the map program it uses was wrong and it was too much trouble to open my jacket and unzip the pocket where my paper map was.. (I remember standing under the Nye sign once, my gps indicating the summit ½ a mile away.
I dropped pack at 2,500’, something I don’t usually do unless Hans is along to rescue me. My gps said Ampersand was only another 80’ higher.* I thought, that’s weird, maybe I’m not as wasted as I thought. 800, not 80, vertical feet later, 10 feet at a time, and almost puking from exhaustion, I reached the top.
And what a top it is! The views are incomparable. I love the great expanse over to the Sewards with the Santanonis lurking behind. And all the lakes. You don’t see that many lakes from most of the High Peaks. And, did I mention the wonderful forest of well-spaced, huge, strong trees on the flat part of the trail? I’ve read it’s old growth.
Last week, it took me 7.5 hours to do the 15 miles and 4100’ of Colvin and Blake. Ampersand’s 5.4 miles and 1,750’ took me a blistering 5. Anyway, it was worth it – I guess.
I’ve been dying to check out the new Blue Line Brewery in SL. But, with the Franken-biotic said wife prescribed for me, I can’t drink alcohol until Friday! Good excuse to go check out Baker and St Regis to finish my S6.
*The gps was right but, as is sometimes the case, the map program it uses was wrong and it was too much trouble to open my jacket and unzip the pocket where my paper map was.. (I remember standing under the Nye sign once, my gps indicating the summit ½ a mile away.
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