September 21, 2008 - Algonquin Peak

With the leaves starting to change color, Jack and Rich decided it was a nice day to get a good view from the top of Algonquin Peak. The forecast was for morning clouds and clear, sunny skies in the afternoon. We parked at the ADK Loj and hit the trail early with our neighbors AJ and Katie. Our itinerary called for going straight to the summit of Algonquin, and diverting to Wright Peak on the way back if we had the energy.

By the time we arrived at the fork in the trail to Wright Peak, a bit of cloud cover had moved in above us. Once we started the steep ascent to the peak, we noticed that we were now in the midst of a thick, wet cloud bank. Our view from the summit was limited to what we could see at about 30 feet, but we did get to enjoy our first taste of near-freezing temperatures and biting wind.

There was an ADK Summit Steward at the peak who was able to give us a good education on the endangered plants that exist in that climate. Also, our spirits were buoyed on the descent by taking turns falling on the wet rocks and laughing at each other. Fortunately, no one was hurt and we felt pretty good about making it to the top of New York's second highest peak. We skipped the diversion to Wright Peak; we'll try that on a clear day.

The total trip was about 8.5 miles, and it took us just over 7 hours. Five (5) down; 41 to go.