Post Sunset Moonrise Over the Adirondacks Crane Mountain

I'd moan about how hard landscape photography is, that if you're standing on a wind blown summit at sunset it means you have to hike back in the dark...but I confess, I'd have it no other way. I love hiking at night! In fact so much so that following this wonderful scene, which didn't end with this photograph, I didn't turn on my headlamp until I reached the slab below the pond outlet, just shy of half way back. Much of that time the 3/4 moon cast a shadow in my path as I walked through the forest. Hiking by the glow of the moon is really very peaceful, even more so than via headlamp, and it's nice to get lost in the solitude of the softly lit darkness.

Darkness though is what makes November a depressing month in this part of the world, the sun only shines about 30% of possible daylight hours, and daylight is only about 9-10 hours at the start of the month. The positive is that provided you can see the sun, you don't have to wait 18 hours between nautical twilight's like in the summer. Photography is best done at the ends of the day, and November is temperate enough that spending an entire 10 hour visible light day outdoors isn't all that hard most days if you get a sunny day. Or you can time a sunset blitz hike like this ascent of Crane Mountain, and still be home in time to eat dinner at a reasonable hour, rather than midnights like you do in the summer!

I have a few "local" places where I can gain some reasonable elevation since moving to Saratoga County a few years ago, although I do miss my 30 minute drives to challenging 3,000ft+ single summit days in the Catskills, 90% of the time I'm glad to be at the foothills of the Adirondacks even if it means the same drive gets me only 1500 foot single summit days. Crane Mountain is not only a favorite semi local hike (about ~55 miles and 50 minutes) but it's a favorite hike overall in the Adirondacks. Barbara McMartin once said it was among the most beautiful summit views in ALL the Adirondacks, and although I never found the distant views to be amazing, I've always loved the general challenge of the rugged trails and steep cliffs that make Crane Mountain.

Crane is not only a great hiking mountain, but it's home to a hot bed of new Adirondack rock and ice climbing route activity. In the last 10 years Crane has seen dozens of new rock routes and tens of ice routes, some of the ice is 3-4 pitches in length.

In the trail register many people complain of the sparsely marked trails, and the first time hiker might have to be careful, more so after dark. The mountain sees at least a few dozen hikers and climbers a weekend, creating a well worn though still rugged foot trail. Though with a little care, a map, and just basic route finding skills you should be able to figure it out. Although I know the mountain well now, it was just as poorly marked the first time I hiked it!

Unfortunately, hiking isn't all glorious sunsets, moonrises, and pleasant walking via the glow of the moon. About 1/3 of the way down the very steep outlet trail, I took a pretty decent fall on one of the many sections with deep dry leaf cover over roots and slabby ragged boulder piles. This time of the year dry leaves have become waxy, and the combination of dry waxy leaves and steep descents make it like walking downhill on ball bearings. I took a jump down from one boulder into a crevasse between two boulders and the next thing I knew I was on the ground several feet below my target with my elbow and arm bleeding. The arm will heal, but I lost Black Diamond Flicklock pole when my feet came out from under me and the pole snapped in defense of my fall. One of the reasons the Flicklocks are great poles, and hadn't yet made it to the graveyard of poles in my garage, is unlike most poles with expander nuts, the expanderless Flicklocks hardly ever (perhaps never) collapse. The downside is they are made from thin gauge aluminum and are the only poles I have ever owned that I have bent...over and over and over again! They are easy enough to rebend, but at $90 a pair, I wish they were just a bit more sturdy!

Alas, it was a small price to pay for an almost summer like mid autumn day in the Adirondacks.

Milestones: Rehab and Rejuvenation In The Adirondacks

I haven't posted anything in a while, largely because I've been busy both at work and getting ready for my first winter backpack in over 2 years. Yep, February 2006 was my last overnight winter trip.

In 1999/2000 I spent all but 1 winter weekend in a tent in the mountains. That was a peak year but generally I've been lucky enough to get out on 5 winter overnights per year. The reason I backpacked less was ice climbing and occasionally skiing took up more time. For instance in 2002/2003 I climbed 100 days between Nov and June 1st, 40 on ice (that was a good year!

I was hoping this to be a winter like 1999/2000 but the truth is I miscalculated my rehab time. I feel like I was and am on pace, but it occurred to me this winter just how long it really takes to hit 100%.

I was under the impression that with hard work I'd be good as new in 6 months, even talking presidential traverse in June or July, and while I was amazed how far I came, there was always that fear that I wasn't ready. And the truth is, the stronger my knee gets the more I realize I wasn't.

Now that uncertainty will last perhaps months or years more but there is a point where the knee will be 110% and only my mind will separate me from going full bore and trusting it.

Do you ever wonder why professional athletes generally stink the first year back from ACL surgery? It's because the real rehab time is about 18-24 months, and those guys are essentially paid to rehab 24/7/365. It's also why my original doctor was anti surgery because most people who aren't athletes simply don't have the desire to rehab an ACL injury. Unfortunately, if he'd ever listened to any of my concerns he'd have realized I am one of the freaks in the world that enjoys physical therapy and the rehab process (note to doctors: occasionally listen to your patients, they MIGHT know themselves better than you do).

In any case, I'm really excited about getting out for 2 nights and 3 days on whats probably a pretty easy 3 day trip that could easily be done in 2 days, and by really fit hikers 1 long day. I never sleep better than when 1mm of nylon separates me from the outside world, or better when I'm directly under the stars so I'd rather plod along at 6 mile days than do the whole 15 miles in 1 day.

This hike has some steep sections, most of the trip (3/4s) is near or above 3000ft. It summits 2 4000 footers and nearly 3.5 miles of the 7 miles to Rocky Peak Ridge is exposed ridge line. The best part, it's not in the High Peaks Wilderness, which happens to be the only place in the Adirondacks you pay to park, and also has rules that are actually enforced.

(map notes, mileage and elevation profile only for the red route, doesn't include yellow exit routes to finish trip)

The weather looks good and I know this trip is stellar since I've hiked all of it in separate day hikes multiple times, but never as a single continuous trip.

Some photos from the past on the route we'll be following or across the value towards the route (some of these are poor quality scans from poor quality photos, eventually I'll catch up of the film scans directly from the negatives)...

technorati tags:ADK, Adirondacks, backcountry, backpacking, winter, Rocky Peak Ridge, Bald Mountain, Bald, summit, High Peaks, Giant Mountain, Hopkins Mountain, Chapel Pond Slab, Chapel Pond, Regular Route, climbing

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