Lone Wolf

Not a surprise that when it comes to doing what I want, it's done alone. I ask around, check schedules, even make offers to make it extra desirable (financial assistance). Shit just doesn't work out and by all means I won't call something off just because I have to go at it alone. 

Winter has already proven to drag me down. I used to enjoy snowboarding and a winter hobby would definitely make winter more enjoyable. So why not? There I was, sitting atop a mountain. I was right, it gave me something extra to look forward to in winter. However I jumped back on the band wagon late in the season so I scrambled to make the best of it. Hit the local slopes a few times, got back into a groove but still got some work to do. I took a good hit on the tailbone and realized maybe I should invest in...proper equipment. Gave it a rest for a couple weeks which pretty much brought me to the end of the season. Let's go out with a bang. 

And here's the bang. Onto the Adirondacks to whiteface mountain!

I always love driving through the Adirondacks. Never gets old. Great scenery. Roads are fun to drive even in a truck. It was nicer this time since I had a new objective. Get out of my comfort zone. 

It's hard to not stop along the way. I've been here multiple times before but mostly in warmer months. Under the cover of snow it's a different world. 

I'm used to the winter gray of upstate NY. Doesn't mean I don't get excited about clear skies though. Some peeked out on the horizon. Yeehaw!

Heading into the peaks is a little more exciting than blue skies...at least for me it is. 

Orrr we could combine the two. 

Yeah I picked a good day to pull this trip off. Skies opened up. Temperature hovered around the freezing mark, which is warm. I was definitely feeling pretty good. 

It's not a field, it be a frozen lake man. Normally I'm used to zipping around all these small lakes. Now they are barren snow fields. Sled tracks crisscrossed them. Even saw a few pickup trucks on some. Normal for the Adirondacks I'm sure. 

It really is a winter paradise. I should've gotten back into snowboarding sooner. 

Got myself set up in a reasonable priced chain Inn. Damn trees tainted an otherwise great view. Still beats anything back home. No argument there. Overall I was actually quite impressed with the Inn. I usually avoid paying for places to sleep. During warmer months I'll usually sleep in my vehicle and bathe in a body of water. Given the nature of this trip I figured I shouldn't be such a cheapass. 

My lift ticket wasn't valid until the next day and I wish it was valid for this day. Weather was perfect! It was so great that I was stopped for speeding. I saw a troop car sitting in a lot. I eyeballed the vehicle as I passed and saw a petite figure sitting in it. After I passed, the troop car pulled out. Really? I could tell that the trooper wanted me. Sure enough the trooper followed me and then flicked on the lights as I left the village. Okay? Not sure what the probable cause was. I wasn't too worried, got out my badge and license, placed both hands on the steering wheel after turning off the radio. Great. A female trooper. Stay with me here. I've had zero issues interacting with male cops when off duty. However I've had multiple issues when dealing with female cops. I understand that in general females have to make up for lack of size with tenacity but still, there's a point where its asinine. I'm not the type to ride my badge and expect it to get me out of things. She walks up as I watch in the mirror. Do I look like that much of an asshole? Before she says anything I say "Afternoon officer", she doesn't say anything and takes my badge. Asks where I work, then where I'm going and what I'm doing up here. While still hiding behind the sunglasses, she pauses then says "welllll you were going a little fast through town back there". I'm very aware of my speed at all times. I went 38 in a 30mph. Seeing as how she's still playing the game despite knowing I'm off duty kinda set the tone. I wanted to say "wtf seriously". For one, that village didn't have driveways red lights or even stop signs. No foot traffic. And two, I dont even look at a car until it's over 40mph. Not fair to compare though. They play a different game up here obviously. Called the game of I'm so bored I need to stop anything I can. Well whatever. I left it as "Sorry bout that" and she departed with the "have a nice day". Guess it just boggles my mind she couldn't lighten up. Even if I wasn't a cop I'd still say the same. 

And the mountain itself! I seriously should've gotten my lift ticket for this day. I scoped the place out anyways. I like doing a little recon here and there. It was clear that this was well beyond my home peaks. I was excited and intimidated. I then headed up to Plattsburgh for steak dinner since I wouldn't be boarding this day. 

There on the horizon lies Vermont. Underneath that insane amount of sun. The frozen lake of champlain divided the two states. Woodchucks on that side and Yankees on this side. If I had more time I would've found my way over there and did some exploring. Time. Always a thorn in my side. 

Yeah. Holy crap. Got up early. Shot up to the top of the mountain. Well not quite the top as the lifts don't go all the way up. It's still pretty fricken high. I'm going to have to come back...

As always, pictures don't cut it. So I should stop mentioning it. The weather was actually really nice, not quite as nice as the day before. I was happy. Now I had to face the mountain. I was pretty comfortable on local slopes now I was wondering where the best place was to poop my pants. The trail rating system is not the same from slope to slope. The rating system is based only off of the actual slope. As in a trail marked easy is easy compared to the other trails on that slope and only that slope. I got my bearings and headed down. Within a minute I was disoriented and before I knew it I was on a black diamond with moguls. Oops. I always manage...but it was painful. I meant to stick to blue squares. At least my intentions were good. I survived and now it was time to go back up. Riding the lifts and the gondola were a pleasure even. So peaceful and time to just think without any distractions. The divine backdrop really helped the peace. 

The most intense trail. It wasn't popular, kinda off the beaten path. Took at least 20 minutes to get to the bottom with most of the trail being on the edge of a cliff. I definitely took it easy as my confidence wasn't on par with a plummeting to my doom scenario. I thought I took pictures the few times I stopped on the way down. But I didn't. Or something. 

The clouds started dropping. The wind picked up. The snow started to fly. I've always been a sucker for extreme weather. One of many reasons why I'm happy in mountains. And envious of anyone that lives nearby. Fatigue was setting in and I started getting sloppy. A rather uneventful wreck, washing out in a heel-side carve resulted in the return of my tailbone injury from weeks ago. Guess it wasn't healed yet. There were more trails I wanted to experience however age has taught to only be stupid, not super stupid. Cut my losses and figured I should be happy to go home not completely broken. 

Likely this will be my last time for this season. Not much time left and I don't want to push my body too far. There's always next season and I'm happy to know that winter doesn't have to be so dreary. Not surprising that mountains hold my happiness.  

Day Jaunt

Inbetween my more significant trips I feed my wanderlust with much easier practical jaunts. They are just as necessary as the bigger trips as without them I'd surely lose my mind. Moreso than I already have. As I've mentioned before, the grass really is greener where you water it. Not to say the grass can't be greener elsewhere...for the time being though, I continue the hunt. Up to this point my method has been pretty simple. I use multiple avenues to find places. Sometimes I can use motorcycle adventure forums to pick out a place. Other times I will literally just look at google maps. Compare them to topo maps and plan my attack from there. Within an hour radius seems reasonable incase the place turns out not so great. Usually I make out alright. 

What is that? A frozen waterfall. The blue translucence is amazing. Score. Winter provides a bit of a challenge for adventures since my generic avenues aren't as available. January and February definitely slow down. If you know me, you know I lose my mind a bit during this time. Seasonal depression I believe they call it. The only cure is to get out and do things. Cabin fever comes to mind also. 

 After the waterfall I hiked up the hill behind it. Not sure on the actual elevation but theres a hang gliding launch spot at the top of the hill. It was pretty awesome looking across the valley to a hill of equal size on the other side. Started making me think about how to get into hang gliding...just another thing on the never ending list. But thats how it works. One passion leads to another. That is how I know I'll never run out of things to do. Whenever I die I know at the very least I'll have some forward momentum. 

Heres the pond that could be seen from the hill. There was a nice boardwalk built around it. I imagine this place is pretty hopping during warmer months. Speaking of which, those months are getting closer. I'm feeling good about it. Sometimes I wonder if I lived somewhere that didn't have distinct seasons, would I be grateful? Just like is there love without hate? Happiness without misery? Maybe someday I'll find out so at least I can chalk it up to "been there done that"