We arrived around sunset and had dinner in a small inn tucked away in the woods. We then joined other guests at the lodge we were staying at around a campfire, chatting with the charismatic lodge owner, Al, and petting his giant, sweet bulldog Bam Bam.
The next morning, we set out to hike the highest mountain in New York State - Mt. Marcy. We began early, arriving at the Adirondack Loj trailhead at 7:30 am.
Wait, what? BEARS? Active BEARS? Bears were not part of the plan. So we asked a more seasoned hiker what to do if we encountered some. He said, confidently "They'll see more of you than you'll see of them. But if you do see one, make yourself look as big as possible!"
We signed in and set off on the 7.5 mile hike to the top.
All you have to do is just follow the little blue circles. Easy, no?
The scenary was beautiful, and there were lots of fun wooden "bridges" to carry you over particularly swampy or rough terrain.
There was a beautiful spot in the middle of the hike called Indian Falls, where a small brook trickled over a rock face which opened up to the surrounding scenery. It was the perfect snacking spot, and also a nice place to dip one's feet into the cold mountain water.
As we kept going, the terrain kept getting steeper and steeper.
The last few minutes up to the top felt surreal. Suddenly the landscape became barren. The wind got so strong that it was hard to stand upright. And looking up, I noticed that the clouds looked like they were passing by so close overhead, I could touch them.
The view at the top was spectacular. We were at 5,344 ft!
I'm not sure exactly why (perhaps due to the strong wind?), but all of my camera's photos from the very top came out over-exposed.
And as what goes up must come down, we then headed back the way we came. By the time we reached the car, the sun was starting to set. We were starving, so after washing up, we went out for the most delicious meal at a BBQ joint called Smoke Signals in Lake Placid (those are my pulled pork and beef brisket Adirondack tacos).
The next morning, we headed to Lake Placid to do some hiking around the lake before going into the village for lunch. We took the Peninsula Trails, which were a great way to enjoy walking through the forest without going to far out of the way. There were also some nice views of Lake Placid.
The village of Lake Placid itself was also scenic and lovely, surrounded by mountains and with many picturesque shops and restaurants.
The village is built along the side of the lake, so most of the restaurants have waterfront dining. If you want to just enjoy the view without paying for it, there are also small public areas in between the shops and cafes where you can sit and enjoy a coffee or snack.
We opted for lunch at The Good Bite, a healthy, vegetarian joint with simple yet creative fare.
Quite good and affordable!
Though we didn't want to, it was then time to leave. I was so glad to be surrounded by so much wild beauty, if only for a day and a half. I hope I get a chance to come back to the Adirondacks soon.
