THE QUESTION: TO HUNT OR NOT TO HUNT 2013?

Over the past 2 years I have not gone hunting in the fall for whitetail deer. Although I didn't hunt, my younger brother did and successfully harvested deer every season, thus providing the tasty delicacy of venison.

Reasons for not hunting previous years:

1. Too busy with house projects

2. The kids are really young

3. Started salmon fishing when it runs in the river

4. Didn't have enough time to practice with the now or shotgun

5. Super busy with church projects and church ministry

6. There may have been other reasons that I can't think of right now

Looking at the above reasons, truthfully this year leading up to this hunting season has not been any different and those very same reasons stand strong. 

The additional reasons may be the following:

1. My son is the new addition to the family.

2. Picked up a new hobby and form of exercise--road biking.

I suppose the gun and bow will have to stand in storage another year and hopefully I will use them next year. 

MY BROTHER'S ACCOMPLISHMENT!

A few weeks ago I wrote about the 10 years that have quickly gone by since I made my first hike in the Great Adirondack Mountains. Then there was a post about my future trip and the hike that was planned. To make the long story, short, I never went on the planned trip due to a death on my wife's side of the family. But the good news is that my brother and his 3 friends still went on the trip.

They had a great trip overall and had made great hike to the summit of Mt. Marcy. The interesting thing was that when I had first climbed Marcy 10 yrs ago, it was during the same weather conditions as they did. SEE PICTURES BELOW.

It has been a very rainy summer and the rain doesn't look like its going to let up for the fall. So most of the hike was in intermittent  rain showers. The summit was viewless because of the dense clouds. Nevertheless they had made the long 15 mile trek from Meadow Springs Rd. Now they must do Marcy again to get the awesome views that it provides.

THE BLUE MOUNTAIN HIKE!

Blue mountain is surrounded by a small town and small lake named after the mountain. Driving through it gives you the impression that "everybody knows everybody"kind of town. We stopped at the only gas station in town to buy last minute supplies like water and snacks. When you are in a group of 23 people, its very likely that not everyone will bring everything they need for an event. And this was one of those times.

The parking area is located as you are about to leave town on the right side. You drive up a steep hill and its immediately to the right as soon as you reach the top. I drove by it the first time. Its a large parking lot and we were surprised how quickly it filled up with hikers.

Our group signed in at the trailhead. It was a partly cloudy day but warm day, making it a great day for a hiking trip. The trail is only 2 miles to the peak, but it was a mile longer than any mountain we have done together as a group. Shortly into the hike, I began to hear it from some people about their disappointment. And similar conversations continued all the way up and down the mountain.

The first mile of the hike was a gently increase in elevation and we were able to cover the grounds at a good pace. The second mile was a different story, a lot steeper with more exposed bedrock requiring different walking pattern. After reading different blogs, most people said that it takes about 2 hrs. Even with a large group, we were able to reach the top under 1 hr. Closer to the top there were some nice views of the chain lakes and the high peaks to the northwest.

At the summit, it was a very nice view. It wasn't the best view because it had gotten cloudier as the day progressed. The summit isn't as open as other shorter peaks. It was also a lot cooler at the summit, forcing all of us to put on our long sleeve clothing. Blue Mountain is also one of the fire tower mountain, which is open to public. It also has a building for rangers at the top.

The fire tower had some panoramic views, but it was also very windy and cold allowing for a short stay  up there.

The descent was difficult at first because of the steep bedrock but improved as we got closer to the last mile.

Overall it was a great hike with a large group of people. For the first time I recorded portions of the trail on my GoPro Camera. Video to be posted soon!

Time: August 2013 (1st week)
Weather: partly cloudy, mid 70's
Distance: 2 mi, (4 mi round trip)
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

KAYAKING MOOSE RIVER

Over the 10 + years that I have been camping and hiking in the ADKs I have driven by the long meandering river many times. This year I finally had a great opportunity to do a portion of the river starting at North St. There was a few youth group members with me, making the trip more exciting than if I was kayaking by myself.

It was a partly cloudy day with temperatures in the low 70's. A great day for being on the water. We rented some kayaks from Mountainman Outdoors in Old Forge and used there shuttle service to be dropped of at the North St. entry point. 

At North St. the river has a gentle current, shortly after setting up we were well on our way. The river is meandering in the utmost way. I had the trip recorded on MapMyHike and it shows the very nature of the river. The river has some gentle banks and little beach areas where on a couple occasions we got out to stretch our legs and have a little snack. There many different water fowl, turtles, and plant life along the way to enjoy. 

Portage: 3/4 into the trip there is a sign along the river indicating that a portage is necessary due to rapids ahead. The portage was the most difficult part of the trip because it felt a lot longer than the 1/3 mile. The trail is through a section of the woods, with a bridge to cross over the river rapids. 

The Moose River flows right through Old Forge and therefore goes right alongside the Mountianman Outdoors shop and rental place. We dropped off our rented kayaks and went out to get some lunch at   a local diner. 

Total distance: 6.5 miles from North St.

Difficulty: Easy 

Portage: 1/3 of a mile