August 22: Elk Lake/Home
 
Miles Today : 9.0
Total Miles : 55.0

It rained some last night, but nothing too heavy or lasting too long. Still, it is always nice to be in the friendly confines of a shelter when you hear the raindrops start to fall, regardless on how much it actually rains. It is something primeval, something buried deep within my genetic make-up that is awakened by this combination of events. For some reason, everything in the world seems right when I am sitting in an open lean-to watching the rain fall down. The smell of a storm, the feel of mist against my face, the sound of the water pooling up into small puddles, it is a powerful experience for me, and one that just feels right. That is about as well as I can explain it, but trust me when I say that there is something to this, I just have yet to put my finger on it.

Thoughts of rain were long gone by the morning, however, and I again woke to a bright, blue sky. I entertained the notion of climbing Haystack the first thing before heading down to the car, but I feel that I have accomplished enough on this trip. I decided to leave that fine mountain for a future trip back to the High Peaks. I also had a four-hour drive ahead of me and I did not want to get out of the woods any later that 1:00 this afternoon.

I took my time getting ready this morning, savoring my time in the woods before having to return home and back to my other life. I said farewell to Gary and Mark, wished them well on the rest of their trips and headed down the ridge. The first few miles followed the bank of the Marcy River and was a very respectable grade as I dropped down the mountain. Soon, however, the terrain flattened out and I found myself on a very pleasant, little used trail. This was by far the nicest trail in the Adirondacks and I was able to make excellent time the entire way.

There were only a few very limited views for the entire nine miles, which was a little disappointing, but the gentle terrain and healthy forest was not a bad alternative. It was absolutely beautiful down here, but anytime that I would get a glimpse of the higher mountains, it was clear that that clouds that had plagued most of my trip were still hanging around the higher elevations. There was only one small climb the entire day, as I had to cross a low ridge to get back to Elk Lake.

Within a few miles of the car, two rather odd things happened. First, I noticed that there were private trails virtually everywhere. Every few minutes it seemed I walked past a trail that was marked and labeled yet also warned that only guests were welcome. Very odd. The second thing that happened around this time was that Bear and I were literally attacked by deer flies for the last three miles of the hike. I killed no less than 50 of the pests, and for a while I was slapping the back of my head every few seconds and killing at least one every time. I also had to keep Bear at a distance, as he had a large swarm of frustrated deer flies circling him. When he approached me, the flies seized their opportunity at an easy target and went for my head.

Despite this temporary frustration, however, Bear and I made it back to the car in good time, just before 10:30 in the morning. There was a small suspension bridge we had to cross before getting to the parking lot, and I didn’t think that Bear was going to make it across. He walked out fearlessly at first, but as I joined him and the bridge began to sway and bounce, he became nervous. He hunkered down as low as he could get and literally crawled over to the other side. He was obviously overjoyed to get his paws on firm ground.

Back at the car, we dropped our gear and made one last side trip, down the road to the shore of Elk Lake. It was only a short distance down the road to this private camp, but what a beautiful place it was. This large lake is a deep blue and it surrounded by the High Peaks, with Nippletop Mountain in the center of it all. I dipped my feet in the water and washed my legs and arms in the cool water for a few minutes and enjoyed the view. This is a magnificent place, and it is too bad that it is on private property. Surely everyone should be able to see this view, if only for a few minutes as I did.

All and all I had a great trip my first time in the Adirondacks. I have to thank Mike P. once again for all his advice and help in planning this trip. I didn’t follow the itinerary that we made up very well, but his knowledge of the place was a great help. The only thing he could have told me that would have made me better prepared is just how rugged the trails and the mountains are out here, but then again he knows me well enough that I probably would not have listened to that anyway. I am now sitting back home, clean and comfortable once again. Still, as nice as this feeling is, I would still rather be out there in the woods, climbing new mountains and sleeping on the ground or in a shelter. For now, however, it is back to my other life. Until the next time...

-Chomp

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