Happy birthday, Cristin. I hope things are well in Anchorage and before too long I will be paying you and extended visit. It’s on my bucket list and I’m not getting any younger.
I slept until six or so and slowly rose to test my heel. Slight pain, but I’d completed two Iron Man competitions and lived through kidney stones a year ago. I would be climbing…and maybe whining.
I packed the car and drove to the Noon Mark Diner prepared to stare down anyone foolish enough to be sitting at MY table. I walked in the door at seven to find it reasonably empty and no one in my spot. Damned good thing.
I had copious cups of coffee and a ham and cheese omelet while studying my map and trail guide. I obsess over these things when I’m climbing, almost committing the trail to memory. There was no water source on the hike, so I made sure to top off my camelback before leaving the restaurant.
I made my way to the trailhead in no particular hurry. I figured the climb would take around two hours and allowing for an hour on top and taking pictures, I would be back to the car in five.
The trail didn’t mess around. It left the road steeply and stayed that way. I saw two young climbers leave ten minutes ahead of me, but overtook them in thirty minutes.
“Are you climbing Noonmark?’ one asked.
“Yeah…see you at the top?”
They said they would, but I had my doubts. They were moving slowly and didn’t look to be in the best shape.
Neither was I and it started slowing me by the end of the first hour. I noticed my legs were shaking and I was getting light-headed. Since I like to stand on the edge of precipitous drops for cool pictures, it could be an issue.
For the second time in my life, I began considering not completing a climb. The first had been during a severe thunderstorm above the tree line on Wright Mt. after an exhaustive climb. On that trip, I’d huddled behind a boulder on the open face of the peak about 100 yards short of the summit and fallen asleep for ten minutes. I completed that climb and was determined to complete this one. I pushed on.
The last 400 yards were particularly steep and needed three points of contact most of the time. The wind was whistling over 40 mph and because I’d soaked through my clothes with sweat, was beginning to get cold as the gusts pulled away my body heat. And then I was on the top. It was a beautiful, open-faced peak with views in all directions. I removed my pack and slumped to the ground, retrieving my camera and cell phone to commemorate the visit. I had it to myself for twenty minutes before a set of climbers from Montreal joined me. We took turns photographing each other with our own cameras and then I left so they could have it to themselves.
The return trip was also exhausting and by the time I reached the car, my heel was on fire and I was punchy. I never did see the couple I'd passed early on in the hike and assumed they'd realized it was a tougher peak than anticipated and turned around. I have work to do before returning. The Adirondack trails are completely unforgiving to those foolish enough to hike them when out of shape.
Hike Duration: Four hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90-150 bpm.
Calories burned: 2,800
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