Now with the great Red Horse Creek fording and the Serpentine Ponds under my bushwhacking belt, it is time to start the long trek to Hidden Lake. This camouflaged lake shall host my eighth, and last night, of this trip in the southern Five Ponds Wilderness backcountry, and I want to make it a relaxing
Ponds East of Red Horse Trail 2015: Slithering Over to Serpentine Ponds
With the Red Horse Creek fording behind me, it is now time to start looking forward to the remainder of my bushwhack back to the trailhead over the next two days. Today’s goal remains to reach Hidden Lake off to the west, where I plan on spending the night before continuing out the next day.
Ponds East of Red Horse Trail 2015: The Great Red Horse Creek Fording
Sun penetrates the canopy, glistening off the droplets hanging from the surrounding foliage, leftovers from overnight rains. Birds joyously sing from the tree tops, apparently greeting the dawn of a sunnier and drier day. The Red Horse Creek continues roaring, refreshed from a day of off and on rain. Such is the beginning of my
Ponds East of Red Horse Trail 2015: Glimpses of Elbow and Lost Island Ponds
From the Red Horse Trail just north of Witchhopple Lake, my route takes me northeast back into the untrammeled forest of the southern Five Ponds Wilderness Area and toward Negro Lake. After the brief trail hiking earlier, it feels good to be bushwhacking again, especially when the forest is this easy going. The lack of
Ponds East of Red Horse Trail 2015: Hiking a Small Section of the Red Horse Trail
For the first time in years, the Red Horse Trail is once again under my feet. And it feels fine. All it took me to get to this secluded trail was about two days of solid bushwhacking through the southern Five Ponds Wilderness. That, and a good deal of moxie. Typically, any sane person would
Ponds East of Red Horse Trail 2015: Let A Stream Be My Guide to Witchhopple Pond
Being awaken by an alarm is never the best way to greet the new day, especially so when out in the remote Adirondack backcountry, but at times it is a necessity. Unfortunately, with a wet forecast for the next few days starting this afternoon and an aggressive schedule for a nine-day journey through the southern
Jay Mountain Wilderness 2014: Over the Ridge, Through the Forest, In Search of a Stream We Go
My last full day in the Jay Mountain Wilderness Area welcomes me with some arduous and undulating ridge bushwhacking before finding the drainage that leads down to Merriam Swamp. Although the drainage provides some much needed water, it also contains thick vegetation and a good deal of blowdown, with the worst being yet to come.
