The summit was socked in, but we still enjoyed trail side streams and rock formations on a winter hike on Ampersand. Snow conditions ranged from slush at the trailhead to windswept ice on top.

Went for a quick jaunt up Mt. Baker in Saranac Lake. After a warm December there was finally a dusting of snow on the ground. Near the top the trail was coated in ice and we were glad to be wearing micro-spikes. Nice views of town and the High Peaks from the summit.

These images are from almost exactly a year ago at Mount Arab... Looks a little different this year, huh? When will the snow arrive?

My mom and i hiked up Azure Mountain on Thanksgiving morning to see the sunrise and it was spectacular! We hiked up in the dark and the trail was pretty icy, but it was worth the climb! We sat and watched the sunrise on a big rock and the view from atop Azure mountain never ceases to amaze me.

Bouldering at McKenzie Pond Boulders outside of Saranac Lake. It was a perfect crisp day in an erratic field of glacial boulders. They are granite gneiss; a high grade metamorphic rock formed under intense heat and pressure. Fascinating stuff.

This set of photos is a throwback to one of my first high peak adventures. It was an unbelievably beautiful day on the summits of Wright, Algonquin, and Iroquois. My friend and I practically had the whole summit to ourselves on that Friday. It's nice to look back and appreciate the adventures you've had in the past. This was the last hike I went on before leaving for my First Year at St. Lawrence. I will always remember the surreal feeling I had when looking out on the Adirondack Park from perhaps on the best vantage points. It truly was a fantastic day.

Went to Azure Mountain for an early morning sunrise hike before class. Made it up a little after 7, just in time to catch the sunrise.

On Halloween I led a hike up Ampersand Mountain, which is one of the Saranac Six. On the climb up, we saw the coolest ice that had formed on some of the rocks. There was a layer of ice on the rocks but we could also see water running under it making really interesting patterns. It was really beautiful and very mesmerizing. Has anyone else seen ice like this before?

The weather was fair, a bit gloomy but there were still opportunities for lots of great views. There were however many more people than I thought I would ever see on top of a mountain! Lots of dogs too, we must have seen 150 people and three dozen dogs!

To get out and learn about and admire the fall colors, a group hiked Mt. Arab, a two mile round trip hike with an elevation gain of 750 ft. At the peak, we spent time painting the fall colors with water colors and admiring our time in nature! It was such a great way to appreciate our local surroundings and I really encourage you all to get out there and explore this way of engaging with nature!

Best,
Claire