 Cliff, Sharon, Lori and Joe getting ready to start hiking |
 Dinner protected from the rain |
 The mist over Marcy Dam was really beautiful |
 Near sunset, a bear came into camp, pulled down our bear bag and began to eat our food. Fortunately, it spooked -- but the bag is covered with bear drool |
 Some claw marks where the bear had climbed |
 As the sun went down, beavers were swimming around in Marcy Dam lake |
 Lori is experimenting with mud packing beauty treatment |
 and we climb |
 a serious climb |
 It did start to rain. By the time we were on the summit of Algonquin, it was blowing rain hard, if not sleeting |
 We went down the far side of Algonquin and ate lunch in the pouring rain. Joe was proud of the nice rock chair he found to rest upon between shivers |
 The gal's residence |
 The guy's residence and messy dining facilities |
 The next morning, Joe and Cliff set off to climb Colden via the NE slide |
 Lots of open rock near the base of the slide |
 Joe getting close to the steep part |
 Joe looking down from the top of the slide |
 View from Colden summit down into Avalanche lake |
 View of Algonquin from Indian Falls |
 Joe nearing tree line on Marcy |
 A storm was threatening, so we ran over the summit |
 Joe has made it over the summit before the storm |
 However, the storm threat was real and the clouds nasty |
 Somehow the storm passed us by without any rain. Here is a beaver dam at the outlet of Lake Tear of the Clouds. |
 Joe contemplating |
 Joe decides to take a swim in the very cold water of the Opalescent river |
 Lake Colden is beautiful |
 Night fall closes as we reach Avalanche lake |
 The next morning, Joe is getting grief for spilling the hot Gatorade |
 Group heads out from Marcy dam |
 Then we climb Cascade Mountain |
 Lori and Sharon agreed to the climb on the condition that we hike at their pace. I was nearly dead as Lori and Sharon run for the summit. |
 A helping hand |
 Great views |
 A nice lunch spot on the summit |
 The price that a foot can pay for hard hiking |