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 I pass roaring falls on the drive in |
 the road to South meadow is packed with hundreds of cars |
 I wander toward Van Hoevenburg, reaching an old beaver pond |
 and the peak's nice view; |
 I hang out as the sun gets low; I camp off the trail on a bed of pine needles, |
 morning brings frost |
 a beaver pond on the trail |
 to Marcy Dam |
 preparing for avalanches in Avalanch pass |
 splendid reflections |
 climbers in the dike |
 classic Lake Colden |
 up the Opalescent |
 a favorite overhang |
 a favorite swimming hole |
 lots of frost |
 look ahead to the Colden slide |
 beavers make a mess of the trail |
 reaching the slide |
 looks like basalt intruding into the granite |
 berries hanging |
 I have come far |
 lots more to do |
 on the steep part |
 reaching top |
 a nice lunch spot on Colden |
 great views |
 resting before leaving treeline |
 Lake Arnold |
 Indian Falls is a |
 lovely spot; a ranger mentions two unblazed trails onto Phelps |
 I make it to Phelps |
 wide view |
 a herd path is easy to find |
 but then it gets messy |
 I end up on the trail to Marcy Dam, several miles from the intended Klondike lean-to; guess I found the wrong herd path |
 a restful dinner on my pine needle camp |
 the morning glow |
 first views climbing the Jay ridge |
 wonderful views all around |
 a snack |
 a lovely ridge to follow |
 I head into the nasty brush |
 and after climbing a couple wrong peaks, reach the base of my intended climb: death Mountain |
 too late for a full climb, a scramble for a great view during my late lunch |
 I take a better route, but eventually deal with the brush, but am pleased to recognize this log, I was here before |
 and others have been too |
 pleased to be back on the Jay ridge |
 a wisp a grass |
 a scramble |
 threatening clouds with peek-a-boo sunshine |
 bright berries |
 and three toothed tea |
 the clouds thin |
 the ravens take flight and |
 play |
 around |
 me |
 it seems sad to leave the ridge; | I get turned around and reclimb the Jay ridge for 20 minutes, and see a couple with a wolfdog, in the full moon, just as I near the road; the Jeep is a welcome sight after a long day off trail. |