Monday, April 7, 2014

Adirondacks

Happy Monday!

Yesterday, I woke up at 5:15am and drove four hours to the high peaks region of the Adirondacks to hike Jay Mountain with some friends from school. It was a 16 hour trip with 8 hours of driving, 1 hour devouring pie and pancakes; and the rest was spent blissfully hiking and enjoying the views!

I think Sundays should still be thought of as a nice, relaxing day of reflection. They should be truly treasured days. It can be so hard in our lives to set aside a whole day for not tending to much responsibility, so even small things like a walk, or reading a book can keep Sundays special. It's so necessary to mental, spiritual, and physical health!

I hadn't been hiking in quite a while, and I didn't realize how much I was craving to be outside, to exhaust myself in such a rewarding way, and to see something bigger than the "bubble" I often feel I live in. I had never hiked a full mountain in snowshoes and mountaineering boots, and it ain't easy! It feels like you have 5 pound weights on each foot, so it can be tiring at first. But it's a great workout, and the group stayed at a comfortable pace. I loved challenging myself in a new way. Plus, it's all so worth it to see some spectacular views!

It was a lovely day, with lovely people, and some lovely conversation.


The ridge in the distance


Lake Champlain, Mount Mainsfield, and most importantly, VERMONT!! in the distance! How amazing is that? It was so cool to just see another state in the distance. 



Whiteface Mountain. Apparently it's one of the biggest ski mountains in the area!


Here's a close up of the ice that covered a lot of the trees and bushes at the top. Isn't it crazy? It was so thick! It was a pretty magical experience to be walking on snowshoes, on 2 feet of packed snow and see this ice art. What made it much more pleasant, was the fact it was 45 degrees and sunny, so we comfortably hiked in a few layers. 


I've been really into taking pictures of the sun lately, because it does such wonderful things to photos. I love how this one turned out with the colors at the bottom! The top of this tree was coated in ice as well. I wish I could have captured that part better, but I still like the final product. 


ice bush forest!!

At the end of the day, we went to The Noonmark Diner, which is a quaint little place with amazing pie! I had a piece of maple walnut (my favorite combination, ever) and a huge blueberry pancake with Adirondack syrup. Mmmm.

Have you guys been on any great hikes or outdoor excursions recently?

I hope you all had great Sundays too!

xo,

Liv

2 comments:

  1. Wow! What stunning photos. Now, I want to a) go there and b) take lots of photos of the sun in the hope I might get some of those fun colour spots.
    Cybele@BlahBlah x

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much!! Definitely go to the ADK's--so much beauty.
      Sun pictures are the best, and they turn out different every time! Have fun with it :)

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