It is 5:35 AM on June 3rd, and I am packing my Jeep Wrangler with clothes, hiking equipment, camera gear, and fire wood. Julie and I are about to meet up with Gary and Taylor, and begin our first adventure of the summer. Our destination is the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains.
The ride up from central NJ takes about 6 hours, and as we leave I-87 and hop onto the local roads, our long drive is rewarded as we are greeted by Chapel Pond in the valley between Giant Mountain and Dix Mountain.
The pond is an incredible sight, and a great introduction to the Adirondacks. As we leave this spot, we are on the doorstep of Keene Valley and the town of Jay, where our cabin is located. Route 9N winds along the Ausable River, and leads us to our cabin, The Old Icehouse. As the name suggests, this cabin was previously an Icehouse for an old Bed and Breakfast on the property. The Bed and Breakfast no longer exists, but the Icehouse lives on.
For sunset, we decide to head back out and see more of the area, and it is incredible. Every road we take leads us to another viewpoint worth stopping at, especially with the cotton candy skies the sun displays for us.
After dinner, we wrap up the evening around the campfire. The land behind the Icehouse is full of old logging roads that bring us up to a perfect campfire spot. The rest of the night consists of marshmallows, popcorn, and great beer (thanks to The Brew Castle in Keene Valley).
When we wake up, we decide to head over to a small general store called The Adirondack Market to get (possibly) the best doughnuts in the world. The rest of the day is spent finding new trails and exploring the area.
As the sun goes down, we head back to the cabin to bring our trip to an end. We leave the next morning, and begin planning our next adventure.