Hopefully I will capture the laughs and the lows of the hike through a "life is good" approach! Enjoy!
1. Arriving at the Gap in the early hours ensures a spot in the lot! (It gets really packed later in the day!) This day brought approximately 60 degree temperatures and sunshine. It was a beautiful day to hike. However, Carra and I never read the "hike details" email that shared with us that this hike would be approximately 6 hours in length... (and we forgot lunch).
2. Early in the hike, grab a group shot- while everyone is still smiling!
3. Earth, wind, and water... they are beautiful as long as you bring your friends. (see #4)
4. Stream-crossing's are refreshing! (and for novices. Or so I thought OUT-LOUD. Good thing Tara had an extra pair of socks for when my left foot slipped off the rock and into the water. - Oh, and then the second sock came in handy at the next stream crossing, only for my right foot this time. :) Thanks Linda for sharing your hiking poles with me; apparently, I need the extra set of legs!
5. Life is Good when you have friends who prepare lunch for you. (Because they know you are going to forget yours!) Thanks Alan for bringing along an extra PB and J for Carra and me! Here we are at Sunfish Pond after 3/4s of the hike through deep slushy snow and in other areas, mud! This hike also increased our experience with elevation, adding to the challenge.
6. Life is Good when another friend knows that we are going to need GORP (Good Ole' Raisins and Peanuts) laced with M&Ms. The chocolate saved us Greg!
March 7th, 2010
7. Those Trio Bars that Roger recommends? Well, they are HARD to find (or so we say!) Thanks Roger for bringing along a plethera of flavors to share!
8. Life is Good when you can wear short sleeves in early March and still enjoy a mix of snow and well, MUD. Wait, I think only Roger and I got down to short sleeves on this hike? I could be wrong...
9. Berries, I mean ANY kind of berries- they just make me smile!
10. Arriving at your destination, LIFE IS GOOD! Seeing Sunfish Pond was a welcomed sight. Not only did we eat lunch there, but we got to see Alan rig up his stove to cook up some soup, I got to dry my socks on the rocks, and we all got to catch a little Vitamin D in the early spring sun! Plus~ we were 3/4s of the way through our 8 mile hike at this point (and the remainder was down-hill! phew!)
It's amazing how relationships between all of us have grown over the short time we have spent together. Are we really planning an over-nighter before a NY State hike this spring?! :)
