Four for Four

This Thursday I took advantage of a little opening in my schedule to hike a not-so-little Adirondack loop.  Starting at the "Garden" parking area outside of Keene Valley, I first made my way up the Brothers--a ridge of three peaks that opens up on some great perspectives of the Valley and the Great Range of the High Peaks.  So there are the views from the first Brother (2940 ft.)...

...with a pretty neat rock shelter near the summit.

Then there's a view from the second Brother back over the first.

The third Brother (3681 ft.) came with a view of my real destination for the day: the dramatic profile of Big Slide.

Along the route there were a few lovely little streams...

...and some rather stubborn snow.

The trail got a bit steep in some spots...

...but what a view when you get to the top!

Big Slide (4250 ft.) is #27 of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks.  You ascend 2800 ft. from the parking area to get to the top (more than half of it in the first 1.5 miles as you reach the first Brother).  It was a better-than-average place to eat lunch.

I followed Slide Mountain Brook down...

...to where it runs into Johns Brook.  I made a brief detour to check out Johns Brook Lodge, and then enjoyed a nice woods walk out to the Garden--making for a 10 mile circuit (6.5 hours)...and a truly lovely day in the mountains.