Another 5am morning start Here we are, almost ready to go at 5am on a Saturday morning.... [enlarge]

ADK High Peaks Center parking lot The day is turning out to be a cold, flurry-filled day. Here, the bunch of us are getting ready to depart. [enlarge]

Bundled for the cold As you can see from our attire, we are prepared for full winter conditions. [enlarge]

De-layering break Soon, after a bit of working out in the trees where there is no wind, all of that warm winter clothing becomes unbearably hot. A delayering stop is a must. [enlarge]

The troop marches towards Marcy Dam This shot is taken on the section of trail between the trailhead and Marcy Dam. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Cheery early morning hikers. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Open winter forest. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Marcy Dam [enlarge]

Marcy Dam This is rapidly become my standard issue Winter shot of Marcy Dam. The weather.... unsettled, cloudy, flurries... and of course no good view. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Andrew at Marcy Dam [enlarge]

Intrepid adventurers Given that this is the dead of winter, we can take a slight short-cut by going straight across the pond formed by Marcy Dam. [enlarge]

The group, minus one. From left to right.... Molly, Bryan, Caroline, Deborah, Ewart, Shannon, Max, Markus, and Pu. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Hiker, Lean-to, and Slide A shot of a hiker approaching a lean-to at Marcy Dam, with a slide on Wright Peak rising in the background. [enlarge]

Ewart, grizzled hiking veteran [enlarge]

Lean-to Break. Here we all are at our first food break. This lean-to is on the shore of the pond at Marcy Dam. [enlarge]

Pu The always cheery pu takes a snack break. [enlarge]

Marcy Brook Two weeks earlier, I took a somewhat underexposed picture of this brook. Here it is two weeks later (and exposed more properly) [enlarge]

Bridge over Marcy Brook Our rag-tag group crossing Marcy Brook, just minutes before reaching the Avalanche Junction Lean-to. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Avalanche Junction Lean-to [enlarge]

Nearing Avalanche Pass The group takes a break near the top of the steep section leading up to Avalanche Pass. [enlarge]

Mt Phelps in the background. The group stopped for a rest break, with Mt. Phelps visible through the trees in the background. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Avalanche Slide Warning Sign The sign seen just before the new Slide at Avalanche pass. Put there, I assume, so that snowboarders and skiiers don't go up there and cause an avalanche down onto the trail. [enlarge]

courtesy _markus

Avalanche Pass Slide With Ewart, Caroline, and Andrew [enlarge]

Avalanche Pass Landslide Here the group stops for a photo at the site of the 2000 Avalanche Pass Landslide (most of which is covered in snow right now). This Landslide occurred as a result of the heavy wind and rain from Hurricane Floyd in the fall of 2000. Markus and I happened to hike through here 3 days after the landslide occurred. Was an interesting tangled mess.... [enlarge]

Pretty ice chandelier Taken along the way through avalanche pass. [enlarge]