This is an account of a day hike / scramble up the most well-known mountaineering route in the Adirondacks: The Trap Dike. Along on this hike were myself, Markus, Ewart, Andree, Costi, Luc, and Larry.
We left at our usual 5:00am time from Ottawa. A large and very violent Thunderstorm was just leaving the area... but the forecast for the Adirondacks was relatively good, although humid and with a chance of thundershowers.
                        
                                                
                     
                     
              
                
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                              
  
     
     
           
          
          
          
          
          
          
     
           
          
          
          
          
          
          
     
           
          
          
          
          
          
          
            
               
            
            
                
                
                    
                
            
             
              
                 
                 
                    
                      
                      
                      
                           
                          
                          
                          	courtesy Markus
                              
                                                             
                    
                    
              
             
           
     
   
  
 
 
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                              
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                        
                    
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
                
                
                     
                     
                     
                        
                          We chose to hike in the same way as the Phelps hike two weeks ago, via the South Meadows trail. We blasted along that in well under an hour to Marcy Dam. The weather (as can be seen from photo #7) was cloudy with a celing of about 4000 feet - meaning our summit would be socked in.
                        
                                                
                     
                     
              
                
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                              
  
   
    
         
        
    
         
        
            
             
            Bridge near Avalanche Lean-to 
             
             
           
         
    
         
        
    
   
 
 
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                              
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                        
                    
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
                
                
                     
                     
                     
                        
                          As we hiked from Marcy Dam up to Avalanche Pass, the weather steadily improved, although it was still turning out to be a fairly muggy day. The route through the Hurricane Floyd landslide was interesting as always (Pictures 13,14).
                        
                                                
                     
                     
              
                
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                              
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                              
  
   
    
         
        
            
             
            The Twin Sentinels in Summer 
             
             
           
         
    
         
        
            
             
            Larry on boardwalk next to Avalanche Lake 
             
             
           
         
    
         
        
    
   
 
 
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
             
               
               
              
                 
                    
                        
                    
                    
                 
              
              
              
                 
                    
                    
                       
                          
                          
                          
                            
                          
                       
                       
                    
                    
                 
                 
              
              
              
              
              
              
                
                
                     
                     
                     
                        
                          Avalanche Pass was buggy (lots of black flies)... from here we were not far from the start of the scrambling/climbing route up the Trap Dike.