A Two Apple Hike
Mt. Colden, Adirondacks

September 19, 1998

This report was "Shamelessly Stolen" from Joe until I write my own.

Joe was joined on this trip by a now common hiking figure, Mike, and his girlfriend, fiancée, or something like that, Teena. Being in no hurry, they slept through the alarm at the motel. They didn't even mind the long wait at McD's for breakfast. There was no rush. But it was a close call. They were the last car allowed at the ADK Loj.

The planned trip was up Colden via Lake Arnold and out via Avalanche Pass. It was a gorgeous day. Why hurry? The group took a leisurely pace to Marcy Dam. An hour at the Dam? No problem. Lots of little breaks? No problem. Another long break halfway up? No problem. This was a nice pace.

The summit was reached around 1:00. Sunny, great views, just a little cool. Perfect excuse for a long lunch. And Teena eats the first apple.

They even got to watch a helicopter in the Lake Colden valley bringing in supplies and construction materials for the new Interior Outpost at Lake Colden. The last burned in March due to a chimney fire.

Oops! Look at the time. Oh well, no trip through the Pass. Out they went the way they came. Teena begins taking the lead a little more often. Is the pace picking up a little? Halfway down Teena eats the second apple.

The pace is definitely picking up. Teena's on an Empire apple high. And she's threatening anyone that tries to take the lead. Including strangers. Empire apple highs are relatively rare but can be dangerous to those around the apple junkie. The high brings out the most competitive and aggressive traits of the junkie's personality. Soon Teena's swinging her trekking poles at anyone that tries to pass. It was getting ugly.

Mike and Joe could only try to save the others unlucky enough to be on the trail at the same time. They established a perimeter around Teena as she continues on her breakneck pace back to the Loj. After setting a record for longest time to the Colden Summit, they broke all speed records from Marcy Dam to the Loj. Luckily no one was hurt. There are no photos of the return trip. There was no time.

Back to Placid. Dinner suppressed the apple toxins in Teena and the town was saved.

Trip Summary:
Summit Elevation: 4,714'
Vertical Gain: 2,850'
Hike Type: Day Hike
Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Date of Summit: 7/19/1998
Trailhead to Summit: 7.6 miles
Time to summit: ~4 hours

Weather: Sunny
Hikers: Mike Bowen, Teena Bowen, Joe Mynio

Pictures: