Jelloman

More photos at: Picasa url=https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UZsGd3QTqh7vD_YnTsQDstMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlinkimg=https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pvFhGB2hwQ4/UhqxksPtxGI/AAAAAAAAB30/DtMG119LVD8/s288/20130814_140759.jpg The day started out overcast, and I was in the mood to do something other than hike, so I scrapped my hiking plans and headed west to Alexandria Bay and Boldt Castle. Boldt Castle was built by George Boldt between 1900 and 1904 on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. When his wife died unexpectedly in 1904, work was stopped and never completed. Unlike the tours I took in Newport, RI, Boldt Castle was unguided and even allowed access to the unfinished areas. Also unlike the Newport tours, pictures were allowed. In addition to the main house I also toured ... read more

More photos at: Picasa url=https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9chQMqY2Is5xOnTSpS-_J9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlinkimg=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tM30yeS81PE/UhqyERRvhRI/AAAAAAAACDQ/jcYjB5qVj_w/s288/image200.jpg Today I moved on to the Green Mountains in Vermont. My string of bad luck finding the trail continued, with a twist. This time I couldn't (and never did) find the trailhead, but I was able to use a different nearby trailhead to get where I wanted to go. My first hike was to Rattlesnake Cliff. Rather than looking into the mountains, this vista actually looks west over a lake and the flat land beyond (and, eventually, the Adirondacks). Apparently there is also a larger south facing cliff, but I never saw the trail fork to reach it. On the way down I also took a bunch of pi... read more

More photos at: Picasa url=https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zRXvI58IMakj0mYWBfWHBtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlinkimg=https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-H13uEU6luz0/UhqxvnvnaQI/AAAAAAAAB70/VIwQFsz6No0/s288/image127.jpg Making up for lost time, I headed out to do some hiking today. I started out first thing going to the Mt. Washington auto road, but they turned me away because the winds at the top were 93 mph. Instead, I headed to Wildcat Mountain ski area, not to go skiing but because the hike to Thompson Falls starts there. It is not a very long hike to the falls, and I was able to get good pictures of the first two cascades. Both the guidebook (Thanks Kris!) and the sheet I got from the ranger's station suggest that I should have been able to follow the trail higher, but I never foun... read more

More photos at: Picasa url=https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xfvNfJbcqkYSGaO4453tCNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlinkimg=https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YwCz8c26JPE/UhqxpagoxwI/AAAAAAAAB54/SYiLXy9rPFw/s288/image110.jpg I'd been lucky so far this trip, but the rain finally caught up with me today. This made my visit to Acadia National Park somewhat shorter and wetter than originally planned. I drove the loop road and took some pictures when visibility allowed, but I didn't do any hiking.... read more

More photos at: Picasa url=https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AxcoPtATsluIibmN1EPK7tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlinkimg=https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fsUE33yJgR8/UhqyVoc33EI/AAAAAAAACJw/RQK-pQmPk0Y/s288/image72.jpg I did three different hikes in the Catskills today. The first was up to an rocky overlook called Giant Ledge. It was very short and steep hike, ascending 1000 feet in less than 1.5 miles (one way). The trail was also very rocky, with rocks averageing a foot in diameter as the trail bed, due to the trail having been built without erosion control. Once I reached the top though, I got to see a great view of the surrounding mountains and the forest below. The second hike was a much gentler mile each direction along an old road bed to Diamond Notch Falls. Diamond Notch Falls is... read more