planner girl / trail chaser / bird watcher
Today, Hudson and I checked off hike number four of eight for the Adirondack Gateway Challenge: Hadley Mountain. I’ll admit, I almost turned around a few times on the drive there. Dark, rain-filled clouds seemed to be following us the entire way, growing larger and more threatening with every mile.…
Technically, I started this challenge when Darby and I hiked Lake Bonita and Lake Ann last July. But after saying goodbye to Darby in October 2025 and welcoming Hudson into our lives in December, I decided to start over so that Hudson and I could both be official finishers. My…
A few weeks ago, Josh found himself in urgent care after taking a spill on his bike. We left with 13 stitches, a lot of questions about how sitting was going to work for the next few days, and strict instructions from the doctor: no biking for 10 days. Fortunately,…
I love hiking. If you’ve spent any amount of time around me, that’s probably not a surprise. Give me a trail, a mountain, and an entire day to wander, and I’m perfectly happy. Josh, on the other hand, doesn’t quite share my enthusiasm for spending an entire day hiking. And…
The final hike of the day was Barker Pond. Getting there felt like an adventure all on its own. The trailhead is tucked well off the beaten path. To reach it, follow Flow Road off Route 28/30. The road is closed during the winter and is commonly used for logging…
Our day started early. We were up at 5:00 a.m. and on the road by 5:45 for the two-plus-hour drive north. The plan for the day was to summit both Tabletop and Phelps in celebration of my 26th birthday. Trip Report 9/22/2014 The trailhead is located at the Adirondack Loj.…