July Is Good for Vacation

I've been taking a peek at the weather in Salt Lake and remembering why I prefer to go on vacation in July.  It looks miserably hot there.

I'm back in the Adirondacks for a few days for a celebration of my Dad's life.  Yesterday we did a hike in his honor up Gothics, an iconic peak on the Great Range.  As is typical of Adirondack trails, the route was merciless and direct, involving ladders, rock scrambling, and "vegetable belays."

Don't let people tell you that there aren't avalanches in New York.  They happen and they have resulted in fatalities.  The path below comes off the shoulder of Gothics.  

Gothics' name comes from the various rock faces and slides that surround the summit, which resemble Gothic architecture.  Although I think the west side is more scenic, we approached the summit from the east.

Nearing the summit.

On the summit, we got a view of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York, but, as seems to be the case whenever I hike in the Adirondack high peaks, immediately heard a clap of thunder as a storm approached from the west (right side of photo).  If only Adirondack storms would conform to the 1 PM rule, I would have far more time to enjoy summit views.

Down we went!  There's no easy descent of Gothics.  We elected to go down over what is known as the Pyramid as the route got us off the ridge as quickly as possible.  The Pyramid is a small false summit known for outstanding views.  As we crossed, I snapped a quick photo of the storm pushing over the Great Range and Gothics.