I dare you to stand and look at nature and not feel wonder.
The beauty of nature relaxes me and rejuvenates me.
I had a spectacular opportunity to spend the weekend in Lake Placid with amazing people. We drove down super early on Friday morning so we could cross the border before the traffic started. We arrived in Lake Placid around noon and grabbed lunch at the Good Bite Kitchen. I had the Kale Salad without the Feta and added a hard-boiled egg! We checked in at our campsite and then headed out on a short hike off of the campgrounds. We brought all the dogs which provided us with endless entertainment. Mojo the boxer you can sort of see in the photo below had his very own raincoat which was beyond adorable. Charlie the teacup Yorkie (if you look hard enough you can see him also in the below photo, it’s like Where’s Waldo) even donned his own sweater and got to ride curled up in my friend John’s jacket and last but not least the German / Sheppard Jesse had to pick up every stick and play tug of war with Mojo 🙂 It was perfect fun.
Dinner on Friday was at Liquids and Solids. While the group ordered lots of sharing plates I could only eat one salad (without the blue cheese) and the charcuterie so I ordered the Kielbasa. They brought me 3 slices of sausage and a side plate of salad. It was definitely not enough food for me and after telling the server my meal restrictions I’m sad they didn’t try and accommodate me. I even asked if it would be enough food for a meal and was told it would be fine. I’m not going to lie but it’s really exhausting feeling like I need to apologize for having meal restrictions and not getting enough sustenance. Lesson learned: always read the menu before going to a restaurant to ensure you have ample choices!
On Saturday morning we got up early and headed out for our hike for the day. We decided to do the Avalanche Lake Trail which was supposed to be 5 miles or 8 km but it ended up being 15 km and took us around 5 hours.
We stopped mid-way at Marcy Dam to take pictures. Allow the leaves have fallen off the trees I was still in awe of the scenery.
I brought my Mountain Equipment Coop AlpineLite 24 Backpack with me. I’ve been using it for carrying my indoor rock climbing gear to and from the office so I can climb during my lunch hours with a co-worker but this was the first time I got to try it out in nature. I carried rain pants & a raincoat (in case it rains), sweat pants (in case I needed another layer), snacks – trail mix, pumpkin crunch and several kind bars, a first aid kit, a bear bell and headlamps (in case we got stuck out after dark).
The hike in and out was so worth it. The view of Avalanche Lake was beautiful. I paused for a moment to take it all in. When you stand beside massive rocks rising out of the water you can’t help but take time to be thankful for your place in this world.
I’m so grateful for my friends who love adventures. I’m so grateful for my friends who hiked with me and who waited for me as I picked myself across rocks and planks and trail My balance wasn’t doing the greatest on the hike and I lost vision near the end and had to hold hands with one of my friends so I wouldn’t trip and fall. I know I could’ve consumed more water and should’ve carried my water pack on me in addition to the water bottle I had. Lesson learned: you can never be too prepared. I would’ve rather carry more water than I consumed than the amount I did. I don’t know if it was the cold, just the stress of being on my feet for 5 hours or the lack of water but I’m so thankful for friends who don’t baby me but still know how to care for me when I need it. For that, I’m so so grateful.
I can’t wait to go back and try and summit a mountain next!