After my bike trip ended, I met up with my older brother (BJ) and his girlfriend (Lilia) in New York. We spent twelve days together, exploring the Adirondacks and then slowly making the drive to Chicago.
Below are an assortment of photos from the trip. (Lilia requested that her photos not be posted.)
We borrowed a kayak for an overnight camping trip on Jabe Pond.
Kayaking on Jabe Pond.
Me and BJ at the falls in Ticonderoga.
The ruins at Fort Crown Point.
Standing in one of the fort windows.
BJ and me at the beginning on our backpacking trip in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks.
We left our packs and camp and went for a day hike to summit a few of the high peaks.
Squeezing through some big boulders.
Having lunch in the shade, at the top of Wolfjaw.
Climbing a ladder, en route to Armstong.
At the top of Armstrong.
Me.
The downed trees are from Hurricane Irene.
The yellow marks on the rocks indicate the trails.
Enjoying a hearty dinner post-hike.
It poured for 13 hours straight thought the night.
Fortunately we were able to stay dry under the lean-to.
We're packing up to leave for our final day of backpacking.
The trails weren't in great shape. After 13 hours of rain, the trails turned to mush.
As I didn't want to ship my backpack to New York, I borrowed BJ's
old external frame backpack. I forgot how monstrous these packs are.
BJ and Lilia made fun of my pack with the raincover;
they thought I looked like an astronaut carrying a jetpack.
Crossing a sizable river, with my refrigerator-sized pack.
BJ let me borrow his poles for this crossing;
with my poor sense of balance, I likely would have taken a plunge.
BJ photographing the aftermath of a mosquito bite on my face.
Resting, without the heavy packs.
Cooking dinner, aside our one-and-only fire for the trip.
It wasn't necessarily that chilly out;
I wore all my layers to protect against the bugs.
Being serious.
Being not-so serious.
Enjoying the views, from atop Ampersand.
Though not considered to be one of the "high peaks," this mountaintop had the best views.
Atop Ampersand.
BJ.
Me.
It was gorgeous looking down on all the lakes.
Going for a ~cold~ dip (hence the funny face) after a day of hiking.
(Yes, I purposely cropped-off this photo just above my tan lines.)
Cooking dinner at Camp Santanoni, a grandiose compound of cabins built in the late 1800's.
The next morning, we set out for a bike ride to visit the lodge at the great camp.
Riding the pleasant 5-mile trail back to the lodge.
Some sections of the trail were a bit too rocky and sandy for my Surly,
but Shirley and I managed.
BJ, in front of the creamery at Camp Santanoni.
BJ, again.
Setting up my tent in the lean-to at John Dillon Park.
Although the lean-tos protected us from the rain, they did not protect us from
the flies, mosquitoes, and other biting creatures.
Washing the shirt I've worn nearly every day for the last two months.
BJ looks out over Handsome Lake.
I woke up one morning to find that eight slugs had made themselves
at home on my Tevas. Yuck!
BJ, leaning over the edge of the Kinzua Dam.
Me, leaning over the Kinzua Dam.
A little stage-setting for the next few photos of the Kinzua Bridge.
You can see the large section of the bridge that was wiped out by the tornado.
Looking down onto the mangled bridge supports.
Atop the Kinzua Bridge.
We had some fun laying on the tracks across the Kinzua Bridge.
This is what I'd look like if I were run over by a train.
BJ thinks this should be the photo on an album cover.
Ya know, should I ever become a rock star.
This one cracks me up -- I look like a blow-up doll.
Now BJ is the blow-up doll.
Atop Mt Jackson, at Indiana Dunes State Park.
The elevation is almost laughable.
At the top of the sand dunes, with Lake Michigan down below.
BJ, trying to make out the Chicago skyline across the water.
Not exactly an attractive background for a beach, but it was quite a popular beach nonetheless.
BJ smokes, with the assistance of the smokestack in the background.
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