Topographic map courtesy of Topzone.

TRAILHEAD

SUMMIT

The kids are ready to hike!

The boys posing one last time before we get back to the cars.

The End.

Okay, maybe they’re ready to strike a pose, more than hike...

Starting to get steeper now. Layers are starting to come off some of us.

The trail is steep in some areas, to be sure. There are some roots and buried rocks to contend with, but it’s a pretty good quality trail.

Here the parents negotiate the trickier boulder section with the kids.

The obligatory boot shot. It was a pleasant and unexpected surprise to find an official DEC summit marker on top!

Dad and his boys eat a snack near the summit.

The summit has some bare patches of exposed rock, but there are plenty of long-needle evergreens. There are certainly open views in several directions, so we explored around the top for a while.

The view of the distant high peaks region. Mt. Marcy is the tallest one in the center.

Armstrong, Gothics and Saddleback.

Gothics, Saddleback, Basin in the distance, with Scarface in the foreground.

Mt. Marcy; looks like she got some snow overnight...

Jen and Nate, with McKenzie Pond below.

McKenzie Pond below.

The entire group of us, from L to R: Lexi, Andy, Karen, Collin, Laurie, Matt, Justin, Myself, Alex, Jen, Nate and Josh out in front.

The kids love to pose.

The official summit marker.

Looks like rain is coming out over Ampersand Mountain.

The view down to the village of Lake Placid and Lake Flower, (middle). The pond in the foreground is Moody Pond.

Our family picture.

That first step’s a doozy. Watch the little kids around the drops!

The kids on the way down the mountain.

Alex balancing on a boulder.

A natural shelter or lean-to!