LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2017 LOCALadk Magazine 35 LOCALadk also offers views of the Flowed Lands and Lake Colden, looking south. Continuing the loop, the trail begins to descend over the south face of Colden towards Lake Colden. For the first quarter of a mile, the trail is still above the tree line and you get that "over the ridge" perspective looking down the valley. It is breathtak- ing. Once you arrive at Lake Colden, the trek continues north (left) towards Avalanche Lake. Avalanche Lake is another iconic photographic spot that I have visited often over the years. The reflections on Avalanche Lake can be amazing, and the light is generally diffused, because the lake is in a valley and protected from direct sunlight for most the day. Boulders, decaying timber, and occasionally a DEC boat on the shore are among the subjects that can be photographed. The trek along the lake begins on the southwest side and con- tains ladders, bridges, and massive boulders that make the scrambling challenging. Once you make it on the north side of the lake and are looking south, back onto Avalanche Lake, there is a scene that will make you feel like you just travelled back in time. The tall rocky walls on both sides of the lake along with the snags (dead trees) give an ancient feeling to the scene, reminis- cent a little of Jurassic Park. On my first hike on the loop with Chris, we had an incredible "photo-moment" when a storm began to move in over the lake. This added even more drama to the scene. I fell in love with this view of Avalanche Lake, and I have been back several times, in- cluding at night for astrophotography shoots. At night, the valley is extremely dark and is a perfect spot for taking photographs of the night sky. Moreover, every year there is a moment at the end of summer when the Milky Way aligns at the center of lake, casting a beautiful reflection of the stars on the lake. After Avalanche Lake, the trail returns to Avalanche Pass and to- wards Adirondack Loj. Even though the hike is far from techni- cally difficult, I wouldn't recommend this trek to inexperienced hikers because it is long and challenging. The rewards along the way, however, make every inch worth it. This is one of my favor- ite hikes in the ADKs and one that never lets me get home with empty hands, or empty memory cards. See you on the trail and happy shooting! Hike Facts: aprox. 14.7 miles (including the misery mile) and 3100 feet total ascent. Total time 6 to 8 hours Manuel Palacios is a freelance outdoor photographer based out of the Saratoga County area of Upstate New York. You can find his work at Zone |3| Photography www.zone3photo.com and at Instagram @zone3photo

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