Estimated mileage: 15.5 miles
Estimated total ascent: 4550 feet
Total trip time: 11h00
Total ADK-46 peaks thus far: 22

Chris and I spent our Independence Day just getting away from it all. The original plan was to just do Sawteeth and Gothics, with an outside chance of Armstrong. We would go up to the col between Sawteeth and Pyramid and then eventually come down the Alfred W. Weld trail. Or so we thought.

We set off at 8am and made good time. We were soon at the Ausable Dam on this overcast day. As long as we were there in a moist climate, we diverted over to see Rainbow Falls. Standing here was like standing in an Amazon jungle, with the dazzling greenery and a mist spraying us nonstop.

Soon afterwards, we began the ascent to the col. Overall, this trail went smoothly and uneventfully. Nearing the col, it began to rain, but not for long. We were originally going to leave our packs here and rush over to Sawteeth and back, but for some reason we brought our packs with us. Sawteeth, as luck would have it, would be the best view of the day.

We made good time getting back to the col and up onto Gothics. However, just as we neared the col between Pyramid and Gothics, a cloud rolled in at elevation. By the time with had gotten to Gothics, the visibility Northwest was nil (Southeast was not much better).

As we proceeded as planned towards the top of the Weld trail, we were met with a soaked ridge line. The trail was rife with mud and puddles. At the junction, we opted to at least peak Armstrong while we were there and making good time. The trail from the junction to peak was somehow wetter! As such, we decided that we had the energy and time to simply press on. Soon enough, we were on Upper Wolf Jaw. The clouds had eased slightly, but visibility was still small.

The remainder of the trip seemed longer than it should have, especially the descent from the Wolf Jaw Notch to the Ausable River trails. The traffic was crazy back at the parking lot, but then again, there was some kind of event for the Fourth going on at the Clubhouse.

Overall though, this was an exciting day. I had never done four High Peaks in one day before (unless you count going over Macomb, Carson, Grace, and back over Carson). Also, I had never had bad weather for High Peaks hiking either (fortunately, I was prepared). I understand that I must return to Gothics on a clear day, as it would have been the best view of all the peaks.