ricketts glen
I hiked Ricketts Glen with a friend today. We made the plan two weeks ago wagering the weather would stay as warm as it was then, a bet we lost. We knew there had been snow and a temperature drop so we came layered. He picked me up and we arrived early afternoon then spent two hours hiking out and back. The loop around the upper branches by the larger waterfalls is closed for the season except for ice climbers and experienced hikers. We left our crampons, ice ax, and rope at home so we didn't make it up there. A posted warning indicated a section is fully closed to all due to a rock ledge collapse so we wouldn't have made it there anyway. Still we passed 46 people and 8 dogs. We pulled over around the halfway point to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on top of one of the waterfalls we could visit.
I almost fell asleep on the drive home and did so soon after making it back. I played with the dogs then we curled up on the couch for a short nap. What I thought was 20 minutes was a solid two hours. I had two hummus and cucumber sandwiches then went out for a round with neighbors. The bar closed early as we were leaving. I played with the dogs some more then reattached myself to the couch before finally getting up to write.