Third Time's a Charm on Mt. Jo

My father, Bill Beck, halfway up Mt. Jo

Mt. Jo (2876 ft)

Difficulty: Moderate
Date of Summit: 10/30/2008
Trailhead to Summit of Jo: 1.2 miles
Trip Time: 2.5 hrs
Ascent: 710 ft

It took me three tries, but I finally took the easy, more enjoyable way up this mountain. Accompanied by my father, Bill Beck, we climbed the back side of Mt. Jo, which was much, MUCH more gradual than the short and steep version that I had experienced in the first and second ascents. After dropping my mother, Kathy Beck, off in the Adirondack Loj for a few hours of serious reading and relaxing in their lounge, my father and I began to tromp through the 6-inch deep snow (that's right - six inches in late October!) towards the trailhead. While we knew that our route would be the longer and more gradual trail, we were still concerned about the snow. As we passed the off-shoot to the short, steep route, we knew that we had made the right decision, for there was not a footprint to be seen on that portion of the trail.

Icicles made of...?

As we slowly climbed around the backside of the mini-mountain, we came across some beautiful icicle formations which appeared, due to their color, to have a substantial amount of iron in them (that's my guess at least). We joked that perhaps this water source was not from a pure mountain spring but perhaps an extremely large animal who just couldn't hold it anymore. We felt lucky to have poles and crampons, for we didn't fall or slip even once on the climb, up or down the mountain. We passed one couple who was resting along the trail, which meant that the duty of blazing the trail through the untouched snow was now our burden, which we gladly accepted. This situation also meant something else - we would be the first people to reach the summit that day, which is always an extra bonus for any hiker.

The clouds rolling over Algonquin

By the time we reached the top, the clouds had left the immediate area, leaving us a nice and open view that could be seen until roughly just before the very top of Algonquin. This allowed for some wonderful pictures (of which we took many, for this was my father's very first Adirondack hike!). As we began to dig into our summit snacks of pretzels and summer sausage, the party we had passed earlier arrived to join us at the top of Mt. Jo. With their help, we snapped a few more pictures and made a call on their cell phone to my mother (we knew that she was worrying about our lives and talking to the ranger about "emergency mountain rescue" at that very moment, just 700 feet below us).

Atop Mt. Jo

Twenty minutes later, we were back on the trail, heading down to my anxiously awaiting mother in the Adirondack Loj. The descent was extremely easy. The six inches of snow made every step feel as if the ground was reaching up with a pillow to cushion your impact, thus easing your joints. Since the temperature wasn't too cold, it was nearly the perfect conditions for a hike in the late (snowy) fall. Having done this mountain three different times now, I can honestly say that it never gets old - the view, the trail, and the company is always changing, which keeps things extremely interesting!

Six inches of snow in October

Return to Mt. Jo

Mt. Jo from Below

Mt. Jo (2876 ft)

Difficulty: Moderate (the climb was steep, short, and sweet)
Date of Summit: 5/29/2008
Trailhead to Summit of Jo: 1.2 miles
Trip Time: 1.5 hrs
Ascent: 710 ft

On the same day as we stood atop the mighty Mt. Jo, there was an equally impressive feat accomplished 55 years earlier (perhaps a touch more important than our ascent?). In 1953, on the other side of the world and about 26,000 feet higher than we stood, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay were the first humans to summit Mt. Everest, the world's tallest mountain. I like to think that I could hear the spirit of Sir Ed whispering in my ear as I made the final push to the summit while struggling for oxygen through short gasps of air. Although the whispering was probably the wind and the shortness of breath was probably directly related to the head cold I was battling, it was still a great hike on Thursday, May 29th .

Suzy Murr, Me, Greg Murr, and Jim Murr atop Mt. Jo

The main reason for its greatness was due to the company I was in. My wife, cousin, aunt, and uncle all were along on this hike with me, making it a truly special experience. Suzy and Jim Murr, my aunt and uncle, had come from Ohio to pick up their son (Greg, my cousin) in New York. Greg had just flown in from Berlin, Germany, where he is currently living. The Murrs were nice enough to "stop by" and visit us on their way back to Ohio ("stop by" means driving SIX HOURS OUT OF THE WAY TO SEE US - now THAT'S what I call family!).

View of Heart Lake below

Once we were on the trail, the Murr Party had the choice between the short/steep/brutal trail or the long/gradual/easier trail for the ascent. Being extremely fit and optimistic, there was a unanimous decision for the short 'n' brutal trail. With only one or two stops to catch our breath on the way up, we had ascended the peak like champions! It was a beautiful day with beautiful trail conditions - the hordes of black flies were the only problem on this hike, and even they weren't that much trouble. What really surprised me was that we didn't see another person the entire time we were on the trail!

Emily Bennett Beck, Suzy Murr, Greg Murr, and Jim Murr atop Mt. Jo

After multiple photo ops and a nice water and snack break at the top (Thank the Lord for Newman O's!), we promptly began our descent down the more gradual trail. All in all, our hike was short and sweet, resulting in a great cardiac challenge and fantastic views. Upon reaching the finish line, my cousin Greg immediately shed his shoes and took advantage of the cool water of Heart Lake. This was definitely one of the more enjoyable hikes that I've been on in the ADK's, and much of that was due to the company I was with!

My cousin, Greg, cooling off in Heart Lake after the hike