I had been looking forward to this hike for a long time. I had been saving Gothics and the big three (Marcy, Haystack and Skylight) for the end of my trek. I wanted to finish on a high, literally and figuratively. I also had been looking forward to climbing Pyramid for obviously reasons even though it isn't a technical high peak. This was another hike that I did solo, and I began my trip from the Ausable Club and up the Gothics trail toward Pyramid. The weather was nice and warm, but not too hot with a chance of an afternoon shower. Actually I was going to do this hike in the reverse order to save the best views for last, but because of the chance of rain and the suggestion of the man in the check in shack, I went for the good stuff while the going was good. The sailing was easy up till the trail splits off for the push up Pyramid, then it got steep fast. Lots of rock scrambling to be had here and throughout this hike. By the time I reached the summit of both Pyramid and Gothics the weather was still great, blue skies, with puffy clouds. And, the views lived up to all the hype, absolutely breath-taking! It is easy to see why people call Gothics/Pyramid tops on many lists. I took a good amount of time on top to savor it while I could. Finally it was time to move on and I began my descent towards Armstrong. I'm glad to have my trekking poles and new Scarpa boots because the hike over the Range is as rugged and rocky as they come. There was much grasping, grappling and scooching down and over the rocks boulders and faces. Just as I was approaching Armstrong a short little rain burst started up. Thankfully the rain didn't last, as it would have make the rest of the hike less enjoyable and difficult. On the ridgeline I did have the company of another hiker, also named Dave, who was up from I believe Pennsylvania with a hiking buddy for the week. We parted ways on the top of Upper Wolf Jaws, as I made my way back down Wedge Brook trail and began the long walk back to the car. I was blessed with a great hike over some of the most spectacular mountain in the state today. Three more down, eight left!
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