It starts to get really sparse just before reaching windy gap. Trees are screwed in that area.
I was carrying some tibetan prayer flags because I thought it might be fun to take them to windy gap and let them fly in the wind there. The wind did not dissapoint.
As I was gearing up in the parking lot some one asked me why I was carrying an ice axe. They said isnt that for the snow. I said "You never know when you may need it. but after 3.5 miles of hiking I was starting to wonder myself if it was stupid to bring it. Well I encountered snow and it was for about the last half mile to the summit. Completely covering the trail. This was hard, shaded and wind blasted. I am glad I brought my axe because I used it to chop steps. It worked great.
I made a couple of new friends on the way up. The were taking the Islip ridge trail and I was going through windy gap but we met up on the summit.
This is how my trip ended. My favorite part...
