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Having scratched our plans of a deep woods overnighter due to the impending heat wave 
, we thought we’d climb something smaller in stature on Sunday and enjoy some sightseeing from the comfort of an air-conditioned car afterwards. So we (Christy and myself) made the long drive up to Azure Mountain. We arrived about noon to find but 3 cars in the parking area, though there was easily room for a dozen, and a sign by the register that an interpreter was at the summit. Sweet, I thought, I haven’t heard anyone speak Mandarin Chinese in a while. J/K 
We signed in, took a half dozen rocks for the summit and were off. Though it was only 1 mile from TH to summit, you had to earn it this day. My hats off to anyone who was climbing anything bigger or longer on this day, what a scorcher! Had to stop several times to drink all we could to keep hydrated because, though it was a short climb, the ascent was still over 900 feet, a hearty climb in any conditions.
We arrived at the summit and were greeted by the interpreter. I asked, “So you’re an interpreter?” “Yes I am, and what language would you like to hear today?”
Darn! He read my mind! In talking, he’s quite the climber, having completed the NE111 and is a Winter 46er! I hope he doesn’t mind me tooting his horn.
The winds atop were refreshing and the views, spectacular. A group I believe called “Friends of Azure Mountain” has restored the tower nicely. Nice job! If you’re not thrilled by the views from Whiteface, this ain’t the place for you, but I found them to be very nice. There’s a nice ledge not far from the tower to sit and rest in solitude if you wish with a nice view south of Brushy Top Mtn and the West Range. The entire south side of the summit is covered with pre-mature blueberries; they’ll be a delight in a few weeks. Quite a few youngsters (10-ish?) made the trip look easy; I wish youthful energy was contagious. There’s also a pretty neat little rock fracture about ¾ the way to the summit just off trail. I went and stuck my head in to take a look, it was like sticking your head in a freezer being such a shady place between the cooler rocks. I definitely look forward to returning in the fall.
Mods, feel free to make my pic smaller, I'm a hotlink newbie
, we thought we’d climb something smaller in stature on Sunday and enjoy some sightseeing from the comfort of an air-conditioned car afterwards. So we (Christy and myself) made the long drive up to Azure Mountain. We arrived about noon to find but 3 cars in the parking area, though there was easily room for a dozen, and a sign by the register that an interpreter was at the summit. Sweet, I thought, I haven’t heard anyone speak Mandarin Chinese in a while. J/K We signed in, took a half dozen rocks for the summit and were off. Though it was only 1 mile from TH to summit, you had to earn it this day. My hats off to anyone who was climbing anything bigger or longer on this day, what a scorcher! Had to stop several times to drink all we could to keep hydrated because, though it was a short climb, the ascent was still over 900 feet, a hearty climb in any conditions.
We arrived at the summit and were greeted by the interpreter. I asked, “So you’re an interpreter?” “Yes I am, and what language would you like to hear today?”
Darn! He read my mind! In talking, he’s quite the climber, having completed the NE111 and is a Winter 46er! I hope he doesn’t mind me tooting his horn. The winds atop were refreshing and the views, spectacular. A group I believe called “Friends of Azure Mountain” has restored the tower nicely. Nice job! If you’re not thrilled by the views from Whiteface, this ain’t the place for you, but I found them to be very nice. There’s a nice ledge not far from the tower to sit and rest in solitude if you wish with a nice view south of Brushy Top Mtn and the West Range. The entire south side of the summit is covered with pre-mature blueberries; they’ll be a delight in a few weeks. Quite a few youngsters (10-ish?) made the trip look easy; I wish youthful energy was contagious. There’s also a pretty neat little rock fracture about ¾ the way to the summit just off trail. I went and stuck my head in to take a look, it was like sticking your head in a freezer being such a shady place between the cooler rocks. I definitely look forward to returning in the fall.
Mods, feel free to make my pic smaller, I'm a hotlink newbie
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