Carrauntoohil, the highest peak in Ireland
The Coomloughra Horseshoe is a loop hike over the three highest peaks in Ireland. We hiked this route on a day with perfect weather gracing the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks in County Kerry. The horseshoe shaped glacial valley surrounded by these three peaks contains 3 lakes. The largest of these, Coomloughra, gives the route its name. The horseshoe loop reminds me a little of the Franconia loop in New Hampshire, but there is much more exposure to heights on the Irish version of the knife-edge. There are fantastic views all around. The full hike includes about 4200 feet of elevation gain and 8.5 miles of walking. Continue reading
for outdoor attractions and some great hiking. We also spent a little time on a personal quest visiting the house my grandmother grew up in and finding a great craft brewery in the town my great grandfather was from. 
We led a mixed group of Catskill 3500 Club aspirants and ADK members to these two “bushwhack” summits. The day started out quite warm in the morning but got progressively cooler and windier, especially at the summits where temperatures were in the 40’s when we got there.
We participated in a day doing trail maintenance work on the Brothers Trail on Big Slide Mountain. The Long Island Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club adopted this trail decades ago and has been organizing annual work trips ever since. The results of their efforts are obvious when you hike this well maintained trail with spectacular views of the Great Range from “The Brothers”.