Adirondacks High Peaks

[Snitchols]

Here's a thread I've started on a couple other forums. Most of it will be cut an pasted from them and I will update it as I hike more peaks. Feel free to comment.

[Snitchols]

Just recently (late summer '08) a co-worker and myself decided to become "46ers". For those that don't know a 46er is someone who climbs the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks. If I remeber correctly 20 of them are trailless. Around 15 years ago I had about 20 of them completed but never documented any of it so this time around everything will be documented and sent in to the Adirondack 46ers. I'll try and remember to keep this thread updated as well of my journeys.

Here's a link the 46er website:Adirondack 46er (http://www.adk46r.org/)

If you have questions, ask away.

[Snitchols]

October 12th: Cascade & Porter Mountains

We picked up a few more hikers with us today to give it a shot and one of them will attempt the 46 with us. The other two; one is from Singapore and the other has been smoking for 30+ years and he wanted to see how he did. We decided to do these two as they are considered the easiest to do and figured it was the best way to begin our quest to become 46ers.

We left the Albany area around 0500 so we could be at the base of the mountains by 0730 as it was Colombus Day weekend and we figured the trails would be packed. It started out a little chilly (~40F) but 1/2 mile in the fleece was coming off, 1 mile in I was in my t-shirt. All of were winded but George (smoker) was having a tough time and we thought he'd quit; believe it or not he made both peaks and back. approximately 2 miles in we hit the first ledge where you could see some of the surrounding mountains. 1/10 mile after that was the split to Cascade and Porter. We decided to hit Cascade 1st. Once we got to the top of Cascade the view was amazing, a full 360 degree view (only a couple peaks actually have this). After hanging out for 20 minutes or so we decided it was time to get to Porter. Porter was roughly another hike to get to it. Finally we reached Porter around 1130. We hung out there for 20 minutes or so and decided the head back down. I'm sure glad we left early as we passed probably 100-150 more hikers just on their way up the mountain. Most had no right to be there, wearing sneakers, no water or food, wearing jeans and what ever else you can think of not to have or do while hiking. Forgot to mention that it did warm up to around 65 F, so it was a gorgeous day to hike. We ended up getting back at the car around 1:30. Over all we we hike 6 miles in about 6 hours, everybody had a great time.

Here are some pics from the hike:

On the way up
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8ce04b3127ccec5274e2b028a00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Top of Cascade with view of valley below
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8ce04b3127ccec52799ddc3bf00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Here we are at the top of Cascade (Left to Right: TF (Singapore); Dan; myself; George (kneeling); Josh)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8ce04b3127ccec5277ee4836d00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Top of Porter (Left to Right: Josh, myself, TF, George, Dan)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8ce04b3127ccec526192c627200000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

November 1, 2008: Phelps Mountain

Well, we got number 3 under our belts. We ended up doing Phelps Mtn. today. My father, Dan, Josh and myself went. We got to the trailhead around 8:00. The first 3.5 miles of trail was relatively easy and flat, leading us into a false sense of security. the trail did have some snow on it but it was mostly ice and such underneath from people walking on it for days before hand. They received about 12" of snow 3 days before hand. We finally reached the split to where we would have to climb to the top of Phelps. It took us roughly 1 1/2 hours hike the 3.5 miles to the split to get to Phellps. The mile from the split to the top took us 2 hours as the grade to get dramatically increased and the amount of snow increased. We were the first to head up so we were breaking trail through a foot of snow. It was a lot of work and very tiring. A lot of the rocks had ice and because of the snow we were walking on there were a lot of what we call ankle breakers underneath the snow. We finally made it back to the truck around 2:30 with a total trip of around 9.0 miles. to top it off I did thid with a chest cold and sinus infection, yes I'm an idiot and will never do that again. Pics of the hike below.

Pics of the mountains at the Marcy Dam, about halfway to Phelps.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8cf20b3127ccec5d7b40ffd7300000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

Snow is getting deeper the closer we get to the top.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8cf20b3127ccec5d646f35c8a00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

View of other high peaks from the summit.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8cf20b3127ccec5d714e87cf400000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

My dad and I at the top.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8cf20b3127ccec5d7d228fd6700000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[Snitchols]

I put together a slideshow of the 1st trip up Cascade and Porter mtns. and posted on Youtube. What do you all think?

Cascade & Porter mtns. - Adirondacks (Oct. 2008) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLzegXyI9GU)

[Snitchols]

Here's a youtube video of our 2nd trip/3rd mountain: Phelps.

Phelps Mountain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRVkNS6J6rQ)

Sorry for the crappy quality, I'm not sure what going on but it's much clearer when I put it together but youtube must decrease the quality a lot. Does anybody have any experience putting videos together for youtube?

[cwnaturescapes]

awsome trek, I am always on the trail looking for great shots about 9 years ago when i was working out in the oil fields of eastern utah in the small town of cisco off I 70 we where about 60 miles from anything ,I did a 42 mile hike in the utah/colorado bookcliffs , was an amazing trek ,ran into old abandoned coal mines ,and ute indian hyrogliphs along the trek,the third day in i set up camp a bit early because it looked like it was going to rain , so i set my tent and made a small fire and heated up my van camps pork and beans,ate and hit the sack It had rained lightly that evening, and when i woke up (a little after sunrise ) and stepped out of my tent and started to collect and pack up my gear for my decsent down the mountain as i pulled the first stake from my tent i looked down in amazement at a animal track, It was about a 4 1/2 inch mountain lion track,in amazment i followed the track aounnd my tent about three times , the first thing i did was reach for my 22 ruger that i bring when i am hiking solo packed up (very fast) and headed down the longest 8 miles of my life , man was i happy to get home,lol .....nice thread its neat how you have documented your trips ..good luck on the next hike

[Snitchols]

No mountain lions to worry about in the Adirondacks, the bears are the issue. If you camp overnight and don't use bear proof containers you can be ticketed.

If anybody would like to see the slideshows 9hopefully in better quality), PM me your e-mail and I'll try sending them to you that way.

[Snitchols]

The other Phelps video was deleted and updated with a better quality one; although not as good as I'd like to have.

Here it is:
Phelps Mountain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwCZ-kRaatI)

[Snitchols]

Heading out this Sunday (June 7th) to hopefully complete 3 more peaks; Wright, Algonquin and Iroquois. Algonquin is the 2nd highest (5114ft),Iroquois is the 8th highest (4840ft) and Wright is the 16th highest (4580ft). Should be roughly 14 miles round trip. A lot of this well depend on the weather. If it rains we will do one of the trailess peaks (Tabletop) since there won't be any views from the others because of cloud cover.

[Snitchols]

Wright, Algonquin, Iroquois mountains: June 7, 2009

What a long day for our first hike of the year. One individual left Albany around 4:45 am and then picked my father and I up at 5:15 from exit 12 on 87 N. We arrived at the Loj shortly after 7:00 and were on on way by 7:30. The first mile was pretty easy and uneventful up to the split. From the spilt we took the typical route through the Van Hoevenberg Trail. From there we reached the split to Wright and Algonquin (~3 mi) and decided to hit Wright 1st as we heard and figured that if we didn't do that 1st we wouldn't want to finished the day on it as we would be tired. I'm glad we hit Wright first. The drop in temperature from the trail to the top had to be at least 20F difference, it was windy and chilly on the top. After spending a few minutes trying to locate the engine and plaque from the bomber crash on the mtn in the 60's we gave up as it started to rain slightly. We decided to get to Algonquin before it really started. We headed back down and had a quick bite to eat at the split up to Algonquin, the rain had stopped by then. I believe we reached the top of Algonquin by 11:30 and decided to spend a few minutes enjoying the great views of the other peaks all around. We ate lunch and made our way over to Iroquois. The trail to Iroquois was pretty tight and the cripplebush was in it's glory, especially for the one in our party who was wearing shorts. We only lost two people to what we called the Lebrea Tar Pits. My father went in on the way over and back from Iroquois and I went in on the way back. As we reached Iroquois it started to rain again and we could see where it was going to pick up; we quickly snapped a few shots and headed right back to Algonquin so we could head home. By the time we reached the peak of Algonquin (2:00 pm) the rain really picked up which made the hike down somewht challenging as it was pretty rocky. Every one made it down unscathed. We finally made it back to the Loj at 5:00, 11 miles later, a little wet, sore and tired. Over all it was a great trip and it's always a good day to be on the mountains. See some of the pics from the trip below

[Snitchols]

Some views from the trip:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec70639551f5800000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec707c1c73ffa00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec706c2ac5f4400000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

Flower at the top of Algonquin:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec706dbf99eb500000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Type of grass at the top of Alqonquin:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec706004b5fc200000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

Another great view:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec70658575ff200000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Trail pics:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec706fa5fde9b00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec70671de9ec700000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

Top of Wright:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec7076e467fb400000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Top of Algonquin:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec7066c615fde00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Top of Iroquois:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d828b3127ccec707523e7fd200000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

I'm hoping to get a video done this weekend. As soon as I do I'll get it posted.

[Snitchols]

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLffQ_8Oudo

[Snitchols]

Just completed another 5 peaks yesterday (July 12th). Hopefully I'll get the trip report up with some photos by the end of the week.

[Snitchols]

A few weeks ago my friends (3) and I decided we'd hike Dix and Hough but on the Friday before the hike we said let's give it a shot at all 5 with some bail out points along the way in case of weather, flat out tiredness or whatever. We started at the Elk Lake trailhead at 6:30 and was suprised at how wide the initial path to Slide Brook really was. Over all the trail was in good condition with water here and there. Eventually we made it to the slide. After looking at the slide and determing to go straight up the middle, we made it to the peak of Macomb around 9:45. Climbing the slide was eventful because of all the water running down it, causing the sand and rocks on it to be easliy displaced and tumbling behind you. Be sure to leave enough space in between you and your fellow hikers after a rainfall. After a few minutes on Macomb with the views completely socked in by clouds we decided to take the herd path over to South Dix. Overall the path wasn't too bad considering all the rain from the night before. We reached South Dix around 10:40 and quickly decided to head straight towards East Dix. The path to East Dix was pretty muddy. We hit the top of East Dix around 11:45 and spent a good 15 minutes there having a bite to eat and enjoying the views as the clouds finally opened up for us. Taking the path back to South Dix had us arrive there around 12:50. At that point we all felt pretty good so we headed on over to Hough. For some reason that path was brutal for a couple of us; tight, muddy and pretty demoralizing. We made it though and made the final push to Hough with another group. Talked with a 78 yr old gentlemen and couldn't not be more impressed. Good for him! We reached the summit of Hough around 2:00 and had a quick drink before the final push over Dix. That path was pretty tight as well however not as muddy as the one from South Dix to Hough. Finally we reached Dix around 3:50. Some great views from up there. After a quick bite to eat and some fluids we headed back down by way of the Beckhorn. The trail down from here maybe shorter but it is pretty steep. After a banged knee and a few slips from the steepness and mud combined it was a long trek out for me. My knee swelled up and I could wait to get on some flat ground. After making it down to the Elk Lake trail and seeing the sign that still says 3.8 miles makes you go "really, that far". Well the four of us finally made it out and back to car around 8:30.

Overall it was a great trip with a good group of guys who all made it out for the most part safe and sound.

Round trip: ~15 miles
Time 6:30am-8:30pm (14hrs)
Elevation gain:~5200-5300 ft
Peaks: 5 (6 if you count SD 2X)

Pics to come later in the week.

[Snitchols]

Slide to Macomb
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7ca4ee77d7200000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

5 minutes into climbing the slide the clouds really rolled in.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7cbf4d3dc6700000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Trying to open up at the top of Macomb
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7cad78abcfb00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

I'm in there somewhere
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7ca4bd73dd800000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

View from E. Dix
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7cbd73a9c0700000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

Which way is the best?
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7ca09e3bcfd00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Enjoying the views after a long day
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d934b3127ccec7ca2503bc0b00000040O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnii3rE1JhE

Video of the hike.

[Snitchols]

Well we completed another hike yesterday (10 October 2009). Just like the 1st hike in this thread we did this one as another fundraiser for the American Heart Association. We got George to go with us again, this time to the highest peak in NYS, Mt. Marcy. We all met at exit 12 of 87N around 4:30am and reached the parking lot for the trail around 6:30am and logged in for the hike by 7:00am. Overall this trip is around 15.4 miles with the 1st 2.1 miles pretty flat. We covered this 1st 2 miles in under an hour. This is Marcy Dam, from there it's about 5.1 miles to the peak of Marcy and the trail gets steeper from there. We checked the weather forecast throughout the week and all week it called for mid 50's and clear skies. Well, it was wrong. By the time we reached Marcy dam a light rain began and about 2 miles after that it started to snow. Our goal was to reach the peak of Marcy by 12:00pm and with the weather change we pushed it back to 12:30. The closer we got the more the wind picked up and harder it snowed. We got to the false summit of Marcy and the wind was blowing at lesat 50 mph and the snow was now sleet making it feel like someone was lightly pushing needles in your face. My hiking partner (Dan) and I decided to try and reach the peak so we could check it off our list of the 46 high peaks in NYS while the others turned backin seek of shelter and less wind. As we climbed higher the winds got worse (60 mph) and the climbing became more slick and icy. We eventually reached the peak and had someone take a quick snapshot of us at the top. We were up there about 5 minutes before heading down. We carefully made it to the false summit when all of a sudden everything cleared with only winds and cold left. The views were amazing especially with the ice and snowed covered background. We took our time and got some pics. We eventually caught up with the rest of the group at Indian Falls where there some great views as well. We headed back down and reached Marcy Dam by 3:45pm, took a break there and enjoyed the the weather which was supposed tho be there all day, 50 and clear skies. we were back at the car by 5:00. Overall it was a good day with all sorts of different weather. Enjoy the pics.

[Snitchols]

Marcy Dam in the am,rain has started.
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs270.snc1/9717_1238824044961_1060053035_774958_5456906_n.jpg

leaves on the ground
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs250.snc1/9717_1238824164964_1060053035_774961_7177781_n.jpg

2.9 miles to go, if you look close enough you can make out snow flakes.
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs250.snc1/9717_1238824204965_1060053035_774962_748893_n.jpg

Dan and I at the peak.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs270.snc1/9717_1238824284967_1060053035_774964_3223477_n.jpg

Skies opening up
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs270.snc1/9717_1238824404970_1060053035_774967_2721122_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs250.snc1/9717_1238824444971_1060053035_774968_5571676_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs250.snc1/9717_1238824844981_1060053035_774977_4778255_n.jpg

Marcy Dam at end of the day
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs270.snc1/9717_1238825204990_1060053035_774986_197971_n.jpg

[Snitchols]

Video from the hike. At the end of the video of pics is actual video from the peak and false summit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrk_O3nXxBY

[Snitchols]

Finally figured out how to embed the video.

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[Snitchols]

Our first hike of the year included Street and Nye Mtns.. On the trip, Dan R., Dan & Maria M., George O. and Josh R. These two peaks were a back-up to Marshall as the weather report called for rains off and on all day. Once again meeting at exit 12 of 87N at 5:00am we headed due North for our trip to the ADK Lodge. We arrived and all were ready by 7:15 and quickle on the trail. We made great time to the river crossing and had no problem finding the cairn of where we should cross. For the most part rock hopping across was uneventful. After going a ways we came across some beautiful scenercy where the beavers made some dams and had the river backed up. the pictures I took did not do it justice. After another river crossing we found the the old campsite where ther were still cans and pieces of the old cast iron stove strewn about. After a quick water break we kept on trudging along and eventually started to hit some elevation gain while going over, under, and what have you of the blow downs. For this being the first hike of the year we were all doing pretty well and all more than willing to take some quick breaks along the way. Unfortunately all had more water/drinks than I did. Apparently when I threw my pack in the truck in the a.m. the drinking piece of my camel pack came off and emptied the bladder all over the truck. Live and learn I guess. Making good time I believe we reached the split to Nye and Street right around 10:30. We made a quick 10 minute jaunt over to Nye. While there we all had a few handfuls of trailmix and something to drink; took the obligatory summit pictures (no views) and headed back towards the split. Once at the split we headed towards Street. The trail to Street was in pretty good shape with some minor blow down and tight spots but really good for a "trailess" peak. We reached the summit sometime before noon. We did have some trouble locating the summit disk as it was much higher than anticipated. Here's wher we took our lunch break. All had some sort of sandwhich to eat, George had and Italian mixed sub (yuck) and his usual cigarette or two. After hoping for the clouds to clear to get some picks of Algon, Wright and Iro we gave up and packed up for the hike back to the loj. The trip back down was at a good pace and uneventful. Although we did pick on Josh quite a bit for his knack of falling as we hiked backed to the cars on previous trips. Without much hesitation George slipped and we said he pulled a Josh. About two minutes after that Josh pulled a Josh. Eventually George's knee started acting up so the pace got a little slower but we were still moving right along. Eventually we got back to the cars around 3:00. Over all a really good hike for our first two of the year.

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs110.snc4/35875_1465386788888_1060053035_1351155_393633_s.jp g

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs090.snc4/35875_1465386868890_1060053035_1351157_6191244_s.j pg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs128.snc4/36774_1465387588908_1060053035_1351159_3333652_s.j pg

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs148.snc4/36774_1465387708911_1060053035_1351162_5530527_s.j pg

[Snitchols]

video from the Street and Nye mountains hike.
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[Snitchols]

Well, we got another 4 High Peaks under our belts this past Sunday, August 15th. Our goal was to complete 5 but our bodies said we had enough and to go home. Weather called for clear skies and mid 80's all week so we were psyched as this loop of peaks is considered the best for views at the top. Well, not quite the weather we expected as it was overcast and in the 60's at 4:30 am when we met. We eventually arrived at the parking spot and had a 4 mile hike up the private road of the Ausable Club just before we reached the trailhead. We started the hike at 6:20 am. Eventually reaching the trailhead we strated going up right away. We took a quick .1 mile detour to see rainbow falls. Pretty awesome waterfall. We quickly headed back to the split to make the hike to the split for Sawteeth and Gothics. Man o man there was a lot of elevation gain here. We took plenty of breaks. Eventually we reacehd the split around 9:30 I believe. From the split it was .5 miles to Sawteeth with 500' of elevation gain. 1/2 hr later we were at the top of Sawteeth. Absoultely no views what so ever because of all the clouds, we couldn't even see the next mountain it was so socked in. We quickle hiked back down to the split and met a group who was on their way up that had a hiker who was hiking in his bare feet; maybe one of the last surviving hobbits, I'm not really sure. Once at the col we had a quick bite to eat before heading to Gothics, 1.0 mile and 1200' of elevation gain. There were a ton of rock scrambles and slide scrambles to get there. It was pretty brutal. Eventually we made it to Gothics (supposedly in the top 3 of views) and ther was nothing to be seen but clouds and the wind started to pick up. We were there only 10 minutes or so before we made the quick trek over to Armstrong, not much there either but now the winds were up to 40-50 mph so off we went to the next peak. We took some video from here and it's crazy. We quickly got off of Armstrong and headed to Upper Wolf Jaw. The trek over was pretty steep and quite tricky in some spots. There was even a ladder made out of trees and 4x4's to get down a 20' cliff. Eventually we made it to Upper Wolf Jaw and it was at this point we decided that Lower Wolf Jaw was not in our future for the day as we were really tired and spent. We eventually hiked our way back to the private road and made it back to the car at 6:20 pm, exactly 12 hours after we started.

Mountains: Sawteeth (4100'); Gothics (4736'); Armstrong (4400'); Upper Wolf Jaw (4185')
Distance: 15.3 miles
Time:12 hours
Elevation gain: ~5100'

I'm hoping to post pictures and maybe some video in the next few days.

[Snitchols]

Some random pics from our hike.

Big ass ladder we had to climb down
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa61fe9679800000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Rainbow Falls
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa7545586e500000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Tricky section
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa6b6dd276000000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400

Top of Gothics
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa6d32f673800000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Top of Armstrong with 40-50mph winds
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa65c71a68900000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/


sign
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa6d3af67b800000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Trail over to Armstrong
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d604b3127ccefaa6f9fa67f800000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[emartin]

What's the exact location of some of those trails? Is it the type of park where you have to camp at or when you're done you can easily drive out of there?

I got to try out some of those trails, looks fun... There's only one place I can think of in NJ that is even REMOTELY similar to those trails...

[Snitchols]

For this particular hike we had to park next to the main road going into Lake Placid and then hike 4.5 miles on a private road just to get to the trail head. From there it's a lot of elevation gain over rocks, downed trees and etc. The pictures don't even come close to protraying how difficult the hikes are. The picture of me going down the ladder, that ladder is at least 20' straight up and down. The one of me in the tricky section is one where I'm at least 6' above the guy I was hiking with and where I was stepping was only 2-3" wide. All of the High Peaks in the Adirondacks can be done as day hikes but they are very long days, some are 18 miles round trip and that's just for 1 mountain. Others like this hike you can bang out 4-5 mountains but it's a lot of elevation gain. There are some that can be done in 6-7 hours. There are plenty of people that also camp to get a bunch done over a weekend but you have to be careful as you just can't camp anywhere. There are a bunch of rules for camping in the Adirondacks.

This site here gives some great info on the different High Peaks hikes http://www.adirondackjourney.com/

Feel free to ask any more questions.

[Snitchols]

If you get a chance, take a look throught this thread to see what we've done so far. It'll give a little more prespective on the hikes and terrian.

[Snitchols]

I finally got around to putting a video together of the hike.
Nn7qKNAq-qM

[Snitchols]

If all goes well, we'll be hiking Mt. Colden on the 12th of June. Colden is the 11th highest peak in the Adirondacks at just over 4,700'. This round trip will be around 15 miles to complete the hike. It'll be our first hike of the year and we get to see how out of shape we got over the winter.

[Dylz]

nice ive done several in my day including whiteface, haystack, sawteeth, a few others and mt marcy i did i the middle of winter 3 day hike

[Snitchols]

Dylz, once you hike one don't you think it's addicting. Some people think it's a breeze hiking but the Adirondacks can be a great challenge. I hiked a lot of them in my college days but never documented any of them so a few years ago a friend of mine and myself decided to get them all and become a 46r. We are saving Whiteface for last so our families can meet us at the top and celebrate becoming a 46r with us. We don't get out often because we both have two kids and have a lot of family stuff. We try to plan one hike a month over the summer and fall. Take a look through the thread and check out the trip reports/videos I've put together and let me know what you think. I can't wait to get out there.

[triscuit]

Nice! Adirondacks, Appalachians... I hope I'm not too off topic. :beerchug:

I'm training up for Katahdin later this summer- gotta do it before finishing school and leaving Maine. Same with the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. I've just spent the previous week (8 days) outside in Maine, hiking, fishing, and paddling- I wouldn't say it's addictive, but absolutely restorative.

I've done Cadillac, Saddleback, parts of Barren and Bigelow, Black, Dorr and Sargent in the past couple years. If you run out of mountains down there, we've got a few challanges up here in Maine for you! :becky:

Oh, and then there's New Hampshire (loved Chocorua) and oh! We hiked to the northern terminus of the International Appalachian trail last fall...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/60999_1544981537430_1021742439_31575099_2110580_n. jpg

Newfoundland is amazing- Gros Morne National Park has excellent back country excursions, but since I'm a geology geek we picked our way up the Tablelands.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/46746_1536325241028_1021742439_31551259_568248_n.j pg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/46746_1536325161026_1021742439_31551257_7750529_n. jpg

Sorry- getting carried away here. :focusa:

[Snitchols]

Triscuit, great shots there. we've been working on the 46 over the past 3 years and only have 18 completed. We've pretty much exhausted our list of day hikes where we can rattle off more than 2 mountains in a day. From here on out it's 1 maybe two mountains per trip. At that rate we'll still be finishing up in the next 8 years...lol. I think once we finish the 46 High Peaks we'll probably do the Catskill 3500. But who knows.

do you swear at yourself and think what the hell am I'm doing putting myself through this during the hike? I do, but when I'm done it is so rewarding especially after hiking for 12-15 straight hours.

[triscuit]

I get a little nervous at the start- am I fit enough to do it?

About 6 years ago, I did my first solo trip in the Canadian Rockies, hiking between hostels (so, no tent or cookware, but had to bring food and sleeping bag). And that's when I figured out what my pace was, and what my muscles felt like when my stride was right and I rested when I needed. Of course, I still hike with friends whenever possible, but I can increase my endurance and lower the pain by paying attention to what my hips and knees are telling me.

Anytime I've been on a trail with more than 1 guy, it always seems to be a bit of a race between them... Do you find yourself competing with your buddies?

I still have trouble figuring out how much to pack for any given trip longer than 8 miles. Anytime I'm in the boonies I pack first aid, water filter, rain coat, socks and a snack, but either I run out of food, or had 10lbs of stuff I never needed.

What do you have in your pack for different trip lengths?

[Snitchols]

When we go on hikes if it's more than the two of us we normally make the slowest person go first that way they are setting the pace that works for them. If it's just me and the other guy then we switch back and forth, we're not trying to set speed records. So far we haven't had anyone in the group try to out do the others.

As far as what's in my day pack, I probably take more than a lot of people. I have my water bladder in there that holds 32oz of water then I also have two Nalgene containers of water along with 2 of the bigger bottles of Gatorade. I have toilet paper, compass, matches, magnesium and steel, knife, headlamp, extra batteries for the headlamp and my GPS, map (back-up to the GPS), etra socks and shirt(s), rain coat and pants, Aleve, my PBJ sandwiches, trailmix and of course a 1st aid kit. All in all I probably carry bewtween 40 and 50lbs no matter the lenght of the trip.

[Dylz]

Dylz, once you hike one don't you think it's addicting. Some people think it's a breeze hiking but the Adirondacks can be a great challenge. I hiked a lot of them in my college days but never documented any of them so a few years ago a friend of mine and myself decided to get them all and become a 46r. We are saving Whiteface for last so our families can meet us at the top and celebrate becoming a 46r with us. We don't get out often because we both have two kids and have a lot of family stuff. We try to plan one hike a month over the summer and fall. Take a look through the thread and check out the trip reports/videos I've put together and let me know what you think. I can't wait to get out there.

o yeah addicting for sure. its great to get out of the city and hit some real trails. i used to live there as a child for a few years thats how i got to know about the area for the most part. i also was apart of Adirondack experience witch is a program where they take troubled inner city youth into the mtns and learn how to work with others. we did hiking, high ropes course, rock climbing and repelling ect. i have a lot of respect for you going for the 46. let me tell you that white face is one of my faves and is also one of the steepest trails ive been on. on the map we had it said there was a place to sleep towards the top but when we got there i was a tiny little thing big enough for one person to to lay in and nothing else. you will see it and think of me. i think you have a great idea having your fam meet you at the top at the castle to mark your victory over the high peaks, as you will be very tired and want to drive to the bottom. hahaha

[Snitchols]

That little place to sleep was meant for emergencies and I know exactly where it is. as far as riding back down Whiteface, that would be cheating and we'll hike it back down. The one we plan on doing next weekend is very steep. right around 2000' of elevation gain in a mile. We plan on doing it as a loop and will head down that section rather than up it. I would say that so far out of the ones I've reported in this thread was the one where we did all of the Dix range in a day.

[Dylz]

yeah i did whiteface with my dog and gf at the time. we planned to stay the night, summit and head back down. when we got the the shelter we just kept on going haha. have you done marcy yet?

[Snitchols]

yeah i did whiteface with my dog and gf at the time. we planned to stay the night, summit and head back down. when we got the the shelter we just kept on going haha. have you done marcy yet?

Yup, here's the video of the hike with pics and video.

lrk_O3nXxBY

some quick footage at the peak. This was in early October, 2009.

_Hkw2xsDCV8

[Dylz]

nice one! i would like to do it again someday.

[Snitchols]

Well instead of doing the previouslly mentioned hike we did Lower Wolf Jaw instead. Here's a video of the hike with pics to follow. There's not much going on with pics or video as it was very overcast that day which provided for little to no views on a high peak that has little to no views on a clear day.

a2Kd7r7g6K4

[Snitchols]

Some pics from the hike.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262153_2086060065332_1060053035_2371072_883144_n.j pg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270162_2086060305338_1060053035_2371074_6873561_n. jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/269697_2086060665347_1060053035_2371076_1094618_n. jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/268224_2086061785375_1060053035_2371083_5392378_n. jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/263748_2086062105383_1060053035_2371085_859484_n.j pg

[Snitchols]

Another hike coming up this Sunday, July 10th. We'll be hiking Cliff and Redfield mountains. This trip is around 19 miles roundtrip and is rated as one of the most strenuous hikes in the Adirondacks. most people camp overnight to do this hike, we plan on completeing it as a long (very long) day hike. we're guessing at least 12 hrs on the trail.

[Snitchols]

Well, we completed the Cliff and Redfield hike on the 10th. It was a very long day. the trail to get just to the base of the mountains is 7.5 miles in and then we hiked Cliff first which was no easy taks as there was some pretty straight up rock scrambles we had to do. no real views from the peak there as it's completely wooded. After Cliff we hiked back down and then straight over to Redfield. This is a higher peak but a nice "gentle" trail compared to Cliff and other High Peaks. This peak had one spot with some views. Once here, we ate, changed socks and headed back down for the 10 mile trek out. Over all the trip was roughly 18.6 miles, with 5100 feet of elevation gain and it took us 13 hours. some pics below.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283556_2107275875714_1060053035_2405315_3360252_n. jpg

Flowed Lands
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/268779_2107277155746_1060053035_2405323_6156041_n. jpg

Colden Lake
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/262091_2107278235773_1060053035_2405330_5580495_n. jpg

Cliff
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283174_2107279235798_1060053035_2405337_5766276_n. jpg

Algonquin (r) and Iroquois (l) in the background
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/281572_2107279915815_1060053035_2405339_7829919_n. jpg

Obviouslly a long day
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283374_2107281075844_1060053035_2405344_2862468_n. jpg

[Snitchols]

Well, we completed another hike (back in August) and this one was special. Another friend of mine and hiking parnter from time to time actually completed his 46th high peak on this hike to become an official Adirondack 46r. On this day we would complete both Gray and Skylight mountains. We decided to make it a family weekend for all three of our families in Lake Placid. We were able to get up early on Saturday while the families stayed back to do what they wanted while we hiked. We started out on the trail around 6:15 and decided to make a loop of the hike starting with Gray. the hike to Gray was pretty uneventful with a little elevation gain. Eventually we made it to the split for Gray and Skylight. What's cool about this split is this is where the Hudson River actually begins (how many of you actually knew it began high in the Adirondack Mountains). we had a quick break here before we headed up Gray. The hike from the split to the peak was pretty steep and took roughly 45 minutes. There were really no views from here so we took the obligatory shot with the peak marker and headed back down. The hike from the split of Gray and Skylight is roughly 1.5 miles of fairly even terrain so we made quick time. Once we reached the trail up to Skylight we headed pretty much straight up but it was an "easy" up considering other trails we were one. We eventually made it to the top and congradulated Dan on his completion of the 46. We took our time at this peak as it had 360 degree views and wanted to soak in the accomplishment Dan did. the three of us ate lunch and had a 46R Ale brewed by the Lake Placid Brewery to celebrate the occasion. While eating lunch we were trying to figure out if we should head out and over Mt. Marcy (highest peak in NY) or back the way we came. We all decided to go up and over Marcy. Especially the other Dan and myself since the last time we were on it there was a complete whiteout and we couldn't see anything. Up and over Marcy we went to make the long trek back to the car. We arrived back at the car around 6:30 for just over 12 hours on the hike and 19.2 miles later. We headed back into Placid to shower and head to the Lake Placid Brewey to eat and celebrate. pics below

This is where the Mighty Hudson begins:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d638b3127ccefdb305c98e6700000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Peak of Gray:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d638b3127ccefdb3715f8ecb00000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Peak of Skylight, that's Marcy in the background:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d638b3127ccefdb3569ace8500000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Celebrating Dan's 46th, that's Haystack in the background.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d638b3127ccefdb3c8edcebd00000030O00CasnLho0csQ e3nwU/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[Snitchols]

What else was significant about the hike is this puts myself and the other Dan at #23, exactly half way for all 46.