One of my hiking goals in 2011 was to hike the 46 High Peaks in the Adirondacks Mountains. In the late spring, early summer, and early fall I took three trips and completed my goal. I took a week off in early June and hiked 31 of the high peaks just as the rainy and cold spring weather snapped and was rewarded with seven out of nine days hiking in incredible weather! It took a few days to get used to the muddy trail conditions and some narrow herd paths but all in all it was lots of fun. I did some amazing one day hikes of the Great Range, MacIntyre Range, Dix Range, where I got to experience some of the most phenomenal views I've ever had hiking. In July I came back to ADK's to hike the Western High Peaks (Santanoni and Seward Ranges), once again I lucked out with some great weather and was able to hike 7 more peaks for a total of 38, I really enjoyed the Santanoni Range and didn't think Couchsachraga was as bad as the rep it's given. Finally in October I came back to hike the final 8 remaining peaks on the list and was treated with peak foliage and perfect weather as I hiked all over the eastern, northern, and central high peaks. I had a blast hiking the remaining peaks and even really liked hiking Allen Mountain which has a reputation as being a slog. I finished my 45th and 46th peak in style on Sunday, October 9th by doing a Big Slide/Gothics/Sawteeth Loop and enjoyed every second of it taking in the killer views! I've now completed both the White Mountains and Adirondack 4,000 footers so you might ask which ones are "better" or "tougher," well who cares!!!...They're both awesome, let a bunch of dorks on some hiking forum argue over that and and go coo-coo bananas while I hike up Huntington Ravine in the White Mountains or enjoy the ridiculously steep slabs up to Gothics with my camera in hand!
Click the links below to view trip reports or click here to view image galleries
Click the links below to view trip reports or click here to view image galleries
Date | Click below to view trip report | Miles | Elevation Gain | ADK 46-R # |
6/2 | 8.8 | 2,900 | 1 - 2 | |
6/3 | 18.6 | 6,000 | 3 - 6 | |
6/4 | 25.0 | 8,500 | 7 - 14 | |
6/5 | 5.9 | 2,250 | 15 - 16 | |
6/6 | 18.6 | 6,000 | 17 - 20 | |
6/7 | 15.5 | 5,250 | 21 - 25 | |
6/8 | 13.2 | 3,000 | 26 - 27 | |
6/9 | 13.0 | 4,500 | 28 - 29 | |
6/10 | 18.2 | 4,500 | 30 - 31 | |
7/16 | 16.0 | 4,100 | 32 - 34 | |
7/17 | 21.4 | 5,500 | 35 - 38 | |
10/5 | 8.4 | 4,000 | 39 - 40 | |
10/6 | 12.8 | 4,200 | 41 - 42 | |
10/7 | 18.6 | 5,200 | 43 | |
10/8 | 18.0 | 3,850 | 44 | |
10/9 | 22.0 | 6,250 | 45 - 46 | |
- | - | 254.0 | 76,000 | 46 / 46 |
Hiking down from Wright Peak
Mount Colden from Algonquin Peak
Lake Colden, Flowed Lands, Allen Mountain from Algonquin Peak
Basin, Saddleback, and Gothics from Haystack Mountain
Gothics, Pyramids, Sawteeth from Haystack Mountain
AMR Gate at the beginning of the private Lake Road
Lower Ausable Lake from Mount Colvin
Basin and Saddleback Mountain from Mount Colvin
Blake Peak, Mount Colvin (foreground L to R) and the Upper Great Range (background)
Basin and Saddleback Mountains
Gothics and Armstrong Mountain
It's pronounced Kook-sa-KRA-ga or "Coochy or Cooch" for short
The Seward Range from Pather Peak
Saint Huberts from the Zander Scott Trail
The Central High Peaks from Giant Mountain
Keene Valley and the Great Range from Giant Mountain
Keene Valley and the Great Range from Giant Mountain
Lake Placid from Whiteface Mountain
Iroquois, Algonquin, Wright Peak (L to R) from Mount Colden
Flowed Lands from Mount Colden
Mount Colden from Algonquin Peak
"Walking the submerged planks" across Lake Jimmy on the long path to Allen Mountain
"Panther Gorge" with Haystack Mountain from Allen Mountain
Haystack, Gothics, Sawteeth from Allen Mountain
Sawteeth (foreground) and Giant Mountain with Rocky Peak Ridge (background) from Allen Mountain
Great Range from the First Brother
Johns Brook Valley and the Great Range from the Brothers
Mount Marcy and Haystack from Big Slide Mountain
The Great Range from Big Slide Mountain
Upper Great Range from Big Slide Mountain
Big Slide Mountain from Gothics
Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge from Gothics
Basin Mountain slides from Pyramid Peak
Basin and Saddleback from Pyramid
Giant Mountain from the Ausable Club Golf Course
The Dix Range from Rocky Peak Ridge
Sawteeth and the Great Range from Giant Mountain
Lower Great Range from Giant Mountain
Giant Washbowl and the Great Range from the Zander Scott Trail
Central High Peaks from Whiteface Mountain
Mount Colden and the new slide formed during Hurricane Irene
Basin Mountain from Sawteeth
Marcy Dam before and after Hurricane Irene
"Trap Dike" before and after Hurricane Irene
Mount Colden slides and Trap Dike before and after Hurricane Irene
Mount Colden, pre and post Irene
Basin Mountain, pre and post Irene
Chris, those images you posted of various locations in the Adirondacks are awesome! They make me want to jump in my car and drive over to NYS. I've always been torn in my own mind as to which mountains are the more scenic/picturesque, i.e. the Whites or the Adirondacks. I think it's something for which there is no definitive answer. It's simply too close to call!
ReplyDeleteJohn
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a toss up, the steep slides on some of the ADK High Peaks are beyond impressive and so are the lakes throughout the region. The White's have the the Pemi Wilderness and then the Presi's with all the above treeline views and the massive ravines! Can't go wrong with either place!
We're lucky to have mountains like this in the north east!
Beautiful pics! Mount Marcy was my first ADK peak as well back when I was 13. On that trip bears cut down my bear bag and ate all my food right in front of me. I had forgotten how beautiful these peaks are, this post makes me want to go back!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are so awesome, thanks for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteChris, Awesome job. It may have been your goal for the year 2011, but it should have just been a 3 month goal, because that's how long it took you really. What an incredible accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteDo you know what your next list or journey will be? Have you thought about Trailwrights at all?
Karl
Hey Karl
ReplyDeleteNo idea what I'll do next, maybe hike the rest of the NE 67 next summer. I'd really like to do more bushwhacking in the Whites and explore more of the abandoned trails. Also I want to head back to the ADK's and hike a bunch of those mountains again next year to!
"you might ask which ones are "better" or "tougher," well who cares!!!...They're both awesome, let a bunch of Schmucks on some hiking forum argue over that and while they're on the 4th page of arguing/insulting each other I'll be hiking up Huntington Ravine in the White Mountains or enjoying the ridiculously steep slabs up to Gothics with my camera in hand!"
ReplyDeleteThat is the best quote ever!!! AWESOME!
Congrats on becoming a "Forty-Sixer" I enjoyed following your updates and found your observations interesting and funny! Will you be hiking them in the winter??!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim, glad you like reading the reports.
ReplyDeleteAs for the winter 46, I'm definitely going to do them starting next winter (2012/2013) but instead of hiking over two winters like the Whites, I'll do them over 4 winters. The drive is a lot longer and I'll hold out for exceptional days (minus Street & Nye) so I can get awesome pictures!
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