Adirondack Forty-Sixers

- Hiking the Adirondack High Peaks -

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! Click the links below to view trip reports

Date	Adirondack 46 High Peaks	Miles	Elevation Gain	ADK   46-R #
6/2/2011	Nye & Street Mountain	8.4	2,500	1-2
6/3/2011	MacIntyre Range: Wright / Algonquin / Iroquois / Marshall	18.6	6,000	3-6
6/4/2011	Great Range Traverse: Marcy / Haystack / Basin / Saddleback / Gothics / Armstrong / Upper Wolfjaw / Lower Wolfjaw / Hedgehog / Rooster Comb	25	8,500	7-14
6/5/2011	Cascade & Porter Mountain	5.9	2,250	15 - 16
6/6/2011	Dial Mountain / Nippletop / Mount Colvin / Blake Peak	18.6	6,000	17 - 20
6/7/2011	Dix Range: Macomb Mountain / South Dix / East Dix / Hough Peak / Dix Mountain	15.5	5,250	21 - 25
6/8/2011	Phelps & Table Top Mountain	13.2	3,000	26 - 27
6/9/2011	Mount Redfield & Cliff Mountain	13	4,500	28 - 29
6/10/2011	Gray Peak / Mount Skylight / Mount Marcy / Mount Haystack	18.2	4,500	30 - 31
7/16/2011	Santanoni Range: Santanoni / Couchsachraga / Panther	16	4,100	32 - 34
7/17/2011	Seward Range: Donaldson / Emmons / Seward / Seymour	21.4	5,500	35 - 38
10/5/2011	Giant Mountain & Rocky Peak Ridge	8.4	4,000	39 - 40
10/6/2011	Mount Esther & Whiteface Mountain	12.8	4,200	41 - 42
10/7/2011	Mount Colden & Algonquin Peak	18.6	5,200	43
10/8/2011	Allen Mountain	18	3,850	44
10/9/2011	Big Slide Mountain / Gothics / Sawteeth	22	6,250	45 - 46
	Spring (31) / Summer (7) / Fall (8)	253.6	75,600	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-crah-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