Adirondack 46ers hiking heaven
What started as as an innocent climb up Mount Marcy almost 16 years ago seems to have turned into a bit of an addiction (I am hesitant to use the word passion). Even though I have been residing in western Canada for the last twelve years smack-dab in the middle of the spectacular Selkirk Mountains the calling of Lake Placid’s Adirondack Mountains has not waned. Their height and grandeur may not match that of the west but their expanse and beauty is definitely right up there. Created in 1892 the Adirondack Park encompasses more than 6 million acres and is larger than several states in New England, bigger even than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon and the Great Smokies National Parks combined. With 46 peaks over 4,000 feet it’s a hikers haven that keeps most people busy for several years exploring, climbing, camping and swimming.
Not quite what we were expecting for wildlife.
This trip was about finally completing the list of 46 peaks. With only Mount Nye, Street, Blake, Colvin and Sawtooth remaining we were determined to take advantage of the good weather and nock off all 5 peaks in just two days. Day one would be a 14km warm up hike to the less than inspiring summits of Nye and Street from the Adirondack Lodge which is the busiest starting point in the park. As you can see from our results below the day would be pretty straight forward. Check out all the stats from this day's hike on our Suunto Moves Count page here.
Basing ourselves out of the lean-to at Copperas Pond (a few kilometres outside of Lake Placid) we were able to day hike all of the peaks on our list and avoid having to carrying our full packs too far into the woods. Copperas Pond is a short .8km hike above the highway where solitude abounds and great views are plentiful.
Day two brought an early 5:30 am start as we knew we had a lot to accomplish. By 8:00 we were on trail and heading to the summit of Mount Colvin which was named for Verplanck Colvin, a lawyer, author, illustrator and topographical engineer and the original surveyor of the Adirondack Park. From the summit of Colvin we could easily see our next objective (Blake Mountain) a short distance away and finally Sawteeth Mountain across the valley somewhat farther afield. After 12 hours of hiking up and down mostly well maintained trails we had completed all three peaks but not after amassing over 32km on trail and 6140 vertical feet of climbing. We were done! and in more ways than one. Exhausted, and with 46 peaks of 46 peaks now complete we wondered what this left for future adventures in the Adirondack Park. Canoe camping trips perhaps in years to come?
Check out all the stats from this hike on our Suunto Movescount page here.
Interested in what I consider to be the best 40 pieces of gear for your next hiking trip or simply what we took on this trip? Then give a click here.
They take their 46 peaks quite seriously here in New York State as you can tell from the photo below…
