PDA

View Full Version : Adirondacks Trip



Barrel Roll
07-31-2006, 23:53
Hi all,

I decided to take a 5 days off and go hiking in the Adirondacks since i've never really been and wanted to go out backpacking for 4 days or so. If anyone has any experience with the trails out there, is there a really nice 40mile section that would have some nice peaks, good views, and some good swimming holes? Just looking to take it easy and enjoy the outdoors. Any advice on what trails to take, where to park, good shelters would be appreciated. Can't wait to get out there since it'll be the only significant backpacking trip of the summer.

Darwin again
08-01-2006, 00:36
I'd recommend heading south from Lake Placid down Route 73, I think it is, a few miles to Adirondack Loj road, then turn south. Go to the end of that road to Adirondack Loj where you'll find parking (for a fee) and a backcountry lodge with campsites. The Loj is a couple of miles from Heart Lake, which is a good hub point to start any number of traverses or loop hikes of the rugged ranges of the High Peaks, Mount Marcy, the Great Range, the MacIntyre Range. These are challenging routes, matching or exceeding anything in the Whites of NH. The folks at the Loj High Peaks visitor-type center should be able to answer any questions you have. When I was there, there were free hot showers at the visitor center. May be a fee now.

I'd advise picking up a High Peaks guide book either at a shop in Lake Placid or at Adirondack Loj ... the trail/terrain map in the back of the book should be considered critical gear. Filter every drop, 2 microns, giardia is real up there.

I spent 10 happy years hiking in the Adirondacks and I haven't been back in waaay too long. I understand that in recent years, bear cannisters have become mandatory. When I was active up there, the bears were extremely talented, especially at the campsites around Heart Lake.

It's beautiful and ruged terrain and the views will be great if you have great weather and dramatic if you get somewhat foul weather. Beware rock ledges in fog. It's not like the AT at all ... but more like actual wilderness that demands care and planning and intelligent execution.

Black flies shouldn't be such a problem in August or September, in fact, this is a great time to be going up. Perhaps a couple of loop hikes, taken slowly for savoring the experience, based at Adk Loj, would be the ticket. A few good individual peaks to climb are Giant Mountain, Cascade Mountain and Dix. Hope your wind is good...one time I used an inclinometer to measure the rocky trail on Dix to be 45 degrees. But then I lay in the moon light, above the clouds, all night and listened to jazz from a radio station in Montreal. Then, in the morning, the sun came up through and over clouds above Lake Champlain and over the shoulder of Giant Mountain. Stupendous.

Enjoy and be ready for some tough climbing and amazing views. The greens and blues up there are just surreal. My spirit still lives up there...:D

Darwin again
08-01-2006, 00:43
A picture of typical Adirondack terrain: Algonquin and Wright peaks (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12280&c=514).
Enjoy!:sun

txulrich
08-01-2006, 10:15
Hi all,

I decided to take a 5 days off and go hiking in the Adirondacks since i've never really been and wanted to go out backpacking for 4 days or so. If anyone has any experience with the trails out there, is there a really nice 40mile section that would have some nice peaks, good views, and some good swimming holes? Just looking to take it easy and enjoy the outdoors. Any advice on what trails to take, where to park, good shelters would be appreciated. Can't wait to get out there since it'll be the only significant backpacking trip of the summer.

When I was through there 7-8 years ago, I had never seen so many people in a wilderness are in my entire life. The trails refelected all of that usage as well. We hiked from rock to root to rock. It was brutal. I would recommend that you stay away from the more popular areas like Mt. Marcy. Do go to the Loj area and pick up a map and a trail guide. Or better yet, get them ahead of time and plan your trip. REI or EMS may have them. The Adirondaks are a beautiful area in upstate NY. I'm sure you can find some less traveled paths!

Barrel Roll
08-01-2006, 12:01
When I was through there 7-8 years ago, I had never seen so many people in a wilderness are in my entire life. The trails refelected all of that usage as well. We hiked from rock to root to rock. It was brutal. I would recommend that you stay away from the more popular areas like Mt. Marcy. Do go to the Loj area and pick up a map and a trail guide. Or better yet, get them ahead of time and plan your trip. REI or EMS may have them. The Adirondaks are a beautiful area in upstate NY. I'm sure you can find some less traveled paths!

I've got all the maps - currently an EMS employee :). I would definitely like to be in a less crowded area, and was hoping that someone here would have a good recommendation for a 40 mile stretch/loop that wasn't as well known but still gorgeous. Thanks for all the help so far.

Blue Jay
08-01-2006, 12:11
Almost any part of the Northville-Placid Trail is great. If you only want to do 40 miles, I'd do the northern part. You will thank me if you do. I hiked it last in August and saw no one. If you hike it right there is a lake or pond every night.

Ender
08-01-2006, 12:47
Check out the Avalanche Lake area trails... there's a few. Mt. Colden is near there, and I think Marcy isn't too far off either. It's just a fantastic area, and if you do the loop around the lake you're sure to be happy... it's beautiful.

Darwin again
08-01-2006, 13:47
Weekends can be bad in certain high traffic areas ... but you don't have to go far off the beaten track to get solitude. The peaks draw the crowds, but for a reason. Avoiding the main routes between parking areas and the big peaks would reduce your contact with others by magnitudes. You can easily cobble together a fully satisfying loop hike using the high peaks map as your guide.

Checking my map, I see a great loop: Insert at Old MacIntyre Furnace (from the south, road up from Newcomb) --> take the Opalescent River trail (yellow) past the Mount Adams Trail up to Lake Colvin-->red trail toward Skylight then whatever trails across Marcy to Little Haystack-->across the Great Range to Lower Wolfjaw then down to the John's Brook Lodge area-->on to Adk Loj and Heart Lake-->trail south to Indian Pass, then south back to where where you started. That's a 36-mile loop. (I cringe at the prospect...)

If you survive, you'll have an unforgettable hike.;) You might consider doing that loop, but starting at the Loj parking area if you'd like bail-out options. It's a long walk back to Old Mac Furnace if you get, uh, bored. Or if you just jam and finish early, you'll want/need easy access to the ville of Lake Placid for the comforts of a real town. (Newcomb is tiny, tiny and not near anything or anyplace.)

bear in mind that the terrain isn't anywhere as easy as the AT. The rocks and roots are no joke -- and their condition is not primarily a function of hard usage, but are simply the normal state of affairs up there. In many places, the woods are too thick and tangled to even venture off trail for any distance without getting beat up, bloody and tired out. Hikers have been known to fall injured just a stone's throw from a main trail and have would-be rescuers walk past them without being seen.

Then again, the northern part of N-P trail sounds like a good bet. A linear hike might fit into an AT hiker's sensibilities more easily than a classic High Peaks traverse, but whatever -- it's all good.

Sorry for the long post and I hope this helped ... I loves those ADKs.:D

Darwin again
08-01-2006, 13:55
Looks like that loop gives you everything you were looking for, views, peaks, lakes and streams, shelters (check the map) etc...

Toolshed
08-01-2006, 15:00
BR,
If it hel;ps, I used to maintain some lean-to's in the HighPeaks and have been a long time ADK climber/backpacker -

What you will find is that if you focus your time in the Central High Peaks area (even midweek) you will find a lot of people, but also spectacular views. It encompasses roughly a square from I-87 West to around Macnaughton and Wallface Mountains and from Lake Placid or Whiteface Mtn South to the Dix Range.

If you focus on the West-Central or South-Central areas you will find fewer folks and fewer high peaks magnificent views (except you will be looking at the high peaks from the smaller mountain tops, rather than looking at the surrounding mountains from the high peaks.)

I do agree that the Northville Placid Trail from Long Lake N to Lake Placid is spectacular - Especially the Cold River Valley, but it is a lowland trail and doesn't really take you near any high peaks except the back sides of the trailless peaks. There is also a lot of blowdown and mud through there (was up in the vicinity last weekend).


If you really don't mind lots of blowdown, deep (really deep mud) and overgrown trails and wicked steep ups and downs, I would also recommend again starting at Upper Works/Tahawus (The 3 easiest ways to get to the Central HPs are from the South - Tahawus, From the North ADK Loj and from the East - The Garden) and heading to flowed lands via Calamity Brook and then perhaps heading over Colden and down via Lake Arnold thru Avalanche Camp to Marcy Damn and then base-camp at Marcy Dam for a night and do a dayhike around via Whales Tail to Algonquin & Wright (Iroquois if you want as well) and then from Marcy Damn, head up the Van Hoevenberg and make a left at Indian Pass (Not as many folks come through here) - you can stop that the Loj/High Peaks info Center on the way through if you were so inclined...
Anyways - Take Indian Pass (Spectacular trail) past Wallface and out to Henderson Lake (New LT there). That's 20 miles. You can either head to your car and head out (or grab more supplies) or turn right and head up to duck Hole and intersect with the NLP and head South (on the North side of Cold River to Shattucks Clearing, turn Left and come back to Duck Hole via the old horse trail on the South side of Cold river and then follow the trail back from Duck hole to Henderson Lake and back to your car. that is about another 25 miles.

These loops will give you a vastly different flavor to the Adirondacks - each with its own flavor and also allow you to change plans in the event you find the blowdown, mud and terrain more of a challenge that what you were looking for.

I would also invest in a good pair of OR Croc Gaitors and plan to wear sturdy boots, rather than the typical AT trail running Shoe that so many of us now wear.
Cheers

gumball
08-01-2006, 18:59
www.adkforum.com You can also try this website--similar to whiteblaze (not that anything really compares!), but revolves around hiking the Adirondak region. Very helpful folks.

paddler
08-01-2006, 20:22
i saw not too long ago that you need bear canisters in parts of the high peaks area. you may want to chack into it

gumball
08-01-2006, 21:31
i saw not too long ago that you need bear canisters in parts of the high peaks area. you may want to chack into it

Yes, there was a lot on the ADK forums some time ago (and maybe still, haven't been there in awhile) regarding the aggressiveness of the bears in that area--they are very used to people, as they have quite unfortunately been fed by them. We all know how that ends--but I do remember a couple of stories about bears coming right up to people and scaring them off their own food.

That's one of the reasons we don't hike there very often.

Toolshed
08-01-2006, 23:04
Sorry, I should have mentioned about the Bear Canister requirement in the High Peaks Wilderness areas now (BTW, I am "Rick" on the ADKForum).
Bears have become quite problematic and you are now required to carry a bear canister as well as a permit. Permit can be obtained at either of the 3 trailheads Imentioned in my earlier post. If you don;t have a bear canister, you can stop at the Loj and rent one, as well as "The Mountaineer" in Keene Valley. I beleive EMS in Lake Placid may also rent them.
Cheers

MOWGLI
08-02-2006, 07:40
Almost any part of the Northville-Placid Trail is great. If you only want to do 40 miles, I'd do the northern part. You will thank me if you do. I hiked it last in August and saw no one. If you hike it right there is a lake or pond every night.

Ditto! Just back from Lake Placid to Lake Durant - approximately 50 muddy miles in 5 days. Great trail! Awesome swimming! Especially Duck Hole, Millers Falls, and Long Lake. We spent our last night at Tirrell Pond. WOW!

You could start at Lake Placid and exit at Long Lake making a 40 mile hike. PM me if you want more info. I leave for the JMT on Monday August 7 however.

PS: I carried a bear cannister - but encountered no bruins. There is allegedly a very aggressive sow near Long Lake. She has become habituated to humans and regularly steals food. Or so I am told.

Barrel Roll
08-02-2006, 08:38
Some awesome advice - it's starting to look as if I should be doing that northern stretch of the Placid/Northville trail. I heard that Indian Pass was also gorgeous from a customer who does a lot of hiking down there and am looking into the loop Toolshed suggested.

I've never hiked with a bear canister - where do you put it in your pack? I will probably rent them from the Lake Placid EMS. Is it a real pain in the you-know-what to hike with that thing?

Barrel Roll
08-02-2006, 08:43
And i'm not too concerned about bagging high peaks... looking mostly for great scenery and good swimming : ). Not to say I wouldn't love going over a few mountains but it's not my #1 priority.

Thanks for all the help thus far, guys!

neighbor dave
08-02-2006, 08:46
looky here!!!
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/:sun

sirbingo
08-02-2006, 11:34
Check out these panoramic views I took from the summit of the Gothics.

Not a road or house in sight!!!


<O:p
http://www.geocities.com/rshandroff/high_peaks/index.html

*** Make sure you use the scroll bar on the bottom to get the full effect! ***

MOWGLI
08-02-2006, 12:00
I just added about 8 pix from my trip last week along the NP TRail. Enjoy!

MOWGLI
08-02-2006, 12:06
Word to the Wise:

Anyone expecting a trail maintained to AT standards when hiking the Northville Placid Trail will be sorely disappointed. There is lots of mud, the trail is nearly obscured for miles in places, it is not brushed out at all for miles in some places, beaver dams built in the middle of the trail create situations where you have to bushwack around obstacles, and then there is the bugs.

What I'm saying is that this trail is not for everyone, but for those willing to work for it, there is blessed solitude and incredible beauty awaiting you. I heard Loons three out of four nights on the trail, and saw sign of Moose (tracks). I can't wait to go back and continue south from where I left off.

Blue Jay
08-02-2006, 12:08
Word to the Wise:

Anyone expecting a trail maintained to AT standards when hiking the Northville Placid Trail will be sorely disappointed. There is lots of mud, the trail is nearly obscured for miles in places, it is not brushed out at all for miles in some places, beaver dams built in the middle of the trail create situations where you have to bushwack around obstacles, and then there is the bugs.

What I'm saying is that this trail is not for everyone, but for those willing to work for it, there is blessed solitude and incredible beauty awaiting you. I heard Loons three out of four nights on the trail, and saw sign of Moose (tracks). I can't wait to go back and continue south from where I left off.

You just explained exactly why it's sooo great.

Darwin again
08-02-2006, 18:31
Definitely not for everybody. I had done all of my major backpacking and learning to backpack in the Adks prior to walking on the AT. Before I began the AT, I said to myself, "Self, if the AT never gets harder than the hardest hikes up there, I'll be just fine." (I was thinking of the slide trail up Dix.)

And I've been just fine. Moose, beaver, pine marten, impenetrable underbrush, mud, bugs, rocks and roots, bogs, oh my. need gaiters, need compass, need emergency gear. oh my.

blindeye
08-02-2006, 19:41
darwin again is right on the money! i lived in port henry and essex new york. once you go across the NORTHWAY you know you are in GOD'S country have a nice time in the north!!

Toolshed
08-02-2006, 21:27
Another nice thing about the NLP is that you will probably talk to more folks on this thread than you will meet on your trip thru - It is that isolated!

BTW, PM me with your email address and I will forward you a spreadsheet with all points and mileages on it (good for planning) and also the article about David Boomhower - A would be thruhiker who got lost and died on the NLP around 1990 - It is a great read
Rick

Mother Nature
08-02-2006, 23:10
I grew up in the Adirondacks and all the previous posts have brought back some pretty spectacular memories. All good advice! If solitude is a priority I agree with everyone else that leaving from the Adirondack Loj and the Marcy Dam area is like taking a vacation in downtown Atlanta. I would stick to the St Huberts side or the southern access trails. My personal favorite is the Great Range with the spectacular views.

What ever you decide you can't find a more beautiful place on earth. I agree with who ever posted that after finishing my ADK46er mountains I felt I was ready for just about anything the AT could toss at me. :D

Mother Nature