Today I got to pass through the famed Adirondack High Peaks. After leaving the Adirondack Loj I made the 1.5 mile detour back to the base of Mt. Van Hoevenberg and headed into the High Peaks via the Marcy Damm truck trail. Marcy Damm is another iconic spot in the High Peaks. From there you can see several of the better known peaks from the valley floor before ascending up into them.
Avalanche Pass is one of the most iconic and most photographed places in the Adirondack Mountains. I had previously only seen it in photos and was dreaming of seeing it in person. It did not disappoint!
There were lots of bridges, ladders and boulders to climb over and around while passing through. It took some caution with a full pack but it was a bunch of fun!
One of the key features is the Trap Dyke. Which was greatly altered when a slide from Hurricane Irene sent piles of debris crashing down into the lake below. The dyke is a popular hike/climb in the area. It’s a borderline 3/4 on the Yosemite Scale. A 3 requiring no ropes or technical gear but some climbing & scrambling. A 4 requiring gear. My limit is about borderline 3/4. I had been wondering for some time if I could handle it. After seeing it in person I have decided I definitely couldn’t do it at this time. Too scary and if it rains forget it.
After passing through Avalanche Pass I also passed through High Peaks landmarks Lake Colden, and the Flowed Lands.
Leaving the LOJMarcy DamMarcy DamBridges and ladders heading into Avalanche PassBridges and ladders heading into Avalanche PassBridges and ladders heading into Avalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassAvalanche PassThe Trap DykeLake ColdenMt ColdenLake Colden DEC interior outpostFlowed Lands
Though it’s not on the Trans Adirondack Route, the Adirondack Mountain Club owns and operates a Loj & campground at Heart Lake in the Adirondacks. Since I have always wanted to see it and it’s only a 1.5 mile side trip. I stopped there for some supplies, a wash, and hopefully some great scenery. It did not disappoint!
I paid for a basic tent site for the evening. Upon checking in and heading to my campsite I was greeted by the campground hosts, Dan and Maureen. They were a couple from Albany and Dan was fascinated by the trip i am taking.
Dan is a 46’r or one who has summitted all of the Adirondack High Peaks, which are the peaks over 4000 feet. He is also a winter 46’r which takes some doing. Dan and I spoke several times throughout my stay here. He picked my brain about the TransADK and I his about 46’ing. They were a very nice couple. I enjoyed talking with them.
I made dinner, set up camp, took a ice cold shower and raced down to the lake to see the sunset. It really was picturesque. I was also able to catch both sunset and sunrise on Heart Lake.
Adirondak LOJAdirondak LOJGlamping at the Adirondak LOJHeart LakeHeart LakeHeart LakeHeart LakeHeart Lake
I awoke in my tiny clearing in the middle of the bush.
I was feeling a little better from some rest and rehydration. The puddle I had camped next to was nearly dried up. I wasn’t expecting that. I dug into the middle hoping that at least some water from underneath would resurface. No luck and the water left was just a bunch of mud which wouldn’t settle. Luckily I filled my Camelback the night before. I hoped it would be enough to get me out.
I was able to get a better signal now that I was on the south side of the mountain. I decided I would use the terrain overlay on Google Maps to try and navigate my way over and down several ridge lines. Tired and not very excited about bushwacking I forced myself to begin. The going was slow and painful but using the terrain overlay on Google Maps I was able to make progress closer to the river where I was eventually supposed to come out.
After about 3hrs of exhaustive bushwacking I came to a clearing. There was a lot of very tall grass and I surmised there was likely water somewhere in there. I stepped carefully in and as I had guessed there was water. I’d have to go around and worse it looked like a uphill on the other side. Very disappointed I set out to whacking around the clearing. As I got to the other side, I once again tripped. This time a fell right onto the grown over road I was looking for. 24hrs later I literally fell out where I was supposed to be.
The road was sunk by beaver activity and it took some more bushwacking but I finally had made it out. Exhausted and quite beat up, my “survival situation” was now a “hike” again? I seriously needed some comforts so I called the Adirondack Mountain Club to see if they had any space at their nearby Loj. They did! 1 tent site left.
When distance hiking after a bad day, the next one is almost always better.
River Road Sentinel RangeRiver Road Sentinel Range
Today was the second mountain of the route and the only high peak, Whiteface Mountain. I had been to the summit by car the week before but would hike up this trip with a full pack on my back. I had bushwacked Catamount Mountain just a few days prior with a full pack so despite Whiteface being significantly taller I was fairly confident with a good amount of effort and hard work is would do just fine, and no bushwacking this climb!
The approach is would take would be from the north east via smaller nearby Marble Mountain. I set out around 8am. I was looking forward to seeing the remnants of the 1950’s ski area described in the guidebook which dotted the landscape of Marble Mountain. It’s fascinating to see nature taking back land it once claimed as its own.
The trail was fairly smooth but was a pretty tough steep uphill with a fully loaded pack. Most backpackers don’t summit mountains with full packs, instead using a base camp for overnight gear and sumitting with a day pack instead. Thru-hikers or distance hikers tend to have to carry it all depending on their route. There are also day hikers who come out just for the day to summit a mountain or two. I had previously summitted many mountains with a full pack when hiking the Appalachian Trail so I was expecting a good amount of hard work.
As I pressed on slow and steady pairs of day hikers, 20 & 30 somethings whipped by me at breakneck speeds, some applauding me for doing it with a full pack. I eventually popped out on Marble Mountain with a pretty nice view but didn’t stay too long as I knew the prize at the top of Whiteface was the really stunning views but also a restaurant with some much better than backpacking food.
After about 3hrs of work I was about three quarters of the way up. I reached the large stone retaining wall that supported the roadway up to the top of Whiteface. This is where the real hard work began. The rocks increased in size building to larger and larger borders. Hiking turned to scrambling hand and knees over the large borders. It was intensive and required some caution due to the weight on my back, but at no time did I feel in very much danger.
Around about the 4hr mark I had done it. The views weren’t all that great as small pockets of rain were passing through. I wasn’t to disappointed since while up by car the week before I had really great views. I was also looking forward to some good food in the cafe.
I headed to the cafe, ate and rehydrated like only a hiker can. I spent 3hrs there and watched dry inside as several small showers passed by outside. I knew I still had quite the task getting down so when it looked like the weather had broke I made a good for it and headed down the mountain.
For those not experienced or do not know, going up the mountain may be a ton of hard work but more often than not its going down that is more difficult & dangerous, most especially with a full pack. As I started down things became difficult quite rapidly. Things were a little wet from the passing showers I had waited out in the cafe, but they weren’t too bad. There were several very, very steep inclines that certainly had me moving very cautiously. Navigating these can only be done by doing what I fondly refer to as the ever so not graceful “but slide ballet”. It took nearly 2rs to get through the trickiest areas but once done it was a nice cruise down to the Whiteface Brook shelter where I set up camp for the night.
The trail up Marble MountainRemnants of the 1950’s ski area once on Marble MountainRemnants of the 1950’s ski area once on Marble MountainLooking south east from Marble MountainWhiteface ski areaWhiteface ski areaClimbing Whiteface MountainClimbing Whiteface MountainClimbing Whiteface MountainClimbing Whiteface MountainClimbing Whiteface MountainAlpine plant near the summit of Whiteface MountainOn the summit of Whiteface MountainFirst course at Whiteface visitors cafe.Descending Whiteface Mountain looking back/up. The “but slide ballet”Descending Whiteface Mountain looking back/up. The “but slide ballet”Camp at Whiteface BrookNo signal in the bathroom here
