NY > Adirondacks

[hutzelbein]

I'm planning to spend 2 weeks in the Adirondacks starting in a couple of days (probably around Monday July 22nd).

Anybody interested in joining me for a hike? Can be a day hike, can be a multi-day hike. I'm open to suggestions.

Also I would be interested in hearing which hikes you can recommend. I'm still reading through various websites, but suggestions of other hammock hikers carry more weight :)

Thanks!

[jerzybears]

Big fan of the Northville Placid trail. Plenty of places for a hammock.

[DuctTape]

PM incoming.

[hutzelbein]

Thanks!

I should have added this: I'm not a very experienced hiker, yet. Willing to learn, though. I don't go ultralight although I'm trying to keep the weight down. I have mostly done day hikes up to now and only a hand full of multi-day hikes (most without a hammock due to circumstances). The most miles I hiked in one day was around 14 and I'm not sure if I would be able to keep that up more than two days - but I'm working on it :)

[nothermark]

Let DuctTape set you up with hikes but hit the Museums at Blue Mountain Lake and Tupper Lake. BM is Adirondack History, Tupper is Natural History of the area.

[hk2001]

Mount Marcy is a nice hike, 1 day hike for most people, but I stretch it to 2, that way, you can actually pay attention to the area you're hiking through.

Giant Mountain is one of my FAVORITE hikes in the 'daks (granted, I've only been up 29 of the 46 high peaks, so I'm not an expert by any means)

One of the BEST references that ever existed for the Adirondacks was Adirondackjourney.com the sites creator, Joel died 2 and half years ago.

His son swore to continue the website, but eventually gave up, and shut the site down :eek:

Thanks to the wonders of the internet however, nothing on the web ever goes away.. Using the library of congress' "Way Back Machine" allows you to Find Adirondack Journey (http://web.archive.org/web/20110511183903/http://adirondackjourney.com/) once again.

Be warned however: a lot of areas were damaged during Tropical Storms Irene and Sandy, so the step by step trail instructions may not be 100% spot on.

[hutzelbein]

Thanks a lot! I'm still busy doing research and internet access is spotty.

I heard Mt Marcy is pretty crowded? But maybe not if I do it during the week. Seems crowds are way bigger on the week-ends.

DuctTape recommended I get the National Geographics map of the area. I guess there will be lots of hikes on there, too. He also recommended 2 multi-day-hikes which I will be doing.

If you can recommend additional day or multi-day-hikes, please do. I hope to do get in a lot of hiking :) And I'll check the Adirondack Journey website, too.

I saved the museums on Goolge Maps. If I pass by, I'll try to make time for it.

[nothermark]

If you do any canoeing you might also try St. Regis Canoe Outfitters at their Floodwood road base - it's on a portage into a motor free paddling/camping area. More or less rent and go:

http://www.canoeoutfitters.com/trip-planning/routes/middle-branch-st-regis-river-santa-clara-flow-section

The High Peaks is the "go to" spot because of the mountains and Lake Placid Village. OTOH the park is full of places to hike if you are not focused on climbing and crowds. There is a shelf full of books on hikes in the area. Ditto maps.

I assume you are going in the east side. If you do come out the SW corner through Old Forge and you will get a pretty good tour of the area. There is a lot more to the park than the high peaks. You can get maps and books at any of the gateway villages.

[hk2001]

I agree on the maps, i own nat geo's maps, and their software for the 'dacks. Each one is invaluable.

Which 2 multidays did he recommend? I've yet to make it up there this year, but when I finally do, a multiday is first on the list.

Marcy is packed all the time. Summer, winter, days, nights. Etc.

And I would suggest a quick tour of the Olympic village in Lake Placid.. Hosted the winter games twice, and it is where the "miracle on ice" happened. But I' m a hockey fan :-)

[oruacat2]

Hutz - I'll be up that way in mid-September, most likely in the Moose River Plains, somewhere along that Cedar Flow Road. I think the NPT passes near there - if anyone has any suggestions for good campsites in that area, I'd appreciate it. I've got a few tips from some guys on the ADK forum, but I'm always open to suggestions.

This trip will be mostly basecamping/carcamping with lots of dayhikes, though I'll have a small pack along for an overnighter if there's something nearby that just shouldn't be missed.

Thanks and happy trails!

ps - thumbs up on those NatGeo maps - you can get the entire Adirondack set for a pretty good price. I'm up there once/year and it's worth it.

[hutzelbein]

@nothermark: I won't be doing any canoeing alone. Too dangerous for somebody as inexperienced as me to do this on my own. Would be up for some paddling with other people. SilvrSurfr is doing a trip; unfortunately I'm in the Whites by that time :(

I'm not fixed on any one place. I'll be going through the map pack tomorrow and see if something jumps out. I was told that Giant Mountain would be a worthy day hike. I'm not going to buy a book. I'll just go by guts or website recommendations.

@hk2001: The multi-day hikes DuctTape recommended he calls the Corey Loop and the French Louis Loop. Don't know if that helps you. If not, PM me.

@oruacat2: I only just arrived here. Doing Airbnb for a couple of days until I hit the trail. I still have to see which campground I'll pick afterwards. A campground with wifi would be my choice, since it helps me organizing my trip. I can post later on which campgrounds I visited and if they were worth it.

[oruacat2]

Hutz - if you're looking for a nice 3-4 day hike, intermediate difficulty, check into the Cranberry Lake 50. Just like it sounds, it circles Cranberry Lake, but there are many other ponds/streams along the route as well as the Oswegatchie River. A small town on the SW shore (Wanakena) and a large campground on the NE shore, so you can break the trip up into whatever segment lengths you want. Also, many official ADK "lean to" shelters scattered throughout. It's up in the far NW part of the park, though, which means it's a haul to get there. The plus side is that it's less-visited.

Have fun!

[hutzelbein]

Hutz - if you're looking for a nice 3-4 day hike, intermediate difficulty, check into the Cranberry Lake 50.

Just had a look at the map; it seems not to be a complete loop - or do you finish the loop by walking a couple of miles along Route 3? Or am I missing something obvious?

[oruacat2]

No, you're correct, there is a short stretch that follows the highway. It's not bad, though, and the rest of the trip makes up for it IMO. Some people start in Wanakena and go clockwise, which gets that portion out of the way at the beginning instead of at the end. Just figured I'd throw that out there for you as a suggestion.

[hutzelbein]

Good to know. I'm never sure who big the roads are here. I'll keep the walk on my list. Thanks!

[nothermark]

The only reason I suggest a book is that the park as been divided up into several parts by the ADK and some other authors who publish guides with maps of trails in various areas. They usually have all the information you need for each trail in the area they cover. You might want to thumb through one once you settle on an area you will be in. The older one's I have also have some history and information on the area to provide a bit of in camp reading. I have not looked at buying anything recently so I am not sure what current production looks like.

[hutzelbein]

Oh, I absolutely like hiking books. If I were to stay longer in the area, I would totally get one. And if there was one, that would cover the best East Coast walks, I would get that anyways. But I was already suggested 3 or 4 hikes here. I will be doing the 2 multi-day hikes DuctTape suggested, and try to squeeze in the others around. This will probably mostly fill up my 2 weeks here. I will pick a couple of day hikes I either found in the internet, or that look nice on the map (especially if they're loops).

I don't want to buy more stuff than I already had to :) I have a weight-limit when flying home in September, and in all likelihood, I wouldn't be able to use the book(s) afterwards. Should I be lucky enough to be able to do another US trip of that proportion, I would pick another area. The country is huge, and there are so many beautiful hiking spots! But this is also a disadvantage: in other countries it's easy to get a book suggesting great hikes all over the country. I guess the US is too big for this, and has too many great hikes to fit in one book.

[hutzelbein]

Well, I got the first hike done and loved it! The temperatures went down, too. It's lovely cool at the moment. Unfortunately it seems that there are a couple of days with rain coming up, which means probably no views from the mountains. Not sure where to go and what to do next, although I have more hikes on my list than I will be able to do in the remaining days.

With regards to the first hike: I can fully recommend it. It's the French Louie trail, and it runs along the NPT for a day. I guess it could be done in two days, but that would mean missing some of the fantastic hanging spots. If I would do it again, I would probably add another day, just to do another camp site.

The first and last day weren't too exciting, though. The part between the Pillsbury and the South Lake lean-to was in pretty bad shape. Loads of fallen trees and overgrown paths. It was more like bushwhacking than hiking. The last part of the trail was OK but pretty boring. I added a couple of miles on the NPT, which were absolutely stunning. Hiked one way in the rain, and back in sunshine, which meant that it was like two different hikes :) Really a beautiful hike.

[nothermark]

Glad to hear you are having a good time!

[adk_hiker]

I just completed the Northville Placid Trail and it is a terrific place to hammock. First night on Silver lake I hung right next to the water and 3 Loons swam right in talking. It was amazing.
I would also recommend the Cranberry Lake 50 because it is a loop and you are always by the water. Enjoy your time up here but be prepared for cold weather - even in August.

[hutzelbein]

Just back from a 4-day-hike in the High Peaks. I totally underestimated the climbing. I wanted to do a big loop: hiking in on the first day, hiking up Algonquin/Wright/Iroquois the second day, on to Mt Marcy the third day, and back out the fourth day. I gave up on hiking up any mountains with full gear (including the super-heavy bear canister) on the very first day... In the end I managed to get to Feldspar, use it as a base-camp, and hike up Mt Skylight (very nice and only two other hikers) and Mt Marcy as a day hike. Still hard enough. That were 4 exhausting days with 6-8 miles each day and I don't know how many feet altitude difference. I was very lucky with the weather. Although the forecast was mixed, it only started to rain 30 minutes after I got back to my car.

Although this hike had its highlights (including meeting a very surprised porcupine while bushwhacking an overgrown trail), it was just too exhausting for my taste. I enjoyed the French Louie trail a lot more. I hope I will start the Corey loop on Saturday. Looking forward to more relaxed hiking (as opposed to alternate bushwhacking, scrambling, mud and stone hopping) and more hammock time!

Not sure if I will be able to do the Cranberry Lake loop, although it sounds fantastic. I wanted to spend a couple of days in the Whites. Although with the closure of the access to the Pemigewasset Wilderness, maybe it's a better idea to skip the Whites and explore more of the Adirondacks? Will have to think about it.

[DuctTape]

Enjoy the Corey's Loop. the Cold River is one of my favorites. Be prepared for a lot of blowdown though reroutes are flagged.

[hutzelbein]

Even more blowdown?? I should start carrying a hatchet :)

Hope you had a good hike, too? Got the trail finished on schedule?

[DuctTape]

Even more blowdown?? I should start carrying a hatchet :)

Hope you had a good hike, too? Got the trail finished on schedule?

I had a great hike. It was a pleasure sharing a portion of it with you even though most of it was during the rain. Finished the trail in just under 7 days.

[hutzelbein]

I had a great hike. It was a pleasure sharing a portion of it with you even though most of it was during the rain. Finished the trail in just under 7 days.

That's good to hear. Thanks a lot for taking the time to hike with me! It was fun, although I wouldn't be able to sustain that speed for longer than half a day :)

[DuctTape]

Yeah that speed and distance was aggressive. I was glad I accomplished my goal for that trip. Next time will be different. Everytime I hike the NPT I try to do it in a different style. Enjoy the Cold River. Go swimming near Millers Falls!

[nothermark]

On one hand you will lose a day driving to the Whites. On the other the Pemi is but one of many places to access the area. Nice place, probably, only place, no way.

[hutzelbein]

Just got back from the 4-day Corey Loop hike. It could have been done in 3 days (~32 miles with the detour to Duck Hole), but why rush when there are so many great hanging sites? It was a very nice hike, and I met many friendly people. I have to say, it's much better to hike in less popular areas: people are simply nicer and more open.

The weather couldn't have been better. And the blowdowns weren't as bad as expected. It was only a 3-4 mile stretch on the NPT that was a bit hard to navigate.

Of all the Adirondack areas I have seen so far, I liked the West Canadas the best, though. South Lake was the prettiest spot to hang!

[hutzelbein]

Everytime I hike the NPT I try to do it in a different style.

How many styles are there? :)

[hutzelbein]

Just back from my last overnight trip in the Adirondacks. I'm sad to leave this beautiful area. I already decided that I need to come back sometime in the future to hike the NPT and do the other hikes I didn't get to do this time round. I wish I had some comparable hiking opportunities at home...

Thanks for all your help and great suggestions!

[desmobob]

Just back from my last overnight trip in the Adirondacks. I'm sad to leave this beautiful area.


Remember to tell everyone that New York is filled with nothing but skyscrapers, honking taxicabs, rude people and muggers.
:D

Enjoy your time in New Hampshire and Maine!

Take it easy,
desmobob

[nothermark]

Just back from my last overnight trip in the Adirondacks. I'm sad to leave this beautiful area. I already decided that I need to come back sometime in the future to hike the NPT and do the other hikes I didn't get to do this time round. I wish I had some comparable hiking opportunities at home...

Thanks for all your help and great suggestions!

I hope you enjoy the Whites as much. ;-)

[Tin Man]

If you do any canoeing you might also try St. Regis Canoe Outfitters at their Floodwood road base - it's on a portage into a motor free paddling/camping area. More or less rent and go:

http://www.canoeoutfitters.com/trip-planning/routes/middle-branch-st-regis-river-santa-clara-flow-section

The High Peaks is the "go to" spot because of the mountains and Lake Placid Village. OTOH the park is full of places to hike if you are not focused on climbing and crowds. There is a shelf full of books on hikes in the area. Ditto maps.

I assume you are going in the east side. If you do come out the SW corner through Old Forge and you will get a pretty good tour of the area. There is a lot more to the park than the high peaks. You can get maps and books at any of the gateway villages.

I have rented canoes from these guys the last two summers. The Kevlar are the bomb! Very light and carry a lot of gear. Their suggested routes are awesome.