Adirondacks High Peaks
(Rocky Pk-8, Giant-9, Porter-10, Cascade-11, Whiteface-12, Esther-13)
As I made my hiking plans for the summer, I realized that 10 Peaks left in the Whites would not carry me through until early fall, the time I had my heart set on finishing the NH48. So, I decided I might as well get started on my next objective- adding my name to the list of the many aspiring 46ers. I got my first taste of the Adirondacks last Labor Day weekend, bagging 7 peaks with Therese. I knew I would want to return to that magical land this year, but only recently saw this as the next chapter in my journey. So, after getting myself all the way to 46 of 48 in NH at the close of 4th of July I took a full week of vacation time to get some more “high peak under my belt” (eh-hem). It started the next week with a Rocky route to meet a Giant.
Hike #1- Tuesday July 12th: I came up to my sister’s lake house yesterday and took the day to chill by the lake and prep for my first of 3 hikes I am hoping to bang out this week. I did a search on the 46er Facebook page earlier in the week for shuttle services because this is a point to point hike and I don’t have a car-spot as I am on my own this week. Therese has travel plans with her family and won’t be joining me until my final day before heading back to Mass, but I am no stranger to solo hiking, so I’m gearing myself up for a week of peak bagging, just me and the mountains.
My FB search yielded a post from a few months ago from a girl who had moved to the Lake Placid area and made a generous offer to help out with rides and/or companionship to anyone who needed a little help.
So, after a few messages, she was kind enough to meet me at Chapel Lake where I would spot my car, and drive me to the New Russia trail head where I would start my day. Kindness to a stranger – What a great way to start the day, and not a bad approach to life in general I may add.
So, I take my first steps on ADK soil on the East Trail from Rte 9 to travel 11 miles along Rocky Peak Ridge to bag Rocky Peak and Giant and descend down Roaring Brook to Zander Scott trail to Chapel Pond where my ride awaits. It is quiet on this side as most head up Giant the opposite way, but I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. I’ll take the solitude thanks! By the time I get to Giant the crowds should be all but gone. Until then I have nothing but the gentle breeze and song of the birds through the forest canopy to keep me company.
Very early on, I am rewarded with my first magnificent ADK views, which would be plentiful throughout the day thanks to a big fire in the early 1900s which cleared the higher growth leaving this shorter 2nd batch of trees and many exposed outlooks. (The things you learn when you read about your hike the day before).
I come across a bypass trail for the first peak which only slightly shortens the trail and would deprive me of my first peak –
NOW,
WHY
WOULD
I DO THAT??
So I head on up to Blueberry Cobbles to take in some more vistas and plenty of – well, blueberries (not quite ripe but still tasty). 
Dipping a short distance into col and then back up to another small peak with, you guessed it, MORE VIEWS! Then up to Bald Peak for EVEN MORE VIEWS!
All this and I haven’t hit a high peak yet! Getting hungry now. I’ve only gone 4 miles, but I forgot – these are Adirondack miles! They tend to slow you down, if not for the ruggedness of the trail, then at least for the scenery around every corner which demand your attention. 
So far I am only averaging 1 mile an hour, a ½ mile less than my usual pace, but these are the days where there is more than enough daylight to take on these longer hikes, so I’m not worried about it. The only thing is I have reserved a campsite up at Heart Lake which I’ll have to set up afterward, so I’ll have to leave the final rays of light to do that.
After some lunch, I set out for Rocky Peak Ridge. On the way, I pause at Marie Louise Pond and realize I haven’t seen a human since Amanda dropped off this morning.
Just as I say this, a pile of man-made material appears before me. No not that material! A bundle of lumber apparently to rebuild a bridge over an outlet of the pond. 
After another ADK mile I am finally able to check something off the list- Rocky Peak for #8. 
(click here for video of ledge near Rocky Peak)
I linger here for a while and still -not a soul to be found! A second lunch is in order though. Oh, and good thing I read the guide which pointed out the lack of streams on this trip. As a result, I am carrying some much-needed extra water weight today.
It isn’t until 8 miles (and almost as many hours) in, as I come to the junction of Roaring Brook trail, where I have my first human encounter: A mother-daughter combo (and Redsox fans no less) coming off of the Giant Summit. I give em a greeting and a “go-sox” and continue my push to my final high peak of the day, but only my second of a bunch this week, and many this summer.
It’s late in the day, about 4pm as I stumble onto the summit of Giant. There is but one other small family up here and I am glad I took the long way here as I bet it was much more crowded earlier. These are by far the most expansive views of the day. I don’t care what time it is when I finish. I am definitely hangin out here for a while! It is obvious why this peak is so popular.
(Click here for video of Giant Mountain summit)
I finish the day with a 3.5-mile steep descent down my #9 to finish off a long amazing day. Along the way, I catch-up with the mother-daughter combo who have added a few companions to their group. They invite me to tag along and we have some chit chat and joking around for a while. But I want to get down to set up camp, and they are moving a bit slow for my taste, even at my sluggish pace today. So, I push ahead and let momentum and gravity take me down the mountain. In the end, I decide that a soak in the tub by the lake and a comfy bed is far more appealing after this long day than the idea of setting up a tent and sleeping on the ground. So, a take the 2.5-hour drive back to the lake house and rest up for my return trip in a few days.
Hike #2- Friday July 15th : The next 2 days were spent chilling by the lake, and spending time with my niece and her boyfriend who joined me for some R &R and even a short local hike – the very same one that got me back into hiking a few years ago. I even took a short drive to my sisters to pick up Simba who always loves a trip to camp. 
But the mountains were calling, and I had to answer! So, I took another drive up to the high peaks for another super popular hike – Porter and Cascade Mountains. This is a much shorter but equally spectacular half-day climb. I had originally hoped to tackle the MacIntyre range for my second hike this week, adding a trio of Algonquin, Iroquois, and Wright. But that was when I was still planning on camping at Heart Lake putting me at the trail head right at wake-up for another very long day. Yep, this is more like it – a nice easy day with plenty of views. I’ll save the Mac’s for next time.
Actually I’m adding a few miles to the hike by starting in Keene Valley, but something bout the description from this side appeals to me more. So, I start out at The Garden lot and take the Brothers Trail for a bit then branch off to Porter for 3.6 miles. It’s a gentle walk through the woods that crosses some private land and a dirt road.
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A plaque giving me some history on the making of this trail is posted on a nearby tree. Plenty of green to go around today, with much more lush canopy and less open ridges than the other day for sure.
After some steeper climbing through the forest, I reach the open ledge of Little Porter Mountain and take a breather for the views it offers. 
The remainder of the climb was through semi open fields with scattered patches of woods and clearings, before reaching the summit of Porter. It’s a bit breezy and cloudy today, but the views over the short treetops dancing in the wind do not disappoint.
(click here for video of Porter Mountain summit)
Dipping back into the trees for a bit and into the col between the two peaks, I reemerge in no time onto the open rock face of Cascade mountain. The scene is breathtaking in all directions as I share the peak with a good number of other folks enjoying the show.
The wind and clouds have picked up some more, but not so much as to take away from this beautiful display before me. I find a quiet spot to take it in over some lunch. As I write this I am just coming off a long late November slog through snow, slush, ice, mud, drizzle and colder summits and a realize looking back on this day what a treat it is to be able to sit and linger on a summit for as long as your heart desires, in short sleeves without any concern about racing down before nightfall. Maybe we take this privilege for granted just a bit during the long warm dog-days of summer, but if you hike year-round, you inevitably get reminded of the harsher conditions of the colder seasons that shorten your summit visits, and it really makes you appreciate these lazy days that much more… (well let’s just call it HIKER-LAZY)
(Click Here for video of Cascade summit)
After I get my fill, I set out for the return trip back the way I came, then after I swim in Chapel Pond, take the drive back to headquarters to feed Simba and plop myself down on the dock as the sun sets with pink and orange reflecting upon the calm surface of the lake.
The next day, my sister pulls up returning from her family vacation travels just in time to join me one more chill day and then for one more hike tomorrow before I finish up my amazing week in the Daks.
Hike #3- Sunday July 17th : We decided after tossing around a few options to tackle Whiteface today. Just the right length and plenty of summit views to put the final touches on a memorable 2nd ADK trip. 
We took the drive up together to the research center lot for a northeastern approach. As we always seem to do, we’ve picked another optimal weather day for our journey, or at least these days far outnumber the worse ones. I’ll take it!! Simba is holding down the fort back at “Lake Jordan”. You see, he has been suffering the effects of heart worm lately and his treatments do not allow him to strain himself in any way. So, as much as he would absolutely LOVE to join us, he must decline and chill at camp. Really not a bad conciliation prize at all. Hopeful that he will heal and get back to feeling more like himself someday. Dogs are made for this!!
Anyway, Whiteface is, in some ways, the ADK version of NH’s Mt Washington – sort of. Well maybe a cross between Washington and Cannon. Like the rockpile, there is a road leading to the top where there are structures viewing platforms, and a weather observation center. But more like Cannon, there is a major ski area with lifts. Whiteface has its own distinctive features though. The road leads, not all the way to the top, but a few hundred feet below, where you can enter a stone structure and take an elevator several stories to the summit. Another interesting characteristic is that if you approach from the south and if you have a boat, or a canoe, you can travel Lake Placid to a trailhead at Whiteface landing and hike from there. We opted to stay on foot and took the shortest route today, which puts us at Marble Mountain and our first lookout to some views just after 10am, followed by the junction with Wilmington Trail.
About this time, Therese decided she needed to clean the breakfast out of her teeth. “I wish I had a tooth pick” she said. Of course, this is one of the many items I have in my pack. She always teases me about all the stuff I bring with me, but she was glad I came through today. We come across what appears to be a very small and very old shelter and then more ski slopes and a lift which open up more nice views.
After some fairly steep climbing, we come to the junction where an unmarked, unmaintained trail leads to Esther’s summit (another 46er). We see that we are making good time, and decide that we will likely bang out this peak today too, on our return trip. But for now, we push on to Whiteface. After a few miles, we start to hear the sounds of the road, so we know we are close. And then a giant stone retaining wall.
At first, I’m like “I hope we don’t have to climb that”, then I see the trail that follow the base of the wall, curving to the left, slowly rising to the top of the wall and to street level.
A few bicyclists are making the road ride to the top today, as well as a good amount of car traffic – but not bumper to bumper or anything. There are several open areas with impressive views already as we travel alongside the roadway.
Then the trail starts to break away from the road and we make the final push onto the summit of the 5th highest ADK high peak. We can see the summit structures coming into view.
We arrive to a fair amount of people mulling about without a drip of sweat on them. I think a few even asked how we came up. I felt like quoting Tom Ryan (author of “Following Atticus”) and replying with – “WE WALKED”. But I contained myself and just told them that we took the trail from the research center.
It’s not too crowded really, not nearly as bad as I expected – certainly well populated but nothing in comparison to Washington, where I had to wait in a winding line of people after a long day of hiking to get a summit photo amongst hordes of tourists in flipflops. 
We find a spot off to the side as I wedge my trekking pole in a rock and tie my sweat drenched shirt to it like a flag to dry in the wind. Switching into a fresh shirt, we sit, stuff our faces, and admire the amazing and unique views of the rest of the high peaks and Lake Placid to our south and Lake Champlain and some Canadian peaks to our North and East. 
There’s a view-guide display that points out the various peaks and gives a little blurb about the history of Whiteface and its elevation in comparison to other famous mountains. 
After a summit pose and a stroll around the summit structures, we finally start back down the way we came.
As we are approaching the split-off to Esther we pass a group that just came from the wooded summit and we ask them how the trail was. One of the group, who seemed like she wasn’t having a good day, responded with “It was difficult and really rough and scratchy”, referring to the overgrowth with sharp edged brush and branches scratching her skin as she made her way through the narrow winding heard path. Alrighty-then! Yeah, these mountains really suck, what a lousy time, I can’t wait ‘til its over! SHEESH, Get a grip lady! Anyway, she gave us some good laughs on our way to Esther, as we mocked her in a whining voice – “Whaaah it’s toooo scraaatchyyyy!!!!”
In no time at all we make it to our 2nd summit of the day and my 6th of the week, 13th overall for me, and I think 19th for Therese.
The small wooded summit is already occupied by a group of tweens with the smell of mother nature up in smoke lingering. So, we get a quick summit shot and get on our way. There’s no views to be had here anyway, and besides Simba is still holding down the fort and will need to be fed soon and we still have most of our descent and a 2+ hour drive in front of us. So, we double-time it down the mountain and make it almost all the way down in record time, only to take a wrong turn near the end onto a snowmobile trail. Simba was glad to see us on our return to camp, and was starving!! I was glad to see the hot tub after that speedy knee-jarring descent. A perfect ending to another perfect trip in the Daks. What will the next half-dozen peaks be? I already can’t wait to find out!
