The Journey Begins

This is it. D-Day. My 46er Journey starts in just a few hours. The ol’ Samsquanch is packed and I’m ready to start the 6-hour drive north to the Adirondacks. I cannot wait! With hiking in an alpine environment comes the added risk associated with extreme temperatures and deep snow & ice. Rock cairns that mark the summit approach on Algonquin will be buried and painted trail markers on the rock face will be covered in ice. Summiting Algonquin and Wright Peak will expose us to strong winds and sub-zero temperatures. All of which, only makes the adventure more exciting to me. I’m not hiking Everest here, but the danger is real and being prepared is absolutely critical to having a safe adventure in the winter wild. Safe hiking and being prepared for emergency situations will ensure a good time for us. Below is the checklist I created to ensure I’m prepared for what may lay ahead.

Stay tuned for some photos & videos from this hike!

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First Two 46ers: Algonquin & Wright

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After a bit of research, I’ve narrowed down the first two peaks of my 46er journey. Because the first few mountains will be winter ascents, I’ve chosen a relatively moderate challenge for the first of my Winter High Peaks hikes. First on the list is a combination hike to the summits of Algonquin Peak and Wright Peak, originating at the Adirondak Loj. This is a 9 mile, out & back, day hike with 4,064’ of elevation gain. Although Alltrails.com rates this combination hike as “difficult”, I’m assuming that’s a summer rating. I’m really curious to see if the going is any easier in the winter time. A well packed trail through the snow might be more easily traveled than the same trail in the summertime. I could be right. I could be dead wrong. We’ll see!

D-Day will be Saturday February 1st. The current plan is to drive up to Lake Placid on Friday night; a mere six hour drive from the Philly. Saturday morning we’ll be in the woods by 5:00am. (That’s right. Adria’s comin’ with!) Now, Assuming that worst case, we’ll average a pace of 1 mph, this would put us on top of both summits and back to the Jeep by 2:00pm, leaving a couple hours of buffer time for breaks and draggin’ @ss, before sunset. …I forsee us coming out after dark. We’re equipped with snowshoes and microspikes. We’ll be carrying small packs, but not full trekking packs. You never know what could happen on the mountain so we're bringing the essential emergency items: space blanket, headlamps, down winter bag, small tent, stove, fire starting kit, extra food, extra layers, etc.

The plan is made, the GoPros are charged, and mountains are calling. Stay tuned!

46 in 2020

Of the goals I laid out for 2020, I am most excited abut the prospect of hiking all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks. I have hiked a handful of these peaks growing up and over the last few years but have a long way to go in order to earn the right to the prestigious title: “46er”.  Over the next month I’ll be planning how best to bag multiple peaks on single hikes. It will be interesting to determine via maps, books and blogs, which hikes can be accomplished via day hikes with minimal gear, versus how many will require full packs due to route limitations. Hiking all 46 peaks in a year is no easy task. Luckily for me, my adventure companion Adria will be with me along the way, and we are great at pushing each other when our mettle is tested. I have all the gear to accomplish this goal. What I don’t have is the strength & endurance. I will need to get myself in shape mentally & physically.

So, my next steps are:

1.       Identify peaks which can be nabbed via day hikes

2.       Identify which peaks can be combined within hikes

3.       Create a somewhat aggressive schedule to stick to