Monthly Archives: June 2011

Hiking the High Peaks

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The Adirondack 46r’s is an organization that is only open to people who have climbed all 46 of New York’s highest mountains, and I intend to become a member of that club.

The High Peaks were originally surveyed by Verplank Colvin, and his crews found that there were forty-six mountains with summit elevations above 4000’.  Later, and obviously, more accurate surveys found that of the original 46, four of them were actually under 4000’, and one “new” mountain was above 4000’.  By this time however, tradition had set in and nothing really changed when it came to hiking the High Peaks.

Some of the High Peaks are well known, such as Whiteface Mountain, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics alpine events, and Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in the state.  And then of course, some of them are less well known, like Couchsachraga, which to be honest, I can’t even pronounce.

Twenty of the peaks are “trail-less,” meaning that there is no officially designated route to the summit.  So far, I have climbed Boundary, Esther, Street, and Nye Mountains, with absolutely no problem finding the herd path to the summits.  Enough people climb the High Peaks that the paths are pretty well defined.  I’ve run into a couple of instances following these paths when I wasn’t quite sure which way to go, but was able to figure it out with no real problems.

Up to this point in my life, I have hiked 14 of the 46 peaks.  The first one I climbed was Cascade Mountain, a short and pretty easy climb not far from Lake Placid.  Just below the summit of Cascade, the trail splits and goes over to Porter Mountain, another High Peak.  Unfortunately, due to a sick friend, the first time I went up Cascade, I didn’t get to do Porter.  A few years went by, and it bugged me the whole time that I basically had to climb Cascade again just to do Porter.  Finally, in the summer of 2008, I re-climbed Cascade and made it to the summit of Porter.  That was Pico’s first High Peaks experience, and he slept like a dog that afternoon.

During college I also hiked Algonquin, Wright, Iroquois, Boundary, Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, and Big Slide.  I cross country skied almost to the summit of Whiteface, but decided not to count that.

I began the summer with 10 peaks under my belt, but after five years in Florida, my legs were just not accustomed to carrying me across a non-horizontal surface, so Pico and I again climbed Cascade and Porter just to get ready.  Since then, there’s been four more peaks crossed off the list, and plans are in the works for a five-peak day.

14 down, 32 to go!

Hello world!

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This blog is about hiking.  It’s also about backpacking, walking in the woods, camping, strolling and dogs.  Ideally, when you read Middle of the Trail, you’ll learn a little something, have a laugh, but most importantly, be inspired to go outside.

I live in the Northern Adirondacks of New York State, so most of the hikes you read about will be located in this area.  However, the mistakes I make and the lessons I learn are fairly universal in the outdoor world.  And by getting myself outside and screwing up just a little, I hope to help you avoid the same mistakes.  On the other hand, not every hike ends with a tragedy or mistake.  Most of the time, my hikes are relatively uneventful, and in those circumstances, I’ll talk about some other issues so that you’re not bored.

I do most of my hiking with my faithful and crazy dog, Pico, so I spend a lot of hiking time talking to other people on the trail or just immersed in my own thoughts.  It’s always good to talk to the others on the trail, especially the ones coming down as you are going up:  They can tell you how much longer you have to suffer before reaching the top.

Living in the Adirondacks isn’t like living in a hiker’s paradise, it is a hiker’s paradise.  The variety of terrain and outdoor activities is amazing.  From hiking to rock climbing to mountain biking and canoeing, the Adirondacks has it all as far as I’m concerned.  I want to share this world with you by sharing the exploits of my outdoor adventures.  But please keep in mind that while I am trying to entertain, I am also trying to encourage you to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.

I hope you enjoy Middle of the Trail, and thanks for reading.

Itineraries

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There I was, miles from the car with an injured dog and no water or food.  How could I be so stupid and not pack a sandwich or grab the extra bottle of water that was now sitting on the passenger seat of the car?  As I berated myself, Pico sat down and started licking his unmentionable areas.  Alright, so maybe the situation wasn’t all that dire.

In fact, I was less than 2 miles from the car, and Pico just had a slight limp from a torn paw pad.  We were going to be just fine.  But what if something serious did go wrong?  What if I twisted an ankle and had to spend the night out there?

I am one of those people that bring a backpack with me on every hike.  Whether it’s a mile or 15, I carry a first-aid kit (and I know how to use it), an emergency bag with essential equipment, extra food and water, as well as a guide book and map, and extra clothes.  I take pride in the fact that I am prepared to spend the night in the woods, regardless of the situation.

But here I was, coming down from hiking two of New York’s highest mountains, and I had already eaten my food and drank my water.  Pico still had a small bag of food in his backpack, and there is rarely a shortage of water sources in the Adirondacks, but still, I was not happy with myself.

Being prepared is the one thing that you have absolute control over.  There are a few basic rules that a person should follow if they intend on heading into the woods, and those who don’t risk suffering the consequences.

The first and most important thing to do when you plan on going hiking is to put together an itinerary and give it to someone who cares about you.  Not the bartender you met last night who gave you a six-digit phone number, but a relative or responsible friend.  And it doesn’t have to be complicated.  I usually text my itineraries to my uncle, who only lives a few minutes away.  They say something like:  “Hiking Whiteface and Esther from Reservoir Lane trailhead.  I’ll call by 7pm.”

By sending this, someone trust worthy now knows where I’ll be, and when to expect me to get back.  And I know that if I don’t call by 7:00, Uncle Brad will be calling the Forest Rangers at 7:01, letting them know where I am and what trail I am on.  This is the closest you can get to having backcountry insurance, and the best part is, it’s free (minus the 10 cents for the text)!

The second, but equally important step is to stick to your itinerary.  What’s the point of leaving an itinerary if you don’t follow it?

The best known itinerary breaker is probably Aron Ralston, who came to fame when he was forced to amputate his own arm.  Ralston had left an itinerary with a friend, but then decided to take a different route.  When he failed to show up, the authorities were notified, but started searching the area where he was supposed to be.  Meanwhile, Ralston was sawing through his own arm with a pocket knife to free himself from underneath a large boulder.  I, for one, will learn this lesson the easy way…  Because learning it the hard way had to really suck.