Spontaneity

It is important to embrace spontaneous behavior in the Adirondack Wild. It just is.

Weather, personalities--no matter how meticulously calculated, a roll of the dice is simply inevitable. Be prepared to live it and love it!

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Alpina Forester Ski Review

Found these babies on BackCountry.com and what a good find they are. If you like fast these do the trick although true Back Country can be difficult due to the Length of my particular skies. Being my First pair I really can't complain.


First use was at Salmon Hills Outdoor Adventure Center. One of my favorite places to ski! In fact that day it was the only place to ski. Breaking in my skis on groomed trails is always a plus .

In keeping with the retro look, the Forester is constructed with our wood core cap and shares much of the performance of our beefier Woody.

Model : 500092-08
Sizing : Width 60-50-55mm
Length : 180/190/200/210
Colors : Green
• Wood Core Cap Construction
• Full Steel Edges
• Base: Non-wax Posi-grip

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Noonmark Diner

While I have so many unique experiences of the great Adirondack park and my quest to become a 46er, I want to share with you a little story about a small diner. Seth, Adam and I had just returned from a long day in the high peaks climbing both Cascade and Porter mountains. As anyone who has spent a day hiking knows you build up a tremendous appetite! We had been snacking on granola bars during our hike and were craving a nice hearty meal. Seth had heard of a diner his father-in-law had recommended called Noonmark Diner. After packing up our gear, we drove into Keene Valley on Rt. 73 not too far from the Garden parking lot and came across this diner. Walking into Noonmark Diner, we requested to eat outside on the front porch and enjoy the beautiful afternoon. This could not be arranged so we were seated inside.
We were after all, very hungry and did not really care where we sat. The three of us ordered our meals all consisting of burgers and fries- a fufilling meal after a hard days workout. Adam had also ordered a side of fried shrimp with his meal. The prices were unusually high for a smalltown diner but we needed to be re-energized and a few extra dollars couldn't hurt.
It seemed that our waitress had forgotten about us because an extensive period of time passed before being served. Finally our meals were placed before us. I could not wait to eat! But I was quickly dissapointed. I had never seen such a small burger and quantity of fries ever. For the price we paid I guess I expected to get our money's worth! Unfortunately, this was not the case. As I consumed my pathetic burgur and fries I noticed that they were on the cooler side, this was also true of both Seth's and Adam's meals.
Seth and I had similar experiences with our food, but I would have to say that Adam's side order of fried shrimp was the perfect touch to a memorable experience. The order of shrimp was $6 on the menu. Adam recieved three fried shrimp. At this point it became hilarious. There was nothing to do but laugh. Each small, cold and overpriced meal came to 13 or 14 dollars. With our appetites half satisfied and our pockets empty, we left Noonmark Diner, never to return.

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Fischer Backcountry Skis

Last winter my father-in-law gifted both myself and my wife a pair of '06 Fischer Rebound Crown skis. These skis so far have been outstanding in the backcountry, sporting an 88-60-78 sidecut with full metal edges and a love of deep powder.


From FischerSkis.com:
The most cambered ski of the series. The Rebound features our S-Deck and Turning Crown technologies with 28 mm of sidecut for easy turning in all conditions.
My vitals include 70" height and 165 lb. weight and my Rebound Crowns are the 169cm version. I could've gone with the 179's, however made a personal decision that I would likely not be carrying a full-pack or similar on these skis at any point in the near future and that the primary pupose of these guys was for maneuverability and control off the beaten trail. My wife is ~63" and skis with the 159's.

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My Start

I got my start into the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness Area (HPWA) just a little under 2 years before Grizzly Adams.

It was March 8th, 2005 and my brother and I had decided to go to Lake Placid for our college Spring Break. We climbed our first two Adirondack High Peaks the day of arrival, starting early afternoon and finishing in the dark, while snowing. Some immediate lessons learned there, although we really were prepared with headlamps and some background outdoor survival / safety skills.

The very first High Peak for both of us was Cascade Mountain, a common first as it is one of the shortest "ins" of all the 46. It was a cold and snowy day, not too much to be seen from Cascade's bald summit, and much too cold to take more than a few quick photos. In fact, after snapping just a few my digital Kodak ceased functioning due to the conditions.

We really were tired after having topped out on Cascade, and cold. But the trail sign (which was at feet-level due to amount of snowfall) indicated that adjacent Porter Mountain was less than a mile away! We had to go for it. And that was our second High Peak.

We spent the night at South Meadow Farm in the cabin and headed out for our third peak the next day, a ski up the toll road at Whiteface Mountain. We did ski the 5 miles up that road, however ended up turning around about 300 vertical feet of the summit where it became unsafe to continue. Disappointing. Absolutely thrilling!

I did have some experience in the Adirondacks prior to the trip--through Boy Scout Troop 138--however March 2008 definitely drew my initial encounter with the fabled land of the 46. Can't exactly recall how we chose to go after the mountains we did, although I'm sure my father-in-law the 46-R (# 2290) had something to do with it.

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In The Begining

Since this is the first Post I find it fitting to start from the beginning. In hind sight my lack of knowledge in the Adirondacks is shocking to me. Prior to January 3, 2007 the view I had of Upstate New York was Localized to the 100 mile radius around the small Town of Wolcott. Yes the History of My State is well known but experiencing it hands on and face to face was sadly lacking at this point. My eyes would soon be opening to the vast landscapes of the High Peak Region. Looking up and seeing these massive Mountains made me feel apart of something and being something I wanted to be apart of for the rest of my Life. 27 years of my life were spent on the shores of Lake Ontario, Hiking though woods and Marshes/swaps. Herding Holsteins on the farm and oddly enough camping Next to the Independence River just outside the Adirondack Park. Being so close to that view.

Getting the Invitation I was some what apprehensive yet existed to get out of Wolcott. My winters seemed to be a time to slow down, a time to Hibernate hence my user name on HikeAdks.com. The Grizzly Adams was finding a new appreciation in the Off Season. Thank God my trade in Construction gave me a physical edge because I was going to need it. The moon lit trip started in some what mild temps and no snow. Even as we (Joe, Seth & Jessica Burgess) began to enter the ADK area with a Full moon on our backs the snow was few and far between. A silhouette of Mountains slowly arose out of the ground, amazed to the point were I had stuck my head out the window and rubbed the eyes to make sure I was really seeing this. I couldn't stop looking up. Through the Beautiful Town of Lake Placid we soon arrived at the Cabin. South Meadow Farms is a quaint and peaceful place, perfect starting point for the Hike ahead.

Taken By Seth C. Burgess Jan 2, 07

The Trail head is located at The High Peaks Information Center (Adirondack Loj). Thanks to Seth's membership to The Adirondack Mountain Club parking was cheap and easy. After arriving we geared up, my Rented Snow Shoes were a must although at Sign In snow was minimal. That would soon change for the better. One mile in at the fork bearing left will take you to Marcy Dam and the continuation of the Van Hoevenberg trail to Phelps Mt., Tabletop Mt. and Mt. Marcy. We continued straight ahead and followed the trail signs to Algonquin Peak. A little over 3 miles and 2,936 vertical ft to go! In being a High peak virgin I had some unique circumstances in the shoe department. When it came time to break out the snow shoes Winter was finally upon us. A far cry from the day before, entering the Alpine Zone felt like being warped to the slopes of another world.

While only a few hundred feet from the summit progress was slow. The 50+ mph winds really opened my eyes to the extreme conditions possible. Without good snow shoes or crampons you would have to be a fool to continue. Taking cover behind anything you could find groups grabbing a quick snack and gaining strength. The closest to flying that I can imagine is still my First peak. Algonquin is a memory truly branded on the brain, that view pulls the soul and fuels the goal.

#1 Algonquin Jan 3, 07.

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The Team old

Introducing Adirondack46er.com, a blog intended to chronicle the quest to climb all 46 High Peaks of the Adirondack Park in New York State of the Northeastern United States!

Adirondack46er.com Team (if you've ADK'd with us, you're in):
  • Benedict, Cara
  • Burgess, Anderson J.
  • Burgess, Gil
  • Burgess, Jessica L.
  • Burgess, J. Parke
  • Burgess, Seth C.
  • Burgess, Tanner W.
  • Chapin, Adam C.
  • Chapin, Kara
  • Chapin, Mike
  • Coleman, Eli
  • de Vito, Carmen
  • de Vito, Snehapriya
  • De Cracker, Colleen
  • De Cracker, Hannah
  • De Cracker, Mark
  • Dougherty, Stacey
  • Eckner, Brendan
  • Frey, Mike
  • Gaylord, Andy
  • Gaylord, Ed
  • Gaylord, Elise
  • Gaylord, Grace
  • Hussion, Zach
  • Joyce, Chris
  • McCue, Sarah
  • Monje, Terry
  • Pimentel, José
  • Prinzi, Bryan
  • Prinzi, Josh
  • Prinzi, Tucker
  • Shah, Pragati
  • Swartele, Amanda
  • Tsai, Andrew
  • Urban, Lacie
  • Zeger, James
Add your name to this list! You won't forget it.

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