Inspiration to Higher Heights

On September 28, 2011 Carolyn Francis climbed Algonquin the second highest peak in the Adirondack Mountains, 13 months after having total hip replacement. Perhaps it is best said by Winston Churchill "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Inspiration to Higher Heights   Mark DeCracker 2290

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Adirondack Meat Locker

After a few days in the Adirondacks, does somewhere in your home usually look like this?

Drying gear after a Winter overnight in the Dix Mountain Wilderness

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Sawteeth

On February 19th 2010 we left for the South Meadow Farm for a night in the Cabin in preparation for a Hike in the Adirondack high peak region. On our way threw Saranac Lake we stop at the Lake Flower Ice castle

A restful nights sleep at the South Meadow Farms Cabin prepared everyone for the day hike up Sawteeth Mt.

On February 2oth Seth Burgess, Jessica Burgess, Carmon De Vito, Snehapriva Rao De Vito, Pragati Shau, Andrew Tsai, and myself arrived at the St Hubets parking area to Lake Rd trail head in the Adirondack Mountain Reserve

.7 miles From the Parking area to the Trail Registry and Ranger Station, the Gate to the Reserve is there to great you on you journey  

 It takes roughly 5 miles down lake road to Lowe Ausable Lake Damn, then another .3 miles to rainbow falls.

 From Rainbow falls its only 1.8 miles and 2100 feet elevation gain  to the 4100 foot Sawteeth Mt. summit

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Climbing Log: Mt. Redfield & Cliff Mtn.

Mountains Climbed: Mt. Redfield and Cliff Mtn.
Date of Hike: Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
Hikers: Seth C. Burgess, Adam C. Chapin, Tanner W. Burgess (People: 2, Dogs: 1)

Trail Conditions: Frozen mud, ice patches on rock at higher elevation.

Comments: We arrived at the Upper Works parking lot late Tues. afternoon and hit the trail shortly thereafter, at 16:40. Having to do the second half of our hiking in the dark, we reached Calamity Lean-to No. 1 around 20:00. I imagine this 4.7 mi. section usually does not take 3 hrs. to do in full daylight. There is a new re-route along Calamity Brook that must be about 1 mile long or so--nicely done and soft on the feet.

Wed. morning we awoke after a good night’s sleep and hit the trail at 08:40. The overnight temperature dropped below freezing, but probably not by much. Adam and I were comfortabele in our sleeping bags in the Lean-to; I set up a small 1-man tent for Tanner (Golden Retriever) to sleep in to help reflect his body heat a bit. The tent seemed to help Tanner as most of the water that collected on him from wading through streams etc. had evaporated by morning. Next cold weather backpacking trip I’ll bring a ground pad for him, also.

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Redfield and Cliff from Upper Works

Adirondack46er.com completed a 2-day trip to climb Mt. Redfield and Cliff Mtn. on 1-2 November 2011. Day 1 was backpacking in to Calamity Lean-to No. 1 from the Upper Works trailhead and spending the night. Day 2 was summiting Redfield and Cliff via Uphill Brook and then returning all the way to Upper Works.

Given more time, it would have been nice to be able to spend another night on the trail and do another day of climbing before hitting the road. There are many Adirondack High Peaks accessible from the Lake Colden area.

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Seward Mountain

On 21 November 2009 a group from Adirondack46er.com journeyed on a day hike of Seward Mountain in the Adirondack High Peaks. Our group included one brand new Adirondack hiker. As is mentioned in the video, "I don't think the list is very long of people whose first High Peak was Seward".

Seward Mountain is one of the four peaks of the Seward Range; the other three are Mt. Donaldson, Mt. Emmons, and Seymor Mountain. The Seward Range can be accessed via Corey's Road just north of Tupper Lake or via the trail to Duck Pond from Upper Works. Seward Mountain is a trail-less High Peak, although there is a pretty well-defined herdpath to the summit from the Ward Brook truck trail. The start of the Seward herdpath is marked with a small rock cairn.

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Algonquin Peak in Winter Adirondacks

Hiking Algonquin Peak on 3 January 2007 was a real milestone for our group. It was an extremely fun adventure--the sum of what an Adirondacks High Peak climb is supposed to be.

Algonquin was the first High Peak ever for Grizzly Adams, and as of 16 December 2009--almost 3 years later--he's at the 46er halfway mark. So Algonquin truly made its mark on one man, that's for sure.

I wish I could have this hike back again. To do it again. Here at Adirondack46er.com we hope you enjoy our video footage of Algonquin Peak in Winter and are either inspired to find Adirondack beauty or adventure for yourself, or celebrate this New York State natural wonder from the comfort of your home. Either way, this mountaintop experience is for the sharing.

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Adirondack MacIntyre Range

Three of us from Adirondack46er.com (including Tanner the Mountain Dog) ventured on a dayhike of the MacIntyre Range in the Adirondack High Peaks region on Friday, 23 October 2009. The trip included climbing Wright Peak, Algonquin Peak, and Iroquois Peak. This was a trip I'd been wanting to do for a long time--catching all 3 of these on one hike. Boundary Peak is also part of this mountain walk as it sits in between the summits of Algonquin and Iroquois.

My video camera bit the big one on our first peak of the day (Wright), so I don't have any video footage after that. It was a gorgeous day with low clouds filling in the Adirondack Mountain passes around us and I did shoot some still photos--which have been included in my edited video--to give an idea what the scenery passing over Algonquin, Boundary, and Iroquois was like. Please comment if you've any questions about the MacIntyre Range, for these guys are a pretty majestic trio.

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Climbing Log: Seward Mountain

Mountains Climbed: Seward Mountain
Date of Hike: Saturday, 21 November 2009
Hikers: Seth C. Burgess, Adam C. Chapin, Jessica L. Burgess, Tanner W. Burgess, Zach Hussion

Trail Conditions: Muddy. Some ice on rock near Seward's summit. Did I mention Muddy?

Comments: Our group left Wayne County, NY on Fri. night (20-Nov-09) and drove partway to the High Peaks, stopping for the night at Adam's Camp on the Independence River. We had plans for a meal on the drive so instead of shooting up I-81 N as we might otherwise have, we broke over toward Rome and stopped just north of it at Okey Dokey's Restaurant for some Friday Night Fish Fry. This was our 2nd time at Okey Dokey's as we had stopped there on our "Santanoni Revenge" trip in March 2009. At Okey Dokey's we were intrigued to find "Buffalo Haddock" on the menu--a fried haddock filet smothered in Buffalo wing sauce and served with a bleu cheese dip. Delicious! We watched the 2nd half of the Syracuse vs. North Carolina men's college basketball game there and SU was victorious in a move that would push them up in the national polls.

We continued up Rt. 12 into Lowville, stopping at the Walmart there for breakfast food and a Sam Adams winter pack. A short drive to Adam's Camp from there, we settled our gear indoors while Adam started poking his fingers around in the high-voltage electric box on the power pole in order to get the lights & heat to stay on. We stayed up altogether too late, although the Sam Adams was enjoyed (except for the Cranberry Lambic).

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Pain is weakness leaving the Body

On the 20th of November approximately around 6pm or 18:00hrs we set out for what would become my 23rd High Peak, The Halfway point. Our group included the norms of Seth & Jess Burgess, Myself and the boot Zach Hussion who will not soon forget his First Accent! On the way to My Family Camp which has finally become a nice stepping stone to the Blue Border we made a stop for some Friday fish fry at Okey Dokey's. Another great dinner from this small town restaurant.

Chapin Camp on Independence River

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Climbing Log: Wright, Algonquin, Iroquois

Mountains Climbed: Wright Peak, Algonquin Peak, and Iroquois Peak
Date of Hike: Friday, 23 October 2009
Hikers: Seth C. Burgess, James Zeger, Tanner W. Burgess

Trail Conditions: Icy wet, muddy

Comments: We left the parking area at the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) on Adirondack Loj Rd. ($3 ADK member parking fee) shortly after 0800. The trail was mostly dry and soft walking up to the Whales Tail ski trail. From there, the trail became increasingly frosty and eventually icy. We barebooted nearly all the way to the split for Wright Peak's summit trail before strapping on our Stabilicers.

Frosty Trail

The ice on the rocky trail was the type that had frozen the night before and was melting underneath--so that a good strong step with Stabilicers might break free a chunk of ice which would then slip on the watery rock surface beneath. Tricky situation.

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Mt. Colden from Upper Works

On 15 August 2009, a team representing Adirondack46er.com completed a daytrip summit of Mount Colden from the Upper Works trailhead, with a start / end point via auto of Lowville, New York.

Along the route several worthwhile landmarks were passed, including Calamity Pond, the Flowed Lands, and Colden Dam. From Colden Dam to Mt. Colden's summit is 2.0 miles, the majority of which is a challenging and rocky ascent.



Mount Colden hike from Upper Works direct video link

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Giant and Rocky Peak via Ridge Trail

Adirondack46er.com completed a day hike of Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge in the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area on 20 June 2009. Our group began at the Chapel Pond trailhead on Route 73 in Keene Valley, NY and hiked the Ridge Trail 3.0 miles in to Giant Mountain, an ascent of 3,050 ft. We continued on to Rocky Peak Ridge and returned to Chapel Pond via the same route.

Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge video link

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Mt Baker Winter Hike

On 29 December 2008 a team from Adirondack46er.com climbed Mt. Baker as a casual winter day hike to conclude our 4th Annual Lake Placid Trip, organized by Burgess (Mis)Adventures.

Mt. Baker is part of the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness in Essex County, just north of the village of Saranac Lake, New York. The trailhead is easily accessible be car, although it can be a bit tricky to navigate the winding roads off of Rt. 86. At only 0.9 miles to the summit from the trailhead at the north end of Moody Pond, Mt. Baker is a great family hike with excellent views of the Moose and McKenzie Mountains, many Adirondack High Peaks, and some pretty Adirondack lakes.



Direct video link to Mt. Baker winter hike

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Revenge on the Santanoni Range

On 7 March 2009 a team from Adirondack46er.com successfully summited all 3 peaks of the Santanoni Range after a failed attempt in June 2008. The night prior to the hike was spent at a pet-friendly motel in Long Lake and our 15-hour day began at 0645. A full climbing log of our trip up Santanoni Peak, Couchsachraga, and Panther Peak is available in an earlier post. A quite thorough video documentary of our winter hike of the Santanonis was recorded (see below); missing from the footage is topping out on Panther and our descent on snowshoes and skis--in the dark. Weather changed drastically during the period of no video footage, from bright sunshine to snow to rain.



Direct video link for Santanoni Revenge

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Climbing Log: Santanoni, Couchsachraga, and Panther

Mountains Climbed: Santanoni Peak, Couchsachraga Peak, Panther Peak
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Hikers: Seth C. Burgess, Adam C. Chapin, Jessica L. Burgess, Tanner W. Burgess

Trail Conditions: Ice on road, hardpack on Blue Trail on way in, powder after crossing Santanoni Brook, rainy wetpack on the way out

Comments: Spent the night in Long Lake on Friday 6 March in order to be able to get an early start out of Upper Works the next day. We needed pet-friendly Adirondack accommodations and made arrangements for a room at the Shamrock Motel--we arrived late after having grabbed dinner at Okey Dokey's in Floyd, New York.

Sign for Okey Dokey's Restaurant

The next morning we made the short drive to Upper Works and unloaded from my Av into the Santanoni trailhead parking a few minutes shy of 0800. We skied the 1.8 miles in on the private road until we caught the junction with the Blue Trail, followed by the rising sun. The road was the iciest stretch of the day.

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ADK High Peaks Weather

A guy (Ted Letcher) just finishing his B.S. in Meterology from SUNY Oswego started up a new weather forecasting site specifically tailored to the Adirondack High Peaks.

Check it out at:

www.adkwx.com

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Climbing Log: Mt. Donaldson and Mt. Emmons

Mountains Climbed: Mt. Donaldson, Mt. Emmons
Date of Hike: Saturday, October 18th, 2008
Hikers: Seth C. Burgess, Jessica L. Burgess, Adam C. Chapin, Colleen E. DeCracker, Terry Monje, Tanner Burgess

Trail Conditions: Dry, some ice on ridge

Comments: A group of 5 people and 1 dog. We started from the Seward Range trailhead off Corey's Rd. and were planning on camping at the closest lean-to to go for Seward on Sat. and then Seymour on Sun. A group of returning hikers were so enthusiastic about the trip they had just done up the Calkins Brook herd path that we changed our minds to mimic their trip.

8:27:48 AM - Grizzly Adams leading the pack

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Being Clear

"The absolute simplicity, When you are climbing your mind is clear...free from all confusion, you have focus, the light becomes sharper, sounds become richer and suddenly you are filled with the deep powerful presence of life". "Approaching aerobic endurance training and racing as moving meditation. Meditation is simply a form of training. Specifically, it is a form of training the mind to excel in clear, precise, attentive and serene awareness. Zendurance promotes the development and the union of a healthy, highly functional body with a healthy, highly functional mind."

When I say if you don't sweat, you didn't earn it, I'm saying a clarity of thought has not yet been achieved. Your goal in any aspect of life is to improve upon yourself and to know thy self. Trying to increase the awareness of other is part of life's process. We show our journeys to express interest and hopefully to inspire others to do so as well. Sharing is a sense of gratification not a forfeit of knowledge.

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First Fall

Can remember really being ready to start the winter hiking season, In the end of my Work season late Fall can be a tiring time. What better than a trip to the Adirondacks to boost one's moral. Seth & Jess Burgess, Colleen DeCracker, Terry Monje and I set out for my first Fall Climb. We picked up Colleen & Terry at a car pool stop some where near her collage, don't really think Terry knew what he was getting into although in good spirits. We stopped at Lacie J's Dinner for some Friday fish fry to fuel the up coming marathon march. Later arriving at the Park Motel and Cabin #14 In Tupper Lake around 11:00pm. We unloaded the gear from the truck and tried to settle in with the two beds and a couple air mattresses.

Inside Cabin #14

Cabin #14 in Tupper Lake

Corey Road parking area

The next morning we got a somewhat late start. We arrived at the Corey Road parking area and gear up our full packs for the hike ahead. Along the BlueBerry Foot trail we made our way to the BlueBerry Lean-tos, on the route we met a group of three that stayed at a closer campsite the night earlier. We decided to make a detour to this well maintained site that seemed to be an old horse trail area/stable. After setting up the tents we dawned the day packs and hit the trail.

Starting from Campsite

The unmarked herd path Caulkin's Brook ascent would be our choice. We bypassed Seward Mt for a clear shot to Mt. Emmons and then to Mt. Donaldson. While peaking in a timely fashion the decent and lack of daylight seemed to creep up on us. With the sun setting and returning over Emmons we had a quick thought of climbing Seward but that would have been a mistake.

Scenic Lookout

The decent was not the most pleasant with headlamps and miles to go our view of the unmarked trail began to fade. We strayed from the path many times and if we didn't have the Mountain Dog Tanner on the team our return would have been delayed quite a bit. He would wait for his fellow hikers and make clear of the path ahead, thanks to the power of the Canine nose we made it back to our camp site in one piece.

Tanner a.k.a The Mountain Dog

The Body Bag

Back at the camp site we got the fire burning to warm our bones and try to dry our toes, I made the mistake of placing my socks to close to the fire only to find the remainder of what was my sock. Jess had similar issues with her shoes unfortunately. A quick fix with some ducked tape kept them on her feet for the Hike out. On the menu for this trip were MRE's and Natures Valley bars for the most part and some PB and Bagels. We all settled into the tents and me in my new zero degree sleeping bag and a bivy sack shell. Even with the 24 degree temp I was comfortable outside on the ground. Waking to the morning frost I decided to wait for the thaw before I emerged from my body bag. After some breakfast we packed up and headed back to the Corey Road parking area from another successful trip.

#12 Donaldson & #13 Emmons on Oct 18th 2008

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