NSR: Adirondacks beta?

[Natedogg]

Heading to the Dacks this weekend for camping and hiking. Last year we drove up to North Hudson (east side of the Dacks) and west a ways and found a money campsite. We will probably head there, and do day hikes from the campsite. Marcy is on the hit list--what is the best route? Which is the fastest/shortest? I have two non-hikers (although athletic) with me, so Im thinking shortest route... What other good day hikes are there? Or other attractions (falls, swimming holes, etc)? I have some map software, but I think Im gonna need more than "you should do XYZ trail" (rather, "you should do XYZ trail, which you can hop on at the trail head at XYZ. To get there, go up 87 to route 73, bang a left onto Lake Road, and the trail head is up ~3 miles").

Any help? Paging BanditPete??


BTW: any recent snowpack info is also appreciated. Last year during Memorial Day weekend we lounged at camp and didnt hike--so I have no idea what the snow depths (if any) will be...

[Benny Profane]

This article just ran in the NYT: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/18...es/18trip.html The route that he talks about (from the north of Marcy) is the shortest, I'm pretty sure.

Man, are you playing with fire with black fly season. Any day now. Good luck.

[ski_adk]

I second the blackfly comment. Those nasty little bastards - when out in force - can literally skin you alive! I remember one day last year, not only were attacking me, but also my damned camera and tripod!

[Natedogg]

Yeah, last year was horrific. Im guessing it will be the same this year. Hopefully therell be some wind.

Thanks for the article, BP.

ADK, is the ADK in your screen name for Adirondacks? If so, thats all you have to say?!?!

[Affix Snow]

Shortest Route up Marcy would be from the ADK LOJ out past Marcy Dam and up that way....Not hard, just long.

Other hikes id suggest would be Algonquin and Wright, also done from the LOJ.

Pitchoff is also a reall cool loop, but need 2 cars or hitchhike. You can also do a short out and back to the North Summit or the Blancing rocks on the South summit....short trip for doing an out and back, but great views.

I could go on and on.....feel freee to PM me.

[Natedogg]

Cool beans... Whats a good hike thats close to 87 between Schroon Lake and St Huberts? There are some neat barren/slide ridden peaks (Im Google-Earthing) just west of Lower Ausable Lake--anything around there?

Also, whats considered 'long'? What kind of mileage?

[ski_adk]

Yes ADK has to do with Adirondacks, but I'm not there anymore. Don't know about the different Marcy routes, as I haven't done them yet. However, I have played around near the southern approach, starting at the Upper Works in TAHAWUS. While this is the longer approach, the views and history along the way might be worth it. There are swimming holes near the trailhead on the Hudson River.

If you take the Northern Rt up Marcy from ADK Loj, swing up to Mt. Jo. It's a short little hike, but the views are incredible...



Other good day hikes that I would suggest in the area would be throughout Keene Valley on Rt. 73. Just to name a few short hikes I've done would be Giant Mt., Hopkins Mt., Roostercomb, Snow, Nun-da-goa Ridge, Cascade & Porter, the Brothers and Hurricane.

As for current conditions up there, I don't know them. I'm living in SLC now. For the best TRs and trail conditions check out http://www.viewsfromthetop.com.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your time in the Daks!

[Natedogg]

Yes ADK has to do with Adirondacks, but I'm not there anymore. However, I have played around near the southern approach, starting at the Upper Works in TAHAWUS.

Cool! We camp right down the road from there. Definitely want to check that out. Whats the skinny, can you drive up Route 25 almost into town? We drove on a bunch of old dirt roads last year along Blue Ridge Road Route 84?) and came up to private property signs. Since we were out in the middle of absolutely no where, we didnt push our luck. Are you allowed to walk around Tahawus?

[Affix Snow]

Cool beans... Whats a good hike thats close to 87 between Schroon Lake and St Huberts? There are some neat barren/slide ridden peaks (Im Google-Earthing) just west of Lower Ausable Lake--anything around there?

Also, whats considered 'long'? What kind of mileage?

Most easily accesible stuff is off 73.....

Giant is a great one. about 3k vert in 3miles. Beautiful views. Ill second Rooster Comb and Hurricane...as well as everything else Ski_ADK said.

West of Lower Ausable would be the "Great Range" or The Wolfjaws, Armstrong, Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, and haystacks up to Marcy......Lower Wolfjaw is the Closest....you can go in from the Ausable Club or from the Garden, but the Garden might be mobbed this weekend......then again, maybe not. Regardless, the Great Range is a must sometime in your life.....

Also in the Johns Brook valley would be Big Slide....a nice day hike and wonderful when going over the Brothers.....

[ski_adk]

Walking around in TAHAWUS might be considered trespassing. However, follow the dirt road, (staying left will avoid the private property) all the way in and you'll pass the blast furnace and some old decrepit houses. I wouldn't suggest entering any of them unless you want to take the express to the basement.

At the end of the road is a small parking lot and the Upper Works trailhead. Try to get some local knowledge about trail conditions though...there might be some water to contend with. Either way, it's really cool up that way. Check out these links for more beta:


http://www.adirondackjourney.com/Upper_Works.htm (Topos show the route in)

http://www.adirondackjourney.com/Lak...owed_Lands.htm

[kokomas]

am heading up to do some hiking, maybe giant or marcy on oct 6th or 7th. are the black flies as bad in the fall as they are in the spring? anything else that sucks about going then that i am overlooking?

[lionelhutz]

It's awesome this time of year.
No black flies.
Was just up there for a few weeks- amazing weather...trails are in great condition. This summer has been very kind to the trails- little rain, no blowdown...etc.

Have you done algonquin? That's a great hike. Gothics is sick too. Take the lake road trail (AMC property) to the trail past rainbow falls and up around pyramid, over gothics and then down to the col between gothics and armstrong and down via the beaver meadow falls trail.

[nurbs]

dont be afraid of black flies this time of year, this was always my favorite time to be up in the 'daks climbing. Ive never had a problem in fall with the little beasties.

Adirondak lodge , is the easiest way in, nice camping at south meadows and you can hike in the road to the dam. then rally up marcy

i wouldnt touch the dacks in spring with a 100ft pole though, as i get nasty welts from black flies

[kokomas]

thanks guys. i've not hiked much up there, done a lot of fishing way up in wilmington. probably doing a day hike with the gf. our confidence is up after doing a ten miler in the tetons this summer so i'm leaning towards marcy via Van Hoevenberg Trail, gorp says its a 14 miler so i'm thinking we can manage that given plenty of time. i'll look up algonquin and gothics too. these mostly hikes or is there climbing involvled? we don't have any experience with that.

[ski_adk]

Usually black fly season lasts from May - July. Black flies need cool moist conditions to thrive. Watch the weather as hot & dry will kill them off. In bad years, they last into late July. In good years with a random late frost, they can disappear in early June. By autumn, those bastards are long gone.

[Woodlandclown]

am heading up to do some hiking, maybe giant or marcy on oct 6th or 7th. are the black flies as bad in the fall as they are in the spring? anything else that sucks about going then that i am overlooking?

No bugs now. best time to hike. marcy will be packed, so will giant. brothers to big slide is a nice hike with tons of views. park at garden parking lot in keene valley.

Oct 6 and 7 you really should also attend the flaming leaves festival and 50 day to whiteface party with new york premiere of meatheads new movie.

www.orda.org for info on events.

[Woodlandclown]

thanks guys. i've not hiked much up there, done a lot of fishing way up in wilmington. probably doing a day hike with the gf. our confidence is up after doing a ten miler in the tetons this summer so i'm leaning towards marcy via Van Hoevenberg Trail, gorp says its a 14 miler so i'm thinking we can manage that given plenty of time. i'll look up algonquin and gothics too. these mostly hikes or is there climbing involvled? we don't have any experience with that.

nothing techincal at all on algonquin and gothics. wright peak and big al can be done easily--can also add iroquois and boundary, especially if you plan to spend the night in the woods.

[kokomas]

a plan is forming...thanks for the info on the goings on at whiteface

[Natedogg]

i wouldnt touch the dacks in spring with a 100ft pole though

I ended up getting up there after I posted the original message. The black flies were absolutely terrible (my girlfriend reminds me of that to this day) until about 10PM.

We ended up looking around the blast furnace and old buildings, but no hikes. Finally got up to see Lake Placid though--beautiful drive in from the Northway.

[madturtle]

I'll second the Ausable Club's Lake Road > Weld Trail > Pyramid Peak > Gothics. I did this one on snow a few months back w/ my dad and brother. But the fall colors should be peaking pretty soon so it'll be even better now.

And if you do go up Pyramid the short spur trail to the waterfall (sombody fill in the name please) is well worth the minimal extra time and effort. But you'll still catch a decent view of the falls from above even if you don't walk up the spur.

Also you can miss most of the dirt road and walk the creek trail instead which will take you by a few waterfalls and through some gorgeous meadows. It does add some time and effort so maybe just do it in one one direction and walk the road back. Or loop back around over the wolfjaws if your feeling perky. There are escape routes at each saddle so you're not too committed if you start slowing down or run out of daylight. My appologies if I've got any names mixed up but it'll make sense if you scope out the map. But note that pyramid isn't one of the high peaks probably look for references to Gothic.

Also might check out http://www.adkforum.com/archive/index.php?t-65.html

[Woodlandclown]

I ended up getting up there after I posted the original message. The black flies were absolutely terrible (my girlfriend reminds me of that to this day) until about 10PM.

We ended up looking around the blast furnace and old buildings, but no hikes. Finally got up to see Lake Placid though--beautiful drive in from the Northway.

i dont hike from late may til august--if i have to, i'll wear a bug net over my head regardless of how stupid it looks. thats why i bought a road bike!

i almost hate deer flys more though in july and august. they drive me to temporary insanity.

if it werent for the nasty bigs the dacs would be grand central station all summer. i am happy to have them!

[madturtle]

Edit -- dbl post ---Doh!!

[Woodlandclown]

But the fall colors should be peaking pretty soon so it'll be even better now.

Peak Oct 6 and 7 - his timing is perfect.

[lionelhutz]

And if you do go up Pyramid the short spur trail to the waterfall (sombody fill in the name please) is well worth the minimal extra time and effort. But you'll still catch a decent view of the falls from above even if you don't walk up the spur.

Rainbow falls. It's awesome - the pictures don't do the falls justice

from the lookout


from below





Also if you take this trip- you can take on indian head too. It's s steep little climb but the views are stellar.

[Benny Profane]

This weekend and the weekend after should be THE time to hike. Colors were nice down in Saratoga last weekend, and the temps will be in the 70's. Bon apetit.