NSR: Adirondacks beta?

**kokomas** · 10-04-2007, 09:41 PM

I got a hiking book and it helped me understand what you all are talking about! so the plan is to drive up from nyc friday night, stay in some motel or other, then get out early to the dec parking lot at the ausable club, take the weld trail to rainbow falls, pyramid, and gothics and back via the beaver meadows trail, as lionelhuts and madturtle suggested. we will be taking our time and making a full day out of it. looks like maybe some showers, hoping for good weather. can anyone recommend a reasonable place to crash on the way up, the gf not to keen on car camping at this point. it could be in warrensburg or something, i guess i'll just hit the yellowpages. if anyone is looking for hiking partners let us know, what we lack in 'dack experience we will make up in enthusiasm! Saturday night and sunday we may try and hit the festivities up the highway at whiteface and lake placid.

thanks all for helping me out, the adirondacks are pretty daunting without some tips!

**Woodlandclown** · 10-05-2007, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by kokomas

I got a hiking book and it helped me understand what you all are talking about! so the plan is to drive up from nyc friday night, stay in some motel or other, then get out early to the dec parking lot at the ausable club, take the weld trail to rainbow falls, pyramid, and gothics and back via the beaver meadows trail, as lionelhuts and madturtle suggested. we will be taking our time and making a full day out of it. looks like maybe some showers, hoping for good weather. can anyone recommend a reasonable place to crash on the way up, the gf not to keen on car camping at this point. it could be in warrensburg or something, i guess i'll just hit the yellowpages. if anyone is looking for hiking partners let us know, what we lack in 'dack experience we will make up in enthusiasm! Saturday night and sunday we may try and hit the festivities up the highway at whiteface and lake placid.

thanks all for helping me out, the adirondacks are pretty daunting without some tips!

On the way up, you could stay in Lake George, but you will probably have more luck in scroon lake. Its a busy weekend--lake george probably has 3-night minimums, as does lake placid. your best bet is to just find a place and drop in and if they have a room, they'll give you one. you maybe able to get a place in keene valley last minute. try trails end inn or Keene Valley lodge are nice. you could probably get a room at the ausable inn--i never see that place full. its a cool place--a bit outdated and a bar/restaurant downstairs. its walking distance to my house so its a regular hangout for me when i am having a few! it gets pretty crazy at night sometimes - keene valley has a bunch of crazy old drunks living here. if you stay in keene valley, you can have din-din at the great range, which is new and really good food. then you are close to ausable club too for your hike. You really have to go to the whiteface party too--its at lisa gs in lake placid saturday night starting at 6--meatheads ski movie is at 8. it will be a good local skier crowd. i would love to go for a hike with you this weekend, but i am working during the day. the weather looks to be mostly cloudy, i think the rain will hold off till maybe later at night. Have fun--i'll keep an eye out for you.

**lionelhutz** · 10-05-2007, 09:22 AM

Have fun dude...it's a great trek.
As a note of caution...there are some open rock parts that if wet can be SLICK as hell. Take note of the weather- you don't want to be tired and slip on one of these wet rock faces. Not that it's fall and die terrain but fall and break ankle sucks too.

Otherwise..enjoy.

Oh yea...have some pie at the noonmark dinner after your hike. It's fucking worth it.

**Woodlandclown** · 10-05-2007, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by lionelhutz

Have fun dude...it's a great trek.
As a note of caution...there are some open rock parts that if wet can be SLICK as hell. Take note of the weather- you don't want to be tired and slip on one of these wet rock faces. Not that it's fall and die terrain but fall and break ankle sucks too.

Otherwise..enjoy.

Oh yea...have some pie at the noonmark dinner after your hike. It's fucking worth it.

I am very defensive of my town and i will always talk it up--but the noonmark pie just doesnt do it for me. everybody loves their pie. its really not that good and I swear they dont make it there. have you ever been there when it smells like a pie baking? I saw a delivery truck with pie in it! its a hoax!

**iceman** · 10-05-2007, 11:06 AM

If you're a carnivore, stop in Warrensburg and go to Oscar's Smoked Meats Everything is fabulous, the bacon is amazing. Benny turned me on to the place and he was right on.

**Woodlandclown** · 10-05-2007, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by iceman

If you're a carnivore, stop in Warrensburg and go to Oscar's Smoked Meats Everything is fabulous, the bacon is amazing. Benny turned me on to the place and he was right on.

i'll second that

**lionelhutz** · 10-05-2007, 01:15 PM

To be honest...the pie isn't the best part about the noonmark...I prefer the breakfast for dinner aspect of the diner. Nothing is better than an ham and cheese omlet with rye toast after a long day of hiking.

**kokomas** · 10-05-2007, 03:19 PM

thanks again for all the info, we will try and make it to lisa g's for the movie. if anyone spots my green dorothy mantooth shirt, come over and say hello, i'm buying

**kokomas** · 10-09-2007, 07:03 PM

Thanks again all for helping me piece together this weekend, we had a great time. I wanted to post the pics so other newbie 'dacks hikers like us will have some idea what they are up against! I apologize for being so lame for not going to meatheads premiere, but we were pretty beat after scrambling down 3000' in the rain and close to 14mi on the day. Hope everyone had fun there and i owe some beers. We are hoping to make a trip up again in early november so maybe then if anyone is in the area. We thought the hike was really tough, were used to a lot of switchbacks and stuff. This was basically a straight shot up a dried out creek bed averaging about 25 degrees over the last mile. The reward up top was so worth it though! For reference, the last hike we did was in teton park, amphitheatre lake, 9.6 miles and 2960 ft gain. This one was more difficult because the trail went straight up the gut. The small exposed rock faces and bouldering were more difficult as well.

We rolled into wilmington around 2am friday night after getting a late start from nyc. ended up staying at adirondack holiday lodge for $89/ night. I probably could have done better but needed something last minute. place was okay and the restaurant there was decent enough. i've driven around up there looking for food late in the evening on fishing trips before, its no fun!

anyway, got breakfast at noonmark it was yummy. then down to the adr trailhead and it was packed. After signing in at the start of the lake road trail, we took east river trail for a warmup and some great views of foliage and the east branch of the ausable, (although i did get stung several times in the leg by a hornet

):

Then we got to lower ausable lake, about 4 mi from the parking log, heading towards pyramid and gothics on the weld trail, stopping along the way to see rainbow falls:

Then up the the steep rocky trail for a LONG time

Found a friend and some great views for some encouragement

Summit of Pyramid after about 2.7 miles of grueling hiking (for us), looking onto Gothics:

Then we went down the col and up to Gothics with views of Pyramid:

From the summit of Gothics, another 0.6mi:

And, then the rain came as we descended via Beaver Meadows trail

You all were right, wet rocks are DANGEROUS:

It let up just enough for our picnic:

I stopped for long enough to rescue this rock from falling:

West River trail back, did you know a wine bottle keeps you dry in the rain?

Next day we took the easy way up Whiteface. Gothics are the second tall ones from the left:

**Benny Profane** · 10-09-2007, 11:48 PM

Good for ya on that. How many other hikers did you see?

**kokomas** · 10-10-2007, 06:33 AM

crowded parking lot, 2 hikers on east river, 3 hikers on rainbow falls, passed 5 or 6 hikers coming down while we were heading up. the summit was randy with people though, wouldn't have bothered me too much but it started to pour and people were milling around all the trails as we were trying to lose elevation. i was surprised to see people up there with no gear in tee shirts and stuff. i have no idea how or when they all got down, we didn't see anyone on the west river trail, they must have made a beeline for the road.

**lionelhutz** · 10-10-2007, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by kokomas

i was surprised to see people up there with no gear in tee shirts and stuff.

That shit happens all the time in the adirondacks. So many people go unprepared and regret it. I wonder myself how these people make it down.

**Choucas** · 10-10-2007, 07:19 AM

You picked a nice hike. Another option is to keep going over Gothics to Armstrong and Upper Wolf Jaws and then down. Distance is about the same (14 miles), but you take advantage of the elevation gained and pick up two more summits. Did that one in early December a few years back. Maybe on your November trip? Get a very early start in November because you don't want to be coming down in the dark. Then go to the diner for pie.

**Woodlandclown** · 10-10-2007, 09:06 AM

excellent! it ended up being a pretty crappy day, but glad you had fun. i cant see your pics--but i am sure they are awesome. i also see the same people without proper gear all the time. they dont understand how different the weather can be at the top. keeps the rangers busy, thats for sure. the first time i did gothics--i started with sawteeth, pyramid, gothics, armstrong an upper wolf and went down through johns brook. that was a long day.

**kokomas** · 10-10-2007, 11:07 AM

Choucas, i was eyeing up some pecan pie for breakfast but was so full i had to abort.

Woodlandclown, sorry the pictures don't work, i put in links from photobucket.com and they work on my computer. sometimes at work the TR pics from other people don't work because of my firewall, maybe thats it. perhaps there's a better host i can use like flickr. that is a long hike you made!

if we go up again in november i think we'd try a little different area, perhaps one of the others suggested here like algonquin or brothers. And i would like to get to the top of Marcy despite crowds/lack of recommendations here.

A question for you experienced 'dacks hikers about gear for a long day hike, we had the following: plenty of water, gore tex shells, a warmer layer, utility knife/pliers thing, firestarters, food, trail shoes, headlamp, duct tape, cell phone, compass, topo/trail map for general area, detailed hiking book

We did not have: rain pants, serious hiking boots, camping gear, trekking poles, first aid kit

So that I can graduate from being a liability on the hill, what gear would you all bring?