Tuesday morning we woke up in the back of the Subaru in a Walmart parking lot in Utica NY, faced with reservations about tackling the 5,344 ft summit of NY, Mt Marcy. We decided to do some research at a nearby Starbucks to determine whether or not we had the appropriate gear for the predicted weather. After calling the lodge in the area, we determined it was worth the 3 hr drive north to give it a shot.
Arriving late at the Adirondack Loj, we had our first night in the tent down the road at a backcountry campsite on Meadows Lane.
Wednesday was an early morning since we opted to complete the 15 mi round trip hike in one day. After tearing down the tent and making breakfast we hit the trail by 7:30. The first couple miles were relatively flat until Marcy Dam. At which point the trail began to climb and it became increasingly more snow packed.
The well packed trail kept us from post-holing too much given the absences of snowshoes (Murphy may have snout-planted a couple times though). The sun and warm weather kept the trail soft enough such that we didn’t need crampons.
Hit the summit around noon with perfect weather except for the expected high winds!
Energized by the summit we made quick work of the hike out stopping only for lunch at Indian Falls. It was a gorgeous spot to thaw our feet and have a quick bite.
After such a strenuous day we treated ourselves to burgers and beer at Ships Pub in Albany NY. Then we were on our way to Massachusetts’ high point, Mount Greylock. We made it to the Bellows Pipe trailhead on Gould Rd near the base of Mt Greylock (3491 ft) at around midnight.
Getting fairly accustom to sleeping in the car we were surprised to get a wake up call from a police officer in the middle of the night asking us if everything was okay. We responded that we were just catching some sleep before hopping on the trail the next morning and he was gone as quick as he came. Phew!
The next morning we made the quick 3 mi strenuous hike to the summit in sandals due to our boots still being soaked from the snow on Marcy. Once there, we were rewarded with fantastic views of the surrounding area. Even Mt Marcy was visible in the distance according to a sign that identified adjacent peaks, although we weren’t able to locate it ourselves.
Once at the top we learned that the Thunderbolt trail has been a popular ski run since the 1930s.
Intrigued by this bit of history we decided to take the Thunderbolt trail on the way back down. It was fairly treacherous and I can imagine coming back with my snowboard for a well earned run in some deep pow!
Once back at the car we were on to our next high point for the day, Mt Frissel in Connecticut. CT’s high point is interesting because it is actually on the south slope of a mountain right on the CT / MA border. The hike to the high point takes you to the summit of Mt Frissel (2454 ft) in MA then down the mountain to cross the border into CT which immediately put you at the high point at 2380 ft. This hike was the most vertical yet, scrambling over boulders most of the way.
We hustled off of Mt Frissel before the sunset so we could continue on to New Jersey’s HP, cleverly named High Point New Jersey. We got there late, around 10 PM maybe, and the park was closed. The high point can be accessed via a short hike on the Appalachian Trial. Since we were there and the almost full moon was providing ample light we grabbed some flashlights and set out to bag our third HP of the day. What could have been an uneventful HP with a short drive up and quick picture taken turned into a unique and adventurous experience.
Continuing with the theme of the day we pushed on to Delaware’s HP, Ebright Azimuth. At 448 ft it is the second lowest of all the HPs and perhaps the most unimpressive – situated between a neighborhood and a mobile home park. We arrived at around 3 AM snapped a quick picture and crashed out in the back of the Subaru.
Now we’re on our way to Yorktown, VA. Thinking we’ll probably grab a hotel room tonight as this bunch of travelers are weary and smelly.
unbelievable fun adventure.. you 2 (and Murphy) are awesome.