"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
- Henry David Thoreau
Mount Marcy and I have a special connection. She was the first Adirondack High Peak I attempted (and summitted). I've hiked to the top four times, on four separate overnight backpacking trips, in three different months, and from all three possible trails, while staying at three unique, but equally spectacular bivouacs. It was on that first trip to Marcy that I fell in love with the High Peaks. Marcy is visible from every other High Peak. At 5,344 feet, it is the highest mountain in New York State. Every time I get to look at that signature volcanic profile, I feel as if I'm visiting an old friend; we understand each other so well at this point that no words need be exchanged.
In 2005 I was in my freshman year of college at SUNY Geneseo. I had never climbed a High Peak and, in fact, I don't believe I had ever been to Lake Placid, despite its proximity (only 1 1/2 hrs drive). That winter, my friends and I made a pact - that together we would summit the highest peak in the state that summer. So, I began training by winter summitting nearby Crane Mountain, which in my research I had learned closely mimicked the difficulty and steepness of High Peaks trails, albeit on a much shorter scale. Eager to get hiking, and needing to do this trip before my summer job began, the fellowship embarked on that first great adventure June 6-8, 2006.
We were clearly green on that first trip. One member of the party brought a life jacket. The rest of us carried fishing poles, to which an octogenarian hiker with massive calves at the trailhead quipped "Well, don't you guys look professional!" with the coyest of smirks...of course, due to the high levels of acid rain in the Park, many of the lakes in the region are declared dead. Here's what the Jeep looked like when we packed it:
The shortest approach to Mount Marcy, and the one we used on Trip #1, is 14.8 miles roundtrip via the Van Hoevenburg Trail, which begins at the Adirondack Loj. Melvil Dewey, the same man that invented the Dewey Decimal System, was an integral figure in Lake Placid's history. He was in favor of a simplified spelling system, and thus we have the spelling of the Loj. As you drive down Adirondak Loj Road you are rewarded with open, expansive views of Mount Algonquin, New York's second tallest.
A general rule of thumb while backpacking is never carry more than 1/3 your body weight. Many popular trailheads have scales to hang your pack from to ensure you don't hurt yourself; there is one such scale just outside the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) - an invaluable resource. Some members of my party were clearly carrying much too much weight. Just to give an idea, we lugged in a giant two-burner camping stove. I now use a 3 oz. MSR Pocket Rocket. The hike into Marcy Dam, a popular camping spot and our destination, is 2.3 miles. You shouldn't have to stop more than twice. We had to stop at least five times.
We finally did reach Marcy Dam and claimed a giant leanto. Exhausted from carrying in our 4 million pounds of unnecessary gear, we took a much needed break. I had spoken to a ranger at the HPIC about good dayhikes we could do from Marcy Dam, and she said that Avalanche Lake was a must see for first-timers. I threw together a quick daypack of snacks, water, a map, and a flashlight (just in case), and headed up the 2.8 mile Avalanche Pass trail. The trail ascends what my dad and I like to call "Misery Hill" (you can guess why) until you reach Avalanche Pass. Hurricane Floyd in 1999 dumped massive amounts of rain on the Adirondacks, which caused a large landslide in the pass. You now walk down a trail cut into the very impressive 30 foot tall pile of trees ripped down by the slide.
The trail descends from Avalanche Pass to Avalanche Lake. The ranger was absolutely correct - it is incredible. Spectacular. Words do not do it justice. Thousand-foot cliffs jut straight into the crystal clear waters. The only way to get around the lake is via bridges called "Hitch-Up Matildas", which are bolted directly into the cliff face and overhang the water. I definitely had a recital of heroic anthems going on in my head at this amazing scene.
My favorite approach to Marcy begins at Lake Colden (read: heaven), which is one mile past Avalanche Lake, and I will touch on later. Nevertheless, the approach from Marcy Dam has its own perks. From Marcy Dam it is a 10 mile roundtrip to the summit. Along the way you pass Indian Falls, which provides an open view of the MacIntyre Range (Algonquin, Wright, and Iroquois), and is the last place to fill your water bottles.
I remember that whole first trip we were joking about getting to the top and there being snow there on June 7th. Well, when we got near the rock cap...yeahhhhh, about that....(hope you can see the snow in the pic)
I loved that hike so much, I decided to hike Marcy again the next year, this time from a different side. I camped at Lake Colden and hiked up the Opalascent River. It is wide and the sun warms shallow pools, providing ample opportunity to soak in its refreshing waters.
This is a historically significant route; it's the same path Adirondack-lover Teddy Roosevelt took on his infamous hike to Mount Marcy. Approximately a mile from the summit is Lake Tear of the Clouds, the highest source of the mighty Hudson River. It was here on September 12, 1901 that Vice President Teddy was eating a simple lunch of ox tongue (yummy!) when his guide, Harrison Hall, rushed up the trail to hand him a note. It read: "The President appears to be dying and members of the Cabinet in Buffalo think you should lose no time in coming." I try to imagine the scene every time I visit.
The third route by which I have ascended Marcy begins at The Garden trailhead and traces Johns Brook, which I will detail in later posts. My girlfriend and I climbed Marcy via this route just last August.
The Native Americans called Mount Marcy "Tahawus", which means "Cloud Splitter". My freshman year of college I saw a picture of a man standing on Marcy's summit. There was a sea of clouds around him, Marcy's cone an island in the mist. Native American names are always so much more descriptive and emotionally stirring...
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