I got back earlier this afternoon from a 3 day backpacking trip up to NY's Adirondack mountains. It was amazing! Im looking forward to many more weekends up there.
So I began early Saturday morning, waking up at 4:30am and getting on the road by 5 for the 3:30 hour drive from my house. I had about 4 hours of sleep so I already was a bit sluggish getting going in the morning. My initial plan was to get to the Adirondak Loj around 8am to begin my hike. Upon arriving at the gate I noticed cars being turned away and a sign saying the lot was full. When I pulled up the kid in the booth told me al the lots were full and Id have to park on the street about .8 of a mile away and walk up. As I was asking him if my car would be okay there for the 3 days I have planned to be in the mountains a car pulls out of the lot, whereas he tells me, "well, you're in luck, theres a spot!" Talk about timing! Worked out great.
I was still uncertain which route I was going to take. I stopped and spoke to the Park Ranger, who told me hike through Avalanche Pass onto the Uphill Lean-To, spend the night there, then hike up and over Mount Marcy to a tent site off the Van Hoevenberg trail just below the Phelps Mountain trailhead and then the next day hike out. Which was one of my initial plans. She then asked if I had a bear can, which are required when backpacking in the Adirondacks. Fortunately I had bought one the day before, though you can rent them at the Trail Center. And off I went....

Day 1 was amazing. the trail through Avalanche Pass was as AK said, gorgeous and breathtaking Upon getting to Avalanche Lake I didn't want to leave. On the way I kept leap foregone an older gentleman who had said he comes up just to hike this trail. I also caught up with a trio of French Canadians that I kept leap frogging as well. After going through the pass I would my way up past Lake Colden with fantastic views of Mount Marshall , Iroquois and Algonquin Peaks. Then on up the trail along the Opalescent Brook to a suspension bridge. The brook was moving very well and upon seeing the bridge out and not immediately seeing a place to cross safely I figured this was a great time to take a break and have lunch. While sitting on the rock eating away a couple with their 9 year old son and a dog appeared on the other side of the brook...and watching them cross gave me my clue as to where I was going to cross as well. Their son, only 9 was fully loaded with a pack and they were out there doing a 3 day trip as well. I have a 16 year old daughter and 12 year old son and I know neither of them could have done this for 3 days. I kept walking and arrived at the Uphill Lean-To fairly early, around 3. Exhausted, the lack of sleep was catching up to me. I set up my tent in probably the tightest most level spot I could find due to the two enormous 4 person tents set up, and the lean-to was occupied. I took a quick nap and was rudely awakened buy some more French Canadians, who literally walked right up to my tent asking me if I was awake and could give them directions... So I made dinner, filtered my water for the morning and stashed my bear can.

Day 2 started around 8am after having a quick breakfast and coffee and packing up. Yesterday was a bit muddy and rocky, and full of roots, but this morning it was even worse. Within 15 minutes my feet were soaked and covered in mud, but thats okay! I was loving it! I quickly arrived at the 3500 elevation mark and shortly after made it to Tear of the Clouds lake, the source of the Hudson River. This meant a bit to me having grown up on the Hudson River. It was amazing to think that this is where that river all began. From this point on the trail was a steady hike up, and up...onto the peak of Mount Marcy. Just kept going, taking my time. I came to the Mount Skylight trailhead just before the main climb to Marcy, stopped, and contemplated hiking up the .5 of a mile to the top, but I had Marcy on my mind, so I kept chugging away, cursing the bear can in my pack which was adding that extra weight. I made it to the top of Marcy at around 11 and besides the summit steward, was the only one there. I stayed for a while taking some pics and chatting with the steward. It was nice and cool up top and windy. Cloudy, but still an amazing view all around! It was well worth the trek up! Soon more hikers began summiting the peak. When I began down the trail was full of hikers on their way up. It was a steady descent down, passing so many people on their way up. I got to Indian Falls and the sun was shining and bright and it was a perfect spot for lunch. Aired out the feet, dried out my shirt and socks and filtered and filled up my water. I continued down the trail and passed the Phelps Mountain trail and onto the the tent site just past it. No one was there so I set up camp, unloaded my pack except my water, filter and rain jacket then proceeded to climb to the top of Phelps. This was straight up, just a climb all the way to the top, but once getting there the views were amazing. There were 3 kids hanging at top and Bs'd with them for a bit before heading back to camp. Filtered more water before heading back to camp, where I made dinner, read for a bit then retired to my tent for the night.

Day 3 I woke up around 6:30, had coffee and a light breakfast, packed up my stuff and headed down the trail around 7. I hiked steady until arriving at the Loj parking lot at around 8:30. Got in my car and back home!

Pics to follow!

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Damn Lou, a full head of hair and great legs!

I think i have to do a few at a time, everytime I try it fails to load.
Gove me a few

Day 1. Avalanche pass, Colden Lake

Day 2. Lake of the Tears, Marcy and Phelps

Why the sweater vest??

Im trying to post the pics from my phone so its taking a little slow.
If I wasn't too exhausted I would have liked to have humped up Redfield when I got to Uphill. Im going back, I really loved it up there and now knowing who, how, what, where and when physically as opposed to reading about it makes it easier for me to plan. I sated at that Skylight Mountain sign for a good 5 minutes...then back up at Marcy, and back at that sign. I know if I had done Skylight, Phelps would have been either a no-go, or the death of me.
The 4 hour drive to me isn't worth it being a day hike in my opinion. I liked the loop, keep moving hike, but next time I am going to base camp and then hit a few peaks at a time.

I give up on the pics,,if you have FB and ya wanna see let me know! I can add you!

I wish I were much closer also. I'm 3.5 hours away which really isn't that far, but it would be nice if it were as close as Harriman is to me

Looks like he's peeing off the mountain... He held it the entire way up the mountain and now is letting it all out! "Piss on you Marcy!" He was heard as the picture was being taken

I finished 4 more of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks yesterday! I chose these 4 peaks for this weekend for a few reasons. One reason was their remoteness. Thinking they weren't in the heart of the High Peak region I figured it wouldn't be that busy. Although not as busy as Im sure the other peaks were, it had its fair share of hikers. Another reason was it was a doable trip, where in 2 days I could do 4 peaks.

I started my day on saturday morning. With the drive being 4.5 hours, I woke up at 4am, showered and started my drive around 4:30. I made it to the trailhead at 8:15. I made great time! Strapped don my pack and started down the trail at 8:25. It is 4.5 miles to the first lean-to. I humped it in and made it to Blueberry lean-to at 9:55! I was moving! The access trail was fairly level , slightly rolling, and on an old logging trail. Set up my tent way in the back (and possibly a little to close to the privy!) After speaking with some of the others near the lean-to, and still not sure if I was going to hike Seymour, which is short hike up and back, or bang out Seward, Donaldson and Emmons. I decided go big or go home! I headed up Seward at 10:30! Seward is 4361' and i start out great, full of energy and not moving too fast, or too slow. At around .5 mile from the summit I hit a wall...My energy levels were feeling depleted! But the trail isn't going to hike its self! I made it to the top of Seward at 1:10pm and about 20' from the Seward Peak sign, my right calf locked up and I submitted Seward rolling around in pain grabbing at my calf! It was a site Im sure! This scared me a bit, because I still had 2 more peaks to go! I figured, rest, eat lunch and massage my calf for a bit! I moved inward to the next peak, Donaldson, which at a slightly lower elevation of 4140'. On the way down the other side of Seward I kept reminding myself I have to climb back up again on my way back to camp!
I made it to Donaldson at 2:30pm! took some pics, was feeling a bit better and kept trucking! On my way toward Emmons, which is at a lower elevation, 4040' my motivation and energy levels weren't very high! I just kept saying to myself, I have to do this, Im NOT hiking Seward again! Haha! In between Donaldson and Emmons I ran into a couple. Initially they offered to step aside to let me pass because they say they move slow, but I declined! I told them I think I need to move slower than what Ive been doing and if they minded if I hiked with them. These 2 were awesome! At a moment in my day where I was feeling at my lowest they were there and really made the rest of my hike amazing! Rob was a roofer and his wife Dawn a social worker. Rob literally chain smoked the entire way! And didn't stop talking! Which believe it or not was the best thing at this point because it made the hike go by so much quicker! The 3 of us made it to Emmons at 3:15pm. Now the best part...we had to hike back the same way we came. About 4.1 miles! Up and down the last 2 mountains! But with the company and friends I had those miles went well! But we definitely took out time! We made it at the bottom at around 8:15..and being they were staying at Ward Brook Lean-to, and they had some wine and whiskey I joined them at there camp for a bout a half hour, had some wine then hiked back to my camp via head lamp. I got back at 9 , made dinner, cleaned up and climbed into my tent by 9:30.
I woke up Sunday morning at 6:30, made breakfast and coffee, packed my bag for the day and headed towards the trailhead at around 7:15 to get the last of the peaks for the day. Going to the trailhead, which is a mile from my camp I stopped at Ward Brook, where Rob and Dawn were just waking up. Tempted to head off solo, I decided to stay with them for the day, especially because they were brewing a big pot of coffee! So after another cup of fresh coffee and waiting for them to pack up and get ready we headed to the Seymour trail head at around 8:30. Initially the trail was rolling and not to bad, but the 3 of didn't have that adrenaline rush yet and were moving slow. The trail to the top is 1.5 miles and was as brutal and straight up as Seward. We made it to the peak at 11:15 to amazing views, including a view of the 3 peaks we had done the day before. We headed down and made it back quick, I said my goodbyes to my friends and headed back to my camp, packed all my stuff and hiked my 4.5 miles back to my car at 3:30. Craving burgers and fountain Dr. Pepper I stopped at the first place I could on the way home in the Lake Placid area and after a gas pit stop half way home I made it hime at 9pm!

Agreed! Imagine if somehow they could have included the Adks along the AT? Im thinking NY would get as much cursing along the way as NH

Anyone know how to straighten out some of my sideways pics?

You rock! Thanks!