I know I mentioned this a few months ago, but since things are firming up a little bit (although still tentative), I thought I'd open a new thread on it.
I'm contemplating doing a thru-hike of the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks, southbound, in October. Alas, it's likely to be a week or so past the peak of the fall colours, although they can easily last until that time if the weather holds. Family obligations preclude an earlier start. I'm doing it southbound because I'd like to take a zero day a few days from starting, and visit the Adirondack Museum, which is open only until Columbus Day.
I'm a slow hiker, so I'm planning 8-12 mile days. If that turns out to be a dull and boring pace, I could go faster, but I don't want to plan on it. That would make the whole affair roughly a two-week trip. If any of you guys wants to join me for one or more sections, gee, that'd be terrific.
My tentative plan would be to ride Amtrak, and its bus connection, into Lake Placid village on Tuesday, October 7. The bus wouldn't get me into Lake Placid until after 3 pm, so I don't think I could readily hike to the first official campsite at Wanika Falls. I'll be asking elsewhere, among people who've done it, about stealth opportunities on the trail south of Averyville Road. Surely I should be able to roadwalk the three miles to the trailhead and hike some distance in by daylight.
I'd think in terms of getting to the Route 28N trailhead near Long Lake - 39 miles from Lake Placid - by the evening of Friday, October 10. I'd ask my wife to meet me there. There are a number of lodging options in the Long Lake/Raquette Lake/Blue Mountain Lake area, and as plans crystallize, we'll most likely book a room at one of them for a couple of nights.
Saturday, October 11, she and I would go to the Adirondack Museum - there has to be some reason for her to haul all the way up there, after all!
Sunday, October 12, would be back on the trail, ideally with a light pack. Hopefully, I can figure out some way to get resupplied near Lake Durant and Route 28 on Monday, the 13th. That would save a couple of days of food carry. The October 12-13 section would be a nice overnight if someone wanted to join for just one night. (The night's stay would most likely be near either the Tirrell Pond or O'Neil Flow shelter.)
The next road crossing is a gravel road near Wakely Dam. The guidebook says that it's just 12 miles, but in fact it's a few miles longer because of a trail relocation that's newer than the guidebook. Also, if the hike is going well, I'm likely to want to make a detour to visit the Wakely Mountain fire tower, which adds 6.4 miles and about 1700 feet of elevation gain to the route. There are no resupply options near Wakely Dam, which is accessible my car only via 12 miles of gravel road from Routes 28/30 near Indian Lake. I'd imagine making the Wakely Dam campsites on the evening of the 15th.
From there, it's 34.1 miles - with no road access - to Piseco village. I foresee making Piseco on Saturday the 18th, with Sunday the 19th as a rest day. There are a couple of motels in Piseco, but resupply here is likely a mail drop. This is either a seven-day food carry from Long Lake or a five-day carry from Lake Durant, at my slow pace.
The next section is the final 23-30 miles, coming out either on Godfrey Road (which still counts as thru-hiking) on Tuesday the 21st, or Benson Road (a new section just opened this year) on Wednesday the 22nd. My wife and I will have spotted a car here in advance, so that I can drive home from the trailhead. At some point late in the day on Monday the 20th, I'd be passing the Whitehouse trailhead, which is at the end of a 9-mile dirt road from the village of Wells, with no resupply (and likely no hitchhiking possibility) at the trailhead.
As I mentioned before, the NPT is the granddaddy of all the long trails in the US. Construction on it started in 1922 and it opened to hikers in 1924. It traverses some of the remotest areas of the Adirondacks. There are only four road crossings (28N/Long Lake, 28/Lake Durant, Wakely Dam, and Piseco) in its entire 133-mile length, and resupply at any of them can be challenging - at the very least, a hitch of a few miles to a post office. This hike should be a "thru-hike" experience in miniature.
The trail is mostly level, except for the Blue Mountain ridge north of 28N and the side trip to the Wakely fire tower. It can be extremely wet - indeed, I'd be astonished to find that the beavers have not submerged at least one section. It has its share of lovely views, but they are across picturesque lakes and meadows rather than from majestic mountaintops. Because it is so remote, maintenance can be sketchy, and the blazed route is approximate at best.
If people wanted to join me for a section, approximate times at the access points would be
10/7 afternoon - Lake Placid
10/10 evening - arrive Long Lake - zero day (NY 28N)
10/12 morning - depart Long Lake
10/13 late morning (?) - Lake Durant (NY 28/30)
10/15 evening - arrive Wakely Dam (12 mile drive on unpaved road from Indian Lake)
10/16 morning - depart Wakely Dam
10/18 evening - arrive Piseco -zero day (NY 8 )
10/20 morning - depart Piseco
10/20 late afternoon - pass Whitehouse (10 mile drive on unpaved road from Wells)
10/21 evening - Godfrey Road terminus -OR-
10/22 afternoon - Benson Road terminus
OK, now I've done it... I've actually said I'm planning this idiocy.
I'm contemplating doing a thru-hike of the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks, southbound, in October. Alas, it's likely to be a week or so past the peak of the fall colours, although they can easily last until that time if the weather holds. Family obligations preclude an earlier start. I'm doing it southbound because I'd like to take a zero day a few days from starting, and visit the Adirondack Museum, which is open only until Columbus Day.
I'm a slow hiker, so I'm planning 8-12 mile days. If that turns out to be a dull and boring pace, I could go faster, but I don't want to plan on it. That would make the whole affair roughly a two-week trip. If any of you guys wants to join me for one or more sections, gee, that'd be terrific.
My tentative plan would be to ride Amtrak, and its bus connection, into Lake Placid village on Tuesday, October 7. The bus wouldn't get me into Lake Placid until after 3 pm, so I don't think I could readily hike to the first official campsite at Wanika Falls. I'll be asking elsewhere, among people who've done it, about stealth opportunities on the trail south of Averyville Road. Surely I should be able to roadwalk the three miles to the trailhead and hike some distance in by daylight.
I'd think in terms of getting to the Route 28N trailhead near Long Lake - 39 miles from Lake Placid - by the evening of Friday, October 10. I'd ask my wife to meet me there. There are a number of lodging options in the Long Lake/Raquette Lake/Blue Mountain Lake area, and as plans crystallize, we'll most likely book a room at one of them for a couple of nights.
Saturday, October 11, she and I would go to the Adirondack Museum - there has to be some reason for her to haul all the way up there, after all!
Sunday, October 12, would be back on the trail, ideally with a light pack. Hopefully, I can figure out some way to get resupplied near Lake Durant and Route 28 on Monday, the 13th. That would save a couple of days of food carry. The October 12-13 section would be a nice overnight if someone wanted to join for just one night. (The night's stay would most likely be near either the Tirrell Pond or O'Neil Flow shelter.)
The next road crossing is a gravel road near Wakely Dam. The guidebook says that it's just 12 miles, but in fact it's a few miles longer because of a trail relocation that's newer than the guidebook. Also, if the hike is going well, I'm likely to want to make a detour to visit the Wakely Mountain fire tower, which adds 6.4 miles and about 1700 feet of elevation gain to the route. There are no resupply options near Wakely Dam, which is accessible my car only via 12 miles of gravel road from Routes 28/30 near Indian Lake. I'd imagine making the Wakely Dam campsites on the evening of the 15th.
From there, it's 34.1 miles - with no road access - to Piseco village. I foresee making Piseco on Saturday the 18th, with Sunday the 19th as a rest day. There are a couple of motels in Piseco, but resupply here is likely a mail drop. This is either a seven-day food carry from Long Lake or a five-day carry from Lake Durant, at my slow pace.
The next section is the final 23-30 miles, coming out either on Godfrey Road (which still counts as thru-hiking) on Tuesday the 21st, or Benson Road (a new section just opened this year) on Wednesday the 22nd. My wife and I will have spotted a car here in advance, so that I can drive home from the trailhead. At some point late in the day on Monday the 20th, I'd be passing the Whitehouse trailhead, which is at the end of a 9-mile dirt road from the village of Wells, with no resupply (and likely no hitchhiking possibility) at the trailhead.
As I mentioned before, the NPT is the granddaddy of all the long trails in the US. Construction on it started in 1922 and it opened to hikers in 1924. It traverses some of the remotest areas of the Adirondacks. There are only four road crossings (28N/Long Lake, 28/Lake Durant, Wakely Dam, and Piseco) in its entire 133-mile length, and resupply at any of them can be challenging - at the very least, a hitch of a few miles to a post office. This hike should be a "thru-hike" experience in miniature.
The trail is mostly level, except for the Blue Mountain ridge north of 28N and the side trip to the Wakely fire tower. It can be extremely wet - indeed, I'd be astonished to find that the beavers have not submerged at least one section. It has its share of lovely views, but they are across picturesque lakes and meadows rather than from majestic mountaintops. Because it is so remote, maintenance can be sketchy, and the blazed route is approximate at best.
If people wanted to join me for a section, approximate times at the access points would be
10/7 afternoon - Lake Placid
10/10 evening - arrive Long Lake - zero day (NY 28N)
10/12 morning - depart Long Lake
10/13 late morning (?) - Lake Durant (NY 28/30)
10/15 evening - arrive Wakely Dam (12 mile drive on unpaved road from Indian Lake)
10/16 morning - depart Wakely Dam
10/18 evening - arrive Piseco -zero day (NY 8 )
10/20 morning - depart Piseco
10/20 late afternoon - pass Whitehouse (10 mile drive on unpaved road from Wells)
10/21 evening - Godfrey Road terminus -OR-
10/22 afternoon - Benson Road terminus
OK, now I've done it... I've actually said I'm planning this idiocy.
I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
The post was edited 1 time, last by AnotherKevin ().