Logo courtesy of the Adirondack 46ers

The 46ers logo

On that September morning 20-year-old Lindsey Pelkey was to accompany her family in concluding their longtime goal of hiking the 46 peaks of the Adirondacks, she was sure she didn’t have it.

In an essay Pelkey had written to document that morning, she recalled, “strength, endurance, determination, will power, persistence, and sheer insanity are required to hike the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks”. Pelkey is a Keene Valley native who joined her family this past summer to hike two mountains — both over 4,000 feet in elevation.

She calls herself “the inexperienced whiner who absolutely hates hiking but doesn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to bond with her family”. With her backpack slung over her shoulders, the early morning journey up Mt. Gray began. Pelkey was optimistic that they could make it up to the summit in an hour’s time, but in reality it takes four or five hours to complete a climb. “The first mountain was not too bad until we came up to a huge boulder that seemed absolutely impossible to get over or around,” she recalls..

With her mother taking a break, and the rest of the family already past this point, Pelkey mustered up the courage to tackle the monstrous obstacle that blocked their path. She wound up in a position that only a contortionist could get into, while holding onto a rotting tree root. As she hoisted herself up far enough to reach the path again, the tree root that she was clinging to jabbed her in the chest. “Immediately it knocked the breath out of me, but I had to make it to the top or I would plummet back to the bottom and fall on my mother who was attempted to push from the rear,” she writes. After finding a stable position for her feet, she pulled herself up and officially conquered the boulder. Pelkey vividly remembers the pain and triumph she had experienced in that moment. “I just stood there and cried my eyes out,” she recalls.

After making their way through the prickly evergreen trees that littered the rest of the mountain path, Pelkey reunited with the rest of the clan. When they had reached the summit, they huddled together in a tearful group hug and reflected on what they had just experienced.

Photo by Daniel Egan

Mt. Sawteeth and Mt. Colvin

The Pelkeys are only a small fraction of mountain climbers who have attempted to ascend the high peaks of the Adirondacks. This feat was first accomplished over 80-years ago by Robert and George Marshall, along with some fellow hikers. Only those mountains in the Adirondack range that reach an elevation of 4,000 feet or greater would do — and they went on to identify and conquer all 46 of them over the course of eight years.

A triumph such as this was to be shared with the world, and Robert Marshall did just that in The High Peaks of the Adirondacks, published in 1922. Seven years later, Russell M.L. Carson wrote and published Peaks and People of the Adirondacks, which added to the encouragement of others to test their wilderness skills by ascending the 46 peaks. Thus began a tradition of Upstate New York hikers that runs true through today.

“For my parents and my three younger siblings, this trip was the finale to a huge chapter in their lives,” writes Pelkey. “For the past few years, they have been hiking the highest peaks in the Adirondacks to one day hike all 46, and be able to accomplish what many of their fellow hikers have already done or could only dream of.”

The Adirondack 46ers is an organization that celebrates this tradition. With over 5,000-recorded members to date, this incredible accomplishment is still very much celebrated throughout the hiking community.

The organization itself found its roots in Troy, New York, when a 1937 Grace Methodist Church group came together, simply to share their enthusiasm for mountain climbing. Over time, this small gathering grew to become the Adirondack 46ers, which was officially established on May 30, 1948.

To become a member, one can call the Adirondack 46ers headquarters and start a file of completed climbs. Each aspiring 46er is assigned a correspondent with whom they report the dates and locations of each climb they are able to make. Traditionally, climbers were required to sign a summit log, which is located in a canister at the top of each of the 46 peaks. Each hiker was to copy the last three names on the log and submit that copy with their climb report as proof that they had reached the top of the mountain. Finding these canisters has become more difficult, so the practice has become optional to avoid disturbance of the peak environment.

The Adirondack 46ers goes beyond recording names of people who have hiked the peaks. It is an organization that embraces nature, and is considered to be an environmental organization. Article 2 of its bylaws states, “The Purpose of the Organization shall be the fostering and protection of the natural resources within the Adirondack Forest Preserve of the State of New York and the preservation of the wilderness character of the region.” They encourage members, as well as the public, to respect the wilderness and wildlife, as well as being prepared and safe when hiking or camping in the Adirondacks.

The blood, sweat, and tears shed by some while trying to accomplish this difficult feat has proven to be not only an intense physical experience, but a spiritual one as well. “It is an enjoyable experience in the wilderness. I have found it very spiritual to commune with nature and grow with it”, say Jim Barnshaw, Vice President of the Adirondack 46ers organization. “I found it to be very challenging athletically, and I also got a first hand look at the beautiful scenery.” During these difficult hikes, climbers tend to reflect on those who have inspired them throughout their lives to become who they are today.

And for Lindsey Pelkey, it is an experience that will stay with her for the rest of her life. “I will always remember the difficulty and pain that I experienced, but I will never forget the look on my family’s faces as they touched the trail marker on the top of the peak. I know that no matter what kind of challenges come my way that I will get over them.”

Do you have any incredibly hiking stories to share? E-mail us!

Naming the peaks of the Adirondacks Of the 46 High Peaks of the Adirondacks, there are a select few that seem to stand out, not only because they are incredible creations of nature, but also have some pretty interesting names! Here’s a list of the ones that will definitely catch your eye in the list: Mt. Haystack 4,960 ft. Mt. Nippletop 4,620 ft Mt. TableTop 4,427 ft Mt. Street 4,166 ft Mt. Big Slide 4, 240 ft Mt. Upper Wolfjaw 4,185 ft Mt. Lower Wolfjaw 4,175 ft Mt. Sawteeth 4,100 ft Mt. Cliff 3,960 ft Mt. Cliff, though not 4,000 feet in elevation, is still traditionally considered part of the 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks. Other peaks that share this trait are: Mt. Blake Peak 3,960 ft Mt. Nye 3,895 ft Mt. Couchsachraga 3,820 ft For a complete list of all 46 peaks, check out The Peaks section of the Adirondack 46ers website.