Peak Performance

A Guide to The High Peaks

Story and photo's by Alan Fanitzi

It doesn’t matter if it’s the dead of winter or the middle of the summer; the legendary High Peaks of the Adirondacks attract hikers from many different places. Whether it’s taking a hike up an easy mountain like Cascade, or tackling an all day trip up Mt. Marcy, hiking offers an inexpensive way to explore what the North Country has to offer.

Easy hikes

Out of its forty-six High Peaks, the Adirondacks offers many beginner level mountains for rookies to try before handling the more difficult climbs.

Harry Spelta, former president of the New York State Outdoor Guides Association and licensed guide, recommends Cascade, Porter, Giant, and Whiteface for beginners. “Cascade and Porter is a relatively short hike from Route 73, and the elevation gain is not that significant,” Spelta says.

Cascade has an elevation of 4098 feet and is the 36th highest peak, while Porter has an elevation of 4060 feet and is the 38th highest. Apart from being fairly novice peaks to climb, there is one other advantage these two mountains have. It involves sled riding,without the sled.

“I've done those two peaks in the winter with an 8–year-old boy, and he loved it because he could glissade down during the descent.  Glissading is essentially a controlled descent by sliding on your butt, and nylon ski pants are the best!”

A step up from Cascade and Porter is Giant Mountain. Since Giant is much bigger than its surrounding peaks, locals named it “Giant of the Valley.” Eventually, the name stuck, and people have called it Giant Mountain ever since.

Spelta has climbed Giant many times from several different directions; however, one trip up the mountain has stuck in his mind for over 15 years.

“I once was climbing Giant with my younger sister, and she was in her mid-teens. This would have been in the early to mid '80's.  We met a lady on the summit of Giant and began our descent as a small group.  Near the summit, it is mostly cripple brush and stunted spruce that is about chest high,’ Spelta says.

 We passed a fellow and his wife and I didn't pay much attention.  We went maybe another 100 yards and my sister and the lady stopped.   "Did you see that guy? He was just wearing a fanny pack and hiking boots," they both exclaimed.  He was from Quebec, and apparently he liked hiking 'au naturel'!  I don't know how he did it, because the black flies were wicked up there,” Spelta says.

Aside from the customs of Canadian hikers, Giant Mountain provides breathtaking views including those of Whiteface, Esther and the Dix range.

Are You Ready to Advance?

Before seeking an intermediate level hike, it’s important to consider the different variables before setting off on a more challenging peak.

Phill Corell, treasurer of the 46ers, a group composed of people who have climbed all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks, offers some advice.” What’s ‘intermediate’ for me may not be ‘intermediate’ to someone else,” Corell says. 

Every person has their own strengths and weaknesses, but what hikers should consider before making the jump to a more rigorous peak are things like age, current fitness level, and the abilities of others in the group.

Hiking in a group is recommended in most cases; traveling together with other hikers provides enjoyable company and security versus hiking alone, plus the combined skills of the group can lead to less accidents and avoidance of dangerous situations.

Group hiking may seem like an obvious thing to do; however, some setbacks can come out of the blue and jeopardize the trip.  “There are many issues involved with hiking with peer groups, especially at the college age, the tough egos, personal goals and varied fitness conditions can fragment the ability to agree on who the leader is and to reach consensus when conflicting opinions arise.” Corell says.

If a group of friends took a wrong turn someplace and got lost. Conflicts could arise on deciding what way is best to continue the hike. One person might want to go in one direction while another might want to head in a different direction. If a group can’t agree on what to do they run the risk of getting even more lost. According to Corell, your group is only as strong as the weakest hiker.  

Intermediate Hikes

Rough terrain is standard on all High Peaks. The line between easy and hard will be notably crossed when seeking any of these intermediate level peaks. Expect the pace to be slowed by sharp climbs, steep descents, and rough weather.

 “I would consider all of our peaks to be in an intermediate class, as no approach is of a technical nature and change in elevations are mostly gradual compared to Western peaks,” says Lt. Brian C. Dubay, a forest ranger with the DEC. 

“With that in mind, Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, Dix, East Dix, and Gothics are some of the more rugged and remote.  Allen, Redfield, Skylight, and the Sewards aren’t rugged, but are remote, and most do them as a 2-day trip. The rest of the peaks fall somewhere in the middle,” Dubay adds.

Mount Haystack earns a bronze medal for its elevation. Smaller only to Mt. Marcy (5,344 ft) and Algonquin (5,114 ft) Haystack has an elevation of 4,960 ft.

The climb is known for being steep toward the top. The summit is mostly composed of bare rock, and weather can turn fast. A small rain shower can become a big problem due to the high elevations. Within seconds of touching down water will freeze causing slippery conditions.  This effect is common on most High Peaks and Haystack is no exception.

Basin Mountain is the 9th highest peak (4,827 ft) in the Adirondacks but its difficulty does not come from its height. The main reason for Basin’s difficulty comes from the many steep rocks that need to be climbed to reach the top. Some spots, in bad weather, have such terrible footing ladders are put in for assistance.

Upon climbing through a rare rock chimney and reaching the summit; hikers are rewarded with breathtaking views of Mt. Haystack, Marcy, and the Ausable Lakes. 

Bringing the Right Gear

Tackling the High Peaks is no easy task; however, having the right gear with you will increase anyone’s chance of reaching the summit.

A backpack may seem like an obvious choice, but keep in mind that hiking the High Peaks demands time and determination. With that said, a hiking backpack will be more useful than a standard school backpack. Not only do they provide extra room and special slots for water bottles, they also have added padding, which will not throw your balance off. Many standard hiking backpacks also come with a hip belt that prevents the pack from flipping up when traversing in bumpy terrain.

Food should always be at the top of your list of things to bring on a hiking trip. Things that fill you up quickly and are good sources of protein provide lasting energy when consumed. Beef jerky, fresh fruit, granola bars and trail mix are all good to have and don’t take up that much room in your backpack. The body will expel more calories than normal while hiking, so it’s important to keep it going with food.

Instead of sneakers or work boots, hiking shoes are an altern

ative designed for the abuses of the outdoors while providing comfort for feet. They not only allow air to circulate inside the shoe, most hiking footwear is waterproof to keep feet dry in those mucky spots and huge puddles which will be encountered on all hikes.

Water Works

It doesn’t matter if the hike takes place in the dead of winter, or in the heat of the summer; sweat is one of those things that’s going to occur while hiking the High Peaks, no matter time of year.

According to the Academic Department of Dermatology at St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, sweat is secreted from the dermis, a deep layer in the skin. It is mostly composed of salt and water, and its purpose is to cool the body as it evaporates.

Since the human body looses water while it sweats, its essential to pack water before embarking on a time consuming trip up any Adirondack High Peak.

With that in mind, at rest, the human body requires 64 oz of water to maintain stability. While on a hike, especially in the Adirondacks, it’s a good idea to carry more than that in either a canteen or in plastic bottles.

It is important for hikers to take a sip of water every 5-10 minutes while on the trail. Doing so keeps water in the body, lowering the chance of dehydration.

The Hardest Hikes

Rookie hikers keep in mind, it’s better to start small and work up. Newbie hikers should steer clear of these mountains until they have conquered smaller Adirondack peaks and have gained more experience.

When asked about difficult peaks, two mountains came to Harry Spelta’s mind.
“Difficult climbs would include Allen and Redfield”, he said.

Hikers have labeled Mt. Allen as one of the toughest of the 46 peaks. “I consider Allen difficult because it is so remote, just the distances involved make it a challenge,” Spelta says. The trailhead requires a mini hike in itself just to reach requiring an overnight stay.

Hurricane Floyd has hit the mountain in 1998 leaving it scarred with many open clearings and narrow trailheads. This makes the trail markers difficult to find.
Overall the main reason behind Mt Allen’s difficulty is the sheer distance to the summit. For hikers seeking a test of endurance, this hike is a perfect choice.

Located in the center of the Adirondack Park is Mt Redfield. This peak requires more than just endurance to reach its summit.

“Redfield, again is remote, and requires some map reading and compass skills, though with a Global Positioning System (GPS), it would be simple.” Spelta says. 

One benefit of hiking the great outdoors is being away from electronics such as cell phones and GPS’s; however, having them may be a handy tool if lost. Redfield has areas were trail gets so thin it makes hikers wonder if there is any trail there at all. For this reason, hikers consider this peak “trail-less”.

Natures Amusement Park

The wide range of High Peaks provides a fun experience for hikers regardless of their experience level. A trip up any Adirondack High Peak is a rigorous journey, but upon reaching the summit, precious eye candy is awarded in the form of breathtaking views of the family of peaks.

It’s one thing to look at pictures of the High Peaks online or in a book, buts it’s another experience entirely to be the one who got to be there in person. Just feeling the wind evaporating the sweat from a hikers face is natures personal pat on the back for a job well done.

How many High Peaks have you reached?

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