46er
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Basin & Saddleback
I’ve bailed out of Basin (and Saddleback) twice after excruciatingly long days. As I soaked in the morning views I remembered what I was missing. The 4,827-foot summit (9th highest in the Adirondacks) has an open, rocky summit with nearly 360° views dominated by the close-up of Mount Haystack.
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Lower WolfJaw, Upper WolfJaw, Armstrong, Colvin and Blake from the JBL
Lacking my usual distance-and-elevation calculator, I mapped out what looked to be a not impossible 24-mile loop, starting and ending at the JBL and covering Lower & Upper WolfJaw, Armstrong, Colvin & Blake. There just happened to be the Ausable Valley in between them.
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Redfield & Cliff from Upper Works
Staring down the sheer south side of Redfield, thick with what is nearly impassibly thick trees and debris, and over to Allen Mountain jutting steeply from the surrounding flats, a vulture launched beside me a circled the thermals over my head. I understood the symbolism, took some pictures and headed back.
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Allen Mountain (August)
After completing two days of hiking from the Adirondack Loj, I set off for Tahawus, near Newcomb, and Allen Mountain.
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Haystack & Gray via Panther Gorge (August)
As I descended to Bartlett Ridge and Panther Gorge I was a bit surprised at how steep it was. I remembered it as steep, but not *this* steep.
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Marshall, Cliff and Redfield
These three peaks are normally two long days, but with enough will they make a single inspiring, exhausting, rewarding one.
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Dix with the 46ers
This was my first ever trail maintenance day. The 46ers gathered a crew to help clean up the trail to Dix, from Elk Lake to Hunters…
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Cascade & Porter
Cascade (without Porter) was our first High Peak back in 2009. Like this day, it was hot and humid. Unlike this day, it felt impossible!
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Dix, Hough, South Dix, Macomb, and Grace (Winter)
Joe was great to hike with, just as I’d assumed, the route was as interesting as I’d imagined, and I did better than both he and I expected. For five consecutive days of hiking, accumulating 87 miles and 27,000 vertical feet, I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
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Marcy, Skylight, Gray (Winter)
On climbing Gray Peak, I have now officially climbed all 46 Adirondack High Peaks twice. This beautiful, warm, frustrating, wonderful day was a perfect way to accomplish it.
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Phelps, TableTop, and Mount Colden (Winter)
The re-routed trail to TableTop sits very nearly at the top of Indian Falls, which I knew crossed over to Mount Colden…so I decided to keep going.
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Donaldson, Emmons, Seward & Seymour (Winter)
This hike was gigantic. 27 miles — more than a full marathon. Way more than 6,000 vertical feet gained. Four summits. Just under 14 hours.

