Giant & Rocky Peak Ridge (March)
As much as I dislike some aspects of the Ridge Trail, I have to admit that the ratio of wonderful views to effort is high.
Sean Carpenter – Photographs and Work
Personal Photography and Work
As much as I dislike some aspects of the Ridge Trail, I have to admit that the ratio of wonderful views to effort is high.
Eight hours after heading out, we returned to the car. All the new snow made this quite a challenge, but all day the landscape was stunning. And except for skiers on the ski trails, we didn’t see a soul all day.
My last attempt at these three was aborted by footwear, so I was glad to have another try.
Just before hitting the fully-exposed part of the summit, the wind picked up and the dim sunshine and blowing snow made the landscape ethereal.
It’s too pretty not to hike, and this duo is always a good choice when time is limited.
I realized how lucky I was for last winter, but I definitely appreciate the last four the most. It’s been a great challenge, and I’ve got a lot more winter hiking in my future. For now, I’m going to take some time and enjoy being 46er #8475W.
This winter has been no joke. Conditions are variable, there is no guarantee that any trail is broken out. Even with Joe’s experience we almost had to turn around two hikes in a row. It makes this trio all the sweeter.
It’s been a long 9 months waiting for winter to arrive.
Sunrise comes late this far north, so starting hikes before dawn usually means cold. It was 5°F as I pulled in the lot at the Adirondack Loj. I got the front spot.
After an even one hundred summits in 2016, number 101 was short and sweet. With the rest of the US was gripped in the big freeze swooping down from the Arctic, we knew that the calm winds and sunny skies would make a great day hiking.
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.
After completing two days of hiking from the Adirondack Loj, I set off for Tahawus, near Newcomb, and Allen Mountain.
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.
I enjoyed Iroquois’ summit all to myself. The clouds were amazing, with low-lying fast-moving clouds providing an endless variation on the scene.