Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports Adirondacks Trip Report

I thought I'd show all the west coast folks a glimpse of some New York foliage from the Adirondacks from my recent trip up to the 'Daks:

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=16639&cpgm=tripmain&ski=Include

Enjoy.

Looking forward to coming out to the Sierras again soon!

Rob

Nice fall colors! Great pictures.

But that "trail"!!! Pretty amazing how nice most Sierra trails are in comparison.

Steve, the trails in the east tend to be more gnarly, rocky, and root-filled than in the west. It goes back to many of them being established much earlier, under more austere conditions. Switchbacks are a rarity out here. If a trail goes up a mountain, then it goes UP a mountain, without a lot of concern for details like slope. Some have been re-worked over time due to the erosion factor with such steep angles (they basically turned in to drainages), but there are still plenty that aren't much different than they were 300-400 years ago.

The local mountain I train on has very gnarly trail sections that exceed 1000 vf/mile, similar in slope to the Whitney MR between the Main Trail and the first creek crossing. It was reworked about 20 years ago to switchback a more gentle slope, but a few of us still know where the fun is to be had (about 1500 vf/mile). Just have to dodge the NP Rangers . . .

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Yea, Bulldog exactly! There are little to no real switchbacks on any routes in the Adirondacks. About a third have no official trail and the best way to the top is how you see fit.
This may change on some peaks to help protect the fragile alpine plants that grow above 4,000ft (yes, 4,000ft!).

Some mountains have routes like the Mountaineers route which since it has been traveled so much it is pretty easy to follow in most spots and if not, the proper general direction is pretty obvious though not necessarily easy.

Waterproof shoes are really appreciated up there since at some point you'll be hiking in a ravine/stream/waterfall on most peaks.

Mid-late Fall will be a bit more challenging up there since heavy snow hasn't fallen yet and all the rocks and boulders are coated with ice often with some light snow on top which is tricky to navigate. Crampons and ice axe are not useful yet since the ice is not thick enough and the snow is not deep enough nor consolidated yet. In this case, some sort of ice creeper/korker is best with trekking poles and careful climbing/walking.

Awesome photos!

Rob, I'm sure you deal with the same challenge I do every year trying to train for the Sierra in these much lower eastern mountains - finding some way to condition your legs for the sustained gain you face in the much higher western peaks. All the up-and-down in these eastern ranges just don't prepare you for 3-6K' of continuous gain in the Sierra since your legs are conditioned to getting a downhill break after every 1000-1500 feet of "up".

The best imitation I've been able to find of anything like a serious sustained gain in my neck of the woods is a trail with 2700 vf feet over 5 miles in the Blue Ridge, and I have to drive 2.5 hours north of Atlanta to get to it. I usually hit this trail a couple of times just before heading west, and I sometimes supplement that training with a few days on a treadmill at 15 degrees for several hours. Boring as hell, but reasonably effective.

The biggest frustration is that, after 10-12 days or so in the Sierra, my legs are finally conditioned to the gain, I'm fully acclimated to the altitude, and I'm truly ready to rip - only to have to turn around and head home.

Boy does this frustration ring true! I wish we had the Adirondacks or the Blue Ridge nearby. Here in the flatlands we have freeway overpasses.

I am heading back out this weekend with my nephew and will go in over Kearsarge and come out at the portal - Hope to climb Tyndall on the way. I'm sure the legs and lungs will finally feel good just as we finish up as usual.

Mike

Have fun, Mike - it was a pleasure finally meeting you at the Portal this past summer! Kearsarge is one of my favorite places in the Sierra. Maybe a side trip to tag Gould?

Among us flatlanders to the east, I think Tom (highitinerary from Maryland) has the best game plan. He heads out every summer for a month. He acclimates and conditions the legs for 10 days or so, then just has a freakin' ball for another 2-3 weeks climbing everything in sight. Wish I could get away from work for a month!

Outstanding TR and even better photos! The climbing out in the Adirondacks looks like good ankle-twisting and heart-breaking fun!