closest tent site to Marcy summit ?

[Chip]

Too bad.

How about in the winter?

Camping

No camping above 4000 feet at any time of the year.
Camping between 3500 and 4000 feet is limited to designated sites only.
Below 3500 feet, camping is allowed at designated sites or at locations at least 150 feet (46 m) from any road, trail or water source.
In the Eastern High Peaks, campers must acquire a self-issuing visitor use permit from the trail register, and keep the permit during the duration of their stay.
Campfires

No campfires in the Eastern High Peaks Zone.
In the Western High Peaks Zone, campfires are allowed only at designated sites or at locations at least 150 feet (46 m.) from any road, trail, or water source.

 

[Chip]

Indian Falls history ...

As I recall, one of the Indian Falls leantos was on the left bank of the brook near the brink of the falls and near the trail crossing. The other was on the same side of the brook, but farther upstream.

G.

Thanks. I remember now that you're the other person here that remembers these. When you say "left bank" do you mean on the downhill side/away from/facing Marcy ? I was there in probably 1973 or 74 in February (10 to 20 below that night, but I digress.) and seem to remember being in the lean-to on the uphill side, the back of the shelter facing Marcy. But I could be wrong.

 

[Grumpy]

Thanks. I remember now that you're the other person here that remembers these. When you say "left bank" do you mean on the downhill side/away from/facing Marcy ? I was there in probably 1973 or 74 in February (10 to 20 below that night, but I digress.) and seem to remember being in the lean-to on the uphill side, the back of the shelter facing Marcy. But I could be wrong.

I use the convention of facing downstream to label the Right or Left bank of a stream -- Right bank lies on the right, Left on the left.

The lower shelter at Indian Falls, as I recall faced out over the brook, turned somewhat toward the head of the falls. I don't recall the view from inside the shelter (which gives me something to look for in my photo archives), but suspect it would have looked over Heart Lake toward Lake Placid, if it wasn't blocked by vegetation. The mountain view from the open stream bed in front of the leanto was dominated by Colden.

G.

 

[tgoodwin]

I am quite sure that the Indian Falls, Plateau, Hopkins, Four Corners, and Lake Tear Lean-tos were all removed in 1976 or '77. Most had been fairly recently constructed of large material flown in, so many of those pieces that have become bog bridges are still there. The Sno-Bird Lean-to was on (then) AMR land, and that was taken out in 1974, as soon as the policy was enacted.

And, oh yes, to get back to the original question, Slant Rock would be the best legal tent site close to Marcy's summit. It is slightly further away than Feldspar, but the approach is easier and the ascent from that site is less. Hope this helps.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

..... I was there in probably 1973 or 74 in February (10 to 20 below that night, but I digress.) and seem to remember being in the lean-to on the uphill side, the back of the shelter facing Marcy. But I could be wrong.

That's how I remember it.

Also... the trail did not take the route it currently does. I don't know when it was re-routed, but it used to arrive near the base of the falls. If you descend now, to see the falls from the bottom, you can still find some of the old trail markers.

 

[mike1889]

This story in the Winter '76 Peeks shows some pics of the old lean-tos.

 

[TCD]

It's interesting to note Jim Dittmar's finding in 1976 that everyone he spoke to liked leantos and disagreed with their removal. Not a thread jack, but I would refer intersted readers to the poll over on ADKHighPeaks:

http://forums.adkhighpeaks.com/showthread.php?t=9740

The discussion is interesting, and obviously from the poll results, the opinion is about the same now.

Sorry; back to the "tent sites" discussion.

 

[Oldsmores]

...
There also was a leanto on the Van Hoevenberg Trail at a place called The Plateau, near timberline, with a wonderful view to the summit of Marcy framed by the front of the shelter. I never got to stay there, to my regret.
G.

I did, and it was spectacular to wake up in the morning and see Marcy's summit as the first thing lit up when the sun came up... One of many fond memories from back in the day...
And I still think the designated campsite at Sno-Bird is the closest "legal" campsite to Marcy's summit...

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I've never liked the tent sites at Feldspar, Uphill, or Lake Arnold. They always look like mud puddles every time I go by there.

That's odd.... because every time I go there the tent sites are covered by 3+ feet of snow!

 

[J.Dub]

Camping

No camping above 4000 feet at any time of the year.
Camping between 3500 and 4000 feet is limited to designated sites only.
Below 3500 feet, camping is allowed at designated sites or at locations at least 150 feet (46 m) from any road, trail or water source.
In the Eastern High Peaks, campers must acquire a self-issuing visitor use permit from the trail register, and keep the permit during the duration of their stay.
Campfires

No campfires in the Eastern High Peaks Zone.
In the Western High Peaks Zone, campfires are allowed only at designated sites or at locations at least 150 feet (46 m.) from any road, trail, or water source.

When we did Marcy a couple years ago, we camped in the woods just below 3500', sixty paces off the trail. Wasn't that hard to find a (reasonably) flat spot for the 2 two-man tents....

How big is the party in question?

 

[Chip]

How big is the party in question?

Well, Hawaiian Tropic has decided to shoot their new calendar on a mountain top this year, just to mix it up, you know, juxtaposition. So I'm thinking these 18 plus me and a photographer, so maybe 20 all together ?

Did I tell you about my new job ?

 

[J.Dub]

Did I tell you about my new job ?

Wow.

I bet "beach ball inflator" looks just stunning on your resume, n'est ce pas?

But hey, if it pays da bills....

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Maybe I should read all the previous posts, BUT..... is Marcy the only peak you're doing, or are you simply looking to get a head start on a few peaks on day 1? Marcy is not a difficult day hike from Heart Lake, Flowed Land or Lake Colden.

 

[Chip]

It's actually friends of mine that haven't been up there before. I'm trying to give them a good idea of what their options are. I've been up there and abouts almost too many times. Algonquin, Avalanche, Marcy etc was an annual tradition for some of us locally for quite a few years, maybe 10. Winters based out of Marcy Dam. Old School. I've actually never hiked anywhere up there in temps over 30.