Seeking feedback on 5-day trip around Mt. Marcy

[zorts]

We are planning a trip in the Adirondacks near the end of August (going in on Wednesday, August 24th and coming out on the following Monday). "We" is two families who have done a lot of hiking and backcountry skiing together: 4 adults and 4 kids, ages 9, 12, 15 and 18. We've done two 3-night camping trips before this and numerous overnighters; the youngest climbed Mt. Washington at age 5, so we're all experienced campers. So why do we need advice? We've done all of our family hikes in the Whites; this is our first trip into the Adirondacks. So we just don't know the area.

Here's what we came up with on our own:

• Spot a car at Keene Valley on Wednesday (early afternoon).
• Wednesday afternoon: park at ADK loj (Heart Lake), Hike in on 61 (Van Hoevenberg Trail - 2.5mi) and 68 (Avalanche Pass Trail - .8 mi) to camp near junction with 73 (Feldspar Brook Trail). about 3.3mi. This is a fairly easy first day; if we don't get started until midafternoon, we can still make it to a campsite before twilight.
• Thursday: 68 (Avalanche Pass Trail - 3mi) to 121 (Mt. Marcy Trail - 2mi) to a campsite near Uphill Brook. about 5mi. This is a very interesting, somewhat challenging day, but stll not all that much elevation change.
• Friday: 121 (Mt. Marcy Trail - 1.5mi) to jct with 118 to summit of Mt. Marcy (.8mi). Then 1.3m on 1 (Phelps Trail) to jct with 9/10 (State Range Trail). (3.6 mi so far) Then 1.3m on State Range to Sno-Bird campsite. about 5 BIG miles. This is probably the most challenging day.
• Saturday - day trip. We've been thinking about going over Basin & Saddleback to Gothics, and maybe Pyramid. That looks like a BIG day, but we'll just have day packs. Or we could climb Haystack, go back to the campsite and maybe climb Basin.
• Sunday - Leave Sno-Bird on 9 (State Range - .1 mi) to 11 (Shorey Short Cut Trail - 1.1mi) to 1 (Phelps Trail - 3.3) to camp near JBL. 4.5mi. Mostly down or level.
• Monday - out on 1 (Phelps Trail - 3.5mi). mostly level.

We'd been hoping to carry just 4 nights worth of food and eat at JBL Sunday night and Monday morning, but evidently meals are available ONLY for guests. Would it be reasonable to just push out from Sno-Bird on Sunday? It's a long day (8 mi) but it's mostly down or level.

How does this sound? Avalanche Pass is supposed to be really nice. We're not especially fixated on climbing Mt. Marcy, but it seems sort of unavoidable. An earlier plan had us going over Haystack from the south on Friday, instead of Marcy, but the ADK High Peaks Region guidebook discourages that. We're not really into peak-bagging; mostly we're looking for nice scenery and (hopefully) relatively few fellow travelers (hence the midweek start). So other trips would be considered. We do want to have at least one two-night stay at the same place; day trips with light packs are fun!

Thanks in advance,

-- Jerry

 

[JimB]

Jerry, it sounds like a pretty doable plan for the most part. You are being quite realistic with the distances and climbs in order to enjoy the area. On the Saturday plan I would go with the Haystack/Basin trip. If you go all the way to Gothics or Pyramid you will have to reclimb Saddleback and Basin and these are big ones. Haystack and/or Basin from the Sno-Bird site are great climbs with spectacular views. By doing one and then seeing if you want to do the other you can save some energy for the rest of your trip. The trip out past JBL should be easy as a dayhike on Sunday. Most of the trail below Slant Rock is a nice walk in the woods without the rocks and mud on many of the other trails in the area. Remember to bring bear cannisters so you can keep all of your food and have a great time.

 

[AntlerPeak]

I can't argue with your plan either it is definately workable.
If you want to do Avalanche pass from Heart Lake and come out to Keene Valley then you have to go over Marcy. Haystack is much more difficult to grunt over with full packs.

You do know they charge $9.00 per day to park at Heart Lake don't you? South meadow is free but there is no supervision there if you leave your car for that long of a time period. There is also a charge at the Garden in Keene Valley for parking somewhere around $5 per day.

One of the things you mentioned was you did not need to climb peaks and were more interested in nice secenery and some possible short day hikes from camp. Have you considered making a loop around the McIntire Range? Heart Lake to Avalanche to Lake Colden, then Flowed Lands down to the Upper Works and back up through Indian Pass to Heart Lake.

This would avoid hauling your full packs over any peak while affording possible day hikes to Mt Colden, Algonquin Peak, Iroquois Peak and even allows for a day hike of Skylight, Marcy or several others.

If you are starting on Wed then going through Avalanche and Colden you get to go through the heaviest used areas during week days. The shelters coming up from the Upper Works are less used that the over crowding you will find at Avalanche-Colden areas.

By spotting a car at Upper Works ( free parking ) and one at Heart Lake with this loop you would not be too far from one or the other and nothing to climb over with full packs if you had to exit in a hurry. It is 10.4 miles from Heart Lake to Upper Works through Indian Pass. The total distance of the loop is about 25 miles with good trails and only a few moderately difficult places. There are also many lean-tos and campsites all along the route. The mile through Avalanche Pass and the climb over Indian Pass are somewhat challenging with a full pack but neither come close to the elevation gain of the Marcy trip.

Just offering a thought considering the way you framed your question. Have fun and be safe. Oh if you think of it post a trip report when you get back. We like reading trip reports, the good and the ugly.

 

[bubba]

Agree, doable, but certainly a WMNF approach to the ADKs. I'd only put on the table for consideration a little less moving around. ADK'rs tend to do more day hikes from a central location. Like from Uphill L/T you could do a day to Grey, Marcy, Skylight. Another to Colden and another to Redfield and Cliff -- that would give you a great sampling of the ADKs.

 

[AntlerPeak]

Bubba now that you mention it you are right. I did all of the 46 that way, day hikes central location. Carried a full pack over Marcy once because I had to.

 

[zorts]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I like the idea of perhaps avoiding Mt. Marcy altogether. Whatever we wind up doing, I'll try to post a TR.

-- Jerry

 

[ajtiv]

I agree with Bubba
Just came back from 3 days here is what I did:
Friday drove up and parked at upperworks and backpacked into Uphill LT 7.5 miles good trails and did Redfield and Cliff same day after dropping gear
Saturday I did a loop of Grey bushwack to Marcy, down and up over Haystack which was pretty cool seeing the hordes of people I passed going down now up top of Marcy, Haystack is awesome. Went down into Panther gorge and up Skylight and back to close the loop.
Sunday Colden
Setting up a base camp you can really enjoy yourself and pick and choose on how you feel and the weather and with daypacks you have better range
Enjoy

 

[zorts]

We're back; it was great!

Thanks again to everyone who provided suggestions for our trip; we hiked in last Wednesday (8/24) and came out on Sunday (8/28). I'll post a TR within the next few days, but the highlights are:

• We stayed 2 nights at each camp site. Our first two nights were near the leanto up the Ore Bed trail, the last two were at Slant Rock.
• We had a bear encounter both nights at Ore Bed. The first night, two other parties at the site had their (hung) food taken; the second night, the bear sniffed around and left. Our food (in BearVaults) was untouched.
• The 'dacks are beautiful! From our base camps we did two day hikes, the first over Gothics/Armstrong/Lower Wolfjaw and the second to Haystack. Both offered fantastic views.

We'll be back!

-- Jerry

 

[zorts]

I'll post a TR within the next few days...

Well, it's more than a few days, and it's not yet a full TR, but the pictures are at least available: http://www.narsil.org/trips/dacks/index.html

-- Jerry