Recent content by Cliff Reiter

Headed from 9N to Giant then back down Rocky Peak Ridge and Bald to 9. Trail crew was following us from 9N. Minor blowdown with a few annoying ones near the N side of the summit of Giant. Other scattered blowdown. Beavers have been busy in the col between Green and Giant flooding the trail...

Road trail in fine shape, trail to herd path has gross mud in the usual spots, though in reality it can be walked for the most part down center (sand OK, black mud bad). Some old school corduroy on trail. Herd path had plenty of blowdown, only one notable monster (I went over it) and snow from...

Trail crew 277 cleared trail the day before. All was well! No blow down; mud in spots along Rocky Peak Ridge and Giant as expected but easy going. Tad of snow on Giant, no problem. Lost batteries, so did unplanned return by same. Found batteries. Gear: good shoes and a smile (wind breakers...

Marcy 3/17 The parking lot at the Loj was a sheet of rock hard ice. Trails had plenty of snow the entire way to the summit. No open water at Indian falls. Damp powder on well packed trails at that point. Summit is wind swept with some open rock and lots of ice. In the wind it was brutal with...

Dix via Round Pond 3/16 Early morning brought crisp snow. Fresh sleet on the trail at lower levels. Only 4 tiny (10 ft) patches without snow. Mostly 1-3 ft of snow still. By late morning, the snow was sticky. Ascent of Dix along trail is in deep snow requiring T-posting the ice axe for each...

A very long loop involving substantial trailless component. Be well prepared before attempting. This combines two classic approaches to MacNaughton that allows it to be done as a loop that passes through Indian Pass Route: Upper works to Indian Pass, through the pass and ascend to Scott pond...

This is a long loop that visits classic peaks from a quiet direction using a trailless crossover. Only appropriate for very experienced Adirondack hikers in low water weather. Route: From trail head on 9N to Owlhead lookout, soon trailless crossover to the col between Bald and Rocky Peak...

Route from Elk lake to herd path to the Macomb slide, follows herd paths from Macomb to S Dix, Hough and Dix, descends via trail to Dix pond and returns to Elk Lake rd. Most of the trail from the Elk Lake road to the herd path was soft and dry (needles and almost dry mud dominated). The herd...

Route begins at south meadow parking lot, diagonals to the register, goes to Marcy Dam, Lake arnold, feldspar, lake tear of the clouds, up/down herd path to Gray, to four corners, up/down Skylight, ascent Marcy and then return via Indian falls. Old road to marcy dam was dry and in fine shape...

Using 2 cars we took the full route along the Pitchoff Ridge East to West. My first experience with Pitchoff was day after a extremely long hiking day. My feet were aching and toenail bloody, it was raining, I skipped balanced rocks, and I never did figure out where the true summit was (on that...

Long routine route up trail to Algonquin, over to Iroquois down to Lake Colden and out past Avalanche Lake Over night rain left the trail wet. It was very muddy from the Loj to the junction diverging toward Marcy vs Algonquin. Even with good trail shoes, spots were as slippery as being barefoot...

Route was up Roaring Brook trail to Giant, down to Hopkins and to Keene Valley via Ranney Trail. It had been some years since I ascended Giant via Roaring brook -- the extra climb compared to the Ridge trail being the reason -- Hopkins was new The ascent along Roaring brook trail was fine...

The route begins near Chapel Pond and follows the Zander Scott trail past Giant Washbowl and thereafter turns W to the nubble. Trail was wet but with very few mud puddles. The couple pieces of blowdown noted in May had been cleared. Gear: trail shoes a good bet Comment: It had been a wet...

The route leaves the Garden (W of Keene Valley), heads to the south side trail, ascends the great range in the col between the WolfJaws, climbs upper WolfJaw, continues to Armstrong and Gothics, descends Orebed and returns to the JBL trail near the ranger station and follows that back to the...

Balanced Rocks is a fine lookout on the way to Pitchoff; a quiet area across from the heavily visited Cascade route from Rt73 After days of rain there were only a couple of places where the trail mud required effort (walking on logs thrown in). The trail is little enough used and bit ovegrown...