Mt. Marcy or Algonquin?

[joshco7]

Hello,
My girlfriend and I are looking for a moderate to challenging backpacking trip to do in the Adirondacks June 17-19. As of now our two possible trips are Mt. Marcy or Algonquin. For Marcy, we plan to camp 2.5 miles in at the Marcy Dam sites and do the 10 mile round trip the next day to the summit from our site via the Van Hoevenberg Trail, then hike out on day 3, Saturday. Has anyone done the trip this way? Are there more campsites beyond the Marcy Dam so we could break up the trip a bit more? How is the climb to Marcy? Do the sites at Marcy Dam fill up fast? This is a big trip for us to do this early in the season, but I know it will be a great challenge. We lived in Washington State for 2.5 years up until this past winter, so we have a large amount of backpacking experience in the northwest. Did a 30 mile Enchantment Lakes trip last August, and a 25 mile Olympic Mountains trip last September, on top of many shorter trips. I'm from CT but I haven't done any backpacking in the northeast, so this is new territory for us. As for Algonquin, I know this is also a great trip. What is the camping situation along the trail to Algonquin? Anyway, I'm new to this forum, but I hope you all can give me some advice and share some of your experiences with me. Thanks, Josh

 

[Pat T]

Marcy or Algonquin?

Hi, Josh--

The trail to Algonquin is relatively short so no need to backpack in to a base camp. You could camp at the ADK's Heart Lake campground (for a modest fee). Call the ADK for a reservation. Marcy is a reasonable day hike from there, too. Even if you backpack, you would have to pay for parking at Heart Lake.

An alternative would be Marcy from The Garden in Keene Valley. There are several leantos and marked camp sites along this trail. You do have to pay for parking at The Garden--not sure when in June they start collecting.

For either trail in June, expect mud, bugs, and bears.

Pat T.

 

[Rick]

Josh-

Mid-June will find Marcy Dam full on weekends and the black flies still out. You should easily be able to grab a lean-to (L/T) on a Thursday (especially if you get there earlier in the day) and definitely be able to get a campsite. If you were coming in on a Friday, I would say your chances aren't so good unless you get there much earlier in the day.

Hiking up Marcy is a long day, but not that difficult from Marcy Dam. You may find lot of company, but Friday will definitely bring less crowds than Saturday. Other quieter options include
avoiding Marcy Dam altogether and huge influx of people -

Go in through Tahawus and camp at Uphill L/T or the Opalescent L/T or,
Go in through the Garden and plan to stay at Bushnell Falls L/T or Slant Rock L/T -

Both will break up the hike and keep you from the pain of the Marcy Damn or Flowed Lands overcrowding experience.

Helpful L/T Etiquette....

Keep in mind that the L/T's are first come-first serve until they are full... In other words you cannot and should not take up a whole L/T on your own.
You may also come back from your travails to find that others are in the L/T and sharing it with you, so when you leave in the morning, you might want to keep your sleeping pads unrolled on the floor and your sleepng bags slung over the center beam above the pads to let others know those spots are taken.

I cannot guarantee rude folks won't slide your gear over, and move in, as it has been known to happen, but odds are they'll be fine. I have found though that holiday weekends are the worst for folks that are new to camping and unfamiliar with L/T etiquette.

A friendly smile goes a long way towards a better stay.

Another small but often ignored rule, you cannot camp near a lean-to and claim it solely to store your gear and cook in. If you are tent camping (and please don't set up a tent in the L/T) then others have the right to sleep in the L/T and cook there, even though you were camping in the area first.


Good Luck
Rick

 

[Neil]

I recommend going to Slant Rock (Park at the Gardens), dumping your heavy packs and doing Mount Haystack. The next day get an early start and summit Marcy before the crowds get there.

 

[percious]

If you want a really "fun" dayhike start at Slant Rock and, do Marcy, Skylight, Haystack, and Basin. Vertical mile in 1 day, with 10 miles as the crow flies. Basin is optional, but you need to be in good shape to get all 4, and you have to get an early start. Panther gorge is really beautiful, and the South Side of Haystack is very steep.

Also, Be mindful of the Canadian holidays, as they can affect the crowding in the area. I believe you are OK for the 17th though.

I also suggest if you are going to do Algonquin as a backpacking trip, to do it with a base camp at Lake Colden. From there you can do Algonquin, Wright, Algonquin, Iroquois, and Colden the next day if you have any gas left. The hike into Colden is worth the trip all by itself. Be mindful of the bears in this area, they have stolen our cache once, now we have a bear container.

 

[joshco7]

crowded camping?

Thanks for all the great input everybody!!!

What's an overcrowded night at the Marcy Dam? I don't need absolute solitude, but I do enjoy getting back to my campsite and having mostly peace and quiet. Is that possible there? Are the campsites on top of each other at Marcy Dam? I'm not very interested in lean-tos so we will be bringing a tent.
I think it's a good plan to start on Thursday morning and hike out Saturday morning.

Keep the responses coming.

Thanks everyone!!! Josh

 

[percious]

There are a number of lean-tos at the dam, which attract all sorts of different people, due to the proximity to the road. (only a couple of miles of easy hiking) I would also suggest a campsite which is between Avalanche Lake, and Lake Colden.

This site is less frequently visited, has a good water supply from what I remember, and does not have a lean-to. It is also far enough in to offer a quiet night. Note that this tent sight is probably not on any of the maps you have, but rest assured, it is an official site, marked by yellow thingies on the trees. It is a good bail out if you dont make it all the way to Lake Colden, and Algonquin and Colden are definately day hikes from there.

Oh, and FYI, the parking at Heart Lake is like $9 a night for non-members, but if you park at the end of the first turn-off, and hike the fire road into the dam, it is free.

Hope you have a great time.

-percious