Seward, Donaldson, and Emmons

Seward

4,361 feet  |  ranked 24/46 in height  |  37th peak climbed 

Donaldson

4,140 feet  |  ranked 33/46 in height  |  30th peak climbed (repeat) 

Emmons

4,040 feet  |  ranked 40/46 in height  |  31st peak climbed (repeat)

Erin let me know a few weeks ago that she'd have this weekend available for hiking in the High Peaks.  Her partner, who is a highly driven newly aspiring 46er, was unable to join her due to work obligations.  Would I like to go?  Ahem.  Of course!  We were both excited about the prospects of a fall hike in the mountains, as most of our previous High Peaks hikes have been solidly in the summer months.  Cooler temperatures with lower humidity?  Yes, please!  Fall colors?  Icing on the scenic cake!  However, we were also very concerned about the parking situation, as COVID restrictions have resulted in records crowds in the region.  I suggested heading to the Seward Range.  I have been in there twice before, when Erin and I hiked Seymour, and a solo outing where I camped on Corey's Road and hiked Donaldson and Emmons in the rain, orphaning Seward. 

FLT: Paradise Hill Road to Bamberry Road

I started this Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) hike from Paradise Hill Road, which had been my turnaround point on a snowshoe hike in the area back in January.  I hiked eastward on the FLT, crossing several small roads and streams and completing a short roadwalk before turning around at Bamberry Road, where I could see a small parking area or snowplow turnaround that I planned to use as a starting point on my next hike.  It is very satisfying when one hike includes successful scouting for the next.

Pitchoff Traverse

Pitchoff is one of those iconic Adirondack hikes I have been wanting to explore forever but hadn't ever gotten around to, only because said list is just so long.  The two trailheads are both located on Route 73, where parking is tough to come by, particularly at the western trailhead, which is directly across from the Cascade trail.  However, we decided to give it a shot on this trip because we could attempt it on a weekday, and we had two vehicles, which would allow us to hike a traverse rather than an out-an-back.  We dropped Erwin's car at the tiny, empty lot at Pitchoff East, and were fortunate to get one of the last designated spots down the road by Cascade.

Big Slide via Grace Camp

 

  Big Slide

4,240 feet  |  ranked 27/46 in height  |  8th peak climbed (repeat) 

 

I have been itching to get back to John's Brook Lodge (JBL) ever since Frankie and I enjoyed our first magical stay there in 2018.  Unfortunately, I waited too long to make reservations last year, and they are closed this year because of COVID.  However, my interest was piqued when a friend told me her family had just returned from a stay at one of the cabins associated with JBL; apparently JBL staff are providing meal options to guests of the camps.  Erwin is ever reluctant to stay anywhere without a shower, but I convinced him he could handle a couple nights in the back country, if there was no need to lug a tent, stove, bear can, etc.  I booked us two nights at Grace Camp, with two dinners and one lunch, arriving on a Monday afternoon to hopefully increase our odds of securing parking at the Garden.

 

Mount Van Hoevenberg

We had originally planned on hiking Phelps today.  We are camped at the ADK Wilderness Campground and wanted to take advantage of being right at the trailhead (i.e., not having to fight for a coveted spot in the Loj parking lot).  However, I could only get reservations for two nights in the campground, and we'd rolled in last night somewhat later than planned.  We were further delayed setting up the tent due to a sudden downpour, and then the Hungry Hiker was closed, so we had to drive into town for dinner (we had a completely forgettable meal, but ate outside, which was our main priority due to COVID).  Also, Frankie's spirits were extremely high due to the excitement of camping.  As a result, we were up way too late, and consequently, slept in way too late.  It is always a challenge getting these boys moving in the morning, but I didn't want to wake Frankie, given how late he'd stayed up the night before.

 

Nippletop and Dial

Nippletop

4,620 feet  |  ranked 13/46 in height  |  35th peak climbed 

Dial

4,020 feet  |  ranked 41/46 in height  |  36th peak climbed

This hike was rather spur of the moment, which for an Adirondack High Peak, is very unusual for me.  Normally I plan things out obsessively, reading and re-reading trip reports and poring over maps and buying special foods.  None of that happened here (except maybe the obsession part, that is ongoing).  What happened is this: I got a text from Erin Saturday saying that Alden was spending the night at his Dad's house and she couldn't stop fantasizing about driving up north and climbing a mountain.  She'd have very little time available, as she'd need to pick Alden up the next day, but was still sorely tempted.  Hmm. Lovely notion, right?  Initially, I dismissed it as pure fantasy, but the idea was lodged like an ear worm -- a mountain worm.

FLT/NCT: Maple Lane to Sugar Hill

We have taken so many endless walks in our neighborhood since March when we went into corona virus induced shutdown.  But our trip to Greece?  Cancelled.  Frankie's 3rd grade Adirondacks trip?  Cancelled.  Camping at the Pinery?  Cancelled.  I was restless, craving something adventurous, something different from our same old haunts.  I thought I had a good idea, but sadly, this hike did not work out as planned.