Whiteface and Esther

Whiteface

4,867 feet  |  ranked 5/46 in height  |  12th peak climbed 

Esther

4,240 feet  |  ranked 28/46 in height  |  9th peak climbed (repeat)

Whiteface and Esther are the northern-most of the Adirondack high peaks, set well apart from the rest.  Due to that separation, Whiteface is easy to identify from a distance, especially given the distinctive slides, ski slopes, and castle-like structure perched up top.  On the Saturday morning of our climb, we picked it out on the drive to the trailhead without those giveaway landmarks: it was the one entirely ensconced in clouds.  My companion for this hike was my sister, Erin.  We parked at the ASRC just after 8 am, and after a few minutes of last minute gear shuffling, we set off. 

Wolf Jaws

Upper Wolf Jaw

4,185 feet  |  ranked 29/46 in height  |  10th peak climbed

Lower Wolf Jaw

4,175feet  |  ranked 30/46 in height  |  11th peak climbed

It was 8:30 on the Friday morning of Labor Day weekend when my husband and I set out from the parking lot.  The beginning of the hike from the AuSable Road trailhead is utterly incongruous with virtually any ultimate destination that can be reached from there, as private lands belonging to the Adirondack Mountain Reserve/AuSable Club must be crossed to reach state land.  We powered through the first 0.7 mile along the dirt road, through a golf course, past the tennis courts and clubhouse, and finally, past the beautiful “camps” of super-privileged club members.

Esther

Esther 

4,240 feet  |  ranked 28/46 in height  |  9th peak climbed

Esther was the the target: the peak I had selected before driving up north; the peak I had obsessed about on the couch at home, poring over the trail guide, caressing the topo, and quizzing my Dad, who had climbed the same route a few year back with my stepmom.  Par usuale, Erwin and I started the long drive north later than planned, so with the holiday weekend looming, we went straight to the South Meadow to set up camp instead of stopping for supplies en route. After the tents* were set up and the mattress inflated, we headed back into town. We grabbed slices of pizza that we ate while shivering in the mist, then headed to the grocery for breakfast and trail food. I wanted no distractions in the morning: I wanted to hit the trail first thing.

Giant of the Valley

Giant Mountain
4,627 ft.  |  Ranked 12/46 in height  |  7th peak climbed

Erwin and I climbed via the Ridge Trail, which is just gorgeous, views everywhere. It was very cold on the summit, and even though we layered up in all the clothes we'd been hauling up, we didn't stay long.  Look at all that cotton!  Erwin immediately declared Giant his favorite High Peak so far.

Algonquin Muddle

Algonquin

5,114 feet  |  ranked 2/46 in height  |  6th peak climbed

I wanted to camp for this hike, so to get away from the crowds, Erwin and I backpacked an inadvisable course from South Meadow along the Mr. Van trail toward the Loj, intending to set up camp en route. Although clearly marked on my map, the trail was no longer posted; all signage had been removed. Perhaps foolishly, we took it anyway. We discovered that beavers had completely flooded and obliterated the trail in several places, and we ended up crashing through the bushes, blundering around looking for the trail, crossing streams and beaver dams, and wasting time getting all lacerated. We finally set up camp in a beautiful spot, and hiked Algonquin the next day, after spending some more time crashing through beaver sprawl. It is so amazingly beautiful up top. 

Cascade and Porter

Cascade

4,098 feet  |  ranked 36/46 in height  | 2nd peak climbed

Porter

4,059 feet  |  ranked 38/46 in height  | 3rd peak climbed

I did this hike with my Dad, Bruce; my stepmom, Debbie; and their Australian shepherd, Gizmo.  I was attending summer session at Cranberry Lake Biological Station and they'd picked me up for a weekend visit.  We camped at South Meadow.  We had two tents, and I had imagined Giz would sleep with me, but he wouldn't stand for that notion and insisted on being in with my parents -- a bit cozy for all involved, I suspect.