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.