Adirondacks 2002



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T h e H i g h e s t P e a k s . . .
During our honeymoon a little more than a year ago we backpacked in the High Peaks. Appropriately named, the High Peaks Area is the region of the park which contains all the peaks over 4000 feet in elevation as well as many peaks under 4000 feet. As part of our hike last year we summited the second highest mountain in the Adirondacks, Algonquin Peak (5114'). From the top of Algonquin we had a great view in all directions, but we were particularly impressed by a range of mountains off to the east. They looked like the teeth on a saw blade and bare slides were visible on many of them. We decided we would like to hike across those peaks.

W h a t a G r e a t R a n g e . . .
The Adirondack Mountain Club's guidebook describes the trail over the Great Range, the range of mountains we saw from the top of Algonquin, as follows: "This section of trail is perhaps the most spectacular of any in the Adirondacks... It is also a very rugged trail and is a serious undertaking, especially with backpacks." We made plans to hike for three days. One day to hike out to the southern end of the Great Range, one day to hike across the Great Range, and another day to hike back to where we began. This would take us over the following mountains which are part of the Great Range: Basin Mt (4827'), Saddleback Mtn (4515'), Gothics (4736'), Armstrong Mtn(4400'), Upper Wolfjaw Mtn (4185') and Lower Wolfjaw Mtn (4175'). It would also take us over Hedgehog Mountain (3369') and Rooster Comb (2762').


			Profile of Day 1 from DeLorme TopoUSA 3.0. (click to enlarge)	Profile of Day 2 from DeLorme TopoUSA 3.0. (click to enlarge)	Profile of Day 3 from DeLorme TopoUSA 3.0. (click to enlarge)
	Relief map from DeLorme TopoUSA 3.0. (click to enlarge)
Map from ADK guidebook. (click to enlarge)	Relief map from DeLorme TopoUSA 3.0. (click to enlarge)

F l o w e r l e s s G a r d e n . . .
We awoke early Monday morning, Labor Day, and drove to the Garden in Keene Valley. We are not sure why it is called the Garden, for this place is a parking lot at the end of a dirt road. Anyhow, we payed the $5 per day parking charge and left our car in one of about 60 parking spots. After signing the trailhead register our hike began. We followed the Johns Brook Trail along, what else, Johns Brook for most of the day. The weather was once again perfect, although it was very cold in the morning. Katie's father later told us he had heard on the news that the nations lowest temperature that morning was 29 degrees in Saranac Lake, which is about 10 miles west of Lake Placid. Sunny and blue skies accompanied the high temperature of 70 degrees.

		After hiking past Johns Brook Lodge, a backcountry lodge operated by the Adirondack Mountain Club, we reached a short spur trail to Bushnell Falls. We dropped our 30 pound packs behind some trees alongside the trail and headed towards the sound of falling water. The falls are about 20 or 25 feet high. We sat on a boulder near the base of the falls, rested our legs and enjoyed an energy boosting snack.
Bushnell Falls. (click to enlarge)

		Continuing up the trail we reached Slant Rock. We had planned to stay in one of the nearby lean-tos, but the hike up to that point had been easy and it was only 3 in the afternoon. A map on a kiosk near JBL showed a campsite at the former site of the Sno-Bird Lean-to. The campsite was on an arm of Little Haystack Mountain and looked like a better place to camp. Earlier in the day we had heard from a hiker that there was no water to be found higher than Slant Rock. So we filtered water from Johns Brook into our water bottles and a collapsible hydration bladder to supply us for the entire next day.
Katie below Slant Rock. (click to enlarge)


		It was a pretty steep climb up the Shorey Short Cut Trail to reach the Range Trail. From this junction we hiked south until we found the designated campsite. It took us about 2 hours to reach the campsite from Slant Rock. We pitched our tent and enjoyed dinner. We were close to 4000 feet in elevation and the temperature dropped fast as the sun went down.
The Shorey Short Cut was steep at times. (click to enlarge)


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Email us: aaronandkatie@aakt.com © 2002 by A. Holmes