Hannah the hiker

A few things to mention before I begin talking about this trail. this was the first hike I had ever been on, and I went with a group of hikers far more experienced than me. Although the trail is well marked I ended up “getting lost” and found myself walking for about an hour on what I thought was the trail before I turned back. so, while the rest of the group went and summitted Gray Peak, I only had time to summit Mount Skylight and Mount Marcy. So, I will write about Gray Peak in a later post.

Se started our hike on August 15, 2019 at 6 a.m. the hike starts out at the Adirondack Loj . The parking lot costs about $12 a day, but is worth it since your car is so close to the trail. If planning to start at the Loj, get there early because the parking lot does fill quickly and you may have to park up to 2-3 miles away from the trailhead.

You start on the Van Hoevenburg Trail. The trail is pretty steady for the first 3 ish miles then you start to climb in elevation. You go through Marcy Dam which is such a scenic spot with many options for camping including lean-tos. It is a great spot to refuel and get ready for a long day of hiking ahead of you. From Marcy Dam you follow the Avalanche Pass Trail to the Lake Arnold Trail which will take you to the first high peak in the trail, Gray Peak (but more on Gray Peak in a later post).

Fefore Gray Peak you will pass by a couple campsites before you come to the trail junction. You can start on the Mount Marcy Trail here. This trail can get pretty muddy at the beginning and end of summer so make sure you pack extra socks and gaiters. following this trail will first take you up to Gray Peak.

After Gray, you continue on the trail and get to follow the trail by Lake Tear of the Clouds, another spot to refuel! following the Mount Marcy Trail after Gray will take you to the “four corners.” Taking a right brings you on the Skylight Trail to summit Skylight. Left takes you up the Mount Marcy Trail to summit Mount Marcy.

Now for the push to Mount Marcy. In about a mile from the four corners is the top of Marcy, but you gain about 1,000 feet in elevation. So, definitely not a quick mile (at least it was not for me). It’s pretty steep and exposed, but not anything to be scared about. Mount Marcy is the tallest mountain in New York State and offers great views of the rest of the Adirondack Mountains.

The trail we took was a loop, so from the summit you will follow the Van Hoevenberg Trail down. From here you have about 7-8 miles back to your car. There will be two junctions with other trails, but stay on Van Hoevenberg. This trail will take you all the way back to Marcy Dam, and back to the Adirondack Loj. After about 18 miles we stepped foot off the trail at 6 p.m.

overall thoughts on the trail

Again, this was my first hike ever. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. but I was reassured by my brothers that I was in “good enough” shape to go on this hike with them and their friends. They had planned on doing 20 minute miles, which is a lot quicker than it sounds when you are constantly walking uphill. I walked a majority of the trail alone since I was so much slower than the rest of the group. But despite never hiking before it was not that bad. There were lots of rocks to navigate and step over, small rock scrambles near the peaks, and minimal amounts of mud.

Walking alone also meant that I was paying closer attention to where I was actually walking. The terrain is pretty diverse and beautiful, so I never got sick of looking at the ground.

Going uphill was tough but much more enjoyable than going downhill. Going downhill was painful because of all the rocks you constantly slammed your feet on. My feet and knees felt like noodles by the time I was getting into the car. It was easier to go downhill, sure, but definitely not more comfortable. I was still walking on my own at this point in the trail, and I think people started to feel bad for me. the group I was with were always ahead of me, and people started to notice, and ask if I wanted to join them instead. But I just continued walking alone and telling myself that I was never ever going on a hike again. which obviously did not last long.

Overall, the hike was fun. you get amazing views which compensate the work you put in. When we went the weather was perfect and sunny, but high peaks like Marcy and Skylight which are above tree line can become extremely cold and windy, so be prepared for that when you venture out there. If this is your first high peak hike, don’t. You might want to be on the tallest mountain in New York, but you might also want to enjoy the hike. So start out with some smaller ones like Cascade, Porter, Ampersand, and then plan this one.

what we brought

I did not have any of my own hiking gear, so I borrowed from my brothers.

• 30 L hiking pack/ backpack with chest and waist straps
• 2 L Camelback
• Life straw (to drink water along the trail)
• Merrell Women’s Moab 2 Mid Ventilator hiking boots
• 2 shirts (if you like to change when sweating)
• 2 pairs of socks (again if you like to change when sweating)
• Foot glide (to prevent blisters)
• light jacket (to wear on the summit)
• FOOD!
  • Gatorade
  • Lots of Cliff Bars
  • Redbull
  • Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Sandwich (2)
  • Snickers Bar (2)
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • Apple
  • Peanuts