This is a flashback about 5 individuals from two countries, who against all odds, decided to hike on the cold and rainy fall day to summit two of the Adirondack High Peaks. It would end up being a trial of water crossings, slippery terrain, cold rain, and high winds that we wrestled to get there and back.
We watched the forecast for days on end leading up to the hike, but the forecast didn’t change or get worse, which was the case even two days prior. Then suddenly the 20% chance of rain made a sudden and unexplained leap to 80%, but the temperatures were mild. This was a group of five as I mentioned, four of which were from Montreal. For me, it’s easy to postpone a trip living so close to the mountains but when you drive such a distance to get to a destination, you kind of need to just suck it up and go for it, so we did.
Arriving at the Loj parking there was a slight bit of moisture in the air, nothing significant but a soft mist. The temperatures were warming up, already at near 60 and estimated to be close to 70 by mid-day, it would never ring true. We were doubtful but optimistic, if you can be both that is. The trip started out quite smoothly, we finished with outstanding time all the way to Marcy Dam, but we could see that the exposed roots and rocks were very slippery and that it would be a challenge in certain areas. Avalanche camps, about a mile away, came quickly as well. However, by now the mist had become more of a drizzle and low clouds seemed to be dropping and engulfing the smaller peaks around us, we knew at that moment it was only a matter of time before we would be in a deluge of sorts - and by no means, enjoying any summit views.
Temperatures were getting cooler, we could feel it on our bare skin and the moisture evaporating was very cold, those not wearing rain jackets at this point, decided to suit up. The climbing began as we made our way up the steeper slopes to Lake Arnold. The exposed rocks were very slippery and with the added grade of the trail, we were required to make a bit more of an educated step. A brook crossing as we made ourselves high in elevation claimed its first victim. It was nothing serious and not anything that would actually make a bit of difference in the future; this victim had simply slipped off a rock and went in feet first up over the top of the boots, soaked!
As the water swished around in my boots, yes I was the victim, the rain began to come. We could hear it as it moved closer and closer through the trees, and like a wall of water, it hit us. The narrow log walks that led through the mud to Lake Arnold were like greased poles, no one could stay on them - we all ended up in the mud, but no one really cared much; the rain would clean off the coats anyhow.
Our initial plan was to break at Lake Arnold for some pictures and a snack, but we kept moving along at a steady pace. Goose bumps appeared whenever we stopped, so we really didn’t do that much. Totally soaked over every nook of our bodies now, we didn’t even try to avoid developing mud and water puddles, we walked right through as though they never existed.
Our descent from Lake Arnold into the Feldspar Region was a very slow going process of switchbacking to avoid any steep angles on the bare rocks. The open rock deemed very challenging but it was a short-lived experience. Once in the valley, where the opalescent River came through, is where the normal challenge of staying dry exists, but again we didn’t need to meet those criteria. Log walks, narrow bridge, flooded trail sections, and a very challenging one log bridge are what we contended with. The real challenge for us was the single log bridge that spans about 20 feet of open water, at a depth unknown to man. The log bounced slightly, was slippery, didn’t have a rail to hold onto and was just downright nerve-racking. If you have hiked through here before, you know what I mean.
We all made it across without incident and hot-stepped it past the Feldspar Lean-to and a bit further down to the Uphill Lean-to, where the herd-paths for Redfield and Cliff start. We wanted to stop, but we decided to wait a bit. We lost to the hungers of the trail; we made a stop at the junction for Redfield and Cliff, chattering teeth and all - we had to grab a bite to eat and drink some water that we were neglecting pretty much up to this point. It’s hard to want to drink something you are coated in. We jawed a bit about our options, even though a bit uncomfortable, we decided to get Redfield and reevaluate our plans back here at the intersection for Cliff.
The terrain as many of you may know, is very rocky, rooty, slippery, and with several really tall steps. The path leads along the Uphill Brook before entering it at several locations along the way. The herd-path eventually breaks away from Uphill Brook and follows up the course of a secondary stream, where the footing was not any better or more efficient for travel in the rain. Eventually we summited Mount Redfield and it was actually not totally socked in like we had thought, I mean, we kind of hiked out of the rain. We actually stood above most of the clouds. There were high clouds above us and a dense fog around us, but we could look out over a sea of white with just the tips of the nearby peaks poking through. Even with a stiff cool breeze chilling us, we opted to stay a while. A couple of us changed our socks and shirts to enjoy at least a brief moment of dry warmth next to our skin, but others just kind of shrugged and said, “what’s the point?”
We descended Redfield, much faster than I thought would be possible, maybe due to our careless feelings toward getting out feet wet. But it was seemingly a flash before we were back at the intersection. It was unanimous, we went for Cliff Mountain. One of the smallest of the 46 High Peaks would be all that was between us and a victorious hike out to the trailhead. The beginning of this path is usually a bit muddy, and as you can imagine, with the current state of conditions it was even worse. Unfortunately this mud is not the kind you just wallow through, it’s deep and unforgiving. I am sure there is a missing hiker or two in there.
I am not a fan of going under stuff, like deadfall and blowdown, so I opt to go over as much as I can. It was not an option on a few occasions, I had to go low and slither through the mud, we all did. The next challenge was the cliffs of Cliff. The cliffs are a bit of task to many under the perfect conditions, but under heavy rain, they can be downright difficult. We had to use our arms as much as our legs to move upward. The rain created tributaries of mud that seemed to move slowly downward on the face. Each step on this slippery substance made the conditions even worse for the next person in line. A final helping hand from the person ahead got us all to the top. We moved along the lower ridge which always makes me think we are closer than we really are. The summit has never been along the ridge, why should it change today for us? Finally we did stand atop the wooded summit, looking into a vast wall of green spruce and balsam rather than a wall of white – different color, same outcome. We were sure the rain would recede, but that would not be the case, a second feature of falling “cats and dogs” started almost as soon as we stepped atop the cliffs to descend back to the lean-to. Not that our descent off the cliffs would be a challenge enough, we had to fight heavy rains flowing down our faces.
Back at the lean-to, we suited up and dried off a bit – I had a small hand towel in my bag for wiping off my feet when I have to ford a river, this helped briefly before becoming overcome with funk and water. We were now for the most part as wet as any drowned rats you could ever find, and unfortunately this opened up opportunities for chaffing and blisters, which a couple of us endured for the remaining steps out to the Loj. The climb back up to Lake Arnold all but wiped what energy we had left in our system, but we chippered up as we passed by the lake knowing it would be all downhill from here. By the time we reached Marcy Dam again we were like a small clan of the walking dead, but we beat the odds, the challenges, and the ill conditions that Mother Nature presented us with - we were happy and smiling.
Interested in hiking the Adirondack High Peaks but not sure where to start or what gear to have, check out a local gear shop and a local guide service for details. Need a place to freshen up? Lake Placid has some awesome post-adventure restaurants and lodging just waiting for you!
