I’m all about hiking the High Peaks in any season. I usually only want to hike High Peaks rather than any other mountains, there’s just something about conquering a 4,000 foot peak with my own two feet that sucks me in. However, this year on Martin Luther King weekend, I realized that I can still have a great time on non-High Peaks, if only I head out with an open mind and open eyes.

Planning and Packing

When my hiking group first planned our trip, we were aiming for Phelps Mountain, which is the 32nd tallest High Peak in the Adirondacks. We’ve only done two High Peaks in the winter - Cascade and Porter - and wanted to try for more. Hiking in the winter is a whole different ball game than any other season and we picked Phelps for its low-difficulty and low-mileage (compared to other peaks over 4,000 feet). But, on Saturday night we tuned into NPR and heard forecasts of a partly-cloudy Sunday with high chances of rain in the afternoon. So with this in mind, we decided to aim for Mt. Adams instead. We choose safety and dry clothes over a possible wet High Peak climb. Mt. Adams is a closer driving distance to our camp in Newcomb  and if we started early enough we could miss the rain. We packed our bags Saturday night and got ready for a terrific day in the woods. 

When hiking in the Adirondacks in the winter, if there is more than 8-inches of snow it is required that you wear snowshoes. It is also highly recommended to bring crampons and/or micro spikes for ice on the summit. Furthermore, dress in warm and comfortable layers, with extra gloves, socks and a hat. No base layers of cotton - a recipe for hypothermia!

Heading Out

When we arrived at the trailhead for Mt. Adams in Upper Works the sky was covered in clouds and fog. The first part of the trail was well-used and I think it was due to the large group signed in ahead of us the day before that was headed to Allen Mountain. They were a little more ambitious than we were. 

Soon after starting we came across the Hudson River. Luckily there is a new suspension bridge that was built in 2013 after the old one was wiped out in 2011 by Hurricane Irene. After about 10 minutes of level walking we reached Lake Jimmy. 

When my group hiked Allen in the summer of 2012, there was no path around the lake - that wasn't made until 2013. We had to bring water shoes and cross the decrepit “bridge” over to the other side. The whole process of taking off boots, putting on water shoes, crossing the “bridge,” and putting boots back on took a solid 20 minutes in the summer. This time we walked straight across the frozen lake - which took a total of one minute. Winter hiking has its perks. 

Less than a mile after crossing Lake Jimmy, we reached the trail for Adams that veers off of the Allen trail. This is where we truly started to need our trusty snowshoes. My brother, who is in not-so-great hiking shape, started leading but soon realized breaking trail in untouched snow with snowshoes on is a physically draining task. So, during one of his rests I passed him and pushed on. I personally love breaking trail in the winter. Getting to be the first person to step into fluffy, untouched snow is quite enjoyable! One thing I quickly learned however, is to not grab onto trees for support. Whenever I was going uphill and grabbed a tree for support, a pile of snow rained down on me and poured down my back, and onto my head and pack. Note to self: don't rely on trees in the winter. Hiking poles are far more preferable. 

Man vs. Mountain

I eventually got ahead of my group and was venturing on alone. In some areas, with each step forward, I came two steps backward. The ice beneath the snow sent me slipping and sliding down the mountain! In some areas, putting on crampons and getting down on my hands and knees were the only option. Other times I would hold onto trees for support to pull myself up and had to dodge the falling snow from above. It started to seem like the mountain did not want me to get to the top! After a good one to two hours of maneuvering up the trail, I finally reached the summit. Tim: 1 Mountain: 0

Enjoying the Summit

At the top, I changed out of my sweaty shirt, hat and gloves and exchanged them for the warmer and dryer options. I wasted no time in taking off my snowshoes and I slipped on my crampons to ascend the icy steps of the fire tower. There’s no view from the summit unless you go up the tower, but the surrounding trees were perfect for blocking the wind and warming up after coming down from the windy fire tower. Until recently, the fire tower was inaccessible but a dedicated group of volunteers restored it for public use.   

The views from the top are absolutely stunning. It was still fairly early in the morning so the golden, morning light was broken by the window panes and also cast a beautiful glow on the surrounding peaks. The sun and the clouds tangoed with each other, making for splendid views of the mountains and the Tahawus mining area.  

I stood in the fire tower long enough to see the rest of my hiking group reach the summit below me, and by that time my hands were almost freezing! Not a good sign. I decided to get out of the wind and go down the fire tower. Before descending the mountain, we all warmed up with hot soup from a thermos and much-welcomed hand warmers.

Hiking Out

Due to the lack of snow on other hikes we’ve done in the winter, we had yet to experience butt-sliding down a mountain. Going down Mt. Adams may be the most fun I’ve ever had on a mountain before, or at least close to the top of my list. As soon as we started descending, the sun broke through the clouds for good and the morning light warmed us up and threw a golden glow through the trees and onto the snow. Blue skies were out and everyone was in a joyful mood. Butt-sliding just made the hike down that much better.  

My brother led the way down the mountain. At each steep section I watched as he sat down, pushed himself off, and shot down the trail we had just made hours before with our snowshoes. Then I would sit down, push myself off, and shoot down the trail right behind him. 

In the summer my hiking group would always talk about how we wished someone would build a slide so we wouldn't have to hike down. We finally got our wish on this trail! 

Due to the butt-sliding, we got down the mountain in less than half the time it took us to get up! Once we made it to the split off, we got back to the parking lot in good speed. Our day of dodging falling snow, slipping down ice, and butt-sliding came to an end.

Although not a High Peak, at 3540-feet Mt. Adams is a mere 460 feet away from the cut-off! We were all a little bummed we couldn’t accomplish a mountain over 4,000 feet that day, but we had a great time anyway. The hike up is just as difficult, if not harder, than Phelps, but the view and the journey made the hike worth it. It always does.

What Next?

Looking to take a winter hike? Don't know where to start? Check out these helpful links from Lake Placid blogger and guide, Spencer: layering basics, layering the core and layering the head for more in depth information.

Don't forget to book your bed and check out our awesome restaurants for your post-hike warm up!