As a young boy, I always looked forward to my summer vacation in the Adirondacks with my grandparents. Grandpa and grandma would pick my brother and I up in their four-wheel drive SUV; a vehicle that wasn’t mainstream at the time. While Grandpa didn’t venture off of paved road, my brother and I loved riding up high since it afforded us better visibility on a scenic drive. En route to the Adirondacks, I would keep a look out for the Great Escape amusement park billboard sign which meant that we’d soon be able to get a glimpse of the Steamin’ Demon, a major attraction visible to passing cars on the interstate.
Within the park’s boundaries, we’d be treated to views of Lake George, Schroon Lake, intimidating rock faces, and peaceful Adirondack mountains. I was always excited when we arrived at exit 30 on the Adirondack Northway. Not far from the exit you pick up Route 73, a scenic state highway that meanders through the mountains between Elizabethtown and Lake Placid. There are dozens of sites to see along this road including: the cliffs at Chapel Pond, Roaring Brook Falls, the Ausable River, Marcy Field, Lower and Upper Cascade Lakes, Algonquin Peak, and more. I also enjoyed pulling over for fresh mountain spring water at the start of Route 73, grabbing some ice cream at the Noonmark Diner or Stewarts, looking in wonder at the full body mount of a black bear that stood on main street in Keene, or gazing up at the towering ski jumps at the Olympic Jumping Complex.
The Cascade Lakes are a highlight of Route 73.
While we typically stayed in Keene, there were other vacations to places such as Paradox Lake or Indian Lake. It was on the east branch of the Ausable River where my Grandpa would teach my brother and I how to fish. It took a few years before I was able to bait a fishing hook with a worm. The combination of stabbing an innocent nightcrawler with a sharp object and then getting its blood and guts on my hands wasn’t very appealing. Nonetheless, I eventually overcame this and found fishing to be a much more enjoyable sport when I wasn’t dependent on someone else to bait my hook. I remember a time when I ran out of worms and my Grandmother gave me some corn kernels to use as bait. Believe it or not, I caught some fish!
Big brother and I fishing on Paradox Lake.
As children we visited Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, NY by the town of Wilmington. On a separate trip to Whiteface Mountain, I spotted a heavyset man with a large white beard and glasses whom I was convinced was Santa Claus to the amusement of my grandparents. The fact the the North Pole was down the road from Whiteface Mountain made it very plausible that this man could be Santa.
You can drop off letters to Santa at the North Pole, NY post office next to Santa’s Workshop.
Swimming in the chilly waters of the Ausable River is a favorite past time. While I’m not as skinny as I was as a child, I do believe today’s summer water temperatures are not as cold as they were in the past. I’ll chalk that up to climate change. While we grew up with a swimming pool in our backyard, I much prefer taking a dip in an Adirondack lake or river to cool off. Granted you need to be extra cautious swimming in these bodies of water. I find swimming in these natural wonders to be healing and reinvigorating.
My big brother and I swimming at Hulls Falls back when it was permitted, or perhaps no one paid attention to the no swimming signs posted. We followed the locals lead.
Fast forward to my college years and this is when I fell in love with Adirondack hiking. My first Adirondack hike was a high peak, Big Slide Mountain. While I wasn’t in excellent hiking shape so to speak, I was fortunate enough to be in good enough shape to successfully complete the hike. My best friends from high school accompanied me on this journey and we would go on to complete many more memorable hikes together. It was this hike where I first experienced the bonding and camaraderie that goes hand in hand with hiking.
Best friends on the summit of Big Slide Mountain.
Years later I would hike up New York’s tallest mountain, Mount Marcy. While certainly not the most scenic trail in the Adirondacks, I would definitely consider Marcy’s summit views to be my favorite, barely edging out Mount Haystack. Although, Haystack sees significantly less hikers per day; therefore, time spent on Haystack’s summit is more peaceful with amazing views to go with it.
On the summit of Mount Marcy. Photo doesn’t do it justice.
The Adirondacks are full of adventure. No trip is the same. Adirondack hiking was actually my gateway to camping. As my interest to explore the trails less traveled grew, I began to branch out and venture into wilderness areas outside the high peaks. These areas often felt more remote because you’d encounter significantly less hikers. On a camping trip in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area, I stumbled across an abandoned canoe deep within the forest. My friends had hiked around the lake out to a peninsula and I decided to offer them a leisurely ride back across the lake in this canoe. It was completely random, spontaneous, and entertaining!
Testing my balance on an abandoned canoe found at Pharaoh Lake. This was one of two abandoned canoes we stumbled across and returned to tempt the next adventurers passing through.
As the years past by, I eventually adopted a hiking stick. I have a tendency to pack for survival situations; therefore, my daypack is on the heavier side. I’ve always respected the unpredictability of what could happen during a hike and I believe that has served me well. While I’ve convinced myself over the years that the added weight of my pack delivered a better workout, I suspect my knees were not very appreciative. The assistance of a hiking stick proved to be helpful. Being aware of yourself, taking care of yourself, and respecting your surroundings is a part of the Adirondack experience.
Hiking with old trusty, my retired trekking stick that has accompanied me on many Adirondack mountains, as well as through many U.S. National Parks.
Over the years I’ve had to make some adjustments to ensure I could continue to enjoy my favorite passion, Adirondack hiking. Descending a high peak had become so excruciating painful on my knees that I had to wear knee braces in order to safely make it down the mountain. To reduce the weight I’m carrying, I’ve learned to pack smarter and invested in lighter weight gear that performs well. Furthermore, I’ve changed my diet to shed some pounds, which includes some muscle mass, in order to reduce my overall weight. I’ve also done some exercises to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee. These small changes have been impactful. Fortunately, there are so many amazing non-high peak hikes to explore that I don’t even think twice about choosing a hike with an easier descent.
Contemplating life on top of Noonmark Mountain on a beautiful Fall day.
Trekking poles have made a huge impact on my hiking experience as I’ve gotten older. I can’t say enough about trekking poles and wish I had embraced using them early on in my hiking days. I rarely saw young hikers with trekking poles and just associated them with older hikers. That was foolish of me. I truly believe hiking poles can serve as a preventive measure to injuring your knees, especially if you are prone to carrying heavy loads on hikes. It seems trekking poles are becoming more common for younger hikers these days and it’s great to see them being proactive with their health. On the other hand, I do wish more hikers would go the extra step and get rubber tips for their trekking poles. For years I made the mistake of allowing my poles to scratch the surface of rocks.
Trekking poles have played an integral role in enabling me to safely enjoy the Adirondacks. While this photo was taken awhile ago, I now carry rubber tips that I pop on when I’m going to be on a stretch of rocky surface.
My love for the Adirondacks is hard to match. My love for my amazing wife surpasses it. Since the Adirondacks are a special place for the both of us, naturally, we got engaged on top of an Adirondack mountain. We were very fortunate to have the summit to ourselves for this special and intimate moment. We’ll always cherish that day.
Selfie of our engagement on top of Noonmark Mountain.
In case you were wondering, we did have an Adirondack wedding. We drove up Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway in Lake George, New York on a picture perfect day. Our intimate ceremony was held at a scenic lookup point. We’ve been hiking, camping, and paddling together every since.
Getting married on Prospect Mountain overlooking Lake George.
We hope to reside in the Adirondack Park someday and continue to create amazing Adirondack memories with our family and friends.