“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth ... the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need -- if only we had the eyes to see.” -- Edward Abbey (American writer and naturalist)

After over a year we were finally back in the mountains. Leaving California with its limitless peaks and vast wilderness and relocating to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania which lacks high-elevation mountains was a very hard adjustment for me. We decided to drive to upstate New York and hike the High Peaks Region in the Adirondack Mountains. We would set up basecamp in Lake Placid, sleep one night and the next morning hike from Adirondack Loj on the Van Hoevenberg Trail to the top of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York state. The journey would be an arduous climb of over 16 miles, most of which required bouldering, rock scrambling and climbing up large and oftentimes slippery slabs of rock. It had been over a year since I’d done any hiking with much elevation, but I craved the challenge and the rewards that come with reaching the summit after putting in a hard day’s work on the trail.

We arrived at Adirondack Loj at 5:30 am, about an hour before sunrise. We donned our headlamps and headed out on the Van Hoevenberg trail towards Marcy Dam. The trail was mostly easy going for the first two miles. We moved quickly to the first junction, and as we reached the dam the sun was starting to come up. We took a moment to enjoy the views of Mt. Colden, Avalanche Mountain and Wright Peak, but we couldn’t linger knowing we had a lot more miles to cover. We crossed the bridge over Marcy Brook and began to ascend on a moderate grade as we hiked along Phelps Brook. We passed the junction to Phelps Mountain and from here we began a steep climb up the trail which was covered in nothing but boulders. After the first steep pitch, the trail crossed Marcy Brook and briefly leveled off for a short distance as we passed the junction to Indian Falls. At about 5 miles in we began another steep ascent which seemed like endless scrambling and climbing. The terrain was slippery in sections and required a lot of mental concentration and careful foot placement. As we reached the top of the ridge, I began to see hints of blue sky. I knew we were getting closer. Now, the trail eased slightly except for the mud and the obstacle course of wooden planks we had to negotiate, and we began to get our first views of Mt. Marcy. We hiked through thick scrub and scrambled up more barefaced boulders before reaching the Alpine Zone. We were starting to get above the treeline, and I was beginning to feel anxious as the climbing got even harder and steeper. Higher and higher we ascended, scrambling the bare rock and slabs. We followed the cairns and the yellow paint blazes guiding the way straight up. And then, finally, we were there… standing on the summit of Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York State at 5,344 feet. It was an amazing feeling! One I haven’t felt since leaving the mountains of California. We took in the views and fueled up on snacks, but the moment could not last because we knew we had miles of strenuous descent before we could finally relax and celebrate. The climb back down the mountain was even more taxing. We were tired both physically and mentally, and the amount of concentration it took to descend the boulders and rocks was even more laborious then it was going up. It was about 6:30 pm when we finally reached the Loj. We were tired, sore and even a little delirious, but it was an incredible day and one which we will not soon forget.

Hiking Mt. Marcy was both a physical and mental challenge. It pushed us to our limits. There comes a point in hikes like these when you know you’re stretching yourself, but you just can’t turn back because you don’t want to waste all the effort you’ve already put in so you just keep pushing. The feeling of reaching a hard earned summit is a feeling that’s difficult to describe. It becomes an addiction. It’s a challenge not everyone will have the privilege of experiencing. It’s a journey that makes you stronger and brings you closer to those who are on that same journey. And although the moment of reaching the summit may be fleeting compared to the hours you put in to get there, it will always be worth it.

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Today we explored the Chestnut Mountain Nature Preserve in Barrett Township. This area was going to be developed and town homes built on the land, but plans failed and the new owner timbered the forest. Buck Hill Conservation Foundation acquired the land and opened the preserve to the public in 2012. This was an interesting hike exploring a forest in recovery. We hiked along rugged logging roads and challenging terrain rutted with deep holes hidden beneath leaves and between large rocks where trees that once stood were pulled up from their roots. Much of the trail is undefined, but there are helpful blue and red markers to guide you along the way. We began the hike from a small parking area just off the 191. The morning was chilly; only 27 degrees. There was a layer of thin ice on top of the frozen leaves that covered the logging road which begins the hike. Right away I noticed the sparseness of the forest. Along the trail we spotted a beech tree that had bear claw marks in its bark. The logging road dipped slightly downhill and after about a mile made its way up a magical, mossy green carpet to an overlook. The area here was flat, wide and scattered with trees, stumps and boulders. From this vantage point I could see Mt. Wismer and High Knob. We explored the area despite the wind which made it feel even colder than it was for a spring morning. We then continued along the trail and made a descent onto a path much less defined. We followed the helpful blue markers until we reached a junction for the red trail. Here, we checked our map and decided to follow it since it would add some extra mileage to our day. We passed by even more boulders of various shapes and sizes. I saw a fallen log covered in velvety bluish-gray mushrooms. I haven’t studied up on mushroom identification yet, so I guess I’ll need to do that now since Pennsylvania sure has a lot of them. Soon, the trail began to traverse uphill where we crossed over a small stream flowing down from the mountain. The vegetation here was thick and overgrown. We bushwhacked our way through and the terrain became even more challenging with rocks and deep ruts hidden by leaf debris. We crossed over large, fallen trees being careful of each step. I noticed piles of chipped wood scattered around tree roots. As I looked up, I could see large, deep holes pecked into the tree’s trunk; the work of persistent woodpeckers. I also took note of some sapling hemlock trees peeking out from under the leaves; a promise that one day this would again be a healthy forest. Eventually, the trail made its way back to another logging road which was much easier to walk on. The day was warming up and with the workout we were getting, I was starting to work up a sweat. I took a moment to set down my pack and remove a layer, and as I glanced at the trail up ahead I saw a huge black bear! The big bear was sauntering across the trail and appeared to be foraging for food. We watched for a moment before my husband blew the safety whistle to make the bear aware of our presence. The bear then took off into the woods. We waited a moment to give the bear some leeway before continuing up the trail. It was a very exciting moment and my first time seeing a bear in Pennsylvania. The trail continued to make its way uphill and finally back to the trailhead. It was a wonderful day and an interesting trail full of fun challenges, surprises and promise.

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Mt. Marcy via Van Hoevenberg Trail, Adirondack Mountains, High Peaks Region, 16 Miles RT, 3,734' +/-, 5,344' Max Elevation, September 20, 2021

Hiking Chestnut Mountain Nature Preserve, April 3, 2021