Man Mounts Marcy 700 Times!

[ALGonquin Bob]

Unlike David Duchovny, Pete's noteworthy "mounting" is on mountains. Mount Marcy to be specific. 700 times!! Former DEC Ranger Pete Fish "mounts" Marcy for the 700th time, at age 72, and wearing a kilt. Way to go, Pete!

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8917547&nav=4QcS

[Neil]

700 down, 300 to go.

I think I've done Marcy 7 times.

[Cory D]

I think I've done Marcy 7 times.

Sooo...993 to go! Getti up you old mule!

[Little Rickie]

The man must have the heart and lungs of a horse. I can't imaging or hope to be in the condition he must be in from doing all that.

The kilt is a class act.

[redhawk]

The man must have the heart and lungs of a horse. I can't imaging or hope to be in the condition he must be in from doing all that.

The kilt is a class act.

I'm curious as to how many time Clarence Petty summited Marcy in his lifetime. I believe he was about in his mid eighties and halfway up when he said he was getting too old and walked back down.

And by the way Rickie. Hiking skirts for men are getting to be all the rage, especially for LD through hikers.

They're comfortable and "airy"

Hawk

[JoeCedar]

I was proud to be part of the small group accompanying him and breathe his boot-dust from Indian Falls to the summit! As expected, he led a brisk pace.

Congratulations, Pete!

[Tuchov]

Good god.... He's gotta be related to Lance Armstrong and Micheal Phelps somehow.

[randomscooter]

I was doing this hike on 8/11/06 when I saw Pete on Marcy for his 600th time. Based on that, looks like he does it about once/week. What a wonderful way to stay fit!

[ALGonquin Bob]

Photos!

When I first viewed the article, there were no photos, but now pictures have been added!

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=8917547

[rondak100]

"".....you met people on the trail and you saw the unprepared and you could do a constant lecture from the trail head to the summit," Fish said."

I was on the recieving end of one of his lectures when, at 16, myself and a freind of mine decide we were going to climb the highest Mt. in NY. We went, we found an we climbed. We were completely unprepared and Pete gave us an a$$-chewing when we reached the summit. That was the first mountain I ever climbed, and I was hooked.

Mike

[Little Rickie]

I'm curious as to how many time Clarence Petty summited Marcy in his lifetime. I believe he was about in his mid eighties and halfway up when he said he was getting too old and walked back down.

And by the way Rickie. Hiking skirts for men are getting to be all the rage, especially for LD through hikers.

They're comfortable and "airy"

Hawk

Do you wear one?

[oldsmores]

"".....you met people on the trail and you saw the unprepared and you could do a constant lecture from the trail head to the summit," Fish said."

I was on the recieving end of one of his lectures when, at 16, myself and a freind of mine decide we were going to climb the highest Mt. in NY. We went, we found an we climbed. We were completely unprepared and Pete gave us an a$$-chewing when we reached the summit. That was the first mountain I ever climbed, and I was hooked.

Mike

I was Fish food myself at 17 - it's kind of a badge of honor. But everything he told me was true, and I listened. I've run into him numerous times since then and managed to avoid any lectures, which shows that I'm trainable. Pete's an icon, and has probably saved more lives with his lectures than anyone will ever know...

[sheri]

As Adirondack trails go, the hike from the Loj to Marcy and back is pretty moderate and not too muddy, but at time as busy as a highway and pretty much a whole day commitment (unless you ran it). It would be nice to have one day a week that you could gallop up there and back. But my question is, with so many places to see up here, why choose the same trail 700 times? I mean he could have hiked to 700 new cool places by now...

[Cory D]

but at time as busy as a highway

Well, the guy apparently loves to pass on knowledge and saftey, where better to find newbies and lots of people?

But my question is, with so many places to see up here, why choose the same trail 700 times? I mean he could have hiked to 700 new cool places by now...

I agree partly, but I have done Buck Mountain in Lake George about 100 times in the last 5 years and at first I really liked it, then I started to not like it and it was just to stay in shape or train and then it became like my backyard type of feeling were I'm so use to every tiny section breakdown it kind of flows and fits like an old pair of sneakers. Both these peaks are fantastic to view from too, that's always hard to beat. Then you take into account climbing it in every possible variation and weather condition, day, night, full moon and there is a lot of variety. In January '07 there was no snow just icy sections and in one section that has a ground seepage it just kept freezing clear water on top of itself so it must of been almost 2ft thick but nearly clear. Think of all the variable spots on Marcy and all the different approach variations. Hey, this week I'm going to go up through Avalanche Pass or the Garden or Elk lake or through Klondike notch then up. You can detour around a little bit and come up with so many variations that by the time you come back to the same one you hadn't done it in a few months.

[procook131]

It was cool to see his name in the register at Loj and Marcy Dam, not only on 8-29 but 8-28 as well. Although I did notice that a note was left reading along the lines taht he or a party member on one of those two days had lost a sack on Marcy's summit. Maybe someone can help the legend out...and return his stuff.