Thanksgiving thru-hike

[spencergray]

Hello,
I'm planning my first trip in the Adirondacks during the week of Thanksgiving. Hoping to get some advice from the veterans.

The tentative plan is to do the NPT from Upper Benson to Duck Hole and from there scoot over to the High Peaks and do Marcy and whatever else I can fit in, exiting at Keene Valley or Heart Lake. I have 7-8 days and I'll be solo-hiking.

I see the speed-hike post below this one, so I can refer to that for the pace aspect of the trip. Perhaps I'm being a bit ambitious. The extra weight in gear required for cold weather is a concern.

Is the ADK NPT map the best for this? I'm eyeing the National Geographic waterproof maps online, but I don't know if it's worth getting those.

I'm hoping to avoid lugging a bear canister with me that I won't need until the High Peaks... is there some way to pick strategic camp spots on the periphery of the required canister zone so I could still access the trails around Marcy?

My biggest concern is weather. I've been checking trip reports for information about mid-November rain and snow. It seems likely. I'm wondering how much it might slow me down, if I should consider hauling snowshoes with me (I assume I should bring along crampons for the High Peaks), or how quickly it tends to melt out on the different parts of the trail. Thoughts?

Any other suggestions are very much welcome. I want to make sure the itinerary is feasible this late in the season.

You have a great community occurring here. Thanks!

[RC]

That late in the year I personally wouldn't plan on muchpast making duck hole in a week because of the extra gear needed. Also if you get snow it will slow you down. You might be worst off that late in the year if it doesn't snow, but rains for a few days. A ice cold rain can be a real problem that time of year. Water crossing take on a whole new problem with the cold weather you most likely be hiking in. A fall in the water in August is a totally different thing when it happens in late November. I think the trip is doable, but it could go bad fast. If I was going to set out that time of year I would be looking to hike with someone I knew I could trust if things got bad.


RC

[redhawk]

The thing you may need to be the most concerned with is moisture at that time of year, combined with low temps.

3 years ago Nov I attempted to do the NPT through from Averyville to Benson. The temperatures were in the 40's - 50's. I was prepared ands was wearing proper clothing and carrying rain gear and shelter.

The first night I camped at Waneka Falls and there was a strong storm with heavy rain, horizontal at times. I weathered it fine and stayed dry in my tent, but the following morning I couldn't get out because the stream was running too fast. It was dificult keeping a fire because of the constant drizzle and the lack of firewood. I spent the following night there and the next morning I had to bushwhack down the mountain and then work downstream until i found two trees blown across that i could cross the stream.

Being hard headed and "experienced" I continued south since I also had no vehicle at Averyville. I ran actros two rangers at Moose Pond looking for a hunter who was missing.

To make a long story short, for the next two ays, the temps were in the upper forties and it drizzled all that time. I finally got smart and bushwhacked out to route 30 in Blue Mountain Lake, just south of the museum.

The hunter the Rangers were looking for? He was found dead from Hypothermia.

Just trying to say that there can be dangers even when there is no snow or freezing weather. Most people who die of hypothermia, do so when temps are in the forties and fifties, not when it's freezing.

So be prepared.

And yes. Carry snowshoes.

Hopefully I will be in the Cold River, from Coreys via the Blueberry trail, to either Long lake or back out via the Caulkins brook trail the weekend before Thanksgiving.

If I do, i'll be able to post conditions here when we come out. Note the WE..

Hawk

[spencergray]

It sounds like I might be better off sticking to either the (relative) flats of the NTP or to the High Peaks area on its own. And maybe shortening the NTP route a bit as well.

And it also sounds like I should definitely have a backup plan or plan to bag the trip at the last minute if the weather looks suspect; and I should also have a couple backup plans on the trail itself. I do fortunately have someone who lives fairly nearby the trail who can pick me up if I bail.

Thanks for the quick responses and the words of caution.

[Bill I.]

I think doing the entire N-P Trail in 8 days (average of ~16 miles a day) is highly ambitious for November, when you will have not much more than 8 hours of usable daylight. Even 10-mile days can be difficult to sustain this time of year, since it becomes a sunrise-to-sunset affair.

November weather is highly unpredictable. Nice days are possible, but wet days are frequent. I doubt, given recent trends, that you would need snowshoes on any part of the N-P Trail in November, although you will definitely need insulated, waterproof footwear. Snow is a good probability for Thanksgiving, but generally speaking it's too early in the year for any significant accumulation (snowshoes are useless until you get about 6 inches on the ground).

Most of the N-P Trail has a wealth of footbridges, but if the weather's freezing cold and wet there are certain stream crossings that can be a potential hazzard. The ones I have in mind are Falls Stream north of Piseco and near Priests Vly south of Piseco. There are probably others, too.

By no means cancel your plans to visit the Adirondacks. Just realize that you won't be catching us at our best. I would recommend doing a series of day trips and overnights rather than one week-long trip.

[colden46]

Hello,
I'm planning my first trip in the Adirondacks during the week of Thanksgiving. Hoping to get some advice from the veterans.

The tentative plan is to do the NPT from Upper Benson to Duck Hole and from there scoot over to the High Peaks and do Marcy and whatever else I can fit in, exiting at Keene Valley or Heart Lake. I have 7-8 days and I'll be solo-hiking.

I thru-hiked the NP trail solo November 3 - 13, 2001. I never needed snowshoes, but ran into as much as 6 inches of snow around Duck Hole, and there were spotty areas of snow most of the way north from Piseco. I'll second what the other folks have said here, and add my opinion that 7 to 8 days -- 15 to 17+ miles per day -- is very ambitious that time of year, given the likelihood of wet and muddy trails, rainy and snowy weather, and short days.

Quite frankly, it wasn't one of the smartest things I've done in my life. I didn't see a soul for 3 days between Piseco and Wakely Dam, and while it was exhilarating, the margin for error in 35 or 40 degree rainy weather that cools down well below freezing at night is very slim. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the trip, but I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more had I picked a better time of year.

[Hobbitling]

are you planning on doing this solo?

[redhawk]

Will someone either correct me if I am wrong or verify if I am right:

Isn't there a regulation in the Adirondack park that if there is a certain amount of snow, that snowshoes are MANDATORY? And if so, what is the amount of snow? I thought it was six inches.

Hawk

[Bill I.]

Will someone either correct me if I am wrong or verify if I am right:

Isn't there a regulation in the Adirondack park that if there is a certain amount of snow, that snowshoes are MANDATORY? And if so, what is the amount of snow? I thought it was six inches.

Hawk

From the DEC's list of regulations:

§190.13 Wilderness Areas in the Adirondack Park

f. Miscellaneous restrictions.

3. In the High Peaks Wilderness Area, no person shall:

vii. fail to possess and use skis or snowshoes when the terrain is snow-covered with eight or more inches of snow

So currently, the only specific regulation regarding the use of skis/snowshoes is for the High Peaks only. I know that DEC intends to promulgate (DEC's word) regulations for the rest of the Adirondacks, too... someday.

In the meantime, the clever folks at DEC also have this catch-all regulation:

§190.8 General

p. No person shall fail to comply with the instructions contained on a sign of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Some trailheads have signs that say "Use of Skis or Snowshoes Required," and so this second regulation would come into play. However, as you can imagine, this one is fairly broad in scope (DEC could literally create new regulations simply by posting signs all over) and I've heard rumors that legally it doesn't stand up very well.

[Robony]

This is not a very sound "first trip to the Adirondacks" plan. You don't mention how much exp. you have in other places, but Benson>Duck Hole is not a good training ground in November. There has been at least one death on this trail; another solo hiker who was hiking in arguably much less of a potentially precarious weather situation.

If you do venture forth tho', I’m wondering why stop at Duck Hole? What's the plan then? Are you thinking the truck trail>Sewards or a Wanika>Nye/Street or do you intend to bail and head elsewhere? If the former, there's lots of logistics to plan for. If the latter, why not continue straight through to Placid? It would be a shame (IMHO) to bail so close to the end without necessity, especially with the hardest parts behind you.

Just my .02. Good luck whatever you decide!

[uberTurtle]

Being that we pulled out in Blue Mountain Lake on the way South, I can't speak of what kind of pace you can maintain on the NPT from there to Upper Benson. However, I can tell you that 63 miles in three days on the Northern section ate up our feet. The section from Tirrell Pond to Long Lake is, as stated in the guidebook, rugged. It may be a little easier South to North, but there is still plenty of work. 7-8 days for the NPT is aggressive to begin with, so you may want to stick with that plan and not head for Marcy. Experience elsewhere may count for a lot - you hadn't mentioned experience level - so ultimately, it's your call. Plan for possible bailouts and leave someone your itinerary.