in from the adk loj, 6 peaks later

[shoty2982]

Although we weren't sure of what to expect condition wise , everything turned out for the best. we made the long drive from buffalo new york to kick off our hiking seasonwe left at approx 7 in the morning and finally arrived at the loj at about 1 after a quick lunch in placid. we got off to a quick start and made it to marcy dam after about 45 minutes. we quickly set up camp at one of the lean-tos and made our way up to phelps. the trail was dry by adk standards, and only some patches of ice and snow were to be found. the views were better than average, especially the view to marcy from a ledge on the south side of phelps. we quickly made our way back down and after a quick meal we retired to our sleeping bags. DAY 2-we woke after a night of freezing our butts off and after a quick breakfast, we headed to tabletop ditched the packs and very quickly and very easily made our way up and back down tabletop then started off again to the feldspar lean-to. the hike from tabletop to the lean to was very intense as we were hiking through about 2-3 feet of snow and although postholing wasnt a primary concern it was very slow going. eventually we rolled into the lean to and had plenty of time to relax and tell stories and prepare for the cold night in front of us. DAY 3- we woke with the sun and hung around camp a little longer than usually. after some eats we headed up the feldspar brrok trail to lake tear and four corners. after some deliberation we quickly headed right up skylight and had the peak to ourselves. the views, the weather and the company was amazing. looking north to marcy, you couldn't help but to stare in awe and the sheer size. we had the summit alone for approx 20 minutes or so and then very very quickly (7-9 minutes?) descended and made our back to the bushwhack path to grey. we bushwhacked up grey and after reaching the summit, also decided to bushwhack to marcy. very tight trees, and a very difficult bushwhack we then had the summit of the highest peak in NY all to ourselves. the views and weather was beautiful, still not a cloud in the sky. we then descended down the south side of marcy and made the trek back to our lean-to, ate a quick snack , packed up our gear then made our way to lake colden and took the lean-to due south of ranger station (beaver lean to?) the weather was still beautiful and we had a perfect evening to filter water, make a great meal, and sit on the damn for some beautiful photo ops. we retired to bed a lil earlier than usual and prepared for our final. DAY 4- same ol routinel, good breakfast and off to a very early start. full packs on we hiked to the base of colden and ditched packs. very nice hike, fairly strenuous due to the fact that some of the rock slides had ice on them, when we reached summit, we once again had it to ourselvesate plent on the peak and basked in the sun. views were spectacular and after spending approx an hour we started the descent and the long hike back to the adk loj. avalanche pass was beautiful the whole hike back was fairly dry and we made it back to the car earlier then expectedand began the 6 hour drive home. i learned some very valuable lessons on this trip 1) hiking poles made the difference 2) instant rice is the best backpacking food ever 3) i need a 15 degree down waterproof bag (marmot helium eq) 4) hiking in snow is so much easier , until you post hole and fall in 3 feet 5) lightening up my pack has made the biggest diference in backpacking 6) never leave home without your bear canister, you always know you food will be there

Pe@cE

[Rik]

Nice trip and report. Did you see any bears?

[shoty2982]

nope, none at all, some evidence and a ripped down bear bag that looked relatively fresh but no bear.

[runswithscissors]

Marmot Helium

Did you have a Marmot Helium and were disatisfied with the performance or do you want a Marmot Helium because the bag you used did not measure up?

Pete Hogan

[shoty2982]

i'm looking to get one, i've only heard good things, either that or the mountain hardware phantom? any ideas?

[erica]

I've got a mountian hardwear phantom 15degree bag, I haven't had a cold night in it. I do sleep very warm though. Overall I like it. The top fabric is very water resistant, I've had a few small spills on it and the water rolls right off. Very soft and fluffy.

[Rookie]

What route do you take from Buffalo?
Six hours is pretty good. Took me about 7 last time with 4 stops....plus I took the vehicle without cruise control so I end up drifting downward in speed.

[ADKben]

Check out the North Face FISSION bag. 20 degrees, 2 lbs, packs to 8X15 and is only 189. Ultralight for what it entails; I'm extremely satisfied with it. (Cheaper than any by MH or the Marmot for SURE) lol

www.thenorthface.com

[ADKben]

I should also add that unless you do primarily WINTER camping in the ADKS..i CAN'T possibly imagine buying a down sleeping bag? The continuous wetness of the ADKS is just devastating to a down bag...especially a 900 fill. To me, that's like bringing cashmere into the backcountry, entirely unnecessary. The latest Pertex Quantum fill for sleeping bags weighs just as much as the higher fills of down and doesn't get RUINED in wet weather (like down will do) But, if you do go camping in temperatures much colder than 15, than maybe a down bag is for you. Personally, the all around choice is a synthetic..check out the weights of some that use Pertex Quantum compared to Down (tnf's Fission)


Im working now for the north face out in San Francisco (has nothing to do with me recommending this bag lol) BUT, i gotta say, the north face outlet in Berkeley has the Hightail 900, which is a 900 fill down bag, weighing 1lb 12 ounces..its on the north face's website. It is rated down to 15 degrees and its pretty damn nice. The reason im saying this is because its down to I believe $159. The phone number for the store is 1-510-526-3530
They do charge/sends and it is an unbeatable deal. These bags aren't used or defective, just last season (although the bag hasn't changed in at least a year +) If your interested I can give you more info.

[shoty2982]

i didnt wanna say anything before at the risk of pissing people ff, but i also work at a ski/snowboard shop so i can get pro forms on alotta gear such as north face, mountain hardware, marmot, kelty... a couple of others also. i was chcking out the fission and i can completely understand your logic behind getting a synthetic bag rather than a down bag.... but i do have some arguments that can go either way...the down bags certainly pack smaller, and weigh less( even if it is ounces), i am trying to keep my pack weight down as much as possible the waterproofing was another big deal for me, seeing as how in the wet months in a tent, there is going to be condensation. i was actually checking out the hightail as well and i forgot to mention that in my first post.....the pertex quantum and the 900 fill of the helium really caught my attention and after seeing how small it packs and feeling the material..i'm still undecided but thanks everyone for the help

[shoty2982]

Rookie..... which way did you take to get there??? in my constant search to find the quickest way to get there...i have come to this conclusion. Take the I-90 to exit 27(amsterdam) then you kinda go east to balston spa and malta), and then hop on the 87N. this works but all the roads you tke in between amsterdam and malta are backroads so it can really either help or hinder you. one more tip..... less stopping. lol, we had 4 guys go and i beleive we stopped twice for gas and bathroom break.

[Rookie]

That's the route I took. I think I tried all the others over the years. This one may be more miles but mostly on divided highway. I'll try it again next time with the cruise control and less stops.......better yet.....pass out the "depends" and NO STOPS.

[eghaley]

Have you tried taking the Thruway from Buffalo to Exit 36 at Syracuse, then take Route 81 to Watertown, then Route 3 to Tupper Lake and finally Route 86 to Lake Placid. Good roads and nice places to stop along the way.

[garboon_syr]

The insulation in down filled bags will tend to have a longer lifespan compared to synthetics as well, which may be another factor in considering which to buy....