So what then? Are we planning to do central gully this Jan 1st through 5th? I'll be there already, anyone is welcome to join me and my group. (Just bring your own drinks!)

Regarding Mount Marcy, here are some pencil plans on a napkin:

Arrive Friday night. Stay at ADK Loj at Heart Lake. Meet each other, enjoy a nice beer.
Get up early and climb up past Interior Outpost, Indian Falls, Little Marcy to Mt.Marcy. My map says roughly 4 miles one way. My buddy took my book and brought it home, so I can't be more of a help on distances. Sorry. The trail is well trodden, so we would not have to break new snow. Snowshoes are fine. Skis work also. Climb down. Makes for a rather LONG Saturday!

A second alternative is to meet at Loj Friday (or Sat) afternoon, hike into the Interior Outpost. Camp outside overnight. Bag Marcy the next day. Hike back to Interior Outpost (or Loj). Camp overnight at Interior Outpost. Hike out.

A Third alternative is to bag Marcy and come down to Lake Tear of the Clouds, camp overnight, and head back down to the Outpost. Once off Mt.Marcy, the descent down to the Lake will be fresh snow, most likely. This can be quite exhausting as you post hole in spruce traps. I'm all game for post holing, but if your not used to it....it can be hard.

I guess it depends on how people feel about winter camping, breaking new snow, experience level, etc.

My better half just informed me that camping at the lake is "illegal" now, so if we went that route, we would have to go down a little further.

tigerlilly wrote:Arrive Friday night. Stay at ADK Loj at Heart Lake. Meet each other, enjoy a nice beer.
Get up early and climb up past Interior Outpost, Indian Falls, Little Marcy to Mt.Marcy. My map says roughly 4 miles one way. My buddy took my book and brought it home, so I can't be more of a help on distances. Sorry. The trail is well trodden, so we would not have to break new snow. Snowshoes are fine. Skis work also. Climb down. Makes for a rather LONG Saturday!

4 miles isn't bad at all. I looked at a map too, it seems like 4 miles to me as well. I'm a little confused then; I thought the shortest approach to Marcy was 7 miles one way?

7 miles is the correct distance (actually a little more). Maybe you're thinking of the distance from the campsites along Phelps Brook?

The official distance I found for the Van Hoevenberg trail was 7.4.

I just saw this post, I'd be up for some sort of gathering, Marcy in Feb over the holiday weekend would be good.

mikek wrote:I just saw this post, I'd be up for some sort of gathering, Marcy in Feb over the holiday weekend would be good.

I usually go to Canada, but I'm holding that weekend aside as well. Though I may stay with my friends at the Mountain Meadows or the Ark and Trail. I've never stayed at the Loj though I've been in it. Would we need to make reservations now? Big weekend.

KristoriaBlack wrote:Hello,

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm interested as well and so please keep me in the loop if there are PMs being sent of what not.

Is anyone else heading up to Mt. Washington for ice climbing over the Christmas break (between Christmas and New Years)?

Hey Hotoven, are you still open to having people join you for ice climbing January 1st-5th? I can't lead (yet) but I'm so itching to get out and climb. Are you spending New Years Eve on Mt. Washington? Lets do a midnight ascent and cork a bottle of bubbly at the summit at midnight. Any one game? I tried that a few years back with my brother but encountered a 90 mile an hour wind above treeline and chickened out after half an hour in the whiteout. Now, I've done the route a few times in the day and want to give it another shot. (Rain or Shine).

Kristoria

I've always thought that would be really cool, but unfortunately there are usually New Years obligations. Though, maybe not Mt. Washington but some peak with a more pristine summit; actually, Marcy would be really nice for that, though kind of a long hike.

Extra credit if you can manage to keep the bubbly from freezing, yet keep it bubbly (i.e. no cheating such as pouring it into a thermos )

We still have the wknd set aside on our calendar, although I start a new FT job in a few days. I think making Loj reservations would be SMART.

Yes. I would like two nights. Presidents weekend is it? I'm holding the weekend of 20 aside whatever it is. Should we add them up and book as a group?

Yes, I think that would be wise. Put us down for "2".



Augh! I'm getting excited!

So we want nights of the 19th and 20th?


http://www.adk.org/lodging/policies.aspx

I might be interested in this as well.

Here are the plans we cooked up.

Day one (Thurs night) : Drive from DC to NY, drop off kids with Grandpa & sleep overnight
Day two (Friday): drive from NY to ADK Loj. Hike to Phelps Camp, camp overnight
Day three (Sat) : Leave gear, hike up Marcy & hike out. Stay overnight at Loj.
Day four (Sun) : Brunch & Bobsled. Drive back to Grandpa's house pick up kids.
Day Five: drive home

- Anyone can join us for this hike.
- We only need a reservation at the Loj for Saturday night. I can make them for ourselves on our own
- If you can't join us for the hike, we are hoping that the group can get together at the Loj on Saturday evening, or for brunch on Sunday