Hi All,

I'm looking to hike in the Adirondacks (NY state), and I'm rather overwhelmed at the amount of information I've found. My hope is that some of the more knowledgeable can provide some hints for what I'm looking for:

A two day hike for april-may
Ideally, camping in the wild, but option to pay for lodging at a rustic or simple facility
Medium difficulty, with some elevation gain (I miss hills)
Parking available, since I will be driving from Ottawa

I have some experience hiking (have camped a couple dozen times) and I'm in ok shape but less than athletic. Decent with orientation but not enough to venture routes with no trail.

I would appreciate any hints or links you can provide.

Thanks,

Alejandro.

Thank you, this is perfect.

And yes, I was thinking of the high peaks, should have mentioned it on my original post.

After reading a bit more, it seems I'll reschedule to September-October, since some have mentioned April-May to be pretty bad w.r.t black flies and other nasty bugs. July and August are quite busy for me, but I can probably take a weekend or two during Sept and Oct.

Camping in the Marcy Dam area sounds like a wonderful idea. How/were can I find out about fees, rules and regulations, etc?

Thanks again!

April and early May are often still winter conditions. The snowpack is thin down low this year, but you'll need crampons up high well into May.

October can surprise you with snow and ice up high as well, but early in the month is usually pretty safe. Mid September is probably the best time of the year for hiking.

The Marcy Dam area is popular and can feel a bit cramped. It is, however, very beautiful. Avalanche Pass, Algonquin, Marcy, and Colden are all within easy reach and very popular due to the views from those places.

You need this book. Just buy it now and peruse it until your trip. You'll find lots of great hikes.

http://www.mountaineer.com/store/mercha ... y_Code=931

I believe it comes with this map - the last edition did. If not, or if you want a spare:

http://www.mountaineer.com/store/mercha ... y_Code=055

The High Peaks area has tighter restrictions than other places. But, the regulations in the High Peaks are excellent guidelines everywhere. The three points that are not obvious, general camping guidelines are:

1) Camping is permitted away from designated sites if you stay below 3,500 ft and more than 150 feet from water or trail. However, there are plenty of designated sites available, so I'd just pick one of them.

2) No campfires. Stoves only.

3) Bear canisters are needed. They can be rented from The Mountaineer in Keene Valey, or the at the Loj trailhead.

High Peaks region can be very very crowded during September and October time frame. A lot of designated sites will be taken up if you are not there early. If you are looking for some wilderness experience, Marcy Dam might not be as wild as you think because the crowd.

Wow, excellent responses everyone, thanks a lot.

Seems that the ideal plans for me are September at the Marcy Dam area. I don't mind other hikers, but I might try to make it a weekday trip if I can pull it off (boss, wife, kid).

Good stuff.

Thanks again for all the info.

If you can only go during weekends, make sure you have back up plans. ADK Loj parking lot filled up very quickly! You can also go for Great Range Traverse in a day.

divnamite wrote:If you can only go during weekends, make sure you have back up plans. ADK Loj parking lot filled up very quickly! You can also go for Great Range Traverse in a day.

Given that the OP said they are in "less than athletic shape", I'd avoid the GRT. Haystack, Basin, and Saddleback alone makes for a long day for most people.

Ooops, you are correct! I forgot that part. Marcy Dam is the way to go. While not as wild, still a memorable outing.