Phelps Mountain Mission

Your mission, Jim, do you have to determine to simply accept it, is to get your a$$ up one of many 46 Excessive Peaks earlier than summer time is out. Should you fail, readers will deny any information of your existence. This tape will self destruct in 30 seconds.

Eight months into my new life in Saranac Lake, I had but to get out on one of many Adirondack 4000. I’ve been on all of them, a few of them a number of occasions, however most of that was a very long time in the past.

Sunday had a sketchy forecast. Monday could be higher, however my little one could be driving up on Monday to spend the month with me, so Monday was out. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo. After my choices, Phelps Mountain got here out on high.

Sunday morning, I rolled outta mattress later than I might have favored. Ziggy and I obtained breakfast; then I obtained prepared. Though I used to be pleased with myself for motivating a bit of sooner than regular, I nonetheless didn’t arrive at Adirondak Loj till 10:30 or so. I have to work on my alpine begins.

Earlier than you @ me concerning the spelling of Adirondak Loj, permit me to say Melvil Dewey. Born in 1851, he was concerned with training reform. He developed the Dewey decimal system, so important in libraries earlier than the appearance of Google. He additionally turned a champion of what he known as simplified spelling. He was a co-founder of the Lake Placid Membership. Though I’m not sure how a lot time he spent in Lake Placid, his simplified spelling idea gained some traction right here.

As I walked to the path head, a sort of junior ranger — younger man, uniform however no badge or firearm — stopped me. We mentioned my vacation spot, and he really useful that I take the excessive water route due to the current rain. I thanked him and set out.

Phelps Mountain is known as for Orson “Previous Mountain” Phelps, a Vermonter who settled in Keene Valley. He’s credited with reducing the primary path up Mount Marcy in 1861, and the path up Large of the Valley in 1866. He guided many consumers up Mount Marcy and named many Adirondack options. It’s unknown whether or not he summited his eponymous peak.

Leaving Adirondak Loj, the primary couple miles of path is a veritable Thruway. A predominant entry path to the Excessive Peaks, it’s broad, and far of it’s runnable. A mile in, I hung a left in the direction of what was Marcy Dam. There had been a dam there for many years — a beautiful, bucolic spot.

Hurricane Irene destroyed the dam; Phelps Brook rushes downhill there. Apparently, because the dam was a human-constructed object, the DEC determined to not rebuild it.

I adopted the path to a bridge downstream over Phelps Brook that linked with the truck path from South Meadow. An indication pointed in the direction of the excessive water route, nevertheless it was north, out of my means. I made a decision to go direct as a substitute.

Up the Van Hoevenberg path, previous the caretaker’s cabin and a number of campsites. Up the way in which, the path crossed Phelps Brook. With the current rain, the brook ran quick and excessive. Not excessive sufficient to be harmful, however toes would positively be moist.

In search of a magic resolution to keep away from moist toes, I blundered up a herd path on one aspect of the brook. After a number of hundred yards, I slipped and fell right into a mud puddle, rattling effectively immersing myself. A lot for that choice. I returned to the crossing and bit the bullet. A minimum of my boots had been clear, even when the remainder of me wasn’t.

Persevering with, the path turned rockier, and I lastly reached the junction with the Phelps Path. Up till now, the elevation acquire had been gradual. The guidebook calls it a average climb with some harder spots. It’s simpler then Mount Colden, however being of uh, a sure age, I’m undecided I’d name it average. For many of that final mile, water ran down the path, feeding a number of streams that bumped into Phelps Brook. No worries, my toes had been already moist.

The bushes obtained shorter. Muddy trails turned to rock, and I used to be on the wooded summit. The path wended to an open ledge with jaw-dropping views of the MacIntyre vary.

I haven’t been out within the Excessive Peaks a lot within the final 10 years. Currently, I’ve lamented my lack of ability to determine lots of them once I’m driving on Route 73. However DAMN, from that ledge, they name got here again like I’d been there yesterday. Haystack, Marcy, Colden. Algonquin, with Wright within the foreground. In all their majesty, probably the greatest views within the Excessive Peaks.

The final time I’d been on Phelps, I shared that ledge with a bunch of boy scouts having fun with Cheez Whiz straight from the can. At this time, I shared it with a newly engaged couple. They requested me to level out Mount Marcy and take their photograph, and I used to be comfortable to oblige.

After lunch and swapping out my moist socks for dry ones, I began down. Though Phelps doesn’t have as many rock ledges as another peaks, getting down was nonetheless a course of. An hour up the final mile; a bit of over an hour to get again right down to the Van Hoevenberg Path. That’s my new regular. At 3 PM, I used to be stunned to nonetheless see individuals working their means up the final push to the summit.

On the Phelps Brook crossing, I selected the excessive water route reasonably than moist toes. Whether or not it was the higher different is debatable. Along with being the longer means round, there was loads of mud and one sketchy stream crossing. However I’d by no means been on this path, in order that was cool.

Over 5 hours in, I nonetheless had sufficient fuel to run non technical sections of the final two miles again to the Loj. I dropped my pack at my automotive and, wrecked, hobbled throughout the car parking zone to the Hungry Hiker, a quick meals joint operated operated by the Adirondack Mountain Membership. Fiddlehead IPA was a justly earned reward for a great day.

The one downer of the journey was practically getting hit by individuals exiting the Loj car parking zone. Twice. It’s like their mindset spins from being within the woods to, it’s 6PM and I’ve to drive 250 miles and be at work tomorrow morning. Pedestrians are invisible in broad daylight. Not cool.

Nicely, you may’t repair silly. And the climate had cleared up right into a high quality afternoon. After having fun with my brew, I obtained within the Lucky Son and drove dwelling to a ready cat and my very own meal. This weblog will self destruct in 30 seconds.