Having been to many countries and many places all over the world, I can honestly say that some of my favorite places to travel are within driving distance from home! I am lucky enough to live in New England, a place of diverse weather, landscape and opportunity! Adventure can be found right outside your door!
In this “Close to Home Series” from Leave the Harbor, we will look at some of the unique places that didn’t require air travel for us to get to, and showcase some of the amazing adventures you can have without spending a lot, or going far from home!
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The Adirondacks, February 2018
One thing is for sure, we did not expect quite the level of remoteness that upstate New York had to offer! On a whim, we decided it would be a great idea to bundle up, head into the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains, and do some hiking. We found a nice airbnb in a small town called “Upper Jay”, not too far from Lake Placid - the site of the Winter Olympics back in 1932 & 1980. The place itself was beautiful - large and inviting, a roaring fireplace - complemented with an old marble chess set in front of it. An enormous enclosed back porch (although much too cold to use - this would have been amazing in the summer), and a very friendly man who lived right downstairs made this the ideal place to relax and explore! Oh, and some unexpected tenants joined us!
Peekaboo.
We wasted no time heading out for some “provisions” - which mostly included trail mix, chips, cookies, beef jerky and of course, wine for the cold winter nights. It wasn’t long before we realized that we were, well, in the middle of pretty much nowhere. Cell service was spotty, if not non-existent, the closest pizza place was a 25+ minute drive, (and no they did not deliver), and even the place we found to buy our provisions was a hike from the house!
Adirondacks Travel Tip #1 :
When booking an AirBNB or rental home, make sure there are some good restaurants, or at least a good pizza place, within a reasonable traveling distance!
By the time we hit the first trail it was early afternoon and the sun was blinding us as it reflected off the white snow. We figured that a short hike this afternoon would be better than getting straight into a full day hike after driving 3.5 hours up to get there, and being exhausted our first day. We found the parking lot for the trail head without a problem, but the actual trail took us a bit of searching. Who knew it would be so hard to find a trail through the woods when every inch of the ground was pure white.
We finally found it, and headed up, and immediately realized our mistake. The trail was not just fluffy white snow as we expected - it was almost solid ice. Straight up. Very straight up. To make it worse, there were very few branches or trees close enough to support our climb. As people started passing us on the way down, we noticed they were almost all wearing these shiny metal spikes on their footwear. Ah. Mistake number two. Wearing sneakers. After continuing up for almost 45 minutes for some unknown reason, we finally decided it would be safer to head back instead of risking death with an ever steepening climb. How we made it without sliding into a tree and breaking something, we may never know.
Adirondacks Travel Tip #2:
If you are planning to hike anywhere in the winter, especially in the mountains, get some pull over micro-spikes for your boots!
Our next stop? You guessed it, another store. Come prepared people! Don’t waste time like we did! The Mountaineer, an extremely well stocked outdoor adventure store, was a life line for us! We quickly found what we were looking for, and were now ready for whatever the trails might throw at us the next day!
Looking for some food in the evening, we headed over near Lake Placid, and found a nice hotel/restaurant to enjoy a hearty burger and french fry meal that we had obviously earned with our laborious 45 minutes of hiking, er…sliding.
The next day, after some mapping and planning, we decided on a hike up towards Mt. Marcy, one of the highest and most visited peaks in the Adirondacks. We decided not to go the full route to the top of that peak though, and veered off and hiked up a uniquely challenging Phelps Mountain for an amazing day and some amazing views.
Adirondacks Travel Tip #3:
Pack right. Over-prepare. Ensure your gear is ready for the challenge.
Although hiking at any time of year can be challenging, the winter brings its own set of unique situations to be prepared for! Here are some considerations when hiking in the winter. Make sure you bring :
Proper footwear - including waterproof boots, heavy socks, and mini-spikes for your boots.
Snow Shoes and Poles - constantly changing landscape, ice, snow drifts and trails, mean that climbing in some trails can be very treacherous. Deep drifts make it impossible to reach some places on the mountains.
Wind resistant or windproof outerwear - a temperature and wind rated jacket, warm gloves, warm hat and a wool neck scarf are critical.
Backpack or Camelbak - to store water & snacks, and have the ability to put some layers in there when the sun and hiking make it a little toasty. Check out these great Camelbak options!
Food & Water - However long you plan to hike, make sure you are well prepared with easy to pack and eat snacks such as trail mix, fruit, bars, M&M’s and of course, more water than you think you need!
Maps, Headlamp & a Plan - Just in case, make sure you check in at every trail head and record the number of people in your party and the date of travel. Tell someone that cares about you where you’re going as well. Trails can be difficult to find and easy to lose in the winter, and you don’t want to spend a night in the frozen mountains! There is very little cell service.
Know where you are and where you are going! Tell someone else too!
Another challenge of this trip, was that I had recently experienced some heart issues while exercising. Now maybe you are different, but worrying about heart issues in the middle of a “wilderness area”, in winter, far from any help at all, isn’t the most comforting experiences. Fortunately we had no issues, or I probably would not be here writing this today. Also, it gave me an excuse to go a little slower and enjoy the scenery around us! Either way, make sure you are physically prepared for the challenge of hiking. Every step is harder in the snow than it would be in the summer!
There is something incredible about silence and scenery. On a trip to Canyonlands National Park in Utah I remember the same feeling, sitting out in the middle of literally nowhere, with a giant rock face before me. John was off taking pictures or peeing, I don’t remember, but just the magnitude and the ruggedness of the place hit me all at once. That kind of hit feeling that can inspire you, make you feel small and yet valuable all at the same time. Listening to the sound of my heart beating (thankfully), the snow crunching beneath our feet, the wind whipping through the trees, was an amazing experience as we hiked up the frozen trail for several hours.
Every so often another winter adventurer or adventurers would pass us, but for the most part we had the mountain to ourselves. We passed frozen waterfalls, ancient trees, more difficult trail signs for the brave, a few animal tracks, some amazing vistas and views of the lakes below, and more than a bit of evidence from places people had wiped out. Oops.
John, with full gear, ready to attack the mountain.
We hiked for the rest of the day, enjoyed a hearty meal, a roaring fire, and a few interesting games of chess, and headed to sleep. One more day of hiking, some more amazing views, and then a drive home the next day made this the perfect quick getaway for a weekend of adventure, exercise and nature!
In everything, as in travel, being prepared is one of the keys to success. Few great business ventures have begun without at least somewhat of a plan. Few adventures have come to a successful conclusion without an idea of the goals at hand, and few feats have been accomplished without an adequate understanding of the challenges it would entail!
We hope you get a chance to visit this remote and amazing area! There’s certainly more to tell, so you may hear about the Adirondacks again! In the meantime, here are a few more resources to check out :
Visit Adirondacks - https://visitadirondacks.com/recreation/hiking/winter-hiking
Winter Hiking Tips - https://www.adirondack.net/winter/hiking/tips-for-beginners/
Lake Placid Peaks - http://www.lakeplacid.com/do/outdoors/winterspring/winter-high-peaks
Until next time!
Ben