This area is TOO FAR to day-trip, so I've been a little worried about how I'm going to handle this: rent a cabin-in-the-woods for a summer and just bang them out day-by-day/week-by-week/month-by-month?
But upon looking at the map, it seems like there are areas-of-mountains (consecutive peaks along ridge lines), and therefore maybe I can bag multiple peaks in single days. Let's see what happens!
I was able to bag 6 of them in 2 days last May:
Let's try to hit 3 pairs of them over the next 3 days:
Yesterday I did Cascade Mountain and Porter Mountain, so I'll try for Esther Mountain and Whiteface Mountain today:
Although my hotel looks out over (a little part of) Lake Placid, this IS NOT MY HOTEL:
Beautiful Day for a hike!
But first an overview map:
Today's drive:
This morning's drive:
You go northeast on NY-86 East for over 11 miles, right alongside the AuSable River:
Yes, Fall is on its way up here in the High Peaks.
You then pass High Falls Gorge, which Wendy and I visited on May 9, 2017 (the water was ROARING back then), and then you pass the Whiteface Ski Area, which I skied Jan. 27, 2018:
At the trailhead at 9:23
(remember my comment yesterday about "trailhead signage"?)
On the map, this first part of the trail looks like it goes straight uphill. That is the truth:
I got a very nice view from Marble Mountain at 10 AM:
And then it was a cool hike through the woods:
until I reached the clearing/intersection with the side-trail to Esther Mountain at 11 AM:
The side-trail went down-and-up, and I was at the top of Esther at 11:47
Looking southwest from the Esther Mountain plaque, seeing my next destination - Whiteface Mountain:
Very nice trails, hiking past a ton of moss, and then you break out onto a ski-maintenance trail:
and then quickly see the ski lift:
After hiking upward on the trail:
it is QUITE A SHOCK encountering the Retaining Wall for the "Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway":
Turn Left.
From there, it is a really cool hike up along the granite trail (keep to the yellow blazes) up to the mountaintop:
Looking East - Great view DOWN on the Whiteface Ski Area:
I got to the summit at 1:36
Gosh, I don't remember all these people on the trail - they must have left the parking area much earlier than I did.
Having said that, I do remember this little girl:
She's 12, and her brother is 14, and they hiked up with their Mom and Dad!! Yeah, that makes me feel Real Special.
Super nice view of Lake Placid:
as well as a final look northeast at my return hike:
How it looks in Google Maps, with my path:
WOW - what a great hike! 10.7 miles in 6 hours 15 minutes:
I got back to my hotel at 4:20, to see "fall ablaze":
the view from my 2nd-floor window:
I took a nice hot bath, and played with my computer. But I realized that it was 5 o'clock, and I had time to check-out one of these weird "Trailheads" up here in the High Peaks (there are more-than-a-few mountains that seem to be WAY OFF THE TRACK, and I have to figure this out). So I drove down the road to get to the Seward Trailhead (the trailhead for Seward Mountain):
There is a nice sign just off NY-3 West:
It looks like a nice road:
It soon turned to dirt. Got down to the Trailhead at 6:13
So now I know exactly where I have to start to get to Seward Mountain, Mt. Donaldson, Mt. Emmons, and Seymour Mountain:
Another Day, Another Adventure.
But as for Today: Pizza and Vin Diesel movie on the SyFy Channel ("The Last Witch Hunter") - Thank you God for this Great Adventure Day!
Let's get today right into music:
Garland Jeffreys - Guts for Love, 1983
I liked this so much I listened to it twice.
Neil Diamond - His 12 Greatest Hits, 1974
Phil Collins - No Jacket Required, 1985
This album won three Grammy Awards, including for Album of the Year in 1986. How soon we forget.
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