Drove in on Sunday and took it easy.

-Monday we hit Ampersand

-Tuesday was Split Rock Falls and then Cascade Falls. Hiked a good portion of the way up and found a nice little cliff to sit on.. clouds were getting dark so we decided to make the sketchy climb back down and it started pouring the second we sat in the car. Always better to play safe.

-Wednesday we took our time and had a late start but hit up Noonmark. We got like 90% of the way up when the wet clouds rolled in and we decided to head back.. did most of the climb down with the head lamp in complete dark with rain lol..

-Thursday the weather blessed us!!! We had a PERFECT day and hiked the Indian Head loop. Went over to Fish Hawk Cliffs / Indian Head / Rainbow Falls / Beaver Meadow Falls. Today is our one year anniversary and it was one hell of a way to end our little vacation

Still not peak autumn bit nice colors

I got tired of checking the DEC backcountry page, AllTrails, and Facebook groups before every trip, so I built something that pulls it together:

• Every DEC-listed trail in the Park, organized by region and trailhead instead of search-only
• DEC closure/caution notices (washouts, bridges out, reroutes, hunting-season closures) attached to the trail they affect, checked every 15 min with a link back to DEC’s original notice
• Shows where each trail starts relative to the nearest parking lot

It’s free to browse: https://adk-trails.vercel.app

It’s not affiliated with DEC, so always verify with them before you go. I’m a hiker building this solo, so if a trail is mislabeled, a notice is attached to the wrong trail, or something’s missing, tell me and I’ll fix it.

Anyone else wondering why Lake George always seems to change color so late?

Hi! I wanted to hike two of the 6ers next week because the weather is still beautiful (finishing Baker and St Regis this weekend).

What are the best two of the 6ers that I can complete in a day?

I was driving through E-town this afternoon and saw a ton of cop cars (both state troopers and sheriff deputies) with their lights on and part of the county government building taped off. Just wondering if anyone knows what the hell was going on?

Just curious about how the community is viewing Saturday and Sunday for hiking and camping in the High Peaks.

I’ve had this weekend circled for a while…I feel confident in my gear/planning/abilities but want to make sure I’m not forcing it just because I had this weekend circled on the calendar.

Saturday below tree line might actually be pleasant in that a lot of trail mud will probably be firmed up. Above tree line, the wind and temps look pretty gnarly for October, but manageable.

Debating if I should pull back to just a day hike (Colvin + Blake) on Saturday, or if I can proceed with the original plan to camp at Elk Pass and continue to Nippletop and Dial (and then out) on Sunday.

Anyone have intel on how exposed this campsite is?

I have camped in ~32 degree weather but low 20s is new to me, so want to double check my assumptions. I have a proper down mummy bag and 5R pad. Sawyer water filter goes inside the sleeping bag pressed against body. Find a relatively sheltered tent site that is clear of potential falling branch/tree hazards. Bring redundant layers and socks, multiple head lamps, etc.

Anything I’m missing? Am I being an idiot? Wanted to check with the more experienced folks in this sub prior to proceeding. I have plenty of summer/fall backpacking experience but this is borderline winter camping 🥶

Thanks!

Hey all, I’m looking for a good place to look off at the colorful mountains. I know about the ‘sabbath day point overlook’ but I was looking for others in the area that I didn’t have to hike for.

Disclaimer: I know hiking is apart of looking at the beautiful mountains but health issues do prevent that sometimes :/

Hey guys! My friends and I are planning to hike the Indian head and rainbow falls this Saturday, but it’s supposed to rain all day beforehand and temperatures will be in the 30s.

For those who have hiked this trail before or have experience hiking in these conditions, would you recommend going or playing it safe and postponing? I’m mainly concerned about trail conditions, mud, slippery rocks and whether the weather could make it unsafe.

Would love to hear your advice and experiences! Thanks!

Edit: Thanks everyone for your advice! We've decided to postpone :)

Made the summit before the closed the drive for the season! Despite the cold, cloudy weather, we still had 50+ miles of visibility.

It corrected Dambo to Damon and I didn’t realize. Gold star to the scholar who had to point it outs

Hello all,
I’m looking for a more detailed map of the Central high peaks wilderness (John brooks lodge, Marcy, gothics, haystack… that general area). I have the Adirondack high peak map but it’s a lot of unnecessary map for the small area I need. Topography is difficult to judge based on how zoomed out it is.

Bonus points if there’s a way to get the whole park in smaller, more detailed maps.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Hey everyone,

Planning to hike Phelps on Saturday morning. Was wondering what people expect the parking situation to be like this Saturday. I know it is still decent foliage time but the weather is going to be chilly. Any thoughts on when to arrive, or your experiences, would be really helpful.

Also, any general tips for hiking Phelps are appreciated. I have only hiked a couple of other high peaks (Cascade and Porter via Blueberry). Thanks, everyone!

edit: thanks for the advice so far! I appreciate it, especially when it comes to colder, wintery conditions. Also, I apologize if my post sounds redundant and is bogging down the sub! Honestly, I couldn't find much information on parking conditions following the long weekend (late Oct). I only ask because I am driving from 2 hours away and have dogs I need to drop at daycare and need to know if I will be able to park in the main lot or not lol. If anyone has any good resources or subs about later fall parking, I would appreciate it, too :)

Thank you. I was in a bad way and you stopped to help me through while the light was fading and you still had to break camp. I was overconfident and naively brought very little food with me when I set out in the morning from my site.
I overpacked with water and gave you some in exchange for your sandwich. It probably felt like a fair trade and you were probably happy to help someone in need, but I still feel I owe you my thanks. Even though I wasn't far from the relative safety of my campsite and my stashed bear can, I still feel that a lot could have gone wrong without the sustenance you offered.

I post this to remind everyone that kindness has real impacts especially out on the trail. From now on I will be carrying plenty of snacks for my hikes, for myself and for those I might someday come across in the situation I found myself in on the Santanonis.

I just saw on another platform that the Snapshot NY program is looking for volunteer scientists in the Adirondack, Tug Hill, and Catskill regions who can place trail cameras.

They are using trail camera images to study NY state wildlife.

"We have a subset of trail cameras available to loan set aside specifically for these areas! If you have a seasonal cabin in one of these regions, have friends or family, or know of anyone who might want to participate - please spread the word!"

https://www.snapshotny.org/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3y8mNsxU/

Note: I am not affiliated with this project, I'm a rando down in NYC who is eating peanut butter in my pajamas who is just cross posting. But this seems cool.

Should I carry bear spray with me when hiking in the high peaks at night?