Adirondack Peeks Summer 2023

other. Not knowing each other and each other's communication styles became an issue. You know it’s one thing to go on a day hike with someone you don’t know; however, it’s entirely different on a hike like this. So, I wish we had done some team building hikes before setting out on the NPT. SR: That is great advice. What was your hiking schedule like? MG: We tried to be on the trail by daybreak and off at sunset. So, we typically were up by 5:30–6 having something hot to drink, packing up, and hitting the trail by 7. If the goal was to be in camp by 4 p.m., I compared the distance we traveled that day to the distance for the next and factored in the upcoming terrain conditions to calculate how long it would take us and what time we needed to start. That's where it was helpful knowing the trail so well and knowing which sections were going to be tough, because some days we did sleep in some and that was really nice. SR: Do you have a favorite section, maybe different for summer, winter? Or are they the same? MG: My favorite section is the West Canada Lakes Wilderness. I love going through West Lake and South Lake. It's so beautiful. I loved going through there last year too with the snow falling—I was just nervous about the bear prints! However, this past year when I did the Cold River section, it took the prize for the most beautiful winter section. It helped that we had two days of abundant sunshine. Being at Duck Hole with the frosted mountains in the background and bright blue sky overhead, first thing in the morning was amazing. And then to follow the river the whole day and watch the light reflecting off the water and the snow is beautiful. It's also the most remote section, too, which was scary, but also satisfying, too. SR: Tell us about your equipment and gear. Any takeaways you might have? MG: I am not a gearhead, so I have gear that works and that’s good enough for me. I’ve used a couple of

MG: Historically, people tend to hike from the South so they can have a big party in Lake Placid when it’s finished. And that's obviously not what happened. We focused more on logistics, road access, where

happen to see one. One thing that was noticeably different between winter and summer was the level of stillness. Everything was quieter, not just because of the lack of seeing other

A winter NPT patch could encourage others to do this trip without proper skills or preparation. Winter backpacking is much more demanding than a day hike in the winter.

to leave a car and the terrain itself. Any sections involving Wakely Dam made more sense to start there instead of end there because there was nowhere to leave cars. Again, the plan was to go from Long Lake to Lake Placid. I wanted to have all my friends join me at the trailhead and celebrate at the end. But in the end, it made more sense to go southbound towards Duck Hole and get the higher elevation over with at the beginning so we could cruise down to Long Lake rather than have the hardest day at the end. Duck Hole was rugged. It worked better for shelters too. So, we sacrificed with the first group of six, we were focused on having a team, just a team of capable people interested in doing a thru hike. We didn't prioritize getting to know each other better before the trip. We had conference calls, but I'd only been in the woods with Diana, and I think the lack of “team dynamics” affected us a lot. On a trip like that, things are bound to happen, everyone's going to have a bad day, or a bad moment, and everyone needs to take care of each the celebration at the trailhead for the best and safest route. SR: Were there any other lessons learned from previous attempts that you would like to share? MG: I think originally,

hikers, but not hearing animals at night as much as you would in the summer. Everything just slows down, maneuvering snow and ice, water crossings, and moving more slowly. It felt intimate knowing we were the first humans to pass through the area in months. I saw my name signed in a trailhead from a September guided trip, and only a couple of people had been in there since and then it’s me signing in again. That feels incredibly special. SR: What factors helped you decide on the direction of your route? And does this change from winter to summer?

Mary Glynn and Parker LeClair

10 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS