Adirondack Peeks Summer 2023

MG: In the high peaks there is close to 100 acres of fragile alpine ecosystem on our mountains. We also have lakes, meadows, wetlands, streams, and wildlife that can’t survive without our efforts to leave no trace. It’s important to stay on designated trails and not trample on vegetation, and to camp in the designated campsites. It takes planning to ensure that you will make it to a campsite and that there will be enough room for everyone. Planning ahead is essential. Although the NPT is less traveled than the high peak trails, I still see trash left at campsites and waste not properly disposed of, like pistachio shells thrown in fire pits. Sometimes things are compostable under the right conditions, but not in the Adirondack woods. If it doesn’t grow in the Adirondacks, it creates either a social or an environmental impact. If you’re just leaving your trash behind for the critters, they may get sick because their bellies can’t digest it. It also draws animals to the lean tos which is harmful for them and can spread diseases to us. Once I was hiking through the West Canada Lakes section during the spring and spotted smoke coming up from a lean-to’s fire pit. I decided to just pop in and chat with the campers and behold one of my favorite views. The smoke was billowing out of the fire pit and there was no one there. If you’re familiar with the South Lake Lean-to, the water is probably 10 feet in front of the lean-to! My friends and I put out the fire with plenty of water and couldn’t find anyone around. This is a remote section of the trail; if that lean-to had caught on fire, no firetruck would be able to get to it. Campers need to know if fires are legal where they are camping and how to extinguish them correctly with water and stirring the ashes until they are cold to the touch. In these remote areas it is even more important for us to practice Leave No Trace and help steward the land we visit. I'm so glad I was there. That year I put out two other fires just like it that were left unattended. SR: We tend to envision having fires when we’re out camping. But it can be challenging to harvest dry wood and it's just as enjoyable without it. I’ve noticed when people do start fires, they tend to wander off; they don't sit there long enough to enjoy it. So, it's a big consideration. MG: I’ll bring a few tea candles with me. They weigh almost nothing. Lighting those in the evening when you're sitting around chatting is so cozy, creates that ambience and you don't have to keep feeding it! You don't have to look for wood. You can put it out easily too. I’ll only build a fire if I really need one, which isn’t often because I always have extra dry clothes, plenty of layers, and a headlamp. SR: Do you have any last thoughts or recommendations regarding hiking the NPT or the Adirondacks in general? MG: I spent a year planning the original thru hike with several other people who collectively have

which then caused quite a concern when we started hiking south out of West Canada Creek Lean-to when we had decided to turn around on the first attempt. SR: What was your emergency planning like? MG: We always had an extra day of food with us in case we got delayed for any reason. We knew our bail points and we checked in with each other each day to ensure we were all on the same page and ready to go further into the wilderness. We had the Garmin, and just kept tabs on our itinerary, making sure we didn’t overextend ourselves. We focused a lot on stream crossings. You don’t think about them when you’re hiking in the summer. But in the winter, there’s a lot of them and they're all covered up and you have to figure out the best way to cross. Is it frozen solid? Is it deep? Is it a rock? Is it a rock covered in ice? The water levels are typically higher in the winter too, so it slows you down. SR: I've never used that trash bag strategy. I would think that stepping on an icy area would be treacherous with a plastic bag under your boot. Is that the case? MG: Oh yeah, you don't have any grip, so you're really picking your spots carefully. Most things are covered in ice and then a layer of snow. So, the snow kind of gives you that grip. You're really picking what’s not too deep, but also where you can wedge your foot, so it won't slip out. We spent a lot of time trying to cross little streams. SR: We’ve talked about wildlife tracks and the beautiful morning at the Cold River Lean-to. Do you have another favorite memory? MG: One night, the stars were out. It was so clear and bright. We were getting ready to go to bed and we stood outside the lean-to and saw the stars. They were right on top of us. It was amazing. We turned our headlamps off and just stood there staring up at them all. What a view. SR: What do you look forward to at the end of a long, hard hike? MG: Cotton! Just getting home in a climate controlled space, wearing a cotton t-shirt and climbing into bed with cotton sheets! Yeah! And making a hot cup of coffee without waiting around in the cold with my stove. SR: You can really appreciate the small things in life more. MG: Absolutely—a hot shower or a light switch or getting fresh water that I don't have to wander down to the stream and filter to drink. I think it keeps it fresh for me. SR: I know you're a steward of the woods, you're a Leave No Trace Master Educator. What were your thoughts while on the trail in winter?

I didn't enter into this lightly; it took a lot of serious planning.

12 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS