Adirondack Peeks Summer 2023

for this, right? MG: No, there's not one and I really hope there doesn't become one. 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. I would hate to see someone get seriously injured—or worse—out there. SR: Let’s get into some of your planning and what it consisted of. The first attempt must have helped you identify challenges and help with planning for the next sections. MG: We spent about a year planning for this hike. There were a lot of logistics to work through. We had to acquire gear and we had to figure out how many redundancies we were going to have and who was going to have them, as far as gear goes. One of the biggest challenges we planned for was crossing West Stoney Creek, which is 90 feet wide. We had bimonthly conference calls. We planned for food and gear drops, as well as rides. We pooled all our resources in terms of who knew someone with a cabin nearby that could store our food or transport us here and there. Our goal was to go twelve miles a day. However, when we hit deep snow, we quickly realized that was not sustainable. It took all we had to do 10 miles and make camp before dark. Trail markers were often covered with snow and no longer reflective. There are parts of the NPT that aren't well marked to begin with. No one had been out there, so everything's just a flat blanket of snow. It was really hard to see and find the trail even in the daylight. SR: Did your previous guided trips on this trail bring some comfort and familiarity to you? MG: Yes, definitely! I can't imagine hiking the trail in winter without having passed through each section many, many times before. Often, I would schedule a group trip in the fall before I planned to do that section in the winter. So, I could scout out the recent conditions and plan accordingly. Even since my first thru-hike in 2016, a lot of the trail has changed. There's been some small reroutes, and some sections have been flooded.

of the reasons we chose to start from the South. We decided our best option was to just strip down and cross in old sneakers. We departed from the arch in downtown Northville with the goal of reaching Woods Lake campsite, which is right by the road. So, when we got to the crossing, we all took our pants off and hiked across in our underwear. We got pretty lucky. It was like 34 degrees and sunny, so it was about as good as it was going to get. We had some spots where it creeped up above our knees, just high enough where a moving water source gets to be a little more dangerous; high enough to knock you off balance carrying heavy packs.

Normally in the summer you can either step on the rocks and keep your feet dry or wear Crocs and cross in ankle deep water—even then it’s pretty wide and takes some coordination. A friend met us at the road near the campsite and took our wet sneakers. It was one of the scariest aspects of hiking the trail in

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. . . . We turned our headlamps off and just stood there staring up at them all. What a view.

the winter because you’re four miles from the nearest road, in your underwear, and it’s cold—exhilarating, but very cold. SR: Once in late fall, I took my boots and socks off, tied them together, and put them around my neck to cross the floating logs while headed to Gray and Skylight. Don't you know, one foot did go down, all the way and I touched the muddy bottom. I realized later

Bridges have fallen in and bridges have been built. So, it was good to scout in the fall and identify the challenging areas—like the flooded area north of Carry Lean-to. I would not advise anyone to do the NPT in the winter without doing it at least once in the summer. SR: How did you plan for the West Stoney Creek crossing? MG: So that was on our first day of the hike and one

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