Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

Gary spent his childhood between Bloomfield, New Jersey, and Tupper Lake, New York, where his family spent the summers. Upon retiring in 1999 after managing a family retail business, Gary moved into his ancestral Adirondack home and unplugged — literally, meaning no Wi-Fi or electronic devices. Can you imagine? He says that’s when the hiking really began. “I calculated how many rounds I could do each summer, determined to complete 46 rounds.”

Phil Corell, who’s logged over 100 hikes with Gary, says, “It was 2005 when we both completed our 21st round of the 46. My climbing continued at a glacial pace. Gary’s didn’t. I attended his 46th round celebration five years later [2010] on Phelps (25 rounds in five years).” That’s 1,150 mountains! While hiking to accomplish this epic milestone he completed seven winter rounds of the 46! Phil adds, “Fifteen years later [2025] and 54 more rounds, Koch recorded his 100 th round on Whiteface.” That’s 4,600 mountains! Gary’s also a gridder, surmounted 14 winter rounds of the 46 and completed the ADK 100 Highest. Barb Harris recollects, “Gary hiked with me towards my goal of the ADK 100 Highest. He has good map and compass skills, but the man has no technological devices. No answering machine to call to set up hiking dates. No computer, so it goes without saying, no GPS. On a hike into Wolf Pond Mountain with Gary and Tony Solomon, I was using my new Garmin for the first time. I had forewarned Tony the night before because he has a computer! At the beginning of the hike, I showed Gary the Garmin, my chosen route, and we studied the paper map. At a stream crossing Gary indicated that this is where we should start going up. I explained that the Garmin said we still had 1/4 of a mile to go to another stream crossing. Gary questioned the intelligence of my ‘gismo.’ There was some debate, and Tony put in a vote to follow my route. So, on we went. It was not long before we

Gary Koch #1137WV, Ken Ryba #1661WV and Phil Corell #224WV - Photo Credit Dave Pawlick #12803

From L to R - Linda Harwood #2793W, Tony Goodwin #211, Diana Wardell, Suzanne Lance #1802WV, Gary Koch #1137WV, George Sloan #2651WV, Sue Virostek #4486, Chris Dresser #3166W, Barb Harris #2824WV, Judy Bechard #9645, John Bauer #10211 - Photo Credit Sherry Roulston #12512

WINTER 2025 | 17