Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

heard water running. Gary literally started sprinting ahead and yelling ’that stream was not on the map!’ On future hikes Gary liked the ‘gismo’ especially at 1/10 of a mile from the summit because that’s when the ‘gismo’ starts using feet for distance!” Tony Goodwin recalls, I have known Gary for many years as a trail volunteer who helped me in my maintenance of ATIS trails. And not all these trail maintenance efforts involved his adding another ascent to his list. Given Gary’s reputation for marking trails, I didn’t hesitate to call on him to help me when the DEC directed ATIS to remove all their ’private’ markers from state trails. On longer stretches such as the Dial-Nippletop loop and the Pinnacle Ridge we teamed up and marked in reverse direction so that each person only had to mark in one direction when removing the old markers and placing new ones. One such effort was marking the Bartlett Ridge Haystack-Haystack Brook loop, starting from the Upper Lake Warden’s Camp. I was somewhat surprised when I found myself going faster than Gary up to the junction where we split and then reaching the summit of Haystack well before Gary. I even started down the south side to meet up with him. It was then that I learned that he had climbed all four Sewards the day before, which perhaps explained his slower pace that day. I agreed to reverse course and mark back down the Haystack Brook Trail, but Gary asked if he could at least reach the summit before marking back down the shorter Bartlett Ridge route. So, for Gary it was one more ascent in the record book after a previous day’s hike that would have left me with my feet up all day.”

Phil explains, “Gary’s one of the original light-weight hikers. He brings one bottle of Gatorade and isn’t afraid to refill it out of whatever water source is available. His meals tend to be on the Spartan side — dried prunes, nuts, energy bars, and always M&M’s.” Ben 10 (Tennyson) adds, “It’s the Ty-D-Bol blue Gatorade! And Gary also enjoys eating donations from the group and gladly accepts any post hike beer, no matter the brand, but of course, he prefers Genny Cream Ale.” George Sloan boasts, “Gary loves my sandwiches!” He tells me, “Suzanne and I store our food in a box. When hiking with Gary, we’ve always offered him one of our sandwiches. After a while, I started giving him the sandwich at the beginning of a hike, so he could carry it instead of me!” George Sloan #2651WV, Ben 10 (Tennyson) #2180W, Gary Koch #1137WV, Jay Brooks #11245W, Suzanne Lance #1802WV

As we get close to the top of Whiteface, Gary resembles a stoic Olympian. He shows no signs of having climbed a high peak — no sweat dripping from his brow, no huffing or puffing, no dirt smudged on his cream color kakis. He casually sits on a rock and removes his boot to shake a pebble or two from it while continuing with his story, not concerned in the least that his 4,600 th summit waits for him just a few yards away. I look up to the summit and know George Sloan #2651WV and Gary Koch #1137WV snoozing - Photo Credit Suzanne Lance #1802WV

Gary Koch #1137WV drinking his Ty-D-Bol blue Gatorade, Brian Hoody #4410WV – Photo Credit Nancie Battaglia #3543

18 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS