Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

W hen I think about my most memorable days of hiking, the day in 2020 that my wife, Judy, and I finished on Whiteface is at the top of that list. We were, and are, proud of hiking the 46 peaks together in our late 50’s. Our plan had been that family and friends would be able to drive up Whiteface to meet us at the top, but those plans got nixed by COVID. Fortunately, there was another couple on the summit that day and they took pictures for us — of course, using plenty of hand sanitizer and keeping a proper social distance! I’m glad that there were no COVID protocols in effect on September 3, 2025, when Gary Koch completed his one-hundredth round of the 46 peaks. That’s an amazing accomplishment . . . congratulations Gary! It was fun to see so many people on the summit that day. I’m sure everyone up there, including me, has a story about hiking with Gary or meeting him on the trail. He’s not only a hiking legend, but a very kind and thoughtful person. Driving home that day, I thought about how grateful I am for my hiking experiences, including the people I have met along the way. After Judy and I finished our 46 in 2020, my friend Carson Sorrell wanted to give the 46 a shot. He had done a few of the peaks many years ago and was still in very good shape, but he was 70 years old when he, my brother Mark, and I, hiked up Giant. Carson quickly got hooked and we hiked through two winters and summers. Less than two years after we hiked Giant, the three of us found an absolutely spectacular day for Carson’s finish on Mount Colden. While I was an acquaintance of Carson’s before we started hiking together, walking hundreds of miles together created a special relationship that didn’t exist before, and I’m grateful for that. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

AdirondackPEEKS Volume LXIII No. 2, WINTER 2025 OFFICERS David Pawlick, President Felicia Neahr, Vice President Laurie Rankin, Immediate Past President DIRECTORS Brant Schneider, Cindy Palumbo, Bob Harvey, Brent Pierce, Jen Black, TJ Michon APPOINTED OFFICERS Treasurer Philip Corell

Recording Secretary Emily Staley Assistant Secretary Debbie Bedard

Outdoor Skills Workshop Coordinators Bill Lundy, Dan Auwarter Office of the Historian Lee Nesbitt, Siobhán Carney-Nesbitt

Trailmasters Mark Simpson, Doug Varney, Thomas Caruso, Curt Snyder, Brian Hoody, Michele McCall, Tom Armstrong, Victoria Challingsworth

Website Liaison and Content Manager Joe Ryan

Merchandising Donna Merrill, Brian Coholan

Membership Jim Houghtaling Editors Mark Obbie Sherry Roulston

Editorial Offices Manuscript and photographic submissions for PEEKS should be mailed to Sherry Roulston at 24 Layman Lane, Plattsburgh, NY, 12901 or emailed to PEEKS @adk46er.org. Correspondent Program Kristen Peek, adk46ertrailswm@gmail.com Orders and Payments Jim Houghtaling, Membership Coordinator, PO Box 4383,

Queensbury, NY, 12804 treasurer@adk46er.org Outdoor Skills Workshop osw@adk46er.org Trailhead Steward Program Joe Ryan, trailheadstewards@gmail.com Volunteer Trailwork trailcrew@adk46er.org

For additional information on club activities and to register to become a 46er visit the club’s website, adk46er.org, or send an email to officeofthehistorian46@gmail.com. Adirondack PEEKS is published twice a year by the Adirondack Forty-Sixers, Inc., a nonprofit organization. PEEKS is free to members in good standing. To receive a copy, register to become an Aspiring/Contributing member of the 46ers by creating a website account at adk46er.org. Adirondack PEEKS is printed by Walsworth

Cover Photo Credit – Taken from Ampersand Mountain by Janet Thomas #10198 Mark Pawlick, Carson Sorrell #14098, and Dave Pawlick #12803 at the outlet of Lake Tear.