Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

Brian Hoody, #4410WV I Dream of Snowdrifts

I left Grace Camp before first light, breaking trail through a few inches of snow that had fallen during the night. Shuffling in my snowshoes through the pre-dawn, my winter attempt of Haystack threw its first curve ball. Traveling along the side of a mostly frozen John’s Brook, the trail traversed a small feeder stream. As I crossed to the other side, I heard a cracking sound emanate out of the darkness. I made a quick surge for the opposite bank, making it across before my snowshoes took a serious submerging.

Traveling onwards I was able to make rapid progress due to a firm base under the new snow. This, however, was to be short-lived as, the higher I climbed, the deeper the snow became. The trek from Bushnell Falls to Slant Rock seemed to take forever, and it was a quiet walk as I had seen no one else since leaving Grace Camp. Slant Rock was deserted as I stopped underneath the namesake rock for a quick snack. The wind groaned in the treetops, but I was hopeful it would not be too strong above the tree line.

Haystack - Photo Credit Brian Hoody

30 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS