Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

EDITORS’ RAMBLE Sherry Roulston, #12512

For I belong to the mountains, and they belong to me. —Ruth Riford, #85

Greetings and Happy New Year! We have packed a massive amount of Adirondack inspiration between these covers to fire you up! Since the last PEEKS magazine, two picturesque seasons have passed and we have several worthy milestones to report on. For anyone who missed out on the weekend celebration in August recognizing the 100 th anniversary of the first three 46ers, check out Talking Points for highlights (pg. 6). Forty sixers commemorated our three “guiding lights” with a communal meal and toast, centennial hikes, trail work and an evening at the The Strand theater in Schroon Lake watching The 46ers movie presented by the film’s producer, Blake Cortright. The documentary was powerful and the booming applause at the finish intense. Tribal! We all left the theater two inches taller. Speaking of booming applause, let’s give it up for Mark Simpson, trail master, otherwise known as the event planner! Thank you Mark and centennial committee members for organizing such a fun weekend. On September 3, 2025, on top of Whiteface Mountain, Gary Koch did what most deem impossible when he celebrated his 100 th round of the 46 High Peaks. Gary’s been climbing the High Peaks since the early 1970s, and volunteering throughout the years. Through acts of integrity, courage, and service to others, he’s esteemed as an icon in the hiking community as well as a helpful friend to all. Will there be a 101st round? Read the article to find out (pg. 14). Warning! Feelings of inadequacy may arise when reading this article. Don’t feel bad if you’ve only completed one round of the 46.

Be sure to read Margaret Jacobs’ poem, Basin, Saddleback, Gothics Hike, 1991 (pg. 26), “… Proceeding on all fours in fits and starts, Catching my breath and then making a dart. Not looking up or down, nor left or right, I climb the whole stretch clutching every rock tight . . .” When Margaret shared her poem and her Adirondack 46-R book with me, I dived in immediately, unable to put it down. It’s a page turner. The dust jacket flaps themselves are captivating to read and the ADK map on the front and back covers are ingenious. Margaret’s book captures the essence of the 46ers’ journey. She dedicates the book to her lifelong friend and hiking partner (and swim partner) Connie Stone, #2550. Margaret writes, “I was going through my files and came across letters written some 30 years ago between Grace Hudowalski and me. . . . The letters brought back memories of a wonderful time in my life, and I felt a need to put them in some form where they would not be thrown away and lost forever.” Margaret preserved these documents to share with her grandchildren who are now pursuing the High Peaks. The writing process also was retrospective. Margaret writes, “We depended greatly on Tony’s [Goodwin] ‘Guide to Adirondack Trails: High Peaks Region’ and the guide maps included. . . . You will notice on every hike during the course of my 46, there is someone with a book or map in hand while I took the picture. Even this book cover has Connie with a ‘green book’ — the informal name for Tony’s seminal work — in her hand.” Margaret’s story is our story! The pictures on each page convey the struggle, the preparation, the anticipation, and the thrill of each summit. I was transported back to my own journey with my friends. The faces on the pages were different, but the summits were all the same. Our journey is a shared journey yet also a personal encounter with the mountains and ourselves, as Ruth Riford’s quote above from her poem on page 46 informs us of the universal wisdom that the mountains belong to each one of us who climbs them. Do you journal or record your climbs? I know Margaret’s book has inspired me. Grace Hudowalski thought it was important because of the life-changing self-discoveries that were made: “It’s important for hikers to write about

PEEKS Magazine is looking for assistance with:

• Typesetting -Adobe InDesign • Creative Content Design

Please send your resume to: PEEKS@adk46er.org

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