On the last weekend of Sept, this kolokoy completed hiking the 46 high peaks in the Adirondack region, aka, ADK 46ers.

This adventure started on the first weekend of July,  and completed on the last weekend of Sept.  All hikes were multi-peak day hikes, on several weekend trips (8 trips) to the Adirondack High Peaks. 

The weekend itinerary starts with a 5+ hour drive on Friday after work.  Saturday is a full day hike. Sunday is an easier hike to save some energy on the 5+ hour drive back home.  Sleep would be in car where allowed.

Zero dime spent on lodging, and few dollars on food, relying on on-the-go food (eggs, purple yam, pbj uncrustables, and maple syrup for quick energy boost) during the hikes, coffee and home-prepared champorado for breakfast, and cheap instant noodles for dinner.

Here’s the breakdown of his hikes completing the 46ers:

1. Wright, Algonquin, Iroquois

2. Marcy, Skylight, Gray

3. Whiteface, Esther

4. The Great Range. Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong, Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, Haystack, Marcy

5. Cascade, Porter

6. Phelps, Tabletop, Colden

7. Big Slide

8. Dix Range. Maccomb, South Dix, Grace, Hough, Dix

9. Giant, Rocky Peak Ridge

10. Colvin Range. Dial, Nippletop, Colvin, Blake

11. Santanoni Range. Santanoni, Panther, Couchsachraga

12. Marshall, Redfield, Cliff

13. Seward Range. Seymour, Seward, Donaldson, Emmons

14. Nye, Street

15. Allen

16. Sawteeth

This is a very rewarding adventure.  With some inherent dangers, of course.  Heck, sitting on the couch, drinking beer while watching TV has its dangers too!  This guy has slipped on trails, banged his head on trees, got scratched and marks.  But everything is part of the adventure.  He felt the peace in solitude on the trail, the calming sound of the flowing water from the brooks, the trees with their roots that provided grasp and foot holds. He played get-a-picture-if-you-can with playful birds. This is Ikigai.

And this guy’s advice to anyone thinking of doing this adventure?

You have to want it.

This will drive your commitment to the adventure. Because once you have done the social media attention grabbing peaks, and started doing the less traveled 46ers,  there will be times when it’s just you and the mountain trail (unless a beer-loving friend joins you).  And did I say the trails would not be well manicured like the crowd-favorite ones?

And if you need some company, this guy’s available. Ping him. He’s cheap.  A good local IPA will do. 

Thank YOU, once again.