7 Adirondack Hikes for Any Occasion

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Adirondack 46er ascents, our resident 46er provides her recommendations for hiking in the High Peaks.

Yesterday morning’s view from the summit of Sawteeth, the 35th highest Adirondack High Peak (Photo by Pete Konrad)

For me, this week was all about ringing in the Saratoga season with drinks at Familiar Creature on Wednesday, New York City Ballet’s Coppélia at SPAC on Thursday, and opening weekend at the track later today. But in what seems like another life—one in which my knees still had most of their cartilage and I didn’t know the difference between a trifecta and a superfecta—early July marked the start of a different season for me: hiking season. By July, the snow had melted at even the highest of elevations, the swarms of black flies had subsided, and volleyball season (which occupied my weekends and ultimately wrecked my knees) was over.

Natalie Moore and her dog, Katy, on Dix Mountain, circa 2010

Between the ages of 8 and 17, I had a singular goal: finish hiking the 46 Adirondack High Peaks before I left for college. My dad had done them all—the 46 mountains in the Adirondack Park over 4,000 feet—and so I thought becoming a 46er was my birthright. After several snafus (including but not limited to a bear eating all our food on a backpacking trip, diabetic hypoglycemia, and rain—so much rain), I finished the 46 on Mount Marcy the week before my freshman year of college in the Green Mountains. I registered through the Adirondack 46ers organization, got my finishing number (#8031), and stuck a 46er bumper sticker on my 1997 Volvo S70 so everyone in Vermont would know what I’d accomplished.

Why am I telling you this? Because this year marks a milestone in the world of the Adirondack 46ers: It’s the 100th anniversary of the first 46ers, a trio of men that finished on Emmons Peak on June 10, 1925. The 46ers organization, a nonprofit that keeps track of all the finishers and helps preserve the High Peaks region for future generations, will host a 100th anniversary party for members later this summer, and the Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown is offering free admission to registered 46ers all season long.

Natalie Moore with her dad, Paul, atop Marcy, her final High Peak, in 2013

But while New York’s most popular hiking challenge is steeped in history, it’s unquestionably relevant today, as more and more people head to the mountains to escape the increasingly plugged-in world; since I became the 8,031st person to hike the 46 nearly 12 years ago, 8,000 more have completed the feat. Discover Saratoga’s Darryl Leggieri is hot on the quest, and my boyfriend took a personal day yesterday to cross Sawteeth off his list.

Of course, you don’t have to do them all—or even set out planning to do them all—to get the true Adirondack 46er experience. Here are my suggestions for what High Peak to hike, whatever your circumstance: