2020-06-18: Mount Marcy

Several weeks ago, I hiked the MacIntyre Range in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, a long and arduous hike over four peaks, much of which was above the treeline. This hike was meant to be a sort of test, to prepare me for - and ensure I was capable of - climbing Mount Marcy in one day. At 5343 feet, Mount Marcy is the tallest mountain in the Adirondacks and in New York State, and the most popular trail to its summit is nearly fifteen miles long. My hike at the beginning of the month proved that I was physically capable of such a climb, so two weeks later I headed north to hit the mountain.

The hike ended up being far easier than I had imagined, almost disappointingly so. The trail was relatively flat for much of the journey, and only the last few thousand feet were above the treeline. Although the hike was long, the good hiking conditions had me averaging a speed of almost three miles per hour over the length of the trip - the highest average speed I've ever attained on a summit's first ascent. Low winds, warm temperatures, and almost empty trails helped the climb go smoothly, and I reached the summit before noon. The hike was enjoyable and the views from the summit were incredible, and with Marcy complete I can look forward to taller, more difficult, and more distant peaks.

A view towards Mount Colden from the Marcy Dam, an old structure about a quarter of the way up the trail.

An abnormally dry spring kept water levels Marcy Brook relatively low.

Looking towards my destination from the way up. Yes, that white patch is snow.

Looking northeast from the summit towards the MacIntyre Range.

Looking north towards Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain. The speck of dust in these pictures wasn't on the lens, but on some internal part of the camera I couldn't get to; therefore, all of my Marcy pictures are plagued by it.

Looking west from the summit, over Gray and Santanoni Peaks.

Looking south; the nearby dome of Mount Skylight dominates the view.

A closer view of Algonquin Peak and the rest of its range. The east face of Mount Colden is in the foreground.

A closer view of Skylight's near-perfect dome, a relative oddity among the rugged peaks of the Adirondacks.

The geological survey marker at the mountain's highest point.

Big Slide Mountain's summit cliffs stand out in this northeast-facing view.

A plaque at the summit commemorates Marcy's first recorded climb.

Mount Haystack dominates the view to the southeast. On ascent I briefly mistook Haystack for Marcy itself.

Although the summit itself most obscures the view to the northeast, limited shots of Giant Mountain, the Gothics, and other peaks in the area were available.

Lakes and ponds along the Boreas River were more prominent in the southern views than the foothills surrounding them.

The Sawteeth are central to this image, although Little Haystack pokes above the treeline to the right of center.

An extensive swamp sits in the Boreas River Valley, while Boreas Peak sits to the right.

Mount Marcy has two treelines. The first sees the transition from boreal forest to evergreen shrubs. The second, shows here below the summit, transitions from shrubs to grasses.

Rockfaces all around the summit make for good sitting spots, and on popular hiking days are often filled with people.

Close-up of a tiny, isolated swamp on Cliff Mountain, about 2.5 miles southwest.

A close view of the summit area of Mount Skylight. The steep peak of Cheney Cobble rises in the background.

Steep, shrub-covered rockfaces characterize the north side of Mount Skylight.

A view towards Santanoni Peak, easily identifiable by its bright, streak-like rockslides.

Rockslides, wet with spring runoff, reflect the late morning sun on the ten-mile distant Santanoni Peak.

A view of the Boreas Ponds in the Boreas Valley.

The wilderness surrounding the Boreas Ponds is broken only by a bright dirt access road on their far side.

This enormous horsefly kept biting me as I attempted to take pictures. Low winds at the summit meant bugs were a major problem.

Spring haze darkened Whiteface Mountain, eighteen miles north of Marcy's summit. The observation tower at its top can be seen here.

A close-up of Big Slide Mountain and its imposing rock faces.

Small mountains encircle the upper Ausable Valley around the Lake Placid region.

A view of the town of Lake Placid itself, some twelve miles from Marcy.

A close view of Algonquin's summit reveals several early hikers already present.

A similar closeup of Mount Haystack shows just one pair of morning mountaineers.

Hills on the far side of the Boreas Valley. The Pinnacle, at left, obscures most of Elk Lake from this angle.

In the same area, Lightning Hill (L) is one of the only named peaks in this part of the wilderness.

The twisted rockfaces of the Gothics make it an easy peak to identify. Basin Mountain is in the foreground, to the left.

Basin and the Gothics partly obscure a view of Giant Mountain, which seemed remarkably large given its ten-mile distance.

A view of the summit itself, looking north from its south side. The last cairn marking the trail is seen near the center.

The widest-angle shot I could get with my camera adds some curvature, which was very faintly noticeable in person.

Giant, Gothics, and Basin peer over the limb of Marcy's summit, where two hikers rest. Marcy is usually very crowded, and I found it surprising that, on a spring day with beautiful weather, it was relatively empty.

A small evergreen shrub braves the weather while Mount Haystack dominates the background view.

A panorama from the summit, focusing on the Panther Gorge between Haystack (L) and Skylight (R).

Looking down from the summit on descent. Barren rock overlooks the valley carved out by Johns Brook.

A close-up on the sizable snow patch below Marcy's summit. This patch often lasts into July (I saw it late last June), but its distance from the trail makes it little more than a curiosity.

Looking up towards Marcy's summit from an overlook on the way down.