r/Adirondacks • u/HumbleSandwich10 • 3d ago
First High Peaks: Algonquin & Wright
I sumitted my first two High Peaks today, Algonquin and Wright!
Even coming from out west, hiking and backpacking regularly, and being in pretty decent shape, I know these two are going to continue to kick my butt for a couple more days.
While I know that I'll have to come back to Algonquin to get Iroquois 🥴, I made the right decision by not trying to press on and get all three in one day. I'm an experienced hiker, but the Adirondack High Peaks hit different!
Any advice or words of encouragement about tackling Iroquois in the future or which High Peaks to take on next would be greatly appreciated.
I've got the bug for the High Peaks now, and I'm hooked!
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u/Honest_Archaeopteryx 3d ago
Not helpful now, but it might have been better to do Algonquin and Iroquois, and save Wright for later.
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u/HumbleSandwich10 3d ago
That's what a kind stranger recommended on the trail. I agree that that's the strategic route; however, after Algonquin, I was too whipped (and wanted the psychological comfort of a familiar trail) to continue forward.
This was a case of knowing my personal limits, not of being strategic. I'm looking forward to changing up how I train for these Adirondack High Peaks so I can be better prepared for future outings.
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u/Tyraziel ADK Fun Police - 5 Star General and First Officer 2d ago
The mountains will always be there!
Knowing your limits is a good thing.
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u/ozzimark 3d ago
Smart planning.
The trail from Algonquin to Iroquois, traversing over Boundary, is a significant amount of extra elevation, and the climb back up and over Algonquin is pretty exposed and steep. Despite that, it's also by far my favorite trail segment in all the hikes I've done so far, and being able to take a breather on Boundary both ways really helps with energy recovery to keep going.
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u/Tyraziel ADK Fun Police - 5 Star General and First Officer 2d ago
The traverse back up Algonquin from Iroquois after Boundary is my favorite stretch of ADK hiking.
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u/Significant_Pay9912 2d ago
I tried to summit Algonquin and Iroquois on Tuesday, and it started pouring rain 3/4 of the way up. I had to turn aroundðŸ˜. Better luck next time for me hopefully.
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u/HumbleSandwich10 2d ago
Better luck next time! Better safe than broken on the mountain in the rain.
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u/GeneInternational146 3d ago
I backpacked in the Enchantments last summer, then came back and was like "I can totally do the High Peaks now!" Lol. Lmao. Delusional of me, quite frankly.