Mount Marcy, Keene

I hiked to the peak durring the winter, be advised temperatures were 30-40 degrees colder than in the valley. Bring removable layers and ski goggle, as well as snow shoes with durable spikes expecially for the last few hundred feet. Best view in NY!

Most difficult hike I've ever done - and I've hiked quite a bit out West - but also incredibly rewarding. We went in late October, when there was some unexpected ice - if that is the case, renting crampons at ADK Loj is a must! Saved our lives. The trail was also VERY wet, so we did a lot of boulder hopping. We went up past Marcy Dam and camped at one of the first-come-first-serve sites on the far side of Avalanche Lake. The next day we proceeded up Feldspar and climbed the south side of Marcy - BRUTAL hike in terms of elevation, but the views of the river ans waterfalls were amazing. Marcy itself has fantastic views of everything, even with the wind whipping around. It was not as cold as we expected, even with the sun going down and ice on the rocks. The trail back down to Marcy Dam was decent once we got past the ice. We found a nice camping site in the wood for the night. Highly recommend going in summer or early fall - we went just a few weeks too late, which made it much harder going. But it was great and definitely an adventure of a lifetime! (Look out for bears! If your bear canister is inadequate, they will tell you at the Loj and trade you for a better one while you are in the park. Taking to the guides at the Loj for a half hour before going in probably saved our lives, they are very friendly and helpful!)

This is not a difficult hike but it is 16 miles long for the roundtrip and there is an elevation gain of about 3,500 feet which is sufficiently spread out over the distance of the hike that you barely feel yourself straining. I escaped from Long Island after work, drove through the Queensboro Bridge, arrived in the evening by the trailhead, slept in the car and by 6 AM, I started the climb. It was wet and cold for August weather but overall, I enjoyed the hike, no overheating :-)

With an elevation of 5,344 feet, Mt Marcy ⛰ is the highest peak in New York State. Welcome to the Alpine zone! Hiking 🥾 on the Van Hoevenberg Trail, supposedly the easiest/least steep, it was a 17 mile hike which for me as a first time/inexperienced and out of shape hiker took 14 hours to complete! It was by far one of the most difficult challenge I undertook, both physically and even more mentally. In the end, it was all worth it! One of the best achievements of my life and certainly the most spectacular views one can imagine. Pictures can never do justice to show the real beauty of these peaks ⛰ and the Adirondacks.

Incredible experience, but a difficult hike due to conditions (icy). Be prepared if you are going to attempt. Took us about 9.5 hours on the Vanhodenberg trail Marcy Dam and Indian falls along the way are nice views also