Phelps (4161 ft), Adirondack Mountains, NY (46er)

We had a craving for a hike like this. Everybody knows that we love hikes, but somehow it has already been three months since our last long hike. We really were in need of a hike to relax and refresh our minds. So we knew that hiking was not an option, but an obligation. It's not possible not to go for a hike in 3 months....we didn't understand how this could be. We chose Adirondack Mountains mainly because they always have some surprise for us, and there are no easy trails. Let's see how they surprise us this time.

This year's winter was pretty warm, and we didn't expect a lot of snow on the trails. However, it's better to be prepared for the worst, so we decided to take a medium long trail, Mt. Phelps was pretty tempting.

Mt. Phelps is 4160 ft., and the trail is 9 miles round trip. More than half of this trail is the same as the Mt. Marcy (the highest point in NY state) trail. After 3 miles, the trail to Phelps bears to the left and a strenuous hike begins.

As I mentioned earlier, this hike was not difficult nor long. So, we still had time to grab a coffee and bagel in the local cafe at Lake Placid. Coff E Bean is the local coffee shop with an amazing view.

After breakfast, we finally got to parking lot. We were in shock because of how many people and cars were there. It was supposed to be a sunny day, but we were still surprised of how many people were hiking and had big backpacks. It looked like they were planing to stay in the mountains for a night or two. Even though during the day temperatures can reach 50F, at night, they will drop to at least 15F. Later on the trail, we met two guys that had powder skis. They said they skied from the top of Marcy...hmmm....they must love skiing.

The first two miles to Marcy Dam were more like walking in the park. It was still rolling terrain, but it wasn't so much of an elevation difference. The trail was covered in frozen mud so spikes were useful. We knew that during the day, it would melt, and there would be a lot of mud on the way back.

It took us an hour to get to Marcy Dam. A lot of people took a break there, and it was no wonder. The sun was shinning, and the view was amazing!

The next mile we picked up some elevation. Still, it wasn't so strenuous, but there were more rocks on the trail. Since it was northeastern-exposure, it was icier. The sun melted the ice only in the sunny parts, and it became muddy.

Finally we reached the fork and we went left on the red trail to Phelps. It was only one more mile left, but it was 1500 feet to reach the top. So now the fun began and the trail became steeper. The higher we went the more icy it was. There wasn't so much snow except on the trail. The winter hikers probably patted the snow down, and it didn't melt so easily. There were parts where we wished we had crampons with us, but we mad it with spikes and a little help from the trees.

We laughed sometimes that we were hiking a glacier. There was a small difference, there were no crevasses and we didn't have glacier equipment. Remember....never overestimate the Adirondacks. There were parts where we just stood, looked up, and wondered what was next. This part of the hike I like the most. First, you have to figure out how to climb, and what way to choose. Second, it's the best for stretching, and after all you stand, look down, and think „I will drink to that”.....and then you get your bottle of water and take a sip.

The hike and path by itself is a reward, but when you reach the top, nothing else matters. You admire this beautiful view, and you realize that’s the place where you belong and want to be. We were lucky to have such nice sunny weather so, the view was amazing, and we spent almost an hour sitting on the top just relaxing.

As I mentioned before, there were a lot of cars in the parking lot, but I was surprised how many people chose Phelps as their destination. Most people hike Marcy – it’s obvious that the highest point in New York state is also the most popular peak. We met around 25 people hiking up to Phelps. It looks like nobody wanted to waste such a beautiful day and stay at home.

Every good thing has to end. So, it was time to get back. It’s easier to climb up than down on the icy rocks, but we made it! The trees were our best friends, and saved our lives many times. I don’t like to pull trees or roots when I hike, and I am avoid it as much as I can, but sometimes they are life savers.

The lower we hiked the warmer it was. So, the ice became mud. First, we tried to be careful then, we just walked.... we were dirty anyways, so it didn’t make a difference. Luckily, only our boots and pants were dirty. Nobody slipped and fell so the upper parts of the body were pretty clean.

We ended our seven-hour hike all in mud. In the same parking lot where we started. Once I heard that going for a hike for a few days, the question you won’t get blisters, doesn’t exist...the question is how many you will have. After this hike my question was not how many I had, but how many in one place. My boots were a little bit uncomfortable, and I ended up with 3 blisters one on top of the other. In that case, it looked like we had to cancel tennis that we planned on playing tomorrow.

Even though we slept in the hotel, we were still able to grill a great dinner. Today, we had a delicious lamb of course, with wine. We enjoyed the dinner and right after we went to sleep. It didn’t take us long to fall asleep.... a great walk in the woods can really relax you, and you sleep like a baby.
On Sunday, we planned to play tennis, but instead after breakfast we went for a walk near the Ausable river. The Breakfast Club is our traditional breakfast place in Lake Placid. We love this place, especially their delicious egg Benedicts.

The Ausable River walk starts at road 86 next to the parking lot called „Flume Trail”. From here you can choose a bunch of different trail combinations, from more advanced to less. It is definitely a great option for a second day hiking. It's something lighter than High Peaks, but also enjoyable.

So, that's what our Easter Sunday looked like. We were looking at the river, enjoying the sun and the view, and we planned to come back again next month. The Adirondack Mountains as well as the White Mountains are definitely our favorite places on the East coast. I hope all of you had a wonderful and happy Easter. That’s what we wish you from the bottom of our hearts!