Not realizing how popular hiking is in upstate New York, it was very fortunate that I decided to hit the trail to Mt. Marcy (summit at 5,344′) at a little after 6:00am. I took the Van Hoevenburg Trail from the Adirondak Loj (nope – I didn’t misspell that!) and encountered at least 30 people either heading up at the same time or already coming down from the summit. The trail is 14.8 miles roundtrip and 3200′ elevation gain so not too steep. My main goal was to get up and off the summit before it got too hot and to avoid being caught in any afternoon thunderstorms that were predicted to roll through the area.

The trail was well marked and easy to follow. It first started out in a very dense, lush green forest, similar to the Pacific Northwest. As I approached the summit, the trees started to disappear as I entered the sub -alpine and alpine tree zones. Once on top I had a chance to talk to the “summit steward.” She was very helpful and mentioned that based on recent history, there would be several hundred people on the summit by early afternoon. I spent a few minutes to grab a snack and dry out my socks, then it was time to head down. Once I got back to the parking lot I was amazed to see that all 5 sections of the lot were completed full and closed to hikers … good I got in early!

An astute blog reader asked me this morning about the signs that appear at the trail register to Mt. Marcy and at the summit. The photos may be a little hard to read but the explanation is that Mount Marcy is home to a rare ecological zone of endangered Arctic Alpine plants. While the Adirondack Park is over 6-million acres, only about 85 acres in total can be claimed as home to the rare alpine zone vegetation that is being protected. So, at the trailhead you are asked to pick up a rock and take it with you to the summit. There, you drop it off in a pile which will be used to try and further protect the vegetation from hikers randomly walking over all the plants by establishing visible trails, bordered by the rocks. Great Question – thanks Mom!!