Hiking Out of Heart Lake, Adirondack Park, 2-10 July 2024

 

    Mount Marcy (left) and Haystack (right) from Phelps.

After an illness and six weeks of difficult editing work on my current writing project, I was able to take a break from the office in early July.

    Downtown Middlebury, Vermont

First, I picked up my daughter, Cary, in New Jersey, and drove her to Middlebury, Vermont, where she was returning to the language school there to start a second summer of graduate work in Russian studies. Middlebury is stunning this time of year and we got good weather for my drop-off.

    Swift House, Middlebury, Vermont

After plenty of time walking about the town followed by a pleasant night at the Swift House Inn, I said my farewells to Cary and drove west to the Crown Point bridge across Lake Champlain and before lunchtime I was in the Adirondacks.

 

    Vista south from the vast meadow at the top of Heart Lake Road, North Elba. McIntyre Range to left; Indian Pass in middle,        Street and Nye on right.

The vista looking south from the top of the Heart Lake Road is superb, featuring the High Peaks and Indian Pass. The sunny fields of North Elba were full of butterflies.

 

    Campsite SM15, South Meadows

I set up my tent and rain tarp in a state primitive campsite (SM15) at the terminus of South Meadows Road just north of Heart Lake. There are 18 campsites along the road (these are free and first-come, first-serve sites).

    male Purple Finch

My camp at South Meadows was simply a small clearing in the conifer woods, with no amenities. Luckily there was a privy in the woods across the road from me. Given this was the week of the 4^th of July, I expected crowds here, but only about half the campsites were taken. I, myself, was camped here because I had been  unable to reserve a campsite on the Adirondack Loj campus until the 6^th—so it would be three nights at South Meadows followed by five nights camped at Heart Lake/Adirondack Loj.

    Red Squirrel

I had eight glorious days in the Adirondacks. My plan was to walk, hike, and climb—trying out all the trails radiating from these two campsites. My objective was to spend 5-8 hours a day on the trail, giving my legs the full workout.

    Mount Marcy, from Phelps

4^th of July was gorgeous and rain free. I biked to Heart Lake and then hiked to Marcy Dam, then  up the Van Hoevenberg Trail to the turn-off to Phelps Mountain and the ascent to the rocky summit of this member of the “Adirondack 46.” The vista of the High Peaks from Phelps is fabulous, especially if the weather is cooperating.

    Mt Algonquin from Phelps

I was bushed by the time I got back to my camp at South Meadows. I was surprised how few biting insects showed themselves. A few deer flies, but not many mosquitoes or black flies. I recall in earlier decades that early July was a time of swarming biting insects.

    Blue-headed Vireo - widespread in the forests around Heart Lake

The 5^th of July I biked back to Heart Lake and hiked Wright Peak, another good test of my legs. Wright is the most accessible summit in the McIntyre Range, a bit lower than Algonquin, which was the target of most climbers that day. I was happy to keep my efforts to Wright, which offered plenty of challenge to my 72-year-old legs.

 

    Haystack

The 6^th of July I slept in a bit because it had rained heavily through much of the night and pre-dawn hours. Mid-morning I hiked Mount Van Hoevenberg, which offers a lovely forest walk and then an easy ascent. The view from the south-facing cliffs is nearly as beautiful as that from Phelps. In the PM I broke camp at South Meadows and checked in at the Loj for my “wilderness campsite” #27.

    Boreal Chickadee

On the 7^th of July I started with a hot breakfast at the Loj, which was fortifying, and then I climbed Nye Peak, just a bit west of Heart Lake. This is one of the “trailless peaks” but the herd path is so well-traveled there was little challenge except for a couple of stream crossings. Up in  the spruce-fir zone I had nice encounters with Bicknell’s Thrush, Boreal Chickadee, and Blackpoll Warbler—three of the Adirondacks’ North Country specialities.

 

    Bicknell's Thrush

On the 8^th of July I hiked up into Indian Pass, a splendid walk that gains a lot of elevation but offers no real climbing challenge (happily). Bird highlights of this walk were a Black-throated Green Warbler male in the sunlight on the ground and Boreal Chickadee making another close approach. Also three ancient forest giants – a gigantic Eastern White Pine (5 foot diameter), a massive Yellow Birch (3 foot diameter), and a hefty Red Spruce (2 foot diameter). These are the three core timber trees of the Adirondacks. I spent a lot of time tree-watching on my various walks. The Adirondack Park is home to a surprising amount of uncut old growth forest.

    BB with a giant Eastern White Pine

On the 9^th of July I met up with Sandy Robinson, a friend from my home neighborhood of Brookmont in Bethesda, and we climbed Mount Jo, which is a sweet ascent right behind the Adirondack Loj. It offers great vistas of Mount Marcy and Algonquin. In the PM I did the trail loop around Heart Lake, then out the Old Marcy Dam Trail to the Fanghorn Trail, then out to Marcy Dam and back to camp.

    BB and Sandy Robinson, atop Mount Jo

10 July. I climbed Mount Jo once more, just because it is such a pleasant climb and is so near. In the PM I did the Heart Lake loop and then out the main trail once more to Marcy Dam. The remnants of Beryl arrived in the late afternoon and continued on and off in torrents through the night, ending at daylight of the 11^th.

    Blackpoll Warbler male

At dawn of the 11^th I packed up and headed south back into the heat of summer, having refreshed myself with a dose of very high quality forest walking in the North Country. I recommend Heart Lake and the Adirondack Loj to all who love the forest and the mountains of the East.

                        Giant Eastern White Pine up on Indian Pass Trail