Dates: October 1, 2000
Team: Mike, Rick
Location: Adirondack High Peaks
Destination: Noonmark Mountain (3,556')
Approach: Ausable Club parking to trailhead
Author: Mike
Hiking with Rick is always a hoot! Whenever Rick visits the Adirondack High Peaks, his goal is to hike - every possible day! Mike, being of a similar mindset, is always happy to oblige him. As if the disappointing discovery of poor views after hiking to the top of Lower Wolf Jaw the day before created an insatiable hunger for a new hike, Mike & Rick eagerly hiked up Noonmark in just under two hours! Then, they proceeded to spend over an hour atop this bald summit, eating lunch and soaking up the beautiful 360 degree views on this warm and cloudless day! It was glorious! The hike down was just over 2 hours, and we regrouped with Teena (whose feet were sore from yesterday's Lower Wolf Jaw hike) in Lake Placid by 3:00pm.Details:
The weather was the best possible hiking weather anyone anywhere could hope for. The skies were totally clear and the temperatures reached into the 70s (Fahrenheit) after a cool morning start in the lower 50 degree range. We parked at the Ausable club entrance around 10:00am, and proceeded to hike from the Ausable trailhead immediately.
And almost immediately, the trail ascended at a steep pitch. Then the pitch increased. And then again. For two hours, Rick & Mike hiked furiously in a lung-busting exercise that tested the limits of their stamina. At least the hike was convenient in its directness. Although the trail wasn't a straight path, it's pretty safe to say that we didn't waste too many vertical steps on the way up. We stopped several times to let our desk-jockey physiques wheeze their way back to life. At each stop, we chortled between desperate gasps for air at how much elevation gain we'd made in the short time since our last rest stop.
The summit was basking in the hot noon-day sun as a young couple began their descent, and we finished our ascendancy to the summit throne. The summit was all ours for over an hour, and the views were some of the most spectacular of any mountain in the Adirondacks. The entire Great Range from Lower Wolf Jaw to Gothics looked like we could just reach across and climb onto it. The great cone of Dix Mountain to the southwest and Giant Mountain in the East were larger than life. The Ausable Club and its grounds were clearly visible below us. After such a breakneck pace, there were only two things to do after we finished sightseeing… Eat lunch and nap. Yes, we ate our lunch, took in the views, and then napped beneath the blazing October sun!
Our descent down was quick, but not as frenetic as the ascent. On the way down, we passed many parties, the first of which were arriving at the summit as we were departing. One by one, we passed each new party as we descended. We finally stopped to talk with a young father who had his 4 year old daughter and two other girls with him. We spent the rest of the hike discussing ways that we can hike these mountains with our own children some day. Granted Mike has no children yet, but who knows what the future holds?
We met with Teena in Lake Placid around 3:00pm, walked around for a half hour, and then drove back to Rochester.
What experiences did we bring back with us? The Noonmark hike proves that some of the best hikes in the Adirondacks do not have to be part of "the 46." This hike is an awesome hike that any skill level can partake in (just take it slower than we did), and it provides some of the best views anywhere!
Pictures:
TBD - Converting all the old trip reports into this blog
