Advanced Backpacking Adventure: Adirondacks High Peaks Wilderness

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW:
> Achieve vast views from atop New York State’s four tallest mountains, plus many more, on this backpacking adventure in the Adirondacks High Peaks Wilderness.
> A warm-up day hike or two, then: backpacking 5 days, 4 nights, ~48 miles, ~15,000 feel total elevation gain (and loss). Mileages and elevation-changes noted below are approximate.
> Community backpacking adventure welcoming Outdoors at UVA and Sierra Club members.

DATES & TRAIL PLAN (July 2019):
> Sat. 7/20: Drive to Heart Lake, stay in campground or Adirondack Loj there. Google Maps says: 620 miles, 9hrs 50 mins from Charlottesville.
> Sun. 7/21: Visit nearby lakes, and hike 2.4 miles and 1,750 feet up to the summit of Ampersand Mountain, for 360 views. Round trip 4.8 miles.
> Mon. 7/22 (bkpk day 1): 8.4 miles, +1700 & -700 feet, summit Mt. Jo, camp at Wallface Ponds.
> Tues. 7/23 (bkpk day 2): 9.1 miles, +2,050 & -2,400 feet, views from Summit Rock, camp at Lake Colden.
> Wed. 7/24 (bkpk day 3): 9.7 miles, +3,900 & – 3,750 feet, summit Algonquin Peak and Wright Peak, camp at southwest end of Avalanche Lake.
> Thurs. 7/25 (bkpk day 4): 9.2 miles, +3,600 & -3,200 feet, summit Mt. Colden and Mt. Skylight, camp at Panther Gorge.
> Fri. 7/26 (bkpk day 5): 11.3 miles, +3,000 & – 4,100 feet, summit Mt. Haystack and Mt. Marcy (highest in NYS at elevation 5,344 feet), end at Heart Lake – where we started. Stay in campground or Adirondack Loj there.
> Sat. 7/27: If all of the above goes according to plan, this day is: drive back home, perhaps passing by some lakes along the way.
> Sun. 7/28: Please schedule nothing for this day (in case for some reason one of the earlier days in this trip gets delayed, and we end up driving home on this day).

PACE: 3.0 to 4.0 out of 5. Leader will trek at pace 3.5 or so; everyone will have a walkie-talkie and will need to stay within range.

GUIDE: Matthew Rosefsky, Wilderness Medicine Instructor-Trainer & Geo Medic, and co-founder of this totally rad club.

FEE: None! Trip Leader is volunteering his organizing and leadership time. Cover your own expenses (including food) and split shared expenses (including travel and satellite phone rental). Requested $200 donation to Wild Virginia, see below.

PRE-REQUISITE: Significant backpacking experience and stamina required.

INTERESTED?
0) Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics will be followed on this trip. If you sign up, then you are pledging to pre-read and adhere to LNT principles. Also, everyone will be required to sign a liability waiver.
1) Join the adventure wait list, AND if you wish to try to get off of the wait list, you must please right away:
2) Email: matt (at) solowfa (dot) com to say (1) you filled out the form; AND (2) what is your backpacking experience, including *all* of the following: total number of times, when last time, longest duration, maximum total mileage, typical daily mileage and elevation gain you’re accustomed to; AND (3) your questions.
3) Spaces are limited (max 8 ). It would be a shame to turn people away when the trip fills up, and then someone drops out with too little notice for a waitlistee to clear their schedule and come. To minimize this happening, when your email is reviewed and approved, a $200 deposit is required to sign up and secure a spot. If you make the deposit but then do not show up for the trip, it is not refundable. If you do show up for the trip, you will receive your $200 back. If you are able, and wish to show appreciation to the Leader for organizing and guiding, then please strongly consider having the $200 become a donation to Wild Virginia, a fantastic local non-profit which is in need of funds, to enable them to continue their hard work in protecting many of our region’s wilderness areas — which we love to visit, and so future generations will be able to enjoy it as wilderness. If you are not able to afford the donation or some portion thereof, it is perfectly fine to receive the deposit back in full once you’ve showed up for the trip.