We'll leave at some point on Wednesday, June 20. Departure time is still to be determined, and depends on peoples' ability to get out of work. We'll rent a minivan, load it up, and leave as soon as we can. We'll cover most of the distance on Wednesday and should get to the vicinity of the Adirondacks.
We'll get a cheap motel Wednesday night, then hit a Walmart for groceries and supplies on Thursday morning. We've reserved our campsite at the Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake for Thursday through Sunday, and we'll do day hikes out of there. Monday morning, June 25, we'll pack up and go, doing the return trip in one long day.
All that's set, and shouldn't change. What's left to be determined is which hikes we do. As we learned in '08, Adirondacks hiking, at least in the High Peaks region where we'll be, is rugged and steep. One hike we're definitely doing is the hike to the summit of Mt. Marcy, the high point of New York State. Ted has dubbed this trip "Revenge on Marcy", as the weather was so bad when we climbed it in '08 that visibility was zero from the top.
We'll have to review our maps and guidebooks and see what other trails we want to hike. There are practically unlimited good options. Personally, I think that with four available days of hiking, we'll need to alternate strenuous days with less-strenuous days. Even in good weather, Marcy is an ass-kicker. The Van Hoevenberg Trail that we'll be taking is 14.8 miles round trip with 3,223 feet of vertical elevation gain.
The trip is sneaking up on me. It's now less then three months away, and I'm starting to get excited. A planning meeting is scheduled for May 19. It's not absolutely necessary for us to get together, but it's fun to gather around a table with laptops, maps, and guidebooks - and a cold beverage.
More details as they develop.
