Sunny 46

One of the reasons for our early start was our desire for a Stewart's stop before the hike. We strolled in to the Main Street Stewart's a bit after 6am. There was a single employee holding it down and doing a hell of a job at it. We enjoyed a bit of a sit and more than a few inappropriate jokes while we ate our breakfast sammies and drank some caffeine. 

Speaking with the group earlier that week, Allison had suggested that our summit would likely conclude by around 2:00pm. At first, I thought that was a somewhat pessimistic calculation, but I bowed to her experience. I was right to do as you will see.

Our hiking group gathered together at the ASRC trailhead. From left to right, it was Korra, Jay, Zuko, Dan, Charissa, Erica, Sunny Days, me, Stella, and Nick. I was super glad to have such a rad crew to join us on this hike. We ate some more snacks and were off on trail by 7:45.

The Marble Mile features a (literally) breathtaking ascent of 900' over one mile to an overlook just shy of the Marble Mountain summit. In the photo above, you can see the place where the flat trail meets the base of the climb which shoots up at a fairly consistent 25% grade. 

This  part of the trail used to be the location of a chair lift, so it was cut straight up the side of  the mountain rather  than along  a spur or in a drainage. It looks very funny on a map and you can see quite far up and down as the trees allow due to the straightness of the path.

Everybody took lots of breaks along the way. The cool thing was that there were concrete  blocks poured regularly on both sides of the trail, the former locations of chair lift structures. 

As you can see in this photo, the main feature of the Marble Mile was ankle-threatening piles of Adirondack rocks. After 46+ summits, I can safely say that this is absolutely my least favorite kind of trail, especially on  the descent.

Sunny and Stella were very eager and Nick and I let them pull us up the mountain as usual. We still tried to stop more frequently so we could stay together as a group and maintain our endurance for the long day ahead.

We arrived at the junction with the Wilmington Reservoir and Marble Mountain overlook before 9am. Despite the overcast day, we were afforded a gorgeous view of the Sentinel Range Wilderness. We relaxed here for a time, took some water, and ate some snacks before moving on with our adventure.

Note that I can't say from personal experience whether the true summit of Marble Mt. has nice views, but if I'm looking at the satellite pictures correctly, I believe it might if you're willing to bushwhack; I'd just be careful of the cliffs over there. 

The spur ascent featured a lot of big rocks and slabs. It was a steeper climb than the Marble Mile, but I'd say it was much more pleasant on the feet. 

We huffed and we puffed, but we tackled the hike a piece at a time.

About halfway up the spur, I chatted with the crew. We'd previously discussed a few options regarding Esther and it was at this point that we decided that I and a few others would burn the rest of the way to Esther and back, then get the band back together at the junction.

We reached the top of the ridge at around 10:30am and were greeted with a lovely, flattish hike to the Esther junction. 

It was here where we were greeted by Allison and her superdog, Emma. They had arrived at the summit ahead-of-time in their car, then hiked down to the junction to meet us. Here, Allison assured me that most groups break off here to allow the 46er finishers to bag Esther while everyone else relaxes. The location was littered with boulders and big roots making it the perfect lounging spot for a big group to take 5.  

We did relax a bit and fuel up before heading off.

Sunny and Stella took turns taking the lead to Esther with a handful of others following. We were absolutely flying as we descended Lookout Mountain, across the col, then up to Esther. 

The mud folks complain about on the Esther trail was almost nonexistent. What was there was more firm than fluid. 

There were lots of views of Whiteface during the ascent of Esther, but Nick caught this shot of Sunny and me approaching the summit. For some reason,  some kind of mania kind of took over me on the trip to Esther.  I think it's possible this was the first time I really felt that this was finally happening. 

Our exhilarating run to Esther and back took just one hour and five minutes. With the whole group back together, we relaxed, ate lunch, and enjoyed each other's company. 

Allison caught this shot of one of many many pets Sunny and the other dogs got this day. We met and chatted with lots of other hikers and they offered Sunny and me congratulations and encouragement which was super nice. There were also several pups out on the trails today which was great to see; it was the perfect day for dogs on the trails as long as you brought enough water.

The hike across the ridge from the Esther junction to the base of the ultimate climb was quite fast. The trail was dry and our spirits were high.

The climb up Whiteface caught us a bit by surprise because it started off gradually. After a bit of respite when the trail crossed with a ski trail, it got steeper, but was never insurmountable. Jay caught this shot of the group tackling the climb with gusto as a team.

We tried to get Sunny to pose for a distinguished Pride Rock photo as we climbed up the big retaining wall. Only Emma cooperated.

Shortly after crossing the road, the trail climbs over tree line and the views are incredible. By this time, the clouds had broken and the sun was shining over the mountain. Sunny and I were so lucky to have this window of gorgeous weather to enjoy with friends and family at the top of the mountain. By now, we were in communication with the car group and it was clear we'd be a bit early to the summit while they would be a bit late, so we were taking our sweet time experiencing this gorgeous day. Nick caught this shot of our group enjoying the view of Esther and the lands beyond.

As we started to cross the final leg of our climb to the summit, I asked everyone to push forward while I took up the rear. I was starting to get a little emotional about the imminent ascent and I enjoyed the views as we leisurely made our way across the top of the mountain.

Sunny and I stopped shy of the summit while the rest of the team made it to the top around 2:00, exactly when Allison had predicted. Jay sat and talked with me while we waited for my family to arrive. 

We waited quite some time and, as it turns out, the elevator had just broken down and many of our family was stuck at the picnic area down below. Because of this, after a handful of the younger members of my family had made the climb up the stairs to the summit about 45 minutes after the hikers had arrived, I was waved on to finally bring Sunny up.

Sunny and I ran through the trekking pole arch and mounted the summit rock at about 2:45pm. We cheered the dogs barked. Sunny was excited for the attention, especially with his buddy, Quinn there.

My buddy, Jay, who achieved his 46er in 2022, patched me.  It was Jay's example that put me on this path in the first place back in 2022 and I will be forever grateful for his support and guidance. I owe him a lot, and not just in regards to this endeavour.

Allison's dog, Emma, also a 46er, patched Sunny. Allison and Emma have been a source of inspiration ever since beginning this journey and following their adventures online. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Sunny's achievement. 

All the hikers gathered for a celebration shot of Malört. My cousin, Erin, had sent a bottle for us to "enjoy". Jay, of course, had to transfer the spirit into a plastic bottle because rules. It wasn't our fault we forgot to tell everyone it wasn't Captain Morgan. Thanks to everyone for being great sports in this celebration of Type 2 Fun.

There were lots of sexy photos on the summit of everyone, but those pictures are best left for social media. 

I regret not getting an individual photo with each of the hikers who came with us that day. I was a little overwhelmed at the summit and the celebratory shot didn't help with that any. I hope they know how special they made the day feel and how grateful I am to every one of them. Besides Jay and Allison, we  had four other people with us all day.

Erica, my sister, had driven several hundred miles to join me on this hike and thanking her is kind of useless because in her mind it was obvious she was going to be here to celebrate this with us. Still, I need to thank her anyways. She crushed it today and probably bruised her shin bone on the summit while taking pictures!

Dan is a wizened source of hiking and outdoors knowledge. He's also really fun to have around in any situation. I sure hope I hike as well as he does when I get to be his age.

I'll always be grateful to Nick for joining us on the Pinnacle Traverse. He's a new friend, but if friendships are forged in adversity and I can see us hiking a lot more in the future.

Charissa is an old friend and we experienced our first High Peak together years ago on Sawteeth. It was only fitting that she would join us today and hopefully the kids can get together and enjoy some of these peaks in the future.

We did wander around the summit for a bit chatting with people (and sharing more Malört), but the day was dwindling and we had more people waiting for us in the picnic area below. 

We were showered with both affection and thoughtful gifts from folks in person and online on facey-time. I was once again blown away that so many of our loved ones came so far to celebrate our big accomplishment. We're very lucky indeed.

I have lots of people to thank, however, I think I mainly have to call out Wendy, my wife and partner who shoulders much of the burden of this hobby. She deserves more thanks than I can give. She also deserves thanks for the treat bags she put together for all the hikers; they came in useful for the hike back down later.

Time, however, was fleeting. The celebration was fun, but we honestly should have left the summit a long time ago. As it was nearly 4:00, I made the call to descend by the road rather than the trail.

Jay led the way most of the way, sometimes with Dan and sometimes ahead with the Dogs. Charissa and I took up the caboose and just walked at our own pace most of the time. Sunny was quite perturbed whenever the huskies left his direct line of sight.

The partly cloud to overcast day made the pavement fine for the pups. When given the choice, Sunny tended to stay on the road rather than the grass.

The road does a couple of switchbacks before lazily curling around Esther. I found myself mostly fascinated with the bald summit of Esther's Northern peak; I wondered what it might be like to try and reach it from one direction or another.

As promised, the views were incredible much of the way down. Thanks to Jay for this lovely photo of Lake Placid.

I thought the road walk was fine in sneakers. I'm not totally sure if we saved a lot of time, though I think we saved some. I'm not sure how fast I'd have descended those two steep miles from the ridge, especially the Marble Mile with its questionable footing. Charissa thought it was the right call for the situation and she didn't mind it. Jay does not recommend.

I would say it's fine, but just be sure to bring road sneakers if you want to do it. Also do note that the first two miles have no grass on the shoulder, so on a sunny day the pavement may be hot for puppy paws.

I signed us out at 6:24, about 2.5 hours after leaving the summit and shy of 11 hours after starting the hike.

My family had arrived at Big Slide earlier and held a spot for us on the patio. A such, we only had to wait a few minutes for a table, for which I was very grateful. We enjoyed conversation and libations in the cool evening. Of course, I shared some of my burger with Sunny Days.

That evening, we enjoyed some more time by the fire despite our exhausted state. Before rolling into bed and passing out, I put most of the rest of the wood on the fire. Dan later reminded me that the rule of the campground was to manage fire responsibly. I retorted that I only let one blazing log fall out of it. 

We were very cozy that night. I didn't get up out of bed once, which is a new experience for me!

We woke up the next morning at about 6 and Jay stoked up the fire again which was nice to have while packing up. The wilderness adventure was over, but I was looking forward to spending some time in Lake Placid with some family before heading home.

Sunny and I made a quick pit stop at the shore of Heart Lake for one last look. Looking out at the lake again, I was feeling accomplished, but I didn't feel like anything had finished. I believe I was not just looking at this place with familiarity, but with the notion that I would be back again soon. 

After swimming at the hotel Quinn and Wendy stayed at, Quinn, Wendy, Erica, Will, Shawna, Claire, and I explored a bit of Lake Placid. We checked out the olympic museum and did some shopping. Some of us had sandwiches at a local Big Mountain Deli & Crêperie (I had the Gothics and it was delicious). Quinn and I watched the end of a hockey game at the museum, but by the end of it he was quite ready to go. I think we all were.

Later, Jay asked me if I was feeling bittersweet about finishing the 46. I had trouble answering him at the time. I think that I don't. I have been wondering why I haven't been feeling a sense of things ending or a sense of completion. I think it's because I actually think this is just a beginning. I think I'll be hiking these mountains again and again with Sunny until one of us can't physically do it anymore. Even the mountains where I've said "never again", I think was disingenuous.

Many people have asked "what's next?" 

Quinn and I will be continuing our Fire Tower adventures; he really does love a fire tower. However, Quinn asked me the other day (unsolicited mind you) if we could do a High Peak together. I may try taking him up Cascade this weekend. He's certainly hiked more difficult hikes in the past.

Some of my buddies are really into multi-day backpacking trips and I do think I'll be doing more of that. Certainly, as Sunny gets older, my adventures with him are likely to become more and more mild. We have a trip scheduled in October, actually, and I'm looking forward to it. I do think I still need to dial in my gear for backpacking. Specifically, I want to look at upgrading my pack. Chatting with Charissa, I think perhaps I want to try out an external frame pack; I think it'll actually help with weird-shaped stuff like bear canisters. I'd also like to get something with wider shoulder straps. I know packs like this are heavier, but I don't think weight is really my problem, but rather distribution and comfort.

Still, at the end of the day, I really think the answer to the question is "more of the same". I'll just be more picky about which mountains we hike. I love being on these mountains and I already can't wait to be back for another go.

Folks wonder if a Golden Retriever can or should be on Adirondack High Peaks. I don't take umbrage at this; I think it is a very reasonable question to ask. All of the Golden Retrievers I have known, even my own Goldens before Sunny, have been great family dogs, but I wouldn't say they were candidates to attempt difficult hiking challenges.

I think the secret to Sunny's success has been twofold: early conditioning and constant training. 

Sunny has been hiking since he had his last round of puppy vaccinations, including Rabies.  We started out small, hiking little fire towers, trails around town, and Moreau Lake State Park. At a little over a year of age, I had him hiking High Peaks. I think it helps that I started out a lot slower myself and worked my way up, so Sunny had to do the same. In the future, if I ever train another hiking Golden again, I'll be sure to keep the hiking in a lower gear in the beginning. 

I don't think an older rescue (even one only 2 or 3 years old) would be able to do High Peaks right off the rip and I am even dubious of being able to achieve it even with months of conditioning. I'd have to see it to believe it. Were I to adopt an older Golden, I'd certainly start off very with very gentle trails and very slowly work them up. At the end of the day, every dog is different just like every person.

Sunny and I haven't let up at all, either. Every year starting in late Spring to late Autumn, we've been hiking High Peaks and then some. In the colder months, we've been knocking out Lake George peaks and Fire Towers. We don't let ourselves get too chunky and we keep our muscles moving. It's possible that the fact we mix High Peaks with easier hikes rather than hammering at High Peaks all the time, we've been able to remain conditioned without being worn out. Currently, Sunny is a well-muscled 70lbs and the vet seems cool with that.

There are still a few tips I've talked about in the past that I think are worth mentioning again.

I have learned to keep Sunny out of really bad heat, even under the cooler canopies of the High Peaks. We've hiked in bad heat before, particularly on our first Big Slide hike. These days, I avoid big heat like that in general, but when it does get in the mid to high 80s Fahrenheit, we limit our time on the summit, bring lots more water, and spend more time below tree line. You always need to be prepared to feed and water your dog in an emergency.

Sunny has always been a bad eater on hiking days. He knows when we're hiking and he is too excited to eat. If you're a constant reader, you know I've invested in some dehydrated dog food which he gobbles up with gusto. I don't think the brand or the type matters. I think if you can pack your dog with high-energy food that they see as a delicious treat the day of your hike, the dog will have a lot more endurance for the day ahead. The food has the added benefit of taking up very little room in the bear canister on backpacking trips.

Sunny is currently 4 and a half years old. I am not sure how long he'll keep hiking High Peaks. I do worry about him wearing out with repetitive injuries or hip dysplasia which Goldens can get. Neither  of my other Goldens ever got it, but I know it can be a thing. I  keep monitoring Sunny's performance every hike, making sure I'm not asking him to do more than he can handle. I can tell he's already starting to be a little bit less confident about some jumps these days than he used to, so I've kept that in mind this year. He's been perfectly fine, but it's worth mentioning.

As he ages, we'll do smaller mountains, less difficult hikes, and quite possibly move to just backpacking trips and so on. I will get another dog for Sunny to help train before too long, but I don't really want to think too hard about that right now. I love the idea of adoption, but our family does always want a Golden and I now really want a hiking buddy, so I think it'll be tough. Golden puppies, even months old, are rarely if ever up for adoption anywhere. For now, I'm content to keep exploring and adventuring in the Adirondacks with my pal for as long as he lets me.