46 Peaks Weekend

It is inevitable that the Adirondacks as a human creation are dependent on the land. Following the trail out of the Adirondack Loj last Saturday, the effect of the land shows in the trees, in the views, and in the inhabitants. Beginning in the valley, the hardwoods dominated the evergreen spruce and pine, especially along the fertile streams and rives cutting through the highlands. Ground vegetation is largely leafy and colorful in the autumn chill, populated by a large variety of mammals and a great number of humans. The Adirondack Loj road was lined with cars this weekends, extending miles back towards Route 73; the Loj itself overflowing with backpackers, both heading out for the day and returning from a multiday expedition. The situation began to change approaching Marcy Dam. The casual day hiker embraced the foliage and turned back to the comfort of Lake Placid and Keene, while a fair number set camp for the night. And a smaller, but still significant population continued down to the fork, where I followed up towards Lake Arnold and Mt. Colden, high above the valley floor. There, the trees changed to become spruce and pine and high elevation moss, accommodating harsher and harsher soils. By 3,500ft elevation marker, the forest was noticeably spruce and pine, shorter than their low elevation relatives. And by the summit, the limited development was just as clear as the tree differentiation, with Lake Placid standing as the only sizeable settlement within sight. The McIntyre Range dominated the far away settlement, and its clear from the summits of High Peaks that human development, even in the modern era are still out of reach: the slopes too extreme, the peaks to tall and evidently less fertile than the river lowlands.