A Little History of 46 Peaks

Yesterday, for the very first time, Hamilton completed its goal of summiting all of the 46 peaks over 4000 feet in one weekend. According to Andrew Jillings, the Hamilton Outing Club has been attempting this goal every year since 1995 but we have never quite made it. Things happen: leaders drop at the last minute, bad weather prohibits groups from making the top, students get sick and need to go back to campus, etc. To have 21 or 22 trips happen without a hitch is remarkable and very improbable... but this year it finally happened, thanks to unusually perfect weather and an extremely committed group of students (see Steph's post below).

The tradition of the "46 Peaks" began with Robert and George Marshall and Herbert Clark, who climbed the 46 high peaks between 1918 and 1925. The three of them believed that the peaks they chose were the only 46 peaks in the Adirondacks over 4,000 feet tall. By 1948, the peaks had become established enough that the people who climbed them all formed the "Adirondack Forty-Sixers" club, who petitioned to have all of the peaks nationally named and recognized. Only after the club was formed based on those 46 mountains did scientists realize that four of the peaks--Blake, Cliff, Nye, and Couchsachraga--were actually shorter than 4,000 feet, and that there is another peak called MacNoughton that is 4,000 feet tall but is not recognized as a part of the 46. Regardless, the 46 peaks that Clark and the Marshall brothers climbed are still the official peaks that thousands of people (and a few colleges) have set their sights on.

Robert Marshall and Herb Clark

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/

The fact that the 46 peaks have not changed to reflect new knowledge shows that ascending all of the mountains is about tradition more than about actually getting to that elevation. Today, there are over 8,000 people in the official 46ers Club and countless more who have completed them all but choose not to be a club member. Colleges like Hamilton and St. Lawrence choose to attempt these peaks because they are an Adirondack tradition, not because of the elevation gain. Congratulations to all of the Hamilton students that played a part in our success this year!

 

Photo credit to Rachel Lannino

Source: http://adk46er.org/