The Northville-Lake Placid Trail is an Adirondack treasure. Initiated in 1922 and completed in 1924, it starts in Northville and finishes in Lake Placid largely because when they planned the trail, it was where the railroads could drop off and pick up people. It is the first and longest end-to-end trail in the Park.
I’ve hiked portions of it a dozen times and the entire 138-mile trail at least three. It’s a stark contrast to the High Peaks. It doesn’t have the grand vistas from mountain summits or the challenging elevation change. But it takes you through vibrant forests, along rivers and streams, small lakes and ponds, and through friendly hamlets.
The trail is celebrating its centennial this year. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), the Adirondack Mountain Club, and Adirondack Hamlets to Huts, among others, are planning activities for its 100th birthday. If you’ve dreamed of hiking the trail but don’t have a lot of experience, or love hiking more than camping, here's your chance. Expert guides from Adirondack Hamlets to Huts will guide you during the day, while most of the nights will be spent in either lodgings in communities along the way or in upscale campsites on private property. Adirondack Hamlets to Huts is planning to do the trip in three legs with guests taking part in one or more of the legs. You can learn more at: adkh2h.org/northville-placid-trail-traverse
At 75 I’m not hiking as much as I used to. But that doesn’t keep me from staying connected to the trail. Instead of hiking it, I’m shuttling hikers to it. It’s a fun gig because I get to share my outdoor adventures, provide a bit of advice, and warn folks of some of the pitfalls.
About ten percent of the folks I shuttle never complete their trip for a variety of reasons. Their conditioning isn’t up to the challenge, they underestimate the amount of food they need, or perhaps don’t adequately anticipate the mental challenge.
I dropped off one tall lean fellow, obviously in great shape, with an ultralight backpack at Upper Benson. He was going to practically run the trail. A day and a half later I got a call asking me to pick him up in Piseco. He had traveled twenty-two miles and didn’t like hiking in the rain.
Fast forward two years and I picked up a fellow in Lake Placid for a shuttle to Piseco. On the way down he tells me that it was his second attempt. “Oh, really. Did you get from Northville to Piseco?”
“Yeah, the weather was crummy, and I bailed. I got a ride from a guy up at the north end.”
“Oh? Who was that?
“I can’t remember. He was a nice guy. He told me of his adventure climbing Denali.”
I laughed and said, “That was me!”
It was the same guy, and guess what?
He hiked for two days and called me again to pick him up.
Hiking the NPT isn’t for everyone.
Another fellow stands out, Uriah Hon. Uriah was from Maine and wanted to hike the NPT with his buddy Dustin in the month of April. Now, I discourage folks from hiking the trail in April unless they’re prepared for winter. There’s frequently lots of snow on the ground and ice on the lakes and ponds. It takes special people and the right gear to be successful.
Uriah shared his version of events in a blog post he wrote: “I called Jack. He would be a great source of information, as well as my ride to the southern end of the trail when I arrived in Lake Placid. Jack made sure to express his concerns which I, admittedly, noted but ignored. Oh, how I wish I listened. He would give me the best suggestion I would receive while planning my hike. ‘You are bringing snowshoes, right?’ I responded with. ‘We won’t be Jack, but thanks for your concern. Fortunately, here in Maine we are no stranger to snow.’ It's only in hindsight that I would realize I spited my ego on this one. See, here in Maine, we tend to think we get the extremes of everything weather and terrain related. Outside of our backcountry, the rest of the world is a cakewalk. Or should I say, I USED to figure that.”
As the date got closer, I checked in with Uriah. As he remembers it, “It’s two weeks before my departure date … Jack emailed: ‘Hey good morning Uriah, I just wanted to let you know that we just received a massive storm and there is 2+ feet of snow up around the 2500’ mark and more in some of the valleys. Also, the water levels are high and crossing West Canada Creek is going to be a challenge.’ I replied, ‘Thanks Jack, I'll see you on the 9th.’ To be up front, I brushed it off like the rest of the warnings because…. Well, I am from MAINE! We are practically fully functioning snowmen. Once again, my ego got to me.
“The things I know now are, I should have known better. All the warnings were clearly laid out. My wanderlust is stronger than my decision-making skills.”
You can imagine how Uriah’s trip turned out. To his credit, they made it all the way to Long Lake before they finally bailed out. The hiking was treacherous and slow. “...we could feel our inside ankles hitting the ice as we went down through. Each time, the feeling grew intensely worse, as if someone was hitting our ankles with baseball bats every second or third step. Upon breaking through, our feet would be met with the frigid temperatures of running water.... Stepping back up onto the melting, mealy, loose snow was actually a treat from the freezing cold. We stopped every half of a mile to warm our feet for a moment, the pain eventually turned into numbness.
“It was time to get off trail.…the Northville-Placid Trail taught me more than any other trail I have hiked, despite my thousands of miles of experience.…the Adirondacks are a world of their own. Relentless, unpredictable, unforgiving, and so powerful beyond all measure.…. I was humbled …. I learned a lot about myself on the NPT. I learned what cold toes REALLY feel like.…I learned to leave my ego at home.
Hiking the Northville-Placid Trail can be memorable for all the right reasons.
My advice, … Just don’t hike it in April.
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