Memories of the Van Hoevenberg Trail

by Suzie
(WA)

I presently reside in Washington State, but I grew up in upstate New York, spending my summers at summer camp in Merrill, NY. Some of my greatest memories are from hiking MANY of the Adirondack peaks (Haystack, Colden, Giant, Saddleback, Cascade).

I still refer to the climbing of Mt. Marcy and Algonquin as two of my major accomplishments in life. I was part of a Wilderness unit of 22 girls and boys (age 15), 4 counselors and 1 hiking guide that planned a 5 day hiking trip into the high peaks. We learned to plan our meals as teams, pack our packs for all weather issues and work together to problem solve.

I still remember coming onto Marcy Damn. It was beautiful. Our campsite was alongside the lake and you could hear the water outside your tent. We hung our bear bags (only to encounter a bear one night anyway) and learned how to live in the wilderness without leaving our mark.

We first climbed Marcy. I recall a beautiful waterfall on the way up and the exhileration upon reaching the top of the highest peak in NY state. I also remember climbing Algonquin, which I found to be a far more challenging climb especially at the top where there were smooth rocks to traverse and careful footing was important.

Both hikes were amazing especially realizing that I was only 15 and so many of my peers to this day, cannot compare an experience to that of climbing in the Adirondacks. You could see the giant ski jumps, tiny from our perch, below in Lake Placid.

It's funny to think back now how all my faith and trust lay with my 20-something year old counselors, who probably knew as much about backpacking as I did. None the less, we had an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that I will forever remember.


	Memories of the Van Hoevenberg Trail by Suzie (WA) I presently reside in Washington State, but I grew up in upstate New York, spending my summers at summer camp in Merrill, NY. Some of my greatest memories are from hiking MANY of the Adirondack peaks (Haystack, Colden, Giant, Saddleback, Cascade). I still refer to the climbing of Mt. Marcy and Algonquin as two of my major accomplishments in life. I was part of a Wilderness unit of 22 girls and boys (age 15), 4 counselors and 1 hiking guide that planned a 5 day hiking trip into the high peaks. We learned to plan our meals as teams, pack our packs for all weather issues and work together to problem solve. I still remember coming onto Marcy Damn. It was beautiful. Our campsite was alongside the lake and you could hear the water outside your tent. We hung our bear bags (only to encounter a bear one night anyway) and learned how to live in the wilderness without leaving our mark. We first climbed Marcy. I recall a beautiful waterfall on the way up and the exhileration upon reaching the top of the highest peak in NY state. I also remember climbing Algonquin, which I found to be a far more challenging climb especially at the top where there were smooth rocks to traverse and careful footing was important. Both hikes were amazing especially realizing that I was only 15 and so many of my peers to this day, cannot compare an experience to that of climbing in the Adirondacks. You could see the giant ski jumps, tiny from our perch, below in Lake Placid. It's funny to think back now how all my faith and trust lay with my 20-something year old counselors, who probably knew as much about backpacking as I did. None the less, we had an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that I will forever remember. Click here to read or post comments. Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Best Lake Placid Hiking Trails. ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb
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