Northeast Backcountry Pt. 3 | April 9th
Spring had sprung and the corn horn was sounding. After a few snowy April days we were getting some true spring skiing, high 50s and blue skies. We grabbed our Hawaiian shirts, our sombreros and set off to the High Peaks.
The storm from the previous two days left us just enough snow to skin on. However, the streams and rivers were starting to thoroughly thaw out which made for some interesting crossings.
Once we started to gain elevation the snow quickly started to pile up on the trees. The warm sun was starting to melt it but luckily the trail was wide enough to keep the thawing snow from raining on us. We maneuvered our way up some small ice falls and slipped and bellyflopped our way up some steep pitches before making it to the alpine zone. Funny enough, Stairway to Heaven came up on shuffle right as we climbed the last steep pitch before surfacing above the treeline.
Once we were out of the trees the wind kicked up a few notches and it felt like winter again. We threw on some layers, put our skis on our packs, and had a quick bite to eat before making our final ascent to the summit.
We had beautiful views of Wright, Colden, and Marcy as we made our way up the snow covered rocks. After reaching the summit, we made our way over to the bowl, cracked a few hard ciders open and began to transition for our descent.
The bowl was short but steep and blessed us with some beautiful corn snow that wasn't too sticky or icy. The relatively short descent allowed us to lap it multiple times. Skiing in the high peaks is always a treat. It is one of the most beautiful and least traveled regions for skiers in the northeast.
Even after hiking the 46 high peaks and going multiple ski expeditions in the Adirondacks, they never fail to be breathtaking every time. The vista you get as you ski down is something you can't find in too many places on the east coast.
Although I didn't shoot any photos for the last part of our journey, believe me when I say it was a hoot. We made our way back over to the hiking trail began our ski back to the car. The trail is definitely not designed with skiing in mind and becomes more of a bobsled track as you quickly turn and duck branches with a bit more speed than you might want.
When we made it to the lower part of the trail the snow began to lessen and we found ourselves dodging rocks, jumping streams, and skiing across grass patches, too stubborn to put our gear on our backs and walk to the car. Somehow we managed to make it back to the parking lot with our skis and boards still attached to our feet, without any damage to our bases.
I'm not sure if this will be my last ski tour in the Adirondacks for this season but if it was I can't think of a better way to end it.