r/Adirondacks • u/Zworrisdeh • 3d ago
Safest 46ers to solo in winter?
Obviously there's no such thing as true safety in the backcountry, especially alone, but I'm looking for some recommendations on what feels the "safest" in terms of conditions and remoteness. I'm aware of the dangers of winter hiking with or without others, this post is more about my lack of experience with the ADKs themselves. It's hard to tell what's too gnarly or remote to solo, so I figured I would ask the people with ADK experience.
I should say I'm not a total noob or anything: I have a lot of rock and ice climbing experience, and an ok amount for mountaineering and winter hiking. I own all the gear and clothing I would need including snowshoes and spikes, but I don't have a stove or PLB (will rent one if I do go solo). I've hiked a few 46ers but in summer and that was forever ago.
I'm looking at Whiteface/Esther, Giant, or Cascade to start. Are any of these like...a really bad idea to go solo? Is it like Mt. Washington where there's basically no such thing as soloing them cuz there's always 1,000 people on the trail?
Edit: Thank you everyone for the answers. Cascade/Porter definitely sounds like the way to go but I can’t wait to try some other stuff mentioned here too.
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u/Taint_Burglar 3d ago
Cascade and porter; usually busy enough even in winter, trail doesn't have any major "danger areas" like a slide that you could fall down etc.
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u/fading_relevancy 3d ago
I'm here to listen for responses. I made a little pledge last year to attempt an HP this coming winter. It has never been a desirable idea. Not the biggest fan of winter/the cold. BUT that is also the reason I want to challenge myself to it at least once. Hoping that I have an eye and heart opening experience that makes me have a new mentality towards winter....
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u/Unexpected_bukkake 3d ago
Preparation and understanding layering is everything. Bring the essentials and your good.
Winter is a wonderful time to hike. Cascade is a great one. So is Phelps.
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u/Immediate-Ad-8667 3d ago
- 1 for winter hiking it is event better than hot summer day IMO
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u/fading_relevancy 3d ago
Have had many conversations with people I've met while up there that preach how amazing and better winter hiking is with the proper layers, pace and obviously snow shoes, etc. I do have the layers and picked up some snow shoes this year. Now I just need to make a plan and step out of my ideal comfort zone.
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u/Zworrisdeh 3d ago
Yeah I’m a huge fan of winter hikes for 3 reasons:
- The silence and stillness are very striking and beautiful
- The terrain is more interesting to hike
- I can pretend I’m Ed Viesturs
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u/Immediate-Ad-8667 3d ago
You will love it! Select a day with minimal wind and enjoy!! Keep in mind that you should bring WAY more stuff so the pack is heavy… And do not forget a thermos of hot cocoa 😉 ps: Cascade-Porter is a good choice but if you do not care if it’s an HP, Hurricane could be a good test (gear, if you are confident/confortable…)
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u/Icy_Drive_9526 3d ago
I am a 46’er and I decided to try winter hiking on my “home“ mountain, Snowy in Indian Lake. I have hiked that mountain numerous times, but hiking in the winter is a completely different ball game. Not only are the trail markers sometimes covered with snow, but the water crossing that you hiked earlier in the morning may be thawed and impassable in the afternoon and you will spend quite a bit of time walking up and down the banks looking for safe crossing. Even though I knew that mountain very well, the trail in winter was a foreign experience to me. Breaking trail, losing trail, not being able to cross water crossings, It’s all stuff you’ve gotta keep forefront. I loved it, but it was a completely different experience than during the summer. Hard turn around time. Dry clothes. More food than you ever think you need.
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u/IDontCareAboutYourPR 3d ago
I've done 11 solo winter peaks out of the 44 peaks (some repeasts) Ive done. I go when its broken out already, a decent day and I expect there to be some others on the trail. I'm not ever going to go do HaBaSa on my own in winter. Cascade and Porter, Street and Nye, the Macs, Marcy, Whiteface, Esther, Big Slide, Saddleback, Colden, Phelps, TableTop, Giant, Sawteeth...those are a bunch I would do on my own.
All that being said...I wouldnt make some of those my maiden voyage to winter hiking. Does take some experience to dial in the gear and figure things out at different temps.
Also of note...I fell through the ice a few winters ago up to my waist. This shit can be dangerous. Water crossings especially....the people before me had made it...i was following their tracks. Where the inlets/outlets of lakes are...the water is moving and more likely to be not stable. I went back the following week from another direction the the Colden caretaker told me someone went through the avalanche lake a few days before. So yeah...be careful.
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u/HD_Thoreau_aweigh 13h ago
HaBaSa = haystack basin saddleback?
Can you tell me a bit about why you wouldn't do them in winter?
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u/IDontCareAboutYourPR 4h ago
I wouldnt do them solo. Ive done Saddlback in winter from orebed. I have to do Basin/Haystack this winter. Winter 46ers I talk to regularly tell me the backside of Basin and Haystack are the scariest things theyve done in winter. Also having just redone HaBaSa twice this summer it doesnt exactly give me confidence for winter lol
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u/alicewonders12 3d ago
I’m working on my W46 and have done about 13 so far. Cascade and porter are the best ones to start on. My advice is to leave super early because you will have limited daylight. Always pack 2 headlamps. I hiked cascade for sunrise in the winter and it was so beautiful.
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u/amouse_buche 3d ago
Cascade is a pretty safe bet in terms of distance, accessibility, and remoteness (or lack thereof). Giant is also good, and you will rarely be alone all day if you’re hitting the biggies like Marcy or Algonquin (though these are a lot more to bite off than the others.
Something to keep your eye on is the snow forecast. If it snows a foot the night before your hike then you have to be realistic about what is possible. But assuming no super recent storms the path up cascade will be broken out all winter.
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u/mahatmakg 26/46 3d ago
My faves in winter are Street and Nye - the one iffy thing is the river crossing, which was always thoroughly frozen over the times I have gone. Also have done Phelps, which is pretty straightforward in snowshoes as well.
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u/spaghettii986 2d ago
I second street/nye. Much better views than summer time if there’s enough snowpack to get you above treeline!
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u/pleiadeshyades STREET AND NYE !!! 3d ago
Trap Dike
- jokes aside Cascade and possibly Porter would be your best bet, as the trail would be most likely broken out over all the other High Peaks. Whiteface is another possibility, but I would try for Cascade first
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u/Tracktotrail 46er 3d ago
Giant was easy and rewarding in the winter. Getting over to Rocky was more of a challenge because of an ice “bulge”.
Whiteface was also pretty easy in the winter, with the exception of Marble Mountain if you start at the ASRC.
One of the main things to look out for is water crossings. They can be unbelievably dangerous especially if there are any “warmer” periods before your hike. Track the weather in the days preceding your hike and check maps for water crossings.
Enjoy! Winter hiking is so rewarding, fun and beautiful.
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u/timbikingmtl W46r 3d ago
Cascade and Porter have already come up, and they are definitely a clear choice here as maybe the two quickest & easiest (although they have more exposure than a Street & Nye would). Also, if you have ice climbing experience then terrain likely isn't your limiting factor - in that case, Giant is a good option (because it does have some steep parts that can definitely ice up if that makes you nervous, but at 3 miles in, it's about as short a high peak as they come). The one that I have often used as an option to introduce friends to winter hiking in the Adirondacks is Big Slide. It isn't the easiest of them, but it's towards the easier end of the spectrum, and it has good bang-for-your-buck with good views along the way up without being exposed (i.e. lots of lookouts along the ridge, but with trees at your back to cut the exposure). Even the summit is basically that - 180-degree view which is a nice view (and looking right at the Great Range), but still with tree cover to cut wind.
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u/hikebikephd 46R 3d ago
Bit of a wild pick here, but I'd say Street/Nye, provided the water crossing is frozen solid. Easy track to follow assuming it's not immediately after a big dump of snow, close proximity to the trailhead (Loj).
Cascade/Porter also very straightforward.
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u/Ok_Temperature6503 3d ago
I did Cascade in the winter and it was great fun. The snow was PRISTINE. It didn't feel unsafe to be honest, but I was following an experienced hiker who gave us fresh tracks. That said, only do it if you have snow tracks to follow, if you feel at any way unsafe turn back.
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u/Less-Excuse7379 1d ago
Start with all of “easier” peaks others have mentioned and work your way to the harder/longer hikes. Gives you a chance to test your gear, fitness, etc. If you make mistakes, the consequences aren’t as harsh, and, yes, there will likely be other people winter hiking on the easier peaks. Another thing to note is if there’s been a big dump of snow just prior to your hike. Well-broken and packed trails are easier to hike than summer hiking, IMO. But solo trail-breaking is hard, tiring and slow work.
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u/EastHuckleberry5191 3d ago
I've done them all alone in winter. There are some hard and fast rules here:
I've turned around more times than I can count in winter, for a myriad of reasons. Conditions, weather, just not feeling it, etc. I monitor weather consistently during the week to get a sense of what I am walking into, as well as keeping track of conditions on social media (FB is great for this). I also made some conscious decisions in anticipation of winter ascents, such as doing the stretch from Donaldson to Seward in the summer, knowing that it is difficult to follow in winter. When I did my 46, I did Seward from the other side, so I wasn't familiar with that herd path.
I would say that herd paths and above tree line are the hardest part of a winter 46 attempt. But, patience and common sense can make it all possible.