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Wright Peak
July 1, 2006

Our family was in the Lake George, NY area over the first part of the 4th of July weekend, so I decided to take a day trip up to the Adirondacks to climb one of the 46 High Peaks. My time wasn't unlimited so I didn't want to pick one of the longer hikes, of which there seem to be plenty in the High Peaks region. I figured that Algonquin, which is in the MacIntyre Range, and possibly nearby Wright Peak were a reasonable destination for a day trip.

I got up at 4:00 AM at the campground we were staying at near Lake George, and made the drive up to Lake Placid and the Adirondack Mountain Club's (ADK's) Heart Lake Trailhead.

After parking at Heart Lake, I began my hike on the Van Hoevenberg Trail before 6:00 AM. Trail naming conventions are radically different in the Adirondacks. Many trails don't even have names as they do in the White Mountains. The Van Hoevenberg Trail is also known as the Blue Trail or Trail 61. The number corresponds to the trail number listed in the ADK's Adirondack Trails: High Peaks Region guidebook.

Appropriately enough, the Van Hoevenberg Trail is marked in blue. However, unlike the painted blazes in the White Mountains, Adirondack trail markers are round metal disks that are nailed to the trees. I guess these are more durable, but they also have to be more costly. The Blue Trail goes to Marcy Dam and Mt Marcy, but I was only taking it as far as the Yellow Trail.

A short distance up the trail, I came to a trail sign pointing to Fangorn Forest. I assume that this area was named after the home of the Ents in Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings, but I don't know for sure because I couldn't find any information on it.

After passing the High Peaks Wilderness Area boundary, where most of the 46 High Peaks are located, I soon reached the junction with the Yellow Trail or Trail 64, which ascends Algonquin Peak, passing a side trail to Wright Peak along the way.

Heart Lake Trailhead. Trail naming conventions are radically different in the Adirondacks. Many trails don't even have names. The Van Hoevenberg Trail is also known as Trail 61 or the Blue Trail.

Blue Trail marker. Unlike the painted blazes in the White Mountains, Adirondack trail markers are round metal disks that are nailed to the tree.

The Blue Van Hoevenberg Trail. This trail goes to Marcy Dam and Mt Marcy, but I was only taking it as far as the Yellow Trail.

Fangorn Forest sign. I suppose it was named after the home of the Ents in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Wilderness boundary. The High Peaks Wilderness Area begins here. Most of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks are located in this wilderness.

Yellow Trail junction. The Yellow Trail branches off from the Blue Trail and goes toward Algonquin and Wright Peaks.

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