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Algonquin, at 5,114 ft, is the second
highest peak in the Adirondacks, while nearby 5,344-ft Mt Marcy is the
highest. To the southeast and a bit behind Algonquin, Mt Colden with its
steep rocky slides peered through the thick hazy air. In the other
direction, there were good, but misty views of Heart Lake where my car
was parked. Beyond that lay Lake Placid and Mt Whiteface.
After taking my pictures as quickly as
possible, I wound my way back down the line of cairns, being especially
careful not to fall as the stronger gusts of wind tended to knock me off
balance. Back at the spur trail junction again and out of the wind, I
took a short rest and ate a snack. While I was there, an ADK summit
steward who was also headed for Wright Peak stopped by to talk. Summit
stewards are volunteers who greet hikers on some of the alpine peaks
such as Wright, Algonquin, Marcy, and Colden, and educate them about the
fragile environment above treeline.
After hiking back down to the trailhead, I
decided to take a short walk over to the Adirondack Loj to see what it
was like. The word "lodge" is spelled so strangely because its builder,
Melvil Dewey, was an advocate of simplifying the spelling of English
words. Obviously, this did not catch on with the general population. The
Loj is a rustic brown wooden building that reminded me a bit of a
smaller version of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. In fact, I had expected
the Loj to be quite a bit larger. They must have a quite a bit of a
problem with bears in the area because the garbage dumpsters were
surrounded by an electric fence.
Inside the Loj was a cozy living room with a
huge stone fireplace with its ubiquitous moose head and high beamed
ceiling. There were also guest rooms, but I didn't get to see any of
them. Just a few steps away, the Loj has a nice beachfront on Heart Lake
with a roped-off swimming area and docks complete with a pair of green
Adirondack chairs.
Before heading back my family at Lake
George, I took a short drive through the Lake Placid area. I was
particularly impressed with the Olympic ski jumps, which were much
higher than I would have expected. All-in-all, it was a good hike, but I
have no intention of working on the ADK 46 High Peaks because they are
just too far of a drive from central Massachusetts. |
Algonquin from
Wright Peak. Algonquin is the second highest peak in the
Adirondacks. Mt Marcy is the highest. |
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