The Resting Rock

The first recorded ascent of an Adirondack mountain high peak (with a summit above 4,000 feet from sea level) was in 1837. While it’s possible the Native Americans who inhabited the region may have climbed earlier, there is no record. 

Today, thousands of visitors hike the park’s trails, which vary from short walks through the woods to picturesque ponds and more demanding treks up mountains. 

For many hikers, simply reaching a summit and touching the surveyor’s mark and taking in the scenery is the pay-off.  Many others, however, make it their goal to become an Adirondack 46er, one who has successfully reached each summit of the Adirondacks’ 46 highest peaks. 

The very first 46ers attained the honor on June 10, 1925 when brothers Robert and George Marshall, along with their friend Herbert Clark became the first men to have accomplished the feat. 

Today, that number continues to grow, and earning the 46er patch is an accomplishment to be proud of, because by the time a 46er touches the final survey marker, he or she has hiked 144,000 feet in total elevation gain and almost 300 miles. 

Each mountain is different. Most have marked trails, while some require bushwacking. Some mountains offer a choice of trails to reach their summits. Once at the top, the views are different, too: on some peaks you’ll look out among different shades of green and brown forests that spread to the horizon in static waves; Other peaks offer views of deep cuts and ridges, exposed rock faces, granite slides and sunlit ponds hidden in cols and valleys.

The 46er knocks off each mountain at their own pace. Some take months. Some do it in spurts. Some may take years. 

I’ve wondered how 46ers approach their peak bagging. Do they go in numbered order by height? By alphabetical order? By convenience?  And, as they get closer to their final summit, do they begin to think about the last peak?  Which one will it be?  How do they choose it?  Is there anything after one earns the patch?

I spoke with three 46ers to find out. 

Hiker Jeb Rivait finished his 46er quest 2022 on Big Slide, which ranks at number 27 on this list in order of height, at 4,240 feet. He didn’t have a plan at first, but it added to the adventure. 

“I started my journey to 46 with such absolute disregard for planning that I was really fortunate to have a gem like Big Slide still on my list of to-dos by the time I had enough sense and experience to actually start planning ahead.”

In the end, Big Slide was the right one to finish on. 

“The hike is relatively straightforward, with amazing views along the way in a way that makes it possible to feel like a victory lap,” recalls Jeb. “The trailhead is also in a great spot with plenty of victory beers in striking distance!”

One of Jeb’s hiking partners, Pat Keegan, who accompanied him on their final summit, says that choosing Big Slide was one of convenience.

“We had the great fortune of accidentally tackling some of the more challenging hikes early on in our foray,” says Pat.

“When it came to planning our final 10 to 15 summits, we methodically mapped out our plans like the experienced mountaineers we had become,” says Pat, tongue-in-cheek. 

Brian Reader earned his patch in April, 1996 on a full day that included Upper Wolf Jaw, marking off Armstrong for his 45th and finishing the 46 on Gothics. He had begun his quest two years earlier, starting with day hikes, and gradually moving to a series of overnights using base camps. 

Partners, precipitation and (lack of ) preparation

With any adventure story, it’s more about the journey than the destination. This holds true with 46ers. Getting to the last peak is rewarding, but it’s the experiences along the way that seem to be the most rewarding for those clicking off the summits. 

For Jeb, it was Mount Skylight that takes the title for most rewarding, although Seward and Allen are close runner-ups.

Recalling the Skylight summit, Jeb says “My wife and I planned and pulled off Gray- Skylight- Redfield-Cliff, in and out from the Loj via Avalanche Lake, and I’ll never forget being blown away by that summit and generally feeling, for the first time that day, like we really had it in us to pull off our itinerary. That day was my single favorite day of the 46 and the summit of Skylight was the high point of that day for me.”

When considering his most rewarding journey, Brian can’t choose just one because “each peak had its own aura and experience.”

“It wasn’t just the peaks themselves, it was the hike in and out, the overnight accommodations: lean-tos versus tents, eating MRE’s [meals-ready-to-eat] and drinking Fosters oil cans. Even the weather made it unique: we hiked Skylight in July and were met with an ice pellet shower at the peak cairn. Hiking companions from my Dad, to my buddies, and acquaintances from Plattsburgh made the trips special, too.”

“The most fun was camping out in a lean-to with buds during a November deluge hiking the Santanonis with a perfectly placed tarp over a fire keeping it lit,” says Brian. 

Adding to their memorable experiences was a hike which Pat and Jeb were admittedly a bit under-prepared. “At some point in November 2013, we found ourselves halfway up Mt. Seward in waist-deep snow, wearing jeans and hoodies,” says Pat. Jeb recalls wearing sneakers that day.

The 46th peak is a way station

Rather than marking the end of the line, all three share the similar drive to keep going.

Pat was with Jeb that day. “It was a beautiful day, and as we summited Big Slide I distinctly remember the conflict I felt. It was the culmination of a great adventure, and one I wasn’t ready to conclude,” he says. 

Once Jeb touched the final survey marker and checked off his hike in the trail register: “I remember feeling really resolved to continue to hike the Adirondacks (as I still am), maybe just to keep the adventure going, but that’s what it’s all about.”

Brian still has plans to keep going. (In fact, when Brian became a 46er in 1996, fewer than 3,900 individuals had hiked all 46; today, that number is more than 14,700).

“I’ve hiked 75 high peaks in total, 12 of them multiple times,” he says. “I also have 17 winter peaks completed, only 29 to go. I’ve got those bucket-listed.”