The morning was warm with rain in forecast, a light fog swelled up from the tarmac and the wild turkeys were out roaming the fields. We opted early the day before to hike something less aggressive that wouldn't take too long and then end up getting stuck in the rain. Rain this time of year is a recipe for disaster in the hills of the Adirondacks – it doesn't take long for hypothermia to set in if you are wet and the air temperatures are hovering in the high thirties.
Off we headed toward the Adirondack Loj, one more time, this round we were to get Street and Nye for Corenne's winter 46. We donned our snowshoes at the trailhead and started a rather brisk pace toward the herd-path. We saw that a group of six had signed in to do Street and Nye today as well, so we would have company, so it seemed. It's pretty automatic for me to go right to the herd-path without thinking, but not realizing it can be tough to find. You need to take the junction for the long trail to Mount Jo and then as the trail breaks hard right a second time, follow where the sign reads Trail Not Maintained beyond this point. Come to find out. That group of six must have continued on towards Rocky Falls, a common mistake for those not familiar with the area.
The herd-path was broken out rather well and very easy to follow, and before we knew it we had descended all the way down to the crossing of Indian Pass Brook. I took all bets that it would be frozen completely and it was. Combining a couple small snow/ice bridges we were across without a drop of water on our feet.
At this point we were moving along very fast, much faster than I thought we would seeing as how we got very little sleep the night before. At the second water crossing a small log led us to dry land on the opposite shore. I don't know what I would have done if I had slipped in to that ice cold 3 inches of water, well I guess I'm just lucky.
Not far past here I noticed a foul stench and my mind went in the total wrong direction, but it just turned out to be some methane gases coming from the nearby beaver swamp. Eventually we found ourselves funneled into the Basin which I have referred to for years as S&N Basin.
As we started to climb we could feel the muscles in our legs screaming from lack of sleep and my four hours of heavy skiing the day before at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Did I mention I tried skate skiing for the first time the day before? I now have a whole new appreciation for the Olympics.
We reached the large boulder in the pass, before a blink of an eye and soon we were at lookout rock taking in the fantastic views of the High Peaks. From here it was a game of up and under as the dead-fall became much more apparent with 3-feet of snow under our feet. If it wasn't for my huge guide pack, I might have stood a fighting chance of not losing my mind, but then again it's hard to lose something that you don't really fully possess. The Street and Nye Junction came and went like the passing breeze, which I might add, had a bit of ice pellets in it. We opted to get Nye Mountain out of the way first. 10-minutes later we stood on Nye with rain hitting us like small needle in a thirty mile per hour torrent. We were back at the intersection in 5-minutes thanks to that.
Off to Street we go, hi-ho, hi-ho off to Street we go. We moved very fast on this slight descent into the pass. A few leaning and down-trees slowed us a bit but not for not, it was smooth sailing. The climb up Street is always a favorite of mine and I am sure always will be. The woods are ever so welcoming, open and not intrusive or suffocating. The winter wonderland we had finally stepped in was a pillow of white. We stood atop the wooded summit of Street, just 20-minutes from the intersection, my fastest time yet – it really wasn't a race of time rather than a race against the elements, it was going to rain and rain hard before this day was out, and we wanted to be sipping hot Irish coffee's when it does.
We were back at the intersection in 15-minutes and who was there? That group of six that had taken a wrong turn and ended up someplace. They weren't that far behind us, maybe a bit over an hour at this point, they would be fine, they had plenty of time. I was now setting a race to points of interest to see if we could do it and to try and stay ahead of the weather that was developing over the MacIntyre's. I was thinking 15-minutes to the boulder, it was ten. Back at the crossing in 45-minutes, it was 35-minutes. Back at the car in a day under 5-hours, it was a total day of 5-hours and 2-minutes. That was an hour faster than my best time, but with that comes the exhaustion of the legs and a hobble only associated with hikers.
We got back to town, took a hot shower and then the heaven opened up. It was pouring pretty hard and I could see the snow disappearing in the yard. I never set such a high pace, but this day, something in the back of my head told me, we need to high-step it, and I am glad we did.
Interested in a guided trip of Street and Nye, check out our local guides in the Lake Placid area. Need a stiff drink after a long day on the trail, check out some of the nightlife in town. Want to crash and just order in room service, we know right where to send you. Spencer Morrissey is a guide at High Peaks Mountain Guides in Lake Placid and a two time winter Forty-Sixer.
