Friday, October 13, 2017

Hiking Haystack (Saranac 6 no. 5)

Haystack Mountain

After our quite Hyde Park hike, and after a night in a horse-racing themed hotel halfway to the Saranac Lake area, we drove up to the Adirondacks to climb the next peak in our Saranac Six quest.

Haystack (not to be confused with the other Haystack, an Adirondack high peak) starts from the same parking area as the main route up MacKenzie, the hardest of the six. We set out not sure what to expect; it was a greyish day, and we weren't sure we'd have any view awaiting us at the top.

The climb is relatively easy from a technical point of view - not a lot of scrambling. The hardest part is crossing the stream below a dam relatively early in the hike. We enjoyed our new poles, however, as they provide a slight assist.

Near the top, there is a small ledge with a view. There we met a couple from New Jersey who were hiking with their Yorkie, who they are aiming to make the smallest Saranac 6er. He (and they) have one peak left. 

From there, it is a short distance to another viewpoint, not technically the top but very close. We were pleasantly surprised that despite the grey day, the view was not totally socked in. We enjoyed the view before heading down to a local brewery for dinner.

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