Mount Marcy, Keene

I hiked to the peak durring the winter, be advised temperatures were 30-40 degrees colder than in the valley. Bring removable layers and ski goggle, as well as snow shoes with durable spikes expecially for the last few hundred feet. Best view in NY!

Most difficult hike I've ever done - and I've hiked quite a bit out West - but also incredibly rewarding. We went in late October, when there was some unexpected ice - if that is the case, renting crampons at ADK Loj is a must! Saved our lives. The trail was also VERY wet, so we did a lot of boulder hopping. We went up past Marcy Dam and camped at one of the first-come-first-serve sites on the far side of Avalanche Lake. The next day we proceeded up Feldspar and climbed the south side of Marcy - BRUTAL hike in terms of elevation, but the views of the river ans waterfalls were amazing. Marcy itself has fantastic views of everything, even with the wind whipping around. It was not as cold as we expected, even with the sun going down and ice on the rocks. The trail back down to Marcy Dam was decent once we got past the ice. We found a nice camping site in the wood for the night. Highly recommend going in summer or early fall - we went just a few weeks too late, which made it much harder going. But it was great and definitely an adventure of a lifetime! (Look out for bears! If your bear canister is inadequate, they will tell you at the Loj and trade you for a better one while you are in the park. Taking to the guides at the Loj for a half hour before going in probably saved our lives, they are very friendly and helpful!)