giant and rocky peak ridge winter

My sister and I hiked Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge from the Roaring Brook trail on Rte 73 to Rt 9 in New Russia. Hard, but views are worth it. The snowy summit of Giant Mountain at 8:15 AM was completely clouded in, but the wind was low making it beautifully quiet. Meanwhile, the temperature had risen comfortably into the mid 20’s F and the sun was fighting through the cloud-cover. Extraordinary! 9 in New Russia, NY, and follows the East Trail up to the summits of Rocky and Giant. Great hike! You'll have superb scenery to motivate you, however, and while Giant Mountain offers great views, the Rocky Peak Ridge might steal the show. we did spend over an hour at the summit and we stopped alot along the way, but hiking up the trail was even worst. the higher we got the steeper the trail got some spots we were like omg! For more information on the trail contact the NYS DEC or visit their website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9163.html. Would give this hike 6 stars if allowed. The trip was just over 11 miles and took 7 3/4 hours with about a 20-30 minute stop on top of each high peaks. Nice trail report, thanks for leaving and with nice pics too. After enjoying the summit you will head back down to the junction and head towards Rocky Peak Ridge (RPR). There was a young couple sitting atop the peak that morning. Also, hiking 15 miles isn’t typically the same as walking 15 miles (I say typically bc experienced hikers can rock that easily). RPR looked like it might has some visibility Looking back at Giant from RPR We reached the icy step on the way down Giant and it was still mostly covered in snow. The GPS coordinates are 44.161165 (latitude), -73.720279 (longitude) and the approximate elevation is 4,626 feet (1,410 meters) above sea level. The hiking never ends! There is no fee to park there. Rocky Peak Ridge in winter. The Ridge Trail to Giant Summit: 3 miles (3050' ascent)3 hours Round trip traverse to Rocky Peak Ridge: 2.6 miles (1400' ascent) 2 hours Total trip: 8.6 miles (4650' ascent) 8 hours. The Ridge Trail to Giant Summit: 3 mi Ascent: 3050′ High Peak Rank: 12 Elevation: 4,626′ Rocky Peak Ridge from Giant: 1.3 mi, 2.6 mi RT Ascent: 1400′ ascent High Peak Rank: 20 Elevation: 4,390′ Total Distance: 8.6 miles RT Time with stops: ~8 hrs Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge Trail is a 9.2 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near New Russia, New York that features a lake and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. Otherwise, it was empty. Considered a challenging hike, particularly on hot days, but also seen as one of the best hikes in the Adirondack High Peaks for peak fall foliage, Rocky Peak Ridge is a pretty climb with some steep ups and downs, and is often done in conjunction with Giant, as it adds a little over 2.5 miles to include Giant in the trip. Giant Mountain is the 12th highest peak in the Adirondacks; Giant can also be approached by first climbing Rocky Peak Ridge Camping. this hike is 11.3 mi, according to my ADK trail map, and after hiking it today, can say it was true. One of the best ascents in all the High Peaks in my opinion. One of the hardest hikes I've done, absolutely beautiful vistas. For those hiking in groups with a range of abilities, the trip is a good bet … Giant and Rocky Peak via the Ridge Trail. From this point on you will be scrambling up a trail of open ledges and amazing viewpoints. I snapped a couple photos and quickly turned back to head towards Rocky Peak Ridge, hoping for it’s wonderful views. Your email address will not be published. These are around 2,300 feet in height and the last ones you will cross over on the way out. I-87 (Northway) to Exit 30, west on 73 to parking areas. didn't give it a thought, because at the time we didn't know that we were actually hiking one of the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. Overnight on Sunday, the valley got a nice dusting of snow, which coupled with the nearly-full moon made it bright enough to start my hike at 6:15 AM without a headlamp. As you begin up the Ridge trail towards Giants massive summit you will walk through beautiful woods, cross a log as you pass by Giants Washbowl and then enjoy some excellent exposed rock hiking. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The Chapel Pond Trailhead is across from Chapel Pond several miles north on 73 from the intersection of 73 and Route 9. There are many rock scrambles with places to grip hands and feet. As the snow got softer, it no longer stuck to our snowshoes. Gothics East Face (Rainbow Slide) 2013 on ADK Almanac 3/15/12, 2/23/13, 6/15/13 It has everything: tons of views, fantastic summits, lakes, uncrowded trails. Rock scrambles that were suppose to be non negotiable. Finally, after 3.2 hours of hiking, I reached the wiiiindy summit. You are standing yards away from the massive slides on the mountains westerly face that make it so distinctive from the road below. It wasn’t until about an hour afterwards that the clouds finally left Rocky Peak, at least giving me the beautiful eastern vista on my way back to Giant. the view was so worth it though and I can't wait to do my next high peak. Day ended beautifully. this hike is not for the faint of heart and needs mental toughness. You are on top of one big mountain. Rocky Peak Ridge stands as the high point on the ridge extending east from Giant. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. And you get to do the Giant ridge trail going downhill so you can enjoy all of the views without turning around. Across the valley, Rocky Peak Ridge’s twin slides (sand and rubble) looked nearly vertical, an illusion of perspective. Snowshoes are required and will suffice on the lower reaches of the trail, but snow spikes are highly recommended on the steep, mostly exposed ridge and on the upper reaches of the mountain. At 0.5 miles the trail will level out a bit, climbing again soon to 0.7 miles, at which point you will reach a viewpoint overlooking Chapel Pond. It also made for a scenic ascent, and my tracks were the first on the new snow. So this is what winter looks like. Making my way back to Giant Mountain, I arrived just after noon to the same view I had four hours earlier. They were delicately outlined in snow. we set out on that trail at 6am didn't made it to my car until around 815pm. You’re not done after RPR, not as easy as it looks on paper. - From Giant over to Rocky Peak Ridge you take the East Trail which drops quickly to the col before moderately making it's way up to the Summit of Rocky Peak Ridge. Fabulous hike! The hike up to Giant has lots of switchbacks which help with the steep incline a bit. There is a nice open rock ridgeline going up Giant, allowing views back down the trail, towards Round, Noonmark and Bear Den mountains. The start of Rocky Peak was tough. Unmarked Trails . Great views at both, took my dogs on the trail. Rocky Peak Ridge from the Giant/RPR split. The descent off the eastern face of Giant Mountain was steep and icy, but beautiful even in the clouds. Bring plenty of water if you’re going out on a hot day. A few gentlemen were ahead of us on Rocky, which revealed the beginnings of a broken-out path. Giant Mountain in winter. It had been warmer over the weekend than my 19° start, so I was able to “bare boot” it until just shy of the summit. Can beginners do it? You should really make sure you have enough supplies to last you overnight in case of an emergency and it’s a necessity to bring water purification for the lake after rocky peak ridge as you’ll be needing water at that point. We set out to climb Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge, via the Ridge Trial (also known as the Zander Scott Trail) just 0.2 miles from Chapel Pond, adding one more peak towards my 46, Rocky Peak Ridge. Great hike! Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge Trail is a 14.8 kilometer moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near New Russia, New York that features a lake and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. The views along the East Trail probably make it one of the best hikes in the Adirondacks. Absolutely gorgeous, but as other reviewers have stated, this entire trail rarely lets up. I did Giant. It is from tis point on that the hike is fairly incredible - the ridge hike allows you to summit three additional smaller mountains (Bald, Blueberry and Mason) while enjoying incredible views along the way and a walk through a picturesque lower forest. so I got all excited call up my friend to share the news then we decided that since we made it to the summit of giant why not aspire to hike all 46 high peaks. Rocky Peak is a wonderful peak. Giant Mountain offers a diversity of ascent options, but I’ll admit to playing favorites. The only really difficult part is the ascent from RPR to Giant. Coming off Giant and on to RPRidge was beautiful, peaceful, solitude that I will remember forever. So too was the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge, which was completely engulfed in white. Take some time to relax here and then make your way back to the intersection to start heading down the East Trail. You will soon have a really beautiful descent down the long ridge over several smaller peaks with open views on ledges the entire way. Ascending the Ridge (Zander Scott) Trail and climbing the expansive East Face sets the stage for a day with breathtaking views on approach and a challenging slide climb as the main event. The last mountain with a name you will skirt on the way down the East Trail. , Colden, and the vehicle to playing favorites my way back to.... And you ’ re not done after RPR, not as easy as it looks on paper in hour! Intersection to start heading down the East trail probably make it so distinctive the. Wonderful views my time trail contact the NYS DEC or visit their website at http: //www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9163.html heart. A scenic ascent, and the vehicle, East face, Dipper, Finger & 6/4/11! Lots of switchbacks which help with the steep incline a bit chilly ( ~35-40°F ), but wasn. 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