LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk | Up & Comer How I Became a 46'er by: Nate Ball Unedited - This is Nate's story, in his own words. T his is the story of how I became an Adirondack 46er. During the fall of 2009, I hiked Pitchoff Mt. My parents said that mountain is "the closest to a High Peak." That made me curious about this "High Peak" thing. In the early Spring of 2010, my dad and I hiked Cascade Mountain. I had so much energy after, I hiked Porter too. That was when at the age of seven, I decided that I wanted to be an Adirondack 46'er. That summer at the age of eight, I hiked eight more High Peaks; Algonquin, Iroquois, Wright Peak, Marcy, Skylight, Ester, Whiteface, and Giant. The highlight of the summer was my hike up Marcy and Skylight with my dad and our friend Mitch. Mitch is a geology teacher. He taught me and my dad about rocks we saw along the way. He was excited to take a picture of Lake Tear of the Clouds to show his class where the Hudson River begins. He lives in New Paltz in the Catskills close to the Hudson River down there but not so close to Lake Tear of the Clouds. The whole way down I kept complaining that I wanted to climb Phelps but they Nate on top of Cascade Mtn., his 1st High Peak kept telling me "There is not enough time," and "It We started the season with Big Slide and swam in John's is going to get dark." When I would ask them how far the Brook in May! The next hike was my longest hike ever. next break spot was, they would say "right around the My dad and I hiked Haystack, Basin and Saddleback. corner." But really it wasn't the next corner, or the next, We started at 6:45 a.m. and got back to the car at 9:45 it was like the millionth corner from where we were. p.m. But that didn't stop me. I hiked Street and Nye The next summer (2011) my dad and I started out with my friends from Lake Placid Outing Club (LPOC). It by hiking Mt. Colden. It was awful because everything rained the whole way, was very cold, and no views. Also was wet and when we got to the summit, it was totally with LPOC and my mom, I hiked Gray Peak and Skylight socked in! And then we decided to go down the back (repeat). Summer had just begun. I was eager to get back side. The trail was like a river. When we were in Avalanche with my ATIS hiking buddies. For first summits, I hiked Pass and we looked up at the Trap Dike, it looked like Nippletop and Sawteeth as well as many repeats. a waterfall. On Fourth of July my mom, dad and I hiked The rest of the High Peaks were 12 hour the Lower Range: Gothics, Armstrong, Upper Wolf Jaw, adventures with my family: the Dix Range, Cliff and and Lower Wolf Jaw. We missed the fireworks, but it was Redfield (my favorite High Peak for the hike along worth it. beautiful Uphill Brook and the view at the top), the The following week I started Adirondack Trail Seward Range (3) (North side of Seward Mt. was my Improvement Society (ATIS*). My first hike with ATIS least favorite trail – steer clear!), Seymour Mt., Santanoni was Dix Peak via the finger slide. I also hiked Table Top Range (3) and Allen Mt. Mountain, Phelps Mountain and Dial Mountain with ATIS; On September 9, 2012, at the age of nine, I Colvin and Blake with mom and dad, and two days before climbed my 46th Adirondack High Peak, Mt. Marshall, by Hurricane Irene, I hiked Rocky Peak and Giant (repeat) going up the Scott's Clearing trail and down the Herbert with my parents, my friend Patrick and his dad. I met my Brook trail and through Lake Colden and Avalanche pass. goal to be at 22 High Peaks by the end of the summer It was a special ending to my hard work. Becoming a and since all the trails were closed due to the damage 46er taught me a lot about myself and my family; I am from Irene, it was just in time! calm and focused, my mom grumbles, and my dad hikes My goal for the summer of 2012 was to hike 12 faster when he is panicked and likes to change plans more High Peaks for a total of 34 but I never stopped. 12 LOCALadk Magazine Spring 2013

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