LOCALadk Magazine

54 Winter 2020 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk "Think you'll go for the Thru-Hike again? " a friend asked as we approached the split for Street and Nye. A few paces ahead, I stopped and turned. "Probably not." In the distance, the ridgeline of the MacIntyre range rose against an early June sky. Within moments, my words felt heavy with regret and I visualized the route to connect all 46 High Peaks without aid. No car rides, no food drops. Just a full pack and a week of camping and hiking in my favorite wil- derness areas. For years I tried to find a partner, and without luck, made a solo attempt in 2016. Past the halfway mark, I stopped. I was alone on the Great Range, and as tempera- tures pushed past 90, I weighed my choices. Unsupported attempts are a logistical puzzle and if I slowed down, I'd run out of food. But if I continued at record pace in 90 -plus heat on exposed terrain, I risked a heat injur y. It was hard to walk away from an expedition I'd put so much training and time into, but knew it was the right decision. Weather forecasts change, and when we stop listening to the mountains, mis- takes are made. I wanted to tr y again but was not sure if I had the men- tal energy to push through the demanding 180 miles with 70,000 feet of elevation gain again solo. Over the years, the idea of completing the thru-hike fell further down my expe- dition list and I found some satisfaction in knowing that I'd tried. But whenever I stood amidst the High Peaks, it called to me like a siren, and as much as I tried to ignore it, it kept saying "Tr y again." A few weeks had passed since the hike on Street and Nye. It was a rainy night and I flipped open my computer to a new message. "Hi, Bethany, Thank you for accepting my friend request recently. I stumbled upon your name while doing some re- search for a hike I hope to take next year. This is a personal challenge I have dreamt about, and I feel it's time. I'd like to attempt the 46 Thru-Hike." Katie Rhodes had an impressive resume, with backcountr y experience as a guide and wilderness mountain rescue coor- dinator. Under her profile picture it said, "I love things that seem impossible." Perfect. I grinned and messaged back, "Let's chat!" Via phone, we introduced ourselves and talked route and strategy. An hour breezed by and we scheduled a weekend to meet in person and trek. Just when I'd let it go, it came back. In 2009 Jan Wellford and Cor y Delavalle made histor y when they completed the 46 Thru-Hike route in 7 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes to become the first to do so in unsupport- ed fashion. They began at Corey's Road, and over the course of a week walked to the summit of ever y High Peak in the Adirondacks, ending their journey at the ASRC (Atmospher- ic Science Research Center) trailhead for Esther Mountain. Mike Lynch ran the stor y for the Adirondack Explorer. I stud- ied their route and gear list and began to plot my attempt. It was my first year hiking in the High Peaks and there was no place I'd rather be than scampering up mountains to run down them. The idea of completing the Thru-Hike became my Adirondack Everest and I carried that magazine article The Thru-Hike: Fastest Known Time By Bethany Garretson Eric Adsit

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