LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/481033
LOCALadk 22 Spring 2015 LOCALadk Magazine Hanging Spear Story & Photos by Scott Martin Most of us who love the Adirondacks are familiar with the Adirondack Loj Trailhead. It marks the start of some of the most beloved day hikes in the High Peaks: Colden, Avalanche Pass, and of course Mt. Marcy. But few people follow these trails to the other end of the wilderness, where the Upper Works Trailhead provides relatively easy access to something spectacular that often gets overlooked: the 70- foot tall Hanging Spear Falls. With nothing but the occasional hamlet surrounding it for miles, the Upper Works Trailhead is remote enough that it sees very little traffic. Add a five mile hike and an unmarked river crossing, and it's easy to see how the waterfall that appears to cascade from the sky might be missed. Due to the incredibly steep upper canyon, it's possible to see the many drops above the namesake falls from the overlook make it appear much taller than it actually is. Despite its remote nature, the falls caught the attention of world-renowned whitewater kayakers Steve Fisher and Pat Keller. Keller, who has been a professional whitewater paddler for the last several years and makes a habit of paddling over waterfalls taller than most people's houses, saw a photo of Hanging Spear Falls on the internet while google image searching 'waterfall' and was immediately determined to find it and try to paddle it. A passing comment to fellow expedition kayaker Steve Fisher set things inextricably into motion. In addition to traveling the globe in search of the world's most difficult rapids, Red Bull-sponsored Fisher is breaking into the filmmaking scene as well with documentary films like 'Congo: The Grand Inga Project' and 'Halo Effect' credited to his name already. Intrigued by the remote nature of Hanging Spear, (and drawn as well by the trailhead's proximity to his in-law's fishing resort, The Hungry Trout) Fisher started planning a short film which would showcase Hanging Spear Falls and the heart of the High Peaks wilderness. The idea was simple: assemble a team to kayak over the falls and through the incredibly steep gorge above it, and document the trip.