It lives, even if in (not the same) name only. I can’t make any promises or keep the old world from changing, but I can hold a little piece of it and carry it with me wherever I go. Upstate Adventure Baby!
McKenzie Mountain is the tallest and arguably the hardest to climb of the Saranac 6, due mainly to it’s frequent technical scrambles in the second half. Mckenzie rivals many of the smaller 46ers in terms of difficulty.
“The 50L AirContact Ultra from Deuter is the first pack I’ve used that is competitive in the light-weight thru-hiking space. Whether or not you consider it to be a top-contender will depend on a lot of personal preferences, size requirements, weight and more.
Buck Mountain is a recent re-addition to the Fire Tower scene, having been reopened to the public in 2023. This one is a short and sweet trip, with great views of the surrounding lakes from the top of the tower.
Our unending upstate adventure takes flight from time to time, but most of it occurs right in the heart of the Adirondacks, in the High Peaks. Join us on our journey to achieve the covetous status of 46’ers, having climbed them all and lived to tell the tales. In addition to absolutely stunning photography, you can also find short write-ups for our High Peaks trips, hopefully they may have some information or tidbits of use to you on your journey. This is where Upstate Adventure was born.
The 6 Peaks near Lake Saranac are another Adirondack staple that live in infamy as some of the most underrated climbs in the entire park. Ampersand and Saint Regis are personal favorites. An “Ultra 6er” status is awarded to those who complete all 6 in under 24 hours. Very cool, but not quite at the speed of the Upstate Adventure Bois. We’ll settle for some great day climbs.
The always beautiful Fire Towers scattered across the Adirondacks and Catskills are the more casual and enjoyable showings of New York in regards to climbs and hikes. Only a small handful of these hikes can be considered difficult, and nearly all of them offer beautiful views all year round. For the uninitiated, these are great places to start for winter climbs as well, particularly the more popular ones which will generally have broken trails. Some of the longest and tallest climbs here rival the High Peaks in difficulty. No great upstate adventure is complete without a beer in a fire tower.
It truly seems as though we’ll be New Yorkers forever, but that doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes “get out.” we’ve got friends in far places, and everywhere we go there’s something to climb. From North Carolina to Tennessee, maybe elsewhere too, we intend on seeing as much of it as we can. Turns out the Upstate Adventure ethos isn’t restricted to Upstate.
The Upstate Adventure bois are not exactly shills in the traditional sense, and I’m not really the kind of guy who would hock crap for pennies, but the Upstate Adventure bois and I have spent our fair share on outdoor equipement, and generally aren’t very coy about our opinions on any of it. Here you can find our opinions on the good, the bad and the ugly.