VIDEO: Overnight Backpacking Avalanche Pass to Lake Colden, Adirondacks, NY

Trip Type: Overnight, out-and-back

Where: Heart Lake Trailhead, 44.182818, -73.962325

Length: 12-14 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Notes: Bear Canister REQUIRED, Campfires PROHIBITED

Yessiree bob, summer is kickin’ into high gear here in the Garden State. Muggy, stormy weather followed by beautiful, sunny days is pretty much the norm for this time of year.

On this sunny day, I want to bring you some #adventureinspo from the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

Back in late May, Marek and I set off for the High Peaks Wilderness of the Adirondacks near Lake Placid. We reserved a campsite at the Adirondack Mountain Club’s fabulous Heart Lake Loj on a Thursday, only to set off for an overnight backpacking trip into the wilderness Friday into Saturday.

While the Heart Lake trailhead is where many hikers begin their journey up 5,343 foot Mount Marcy (the highest peak within NY), we were interested in exploring the passes and valleys far below the towering summits.

From Heart Lake Loj, we traveled past Marcy Dam, through Avalanche Pass, and onto Lake Colden where we eventually pitched our tent along the Opalescent Brook…a circa 12-14 mile roundtrip out-and-back with some different routes returning around Lake Colden. If you’re planning to be in any part of the Eastern High Peaks, keep in mind a Bear Can is REQUIRED, otherwise you’ll have some brutish bruins searching through your foodstuffs ;) Also, all backcountry campfires are PROHIBITED, so make sure to pack plenty of layers in the colder months!

Without further adieu, here is the video recap of our backpacking trip in the High Peaks Wilderness of the ADKs:

P.S. Tomorrow we are off to COLORADO (!!!) for a superfluity of hiking and backpacking and beer-oriented adventures. Stay tuned upon our return to see what and where and how we explored!