Bill Ingersoll - Snowshoe Routes: Adirondacks & Catskills

BILL INGERSOLL

THE MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS is the nonprofit publishing arm of The Mountaineers, an organization founded in 1906 and dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and enjoyment of outdoor and wilderness areas..

1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134

2006 by Bill Ingersoll

All rights reserved

First edition, 2006

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Acquiring Editor: Christine Hosler

Project Editors: Laura Drury and Margaret Sullivan

Copy Editor: Colin Chisholm

Cover and Book Design: The Mountaineers Books

Layout: Mayumi Thompson

Cartographer: Moore Creative Design

Photographer: All photos by the author unless otherwise noted

Cover photograph: Woman and dog running in snow Corbis

Frontispiece: Climbing towards the treeline on Mount Marcy

A catalog record for this book is on file at the Library of Congress.

Printed on recycled paper

MAP KEY

I began hiking and snowshoeing as a solitary pursuit, but over the years I have developed a network of knowledgeable and enthusiastic companions whose love for the Adirondacks and Catskills is no less fervent than my own. I availed myself of their company whenever the opportunity presented itself. In particular, I would like to thank Paul and Liz Kalac, Paul Repak, Paul Sirtoli, Jennifer Sweeney, and Doug Tinkler, all of whom accompanied me at one time or another during the winter when I performed the principal research for this book. These companions not only enlivened the walks, but their observations and insights augmented my own.

The Kalacs deserve further credit, for it was they who hiked Snowy Mountain at a time when it looked as though my own ambitious hiking schedule would not allow me to get there before winters end. As Paul and I reasoned, what good is an Adirondack snowshoeing guidebook that doesnt include a mountain named Snowy? They climbed the mountain on Lizs birthday, and it was Pauls notes of that trip that formed the basis for the trail description in this guide.

I also owe thanks to the editors and staff at The Mountaineers Books for making this project happen. I hope that this has been a pleasant experience for all involved.

Above all, however, I would be remiss if I did not mention Barbara McMartins indirect contributions to this book. It was her trail descriptions that originally introduced and enticed me to many portions of the Adirondacks, and it was the historical research she provided in her guidebooks that formed the basis of my own understanding of why the region is the way it is today. And, of course, it was Barbara who got me into the guidebook business in the first place. Writing Snowshoe Routes has given me the chance to structure my first solo book from the ground upusing my own voice and my own observations from my many trips over the yearsalthough I found it impossible to distance myself very far from Barbaras influence. The reader will find that influence everywhere in this guide. She passed away in 2005, before I had finished drafting the manuscript.