When you set your alarm for a 5:30 AM wakeup on a weekend, look out the window at a ceiling of heavy, gray clouds, and lace up your boots anyway—you know you're a true adventurer.
This week, the Adirondack weather report was less than motivating: days of relentless downpours had turned the backcountry into a sponge. But with a break in the absolute heaviest rain forecasted for the day, we decided to tackle one of the most rugged, demanding, and rewarding circuits in the High Peaks: the Gothics, Armstrong, and Upper/Lower Wolfjaw Loop.
Here is how we survived 15 miles, 4,500 feet of vertical elevation gain, and a classic battle with the elements...
We hit the trailhead right around 6:30 AM. It didn't take long to realize exactly what a week of solid rain does to the trail. To call the paths "muddy" would be a massive understatement. The trails were essentially active, running streams. Foot placement became a high-stakes game of choosing between slick, exposed roots or shin-deep mountain sludge that threatened to swallow our boots whole.
The real work began as the elevation spiked. The Great Range doesn’t believe in gentle switchbacks; it’s more of a relentless, vertical stair-master. As we pushed higher, the wind began to howl through the trees, and the temperature dropped.
Soon, we reached the steep rock faces. Rock scrambling in the Adirondacks is always a thrilling challenge, but when the slabs are slick with fresh rain and mist, it elevates the adrenaline. We hauled ourselves up wet ledges, carefully wedging boots into slick cracks, and climbed the wooden step ladders bolted into the sheer mountain passes.
The crown jewel of the day was supposed to be Gothics, famous for its massive, sweeping exposed granite faces. The climb up Gothics is legendary, specifically because of the massive cable route installed to help hikers navigate the steep, bald rock face near the summit. Gripping that cold, wet cable and hauling ourselves up the slick rock while the wind whipped around us was an absolute blast—pure, unadulterated mountaineering fun.
Unfortunately, the mountain gods weren't giving up their secrets easily. When we finally stood on the summit of Gothics, we were completely socked in. No sweeping 360-degree vistas of the High Peaks. Just a wall of solid, swirling white cloud and a fierce wind. It was eerie, beautiful, and wild.
From Gothics, the journey becomes a literal rollercoaster of ups and downs as you traverse the ridge. You drop into deep, muddy cols only to immediately claw your way back up the next peak.
Thankfully, the weather decided to play ball just enough to reward our effort. As we summited Armstrong Mountain and pushed through Upper Wolfjaw and Lower Wolfjaw, the dense cloud cover occasionally broke. The valleys opened up beneath us, offering dramatic, moody views of mist rising from the rain-soaked forests below. There is nothing quite like watching the Adirondacks breathe after a storm.
By the time we finally made it back to the trailhead, we were drenched, caked in mud from the knees down, and completely exhausted.
The only logical next steps?
A nap, a meal, and some well-earned drinks. A couple of cold, local craft beers and a massive, hearty meal at Big Slide Brewery & Public House was exactly what the body needed to replenish 4,500 calories burned. To properly celebrate surviving the Great Range, we wrapped up the night at The Pickled Pig for a final round of drinks, exchanging stories with the locals.
We wouldn't trade those muddy, cable-climbing miles for anything. Until the next peak!
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