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| View from Rocky Peak summit to Bald Peak, Lake Champlain and Green Mtns. |
I lucked out and found a sleeping giant.
In all these years of hiking the High Peaks, I can't remember ever once driving by the Giant Ridge Trail/Chapel Pond parking areas on Route 73 and seeing fewer than a dozen cars and an equal number of hikers anxiously milling about in preparation for their big outings. Imagine my surprise when, on a Tuesday after the Columbus Day long weekend, I found myself pulling up to these parking areas and finding them completely empty. Score. Indeed, I wound up having the super-popular Giant Ridge Trail all to myself for almost an entire day.
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| First vista point, view to Chapel Pond and Giant Ridge Trail parking |
I hit the trail at 7 a.m. sharp and made quick work of the first section of the trail - the switchback climb of some 600 feet of gain up to the Chapel Pond overlook. The usually-dry stream was raging from the weekend's heavy rains, but the crossings were still easy. It's neat to be able to look down on the pond and see your car as a tiny speck far below.
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| Noonmark and Great Range from Giant Ridge Trail above Washbowl |
It's easy to see why Giant Ridge Trail is so popular. There are lots of switchbacks along the route, which eases the significant gain over such a short mileage. But it is still up up up up up from the get go. Towards to top, the trail leaves the woods and follows a series of open rock ledges which were stripped of their vegetation by a forest fire years ago. When ascending, you really don't get the full visual effect as your eyes are on the trail ahead and your mind on the workout to get to the summits. But when descending, the trail on these ledges rewards you with a wide, sweeping panorama of the full High Peaks from the Dix Range to the Great Range. It's got to be one of the best views in the ADK.
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| View to Rocky Peak from Giant shoulder |
The most difficult part of this hike was the drop into the col between Giant and Rocky Peak. It's a steep, knee-breaking descent and, of course, has to be reclimbed after visiting Rocky. The solace, I suppose, is that once you are in the col, the climb up to Rocky Peak is at moderate grade and quite easy. To ease the burden even more, I stowed my heavy pack and went up with just minimal gear. As expected, the views from Rocky Peak were amazing as well. The high winds prevented a long stay, so I soon descended, took a lunch break in the col (out of the wind), and then made the slog-of-a-climb back up the Giant. I made sure to pay a quick visit to the summit, too, which is just a few hundred yards from the junction.
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| Moderate grade trail to Rocky Peak summit |
I saw my first hikers of the day once I was back on Giant and preparing to descend. First it was a solo hiker. Then a second soloist. Then a group of two with a dog. And then a family of four (without packs or water). Then another group and another and another. It was trail congestion central for a short span of time and I had to keep pausing to let people ascend - good naturedly, of course, and I even chatted with a few. Fortunately, once I passed the intersection with the Roaring Brook Trail, it got very quiet again and I didn't see any other hikers for the remainder of the day.
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| View of Dix Range and Round Pond from Giant Ridge Trail |
I was back to my car at 1:00 p.m. for a total trail time of six hours. As expected, the parking areas were full.
Peaks: Rocky Peak and Giant Mountain
Elevation: 4,420 feet and 4,626 feet (Gain: 4,238 feet)
Distance: 7.3 miles roundtrip
Route: Out and Back: Giant Ridge Trail to East Trail
Conditions: Partly sunny, 30 degrees F
