I had the pleasure of guiding Tom up his 22nd and 23rd High Peaks this past week. That’s makes that 19 we’ve summited together! The weather wasn’t certain it was going to give us great views, but it smiled upon us in the end.

And the mountain gifted us with some rare trailside wildlife sightings — a fox and a snake! These mountains give and give.

@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide

Two people wearing outdoor gear smile while standing on a rock ledge overlooking a river winding through a valley. Text reads Indian Head & Colvin May 15 2025. A hiker ascends wooden steps using trekking poles in a forest setting surrounded by trees and underbrush on a wet and muddy trail. Forest-covered mountains stretch across the landscape with a river at the bottom and patches of clouds hanging over the peaks under a clear blue sky. A person in hiking gear climbs a rocky slope in a dense forest, surrounded by evergreen trees and patches of snow. A person wearing hiking gear and a yellow cap stands smiling near a waterfall in a forest setting with trees and rocks nearby. A person with a hiking backpack stands on a wooded trail overlooking vast green mountains under a clear blue sky. Text reads Esther Mountain May 16 2025. A wooden sign saying ESTHER MOUNTAIN path not maintained or marked is attached to a tree in a dense forest under sunlight filtering through branches. Trees stand tall with bare branches foregrounding a distant mountain peak under a blue sky textured with clouds. The surrounding area is dense with green foliage. ![A metal plaque embedded in rock commemorates Esther McComb’s first recorded ascent of Mt. Esther at age 15. Text reads:

1839 MT ESTHER 1939 4270 FEET TO COMMEMORATE THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF ESTHER McCOMB AGE 15 WHO MADE THE FIRST RECORDED ASCENT OF THIS PEAK FOR THE SHEER JOY OF CLIMBING TROY N.Y.](https://jb.heydingus.net/uploads/2025/17953004720954229.jpg) A pair of hiking shoes rest on a rocky surface surrounding an orange water bottle labeled Onward Mountain Lodge and a Lunchables Turkey & Cheddar pack during a break on a hike. A snake lies camouflaged among rocks and leaves in a forest setting with scattered sunlight filtering through the trees. A snake with a patterned skin slithers among dry leaves, twigs, and pine needles on a sunlit forest floor, partially camouflaged by the natural debris. A person wearing a red shirt and yellow cap sits on a rocky ledge viewing a vast green mountain landscape under a cloudy sky.