Tom has set up shop in Lake Placid for the next few weeks to knock out the last of his ADK High Peaks. We kicked off his hiking residency with a trip up Mt. Marshall (4,360’) via the Calamity Brook trail. It was a fine fall hiking day for Tom’s 34th High Peak, and the best conditions I’ve had on Marshall all year. It was a great warm up for our longer hikes coming up — namely Allen and the Santanoni Range later this week!

As an aside and a general PSA, venturing off trail looking for shortcuts is not a great idea — especially late in the day or when you’re on your own. We picked up a new friend when Tom and I faintly heard him yelling for help off in the woods somewhere. He’d fallen behind his friend and tried to beeline off trail through the forest toward the trailhead to make up time. He quickly realized his mistake, but after 30-40 minutes of wandering on his own, he became worried he wasn’t going to find the trail again and yelled for help. Tom and I just so happened to be within earshot at the time, were able to locate him on the wrong side of Calamity Brook, and guide him back to safety. It all turned out okay, but could have been a very different night had we not been traveling through that section of trail at the time. In short: stay with your hiking buddy, stay on trail (bushwhacking is hardly ever a shortcut), and if you feel that you’re lost, stop. Call out for help right away if you don’t recognize your way back — don’t go wandering further!

@lakeplacidadk @saranaclake @tupperlakeny @adirondack46ers_ @hike.adk @mountaineerbandana @newyorkoutdoorguides #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide

A reflective pond bordered by dense green trees under a clear sky captures a serene forest landscape. Text reads Mt. Marshall October 18 2025 Tom’s 34th High Peak. A person wearing hiking gear walks on a narrow wooden plank over a small stream using trekking poles in a dense forested area with scattered sunlight filtering through the trees. A person wearing outdoor gear stands smiling with hiking poles on a rock in a forested area by a narrow wooden footbridge over muddy water surrounded by tall, thin trees. Man standing beside a stone monument holding trekking poles wearing hiking gear in a forested area. The monument reads: “This monument erected by filial affection to the memory of a dear father David Henderson who accidentally lost his life on this spot 3 September 1845." Rocky path stretches through dense forest bordered by tall evergreen trees under a clear blue sky. A hiker walks with trekking poles through a dense forest, navigating a narrow path beside a small stream. Sunlight filters through tall trees, casting shadows on the ground. Stacked stones rest on green moss along a forest path surrounded by trees and scattered fallen leaves. Sunlight filters through the dense canopy, lighting patches of the ground. A hiker wearing a backpack and cap pauses on a rocky forest trail surrounded by dense green trees and moss-covered ground. A person holds up one finger while standing on a forest trail wearing hiking gear. The person carries trekking poles and is surrounded by dense trees and moss-covered ground. A solitary bird perches on a bare tree branch surrounded by dense green forest with a large mountain in the background under a clear blue sky A person standing and smiling, wearing hiking gear and a cap, surrounded by lush green foliage with distant rolling mountains under a clear blue sky. A person wearing a bright orange hoodie stands smiling on a mountain trail holding a hiking pole surrounded by green trees with a distant view of blue mountains under a clear sky. A person wearing a beige shirt and blue cap displays hand gestures while standing in a forested area near a sign on a tree. The sign reads MT HAYES. Wooden sign reading Mt Marshall attached to a tree trunk amidst a forest setting with branches and lichen visible around it.