Risk vs. Reward in the Mountains
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By Lisa Ballard |
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Earlier this summer, my cousins, Gene and his son Woody, asked me to take them up Mount Marcy (elevation 5,344 feet), the highest peak in the Adirondack Park and New York State. I agreed. After all, I wrote the guidebook, Hiking the Adirondacks.
It was a bucket-list hike for them. However, as our hike got closer, I had misgivings.
Our day started with a 3:30 a.m. departure for the trailhead.
Going up went well, but reaching the summit accounted for only half of the trek.
The other half, safely descending to the trailhead, proved more difficult.
My sore foot was happy in a well-used pair of LOWA Renegades. Ibuprofen and maintaining a rolling gate downhill, instead of braking every step,
relieved the pounding to my temperamental knee.
Gene used to be an avid runner, but at age 72, his road time was more in a car than running shoes. Woody, 30-something, was a rock climber relegated to indoor walls in Philadelphia where he now lived. I nursed a swollen knee with torn cartilage and a foot with a nagging bunion.
Could we handle this rugged 15-mile hike with its 3,200 vertical gain?
The night before, I assessed us all.
Yes, we could do this. It would be demanding, maybe painful. We could always turn around if the route threatened to overwhelm us. I knew my limits, and I had hiked
Mount Marcy a number of times. Gene and Woody had reviewed all available info about Marcy and had assessed the challenges.
They were still eager.
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Photo credit: Lisa Ballard, (Left)The steep log trail leading up to Mount Marcy.
(Right) LOWA Ambassador, Lisa Ballard on a hiker bridge near the remains of Marcy Dam.
However, Gene, who was already extremely fatigued at the summit, found each step downhill – initially on steep slab and then on the eroded, cobbled trail – taxed him to his maximum, both physically and mentally. Luckily, Woody was able to guide Gene’s footfalls to ensure he made it.
The next day, we were stiff but overjoyed at summiting such an iconic peak together. The weather had been perfect, cool and clear, affording amazing 100-mile views into Quebec, Vermont, and the rest of the Adirondack High Peaks, but mainly, we did it. What an accomplishment to share with loved ones!
There’s something in human DNA that urges us to push our limits. Not everyone is going to climb a Mount Marcy. For some, stepping onto any trail is adventurous. We go because we fully intend to make it home again, which means measuring the risk versus the reward beforehand, not just for oneself, but also for everyone else.
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