Hello I am looking for some extra info on winter hiking/camping trip on the NTP. I intend to go in at the Averyville lane trail head and hike in the 6 miles to the first tent site. Any information on how long it should take as wells as what kind of gear and how much for a four night five day trip. Thank you for you help.
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winter camping trip on the NTP
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Not as sinple as how long it will take
Light pack experienced hiker 3 hrs
4 night trip heavy pack? Could take you +10 hrs
Also conditions when do you plan on going?
Snow shoeing?
Have you hiked with 5 days of supplies before?
Also remember more than 3 nights you need to obtain a permit from local rangers
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I have hiked that trail before when I was younger and did a 3 night stay with a good friend of the family. I know I have to contact forest rangers for more than a 3 night stay. There will be 3 of use going to help break up the load on one person. I intend on using a cargo sled to help get our gear in and out. Friday March 16th till Tuesday March 20th will be the day were packing up and heading out.
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Six miles is a long way breaking trail with snowshoes, especially if the snow is powdery. The snow won't support your weight and will cascade atop the snowshoe making each step a chore. It can be done but if you are humping a heavy pack you best be in good physical shape.
Nothing beats winter camping methinks but I would target a shorter distance, set up a base camp, and explore from there. Have fun!"A culture is no better than its woods." W.H. Auden
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I haven't skied that trail myself, but I'll say this: If you aren't a good skier, certain hiking trails can be a real chore even without a pack. With extra weight up high, you can be certain of even more of a challenge.
Stick with snowshoes if you don't know the trail and are not a proficient skier. Even proficient skiers know better than to ski some trails in the Adirondacks unless they are looking for a good challenge and the conditions are just right.
Something like the Altai Hok would probably be OK to "ski" on most hiking trails as they are short and slow due to integrated skins, but even then, I'd suggest some practice with them and a solid understanding of ski conditions.
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I've section hiked the entire NPT in winter. I also have substantial winter backpacking experience in general.
The other posters in this thread aren't exaggerating. Our average pace across the entire NPT was about 5 miles per day. Those 6 miles into Wanika Falls could easily be more than a full day for a group of 3 with overnight gear. I'd expect that the first mile or two will be well packed out from Lake Placid locals, but beyond that is a gamble. You could get lucky and have a well packed trail all the way, but honestly, you're much more likely to have 3+ feet of unbroken, deep snow. Going that late in the season will give you the advantage of longer days, but it also makes your chances of encountering deep snow that much more likely.
Judging from your posts, it sounds like you guys are relatively new the winter backpacking (my apologies if this isn't correct). I'd strongly suggest picking a different destination for this trip, one that is both less remote and more easily accessed. You can't go wrong with a destination like Marcy Dam. In the winter, it will be (relatively) quiet compared to the summer, and in the event that something goes wrong, your car will be an hour away at most.
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I intend to go in at the Averyville lane trail head and hike in the 6 miles to the first tent site.
So are you saying for the 5 day trip your intent is to hike in 6 miles to 1st tent site. set up base camp and hang out / explore from there?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eyes on the Forest, not on the Trees
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