The Plan:
We'll be hiking up Esther Mountain and Whiteface Mountain on Saturday. This is a 10 miles roundtrip hike. It takes about 8 hours.
We'll start at 8h00 on Saturday morning and try to finish by 4pm and 5pm.
I am planning on leaving the city around 4pm. The drive up to Lake Placid is 8 hours.
We'll be camping out on Friday night at Meadows Lane but if it is not plowed, we will get a tent site at the Adirondack Loj down the road from Meadows Lane.
After our hike, we will drive to Montreal. It is a two hour drive so we should be in Montreal around 7pm. We will stay at a hotel in Montreal. The cost of the hotel in Montreal per person for Saturday night should be around 30 to 40 dollars per person. I will book the hotel one week before the trip so I will be asking for a payment of $40 two weeks before. If the hotel is cheaper than $40 then I will refund you the difference. This payment is non-refundable. If I don't hear from you when I send the email asking for payment then I will change your RSVP to No and you will join a very special list.
When we get to Montreal, we will check in the hotel, take a shower and go to get a good meal and hit a bar to celebrate our successful hike up Whiteface and Esther.
Equipment (Not optional):
Ice Axe (Optional but recommended for your own safety. Might save you life to have one if you start sliding down the mountain)
Crampons
Snowshoes
Winter hiking clothes
Gloves
Hat
Mittens
Winter Hiking Boots
Tent (Optional, we usually have enough tents)
0 F sleeping bag. You can get a 15 but I can't guarantee it will keep you toasty.
Headlamp
Map (optional but recommended)
I would prefer if everyone owned their own equipment, however if someone is missing something, we will not wait for the store to open at 8h30 in the morning to go rent the equipment. If you're missing something on the list you have two options:
Renting it in the city, you will have to call Tents & Trails and find out if they rent all the equipment and get it before the trip.
Option 2 is renting it from the EMS in Lake Placid. It closes at 10pm in December on Fridays. This is a four hour drive so if you need to rent your equipment from them make sure you get to Lake Placid by 9pm. Therefore all of you who don't have the equipment should be leaving NY the latest by 2pm in order to get to Lake Placid with enough time to rent your equipment from EMS. Again please call EMS yourselves and find out if they have all the equipment before a week or two before the trip.
Documents:
If US Citizen, Passport or Enhanced Drivers License issued by NY State. The Enhanced Driver's License is only issued by NY, MI, VT and WA. Your driver's license should say Enhanced on it otherwise you have a regular driver's license and you can't cross the border.
If permanent resident, you need to bring your green card to cross the border.
Others, please check with the Canadian consulate to make sure you can cross the border into Canada and return to US.
If you have never been to Montreal, this will be a blast. It is a gorgeous city and it is a lot of fun anytime of the year.
In your RSVP please let me know whether you're driving or need a ride. Also please post the time and place you would leaving from on that Friday if you know or updated when you know closer to the date.
Again if you need to rent from EMS in Lake Placid make sure to leave NYC by 2pm. Tents and trail might have some equipment but i'm highly doubtful. Most certainly EMS will have everything but you will have to get there EARLY. The store opens at 10am so if you don't have your equipment you're not hiking with us because we will start at 8am regardless.
Questions, please email me at metope@gmail.com
Thanks,
Francisco
