July 1, 2018
The
MacIntyre Range is one of the Adirondack Mountain's most impressive
and beautiful ranges lying just to the west of its highest peak,
Mt. Marcy (5,344ft.). The king of the range is Algonquin Peak
standing at 5,115ft, also the second highest peak in all the
Adirondacks and crowning a range which includes four official
4,000-foot peaks. These four peaks include Algonquin Peak, Iroquois
Peak (4,840ft.), Wright Peak (4,580ft.), and Mount Marshall
(4,360ft.). There is also a fifth peak above 4,000ft. which
stands between Algonquin Peak and Iroqouis Peak that does not
meet the requirements of elevation from the saddle of a neighboring
peak. This peak is called Boundary Peak and stands at 4,829
feet. It is told that the peak is so named as the boundary line
between the Iroquois and Algonquin nations from early America.
This is however all fictitous because the Algonquin people never
existed in this region and it was all more than likely Iroquois.
There is also a small mountain at the northern end of the range
known as Whales Tail Mountain because of its profile as viewed
from different vantage points.
The
MacIntyre Range is stunningly beautiful from almost anywhere
and some of the finest views in the Adirondacks can be had from
the summits and slopes of these fine peaks. Views from the summits
take in most of the entire Great Range to the east. Mount Colden
provides the most dramatic part of the picture in the foreground
with Mt. Marcy and the other high peaks beyond. To the north
you can see the ski jumps and the town of Lake Placid and the
lake from which the town takes its name. Also in the view is
Whiteface Mountain. To the northeast you can see on a clear
day, Lake Champlain and the peaks of Vermont's Green Mountains.
Looking south and west you'll look into the heart of the Adirondack
Park, encompassing over 6 million acres. One of the most stunning
views of these peaks is from the Adirondack Loj road (as seen
above) when you first turn off of Rt. 73. The view encompasses
many of the high peaks and a good portion of the MacIntyre Range.
These
magnificent peaks have much in the way to offer hikers and climbers
alike. If not for the views, this range provides one of the
tougher hiking challenges in all the Adirondacks and according
to a recent discussion Algonquin has been picked as the tougher
peak over Mt. Marcy.
GETTING
THERE: Follow Route 73 through the Keene
Valley toward Lake Placid; turn left on the Adirondack Loj toward
Heart Lake, 2.5 miles before reaching Lake Placid. Follow the
road back to a parking area (fee) where the trailhead for the
MacIntyres can be found at the southeast corner of the parking
lot.
An early 0530 start saw brother Don and I hiking three-quarters of a mile from our campsite
to reach the trailhead at the edge of the parking lot above Heart Lake. After starting
mildly enough the trail begins to climb in earnest after a mile as we ascended out of the
watershed of the MacIntyre Brook toward the exposed ridge where we would climb above
the clouds to reach our first objective of Wright Peak.