Vegetation along Marcy Brook, where the pond used to be (see my photo from the 10/21/2006 Mount Marcy hike by comparison, although that photo looks across this area from a different angle)

Then we began our ascent into the upper valley, which was easy compared to everything else, and went by quickly. We got to Lake Tear of the Clouds at 11:10 a.m., 5 hours into our hike. This is a great site. The lake is very picturesque, with a nice view of Mount Marcy. It’s both the headwaters of the Hudson River and the site where then Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was found by a scout, and told that President McKinley, who had been shot a week earlier, was doing very poorly, and that he’d better return to civilization, since he was about to become President of the United States. We also found what some believe (unconfirmed) is an ancient petroglyph on the rocks. After spending a bit of time enjoying the spot, we returned to the cairn, right where the stream emerges from the lake, and immediately started our ascent of Gray Peak. We went up a small rise, then descended a short distance, finding a large rock, about 8 feet tall, that we had to get down. This was a bit tricky, with a long narrow crack that angled downwards along the rock and served as a foothold. We each managed this obstacle differently, with assistance from people below guiding us. We continued our ascent of Gray, which was steep, but not too bad, except for two big, rocky faces, but each had a bypass around it to the right, so they really didn’t pose much of a problem.

Lake Tear of the Clouds, with Mount Marcy behind it

David & I summitted at 12:10, a bit behind Alex & Camryn, and just 40 minutes after we started up. We found the views to be good just shy of the summit, with a few trees, a great view from just a bit beyond that of Mount Skylight across the way and Mount Marcy (Gray is just a shoulder of Marcy). The day was quite clear now, and the humidity had dropped, with temperatures around the upper 70s. We spent about 10 minutes at the summit, and took about half an hour to return to the lake.

We headed up the trail on the other side of Lake Tear, and in only about 15 minutes, hit the Four Corners junction to ascend Skylight. This is a popular spot, and several hikers were gathered here. From here, it took only about 40 minutes for me and David to get to the top of Skylight, with Alex and Camryn moving at a much faster pace. This was a great climb, with a nice, steady rise along a stream bed. David and I grabbed some obligatory rocks to bring to the top (rumored to suppress rain for the rest of your hike!). We summitted at 1:55 p.m., and it was gorgeous! What an awesome peak. It instantly became my new favorite. The broad, bald summit is covered with arctic alpine vegetation and outstanding views all around. Mount Marcy dominates the view north. As a less popular peak, there were just one or two other hiking groups there with us at any time (including a friendly couple in their early 20s, whom we seemed to see about every hour, since Lake Tear). David noted that this is what his Alaska hikes look like. We stayed up here for about 45 minutes, just enjoying the location, eating lunch, and taking photos. We even all took our boots and socks off to pay homage to Mark R, who did that on our hike two years earlier, but tragically passed away last year from lung cancer. We’d teased him relentlessly when he took them off, but he was right—it felt great!! Our feet felt totally rejuvenated after breathing for a while. Thank you, Mark!

It took us only about 20 minutes to return to Four Corners, still bustling, we stayed here for about 10 minutes, and decided to go for the full loop, and climb the 1000’ to Marcy’s summit from the south side. Great choice! This approach is out in the open on bare rock for the last 40% or so. It’s steep, but quite doable, and a beautiful hike up.

Sign at Four Corners

I waited with David, doing a slower climb than Alex & Camryn, and we got to the top around 4:15 p.m. It was a nice, sunny day, with the distant mountains slowly dissolving into the haze. Marcy’s views are spectacular. I was less excited about this one because it was my third time at the top of the state’s highest point. It was a first for David & Camryn, though, and it is stunning. Camryn fully enjoyed it, and asked if we’d stay up here for a little while, causing David to immediately demote him back to “red shirt” status (a Star Trek reference, and ongoing joke for this hike). Lots of people up here, as expected, and I couldn’t resist offering to take a great shot of the couple we kept passing, perched picturesquely on an overlook.

Hard to beat the views from Marcy, towering above them all

We headed down after about 30 minutes and began the very long hike back. Expecting the length, it didn’t really bother me, and it’s really a nice and easy hike for the High Peaks. Our last 30 minutes required headlamps, and we were back at the car at 9:02 p.m., almost exactly 15 hours after we started out. Then the rain started! David wasn’t a big fan of the ascent of Gray, but other than that, we all agreed it was our favorite hike so far. This is such a great loop! We stopped for a quick dinner at Noonmark Diner, and drove home, arriving at 12:45 a.m., took showers, and hit the beds after a very long, but fabulous day.

Did someone say, “Down”?