Mount Marcy Hike via Van Hoevenberg Trail

Mount Marcy Hike via Van Hoevenberg trail is one of the toughest hikes that I have ever done in the Adirondack Mountains due to the length and high elevation gain. Having said that, it is not the toughest. This hike is definitely not for beginners and for physically unfit people. This hike should be done by people who have a lot of stamina and have been hiking for some time. The views at the top are amazing. Although when I went here, I ended up not seeing much due to a big cloud passing by that didn’t stop for hours. Mount Marcy was one of the best hikes I have ever done due to the views and the experience of being there.

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Mount Marcy Important Information

Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps

Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 17 Miles
Elevation Gained: 3,600 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: Yes

Trail Breakdown
Van Hoevenberg trail
Marcy Dam
Van Hoevenberg trail to Phelps Mountain intersection
Van Hoevenberg trail to Tabletop Mountain intersection
Van Hoevenberg trail to Indian Falls
Van Hoevenberg trail to Mount Marcy
Then same route back to the parking lot

Note: The information is just an approximation.

Parking

44.182874, -73.963495

 

Start Of The Hike

The cabin lit up like a Christmas tree in this desolate place devoid of people. There was not a soul in sight, and no movement could be sensed nor seen as if this place was abandoned by human beings a long time ago. I’ve never seen such an empty place and maybe it was because people were still sleeping or perhaps it was not hiking season yet, but no matter, I was used to being alone and hiking alone and in solitude was not a stranger to me.

I went back to the gate, took out the envelop filled with money out of my pocket and placed it inside a small hut. It was meant to be the fee for this place and then proceeded back to my car. I had to prepare as I was about to hike the tallest mountain in NY.

 

Trail Head

It was the old trail head that I saw for lots of times as I had hiked plenty of trails in this area. However, this time, I was hiking in the dark and the old familiar trail head that was friendly before looked eerily gloomy and desolate at night. I checked my watch and it was 4 AM, just about right to start this long hike.

Note: Originally, I planned to hike Skylight and Gray Peak as well but it was very cloudy and I couldn’t take any pictures so I decided to go home and come back again another time.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

The night was eerily quiet, not a sound could be heard and even the wind was silent as it passed me by. Only my footsteps broke the deafening silence that surrounded me as my mind became restless, creating thoughts and scenarios that were never real. What if a bear wanders by or a pack of wolves, or maybe a serial killer could be hiding behind the darkness. All these strange thoughts flooded my mind one after the other but I knew they were not real and that they would soon disappear as my senses get accustomed to the dark.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

There was a hint of amazement in my eyes as the leaves turned to white during the night, allowing me to see them clearly when it was so dark. It was such a pleasant surprised as these leaves were very green or normal during the day and I never realized that they would look white during the night. They were normal leaves during the day but at night, they looked like little white butterflies floating around. I crossed the bridge in amazement as it was not something I see all the time.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

My hiking headlamp proved to be very useful today. I always carried it but rarely used it and would often just end up as a dead weight whenever I go hiking. But today, it was rather useful, lighting up the path rather easily.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

I looked at the sign and according to it, I already hiked for 1 mile.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

The flat footpath continued on and on which was a good way to start the hike. It lets the legs warm up and get used to hiking before tackling the big slopes with big elevation gain I would find myself in later. I stepped on the soft soil and kept on going, it was easy and enjoyable. I tried to appreciate it as much as possible for I know the elevation gain in this hike was huge and many hikers have given up before reaching the top.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

Marcy Dam Bridge was still under construction and as such I had to use the wooden bridge to the left.

 

Marcy Dam Outpost

Marcy Dam outpost had a lot of signs. It was the intersection for a lot of trails in the area.

 

Marcy Dam

I hiked for about 2.1 miles already and yet I still felt refreshed and good. The cold air that the night brought in, cooled my body, refreshed it and rejuvenated it little by little along the way. I looked at the views at the Marcy Dam, it was still dark but the hint of the sun coming out could be seen as the sky was the color of dark blue and no longer pitch black. The morning sun was about to rise and the darkness would soon be swept away but it also meant that I needed to hurry if I wanted to climb three peaks today.

 

Intersection

More intersection. I had to check my GPS as this place was very confusing with lots of trails going in different directions. Going in the wrong direction could add a mile or two to the total length and consume more of my energy.

People often underestimate this place and as such lots of people tend to get confused and lost.

 

High Water Bridge

Crossing the high water bridge.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

The flat footpath that I loved so much was gone, all that was in front of me was an ascending slope that will go on for miles until I reach the top of Mount Marcy. I took a big breath inwards as I felt like collapsing as the heaviness of my backpack was starting to get to me. “I should have packed lighter”, I thought to myself but I would rather carry my camera equipment than hike without it. There was no time for complaints as the sun was getting higher and I was wasting more mental energy by complaining in my mind.

 

No Camping Sign

I put my headlamp back to my hiking backpack as the darkness that once enveloped everything around me was gone and braced myself for a continuous ascent for miles to come.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

My steps gradually slowed more and more as time passes by with my breathing becoming deeper and deeper as the unforgiving terrain was unrelenting. I was a little bit grateful as the footpath was filled with boulders and small rocks which made it easier to hike upwards compared to hiking in the mud. I straightened my shoulders, centered my backpack to my spine and continued hiking upwards. I kept moving, trying not to think about the amount of elevation that was still left. “Just keep going”, I said to myself, “one more step, then another and another.”

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

Another bridge. These bridges and signs were a good way to know where I was when going back down. They were like landmarks that give hope that I’ve come very far.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

The rocky trail continued on and on with even bigger boulders and rocks protruding from the ground. The rocks were stable and secure that there was no fear of them getting loose and rolling downward. The ascent had been very unkind to the body as I could feel my lungs working intensely as I traveled through the trail but still, I kept going. There seemed to be no end to the ascent, I kept moving from one boulder to the next to only find more boulders on my way upwards.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail Intersection

Intersection.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

It was a 12 mile hike to Mount Marcy and I knew it would be tough getting up there so I just kept going, kept moving, and tried my best not to think about the distance nor the destination. “I will soon get there, I just need to keep moving.”

 

Indian Falls Sign

Indian falls sign.

 

Indian Falls

I took off my backpack and laid it on the ground, then I took off my jacket to let my body feel the wind. I was thinking of resting for a few minutes by just looking at a waterfall but what I got was a river instead. It turned out that I was at the top of the waterfall, instead of being at the bottom of it. There were a few hammocks connected to the trees at the side of the river and a few backpackers making coffee. I said, “hello, good morning” then proceeded to take pictures of the place.

 

Indian Falls

The water trickled downward and I couldn’t see where it fell. I had read way too many stories of people dying at the top of waterfalls that I didn’t even try to go near the edge. These things are often slippery due to moss and no amount of traction on my boots could help me with that.

 

Intersection

After continuing the hike, I saw another set of signs. According to the sign, Mount Marcy is 3 miles away.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

I was grinning from ear to ear just knowing that there were only 3 miles left to go. With my body refreshed and my spirits renewed, I was like a madman, moving from one rock to the next, hiking the trail effortlessly, and gaining elevation along the way. The end goal was so close that I could taste the moment of accomplishment with my lips. My blood was boiling in excitement, and I used that energy to keep on going, to get higher and higher. I wanted to be at the top already but I knew it was close which was good enough.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

More going up.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

The rocks were so aligned that they resemble a set of stairs made by human beings. I often wonder how did these people bring so many rocks up here. It seemed like an enormous amount of man power was needed as the Van Hoevenberg Trail was full of these rocks that made the hike a little bit easier. I was certain that these rocks help with the erosion as well.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

I encountered flat terrain which was a nice surprise as I had been hiking upwards for some time. The terrain was muddy and wet though that I had to be careful moving forward.

I met a few people at the intersection as they were going to Mount Marcy also. There were other places that people can start to get to Mount Marcy and I was not sure whether they were harder or easier as I did not do enough research on them.

 

Intersection

1.2 miles left to get to the top of Mount Marcy.

 

Warning Sign

Warning sign: Weather subject to severe changes.

 

Fog

The first thing I thought was, “wth is this crap?!” The fog was not part of the plan and it was not my intention to hike on a foggy mountain. But the fog had no intention of hearing my desires as it clung to the trees, leaves and bushes. Its vapors filled the trail with water and it blurred my vision as I tried to hike up the mountain. Water accumulated in my hair as I walked through the fog. As I got deeper, cold water dripped down from my forehead and into my face, blurring my vision. I wiped the water off my eyes every few minutes and kept going.

 

Endangered Plants

Sign: Endangered plants.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

There was an opening on the trail but I could not see anything as the fog seemed to have swallowed everything. I kept moving hoping that the fog would dissipate in time and I would see amazing viewpoints and scenery when that happens. But there was nothing to see other than gray smoke that encircled my surroundings. It would be thin at times and I could see trees in front of me and sometimes it would be thick and I could not see a thing.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

All I saw was a mountain that towered in front of me, an obstacle that was in my way. Instead of feeling disappointment, there was excitement in my heart as it had been a long time since I used my hands to climb up a mountain.

I grabbed the edge of a rock and used my legs to push my body upwards. I did the same movements over and over. They were simple movements, nothing too fancy and nothing too complicated but they were also very effective and good enough. The higher I ascended, the more satisfaction I felt that I could sense a big smile on my face as I kept moving and kept going on. There was exhilaration flowing all over my body whenever I used my hands to climb up and I could not explain why. All I knew was that I was having a lot of fun.

 

Fog

But I guess disappointment was part of life as I was expecting a viewpoint at the top but instead got nothing.

 

Cairn

These cairns were rather useful as the fog would often blur my vision that I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I couldn’t even see the trail markers nor signs on where I should go but these cairns could be seen for miles away even on a foggy day.

 

Mount Marcy Trail Views

I sat next to a cairn as I could not see anything, everything around me was a blur, just grays and shadowy shapes as the fog seemed to have intensified. It was a shapeless beast that swallowed everything, coveted everything in sight. It had no end to its hunger, it wanted everything, every tree, every stone, and every living being.

A few hikers passed me by thinking the cairn was the top of Mount Marcy. I could not blame their confusion, inside the fog you can’t even see the mountain right in front of you. I happily pointed them in the right direction, and sent them merrily on their way.

A strong gust of wind blew in and the monstrous fog moved out of its way, revealing a luscious valley right in front of me.

 

Mount Marcy Trail Lookout

In that moment, I knew, this was no fog. It was a cloud and a big one at that. Its body could have stretched on for miles and I wouldn’t even know how big it was as I was inside its belly.

It was a sight to see as the wind blew the cloud and its body parts out of the mountain forcefully. I stood at the edge of a cliff, just in awe at how amazing and beautiful nature could be. I was speechless with excitement and exhilaration running through my blood as the old boring mountain with nothing to see turned into a dramatic fight between the magnificent forces of nature and I was in the middle of it.

 

Looking Back

I moved forward, hiking towards the top of Mount Marcy. I looked back at the cairn where I used to be.

 

Mount Marcy Trail Viewpoint

Powerful winds would blow in from time to time, allowing me to see bits and pieces of a valley on a viewpoint. On the outside, I looked calm, composed, cool and collected but on the inside, it was different. On the inside, I was screaming in joy, and excitement had engulfed my whole body as I felt like jumping just out of pure joy and elation.

I love the clouds whenever I go hiking. I love seeing them. I would prefer them to be under me or even on top rather than being inside one. No matter what, clouds were something amazing to see up close and personal.

 

Mount Marcy Trail Scenery

I stood at the edge of a cliff, in awe at how fast the clouds were moving, intoxicated at the different kinds of feelings of excitement surging all over my body.

“This is so awesome!” I thought to myself.

I couldn’t even look at the valley, all of my attention were focused on the clouds. They moved at an alarmingly fast rate as they would be on this mountain at one moment and then be on the top of the other mountain across the valley in mere seconds.

 

Going Up

I kept moving upwards, my visibility had cleared a little bit as I could now see a huge mountain in front of me. It was weird as a few minutes ago, there was nothing there. Just grayish smoke that had no smell, no taste, and could not be felt by my own hands.

 

Cairns

Cairns that signify where to go.

 

Going Up

The mountain disappeared every now and then and would reappear. The clouds moved so fast that the scenery changed so much in so little time. One moment, everything was clear with the sun shinning brightly on the mountain and on the next, everything would be gone, just a grayish background color everywhere I looked. Not even the rays of the sun could penetrate the dull gray smoke that surrounded me.

 

Clouds Moving

Maddening winds of different degrees of power blasted through the landscape, slamming into the clouds, rocks and into my body. I ran towards the cairn, trying to catch the clouds while playing around. It was such an exhilarating experience as I raced with the clouds, hoping I could catch up to them. I jumped as high as I could, trying to touch one but to no avail. They were too high.

I was goofing around, having fun, and without a care in the world.

 

Clouds

Looking back again.

 

Almost At The Top

I was almost at the top, I could see other hikers that I met before up there already and I was still down here. I was too busy having fun and playing around rather than hiking.

 

Hikers Going Down

I reached the top of Mount Marcy, well not really the topmost part but I was almost there. The top part where the plaque and marker was just a few feet away. I was too busy taking pictures and having fun that I didn’t want to hurry myself. I just wanted to be in the moment and savor the experience that I was having.

 

Mount Marcy Lookout

I sat at the edge of a cliff and just looked at the clouds that were passing me by. I was hypnotized with what was happening. There was curiosity in my eyes and a child-like intrigued that wouldn’t go away. It was just awesome that I felt like if I stood up, I could grab one of these marshmallows and make it my pillow so that I could go to sleep. They were beautiful, natural and amazing all at the same time.

 

Mount Marcy Views

An occasional scream would echo from the mountains as the violent winds play tug of war with my body. I held my ground, stood proudly against the elements but a wave of gigantic clouds rose from the depths and was coming straight towards me. It was a monster that looked like white liquid, thick as milk, eating away the trees and mountains in its path, and moving faster than I could imagine. Still, I held my ground, refusing to move.

I looked up towards the blue sky as the monstrous clouds rose high above me, taller than a building, blocking even the sun. I could have sworn I saw fangs and a big mouth as it came crashing down towards my head. Before I realized it, I was inside the clouds, into the belly of the beast.

It was amazing.

 

Walking To The Center

There would be brief moments where the place would be clear but most of the time, I would be inside a cloud where I could not see anything. So I walked to the center to see if it was any different there. It was all the same. All that I could see was this shapeless gray background all around me. Sometimes it would be very thick and I could barely see what was in front of me. But there would be moments where it would be thin and I could see some scenery but those moments became scarce as time passed me by.

 

The Top Of Mount Marcy

I pondered whether I should continue my hike to Mount Skylight as the clouds kept coming into Mount Marcy. I wondered whether I would see anything on Skylight as I could barely see anything at the top of Mount Marcy. So decided to wait for the clouds to dissipate or passed by completely. I waited for one minute, then 2 minutes, 10 minutes, then 30 minutes. Still no sign of the clouds ever ending. So I waited some more. One hour had passed and all I could see was still gray smoke all around me and after waiting for 1 hour and 30 minutes, I knew that it was time to go home. It would be better for me to come back again some other time.

 

Plaque

A plaque could be seen at the top or center of Mount Marcy.

 

Mount Marcy Going Back

Sometimes I would look at the landscape when going back home and I would realize that I was all the way back there before. It looked so far from here like how did I manage to climb all the way up here in so little time. I was going to go back there again, the place where I used to be. It just made me think like, “Wow I’m pretty amazing to be able to hike up here!”

 

Going Back Down

I kept going down the mountain, and the landscape that was once covered with fog or the cloud, was no more. There were now spots of sunlight hitting the rocks, the floor, the trees and the valley. I wished that this would have happened earlier then maybe I could still go to Mount Skylight but it is what it is. There was no use in overthinking it, I will just come back here another day.

 

Going Down Some More

The cloud became thinner and thinner the farther I went down from Mount Marcy but I didn’t feel like sight-seeing nor taking pictures anymore. I just wanted to go home or get back to the parking lot. I kept moving downward, still roughly 8 miles to go and it was already past 2pm so I picked up the pace in fear that I would end up hiking in the dark.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail Descending

The trail that was wet and muddy was still wet and muddy.

 

Intersection

Back to the area near Indian Falls.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

I sat a little bit and put down my hiking backpack. The constant downward descent was putting too much pressure on the legs and knees and it was starting to accumulate that I could not ignore it. I rested for a few then kept on going down.

 

Bridge Before

The bridge was a nice sight to see as it meant that I was close to the bottom.

 

Marcy Dam

The afternoon sun casted long shadows on the ground at Marcy Dam. The slanted rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tint to the ground, structures and to everything around me. I was just glad that the hike was almost done as the rumble in my tummy was starting to get to me. All I could think about was food, maybe a steak, pasta, pizza or maybe even some Chinese food would be nice.

 

Bridge

Signs said to go to the short bridge because Marcy Dam was still under construction.

 

Van Hoevenberg Trail

One more mile to get back to the parking lot.

 

End Of The Hike

It was a tough hike that I thoroughly enjoyed. I opened my trunk, put my backpack inside, then sat on the chair. I was paralyzed with happiness or perhaps I was paralyzed due to the amount of fatigue that I had accumulated. I don’t know but I was glad that I did the hike as it was a very unique experience. I would love to come back to Mount Marcy again but that story is for another time. Right at this moment, I just wanted to eat, replenish my energy and then go back to sleep so that my body would be prepared for the next adventures that were about to come.