Few things epitomize autumn better than fall hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks region. Upstate New York’s Adirondack mountains are the crown jewel of the Empire State understood only by those who have experienced their splendor.

The second week of October typically brings peak fall foliage in the Adirondack High Peaks. The region, speckled by famed townships like Keene, Keene Valley, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, hosts an ancient landscape of streams, lakes and mountains.

The tallest of these mountains stand 4,000 feet above sea level and are hailed as the “high peaks.” Those who climb all 46 Adirondack high peaks join a lineage known as the “46er Club.”

This October we ventured through the Lower Great Range. This area of the Adirondack high peaks comprised Sawtooth, Armstrong, Gothics, Upper Wolfjaw and Lower Jaw mountains.

A few routes exist to access the area. Our route took us from the AMR parking lot by route 73 to Ausable Lake. From there we traced a scenic route to ascend Sawtooth mountain, traversing over saddles to tag Armstrong, Gotchics, and the Wolf Jaws.

This year, fall hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks brought a unique display of foliage. Notably, the landscape lacked the vibrant red foliage typical of the region. This was likely due to a dry August and September. Many leaves dropped having only turned to yellow or orange.

Nevertheless, the foliage was still spectacular and our visibility stellar. Our photographical skills do not do the Adirondack High Peaks justice. To compare them to the West or the far Northwest would be a disservice and misplaced. They are magnificent of their own accord; tranquil and quaint, yet grand.

Along the trail we leap-frogged with four middle aged men who were high school friends. They told us that they gathered in the Adirondacks about twice a year for a men’s trip. There they rekindled old bonds, persevered through physical challenges, and enjoyed the iconic reward of post-hike Stewart’s ice cream. Fraternity tempered in the scrambles of the mountains.

As the deciduous leaves continue to drop, the mountains lay coated by a hue of green. Fall quickly gives way to the impending winter, another tick in the ancient timeline of geology. The sun sets over the mountains and the forest floor grows dim. Trail becomes path and path becomes road. Another day in the mountains on a clear fall day.