Hiking to the top of Giant Mountain in the Adirondacks

This post has taken me a long time to write. I’ve been dreading it for weeks, struggling to find the right words to describe that day. That beautiful August day I hiked to the top of Giant Mountain in the Adirondacks and did what was one of my most beautiful hikes in recent months. Which is also the same day my whole world came crashing down. As I was leaving the Adirondacks, still exhilarated from reaching another summit, I got a call and learned that my father had suddenly passed away.

Life is strange sometimes. Even more than two months later, my mind still has trouble understanding how, in a single moment, I went from a moment of pure happiness to the complete devastation of losing a loved one. In my mind, the beautiful images of the summit of Giant Mountain will forever be mixed with the sound of my mother’s sobs. Even today, I have a hard time looking at the photos of that hike without constantly reliving the feeling of shock and sorrow that followed.

But my father was a bon vivant, a man who loved to laugh at everything and nothing. I inherited his stubbornness and his ability to try to find a way to move forward, despite everything. I know he would have wanted me to remember the beautiful moments of that day. That I never forget the proud moment when I reached the summit. That I never forget all the bursts of laughter that preceded the dreadful call. That I never forget that life, despite its great fragility, is full of beauty.

So, here, despite everything, is the recap of my hike to the summit of Giant Mountain, in the Adirondacks.

After reaching the summits of Cascade and Porter Mountains the day before, my friend Véro and I wanted to measure ourselves against other High Peaks. We opted for Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge, as the trailhead seemed easy to access, and the trail length was reasonable.

We were hesitant, though: the weather forecast was good in the morning, but there was a risk of a thunderstorm by midday. And we didn’t want to reach a summit only to be faced with a foggy landscape again. We decided to drive to the trailhead along Highway 73 and then see what the conditions were like and decide if it was worth the hike.

When we arrived, the sky looked promising. The risk of a thunderstorm was relatively low, and late enough in the day to at least allow us to make the round trip to the summit of Giant Mountain. So we decided to hit the trail.

The climb

There are several ways to get to the top of Giant Mountain. We decided to take the Ridge Trail, the shortest (9.5 kilometres / 5.9 miles) and most popular, but also the most exposed. The trail head is near Chapel Pond along Highway 73, where there are a few parking spots.

After signing in the trail log, we set off on the trail, into the Giant Mountain Wilderness. From the first few metres, we were treated to a steep, rocky trail, which reminded us of the one on leading to Cascade and Porter summits the day before.

After less than a kilometre, however, we were treated to a surprise. We arrived at a rocky ledge, from where we were able to have a view of Chapel Pond and the mountainous landscape in the background. The sky was not completely clear, but it looked promising!

We then came across Giant’s Washbowl, a small pond on the mountain around which there are a few campsites.

After that, the trail got even rockier and steeper. Nothing too technical yet, but after the hike the day before, we quickly realized that we were a little more exhausted than we thought. As we climbed, we decided that we would try to at least reach the summit of Giant Mountain, but we weren’t sure if we wanted to try to make it to Rocky Peak Ridge afterwards.

The big rocks eventually gave way to open sections of rock. The views started to open up as well, giving us more and more views of the landscape. It was truly beautiful!

From this point on, the hike got a little more technical. Nothing too complicated for us, but the mostly exposed ridge we were walking on had a steep incline at times. I love hiking on rock ridges, so I was truly enjoying myself, but I imagine these sections must be more difficult to hike in the rain.

In general, the trail seemed well-marked to me. On the rocky ridges, yellow arrows and a few cairns indicate the way. And in several places, a spectacular landscape. It was a moment of pure happiness. A moment that seems so far away to me today.

Just as our legs were starting to get rather tired, we saw, between the trees, the steep slides of the summit of Giant. We were treated to some more good climbs on rocky ridges (in a few places, I had to use my arms to help me up). We came across a sign indicating that we were entering the alpine zone, then we crossed the intersection with the trail leading to Rocky Peak Ridge and, a few metres further, we finally arrived at the summit.

Giant’s summit

At an elevation of 4,627 feet (1,410 metres), Giant Mountain is the 12th highest peak in the Adirondacks. It is also said to be the first High Peaks summit to have been officially summited, in 1795 (or at least, the first officially recorded ascent). Formerly called the Giant of the Valley, the mountain definitely stands to its name.

And what a view! Ahead of us, we could see some of the central High Peaks, including Mount Marcy, the highest of them all, and Whiteface Mountain, farther north.

We sat at the summit for a long time. There were a few other hikers who had arrived before us who were also enjoying the view, and we started chatting with them. One of the hikers we met was from Atlanta and was summiting his 45th High Peaks summit (one short of the 46er title)! We also spoke with a hiker from Quebec who mentioned that it was possible to swim in Chapel Pond, at the foot of the mountain.

Véro and I then officially decided that we would not attempt to reach the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge, deciding instead to go back down and take a little time to cool off in Chapel Pond. This decision seemed more appropriate for our tired legs. I told myself that I could always come back another day to hike to Rocky Peak Ridge.

I wish I could go back in time and relive this moment over and over. The sublime landscape. The warmth of the sun. The gentleness of the wind. The many bursts of laughter. This moment when everything seemed possible to me. This moment without worries, without sorrows, without pain. This moment I wish today could have last forever.

But time, tirelessly, continues its course and after this long pause at the summit, we eventually began the descent.

Going back down

We took the same trail to go back down. I like climbing along open rock surfaces, but I am a little more nervous when it comes to going back down. I am always afraid of losing my footing and slipping. Fortunately, the rocky ridge was mostly dry and by taking my time, I felt like I could go down without too much trouble.

We had encountered few hikers on the way up, but we did encounter several on the way down. Many families. A few people with dogs. Halfway up, we encountered a group of hikers who seemed out of breath, and who seemed a little discouraged when we told them they still had half the trail to hike… Giant Mountain may be a popular hike and considered easier than many other High Peaks, but it is still not to be taken lightly.

By the time we reached the tree canopy, the sky began to darken. Then it started to rain a little, which we found refreshing at first, until the rain started to intensify. Then it started to pour. With less than a kilometre to go, we heard our first clap of thunder.

We hiked the last kilometre as fast as we could, through the pouring rain and the deafening claps of thunder. In just a few minutes, the trail became a veritable stream and there was not a part of me that was not completely soaked. Each flash of lightning was immediately followed by the terrifying crack of thunder. This was the first time I had ever experienced a thunderstorm in the mountains.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky we were to have reached the summit in the sun and how the storm would have probably caught us on the exposed rocky ridges if we had decided to go all the way to Rocky Peak Ridge. The storm was terrifying under the tall trees of the forest, but it could have been so much worse!

The storm had passed by the time we got back to the car. We were both soaked from head to toe. I couldn’t stop laughing. This perfect hike had definitely ended in a strange way. But we had made it and were safe!

We decided to skip the swim in Chapel Pond (we had had enough water for the day). We left, driving back towards home, soaked, tired and exhausted, but so happy.

A few moments later, my phone rang, and my life suddenly became this dark place full of sorrows and worries.

One day, maybe, the shock will wear off and I will be able to appreciate the beautiful moments of this day. The pain may never go away, but I am sure that I will be able to relearn how to laugh out loud at everything, to savour these moments spent in nature and to dream of my next summits.