On February 14, Valentine’s Day fellow Canadian Neil Luckhurst will attempt to do a through hike of the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. The 67 year old Montreal resident is a retired chiropractor. He is grateful for volunteers who will hike in food, clothing and at times shelter on 8 different occasions. Once he begins his hike of 228-plus miles and 71,800 feet in elevation, he will not be entering either a house or automobile. His pack will weigh approximately 40 pounds. This will be a true test of endurance and persistence.
So you ask why? In an answer to this Luckhurst wrote, “Besides a love of hiking and a need for challenging myself, the roots of this project go back 15 years.” Luckhurst received a phone call which is every parent’s worst nightmare. His son, Dominic, had died after being buried in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in Banff, Alberta. He and Dominic had hiked all the 46 high peaks together with these adventures shared on the forums. The outpouring of support that came from various Adirondack hiking forums was incredible. Because of this support, Luckhurst decided to found the ADKhighpeaks foundation dedicated to preserving the New York State Forest Preserve. With the help of Tim Dubois and Jack Coleman the non-profit foundation has raised more than $150,000 most of which has been donated to the forest preserve. This will be Luckhurst’s fourth hiking fundraiser for the foundation with the first 3 raising over $25,000.
AIDING THE RANGERS
A substantial amount of the donations raised will go to the Forest Ranger Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to supporting the primary duties of the NYS Forest Rangers by providing funding to help bridge the gap between the limited government budget and the actual needs of the Rangers in the field.
I have seen first hand what Rangers do when called to conduct a rescue, doing so with unwavering dedication and commitment to their job. I recall one cold, winter evening, my hiking friends (known as the Adirondack Ladies) were returning late one night from a hike to remote Skylight and Gray mountains. We were known for ‘closing the mountains’ and we were the last ones out there as we crossed a frozen Lake Colden. In the distance, we could see the bright beam of a headlamp heading towards us. A voice called out, “Are you the Adirondack Ladies?” As we confirmed this she said, “Great, now I can go to sleep tonight.” That person was a ranger heading to the Colden Outpost and she said everyone she met on the trail told her that the Adirondack Ladies were still out there.
She checked with us to be sure we knew where we were going and that we had enough supplies for the trek back to the trail head. What a feeling to know that people we didn’t even know were looking out for us as well as the ranger.
PREPARATIONS
Now back to Neil. How do you train for such an intense endeavor? Luckhurst began his training in June 2023 with some hiking in the Canadian Rockies. In November, he came to the Adirondacks and noticed he was not able to do as much elevation as he had been doing in the Rockies. “The trails here are much more difficult than anywhere I’ve hiked in the world,” he said.
For those of you who have not hiked in the Adirondacks the trails are mostly rugged and rough. They can be rocky, rooty, steep, difficult water crossings and not marked. For me, that is what I love about them as it is such a challenge.
Each of his past projects he has trained differently.
“This time around I’m simplifying the regime to nearly exclusively Z1 training,” he stated. Unfamiliar with this term, I asked him to explain Z1 training. He explained, “Z1 or Zone 1 is the least intensive of the 5 intensity zones. It is an easy pace that can be maintained indefinitely.” I have been following Luckhurst’s training hikes which he posts online. Upon returning from one such hike, he realized he had lost his expensive camera. After examining his Garmin watch track log, it showed the spot where he had sat down to remove his VBL (vapor barrier liner) socks. He now had a waypoint on his GPS where he thought his camera may have been dropped. Two days later (after a bit of new snow) and the help of a small garden utensil, he was able to retrieve his camera. There is something to be said about technology and knowing how to use it.
And then there is negotiating the ins and outs of winter camping. Winter has proven to be very unpredictable.
One day the temperatures can be in the 40’s and the next day well below freezing. Luckhurst explained: ”A very different type of training involves winter camping without fire (as fires are not allowed in the high peaks) combined with 10-hour plus hikes of 3,000-4,000 feet of elevation gain or more. After a day of hiking in the cold you have to deal with camp chores such as changing into dry clothes, boiling enough water for the next day, preparing dinner, getting as ready as possible for an easy start the next morning etc. I have done a lot of winter camping in very cold temperatures in Canada but we have always built big fires. Not having a heat source involves many logistical tweaks and, while being busy at the campsite, nearly continuous moment to moment strategizing. Every time I go out for a night or two, I learn a lot about moisture management and stream-lining my procedures. The first crux of every day will be transitioning from the warm and cozy sleeping bag to hiking. The second crux will be transitioning from hiking to camping at day’s end. My plan for each crux is to quickly encase myself in down clothing and go for a brisk walk along the trail. “
In mid February, Luckhurst will begin with a climb of Esther and Whiteface mountains and attempt to finish on Seward Mountain in less than 20 days. During this time friends and family, including his wife Sylvie will resupply him with what he requires . If need be, specific trail sections with little winter traffic will be broken out by his support team. Many of his friends plan to join him on some of the hikes and some camping out with him.
Luckhurst will carry a satellite phone for safety reasons but also communicate with his wife and the Adk High Peaks Foundation to update his blog. For anyone interested in following and supporting this amazing undertaking there is a website where you can see his daily plan and map, his gear list and more. Best of luck Neil, you have a mountain of people who are rooting for you to succeed.
Website: adkhighpeaksfoundation.org
Happy Trails!