The Adirondack Forty-Sixers are an organization of hikers who have climbed all forty-six of the traditionally recognized High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. They are often referred to just as 46ers. As of 2024, there were over 16,000 registered forty-sixers. The organization primarily supports efforts to maintain the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness, and encourages aspiring members through a correspondents program.
The first 46ers were brothers Robert and George Marshall, along with their guide and family friend Herbert Clark. The Marshalls spent much of their childhood in the Adirondacks, obsessing over the collection of Verplanck Colvin maps owned by their father, Louis Marshall. They devised criteria for the high peaks they would climb—every summit rising over 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level was considered, and those with at least 300 feet (91 m) of vertical rise on all sides or separated from the next closest summit by 0.75 miles (1.21 km) were added to their list. They chose forty-two summits, and climbed them all between 1918 and 1924. While they initially planned to climb only the summits above 4,000 feet (1,200 m), they later climbed the four 4,000-foot (1,200 m) mountains as well on the suggestion of friends.
At the time that they undertook this goal, there were no trails up many of the peaks. This made summiting all forty-six a particularly formidable accomplishment. The trio first climbed Whiteface Mountain on August 1, 1918, and finished the 46 with Mount Emmons on June 10, 1925. One of the peaks, Mount Marshall in the MacIntyre Range has since been named in honor of Robert, and Herbert Brook (the most popular approach up Marshall) was named after their guide Herbert Clark.
As an organization, the Adirondack Forty-Sixers dates back to 1936. Ernest R. Ryder and Edward L. Hudowalski formed a social club originally known as the Troy Forty-Sixers for people who had successfully climbed all 46 of the Adirondack high peaks on the Marshalls' list. The club later expanded its membership, and was formally incorporated by the State of New York as the Adirondack Forty-Sixers in 1948. [1]
In 1937, Grace Hudowalski became the ninth person and first woman to climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks. [2] In 2014, the mountain formerly known as East Dix was renamed Grace Peak after her due to this accomplishment. [3] [4] She would later go on to become the matriarch of the 46ers family, serving as club historian for over sixty years until she retired at age 90 in 1996. In May 2013, Summit Pictures, LLC and director Fred Schoewbel released The Mountains Will Wait for You, a documentary narrated by Johnny Cash celebrating the life of Grace Hudowalski.
Although many peaks that were pathless in the days of Marshall brothers now have well-traveled trails, tackling the 46 High Peaks remains a considerable challenge. Steep technical terrain is perhaps the greatest hurdle, as switchbacks are scarce. Fitness and sure footing are paramount when confronting the 46. Additionally, many peaks are tucked away miles from any trailhead, requiring climbers to find campgrounds or lean-to's to break up the trip. Ambitious day-hikers can also tackle these inaccessible peaks with alpine starts (before the sun rises) and long days of trekking.
| Rank | Mountain | Elevation (feet) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcy | 5344 |
| 2 | Algonquin | 5114 |
| 3 | Haystack | 4960 |
| 4 | Skylight | 4926 |
| 5 | Whiteface | 4867 |
| 6 | Dix | 4857 |
| 7 | Gray | 4840 |
| 8 | Iroquois Peak | 4840 |
| 9 | Basin | 4827 |
| 10 | Gothics | 4736 |
| 11 | Colden | 4714 |
| 12 | Giant | 4627 |
| 13 | Nippletop | 4620 |
| 14 | Santanoni | 4607 |
| 15 | Redfield | 4606 |
| 16 | Wright Peak | 4580 |
| 17 | Saddleback | 4515 |
| 18 | Panther | 4442 |
| 19 | Table Top | 4427 |
| 20 | Rocky Peak Ridge | 4420 |
| 21 | Macomb | 4405 |
| 22 | Armstrong | 4400 |
| 23 | Hough | 4400 |
| 24 | Seward | 4361 |
| 25 | Marshall | 4360 |
| 26 | Allen | 4340 |
| 27 | Big Slide | 4240 |
| 28 | Esther | 4240 |
| 29 | Upper Wolf Jaw | 4185 |
| 30 | Lower Wolf Jaw | 4175 |
| 31 | Street | 4166 |
| 32 | Phelps | 4161 |
| 33 | Donaldson | 4140 |
| 34 | Seymour | 4120 |
| 35 | Sawteeth | 4100 |
| 36 | Cascade | 4098 |
| 37 | South Dix | 4060 |
| 38 | Porter | 4059 |
| 39 | Colvin | 4057 |
| 40 | Emmons | 4040 |
| 41 | Dial | 4020 |
| 42 | Grace Peak | 4012 |
| 43 | Blake Peak | 3960 |
| 44 | Cliff | 3960 |
| 45 | Nye | 3895 |
| 46 | Couchsachraga | 3820 |
Although later geographical surveys revealed that four of the peaks (Blake, Cliff, Nye, and Couchsachraga) were actually below four thousand feet in elevation, they remain a part of the list out of tradition. Additionally, it was discovered that another mountain, MacNaughton, had been overlooked and remains excluded from the list. Although rising to almost exactly four thousand feet, MacNaughton is not a requirement for aspiring Forty-Sixers.
As of November 2024, there were over 16,000 registered Forty-Sixers. Members are asked to pay dues in order to fund the club's activities—these include an annual outdoor skills workshop, trail maintenance and stewardship programs, and a "correspondents program" inspired by Grace Hudowalski. In the early days of the 46ers she wrote personal letters to aspiring members—a tradition continued to this day.
The 46ers are dedicated to the preservation and accessibility of Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness. They host trail maintenance events for registered members, as well as a trailhead steward program: [5]
The 46ers collaborated with the ADK and DEC to establish the 46er Trailhead Steward Program. On weekends throughout the summer, 46er volunteers greet hikers at the Cascade trailhead and share information on DEC rules and regulations, "leave no trace" principles, and provide safety and preparedness suggestions.
Some 46ers re-climb all the peaks in winter, and are awarded the "Winter 46er" distinction (the winter 46 season is considered to be from December 21 to March 21). This is a very difficult task due to the severity of winters in the Adirondacks. Some peaks, such as Gothics, can require some technical climbing skill when covered with snow and ice. Upon completion of the winter 46, 46ers are entitled to wear the "Winter 46-R" rocker patch. As of September 1, 2020, there were 934 Winter 46ers. [6]
Mount Marcy is the highest point in the U.S. state of New York, with an elevation of 5,343.1 feet (1,628.6 m). It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is in the heart of the High Peaks Wilderness Area in Adirondack Park. Like the surrounding Adirondack Mountains, Marcy was heavily affected by large glaciers during recent ice ages, which deposited boulders on the mountain slopes and carved valleys and depressions on the mountain. One such depression is today filled by Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is often cited as the highest source of the Hudson River. The majority of the mountain is covered by hardwood and spruce-fir forests, although the highest few hundred feet are above the tree line. The peak is dominated by rocky outcrops, lichens, and alpine plants. The mountain supports a diverse number of woodland mammals and birds.
The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's book Peaks and Peoples of the Adirondacks. Those who have climbed all 46 High Peaks are eligible to join the Adirondack Forty-Sixers club.
Cascade Mountain is in Essex County of New York. It is one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks (36th) and is located in the Adirondack Park. Its name comes from a series of waterfalls on a brook near the mountain's base. The lake it flows into and the pass between Cascade and Pitchoff mountains are also named Cascade.
Porter Mountain is one of the Adirondack High Peaks. It is number 38 in order of height, and one of the easier hikes of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers. It is named after Noah Porter, one of the first to climb it, later president of Yale University.
Mount Skylight is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. Skylight is the fourth highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,924 feet (1,501 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain was given its name by artist Frederick S. Perkins and guide Orson Schofield Phelps in 1857, due to a rock formation on the peak resembling a window. Phelps would later make the first known ascent of the peak with surveyor Verplanck Colvin and two others on August 28, 1873.
Dix Mountain is a mountain in the Dix Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. With an elevation of 4,857 feet (1,480 m), it is the sixth highest peak in New York and one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. It is located roughly on the boundary between the towns of North Hudson and Keene in Essex County, and in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of Adirondack Park. The crest of the peak consists of a very narrow ridge, which continues to the southeast and rises to a subsidiary peak named Beckhorn, then continues south to other peaks of the Dix Range. The summit is also in an alpine zone above the treeline. The ridge offers unobstructed views of Elk Lake to the southwest, the Great Range to the northwest, and Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains to the east.
Gray Peak is a mountain located in the town of Keene in Essex County, New York. It is the seventh-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,840 feet (1,480 m), and is located in close proximity to Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York. Gray Peak is southwest of Mount Marcy and southeast of Mount Colden. The first recorded ascent of the peak was made on September 16, 1872, by surveyor Verplanck Colvin and guide Bill Nye. It was named for Asa Gray by Colvin. Although the mountain is only 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the summit of Marcy and lacked prominence desired by the Marshall brothers for inclusion in the High Peaks, it was added to the list to preserve the name.
Giant Mountain, also known as Giant of the Valley, is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the twelfth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,627 feet (1,410 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area, in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is named for its towering appearance from the nearby Pleasant Valley to the east, which sits at a low elevation.
Basin Mountain is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the ninth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,827 feet (1,471 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The peak was named either for the basins formed between knobs on its slopes or the large basin to its southeast formed by it and the surrounding mountains. The name Basin was most likely coined by Orson Schofield Phelps and Frederick W. Perkins in 1857 during an ascent of Mount Marcy. The earliest appearance of the name in writing was made by surveyor Verplanck Colvin in 1873.
Nippletop is a mountain in the Colvin Range of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. With an elevation of 4,620 feet (1,410 m), it is the 13th highest peak in New York and one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. It is located near the southern border of the town of Keene in Essex County, in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of Adirondack Park.
Grace Peak is a mountain located in Essex County, New York. It is part of the Dix Range, named after John A. Dix (1798–1879), New York Secretary of State in 1837, and later Governor. The mountain was formerly called East Dix, but in 2014 it was officially renamed Grace Peak in honor of Grace Hudowalski (1906–2004), who in 1937 became the ninth person and first woman to climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks. Grace Peak is flanked to the northeast by Spotted Mountain, and to the southwest by South Dix.
Macomb Mountain is a mountain in the Dix Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 21st-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,405 feet (1,343 m), and the most southeasterly of the High Peaks. It is located in the town of North Hudson in Essex County. The mountain is named for Alexander Macomb, an American general who became famous for his victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814. The name first appeared in print in 1842. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made in 1872 by guide Mel Trumbull and artist Arthur H. Wyant. Major slides on the western face of the mountain were caused by hurricanes in 1947 and 1950 and expanded by Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Hough Peak is a mountain in the Dix Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 23rd-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,400 feet (1,300 m). The mountain is located in the High Peaks Wilderness Area, in the town of North Hudson in Essex County. It is named for Franklin B. Hough, an early Adirondack conservationist and forester.
Armstrong Mountain is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 22nd-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,400 feet (1,300 m). It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is named for Thomas Armstrong, a lumberman from Plattsburgh. In 1866, Armstrong and a business partner, Almon Thomas, purchased the Totten and Crossfield Purchase, which contained the mountain and several of the other High Peaks. Armstrong named the mountain after himself in 1869, although the name was not popularized among local hikers until years later. The earliest recorded ascent was made by Ed Phelps and Thomas P. Wickes in 1875. In 1887, the Totten and Crossfield Purchase was sold to the Adirondack Mountain Reserve.
Saddleback Mountain is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U. S. state of New York. It is the 17th highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,515 feet (1,376 m). It is located in Adirondack Park in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain was named for the outline of its ridge, which resembles a saddle, by Orson Schofield Phelps and Frederick Perkins. It is flanked by Basin Mountain, the ninth highest of the High Peaks, and Gothics, the tenth highest. Good views of the two higher mountains are offered from the summit of Saddleback. The mountain straddles the watersheds of Johns Brook and the Ausable River. The earliest recorded ascent was made by amateur climber Newell Martin on August 5, 1894. It was claimed that an earlier ascent was made by patent lawyer James J. Storrow and mountain guide Orlando Beede, but the date of this climb is unknown.
Mount Marshall is a mountain in the MacIntyre Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. With an elevation of 4,360 feet (1,330 m), it is the 25th highest mountain in the Adirondacks and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Newcomb in Essex County, flanked to the northeast by Cold Brook Pass and Iroquois Peak. Originally named for Governor DeWitt Clinton, and then for mountain guide Herbert Clark, it was renamed for wilderness activist Bob Marshall after his death. The summit can be accessed by hikers on an unmarked trail.
Panther Peak is a mountain in the Santanoni Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 18th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,714 feet (1,437 m). It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County, inside Adirondack Park. The mountain is named after the panthers which were once native to the region. The name "Panther Peak" was in use by 1840, but originally referred to a different mountain now known as Mount Henderson. By 1904, the name had been transferred to the present Panther Peak. The earliest recorded ascent was also made in 1904 by surveyor Daniel Lynch. The mountain is flanked by two other High Peaks in the Santanoni Range, Couchsachraga Peak and Santanoni Peak.
Santanoni Peak is a mountain located in the Santanoni Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the fourteenth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,607 ft (1,404 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Newcomb in Essex County. Santanoni Peak is flanked to the north by Panther Peak and to the northwest by Couchsachraga Peak, the other two mountains of the Santanoni Range. The mountain's name is believed to be an Abenaki derivative of "Saint Anthony"; the first French fur traders and missionaries having named the area for Saint Anthony of Padua. The name first appeared in print in 1838, but may have been used much earlier. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made in 1866 by artist and writer Theodore R. Davis and mountain guide Dave Hunter.
Ampersand Mountain is a 3,352 ft (1,021.7 m) mountain in Franklin County in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of the northeastern Adirondacks, west of the High Peaks proper in New York State. The trail up the mountain begins on New York State Route 3 8.1 miles (13.0 km) southwest of the village of Saranac Lake, near Middle Saranac Lake; it is a popular day hike. The mountain takes its name from nearby Ampersand Creek, so named because it twists and turns like the ampersand symbol. The summit is bare rock, with extensive views of the High Peaks to the east and the Saranac Lakes to the west. Stony Creek Mountain is located west-southwest of Ampersand Mountain. The mountain is notable as the land surrounding its hiking trail's initial ascent is generally acknowledged as unlogged old growth forest.
The Dix Range is a range of mountains in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks, southeast of Mount Marcy and the Ausable valley, in northeastern New York State. The Dixes are named for John Adams Dix, then Secretary of State under New York Governor William Marcy, later Senator, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and New York Governor. The only exception to this is the mountain formerly named East Dix, which in 2014 was renamed Grace Peak in honor of Grace Leach Hudowalski (1906–2004), who in 1937 became the ninth person and first woman to climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks.
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