In January, my family and I decided to participate in one of many Adirondack Hiking Challenges. We did the Tupper Lake Triad. The Tupper Lake Triad requires that you hike three mountains: Goodman Mountain, Mount Arab, and Coney Mountain. Once you hike all three mountains, you can fill out a form with your name, address, and summit times. You can then send that form in and you can receive a patch!! Some of these challenges can easily be completed in a day, and there are all different types! They’re all located in the Adirondacks as well, and you get an amazing opportunity to explore the wilderness and do something new! Many of these challenges have different patches: a winter patch, and a summer patch. Some of these challenges even have a patch for your dog. For the Tupper Lake Triad, they even have a paddling patch. The Paddling Triad features three paddles of varying length, located throughout the Tupper Lake area. We completed the Tupper Lake Triad over the course of a weekend. We stayed in Lake Placid, and it was so refreshing! Unfortunately, due to the snowy weather the views at the summit were a bit hard to see, but it was worth it in the end! Mount Arab also had a fire tower, and we encountered a mouse! The mouse randomly popped up out of nowhere and was found in my mom’s lunch bag. We assumed that the mouse came out from the cabin that was next to the fire tower! 

This month, we completed the Chester Challenge. There were a few different options for completing this challenge. You can hike the longest and most challenging trails to receive a special pin, or you can choose the easiest and still get the pin. Basically, there are 11 trails in total and eight locations to choose from. Some of those locations include two trails, one easy and one hard. Once you hike any 6 of those trails, all you have to do is report into the town clerk’s office in Chester, the Dynamite Hill Visitor Center, or the Crossroads Store, and then you’ll receive a commemorative challenge pin. Similar to the Tupper Lake Triad, if you complete the challenge in the winter, you will receive a special patch. 

Some of the other challenges include the Saranac Lake 6er, the Lake George 12ster, the Fulton Chain Trifecta, among others! You can see more challenges here.

These challenges are such a fun way to be active and to get outside! Especially with quarantine and all things COVID-19 related, these challenges are a great way to get out!