Northville-Placid Trail (backpacking/camping recommendation)

Not entirely off topic, since our hearts are in Upstate NY anyway, and some of us make pilgrimages to Lake Placid, so thought I'd just put a plug out there for a long distance backpacking trail that is usually a bit under the radar: the Northville-[Lake-] Placid Trail, which runs 138 miles through the Adirondacks from the village of Northville to Lake Placid. A couple of good buddies of mine and I have been section hiking it and plan to finish it this summer.

It's not fabulous for jaw dropping scenic vistas, but it's terrific for getting away from civilization to get well into the wilderness (you can easily find yourself dozens of miles from the nearest road -- fun!) and disconnect. Owls, loons, swimming, testing your determination to get through everything nature throws at you... I thoroughly recommend it!!

More info: https://nptrail.org/
National Geographic map
NPT Facebook group

There's also the Finger Lakes Trail, of course, which runs near or through Ithaca, but I haven't done that one yet and don't have much knowledge about it. And also the Long Path and the North Country Trail. But anyway.

Bears?

Bears in the Adirondacks: Not a big deal. We have ~100 acres 20 minutes outside Lake Placid. Most years we and the extended family don't see a bear on the property or along nearby roadways, and this is a thinly populated area. Actually more NYS bears farther south (Catskills).

We (humans) are a bigger danger to them. The state Department of Environmental Conservation says there are 6000-1800 bears in NYS and hunters take down ~1500 a year.

Having spent some time in Alberta I am scared as fuck of bears.

the most time i see bears is camping in PA..

upprdeck
the most time i see bears is camping in PA..

Really missed a lay up there.

I hiked a couple of sections of the NP Trail and many of the FLT in the mid-1970's. It was a while ago, but I remember more ups and downs on the FLT than NP because FLT was cutting east-west across the north-south valleys while NP tended to follow the valleys. NP felt more remote, with many fewer road crossings, though some campsites were busy back then.

Be careful of cocaine bear

Dunc
Be careful of cocaine bear

[youtu.be]

Trotsky

Dunc
Be careful of cocaine bear

[youtu.be]

Lol i love pitch meeting

Trotsky
Having spent some time in Alberta I am scared as fuck of bears.

Yeah, but there you presumably have to worry about Grizzlies. Here it's just black bears, and the usual advice is to scare them away (and don't tempt them with your food).

From today’s D&C . .