Need help planning route

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Originally Posted by NirvanaFan

We plan on hiking with our gear and not setting up a base camp anywhere. We were thinking about starting out with Wright, Algonquin, Iroquois, Marshall, and then making a big circle over to Marcy, Haystack, and Basin.

If you start by lugging full packs up and over Algonquin, your attitude towards setting up a base camp might change in a hurry!

Think about something like this; go in at upper works, set up a camp at Flowed Lands or Lake Colden. That gives you easy (well, short and steep, anyway) access to Marshall, Colden, Algonquin, and Iroquois. Then you could move to uphill or feldspar, with similar access to Cliff, Redfield, Gray, Skylight, Marcy. Then you move to panther gorge, for access to Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, Marcy.

This way the only real climb with packs is up to the four corners at Lake Tear (4300ft) if you go to panther gorge. That'll be enough....the high peaks climbs are much more enjoyable w/out packs because they're surprisingly steep and rocky. Plus, those are three excellent camping areas with some lean-tos, and the walk up the opalescent river from Colden is particularly nice.

Don't forget the bear canister.