Adirondack Forty-Sixers
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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.
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[edit] Origins
The first 46ers were brothers Robert and George Marshall, and their guide and family friend Herbert Clark. The Marshalls thought up the idea after spending much of their childhood in the region and examining their father's (Louis Marshall, another prominent figure in the region's history) collection of Verplanck Colvin maps. They devised criteria for the high peaks they would climb, choosing any summit that was more than 4,000 ft (1,219 m) above sea level in elevation with at least 300 feet (91.4 m) of vertical rise on all sides and separated from the next closest summit by 0.75 mile (1.2 km). They initially planned to climb only the summits above 4,000 feet, of which there were 42, and did so between 1918 and 1924.
They climbed the 4,000 ft mountains later, on the suggestion of friends.
At the time that they undertook this goal, there were neither maintained nor unmaintained trails up many of the peaks, making this a particularly formidable accomplishment. One of the peaks, Mt. Marshall in the MacIntyre Range, has since been named in their honor and the brook which the most popular approach.
[edit] 46ers Today
There are a substantial number of 46ers today, and those who climb all the peaks and file trip reports with the club historian are permitted to join the 46ers and receive a patch to commemorate the accomplishment. Members are also assigned a number in the order in which they joined. As of 2005 there are over 5,500 who have met these requirements.
When aspirants have conquered their 30th peak, they start receiving the club newsletter. At the 40th, they are sent formal membership questionnaires.
The club also works to preserve the High Peaks and other areas of the Adirondacks, organizing regular trail maintenance trips.
Although the tradition is to climb the original 46 peaks, more recent surveys have shown that four of these peaks are actually lower than 4,000 feet in elevation and another, MacNaughton Mountain, is actually just at 4,000 feet despite earlier surveys that showed it at a lower elevation. All peaks have at least one maintained trail or thoroughly broken-in unmaintained trail.
Until 2000, the peaks with unmaintained trails had small canisters with a notebook inside for aspiring members to sign in. It was also at one time a requirement that aspirants visiting such peaks include, in their reports, the last three signatories.
[edit] Winter 46ers
Some go further and reclimb all the peaks in winter, and they are entitled upon completion of this to use a "W" after their membership numbers. 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.
As of September 2005 there were 315 winter 46ers, or 5.6 % of the total all-time membership.
