Hamilton is situated only a couple of hours from some of the country’s most beautiful peaks. The Hamilton Outing Club organizes an annual event to appreciate this unique geographic location by organizing trips to the summits of the 46 Peaks during the peak of the Fall season. This tradition, called “46 Peaks” peaks above 2,000 feet in the Adirondacks, went on this past weekend. Students who work for “HOC,” the Hamilton Outing Club, led groups of over one hundred students on hiking trips in the Adirondacks.
There were a mix of overnight and day trips which ranged greatly in skill-level required and experience. This unique experience is open to all who want to participate and offers an opportunity for students to fully escape from the stressful bubble of school and lose yourself in nature.
The ultimate goal is for the groups to cumulatively reach the top of all 46 major peaks. The result was exciting. Hamilton students surpassed the success of recent years in summiting 44 of the 46 peaks of the Adirondacks.
This 46 Peaks weekend, we joined the Phelps and Tabletop trip. The trip was a total of 15 miles. We left the trailhead at around 7 am and returned about 12 hours later. On the drive there, we watched the sun rise as we drove past lakes and mountains up to Lake Placid. Passing the ski jump from the 1980 Olympics, and rolling through quaint Adirondack towns, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and got excited for our adventure.
Maggie Winstead ’26, co-led a trip up Nippletop and Dial mountain with Kate Broeksmit ’26,. The trip was a total of 16 miles and took them just under twelve hours to complete. Winstead reflected on a highlight of the trip: “On our way down, we were in a lot of pain, our feet and knees and joints hurt a lot, and we would just start singing random songs, and I think we all felt pretty delusional by the end. When you hike with people you bond so fast.” She shared that the trip served as a reprieve from the busy, academic environment of Hamilton. Winstead shared that the trip was worth the early wake-up, “When are we going to be in our 20s, hiking in peak foliage?”
Becca Perry ’25 led an overnight trip up Mount Marcie with a few of her crew teammates. Perry is a HOC officer, so she was part of the team responsible for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work, including organizing the logistics of the trips and conducting leader training. Perry reflected on what made the experience so special: “The weather was really beautiful which helped. The Adirondacks were in peak foliage so it was super pretty, super sunny, very blue skies. All of the trips went really well. There were no big issues so it was a pretty smooth weekend.”
Another group led by Gabrielle Brihn ’26 and Leia Pinals ’26 hiked Esther and Whiteface. Instead of driving to the Adirondacks early, the group left the night before and camped. Brihn noted that one of her favorite moments of the trip was when everyone circled around with their sleeping bags and played cards. “I used my Crocs as a table, and we all played BS. It was really fun.” Brihn reflected, “It’s a really nice break from being in an isolated place that is campus. Because you’re outside, you’re able to get to know people in a casual setting that’s pretty intimate. I’ve made a lot of friends just from hiking with people. It’s very quiet. It’s very calming and different from on campus during the weekend. And the foliage was at its peak this weekend so there were definitely some great moments where we just sat and looked at it.”
Brihn said that Stewart’s Shop was another highlight of the trip, “The feeling of finishing a hike and getting a chance to eat yummy things. I got three beverages, a milkshake, a Naked smoothie and a hot chocolate. I needed the sugar to drive home.
46 peaks is a great way to begin your engagement with the many opportunities offered by the Hamilton Outdoors Club. “I think it’s a great weekend to try getting on a trip if you’ve never done a HOC trip. It is a big weekend. There are a lot of trips that go out and there are a wide range of ability levels so it is pretty easy to join if you are more new to hiking,” Perry agreed.
These trips foster community and bond students who may not otherwise spend time together. Consider participating in a trip next year and keep an eye out for more Hamilton Outing Club trips this fall!
