Winter Camping with a Pulk Sled - Adirondacks Deep Snow & Icy Summits

Join us for 2 days of winter camping, backpacking & snowshoeing with a pulk sled in the deep snow of the Adirondack mountains.
GPS Data at http://www.sintax77.com

For this winter camping adventure, we’ll be using a DIY pulk sled to setup up a base camp in the Giant Mountain Wilderness. Day one will be dedicated to building camp and settling in, followed by a summit attempt of Giant Mountain on day two.

Our winter pulk sled will be used for group items such as campfire cooking gear, stoves, steaks and other food, additional firewood, our tent, etc. In addition to the sled, Mike, Frank and myself each have a backpack for personal items such as cold weather clothing options and other gear. A list of notable gear can be found at the end of this post.

For an easier read & more info check out my blog post
htttp://www.sintax77.com/winter-camping-with-a-pulk-sled-adirondacks-deep-snow-icy-summits

No permit is required to camp in this area, but there are regulations for backcountry camping. You can find more information on the Adirondacks Park Giant Mountain Wilderness website here. https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/100750.html

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be found in the above blog post or my site’s Trip Data Page.


Trailhead Used:
Roaring Brook Trailhead, N44° 09.025′ W73° 46.064′
16 Roaring Brook Trail, Keene Valley, NY 12943

The Roaring Brook trailhead parking area has room for a half dozen vehicles or so.

Trails Used, Day 1:

Begin at the Roaring Brook Trailhead Parking Lot
Roaring Brook Trail
At the intersection for the Roaring Brook Falls upper & lower spur trails, continue straight on Roaring Brook Tail.
Note: There is a large campsite at the top of Roaring Brook Falls. This is a popular ice climbing location & known campsite, so seclusion may be less so than where we chose to camp.
Setup camp about one mile in on the Roaring Brook Trail.
The site we selected was an unofficial, but legal, spot that we found along a shelf that we identified on the topo map. There was no immediate access to water, but due to the surrounding four foot snow, we were able to melt snow for our water needs. If you continue along the trail a short bit, you will see a yellow camp here disc right were the trail intersects the brook. This would be a good option for warmer trips, but we preferred the view at our earlier camping location.

Day 1 Mileage: 1.1 miles
Day 1 Elevation Gain: 991 feet


Trails Used, Day 2:

Continue north on the Roaring Brook Trail
Cross over Roaring Brook
This & the second crossing, 1/4 mile later, are the last reliable water sources before the summit.
At the intersection, head left (north) on the Ridge Trail to Giant Mountain.
Arrive at summit of Giant Mountain, 12th tallest peak in New York, and tallest in the Giant Mountain Wilderness.
Head back out the same way.
Return to Roaring Brook Parking Lot.

Day 2 Mileage: 7 Miles (3 each way to summit, 1 back to the car)
Day 2 Elevation Gain: 3,100 feet


Grand Total Mileage: 8 Miles
Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 4,090′


Notable Winter Backpacking Gear Seen:

National Geographic Adirondack Giant Mountain Trail Map https://amzn.to/2CtAugz
Shawn’s EMS Longtrail 70 backpack https://go.magik.ly/ml/kait/
Mike’s Gregory Palisade 80 backpack https://go.magik.ly/ml/lloj/
Frank’s Scandinavian Gear Backpack https://amzn.to/36o73td
Nemo Losi 3p Tent https://amzn.to/2WgUgnh
Camp USA Collapsible Snow Shovel https://amzn.to/2UIVXcH
Shawns Hammock Gear Burrow 0 Top Quilt https://www.hammockgear.com/premium-b...
Frank’s Kelty Cosmic 0 Sleeping Bag https://amzn.to/2W8yhPd
Tyvek Ground Cloth https://amzn.to/2WIAGRU
Optimus Polaris Optifuel Stove https://amzn.to/2CoxjG5
MSR Whisperlite Universal Multi-fuel Stove https://amzn.to/2Fj2XGN
Zippo Lighter https://amzn.to/2FBpikz
MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit https://amzn.to/2TVWpXJ
Toaks 450ml Titanium Cup https://amzn.to/2Wa5t8W
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork http://amzn.to/2uyl5GJ
Mountain House Spicy Breakfast Hash https://amzn.to/2DUKG33
Steripen Ultra UV Water Purifier https://amzn.to/2WJp8gS
Forty Below 1L Water Bottle & Bottle Boot Insulator https://www.40below.com/products_deta...
Kahtoola MicroSpikes https://amzn.to/2t7thxP
Camp Stalker Crampons, Universal https://amzn.to/2TYrDh4
Garmont Momentum Snow Winter Boots https://go.magik.ly/ml/kajk/
Shawn’s MSR Denali Ascent Snowshoes https://amzn.to/2Ocf7Fp
Frank’s Alps Snowshoes https://amzn.to/2UPJIex
EMS Thunderhead Jacket https://go.magik.ly/ml/jtlo/
Polartec Military Fleece https://amzn.to/2Y8EqwD
Hardshell Pants – Military ECWCS Gen III Trousers https://amzn.to/2WzloP4
Byer of Maine Tri-Light Camp Stool https://amzn.to/2GamV9m
Olight Wave LED Headlamp https://amzn.to/2D443Vq
TotalPac Packable Backpack https://amzn.to/2Yad1Kw


Songs (via Artlist):

Comeback by Vic Sage
Chamberlain by FVMELESS

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