documenting 46 high peaks

[Viewseeker]

My thoughts

My writing skills are not top notch...Infact I'm not at all into writing,,honestly....having said that i've enjoyed to the fullest sitting down at the computer and re-living the day, just like many have stated. Putting your thoughts into a paragraph seemed to flow like wildfire as wrote of my journeys, people I meet and the pre/post hike adventures. Hell, At first I thought I needed to HAND WRITE the letters, as of which like 5 peaks i did by hand....oh man writers cramp!!! The more I did the more I couldnt wait to get home and write up my latest and post for others to read and compliment or give you constructive advice. I am a student of the mountains...on a new ride everytime i set foot on its backyard...Feel free to do as you please...Whatever makes you happy!!! Take care hope to see ya on the trails..FYI...I'm waiting for a return letter back from my correspondent on my last hikes which include my first winters this yr.....the suspence is killing me!!!

Rob

 

[Skyclimber]

The correspondent system may have been needed at one point in order to provide information. With all the sources currently available now, it might be time to retire it.

This system will not ever be retired, as it is a tradition with the Forty Sixers. It's not just information a Correspondent helps with but yet to encourage the Climber along the way. A Correspondent also helps to get the climber officially recorded as an Adirondack Forty Sixer.

 

[Neil]

It's a no-brainer. Either you go along with the whole thing and get your name on the roster or you don't bother. One way or another though, if you climb the 46 then like it or not you're already playing their game because a few of them are less than 4000feet. Cliff, Nye, Couchie, who am I missing?

 

[Puma concolor]

Blake. Also playing by their rules when it comes to col depth and distance. What percentage of 46Rs climb Yard, I wonder?

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Blake. Also playing by their rules when it comes to col depth and distance. What percentage of 46Rs climb Yard, I wonder?

A lot higher than the percentage that climb East Table Top, or even now about it.

 

[Neil]

A lot higher than the percentage that climb East Table Top, or even now about it.

Yard and Ttop east. Nice peaks. Especially the latter, whose highest point I have twice Graced. (Pun intended, with deepest respect).

 

[Rik]

I am due to hike Allen in 2009. This will be my last of the 46. It has been a long journey one that I have enjoyed and was discouraged by equally.I have not documented any of my hikes with the ADK 46rs. I would like to have opinions on how best to complete this task. I have journals documenting the dates and conditions etc...thanks.

The 46 are already well documented. I suggest you document some more obscure peaks.

 

[BTPete]

I had hiked a bunch of peaks through youth and through college but when I "started" the 46 I started over and rehiked all those I had done previously. It was a personal decision, much like writing after each hike in the length that I did. I enjoyed my correspondent and looked forward to the return letters. Thanks Brian! I think you should do as much as you feel comfortable. If you are uncomfortable sharing, share some of the highlights of your special ones etc. I certainly had some that were much more memorable than others due to people I was with, conditions, or my own stupidity.

 

[PA Ridgerunner]

Still, if you don't want to join the 46ers, you don't have to. Sorry, but unless the requirements for the 111'er has changed, you do have to join the 46'ers first.

Fair enough, Kevin...I wasn't aware of that.

There have been a few hikers who've shared with me the demoralizing experiences they've had with thier correspondents and this is just a shame. Its really too bad when those with more experience than others feel the need to belittle thier efforts, minimize thier accomplishments, or bully them by turning report submission into a red-tape nightmare, but unfortunatley, we all face difficult people in many aspects of our lives.

So sorry to hear this from Una, Kevin, and others. That's very disappointing. My correspondent has been terrific and the process has certainly enhanced this experience for me. Having said that, I get that the whole corresponding thing might not appeal to everyone, but it can pretty much be minimized by providing the bare minimum of information. If your correspondent doesn't like it, they'll have to get over it.

 

[wardsgirl]

I'm so confused!

Wow. I usually don't read these NY threads very often, but I'm glad I did. I am completely flabbergasted right now to find out that I have to write letters to a correspondent in order to be recognized as a 46er. Being from the Whites, this is pretty foreign to me, aside from my written accounts of the final peaks on the non-NY lists.

As some of you may know, I hiked several of the 46er peaks many years ago, and have been waiting for my kid (13 years old, and already a WM4k'r finisher) to get his learner's permit so he could share driving to NY. I wonder how much time can elapse between the first hikes and when a hiker needs to contact the 46er organization?

The website says that they want you to write to them at least once per year. Does that imply that once you climb one 46er, you will have to write to them every year if you hope to complete the list? In my case, decades will pass between my first batch of peaks and my last.

Forgive me if I sound ignorant, I mean no disrespect to the organization, but how would one know, when they go hiking, that they need to submit climb paperwork to a correspondent? It sounds like a nice idea to encourage people to write about their hiking experiences, but my correspondent could be dead before I finish hiking the last peak.

I'm completely blown away by finding out that I have to write these letters at all, and I'm very confused. Do I have to write one letter for each peak? Do the letters become property of the 46er organization? I suppose I could climb the ones I've already climbed over again, it's not like I don't like hiking! Keeping track shouldn't be a real problem, because I keep a journal of all my hikes, but the website says they do not accept "journal entries." Does anyone know what they mean by that? It's very discouraging to find out that some hikers' assigned correspondents seem antagonistic. Perhaps Adk_dib has the best idea with a special commemorative T-shirt.

 

[Neil]

Wow. I usually don't read these NY threads very often, but I'm glad I did. I am completely flabbergasted right now to find out that I have to write letters to a correspondent in order to be recognized as a 46er.

Depends. Who do you want to be recognized by?

If the answer is the 46ers then yeah, you have to do it.

Otherwise, don't worry about it.

 

[Rik]

It's really not that big of a deal. You write as much or little as you want and as often as you want. No time limits, no big hoops to jump through. I think I wrote two letters and filled out the 46er questionaire. For winter I wrote one brief letter.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Wow. I usually don't read these NY threads very often, but I'm glad I did. I am completely flabbergasted right now to find out that I have to write letters to a correspondent in order to be recognized as a 46er. Being from the Whites, this is pretty foreign to me, aside from my written accounts of the final peaks on the non-NY lists.

As some of you may know, I hiked several of the 46er peaks many years ago, and have been waiting for my kid (13 years old, and already a WM4k'r finisher) to get his learner's permit so he could share driving to NY. I wonder how much time can elapse between the first hikes and when a hiker needs to contact the 46er organization?

The website says that they want you to write to them at least once per year. Does that imply that once you climb one 46er, you will have to write to them every year if you hope to complete the list? In my case, decades will pass between my first batch of peaks and my last.

Forgive me if I sound ignorant, I mean no disrespect to the organization, but how would one know, when they go hiking, that they need to submit climb paperwork to a correspondent? It sounds like a nice idea to encourage people to write about their hiking experiences, but my correspondent could be dead before I finish hiking the last peak.

I'm completely blown away by finding out that I have to write these letters at all, and I'm very confused. Do I have to write one letter for each peak? Do the letters become property of the 46er organization? I suppose I could climb the ones I've already climbed over again, it's not like I don't like hiking! Keeping track shouldn't be a real problem, because I keep a journal of all my hikes, but the website says they do not accept "journal entries." Does anyone know what they mean by that? It's very discouraging to find out that some hikers' assigned correspondents seem antagonistic. Perhaps Adk_dib has the best idea with a special commemorative T-shirt.

Don't worry, you can write to them at any time. Many people write all their entries after they finish. And 1 good paragraph per peak is enough.

 

[adktyler]

Wow. I usually don't read these NY threads very often, but I'm glad I did. I am completely flabbergasted right now to find out that I have to write letters to a correspondent in order to be recognized as a 46er. Being from the Whites, this is pretty foreign to me, aside from my written accounts of the final peaks on the non-NY lists.

As some of you may know, I hiked several of the 46er peaks many years ago, and have been waiting for my kid (13 years old, and already a WM4k'r finisher) to get his learner's permit so he could share driving to NY. I wonder how much time can elapse between the first hikes and when a hiker needs to contact the 46er organization?

The website says that they want you to write to them at least once per year. Does that imply that once you climb one 46er, you will have to write to them every year if you hope to complete the list? In my case, decades will pass between my first batch of peaks and my last.

Forgive me if I sound ignorant, I mean no disrespect to the organization, but how would one know, when they go hiking, that they need to submit climb paperwork to a correspondent? It sounds like a nice idea to encourage people to write about their hiking experiences, but my correspondent could be dead before I finish hiking the last peak.

I'm completely blown away by finding out that I have to write these letters at all, and I'm very confused. Do I have to write one letter for each peak? Do the letters become property of the 46er organization? I suppose I could climb the ones I've already climbed over again, it's not like I don't like hiking! Keeping track shouldn't be a real problem, because I keep a journal of all my hikes, but the website says they do not accept "journal entries." Does anyone know what they mean by that? It's very discouraging to find out that some hikers' assigned correspondents seem antagonistic. Perhaps Adk_dib has the best idea with a special commemorative T-shirt.

Hey there, friend. It's a little overwhelming at first, but not as hard as it sounds. Let me see if I can clear some things up for you. Please, anybody, correct me if I'm wrong.

You do not HAVE to write them every year if you want to become a 46er, but they like you to keep in regular contact. At this point I believe there are about 5,000 or so open 46er files, from what I've been told. Some of these people hike a or two a year, and are taking their time. One guy I know spread the whole thing out over 40 years! To become a 46er, like Neil said, who is recognized by the 46ers Club (separate from the ADK Mountain Club), and thus get a patch and have all the privileges of the organization, you must write in at least a little, telling something about each peak. If you don't want to be affiliated with the group, you don't have to be. The choice is yours!

There can be as much time elapsed as you would like. I hiked my first 46er when I was 10, and didn't write in until I was 18 (which included the 8 I had hiked since then as well).

As far as how you would know this, that's an excellent question. I just learned from word of mouth and hanging out with 46ers, and having friends who are working on them, and looking at the website. I doubt your correspondent will be dead by the time your done, but that's an interesting thought I suppose. If that does happen, I guess you would be assigned a new one.

You do NOT have to write one letter for each peak. I know some people who have done that, some people who have done it by range, some people who have done it by month, some people who have done it by year, some people who have done it all in one letter. It's really up to you. I write a little longer letters, so I usually do it by range, though I think I have done one or two by season when I didn't hike much.

As far as journal entries. As far as I know, they simply mean that they don't want you to tear out a page from your journal with all it's scribblings and such and send that in. They follow an organized format to submit the letters, which not only makes it easier for them to read, but also allows for more simplified filing. One or two of my letters, I believe, have essentially been my journal entries typed out and edited for errors, so you have that as an option.

As far as the negative experiences with corespondents goes, I think that is the rarity. I have many friends and acquaintances working on the 46, and have only heard 2 negative stories out of about 50. Most people find it a positive experience.

I hope that had answered some questions for you. There are people here who are more qualified and better informed who might be able to say it better.

 

[ADKdremn]

To me the whole corespondant thing is what makes the 46rs special. I don't know, maybe it's just cheesy sentiment on my part, but I look forward to the whole process. I started in 2000 and didn't write my first letter until I had hiked around 5 peaks a few years later. I now write after each hike, which isn't all that often so I kind of look forward to it and it doesn't seem like a burden to me. Maybe it's more cheesy sentiment on my part, but I also look forward to that letter in the mail from my correspondant. There's so little "tradition" like this these days with all of modern technology, etc that I enjoy handwriting my letters (not that you have to handwrite them) and also receiving a handwritten letter from my correspondant.
It's a personal choice....do whatever feels best for you.

 

[ferrisjrf]

I am completely flabbergasted right now to find out that I have to write letters to a correspondent...Being from the Whites, this is pretty foreign to me, aside from my written accounts of the final peaks on the non-NY lists.

You can pretty much follow the same protocol you did for the 48:
1) Provide a list with the (approximate) dates you walked up the various hills that are recognized by the club
2) Fill out a questionaire provided by the club
3) Write a check to the club
4) Write a paragraph or two about your experience(s)

I wrote to the 46'ers twice, each letter was about a page long. The process wasn't what I would consider fun, but it wasn't a hassle either.

Jason

 

[Neil]

You can pretty much follow the same protocol you did for the 48:
1) Provide a list with the (approximate) dates you walked up the various hills that are recognized by the club
2) Fill out a questionaire provided by the club
3) Write a check to the club
4) Write a paragraph or two about your experience(s)

I wrote to the 46'ers twice, each letter was about a page long. The process wasn't what I would consider fun, but it wasn't a hassle either.

Jason

You mean you know how to write? Cewl!

 

[adktyler]

4) Write a paragraph or two about your experience(s)

I wrote to the 46'ers twice, each letter was about a page long. The process wasn't what I would consider fun, but it wasn't a hassle either.

Jason

The unique part, though, is the corespondent! You have the option of writing one letter with a paragraph or two about the experiences. But they have these cool people on the other side who are actually interested in more than just a "this is what I did, this is what I saw, now I check off this other list." They will actually write back to you, and as many times as you write to them. That for me, sort of like what ADKdremn said, is the part that separates them from the rest and adds a unique twist to the whole experience. I don't know of any other club in the US that as the same set-up and system, and IMHO it's pretty darn cool!

 

[ferrisjrf]

You have the option of writing one letter with a paragraph or two about the experiences.

Yep.

Just trying to make that clear to the unaware. Not making any judgment as to whether "correspondents", or any other aspect of the 46'ers, are good or bad.

Jason

 

[adktyler]

Yep.

Just trying to make that clear to the unaware. Not making any judgment as to whether "correspondents", or any other aspect of the 46'ers, are good or bad.

Jason

Oh that's fine, I know, I was just throwing out another perspective