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A new entrant in the friendly contest among strong men of the Adirondack Mountains has appeared in the person of James A. Foote, con of George C. Foote, of Port Henry. Young Foote romped over 28 Adirondack peaks on Wednesday, June 21, and thereby set a new record for number of mountains ascended in one day of climbing. Twenty-four of these peaks are over 4,000 feet.

Foote, 22, is a 1932 graduate of Union College in Schenectady. He knew the famous climber, Edward Everett Hale, lately deceased, and for many summers has trained with Clint West, the well-known forest ranger stationed on Lake Colden. He has followed the trap line among the peaks and valleys surrounding Lake Colden and hence has traveled among and over several unnamed peaks of 4,000 feet and more in that vicinity.

On Tuesday, June 20, Foote took a preparatory constitutional from Lake Colden over Marcy, down Slant Brook to Johns Brook Lodge and thence up the headwater of the brook to the Wolf Jaws, where he spent the night up to midnight under a blanket and poncho at an elevation of 3,500 feet. Leaving his blanket and cooking equipment behind, hoping that some friendly fellow mountaineer would later bring them in, he set out on his long hike at midnight on the morning of the 21st.

Foote traveled light as every marathoner should. He had by earlier trips and through one or two friends who were on post at Sno Bord camp, made caches of food.

Since there was no water from the saddle of the Wolf Jaws, he carried two oranges for liquid refreshment on that leg of the journey.

His route and time schedule were as follows:

– Headwater of brook near saddle between the Wold Jaws (12:00 a.m.)

– Lower Wolf Jaw (12:07)

– Little Wolf Jaw (12:15)

– Upper Wolf Jaw (12:43)

– Armstrong (12:58)

– Gothics (1:15)

– Saddleback (1:38)

– Basin (1:57)

– Sno Birds camp (2:35)

– Little Haystack (2:55)

– Haystack (3:15)

– Marcy (4:41)

– Schoffield Cobble (4:50)

– Gray (5:12)

– Skylight (5:50)

– Redfield (6:25)

– Unnamed peak northwest of Redfield (6:50)

– Cliff (7:30)

– Unnamed peak sometimes called Marshall (8:45)

– Unnamed peak (NA)

– Colden (10:16)

– Unnamed peak (10:30)

– Lake Colden ranger camp (11:00)

– Unnamed peak near headwater of Cold Brook (1:00)

– Squaw (1:45)

– Cone (2:37)

– Iroquois (3:00)

– Boundary (3:30)

– Algonquin (3:58)

– Wright (4:48)

– Adirondak Loj (6:25)

At the Adirondak Loj, Foote was met by his parents and Jed Rossman, guide of the Adirondak Loj Club, where hot drinks awaited him.

Foote left postcards on most of the peaks addressed to H. W. Hicks, vice president of the Adirondak Loj Club, and it is hoped that trampers finding any of these cards on the mountains will mail them at the first opportunity.

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