I’ve been waiting all winter for an opportunity to climb a particularly remote mountain in the Adirondacks. Couchsachraga – “an ancient Algonquin name that means Dismal Wilderness,” seems like such an appropriate name for this uninteresting peak on the list of 46 four-thousand-foot mountains in New York’s Adirondack region. Indeed, this peak is not even 4,000 feet high: it was included on the original list of 46, but later re-surveyed and discovered to be a tad shy of that mark. It is the shortest of the 46. I climbed my first 46er peak at age 9 and have been longing to complete the list ever since. The photo below shows a view of Couch from above – not much to look at, but read on to hear about my adventure trying to reach it. (And check out the full photo album.)
David Kotz 