Region: Adirondacks; 46ers
Level: Difficult
Distance/Elevation: ~15 miles/ 5,000+ feet
Nice loop to knock out a handful of 46ers if you have a full day up in the High Peaks. It’s often done with Saddleback as well, unfortunately I didn’t have the fuel to knock off the extra peak (but, I did it in Winter 2020 which you can read here). In total I did about 15 miles and around 5,000+ feet of elevation on this loop. Such great views at each peak, my favorites being the view from UWJ and Gothics.
The loop starts off in the Garden Parking lot in Keene. From there, take the Northside trail towards the Johns Brook Lodge and Interior Outpost. Check the picture grid below and start at the bottom to see some of the trail signs. Take a left at that intersection (you’ll see plenty of signs at this point) and that’ll bring you to the Wolfjaw Trail a bit past a drawbridge. A few miles will past, you’ll come to Wolfjaw Notch. Head left for LWJ, circle back and you’l see signs for UWJ that’s probably around a mile from the Notch. From there, you’re looking at maybe another mile or so to Armstrong, and then a short distance to Gothics. The views on Gothics are amazing and worth hanging out up top for a bit if you can. Great summit, plenty of space, usually pretty windy, however. The trek down Gothics is intense if you head down the way I did - it’s the continuation of the loop heading back to JBL from the opposite way. You’ll see in the pictures there are ropes and rock slabs for a big portion of the way down. Steep, fun, hard, and takes a toll on your legs for sure.
This loop is a great way to knock out a handful of 46ers in a day. Maybe around 15 miles, toughest part is heading down Gothics to finish off the loop while the original trek up to LWJ can be steep and difficult at times, it’s well worth it. Great elevation gain and strong views from the 3 latter successive peaks. LWJ has its moments but probably in order of views I’d say Gothics, UWJ, Armstrong, LWJ. Enjoy the day.
