Perfect Hike is proud to present our newest series, the Local Hikers Spotlight. In this series, we’ll be showcasing some of the Adirondacks finest and giving them a platform to tell their story.
To kick off this series we have a three-time 46er and possibly the only 46er to have also won the Lake Placid Marathon, John Ehntholt. Thank you again John for allowing Perfect Hike to tell your story. Enjoy!
Where Are You From?
I’m from a very small town called Truthville NY which is within the Granville NY school district, just south of Lake Champlain on the NY/VT Border. I still live in Granville which is about 2 hours from Lake Placid.
When Did You Begin Hiking?
I have a running and Martial Arts background. I did my first High Peak in December of 2017, Mount Marcy, and at the time I didn’t know if I would do all 46, but I did Tabletop Mountain on the way out just in case. Seventy-nine days later I had finished all 46 of them and a few twice and achieved Single Season Winter 46er status. I told people it had become “my latest obsession.”
Where can readers find you online?
You can find me on Instagram @johnehntholt or my personal Facebook to see my adventures in the Adirondacks.
What was the most recent hike you did in the Adirondacks? How often do you hike in the Adirondacks?
How often do you hike in the Adirondacks? I hike every weekend since I fell in love with the High Peak Region in December of 2017. My last hike was doing the three mountains of the Seward Range, Donaldson, Emmons and Seward with my girlfriend as she works on completing her 46er Round. The hike was 15.5 miles long from the end of Corey’s Road. That gave her 27 and me 208 total High Peaks now as I’m closing in on completing my 4th ADK 46er round.
Out of the 46 peaks, which one is your favorite and why?
Without a doubt, Haystack and Basin are my favorite High Peaks. It was February of 2018, and I hiked to Haystack and caught up to the group ahead of us. Six of them and we all changed from snowshoes to Crampons as the rugged rocks were all covered in ice within a frozen views cloud. They turned back without summiting due to safety concerns, but we were going for our Single Season Winter 46er so we couldn’t turn back. We pressed on and hit our summit and continued breaking trail to Basin as nightfall was near. We got out of the woods 4 hours after dark that night, and it was the biggest test we faced that winter.
What is your favorite hike that is not one of the 46 High Peaks and why?
Well, so many to name. Mansfield and Camels Hump in Vermont. Noonmark, Jay, Crane, Van Hovenberg, and Ampersand are all great hikes with views that make them all worth doing. And, Big Old Mount Washington in NH. Love the prominent rocky summits.
What is your favorite snack to pack for a hike?
I like to keep things simple and have PB&J’s for sandwiches…Cliff Bars for backups. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll pack some Twizzlers and/or trail mix with yogurt covered cranberries…I always joke that they sound classier than raisins.
What do you always bring with you on a hike?
I love my Garmin 310xt Running watch. It keeps my distance, pace, and overall time. It’s the runner in me that has become accustomed to these measurements. Once I had to hike without it…it felt like a birthday party without cake or ice cream. Just not the same.
What shoes do you wear to hike?
Well, it’s probably not surprising to hear that I wear trail running shoes and not hiking boots. I wear Brooks Cascadias or Salomon Speedcross4 anytime there isn’t snow on the ground. In the snow season, I wear Rocky Boots. Probably unconventional than what others wear…but they’re comfortable and warm, and that’s what I’m looking for when out there in the snow.
What’s your best advice for someone just starting out?
I would say the best thing is to do your homework before heading out on your hike. Study a map, buy a map if you don’t have one, know where the intersections will be. Be prepared for situations like cold and snow even if you don’t think you’ll need them. And probably hiking with someone else while you are learning is a good thing too.
Outside of hiking, what is your activity in the area?
Definitely running. I believe I’m the only Adirondack 46er who has also won the Lake Placid Marathon. I have other wins and fun races in my past…but it seems now that all my athletic goals are hiking related. Which I think is so funny because I use to avoid hiking as much as possible because I didn’t want it ruining my legs for racing and training. It’s weird how they have now flip-flopped.
If you could choose one word to describe the Adirondacks, what would it be?
“Ruggedly-beautiful.” I know that’s two words, but I added the hyphen to make it legit.
