We started the day with a little miscommunication.  I said I was at Loj, and my hiking companions took it literally and went over to the actual ADK Loj, while I was sitting there waiting at the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC).  We found each other though and started the hike on the VanHovenberg trail.  There was a sign at the trailhead that said there was enough snow, that snowshoes were legally required starting here.  So, the shoes went on.

Overall, the hike in to Marcy Dam was what I expected.  There was snow coverage and well packed, but some random rocks still poked through here and there.  About an hour in, we were at the former dam.  We took a few pictures, and that was the first place that I really noticed the wind.  The forecast was 45-50 MPH sustained winds with gusts into the 60+ MPH range.  We could hear the wind while hiking in the woods, but at the dam, it was the first open spot we came to, and the chill was obvious.  So, we didn't dawdle as I normally do there.

The next mile up to the Phelps turnoff was much the same.  I was happy to see that Phelps Brook was well frozen making that crossing a breeze.  We then started up the mountain.  The trail was relatively obvious, but we were the first ones on it for the day, so there was a dusting to an inch of new snow on it when we started.  Down low, like the VanHo trail, it was a little thin, but snowshoes were surely appropriate.  By the time we got about 1/2 way up, we started to get to the big rock faces that were covered in ice.  Not horrible to get up, just needed a little planning.  About 3/4 of the way up, we stopped so shells could be put on as we were just starting to get to the smaller trees that weren't going to shelter us.  This is also where we started to see drifts that formed overnight.  Again, nothing too bad, maybe a foot or so to break through.  We didn't waste time though as the wind was starting to hit us.  A few minutes after hitting what you think is the summit, we went around to the ledge that is the summit.

Thankfully, even though we had huge winds, to the point that I was having trouble holding my phone for pictures due to the wind, not the cold, the views were beautiful.  We sadly couldn't spend time picking out the peaks, snack, etc as you normally would do on a peak like this.  The wind really pushed us to head back down.  On the way down, even though we got what I consider a late start, there was a lot of people on the way up, probably a good 20 people we passed.  Sadly, about 1/2 of them were in microspikes, not snowshoes.  One guy wasn't even in spikes, and wasn't carrying a pack, much less snowshoes.  Seeing this kind of thing was the theme for the rest of the day.

We got down to the VanHo trail again, got into appropriate layers, snacked, and started heading up to TableTop.  As expected the trail was in great condition, and the further up we go, the better the coverage of the trail got.  Unfortunately, I started to develop some pain in my hip as we were on this section.  I'm guessing I landed wrong going down Phelps, and it just got to the point of hurting about a quarter mile from TableTop's trail junction.  No big deal.  I guided my 2 companions to the herd path.  We weren't the first people on it, there were at least 10 people that had gone up before we got there.  So, I pointed them up the path and said my farewells.  I then went up the trail another 500 or so feet to see Indian Falls, a spot that I remember in the early 90s being a beautiful place to hang out and camp (camping became illegal in 1999).  It's also a spot I hadn't been to since the early 90s, somehow having missed it during my quest for 46 in 2020.  As I remembered, it's a beautiful location, a wide ledge overlooking the high peaks, and as expected, frozen solid sheet of ice.

The way out was a relatively quick and easy 4 miles.  Ran into a lot of people that were ignoring the snowshoe requirement, but today appeared to be a day that the rangers were not in the area.  I'm hoping its not because of any rescues.  In the end about 11.5 miles and a bit over 3000 feet of elevation.  Great day to be hiking, all be it windy.