The registry of Adirondack 46ers, filled with the names of Baby Boomers who got back on the trails after years away, speed-walkers who took days to complete a round of 46 peaks and even barefooted hikers, grew by 726 people last year, making 2023 another banner year for finishers.
The numbers made it 10 years in a row that at least 500 people registered annually with the nonprofit hiking group, with 2014 being the first time that mark had been reached. There are now 15,506 on the list, which started in 1925. Not everyone who finishes all the High Peaks joins the group.
Formed as the Forty-Sixers of Troy in 1936 by a group of hiking enthusiasts, the club now has more than 6,000 active members. People must finish the 46 mountains above 4,000 feet to join the organization, whose mission is to protect the Adirondack environment, maintain trails and educate hikers.
The record for registrations, 879, came in 2022.
The nonprofit
