Snowy Mountain

Snowy Mountain has a reputation as the high peak that got away. Snowy is the tallest mountain outside of the high peaks and, at 3904 feet, it is the 46th highest mountain in the Adirondacks (two of the original 4000 footers; Nye and Couchsachraga were found to be less than 4000 feet by later more-accurate surveys). But even more important to Snowy's reputation is its' striking and rugged profile. The east side of the narrow summit ridge is framed by large areas of open rock and to the west the ridge falls away steeply to the Squaw Brook Valley, 1500 feet below.

The Snowy Mountain summit ridge from Google Earth. The orange line is my GPS track. 

Snowy is also known for having great views and I found the western vista to be the most striking. Snowy is the high point in a range with a half dozen summits exceeding 3700 feet in elevation and, except for Snowy itself, these peaks are un-tracked and rarely visited. The western view from Snowy looks out over a sea of wilderness.

Northwest from the summit of Snowy Mountain. Panther Mountain -elevation 3865 feet- (far right in the photo) is the high point of the range that frames the west side of the Squaw Brook Valley. The valley floor is 1500 feet below the ledge where this photo was taken. 

Looking southwest from Snowy Mountain. Lewey Mountain (elevation, 3720 feet) is the prominent cone in the center. The rarely visited Blue Ridge (elev. 3881 feet) is visible in the distance.

Buell Mountain (elevation 3740) is directly across the valley from Snowy.

Looking northeast towards the High Peaks. This view was from midway up the tower. There are open ground-level views to the east and west, but you'll need to climb the tower to get a 360 degree view.

Looking over Indian Lake from the site of the (removed) observer's cabin.

The Snowy Mountain trail is reminiscent of the high peaks experience in other ways. Lots of people climb this mountain; and the boots of many hikers, combined with the steepness of the upper sections, has resulted in a muddy and heavily eroded trail. Recent trail work has greatly improved the first two and a half miles making it a pleasant walk through an, attractive, middle-aged forest. At that point you'll have a mile --and 1500 feet of elevation-- remaining. The trail climbs steadily at first and the last half mile is very steep; following the course of an old, overgrown, slide. This section is rough, muddy and eroded but not particularly difficult. The trail breaks out onto a large ledge at the former site of the observers cabin and then continues a short distance to the fire tower. The tower is in good shape, and can be climbed to the top for 360 degree vistas. A small ledge on the west side provide open views in that direction.

Squaw Peak looms over the trail on the steep upper section of the route. In places the trail is heavily eroded, but a lot of work has been done to improve the experience and reduce the damage done by thousands of hikers.

Little Tupper Lake and Owls Head; Long Lake Favorites

Part One: Little Tupper Lake

Our recent (partial) move to Long Lake makes it a lot easier to head out for a few hours and on the last two weekends I've done just that; kayaking on Little Tupper Lake for one outing and hiking Owls Head mountain on a separate day.

Little Tupper is the center piece of the William C. Whitney/Round Lake Wilderness area and the put-in is just a 20 minute drive from Long Lake Village. If canoeing or kayaking on wilderness lakes is your thing; it's hard to beat Little Tupper Lake.

Little Tupper is six miles long and averages about 3/4s of a mile across. It's a big lake, and its' alignment with the prevailing westerly winds means that it can get rough when the wind blows. As the signs at the wilderness headquarters note; if the wind starts to blow, or a thunderstorm approaches, head for the shore. 

The day I was there was pretty calm and what wind there was came out of the south. This made it a good day to tool around in my little 'sport' kayak; not a boat you'd want to be out in on a day when the lake was roughed up. From the landing I paddled across the lake and then followed the south shore towards the lake's major inlet, Rock Pond Stream. As the crow flies it's about five miles from the headquarters to the head of the lake and, with some time added in for exploring, it took nearly two and half hours of steady paddling to get there. I had thoughts about continuing into Rock Pond Stream and possibly all the way to Rock Pond. But I didn't go far before the Black Flies and Mosquitoes convinced me that this was not a good plan. Besides, calm, sunny, morning had given way to increasing clouds and a freshening breeze. So it was time to head back. Working my way back along the northwestern (opposite) shore made for a round trip covering about 11 miles. A good workout in a 10 foot kayak designed for doodling around on small lakes and ponds.

Little Tupper hosts a solid loon population. This pair popped up close to my kayak and I was able to get off a couple of quick shots before they disappeared again. 

Looking down the lake (to the northeast) towards the Ranger Station

Near the head of the lake, looking southwest. The inlet coming in from Rock Pond is maybe a mile further along the shore.

The stream from Rock Pond is easily navigable by canoe or kayak, with one short portage. Rock Pond itself is a large body of water and well worth a visit. But not on this early June day. Out on the lake the breeze was enough to keep the bugs away but close to shore the breeze dropped and bugs literally swarmed in. Run away!

Part Two: Owls Head Mountain

Owls Head mountain, with it prominent fire tower, is visible throughout the village of Long Lake. And the climb is a favorite of both visitors and residents. At just over three miles, with 1100 feet of elevation gain, this hike provides a sense of accomplishment without requiring a whole day.

And the views are well worth the effort. There are good views to the east, northeast and southeast from the rocks below the tower and a local volunteer group is maintaining the tower so you can climb up and get a nearly 360 degree vista. I don't know when (or if) the cab at the top of the tower is opened, but the highest landing provides clear views in all directions.

Blue Mountain, looking southeast from Owls Head. The south end of Long Lake in the foreground. South Pond is a bit further out towards Blue Mt.

Looking Northeast over Long Lake, the High Peaks in the distance. 

Looking south from the tower it's an unbroken forest as far as you can see. You have to climb at least part way up the tower to enjoy this view. 

The Owls Head tower is being maintained by a local volunteer group. Climbing up to the landing below the cab opens up views to the south and west that cannot be had from the ground.

Looking mostly south. Snowy Mountain is the dominant peak in the distant ridge.

Moving to Long Lake, Late April Snow, Enjoying the Weather

The title pretty much says it all. Elle and I have bought a house near Long Lake and will be living there, part time for now. That's a story in its' own right and, off topic for this blog, except that living in Long Lake will make it possible to get out and enjoy the great north woods more frequently.

The snow part comes from the snow storm that hit the Adirondacks on our moving week-end; the last weekend of April. On Saturday morning we drove a UHaul up filled with all the stuff for the new house. Then, with lots of help from family we got everything inside just before it started to rain (thanks family!). Saturday night we slept in the new house and on Sunday we got up to watch a steady rain change over to heavy snow. You know, the big flakes you get when the temperature is right at 32 (f). At first the snow melted on contact with the ground but, it kept coming down, and as surfaces cooled it started to stick. By mid-afternoon grassy surfaces had accumulated a couple of inches and roads were starting to slick up. That seemed like a good time to head out for a short hike.

The drive over to the Owl's Head Mountain took, maybe, 10 minutes. Even so, it was 3:00 pm when I left the car. Given the conditions that was too late to head for the top but I had an alternate route in mind; the side trail that connects the Owl's Head Mountain trail with the southeast end of Lake Eaton.

A pleasant mile and half brought me to Lake Eaton while the snow continued to pile up. Winter has lingered this year and Lake Eaton was still entirely ice covered despite being just two days shy of May. A picture and a short video tell the rest of the story.

Lake Eaton, April 29th 2018. Ice covered and snow falling. The great thing about living in the mountains is that given a spare couple of hours a quick walk leads to a wild scene.

March is the Coolest Month

March is the coolest month? I'm trying to get used to the sound of that but, after many years of saying that "March is the cruelest month" it will take some time. March's cruelty lies in the teases of spring that show up in a month that is still very much winter. But change is in the air; Elle and I are embracing our north country roots and buying a house in Long Lake. So instead of living in Saratoga Springs and heading up north on weekends, we'll be living in Long Lake and heading down to Saratoga when work demands it.

The trail to Wilson Pond was unbroken so I found myself plowing through deep snow the entire way. The going was still tough on the way out, even with my own tracks to follow.

As I write this post it's March 19th and tomorrow is the vernal equinox; the official first day of spring. In the past I might have lamented the fact that nearly three feet of snow had fallen in the past week. Or that the overnight temperature had fallen to ten below zero. But, we are moving north by choice so we might as well embrace March as our last chance to enjoy winter before the pesky bugs and tourists return. March is the coolest month.

Snow floating down from the trees, glimmering in the late afternoon sun. It's still winter, but the sun has a warmth in March that is not there in January.   

Setting off on the Wilson Pond trail (trailhead on Rte 28, just south of Blue Mountain Lake), my only goal was to enjoy this last (I hope) blast of deep winter. Given the soft, deep, snow I was using the big Sherpa showshoes that I rarely use anymore. But even the Sherpas were not enough to keep me afloat on the unbroken track. Sinking in eight to twelve inches on every step was exhausting and made for very slow going. After two and half hours I had covered just two and half miles, and decided to turn back. I like to take my time and enjoy the solitude on these outings.

Grassy Pond. A half mile from route 28.

The trail to Wilson Pond passes through a chain of beaver ponds and meadows.

The snow depth is evident in this photo. Small stretches of this stream had remained open during the recent storms but had  frozen over during the colder stretch that followed.

The late afternoon sun 

Blue Mountain, with it's prominent communications towers, is visible at several points along the way.

Winter is going to spill over into the spring this year. It will take a few weeks for this snow to melt.

The Place No One Visits; The Place Everyone Visits; Helms Pond and Castle Rock

The "plan" was to hike to Upper Sargent Pond starting at the Minnewaska Conference Center near Blue Mountain Lake (Castle Rock Trail). But, I didn't get far before realizing that I wasn't going to make it to Upper Sargent (4.5 miles ). A mix of rain, freezing rain, and snow had fallen throughout the morning and a blustery wind was blowing. I delayed my departure until noon, hoping that the weather might improve, but it was still raining as I walked away from the car. On top of that, trail conditions alternated between soft, deep, snow and hard ice making for slow going.

An unnamed peak on the Castle Rock Ridge. 

After a slow three miles it was an easy call to turn back. I didn't have enough time to make it all the way to Upper Sargent and out before dark, and going back would make a couple of short side trips possible. The first would be a quarter mile bushwhack into the narrow valley between Little Blue Mountain and the Castle Rock Ridge to visit Helms Pond. The second would be a side jaunt up and over Castle Rock. The Castle Rock loop trail coincides with the Sargent Pond trail for the first mile and by going over Castle Rock I could return to the car by a different route.

The Castle Rock and Upper Sargent Pond Trails

No One Goes Here

Depending on the activity of the local Beaver population, Helms pond is a series of swampy ponds or one larger body of water. The Sargent Pond trail passes within a quarter mile of Helms Pond but it's not exactly trivial to get to the waters edge. There's a steep descent down to the shoreline and the pond protected by a band of thick underbrush. In short, Helms Pond is uninspiring, out of the way, and not easy to get to. Stepping out of the thick growth, my first thought was, "no one goes here."

Little Blue Mountain (2800 ft) looms above Helms Pond.

Looking north across Helms Pond towards little Blue Mountain.

Looking east, down the length of Helms Pond. 

The Place That Everyone Visits

Castle Rock, on the other hand, is one of the most popular hikes in the region. The 3.5 mile loop route features iconic views of Blue Mountain Lake and the scramble up the last 200 feet to the top adds a bit of excitement. It's steep and exposed and, on the day of this outing, it was coated with a sheet of hard ice.

The views from Castle Rock are exceptional and it's relatively easy to reach the top. So a lot of people make the climb. The trail is heavily eroded and the summit area has been seriously degraded. Castle Rock is more of a tourist destination then a wild environment.

From Castle Rock looking east over Blue Mountain Lake.

An apparently unnamed peak west of Castle Rock. Pine Pond sits just on the other side of this mountain so let's call it Pine Pond Mountain.

A broader view including Pine Pond Mountain with Eagle Lake and Utowana Lake on the left.

No. 8 Hill, Pharaoh Lake Wilderness

Late January, sun shining, moderate temperatures; a perfect day for a hike in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness. My plan was to follow the Sucker Brook Trail for four miles and then go off-trail for half a mile to the top of No. 8 Mountain. And I did reach to the top of a mountain. It's just that it was not "No. 8 Mountain". Its' name is actually No. 8 Hill; a distinction of no interest, except, there actually is a separate mountain, named No. 8 Mountain, located just two miles away. That's a bit confusing.

Pharaoh Mountain, seen from No. 8 Hill. This view of the imposing western face of Pharaoh Mountain is as good as it gets.

If you've seen the movie The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain you might imagine that the distinction between No. 8 Mountain and No. 8 Hill is based on some physical  characteristic that separates the mountains from the hills. In the movie, the inhabitants of an isolated Welsh town are told that their "mountain" is only a hill. They got the downgrade because their mountain was just shy of the 1000 foot minimum used by the UK Ordinance Survey as the defining characteristic of a mountain. Apparently, British geographers of that period had a lot of time on their hands. In the U.S. the Board of Geographic Names steered clear of such arbitrary distinctions. In any case, with an elevation of 1945 feet No. 8 Mountain doesn't meet a standard that might separate it from its' slightly lower neighbor. The summit elevation of No. 8 hill is just 100 feet lower at 1850 feet.

The USGS 1953 Paradox Lake Quadrangle map (1:62500) shows both peaks. This is the first edition where the name No 8 Hill appears. The Sucker Brook trail passes just north of No. 8 Hill but is not shown on this map.

Barbara McMartin mentions No. 8 Mountain in her book Discover the Eastern Adirondacks. She describes an approach from the south as an easy off-trail climb, with ledges offering good views to the south. From where I left the trail the climb of No. 8 Hill is steepish, you gain 650 feet of elevation in less than half a mile. Nearing the top I was a bit surprised to find it to be a rocky knob protected by a band of cliffs and jumbled piles of large boulders. Contouring around the summit knob looking for a way up I made one false start; steep icy slabs blocked the way so I retreated to seek a less exciting route.

Looking northwest from the summit of No. 8 Hill. The Dix Range of High Peaks region is visible in the distance. 3700 foot Hoffman Mountain is seen on the left side of the photo.

Eventually I found a manageable way up. But, while taking the last few steps to the top it struck me that it had been a bit more challenging than I had expected. And the view that unfolded in front of me was also a surprise. McMartin described No. 8 Mountain as having good views to the south, towards Brant Lake. But the mountain I was on offered spectacular vistas with an unobstructed 180 degree view to the north, east and west. 

Looking towards the southwest. Crane Mountain is visible in the distance.

It still had not sunk in that my recollection, and reality, were out of sync. So when it was time to descend I walked around the surprisingly large summit looking for an easy way down. Descending the south facing slope was promising at first, but the way was soon blocked by small cliffs. Going back up, I then headed down the western flank of the mountain. This route was also relatively gentle at first but, after a few minutes of descending, I found myself on an extremely steep and icy slope. Steep enough that I considered going back up to the top one more time so I could descend the route I followed on the way up (better the devil you know). But, by this point the afternoon was showing signs of wear, so I forged on, moving very deliberately. Within a few minutes I was back on easier terrain. The final difficulty coming in the crossing of a steep-sided little ravine filled with snow that had sloughed off the rock slabs above. 

Looking towards the southeast. Glimpses of Lake Champlain are seen in the foreground with the Green Mountains in the distance. 

This is a great little mountain (hill), and, on a warm summer day, the scramble over the steep upper slopes will seem far less daunting. Hiking solo, off-trail, in the winter, on the wrong mountain, you have to be cautious. The starting point for the Sucker Brook trail is five minute drive from the Hamlet of Adirondack on the eastern shore of Schroon lake.There is a large parking area.

The GPS track for the route described in this blog post. 

Moreau Lake State Park - Two New Trails

The trail network at Moreau Lake State Park is getting two well-considered new additions. As of December 2017 one of the new trails has been completed and the other has been marked but not yet finished.

Rock formations along the new trail that connects the Lake Anne trail with the East Ridge trail.

The completed trail joins the Lake Anne Trail halfway between the S9 intersection and Lake Anne itself. From there, the new route runs for about one mile to intersect the East Ridge trail (blue). Like most of the trails at MLSP this one is interesting and well built. The new trail is represented by the heavy burgundy line in the map below.

The other new route has been marked with streamers but the path has not yet been improved. This route is represented by the black line on the map above.

In 2016, trails built in the newly added Lake Bonita section of the park connected with existing trails to create a very attractive loop hike covering six miles. In terms of hiking routes at MLSP, this route was an instant hit. Starting at the Lake Bonita Parking area the route follows the shoreline of Lake Bonita, visits Lake Anne, passes close to the popular Hudson River overlook above Spier Falls Road and then returns to Lake Bonita following another new section of trail. The only catch is that route requires descending nearly all the way to Spier Falls Road and then regaining that elevation to return to Lake Bonita. That's not necessarily a bad thing but, if you knew the terrain, it might have occurred to you that it would be possible stay on the ridge and complete the circuit without the extra climb. That's what this second new trail, when completed, will do. It will join the existing trail between intersections S13 and S9 and allow the loop described above to without the descent and extra climb.

GPS tracks (KML Format) representing the two new trails can be accessed here:
Lake Anne Trail to the East Ridge Trail
Spier Falls Road Bypass