Hike-u:
Short paths sometimes lead
To panoramic views
From towering heights
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Rooster Comb
On a mild November day we drove to Keene Valley hoping to stretch our legs in the high peaks. However, we had no interest in heading into high elevations where we would surely find ice and snow. Instead we decided to climb Rooster Comb - a smaller peak near Keene Valley.
The trail was well trodden, but not eroded and we did find some snow and ice as we climbed in elevation but it wasn't enough to warrant using the micro spikes. With no leaves remaining on the trees, we were treated to constant views as we climbed.
At the top, we enjoyed the clear view of Giant and Hurricane Mountains to the east and the Great Range to the west. There were some clouds hanging above the highest peaks and blocking a view of Marcy but otherwise we were treated to blue skies.
On the descent we followed a spur trail to a ledge overlooking Keene Valley where we ate our lunch before making the steady decline back to the car. It was a fantastic hike that I'm sure we will repeat in other seasons as well!
The trail was well trodden, but not eroded and we did find some snow and ice as we climbed in elevation but it wasn't enough to warrant using the micro spikes. With no leaves remaining on the trees, we were treated to constant views as we climbed.
At the top, we enjoyed the clear view of Giant and Hurricane Mountains to the east and the Great Range to the west. There were some clouds hanging above the highest peaks and blocking a view of Marcy but otherwise we were treated to blue skies.
On the descent we followed a spur trail to a ledge overlooking Keene Valley where we ate our lunch before making the steady decline back to the car. It was a fantastic hike that I'm sure we will repeat in other seasons as well!
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Ironville
On our sixth anniversary, Lisa and I packed bikes in the car and headed to historic Ironville, New York. We know that it's historic because it says so on the sign which also claims that the tiny hamlet was the birthplace of the electric age. The place was buzzing with excitement as the Penfield Museum was preparing for their apple festival - we were lucky to find a parking spot right in the center of town!
We packed food into our saddlebags, strapped on our helmets and headed south on Route 2 until we found the turn onto Stony Lonesome Road. It was there that we began to climb amid old farmhouses and more modern camps. The road started as pavement and quickly became dirt. As we pressed on, the road narrowed and we started to wobble on the cobbles. No one fell as we made it to Flemings Pond for spectacular views of Knob Mountain.
After turning onto Letsonville Road, we were happy to find pavement again and we soon heard the rush of water to our right. The waterfall made a perfect spot to sit and enjoy our sandwiches.
The rest of the ride led us onto Old Furnace Road with a big climb followed by a fast descent back into Ironville. It was an enjoyable loop on barely trodden back roads with stunning scenery. Who could ask for more on a late September day?
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Buck
On a perfect late summer day in September we went for a hike on Buck Mountain, situated on the eastern shore of Lake George. There are many approaches to this mountain with a spider-web of trails on the map in this area but we hiked from the Hogtown trailhead. We met the Cornells for this particular adventure which helped us find the trailhead!
The trail was easy-going with a few steeper sections. We made our way up slowly with a few breaks to chat and catch our breath. When we crested the summit, we were treated to the best view that I have yet seen of Lake George. It also happened to be the only part of the lake that I have yet kayaked. Our view stretched from Bolton Landing, Northwest Bay, the Tongue Mountain Range and north through the Narrows.
We stayed on the summit for about an hour snacking and taking pictures. With such a fantastic view, we really couldn't help ourselves. We eventually made our way down the trail, with plans to return for hikes up nearby mountains.
The trail was easy-going with a few steeper sections. We made our way up slowly with a few breaks to chat and catch our breath. When we crested the summit, we were treated to the best view that I have yet seen of Lake George. It also happened to be the only part of the lake that I have yet kayaked. Our view stretched from Bolton Landing, Northwest Bay, the Tongue Mountain Range and north through the Narrows.
We stayed on the summit for about an hour snacking and taking pictures. With such a fantastic view, we really couldn't help ourselves. We eventually made our way down the trail, with plans to return for hikes up nearby mountains.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
St. Regis
With two consecutive days of clear weather, we car-topped the Hornbeck boats and met our friends, Jeff and Lisa Cornell on Floodwood Road bordering the St. Regis Canoe Area. The last time that Lisa and I had visited this region, we had kayaks and the carries required strapping our boats onto dollies. This time, we would simply throw the boats over our shoulders and carry on.
With pack baskets on our back and boats loaded, we made the carry into Long Pond. It was aptly named, and after meandering, we found a campsite on a point with space enough for three tents. We set up camp, and searched the woods for a privy, with no luck.
Since we were there to paddle, we got back in the boats and kept following the dogleg of Long Pond and found our first carry at the end of the easternmost shore. We strapped our pack baskets on and threw the boats over our shoulders and made the portage in a fraction of the time that it would have taken in the kayaks.
While we floated on Slang and Turtle Ponds, we traded stories with Jeff and Lisa before we found the portage to Hoel Pond. We had two choices: carry the boats over the railroad tracks OR go through the culvert into the pond. Naturally, we chose the culvert - pushing our boats through ahead of us! It was great fun and we got very wet in the process.
We found a small sandy beach on Hoel Pond and had a picnic before exploring the shoreline further. It was a large pond and we managed to find the access to Floodwood Road, where we had initially turned off the main route.
Being late afternoon, we decided to follow our previous course to our campsite. We got to rush through the culvert again with Jeff catching our boats at the end. We were serenaded with harmonica over dinner, delicious baked apples for dessert and great stories before we dozed for the night.
The next day we ate red velvet hash and banana bread early and packed camp before nine. Naturally we headed to Donnelly's for two ice cream cones before parting ways. A whirlwind of a trip for sure, but a great time exploring some of the lesser explored areas of the Adirondacks.
With pack baskets on our back and boats loaded, we made the carry into Long Pond. It was aptly named, and after meandering, we found a campsite on a point with space enough for three tents. We set up camp, and searched the woods for a privy, with no luck.
Since we were there to paddle, we got back in the boats and kept following the dogleg of Long Pond and found our first carry at the end of the easternmost shore. We strapped our pack baskets on and threw the boats over our shoulders and made the portage in a fraction of the time that it would have taken in the kayaks.
While we floated on Slang and Turtle Ponds, we traded stories with Jeff and Lisa before we found the portage to Hoel Pond. We had two choices: carry the boats over the railroad tracks OR go through the culvert into the pond. Naturally, we chose the culvert - pushing our boats through ahead of us! It was great fun and we got very wet in the process.
We found a small sandy beach on Hoel Pond and had a picnic before exploring the shoreline further. It was a large pond and we managed to find the access to Floodwood Road, where we had initially turned off the main route.
Being late afternoon, we decided to follow our previous course to our campsite. We got to rush through the culvert again with Jeff catching our boats at the end. We were serenaded with harmonica over dinner, delicious baked apples for dessert and great stories before we dozed for the night.
The next day we ate red velvet hash and banana bread early and packed camp before nine. Naturally we headed to Donnelly's for two ice cream cones before parting ways. A whirlwind of a trip for sure, but a great time exploring some of the lesser explored areas of the Adirondacks.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Valcour
With a heatwave in the forecast and temperatures heading into the nineties, we bagged our plans for a backpacking trip and headed to Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. When we launched at the busy Peru dock we were happy to have the breeze in our face with the cool water beneath us.
We headed directly to Valcour Island, aiming for the lighthouse and then made a turn south, following the shoreline. We found a perfect campsite with plentiful shelving rocks facing west. We set up the tent and got back in the boats to tour the island.
After crossing the southernmost tip of Valcour, we headed to Garden Island before looping north to follow the eastern shoreline. Being a "calm" day on Lake Champlain there were rolling waves and we were happy to have had our sea kayaks for the venture. We stopped on a rocky beach in Paradise Bay for a picnic before finishing our loop of the island.
We found dozens of sailboats anchored in Butterfly Bay, the majority seeming to be from Montreal. We wondered if this might be a vacation week in Canada.
The shelving rocks at our campsite were the perfect spot to while away the evening playing cards and music at passing boats (I brought my trumpet...). We meant to stay up late looking for shooting stars but our eyes got heavy just after sunset. We headed to bed.
The morning was soggy. With the high humidity, the dew had left an amazing amount of water on everything. We strapped on our hiking boots and planned to hike the lower loop of the perimeter trail before paddling home. The trail seemed lightly used, but offered some nice lookouts at beaches and cliffs.
It was getting too hot by mid-morning so we packed our campsite and headed through the rolling waves to our car at the Peru landing. We went to Plattsburgh to eat some michigans for lunch before making the long, air-conditioned road home.
We headed directly to Valcour Island, aiming for the lighthouse and then made a turn south, following the shoreline. We found a perfect campsite with plentiful shelving rocks facing west. We set up the tent and got back in the boats to tour the island.
After crossing the southernmost tip of Valcour, we headed to Garden Island before looping north to follow the eastern shoreline. Being a "calm" day on Lake Champlain there were rolling waves and we were happy to have had our sea kayaks for the venture. We stopped on a rocky beach in Paradise Bay for a picnic before finishing our loop of the island.
We found dozens of sailboats anchored in Butterfly Bay, the majority seeming to be from Montreal. We wondered if this might be a vacation week in Canada.
The shelving rocks at our campsite were the perfect spot to while away the evening playing cards and music at passing boats (I brought my trumpet...). We meant to stay up late looking for shooting stars but our eyes got heavy just after sunset. We headed to bed.
The morning was soggy. With the high humidity, the dew had left an amazing amount of water on everything. We strapped on our hiking boots and planned to hike the lower loop of the perimeter trail before paddling home. The trail seemed lightly used, but offered some nice lookouts at beaches and cliffs.
It was getting too hot by mid-morning so we packed our campsite and headed through the rolling waves to our car at the Peru landing. We went to Plattsburgh to eat some michigans for lunch before making the long, air-conditioned road home.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Hopkins
With unstable weather for the past week, we haven't been able to get out much. Thursday looked like a slight break in the weather so we took advantage by heading to Keene Valley with day packs. We parked and embarked on the Mossy Cascade Trail towards the summit of Hopkins Mountain.
The trail was a steady climb but never dangerously steep. Oddly enough, there was plenty of soil under our boots to keep from slipping, even when it started to rain. We found ourselves at the summit at noon and we ate our sandwiches while watching the stunning view of the high peaks. It is certainly one of the best views in the Adirondacks.
We could see a rainstorm heading our way and it luckily timed with when we were ready to head back down the mountain. Donning our raincoats, we started back down the trail for an easy descent to the trailhead. The rain didn't last long, and we were able to pack them about twenty minutes later. We arrived back at the car feeling refreshed and with a camera full of great pictures!
Naturally we headed to the Noonmark Diner for pie. Yum.
The trail was a steady climb but never dangerously steep. Oddly enough, there was plenty of soil under our boots to keep from slipping, even when it started to rain. We found ourselves at the summit at noon and we ate our sandwiches while watching the stunning view of the high peaks. It is certainly one of the best views in the Adirondacks.
We could see a rainstorm heading our way and it luckily timed with when we were ready to head back down the mountain. Donning our raincoats, we started back down the trail for an easy descent to the trailhead. The rain didn't last long, and we were able to pack them about twenty minutes later. We arrived back at the car feeling refreshed and with a camera full of great pictures!
Naturally we headed to the Noonmark Diner for pie. Yum.
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