Kane mountain is one of the Adirondack mountains that has a fire tower on it. It is also part of the ADK fire tower challenge. It is an out-of-the-way mountain and was quite a drive to get to, it would take me just under 3 hours from the house. We had left the house a little after 6 am, knowing we had quite a drive to get to it. For the most part, it was a straight shot down the interstate to exit 26, from there it was several secondary roads. We did pass through some very nice parts of New York state, places I had never been through before.
We arrived at the road that leads to the trailhead, Green Lake Road. It is located off of County Route 10 in Canada Lake. I did not see any signage out on County Route 10 that mentions the mountain...
Snowy mountain is part of the Adirondack fire tower challenge. We had previously attempted this hike just over three years ago but turned back just shy of the summit (or so I thought) due to time constraints. For a lesser peak, this is certainly a rugged hike. The first two miles are a very pleasant hike, that ends quickly as I gained over 1500' in elevation in the last mile and a half.
Snowy mountain trailhead is off Route 30 just southwest of the hamlet of Indian Lake. The state has done well with the trailhead parking and has made for a nice wide area that can hold a fair amount of cars. That said, I suspect this is a busy trail in the summer months.
I had left the house at 4:30 am to make the 2-hour drive south. I had given...
Rocky Peak is the 20th highest mountain in New York State, with an elevation of 4,420 ft. The length of the climb depends on which trail you take. From New Russia it is approximately 13.4 miles round trip, We went in from the Route 73 trailhead via the washbowl and it was 6.5 miles round trip, with 3527’ of elevation gain, plus the 700’ on the return to the trail junction with Giant Mountain for a total of 4227. This was a huge leg day for me, plus I had company.
My friend Justin and I signed in at the trail register at 6 am under headlamp. The trail takes on a completely new perspective in this regard. The first part of this trail, up to the washbowl is sparsely marked and can be difficult to follow under headlamp, just need to pay...
Phelps Mountain is named after Orson Schofield Phelps, also known as "Old Mountain Phelps," who created the first trail over Mount Marcy. According to “The History of the Adirondacks” by Alfred L. Donaldson, he was an early Adirondack guide from Keene Valley. He was not considered a great guide. In fact, he was not considered even a good guide. He became a local legend due to publicity by people such as writers Charles Dudley Warner and E. R. Wallace, and photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard. Phelps named many of the Adirondack High Peaks.
I had hiked Phelps Mountain previously on two occasions, both were in the winter, and each time there were no views. I have wanted to go back on a nice day so I could enjoy the wonderful views the...
Took my first hike up Cobble Hill in Lake Placid today. I went in via the school, taking the sidewalk from Mirror Lake Drive up to the point of the “temporary” trail entrance from the school property. I could have also taken the Mount Whitney Road access as well as it was just footsteps away from Mirror Lake Drive on the right.
In any event, I opted for the alternative Cobble access from the school for no other reason than it is where I was dropped off. I did not want to worry about trying to find a place to park, so I had my wife drop me off at the school entrance.
The trail is easy to follow, even with all the blocked routes and new routes. It is an uneventful hike as it meanders up to the base of the rocky outcrop. From here, it is...