The Adirondack Mountains and the surrounding area are exceptional. In the presence of such overwhelming and ubiquitous beauty, it can feel daunting to figure out what to do. Whether due to this phenomenon, a high percentage of Type A individuals or just out of necessity, there are a variety of “challenges” available to region visitors.
These challenges provide a checklist of hikes and whittle down the seemingly endless options in the region. The superstar of the challenges is the Adirondack 46 - the 46 (Or is it 47? Or is it technically 44?) peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation. The compilation of these high peaks began in the 1920s, and although their height surveying was slightly off, the original list of 46 peaks is the standby out of tradition.
There are a multitude of other fun hikes, based on towns (Saranac 6ers, Cranberry Lake) or notable features (Fire Tower). But one new list we came across felt absolutely perfect for us to focus on during our visit to the Adirondacks - the ADK-9. This series of climbs was created as a way to allow for deeper exploration of other beautiful trails in the area that also happen to be well-suited for our canine companions. We endeavoured to check as many of these off the list as we could, and 4 out of 9 wasn’t too bad for a week-long trip! Our Reese is 10 and a half, and we try to make sure we’re not planning things that will be too difficult or painful on his joints. After a CCL tear and repair through physical therapy, we always keep an eye on him and his health on the trails. But, every single time, this dog becomes our personal trainer! He sets our speedy pace and definitely judges me when I need to take a 3rd break, no it’s totally for water, I’m not out of breath again Reese, don’t judge me!!
We started with Mt. Van Hoevenberg, which featured a relatively flat beginning, with all of the elevation gains in the last mile or so. In the flat portion, we walked through some pine forests and skirted along a marsh before diving back into the woods. Once the incline started, it was pretty consistent until the summit. Reese set our pace, moving us quickly through the elevation, until the trees opened up into a beautiful rocky vista. Continuing forward, there were two more spots that offered wide views of the gorgeous sights below, my favorite being a winding river that disappeared at the base of another Adirondack mountain. We continued up the trail, looking for an official summit spot, but once the trail began a solid descent, we realized that we had likely hit the top, so we turned around and spent a little more time drinking in the scenic views and the warm summer sun.
The hike itself wasn’t terribly challenging, but the biting and generally annoying insects proved frustrating for us and the dogs; the next day we decided to get some dog-friendly insect repellent in Saranac Lake. It was a good purchase, poor Winston usually gets attacked and we felt like this really reduced his bites.
Beside the natural beauty of the region, the towns offer a great deal of charm. Saranac Lake, with its mountain air, once served as the premier destination for Tuberculosis sufferers. Sanitariums popped up, as well as “cure cottages” that even attracted the likes of author Robert Louis Stevenson. This wellness industry even shaped the architecture of the area - many of the buildings in the downtown featured balconies where TB patients would be able to take in the cool, dry air. Despite its bleak origins, the downtown was adorable and charming. With lots of shops and side roads, it made for a lovely morning exploring. They also had a lovely little riverside walk, with nicely maintained paths and bridges to take you alongside the downtown river. While in Saranac, we decided to also make our way to one of the Saranac 6 peaks. We opted for Baker Mountain, which is less than two miles, round-trip and climbs around 900 feet. Despite the humidity, we made our way to the summit and took in the panoramic views of downtown Saranac Lake, the lake itself, Lake Flower and the surrounding mountains. The views were slightly below the summit, so we hopped up the last of it, just to officially check it off the list. The hike was a fun challenge, and the views were more appreciated since we had just come from the downtown and could recognize its sights from above.
We also made our way through Lake Placid - the two-time site of the Winter Olympics. Despite a massive infrastructure project that has wrought havoc on the streets (they were all torn up for a beautification effort), the town was very beautiful. The main street ambles along the shore of the lake and features a variety of shops and restaurants. It made for a lovely morning of strolling and window shopping. The Olympic toboggan run even pointed into the lake, right beside a kayak and canoe launch. One disappointment with Lake Placid was that the only lakeside park we could find downtown, Mid’s Park, was not dog-friendly. I can never really wrap my head around outdoor parks that don’t allow pets, as though that plot of land will remain a bastion of human only recreation and even the wildlife will steer clear.
In spite of our previous antics on Cranberry Lake, Emily and I decided to do some paddling on Lake Placid (sans Houndini and his little brother). It is hard to put into words how beautiful it can be to kayak in the Adirondacks. We paddled out to the middle of the lake and had a nearly unobstructed view of Whiteface Mountain. Even the homes and properties that have filled nearly every inch of the shoreline are beautiful. There are well-manicured lawns and massive porches and windows, boathouses and docks loaded with watercraft, benches and Adirondack chairs (of course). Little wonder that the people who make Lake Placid their home would love to experience it so fully.
It was fun to explore more of these areas, as our past trip to the Adirondacks was shorter and more focused on trying out some high peaks. We stayed in the same campground, Meadowbrook, that fell neatly between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, and it was a great spot to launch all of our exploring from. Besides being close to both major ADK towns, it also is in good driving distance to many trailheads and the Adirondack Loj. It also happens to be right across the road from the Ray Brook Brewhouse, and they had quite a few tasty beers!
The next few days of our trip were spent diving into the ADK-9 challenge. Our next adventure was Jay Mountain. This hike featured some beautiful rocky forests and stunning vistas. The final stretches of the hike are a lovely bald ridge walk, providing incredible views in nearly every direction. One of our favorite parts of summiting is being able to really see the shadows that clouds cast on the ground below. There’s a surreal sensation about looking across a valley at a low-lying cloud and then seeing its exact shape projected in darkness on the forest floor. After a snack break at the summit, we decided to get the dogs into the shade and off of the hot, sunny rocks of the ridge. This was such a fun and stunning walk. One of the longer ADK-9 trails at 5+ miles, it offered an easier trail due to the winding switchbacks that made the elevation gains more gentle and the awe-inspiring ridgewalk for the last mile was worth the climb.
We tend to be blue sky hikers - shying away from the trails when there's a chance of inclement weather. For Silver Lake Mountain, however, we decided to take a risk and try to squeeze in a hike between the scattered storms and showers. We hiked through periods of drizzles and some more intense rain, committing to turn back if the rain became too severe or lightning developed. Luckily, it didn't come to that and we were able to summit another ADK-9 peak! The views were stunning, especially in contrast to the ominous clouds. We didn't linger long, but we did try to soak in this different sort of beauty from the vistas. It really is amazing how some clouds and some mist can completely reshape a hike. The mists and rain kept us cool as we powered through a bit faster than we ordinarily would have and the grey skies made the greens look all the more vibrant. And the sensation of working sweaty and hard to get to the summit, only to be rewarded with unique views and the cool rain on your skin was a special moment.
Baxter Mountain was our last hike as we moved on from the High Peaks area towards Lake George. Of the hikes we tackled on our trip, Baxter was, by far, the easiest. There were a few areas that involved lifting the dogs over or onto a rock, but it was a very straight-forward hike. Interestingly, the trail for Baxter Mountain is on private land to which the Adirondack Mountain Club is granted a license for use and maintenance. The primary vista for Baxter is a clear window a short distance below the summit. Being a window and not a bald summit, the views were slightly less expansive, but still quite beautiful.
Lake George is an area we’d driven through with some regularity, as we came to and from Vermont. This year, with our newfound freedom, we decided to finally make a real visit of it! A part of that was stopping at a roadside attraction that we’d been marveling at for years; Hillbilly Fun Park! Hillbilly Fun Park is a mini golf park with an ice cream shop called the Milken’ Parlor. There are two courses to choose from - Around New York and Hillbilly Holes (as seasoned-ish New Yorkers, we opted for Hillbilly Holes). The course was really cute with fun theming at each hole. Afterwards we stopped at the Milken’ Parlor for some delicious Perry’s Ice Cream. If you’re in the area, Hillbilly Fun Park is a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening.
The next day we decided to check out the downtown of Lake George, including lunch by the lake! There’s a dog beach where we could allow the dogs to swim and splash, but I spent more time swimming than they did. We are always delighted to find a town that keeps our canine companions in mind. Lake George really seems to be a great place to spend a long weekend, boating and shopping and dining. We enjoyed our slow morning of strolling and admiring what the town had to offer. And when we stumbled on a lakeside restaurant, with a deck that put the mountain and lake views on full display, we knew we had to enjoy a cold beer and soak up the last of the gorgeous Adirondack views we’d been so spoiled on during our time up north.
As we headed south out of the Adirondack region to our homebase in Warwick, we decided to detour to one more little piece of outdoor beauty. Only slightly off our route, we stopped at the Dover Plains Stone Chapel. We first thought one of the hiking paths would take us to this fun geologic feature, so we went on the blue and yellow trail loops that lead only to a scenic overlook. We realized that the sights we were looking for were much closer to the entrance of the park. The cave was delightful, and after our meandering hike, we very much enjoyed the cool air coming our way. The triangular entrance to the cave is one of the first elements that gives this feature its name of Chapel. After exploring a bit inside, we found the second element, a large rock nicknamed “the pulpit”. There is a waterfall that comes down the back of the cave, but we didn’t get a good view of this, but where the river continues out of the cave, there was also a little tumbling falls to enjoy. It’s such a delight having the time to stop at fun places that we see along the way. (Including our detour to Cooper’s Cave - a completely industrialized former wonder that wasn’t entirely worth the detour…) But grand sights or silly ones, we’re glad we get to appreciate them all!
Comments