BIG OOPS! IT SHOULD BE JUNE 8, NOT 12. I tried to edit the post but couldn't figure out how to change the date!
Anyhow...having done the towers, the next logical thing was to bag the mountains that used to have a tower. Crane, in the hinterlands west of Chestertown, is one. The trailhead is at the end of an unpaved, steep back road, Sky High Road, which is off another back road, Garnet Lake Road. SHR was in excellent shape up to the last private home. Beyond that, the last 0.4 miles is a jeep trail which as of last Friday was flooded by beaver activity about 0.1 miles in, with some deep muddy ruts after that. It was OK for an Outback but could be a problem for a vehicle with less ground clearance. At the end is a large gravel parking area. I did the loop counterclockwise, up the direct trail and down via Crane Pond. There are several lookouts on both trails and a panoramic view of the southern and western Adirondacks from the rocky summit ridge. The trails were well marked and maintained with only a few small windfalls and deadfalls which, though recent, already had herdpaths around them. (I find it hard to understand the mindset of hikers who bushwhack disagreeably around some minor obstacle rather than taking the minimal time and effort to remove it.) Total time for the loop was three hours including a half hour for lunch and viewgazing. A nice little hike; sun, warmth, solitude, and no bugs!
Anyhow...having done the towers, the next logical thing was to bag the mountains that used to have a tower. Crane, in the hinterlands west of Chestertown, is one. The trailhead is at the end of an unpaved, steep back road, Sky High Road, which is off another back road, Garnet Lake Road. SHR was in excellent shape up to the last private home. Beyond that, the last 0.4 miles is a jeep trail which as of last Friday was flooded by beaver activity about 0.1 miles in, with some deep muddy ruts after that. It was OK for an Outback but could be a problem for a vehicle with less ground clearance. At the end is a large gravel parking area. I did the loop counterclockwise, up the direct trail and down via Crane Pond. There are several lookouts on both trails and a panoramic view of the southern and western Adirondacks from the rocky summit ridge. The trails were well marked and maintained with only a few small windfalls and deadfalls which, though recent, already had herdpaths around them. (I find it hard to understand the mindset of hikers who bushwhack disagreeably around some minor obstacle rather than taking the minimal time and effort to remove it.) Total time for the loop was three hours including a half hour for lunch and viewgazing. A nice little hike; sun, warmth, solitude, and no bugs!
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