First Hikes In The High Peaks Of NY

[DayTrip]

Here's a suggestion: http://www.lakeplacid.com/do/hiking/owls-head

This sounds like it would fit the bill. Would it be snow/ice free at this point? I assume it would at 2100' but not sure if it is in shaded valley, etc. I'm not bringing all my usual hiking stuff. Probably just have a pack with some water and a wind shell or something.

 

[jfb]

It should be clear by now, I guess. You could try calling someone at the Mountaineer to find out.

You could check out the Noonmark Diner in Keene Valley, not far from the turnoff to the Garden trailhead.

 

[jrbren]

Would there be any "good" short hikes near one of the major trail heads (say following a large river or through fields or whatever on a major tributary trail)? I'm thinking of taking a "recon" drive out to Lake Placid this weekend to check out the length of drive, identify the major trail heads, rest areas, restaurants, maybe grab a beer/burger somewhere and take a short hike to check out trail signage, the blazes, blah, blah, blah. Any suggestions on a short hike or a beer and burger place would be appreciated.

Other suggestions : Several out of AMR land out of St Huberts : Fish Hawks Cliffs and/or Indian Head (iconic Adirondack view), made shorter because several miles are along a road (Lake Road) if you choose, ie, easy walking. This road is closed to public traffic, only AMR members can drive on it. I rarely meet cars on it. Gill brook trail is one of my favorite brook walks. "Across the street" there is the Giant nubble. There are several waterfalls a short walk on trails off of Lake Road.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Lake Placid Pub and Brew!

 

[DayTrip]

Lake Placid Pub and Brew!

Where is that? I wound up getting a late start SAT but I did make it up (and then basically went to Canada, across Lake Champlain and home through Vermont - about 700 miles ). There seemed to be nothing up there. I went into "downtown" Lake Placid (where Rte 73 tees with Rte 86) and to that point I didn't see whole hell of a lot. (Keene Valley and Keene were pretty sparce as well). I guess I was expecting more a city considering it hosted Olympics. Is there more of a town off Rte 86 somewhere or was that it?

These trail heads are definitely going to be tough drives. The Garden will be about 3h 50 min and the Adirondack Loj about 4h 25 min. And after rides like that it will suck to find out the lots are full. And with the lack of amenities leaving Rte 87 I'm glad I did a test drive to check it out. I'll need to keep a cooler with more food than I normally do for after and will probably need to reconsider not camping/staying at a hotel.

There were some small trail heads on Rte 73 before turn for The Garden I think I'll have to try and utilize. Round Pound, which on map appears to be a reasonable start point for several peaks I am interested in (but had a very small parking area) and Roaring Brook, which had parking on both sides of road and was absolutely packed late morning Saturday but appeared to have spaces. Is Roaring Brook the parking area that connects to the trails on Lower Ausable? I'm a little confused on map because it shows a road and none of the trails actually starts at Rte 73. It appears as though a Lake Road Way feeds these trails. Is this parking area/road what feeds those trails? (25,26,27,28) That lot is pretty similar drive to what I do now so if it connects to many of the peaks I want to it I'll probably try to use that as my "base". I'd rather hike an extra few easy miles in the woods than be driving in my car for that 30-45 minutes.

 

[Trail Boss]

Downtown Lake Placid is along route 86, northwest of the intersection of 73 and 86. Had you continued along 86, you'd have driven past the Olympic Stadium and through a stretch of road that would've reminded you of North Conway. Lying just off the main strip is the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery.

Google Maps.

From my previous post: This is a list of the major/minor trail-heads for the High Peaks. http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/wiki/AdirondackTrailheads

Regarding the two trail-heads located at the junction of route 73 and Ausable Club Road:

1. "Roaring Brook" trail-head is on the east side of route 73 and has room for about a dozen cars. It is marked with DEC signage and has a DEC trail-register. It is the trail-head for the "Roaring Brook" trail to Giant.
3. The "Ausable Club" parking lot is on the west side of route 73 and has room for dozens of cars. It is marked with Ausable Club signage and there's no trail-register in the lot. The actual trail-head is about 1/2 mile west on the Lake Road. The parking area is for the convenience of the general public so they may access the trails on the Ausable Club's property, namely the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR). Regulations governing the AMR are posted at the trail-register and are more strict than on State land (no camping, no dogs, no bushwhacking, no cell phone use, no hunting or fishing, no rock-climbing, etc).

 

[DayTrip]

Downtown Lake Placid is along route 86, northwest of the intersection of 73 and 86. Had you continued along 86, you'd have driven past the Olympic Stadium and through a stretch of road that would've reminded you of North Conway. Lying just off the main strip is the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery.

Google Maps.

From my previous post: This is a list of the major/minor trail-heads for the High Peaks. http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/wiki/AdirondackTrailheads

Regarding the two trail-heads located at the junction of route 73 and Ausable Club Road:

1. "Roaring Brook" trail-head is on the east side of route 73 and has room for about a dozen cars. It is marked with DEC signage and has a DEC trail-register. It is the trail-head for the "Roaring Brook" trail to Giant.
3. The "Ausable Club" parking lot is on the west side of route 73 and has room for dozens of cars. It is marked with Ausable Club signage and there's no trail-register in the lot. The actual trail-head is about 1/2 mile west on the Lake Road. The parking area is for the convenience of the general public so they may access the trails on the Ausable Club's property, namely the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR). Regulations governing the AMR are posted at the trail-register and are more strict than on State land (no camping, no dogs, no bushwhacking, no cell phone use, no hunting or fishing, no rock-climbing, etc).

I had a bad feeling I was doing that when I turned around. I was getting pretty tight on gas so when I hit road for the Loj so I continued on into Lake Placid to gas up. After I backtracked to the road for Loj, snapped a few pictures of that phenomenal view across the fields at the top of the hill and then drove down to Loj gate. I backtracked to Keene and took 9N out to Rte 87 from there. Oh well.

I had printed your trail heads lists and was doodling and driving as I went down Rte 73 watching for the trail heads. That Ausable area was one I was hoping wouldn't be too bad a drive because I believe there were trails to almost every peak I had on my list to check out except Algonquin. Looks like the Loj trailhead is the only practical starting point to hit that mountain as a day hike. Hopefully the others I'll be able to do from that Ausable lot and some possible camping.

And I guess while I'm on that topic I'll ask a question on that too. If I understand the Guide regulations right, you can still just hike out into the woods and camp anywhere (I believe the Guide called it "at large" camping) in the High Peaks Wilderness providing:

1) You're not in any prohibited area listed in the guide. (The guide referenced a curiously small list of such places. I suspect there are many more and reading individual trail descriptions would add to that yes?)
2) You're at least a 150 ft away from a trail or any water source.
3) No fires for any reason
4) Bear canister is required at all times (well Apr to Nov but my camping will definitely fall into this window).
5) No camping above 3500' (with some designated exceptions but never above 4000')

Are there any other requirements I should be aware of or have misinterpreted? The Guide mentions there are differences from area to area but then doesn't really list what those are. Does the Adirondacks have a Wilderness Camping flyer or similar piece of literature the way the White Mountains do? I haven't done an in depth search yet but did not see one. The link for this on website seems to just be same general guidelines in my Guide book.

 

[Trail Boss]

I think you've got a good handle on the key requirements.

• You can primitive-camp no closer than 50 yards from trails (marked or unmarked a.k.a. herd-paths), sources of water, and lean-to's. Lots of people overlook the "lean-to" portion and pitch tents far closer than 50 yards (I saw one pitched within 5 yards).
• You can't pitch a tent within a lean-to.
• I know of only two designated camp-sites above 3500 feet: Sno-bird (between Basin and Little Haystack) and Lake Mary-Louise (east of Rocky Peak Ridge).
• In the Eastern High Peaks zone, fires are banned for general camping purposes. However, they are, of course, allowed for emergencies (lost, injured).

DEC's Trail Information for the High Peaks. Updated weekly; describes backcountry conditions and important changes.
DEC Regulations. The ADK Mountain Club's summary of the key camping regulations for the Eastern High Peaks area. Probably the most concise "cheat sheet" available.

The most restricted area in the High Peaks Wilderness Area (HPWA) is the Adirondack Mountain Reserve within the Eastern High Peaks zone. The AMR is private land and, in a nutshell, open to the general public for day-hiking only. More details about hiking in the AMR can be found here (scroll to bottom for regulations).

The Eastern High Peaks zone is the most popular half of the HPWA and so it has the most regulations to minimize impacts. The boundary between the Western and Eastern sections runs through Nye, Street, Lost Pond, and MacNaughton mountains.

Bear canisters are mandatory in the Eastern High Peaks zone (Apr-Nov) and the DEC encourages their use elsewhere (i.e. not mandatory elsewhere such as the Dix Wilderness and Giant Wilderness areas).

There's an island of land, approximately 143 acres in size, around Johns Brook Lodge that is called the Johns Brook Primitive Area. A large part of that belongs to the Adirondack Mountain Club. Camping on their property is fee-based and only at the Johns Brook Lodge, lean-to's, or cabins.

 

[jfb]

These trail heads are definitely going to be tough drives. The Garden will be about 3h 50 min and the Adirondack Loj about 4h 25 min. And after rides like that it will suck to find out the lots are full. And with the lack of amenities leaving Rte 87 I'm glad I did a test drive to check it out. I'll need to keep a cooler with more food than I normally do for after and will probably need to reconsider not camping/staying at a hotel.

There are lots of hotels and restaurants in the Lake George village area (on RT 9 at the south end of the lake) where you could stay overnight on the ride from CT and stop to eat on the ride back.

 

[DayTrip]

I think you've got a good handle on the key requirements.

• You can primitive-camp no closer than 50 yards from trails (marked or unmarked a.k.a. herd-paths), sources of water, and lean-to's. Lots of people overlook the "lean-to" portion and pitch tents far closer than 50 yards (I saw one pitched within 5 yards).
• You can't pitch a tent within a lean-to.
• I know of only two designated camp-sites above 3500 feet: Sno-bird (between Basin and Little Haystack) and Lake Mary-Louise (east of Rocky Peak Ridge).
• In the Eastern High Peaks zone, fires are banned for general camping purposes. However, they are, of course, allowed for emergencies (lost, injured).

DEC's Trail Information for the High Peaks. Updated weekly; describes backcountry conditions and important changes.
DEC Regulations. The ADK Mountain Club's summary of the key camping regulations for the Eastern High Peaks area. Probably the most concise "cheat sheet" available.

The most restricted area in the High Peaks Wilderness Area (HPWA) is the Adirondack Mountain Reserve within the Eastern High Peaks zone. The AMR is private land and, in a nutshell, open to the general public for day-hiking only. More details about hiking in the AMR can be found here (scroll to bottom for regulations).

The Eastern High Peaks zone is the most popular half of the HPWA and so it has the most regulations to minimize impacts. The boundary between the Western and Eastern sections runs through Nye, Street, Lost Pond, and MacNaughton mountains.

Bear canisters are mandatory in the Eastern High Peaks zone (Apr-Nov) and the DEC encourages their use elsewhere (i.e. not mandatory elsewhere such as the Dix Wilderness and Giant Wilderness areas).

There's an island of land, approximately 143 acres in size, around Johns Brook Lodge that is called the Johns Brook Primitive Area. A large part of that belongs to the Adirondack Mountain Club. Camping on their property is fee-based and only at the Johns Brook Lodge, lean-to's, or cabins.

Thank you. Lot of good information there.

 

[DayTrip]

There are lots of hotels and restaurants in the Lake George village area (on RT 9 at the south end of the lake) where you could stay overnight on the ride from CT and stop to eat on the ride back.

Thanks. Good to know. Do you have any idea on hotel/motel pricing in that area? I'd think in Summer that area must be in pretty high demand with lake tourists, etc.

 

[Mike P.]

The Elk Lake area trailhead for Macomb, East & South Dix (Grace & Carson), Hough & Dix can be reached from Elk Lake. (As can Blake & Colvin and a very long approach to Marcy through Panther Gorge)

 

[jfb]

Thanks. Good to know. Do you have any idea on hotel/motel pricing in that area? I'd think in Summer that area must be in pretty high demand with lake tourists, etc.

Hotel/motel pricing is probably relatively high and some may have minimum 2-night stays on summer weekends. Staying at a campground may also be challenging because they get filled up. Your best bet is to go during May (before black fly season) or September (between summer vacation and leaf peeper seasons).

 

[Trail Boss]

There are motels, inns, and B&B's in Schroon Lake. I've stayed in this one: Maple Leaf Motel (Map: I-87 exit 28).

I was there a few times in winter (lowest rates) in order to get an early start for hikes to Allen and the Santanoni and Dix Ranges. The town of Schroon Lake is just a few minutes drive to the south; you'll find a Stewarts, a few restaurants, and a supermarket.

Driving times, in minutes, from the motel to:

• Upper Works, 50
• Elk Lake, 22
• Ausable Club, 30

In an earlier post I mentioned the Roostercomb Inn in Keene Valley (this is not a B&B; no breakfast but they have a communal kitchen). One of their rooms ("Snow Mount") has one twin bed and currently goes for $70 (although it appears to be booked for entire month of April). A room with two twin beds ("Little Porter") costs $80. The Noonmark Diner is a 2 minute walk south and the Valley Grocery Store is a short walk north. Roostercomb trail-head is a 5 minute walk south and it's a ten-minute drive to the Garden trail-head.

The least expensive lodging in Keene Valley (that I know of) is the Keene Valley Hostel. I've never stayed there but I've met the owner (Jake) and he appears to be a very warm and accommodating host. You can also camp on their property ($15/person). They also offer shuttle services to several trail-heads.

Good luck and have fun exploring the High Peaks!

 

[DayTrip]

Thanks. A lot of good information from everyone. I will hopefully get at least one hike out there in May. Looking very forward to it.

 

[Mike P.]

Just like NH, try and find south facing trails that are pretty open. The Ridge trail on Giant would be one of these. Macomb while not South facing, has an open slide where it gets lots of soon, you come out low enough that it shouldn't be melted out down low & not too long in the woods above the slide before your reaching the top.

 

[DayTrip]

Finally got up to NY this weekend and did Marcy from the Loj via the Van Hoevenberg Trail. Was a pretty enjoyable hike but unfortunately was socked in the clouds most of the day so I only caught glimpses of peaks, mostly on the way down. Some observations I had that I was curious for feedback on given what I had been previously told and/or read while researching:

1) The Loj parking was no problem early, which I was very relieved by. I got there at 5:30 AM and was able to get a spot about 8 spaces from the trailhead. Lot #1 was maybe 1/3 full and the other lots maybe 1/4 full to empty. However, when I left just after 2PM the lot was hugely packed (although there were vacated spaces to take) and there were cars on both sides of the road for a mile down (all the way to paved bridge with the parking areas). I thought parking outside the lots was not allowed? The cars on the road all had green window tags. The tag I got in my envelope was orange. Is that because of self-serve vs attendant issued? Lot overflow for the Loj versus day use hikers? Was curious about that. It was quite the free for all getting down the road with all the major potholes, people with car doors open, hikers weaving in and out of cars, etc. The road was essentially half the width.

2) I was forewarned the bugs in NY were atrocious. I did not see one single insect of any kind all day on my 15.5 miles of hiking. Summit was breezy and in the 50's but most of the hike was calm and humid. I was pretty stunned by this. Even our campsite down by Paradox Lake only had a handful of deer flies and a mosquito or two. I am assuming this year's bug hatch has been historically light? NH has been fairly light this year as well but I definitely have seen far more gnats and flying insects in NH. Was I just lucky this weekend?

3) I'd be curious to get feedback from anyone who is a regular hiker in the Adirondacks and who has recently done the Van Hoevenberg Trail to gage the "mud factor" right now. For late July I did find the trail to be relatively wet and muddy but based on where bog bridges are it looks like it certainly can be worse. The trail steward on Marcy Saturday considered the current trail conditions "typical". For this time of year I'd say it was more wet and muddy than NH would be. It's been a dry year so I was expecting that these were unusually good conditions but the steward's observations suggested they weren't.

Definitely going to be heading back here for future hikes. Thanks to everyone's posts and the information provided. It was very helpful.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Were they summonses, i.e. parking tickets? I've heard the parking situation is 'in flux' there...

My trips to the ADKs lately have been mostly bug free, as this is late in the year for bugs. As for the mud, it's usually very localized, and obviously weather dependent, so it's hard to say.

 

[jfb]

For late July I did find the trail to be relatively wet and muddy but based on where bog bridges are it looks like it certainly can be worse. The trail steward on Marcy Saturday considered the current trail conditions "typical". For this time of year I'd say it was more wet and muddy than NH would be.

My observation has been that there is more mud in the ADKs than in NH. And the mud in the ADKs is deeper, wider and darker than in NH.

 

[DayTrip]

Were they summonses, i.e. parking tickets? I've heard the parking situation is 'in flux' there...

My trips to the ADKs lately have been mostly bug free, as this is late in the year for bugs. As for the mud, it's usually very localized, and obviously weather dependent, so it's hard to say.

They weren't tickets. They were green mirror tags hanging inside the cars so it had to be authorized for some purpose. Maybe there was an event of some sort like NH's Seek The Peak at Mt Washington? I passed about 300 people on my way down from Marcy (versus 4 on the way up). Could barely walk a hundred yards at a stretch with stopping to let a group pass.