George-Placid Trail

[DSettahr]

In the Waterman's book, Forest and Crag, there is a brief mention of a long distance trail called the "George-Placid Trail" that construction was started on in the early 1900's, but work on it was quickly abandoned. The trail, inspired by the Northville-Placid Trail, would've presumably connected Lake Placid and Lake George.

I'm curious to learn more about this trail, but have never seen mention of it anywhere else. A google search turns up zero results.

Does anyone know what the planned route of this trail was? Are there any sections of it that were constructed that are still trails in use today?

 

[Grumpy]

Try referencing the Eastern Summits Trail in your search for information.

I think there has been some discussion of this proposed route connecting the Tongue Mountain Range near Lake George with the High Peaks. As a new trail it is, of course, "controversial."

G.

 

[DSettahr]

By doing a google search for the "Eastern Summits Trail" I found this Backpacker magazine article on the trail. This seems to be a newer trail idea completely unrelated to the George Placid Trail, however, as the northern terminus is intended to be Poke-o-moonshine mountain, rather than Lake Placid.

According to the Watermans book, construction on the George-Placid trail was started shortly after or around the same time that the NPT was completed, and quickly abandoned. It also references several other long distance trails in the northeast that construction was started on, but the trails were never finished.

 

[Grumpy]

Now you have me (a little) curious, too!

The Watermans’ Forest & Crag is a well documented and footnoted treatise. On page 809 (my 1989 first edition copy, anyway) in the “Reference Notes” section you will find reference to an article about the Lake George – Placid Trail in the publication, High Spots, of May 1923. High Spots was, I believe, an early publication of the Adirondack Mountain Club.

The F&C reference entry provides no more detail than that, other than the article having appeared on page 3, and its title, “New Trail Project to Link Lakes George and Placid.”

Please keep us up to date on what you find.

G.

 

[iceNsnow]

Go ask Tony!

Tony Goodwin would know lots about this. I think I have a list of the peaks but will have to do some huntin' and peckin' to find it. more lata.....

 

[Explorer Editor]

I hadn't heard of that proposal. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Tony Goodwin came up with the idea of the Eastern Summits Trail. I'd like to know if it coincides at all with the George-Placid Trail. The EST would go from Tongue Mountain through the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Hammond Pond Wild Forest, through a trailless part of the Dix Mountain Wilderness, then into the Giant Mountain Wilderness and north to Poke-O. So the routes could coincide as far as the Dix area. Some people object to cutting trails in that part of the Dix Mt. Wilderness.

 

[tgoodwin]

I posted a reply on ADKHighPeaks.com, but thanks to Grumpy I don't have to dig through the Waterman's footnotes but can just go to the Keene Valley Library Archives (which are open on Tuesday) and look up that issue of "High Spots". That had to have been one of the very first issues as it was indeed the original publication of the Adirondack Mt. Club which had just been founded the year before. I'll post what I find unless someone beats me to it.

 

[tgoodwin]

Lake George - Placid Trail research

The Keene Valley Library Archives is missing some of the early “High Spots” but it had the crucial May, 1923 issue with the accompanying map and narrative of the proposed trail. Although this article says work had already started, it doesn’t appear from later issues that very much was actually done. The November, 1923 issue reports that the route was, “carefully scouted by Robert and George Marshall and assisted at the south end by Arnold W. Knauth”. The plan was to start construction the following spring, funding permitting. The same report in that November issue details a lot of ongoing work on the N-P Trail. As of 1924, the ADK took title to the land on which JBL now sits, and that construction plus related trail building near JBL appears to have become the club’s major focus as no subsequent issue mentions the Lake George to Placid Trail. By July, 1928, a map of the Johns Brook Valley shows the current ADK Range Trail plus proposed trails up a) Chicken Coop Brook, b) between Gothics and Armstrong, and c) between Armstrong and Upper Wolf Jaw. It seems they wanted a “White Mountain density” of trails and the ability to climb all of the peaks in the Range individually.
The March, 1930 issue reports on trails in the Johns Brook Valley and proposes a “Great Trail Circle”, a 40 mile loop from Keene Valley with details to follow. The June, 1930 issue announces the opening of the W.A. White Trail to Lower Wolf Jaw and notes that one can now hike from Keene Valley to Marcy over all the summits of the Great Range. That issue also details the route of the Great Trail Circle as continuing from Marcy to Skylight to Allen, to Pinnacle and then to Elk Lake with a return to Keene Valley over Dix.
All in all a fascinating 45 minute glimpse at how the early dreamers thought the Adirondack trail system should be built.
2ND POST
Having failed to successfully attach a scanned copy of the article, I offer the following transcription of the text. (Capitalization, etc. reproduced exactly as in the original.) Email me at [email protected] and I can send you a copy with the actually not that informative map.

NEW TRAIL PROJECT TO LINK LAKES GEORGE AND PLACID
"In this issue of High Spots we are able to announce for the first time preliminary plans for the major trail project for the Adk. M. C. for 1923.
"This is now designated as the "Lake George-Placid Trail" and will extend from Bolton Landing on Lake George north through the eastern portion of the Adirondacks to Lake Placid.
"According to the plans of the Committee on Trails, Camps and Shelters, as announced by William G. Howard [as in Howard Lean-to], chairman, the Lake George-Placid trail from Bolton Landing will proceed in a northerly direction passing near Swede Lake. Swinging around Pharaoh Lake, it will turn west passing the north end of Schroon Lake to a point near the Loch Muller Postoffice. Turning north again the trail passes near Blue Ridge Mountain and joins the highway for a short distance west of Blue Ridge Postoffice. Thence it is planned to follow the highway to Elk Lake. From there, trails marked by the Conservation Commission will be followed in the main across the Boreas ridge and over the top of Marcy to Lake Placid.
"This new trail, taken in conjunction with the Northville-Placid trail built by the Club last year, will give splendid means of approach to the heart of the Adirondacks from two different directions. An interesting feature of the new trail will be its combination of valley and skyline sections.
"Work has already been started, and it is hoped that the entire length of the Lake George-Placid trail will be in use before the end of the present season."