BlackSpruce
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November offering us an extra Indian summer ideal for hiking at lower elevation we went for a 14 mile plus loop into the Pharaoh Lake wilderness starting from Crane Pond parking area. At this time of year but for the direct trail to Pharaoh Summit traffic is light and we found ourselves proceeding in ankle deep leaves akin to tiptoeing in a “Fontaine de Jouvence” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_of_Youth).
The trails are just about perfect and the woods so open we had to keep an eye on the markers not to lose the Swing Trail. Along the route we never ceased to admire the dedication and endurance of these trails adopters. They have managed to keep up with extraordinary beaver activities where others would have given up a long time ago. Swinging by Oxshoe and Crab Ponds was well worth the detour, they are both very beautiful. They offer one lean-to, several campsites and most likely a large population of mosquitoes, black-flies, deer-flies, horse-flies and no-see-ums during the no-freeze season. The previous week in the miniature Dixes we had found Rhododendrons on the shore of the same name pond but no oxen, crab or crane about here, still one can imagine long ago a climber, archaeologist by profession, accessing the area from the South was somehow reminded of Pharaonic Egypt upon seeing this mountain from a Southern angle...
Swing Trail is ever so appropriately named. The half-mile long col before the steep descent to Pharaoh Lake shoreline seemed endless thanks to all the streams damming. Even though not shown on any map there is a well marked (blue markers) .7-mile trail to rejoin the 1.6-mile section which steeply climbs to Pharaoh Mountain. Once on the rocky summit one must visit all of the ledges to patch a 360 view encompassing ponds, lakes and even a good number of High Peaks. Information about the now gone Pharaoh fire tower is only a click away: http://nysforestrangers.com/towers5.htm
The trails are just about perfect and the woods so open we had to keep an eye on the markers not to lose the Swing Trail. Along the route we never ceased to admire the dedication and endurance of these trails adopters. They have managed to keep up with extraordinary beaver activities where others would have given up a long time ago. Swinging by Oxshoe and Crab Ponds was well worth the detour, they are both very beautiful. They offer one lean-to, several campsites and most likely a large population of mosquitoes, black-flies, deer-flies, horse-flies and no-see-ums during the no-freeze season. The previous week in the miniature Dixes we had found Rhododendrons on the shore of the same name pond but no oxen, crab or crane about here, still one can imagine long ago a climber, archaeologist by profession, accessing the area from the South was somehow reminded of Pharaonic Egypt upon seeing this mountain from a Southern angle...
Swing Trail is ever so appropriately named. The half-mile long col before the steep descent to Pharaoh Lake shoreline seemed endless thanks to all the streams damming. Even though not shown on any map there is a well marked (blue markers) .7-mile trail to rejoin the 1.6-mile section which steeply climbs to Pharaoh Mountain. Once on the rocky summit one must visit all of the ledges to patch a 360 view encompassing ponds, lakes and even a good number of High Peaks. Information about the now gone Pharaoh fire tower is only a click away: http://nysforestrangers.com/towers5.htm
