The first half of this trail follows old roads over relatively flat terrain through coniferous forest and past rippling brooks. Eventually, the trail begins a steady climb. Side trails lead to an open ledge with views overlooking Oseetah Lake and the Saranac Lake chain. The other views on the trail require some bushwhacking, and the summit itself does not offer a view.
This wraps up my winter Saranac Lake 6 list. It was 16 degrees when we left the truck with little to no wind. Perfect hiking temps. We saw about 12 other people on the trail, one of which was a troll. He asked if I was from the upper peninsula (seen my license plate), I told him I was, then he pointed to the center of his open hand and said "I'm a troll, from...
A short late morning jaunt. A bit cool today, temps were around 11 degrees in Saranac Lake with a 20 mph wind that made it feel colder. We originally planned to do Scarface mountain, but with the bitter cold temperatures, we chose something shorter in case the dogs had any issues. Both dogs did fine, and we all had a blast.
Distance: 1.8 miles RT (3 km)
Ascent: 884 (270 m)
Elevation: 2452 (747 m)
The first half of this trail follows old roads over relatively flat terrain through coniferous forest and past rippling brooks. It is a very nice hike overall, crisscrossing over brooks and eventually gradually beginning a short steady climb just below the first and only ledge with views. Side trails lead to an open ledge with views overlooking Oseetah Lake and the Saranac Lake chain. The other views on the trail require some bushwhacking off the trail once up on the ridge. This hike is probably to be the best in the Adirondacks (s0 far) that offers a beautiful ridge walk that meanders to the summit, and the summit itself does not offer a view but is a very tranquil summit.
This is a wonder snowshoe in the winter as well. The only...
Baker Mountain is a very popular and short hike as it is basically in the village of Saranac Lake, and is really accessible in the area.
The most difficult thing about Baker Mtn. is perhaps finding the trailhead. From Route 3 I took Mckenzie Pond Road to Forest Hill Avenue on the left. Follow Forest Hill Avenue (aka, Moody Pond Road) for a bit over 0.5 miles to the Baker Mountain Trailhead which will be on the left at the north end of Moody pond.
You will start climbing almost immediately. The trail is a bit steep but offers great views as you ascend further. At 0.6 miles from the trailhead, an intersection offers part of an upper mountain loop. Left is a less aggressive climb and avoids the steep ledges that can be found if you head...
A beautiful day in the woods. A 7.2-mile hike via the Jackrabbit trail. We had attempted this same hike from Bloget Road to Bartlett Pond on February 7th but turned around after running out of time and energy. We (Derek mostly) broke trail from the road up.
McKenzie Mountains elevation is 3,861-feet. It is in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness area, it is visible from many locations in and around Raybrook and Saranac Lake. Unbeknownst to me, it was formerly known as Saddleback, this is because from a distance it is shaped like a saddle.
There are 2 main approaches to McKenzie. The 5.3-mile trail from Rt. 86 which is shared with the trailhead to Haystack just west of Ray Brook. We took the Jackrabbit trail from Whiteface Inn Lane which...