I had actually planned to hike Bald Mountain today, but a lack of sleep and a late rise left me with fewer options. I had given thought to do absolutely nothing today, as it was about 10:30 before I even got dressed.
Poke-O-Moonshine is a nearby hike for me, about 20 miles south of Plattsburgh. I have hiked this mountain many times from the original trail from the former campground. While that is a direct route, it is a somewhat steep climb right off the start. In 2008 DEC created a new trail to the summit, which is not as steep but is a longer hike at 2.4 miles one way. I opted for this route as I had not climbed Poko in that direction. It is a pleasant hike with gradual terrain. Most of this route is an old jeep trail so that in and...
This was a really neat hike. As with most hikes, there is always something neat that is discovered on the adventure, to me it was the awesome views. I had traveled from Plattsburgh south, down to this hike. While it's easy to get to, it is on the east side of Lake George which takes a little bit of navigating to get to. I'm sure there was a better way to get to it, but I took the north way south to exit 28, then Route 74 to Route 22 south to the junction of Washington county Route 6. If I remember correctly there was a sign at that intersection stating to turn there for Black Mountain, then again about 5 miles further at the intersection with Pike Brook road. The trailhead was a mile from Route 6 on the left.
When I arrived at the...
This is a quick and easy hike, just what I was looking for today as I had a lot of other things to get done, but still wanted to get out and hike. This literally took all of 15-20 minutes to summit from the road. Not to mention that today, was a bluebird day that really made this hike rewarding as it was quick, and offered fantastic views of the high peaks and green mountains of Vermont.
According to topo maps, this is only a little over 1750 feet, however as mentioned earlier, the views are spectacular. The trail is nothing more than a dirt/gravel road that goes up to radio towers that are on the mountain. A short, less than half a mile walk along the road with an overall elevation gain of 137 feet, very gradual.
This is a nice walk...
This one is off the beaten path, but pretty easy to get to. The Tower Road is the only dirt road I navigated, and was in really good shape, and is said to be plowed in the winter.
Hadley Mountain is a 2.6-mile round trip hike that starts to climb almost immediately after signing in at the trailhead. It is a gradual climb the entire way, with a few pleasant ridges walks along the way. The summit of Hadley is 2653 feet (according to topo), of which you will actually climb 1500 feet, give or take.
The description of the hike talks about a history of forest fires in the early part of the twentieth century which has impacted the mountain. While I have never seen anything that resembles damage by fires, it is certainly present as it also...
This fire tower sits on the summit of Cathedral Rock, located on the campus of New York State Ranger School at Wanakena, about 8 miles west of Cranberry Lake, NY.
This tower was originally erected on Tooley Pond mountain in Clare NY, which is north-northwest of Cranberry Lake.
For those looking for an easy hike, this would be the one. Even for a young family and their Nana.
From the parking area near the ballfields, you pass through a gate on a dirt road. There was no sign-in booth or anything that discerns the starting point of the trail. Once you pass through the gate it is a short walk to the start of the Latham trail, which is marked with a sign on your right. From there you will follow the disks with a number 10 over an easy...