Northeast Wild

  Mar 14, 2022 - the video Mar 14, 2022 - TIRRELL POND from the south, Rts 28/30.  Temp rising thru the 30s, plenty of snow with 8" powder on top of a good base, rolling intermediate terrain.  No one had signed in for 9 days but breaking trail was not too difficult.  Fun hills come early then you go thru easement lands where the logging roads of Finch, Pruyn cross the trail.  A short detour to the edge of O'Neil Flow reveals a good view across a vly to Snowy Mtn.  Several crossings of small brooks were not too difficult thanks to good ice/snow bridges (that could change later this week with warmer temps).  Back into state land (Blue Mtn Wild Forest) & soon arrive at the new bridge (there used to be a narrow log bridge here that I would never attempt to cross in winter) over the scenic outlet of Tirrell Pond which leads to a short trail to the O'Neil lean-to for lunch.  Skied out onto the E side of the pond (1,919' el) to get a look at Blue Mtn...

  Mar 4, 2022 -  SECOND POND xc ski. Siamese Ponds Wilderness. Very nice snow conditions, & you can't beat those blue skies in winter. Elevations between 2,235' & 2,525'. It often seemed like we were going up or coming down. Good powder skiing on the pond - no slush/wetness. 3.8 hours. Apr 16, 2019 - April 16 - SECOND POND ski. The trailhead on Chatiemac Lake Rd is at 2,320" - one of the highest elevation trailheads in the Adks. Siamese Ponds Wilderness. 0-30" of snow, the trail had a hard spine/monorail & softened somewhat as time progressed, off-trail the snow was nice. Soon went off-trail to the R down to a vly with a view of Gore Mtn but less than half the vly had any snow. Back on the trail it was ok for a bit then I started hitting bare & wet spots so decided to ski off-trail wherever the snow took me - found 2 more small vlies & a flagged route to the S. 2.6 hours. Last ski of the season? Mar 17, 2014 -  SECOND POND  from C...

  Feb 17, 2017 -  BENNETT, MIDDLE & MURPHY LAKES ski, from Creek Rd. Wilcox Lake Wild Forest. 600' climb in 3 miles to Middle then over 100' drop to Murphy & lean-to. Rocky mountain views at Murphy. Nice run back out. Snowshoe tracks went half way, a snowmobile came in after us but only got near Bennett - altho it is an official snomo trail it is not used for that purpose much - someone wrote in the register: "trail not passable with snowmobile". Very good to excellent skiing on ~15", some easily avoidable wet spots. 7.7 miles, 4.5 hours. Nov 7, 2012 -  BENNETT & MIDDLE LAKES  hike, from Creek Rd, N of Northville.  Temp in the 30s, gotta get acclimated to colder temps & you don't do that by staying inside.  The trail is along an old road, now also a snowmobile trail.  Have to leave the main trail to get a good look at Bennett.  Also left the main trail & followed a fisherman's path counterclockwise around Middle passing ...

  September 14, 2026 - JONES HILL hike from Hoffman Road west of Schroon Lake. Hoffman Notch Wilderness. Big Pond trail for 1+ miles then R on newish red trail. Some ups and downs. 100 yard side-trip on path with paint blazes to North Pond (1250'), 3 guys fishing. Uphill for a while, found some edible lobsters! Down a bit then steep climb with some rock, blueberry, and lichens. View SE including Pharaoh Mountain. View of Schroon Lake from false summit. Down a bit then gentle climb to actual summit (1882'). Views of Hoffman Mountain (3693'), Peaked Hills and the Dixes in the distance to the north. Very nice trail. 8+ miles, 5.7 hours. Mostly sunny, 60-65°F, some wind gusts, dewpoint low 40s. Minimal mosquito activity. Quite a few colorful sugar maple leaves on the ground.  Aug, 2022 -  NCT hard working volunteers spent a four-day weekend benching new tread on the east side of Jones Hill in Hoffman Notch Wilderness in New York’s Adirondack Park. The route yet to be bench...

  Dec 17, 2021 - The morning was spent shopping for Nordic bc gear.  Started hiking at 1pm from Rt.73 & crossed a narrow bridge (no handrails), soon at a pond/reservoir, then reached state land in the High Peaks Wilderness area.  Start climbing moderately with some switchbacks & stone steps.  R at a junction.  R at another junction at the 2-mile mark & passed around some erratics.  More switchbacks to a junction.  Went R 0.1 miles down to a ledge with valley views plus The Brothers & Hurricane Mtn.  Back to the junction & another 0.3 miles to the summit - several views of Giant Mtn along the way - the last bit is very steep & there are some wood steps at one point.  Not much time to enjoy the views & quite windy, temp in the upper 30s.  Back down the same way, sunset 4:20pm, got back to the car at twilight 4:50pm - any later & we would have had to pull out the headlamps.  No snow up to this 2,762' sum...

  Dec 9, 2021 - SHELVING ROCK MOUNTAIN & FALLS hike. Shelving Rock Road is fairly steep & my driver did not like the way it looked so we parked at the Hogtown trailhead (1,200' el) for Buck Mtn. & walked down the road. Some nice brook views along the way, especially at Campsite #12. Took a R at parking area #2 (500') on Big Bridges Trail next to Shelving Rock Brook for 0.9 miles, then L on Shortway Trail. After ~1 mile started climbing moderately up the mountain, lot of switchbacks keeps it from getting very steep. A little before the summit (1,130') not much in the way of views from there) took a R on a path for ~100 yards dropping down to a ledge with very nice views over Lake George. Headed back down & took the short 0.2-mile way back to the road, 1.5 miles from the lookout. 0.4-mile trail to the very scenic falls, then lime paint blazes to below the falls for the best view. Up & up the road back to the car. The trails in this area are on old c...

  Mar 5, 2022 - Started at the Dirgylot Hill trailhead (el 885'), woods road thru giant culvert under the Northway.  0.7 miles to a T, then R.  Gain (gross uphill travel) of 213' in 1st mile (makes for a fun run out at the end of the day).  The woods road soon fades into a path marked with ax blazes & leaning sticks - noted some cedars in here & some large white pines.  Steep drop to a stream crossing & steep uphill to pick up the path again.  Gain of 177' in 2nd mile.  Joined an old road that parallels 17th Brook - now climbing moderately, sometimes steeply - some lovely ash trees in this stretch, unfortunately some were blowdown across our route & made the going more challenging.  Gain of 459' in our 3rd mile.  The old road finally levels out a bit & is quite clear going thru softwoods.  Our highest elevation 1,705'.  Crossed the brook & bushwhacked N to a small remote pond that lies W of Wyman Hill.  ...