Hearing it was pretty busy, most major trailheads were full by 5:30am per Scott van Laer. Probably won't be much slower the next few weekends as we approach peak foliage. Sunday is your better bet than Saturdays, if that is an option. Great time of year to be up there, I just got back from Old Forge /Inlet last weekend but the only hiking I did was trying to find my golf ball...
We were going to go up tomorrow morning and ultimately decided not to. Looked into getting a room in Lake Placid and the entire Village is booked. My guess is the trails will be busy. Lots of schools are closed Monday so there's a three-day weekend factor too.
Leaves are further along than I expected in Old Forge area. Lots of colors - looks like it’s approaching peak to me. Very scenic. And yeah, this area is as busy as I’ve seen it all year. Packed with people. I imagine it’s the same in all these Adirondacks towns.
Heights above 3500 ft got snow on Friday in Vermont. I’m guessing N.Y. is similar.
Saw some pictures this week of frost and ice above tree line. Suggest microspikes if you are going up.
Appreciate the insight, but that's a no-go. What about a smaller peak like Mount Jo? We are going up with our kids. Any recommendations? It has to be in the Lake Placid area.
Sorry, totally forgot to respond to this. Mt. Jo is probably your best bet, and actually the views are pretty good of Heart Lake, Algonquin etc. Non mountain hikes- look at the Jack Rabbit trail. It's a cross country ski trail that has really good views of the High Peaks. Another good option might be hiking into Indian Head from the Ausable Club. Unbelievable views of the lakes at the end. I don't remember the distance off hand but that's a good hike.
Thanks. I have also been reading up on Baxter, Big Crow, and Owl's Head Lookout. Anything around or under 3-5 miles roundtrip would be fine for this weekend. And no snow and ice (need to be able to hoof it with trail shoes/boots). Views are key though to keeping my kids engaged. Just taking a walk in the woods doesn't cut it. Need that payoff (for me too, if I'm being honest).
Owl's Head is a fun hike, and the fire tower at the top provides a great vantage point.
Heard this as well. There is something called the Lake Placid 9er (?)- my hiking buddy is taking his kids up these (7 and 4). Some of these climbs look like good options too, Shrmdougluvr ...
I've heard. We are going to hit the trail on the way back to the Northway though, on Sunday morning. We'll save that for another time.
Thanks. This is great.
What?? I really hope that guy is a great hiker with all the necessary gear. Doing Santanoni in the dark, in winter, seems insane. And what would be the point if you can’t see anything anyway?
All great points, we gently asked him if he was prepared for a night in the woods if necessary, which he said he was. That trail was brutal in daylight, I can't imagine it at night.
I watch this kid's, Jonathan Zaharek's, youtube videos of him hiking various High Peaks, and he just did a video of Santanoni (with Panther and Couchsachraga) from a hike he did in late November. He showed that only a couple-three people had signed into the Trail Log for that hike, and he was the only car in the lot that day. He went up via the express, but came down a different trail.
Late November (or April) doesn't surprise me- shoulder months usually have lower usage given how difficult the conditions can be with the mud. But I'll have to check that channel out, thanks for the tip. I'm planning a couple more trips this winter that are going to start from the Loj or the Garden- that will be interesting to see whether the lots are packed.
