Poko Moonshine Mountain

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 of doing 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 hike this mountain many times from the original trail off 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 mile 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 of itself should tell you that it is not overly steep.

I had Dingo and Misty with me today on this hike. We arrived at the trail-head without another vehicle in site. I was excited about this because I like to allow the dogs to run free as long as we are alone. We would not see another hiker until just above the former cabin foundation. There was a very pleasant couple that had hiked up the original trail, and were on there way back down.

From the trail-head to the summit it took me about an hour and a half. I, as always take my time going up, enjoying the hike and taking many pictures along the way. This new route offered a variety of views from bogs to open ledges that provided a nice panoramic view. I bet this route would be a blast to snowshoe in the winter.

Owls Head Mountain

I arrived at the trail head around 8:50am. There was a local hunter that had just arrived and he was packing up to spend 14 days in camp (lucky guy). We struck up a conversation which led to the three dogs I had in tow. He had asked if they were Australian Cattle Dogs, and I affirmed and advised him they were rescues. He too has some dogs he rescued as well, a couple border collies.

I was soon on my way up the trail climbing right after the small foot bridge. The trail is easy enough to follow, and is a mix of open hardwoods almost the entire way to the summit, minus a few areas of pine/cedar/tamaracks. The trail is an easy grade well past the intersection with the trail that continues to Lake Eaton, which is about a mile in. From here the trail goes left and climbs moderately with a mix of packed trail to rocky and wet (typical adk trail). There were several areas of blowdown from the previous two days of heavy wind, all of which were easily negotiated.

The trail climbed steadily making up in elevation, but wasn’t overly long, maybe about a mile of climbing up to the col between the two smaller peaks of Owl's Head. From here one could be discouraged thinking that you are almost to the tower, when in fact you drop down to a landing, that at one point was where the observer’s cabin was located. The foundation pilings are still there, and a pail (I almost thought it was a thunder jug). From here the final push to the summit is a short steep section which eventually eases and turns into a small ridge walk to the tower.

From the summit, I could see Long Lake below to the left, and Blue Mountain in the background straight ahead. Once up in the tower there is a 360 degree view of the mountains, a bit overcast today so the views weren’t as good as they would be on a clear day. Blue Mountain was shrouded in the clouds.

I didn't realize until I read the pamphlet from the trail head register is that the mountain, along with the two lesser peaks that make up the ears of the "owls head", a great horned owl's head to be exact.

I was back at the trail head at 1pm.

Elevation - 2815'
Distance round trip -6.3 miles
Total time round trip 4.hrs 14min
My average speed was 1.5mph

Big Crow and Little Crow Mtns

I had previously hiked Nun-da-ga-o Ridge and Weston Mountains in a counterclockwise direction, a few years ago. During that trip, I had hoped to hike the Crows as well, but I was running late with time. So a trip back was in order, and I had a beautiful day to hike as well. On my previous trip I had brought my dog Dingo, so he accompanied me today too.

We arrived at the trail-head at the end of the O'Toole Rd at Crow Clearing at 08:50 and were soon on the trail.

Overall this is a short hike out and back. I logged about .8 miles from the parking area to the summit of Big Crow. Some areas of the trail are steep, but short-lived sections. The summit of Big Crow is at 2,815 feet. There were many views along the way to the summit. The summit itself has some wonderful views of the Adirondacks high peaks, Pitchoff mountains, and many others. The trail continues, dropping down to Little Crow and ultimately to Hurricane Road. I opted to return from Little Crow by going back to the Crow Clearing via Big Crow.

On the trip back I enjoyed the summit of Big Crow to myself for almost an hour.

Start time 08:56
Finished time 11:54
Total distance 2.3 miles round trip
2.58.37 elapsed time
0.8 average speed

Snow Mountain

What a beautiful day for a hike, blue sky and perfect temperatures. This whole weekend has been fantastic weather.

I had heard about this hike from Scott (Winterwarlock) on more than one occasion. He mentioned it offered some wonderful views, and was a really nice short hike. So today I set out to hike Snow mountain, and see for myself what he described. He didn't disappoint.

As I said previously, it was a picture perfect day to spend in the woods. The temperatures were cooler, down from the previous 2 weeks where we were in the upper 80's for several days. This morning temps were 38 degrees, and when I finished it was 62. Mother nature has turned the page, and now the temps are more seasonal.

When I arrived at the trail-head on Route 73, just south of the Noonmark Diner, I was met with an almost full parking lot. This surprised me as I half expected to not see it this full, on a Sunday. Although, I also noticed the parking areas for Hurricane Mt and Baxter Mt were also full. I guess everyone was taking advantage of the weather.

This would be my first hike this season with my winter pack, I was curious how I would do. I left the car at 9am and signed in. Based on those who signed in before me, nobody was heading to Snow. Rooster Comb and the Great Range were a many's destination, what a pleasant surprise! The trail follows along what used to be a small body of water near the high school. Presently it is almost dried up. Not sure if it has been drained for a reason, or if it has really been that dry. Just beyond the pond the trail crosses over a footbridge and then begins the uphill climb navigating through switchbacks up to the first junction at around .7 miles, at which then branches on to Snow Mt to the left, or continue straight to Roostercomb and beyond to the Great Range.

The trail was pretty dry and easy to follow, any brooks I did cross over were either dried up, or low. The hike was pretty easy, gradual incline, with a few short sections that were steeper.
The next trail junctions at 1.1 miles with a spur trail back to Rooster Comb, or turns left towards Snow mountain and Saint Huberts. The Flume brook was low, but provided a great spot for the pups to get a drink. From here it was a short .3 to the junction that takes you to Snow mountain to the left, or continue on to Saint Huberts. From this point the remaining .5 miles to the summit of Snow mountain navigating through a short rock scramble just below the summit. Once above the scramble its partial-open and fairly flat with views in almost every direction. I arrived at the summit around 11am, and had the summit to myself for about 30 minutes.

Start time was 9am
Distance: 2.4 mi. to summit
4.8 miles round trip
Average speed was 1.2 miles
Arrived back at the car 1:05pm

Bolar Fire tower

Pipestem Tower located in Pipestem State Park, West Virginia was renamed “Bolar Lookout Tower” a dedication in honor of the sixth superintendent of the park, Steve Bolar

Steve was a leader in the state parks system with a genuine understanding of park operations and public service. He was a mentor to many park employees during his career.

Bolar lost his battle with a terminal illness in July 2009.

The observation tower sits at 3,000 feet in elevation and commands a scenic view of the Pipestem area. Located near the park entrance the tower is accessible via the Knob Trail which is .4 miles round trip, a nice easy to moderate hike.

Mt Arab Mountain

This is a very nice family oriented hike if you're in the Tupper Lake area. This mountain along with Mt. Coney and Goodman Mt. make up the Tupper Lake Triad, it's also one for the New York State Fire Tower challenge.

I hadn't really hiked all summer, except for Little Haystack Mt in Buck Pond campground. I wanted something on the easy side to get me back into the groove, but also to see how Misty would do. She did great as expected.

This a short hike at 1 mile to the summit, over a very gradual incline. When I arrived to the trail head it was about 10am. The parking lot was full. I suspect this is a very popular hike since it is so close to Tupper Lake, and easy climbing to the summit.

As I said, the trail is well marked, and taken care of. There has been a lot of drainage work done and that has especially helped with the trail conditions.
I was surprised at the amount of work done to the trail, and maintenance done, all from the work of the group "Friends of Mt. Arab".

Misty and Dingo agreed, they too enjoyed the hike.

There was a care taker, or summit steward at the cabin. It was obvious he had alot of educational material on the Summit, the restoration project, and the organization that takes care of it. I recommend a visit.

Rattlesnake Mountain

This trail head is elusive as it is not marked with a sign, nor is there a register to sign in at. Living so close to this trail I had taken time earlier in the year to scout out where exactly the trail head was. I prefer to know where I am going on the day of a hike, than have to take the time looking around for it (wasting time) that morning.

I did find some information on the hike online at lakechamplainregion.com. This was helpful and was a good starting point for locating the parking area, as it is directly across the street from 4525 Route 22, which is just north of Willsboro, and south of the Highlands Rd.

This is a pretty neat hike following an old jeep trail, up to a certain point. From the point it veers off the jeep trail, the trail itself from this point is craggy as you climb up along to the mostly open ridge. I found the trail easy enough to follow as it is not a marked trail. The hike is all gradual with a brief section that gets moderately steep for a short period.

Brought all 3 dogs today, and they had no issues.

We started at 7:28am from the parking lot taking our time to let the dogs run and play, we averaged around 1.5 mph. Arrived at the summit at 8:23am for a brief visit as the black flies were out in force. After a quick visit and photo opportunity we returned to the truck at 9:16.

Our total trip was an hour and 48 minutes,

Flat Rock State Forest, Altona NY

Took a nice little walk about in this area with Snickers and Bushwacker. I had never been to the area, even though it is almost in my back yard. I knew of the area through work, just based on the resources I had sent into it for fires and lost hikers, but never myself hiked in.

I was surpresed at the size of the structures that are built in there. The "Million Dollar Dam", and the Skeleton Dam are huge projects that were built about a 100 years ago. There certainly is a lot of history in the Miner Project, and look forward to going back and doing some more exploring.

It is very easy hiking, all gradual incline. The trails are shared with ATV and snowmobiles, however we did not see another soul the entire day. We had a nice hike in, sat around Chasm Lake and had lunch. Next time we'll scope out the fire tower.

Jay Mountain

I had wanted to hike this for quite some time. In fact, I had tried a few years ago in the winter, with no success. Today was forecasted to be a nice day early on, then overcast with rain later. I was able to get the hike in before the rain, without any problem.

I was hoping to get some company on this hike, and I had reached out to a couple local friends but they were scheduled to be out of town. I had then resigned myself to a solo hike, not a big deal as I generally solo anyway. Well, I didn't expect one of my buddies from Washington D.C. to be up in the area, so when I found out, I asked if he was interested. We made tentative plans on Thursday night, to hike Saturday morning. We both agreed on a start time of 7 a.m. and I would pick him up.

Friday night he texted me that he would meet me at the trailhead instead as something came up. He would hike up behind me, catch up on the trail and hike back out together.

I had resigned myself that I would be hiking alone and prepared accordingly.

I got to the parking area around 8 am. The parking lot was empty, how lucky could I be to have this trail to myself? I did have two of my dogs with me, Dingo and Misty, so technically I wasn't alone. I no sooner got out of my truck and started getting ready, when a small car with Quebec plates pulled up. It wasn't anyone I knew but was three young ladies who were also going to hike Jay mountain. It didn't take them long to pass me on the trail. Oh to be young again.

I left the truck and signed in the register and on the trail at 8:12 am. For the most part, the trail was in pretty good shape for spring like conditions. There were minimal areas that had water covering the trail, but nothing that couldn't be managed by stepping around. In fact, the trail was mostly dry, with a few areas of mud, and some sections had ice (the ice that was present was on the upper sections on the ridge) but it too was manageable.

It was a bluebird day for most of the day. The clouds really didn't start coming into play until later in the day, say 1-2 o'clock.

I made it as far as the second to last outcropping at which point I decided to turn around. I was running low on water, and today was a day you really needed to have it. It was a breezy day, temps in the upper 60-lower 70's. I was very pleased with what I accomplished.

On my way back I ran into a couple of small groups heading up. There were a couple guys from Toronto that took a fancy to my dogs, asking questions on the breed, etc. They mentioned there was a couple back on Jay mountain that was waiting for me. They described them, and I was happy to hear that Justin did make it, and brought his lovely girlfriend too. I soon was on my way and came upon them laying on the rocks enjoying the day. We had a nice visit while I re-hydrated and they snacked. Soon we continued on our way back to the parking area. Justin was a sport too, as he lightened my load for me.

We laughed and talked about past hikes, and soon found ourselves at the trail register.

We were back at the parking area at 2:04 pm

A beautiful warm day in the Adirondacks.

My GPS logged 7 miles, my average speed was 1 mph, total elapsed time of 7h01min.

Lyon Mountain

Took a hike up Lyon Mt today with great company, and earn the hike towards the winter Adirondack fire tower challenge. My son had mentioned he'd like to hike this gem at some point, and I needed no further excuse to take the time and oblige him.

The forecast wasn't to be a bluebird day, but it also wasn't going to be brutally cold, or to warm either. The previous warm weather we had created a lot of snow melt. That along with some who hiked during that time without snowshoes did a fair amount of damage to the trail.

We were able to drive all the way up to the trail-head without any problem, it did require 4 wheel drive though. The road was in good shape with about 6 inches of new snow, and there was no blow down so it made for a good passage.

When we arrived at the trail-head there was about 4-6 inches that had fallen over night. That accumulation increased to about 8 inches on the summit. The light fluffy unconsolidated snow covered the snow spine of the trail, and the post holes. Going up was a lot better than going down. We wore snowshoes the entire way. With the continued cold tempts this weekend hopefully others will do the same.

We took the new trail up which made for a nice 6-7 mile round trip hike.

Only Dingo came with us today as Hattie and Misty are both on the side line as they recover from knee surgery in August, and more recently the other has a lacerated paw pad. So today was a boys day out.

We started at 9:05am took our sweet time reaching the summit at 12:45. We were back at the truck at 3:05pm.

Loon Lake Mountain

Loon Lake mountain is reported not to see a lot of foot traffic, and therefor seldom mentioned. I think this has changed this year, as I have seen a lot of trip reports recently on this hike, and it is a beauty of a hike too.

The information at http://www.cnyhiking.com states the hike is just under 6 miles round trip. The entire hike is an easy grade, except for the last mile which is where you gain a lot of the 1651 feet of elevation in the hike. The trail climbs a total of 1200 feet in that last mile. It may be daunting for some, but it makes for some great butt sliding on the way down in the winter.

The trail was easy enough to follow, one needs to just pay attention at the various intersections along the way. As I said earlier its a gradual elevation gain until you cross over the last foot bridge. Along the way we seen either old deer rubs or moose. It was also kind of neat to still see the old telco poles that I assume brought either phone or the ability for telematic communication to the tower.

As of today the trail is packed out nicely with the traffic it has seen, and hikers wearing their snowshoes. We wore snowshoes the entire way.

We started at 9am and took our time arriving at the summit just before noon. The trip out is always faster, especially when you can butt slide down. We were back at the truck just before 2pm.

Spruce Mountain

Well, I figured since I couldn't make the meet up hike on January 16th with a group from ADK Fire Tower page, and I really didn't want to get out of a nice warm bed on the 15th, today was the day to do something.

I have been working some odd shifts at work this week and it has allowed me time off during the week to hike with my son, who was also off today as well, so it was a win-win situation.

The trail-head to Spruce Mt. was easy enough to get to. Its about a 2.5 hour ride from Plattsburgh. The forecast was for overcast to partly cloudy today, with little to no breeze. The temps were expected to be around 40 degrees, which is crazy for January weather.

The trail was a hard pack all the way to the top. We gave the snowshoes a free ride and wore micro-spikes the entire way with no issues, I suspect that will change as this week is going to be unusually warm for this time of year.

The trail was easy to follow, and was an easy incline the entire way. We left the truck at 10:30 and took our time, arriving at noon.

A quick 30 minutes and we were back at the truck.

Point Au Roche State Park

I was feeling lazy today. My initial plans were to hike Spruce Mt. with some friends, but just didn't want to get out of bed this morning. So I texted them to see if they too would rather hike Rattlesnake Mt. in Willsboro. They were feeling lazy also, so we hemmed an hawed on a few different hikes. Long story short it was just me and the pups, and we headed out to Point Au Roche State Park.

This is a very popular area all year long. I was surprised to have only run into two other people on the trail. This was nice because it allowed me to run the dogs off leash, and when I seen another person recalled them until the other hiker passed by.

All three pups came with me today, which is good as typically Hattie feels left out when we hike a mountain. Hattie is nursing knee surgery from last summer, and I'm taking it easy with her.

We went out on the point taking the orange trail, following the rim all the around.

Map