Hiking the Adirondacks

What can we do that doesn’t cost a lot of money, is close to home, and the entire family can enjoy themselves? Well we are almost through the month of July and what have you done this summer? What can your kids write about when they return to school and are asked the evitable question, “What did you do while on summer vacation”? We have about 4 or 5 weekends left before summer is over. Yes, that is all.

Lucky for you, you live in one of the most amazing places on this planet. We have the Adirondacks to our east, the St. Lawrence River to our north (or south depending where you are for the day) and the Thousand Islands to our west. What’s south? More of the Adirondack Mountains.

While the sun has been baking our lawns, this weather makes for great swimming, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. Most of these activities take a little bit of planning and are within an hour of travel (or nearby on the St. Lawrence, St. Regis or Racquette River). Any of these activities do not cost very much. Pack a good lunch for the day and you’re on your way to a great getaway, for the day or for the weekend.

Let’s take a look at what you would need to hike in the Adirondacks. If you are a seasoned hiker – gather some friends and family and get up and go. It’s much cooler in the mountains and the scenic ride does wonders for everyone. If you are planning on hiking for the first time you need to be prepared. There are three things you should take into consideration:

1. Your health and those you are taking with you. You need to be in reasonably good health to hike. Remember it’s not a race but an enjoyable trek into the woods and to the top of the mountain! Get a good nights rest before setting out on your trip.

2. Wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes, bring an extra pair of socks and dress in layers. In this type of weather a t-shirt and a sweatshirt may be all you need. If you have room in your backpack bring along a rain jacket or cheap rain poncho. It may be 85 degrees here, but only a cool 65 degrees on top of the mountain. Take plenty of bottled water with you; you will drink more than normal. And don’t count on drinking the water from streams or brooks – you just don’t know how clean they are. Many streams and brooks carry animal fecal matter, parasites and other little things that crawl.

Make sure to bring along a healthy snack and a lunch. Remember in warmer weather stick to peanut butter and jam and the like. Sandwiches made with mayonnaise or similar spreads can spoil quickly while you are hiking. Many hikers prefer to nibble as they walk. Hard candies, nuts, raisins, and sunflower seeds make great snacks. Also, energy bars or granola with M&M’s or semi-sweet chocolate, (semi-sweet chocolate does not melt) because they will give you that added boost when you tire.

You may also want to bring a small inexpensive first aid kit. You can make one of your own and include band-aids for blisters, salves, and an ace bandage in case someone twists an ankle. Trails are clearly marked but you may want to bring along a compass, it would be a great way to teach young and old alike how to use one. A few other things may make your first hiking trip more comfortable. Remember if your daypack is getting heavy on the way up – take turns carrying it. You may also want to bring along insect repellant, salt tablets, a hat, a watch, toilet tissue and a ditty bag. The motto in the Adirondacks and for any park is; IF YOU CARRY IT IN, PLEASE CARRY IT OUT.

3. Choose a mountain according to your ability. Mountain types include gradual, moderate, moderately steep, steep and very steep; take into consideration everyone’s health and ability. You want to make this a fun outing, one they will want to do again and again. All trails in the Adirondacks are marked and stay on the trail. This is very important, recovering someone lost in the woods is harrowing for the family and the cost may end up with you.

There are eight different hiking areas in the Adirondacks, the closet being North-Northeast Section and the Lake Placid and Saranac Lake Section. They both offer gradual to moderately steep trails for the beginner. They are within 1-1 ½ hours away, making this an easy day trip. If you have more time you may want to consider Cranberry Lake, Wanakena and West Section, Keene-Keene Valley Section, Minerva-Newcomb Section, Eagle Bay and Blue Mountain Section, Indian Lake and South Section, and Lake George and Southeast Section.

Azure Mountain takes about 1½ hours to complete and the view is worth the effort. This mountain is considered “easy, with some steep spots”. Access is off Route 485, 4 miles from St. Regis Falls.

Debar Mountain takes about 4 hours and 30 minutes to hike. This mountain is considered “easy but with the last half mile as steep as any in the Adirondacks.” Once on top the last half-mile is well worth the effort. Access is through Route 30 at Meacham Lake Public Campsite.

St. Regis Mountain takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes. This mountain is considered generally moderate and rather steep for the last part. St. Regis Mountain stands alone, and is literally surrounded by hundreds of lakes and ponds. The view on top is spectacular. Access to St. Regis Mountain is from Keese Mills Road near the intersection of Route 30 and 192, near Paul Smiths College.

Once on the summit, you’ll notice mountain vegetation is very scarce due to their weather conditions. The vegetation is also very fragile, please be considerate and do not trample fragile vegetation, and stay on the rocks and trails.

Remember to sign in every member of your hiking group and to sign out once you have made it down the mountain. This helps the park keep track of how many people use the trails, and as a safety feature it keeps track of who has hiked and who hasn’t come back down.