hiking

What Wilderness Means to Me

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I am often very critical of efforts to deem public lands as wilderness, as a form of statutory or constitutional protection of the lands, forever condemning motorized uses, and severely limiting other uses of the land, especially if the land has previously been farmed, logged, or otherwise changed by man. Certainly there are some unique parcels that should be preserved in such a pristine state, but many others are just wild lands to be used by man and nature alike.

Across Alder Pond

I really do not like the legal definition of wilderness. I don’t think it captures my view of the forest lands I belove, the real wilderness in my imagination. Wilderness is the state of being wild and natural, largely uncontrolled by society’s social structures. It’s a land where man is free to use, largely without the control of government dictating how it is to be used except for minimal standards to protect its quality for future generations. Wilderness is a place where you go to get away from it.

Route 312

Wilderness is any wild location in a rural area. It could be a hobby or even a professional farm, run by it’s operator. Or it could be any forest privately or publicly owned. It could be a hunting camp. It could be a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, or a state forest. It could be a wild forest in Adirondacks, a National Forest, or some other wild land. It could be a state truck trail or a back-country location. It does not have to be road-less or totally untrammeled by man, just wild and free without excessive government control and oppressive populations.

… wilderness is a place to escape, a place to get away from it all.

Blue Mountain Fire Tower

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There is a fire tower on the mountain overlooking Blue Mountain Lake. It has some interesting views, and can be checked out by driving just north of Blue Mountain Lake on NY 30. It is one of the most popular hikes in the Adirondacks, and many people also visit Moose River Plains or the Adirondack Museum after hiking the tower.

Here is Blue Mountain heading North on NY 28.

Blue Mountain

The registration box at the bottom of the mountain.

Registration Box

The trail is well maintained, despite it’s extensive use, with board walks across muddy locations.

Board Walk Across Marshy Area

The first part of the trail is relatively flat for a while, then gets steep for a bit.

Trail

A lot of the lower part of the mountain was rocky with lots little rocks to step over.

Rocky Ascent Up the Mountain

About halfway up the mountain you get partial views down the mountain.

Mountains Thru The Trees

Eventually the mountain opens up a little, and your walking on exposed granite, steep, but not too steep.

Granite Rock Face

Once your almost to the top, you can look back and see Blue Mountain Lake through the trees.

Blue Monutain Lake Through the Trees

You reach the top of the mountain, and there is a gradual ascent, as you cross to the eastern side of the mountain, where the summit and the tower is located. Finally, you see the tower through the trees.

First View of Tower

The tower is a relatively short 50 or 60 foot, but it’s plenty high to get good views of the surrounding landscape.

Fire Tower

Looking out to the Tower windows.

Windows

Blue Mountain Lake from the fire tower.

Blue Mountain

Moose River Plains to the south-west of the tower.

Cedar River Flow

On the eastern side of the mountain, there is a radio tower and the old ranger’s cabin.

Tower from the Eastern Approach

From the eastern side, their is a ledge, where you can see and look down towards like Lake Durant and Moose River Plains.

Lake Durant and Moose River Plains

The radio tower up close, with the fence broken down around it. I didn’t hear radio signals in my ears, despite being so close to this big radio tower.

Radio Station

Flowers on the top of the mountain.

Wildflowers

To the north-east there are views of the High Peaks Mountains. They probably woudln’t be as clear on a hazy day.

Mount Marcy in Distance

Tirnell Mountain is privately owned to the east, and you can see some active logging on it.

Tirnell Mountain

Seventh and Eight Lake as seen from Blue Mountain.

Fulton Chain of Lakes

Here is a map of the hike.

Goodnow Mountain

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Goodnow Mountain 🗻 🚶‍♀️

A couple of weeks ago I hiked up Goodnow Mountain, on a beautiful clear afternoon, that by the time I reached the mountain it started to cloud up and the humidity started to increase. I had previously in the morning attempted to hike up Giant Mountain in the High Peaks, and wanted to do something easier for the afternoon.

Goodnow Mountain is located at the SUNY ESF (Environmental Science-Forestry) College, just south of the Adirondack High Peaks on NY 28, just to the west of Newcomb. It’s a bit of a drive from the Adirondack Northway from the east or even a little ways from Long Lake to the west, but well worth it for the views.

Trailhead Sign

About a quarter mile up the trail you pass an interesting tree grown over a rock. This is not as uncommon as you might think in the Adirondacks where the soils are poor and the ground is rocky, and trees seek to put down more roots to pick up nuetrants.

Tree Grown Over Rock

At about 1/2 mile you reach the old woods road that at one time, decades ago, provide vehicular access to the tower for forest rangers. Part of the trail is flat, but then it keeps steeper and erosion is noticable on the old road bed, no longer passable by anything then ATV in an emergency.

Trail Follows Old Woods Road

Rougher Part of the Trail

Further up the mountain, the trail follows a series of boardwalks that keeps most of the trail out of the mud and the muck.

Boardwalk

Then you reach an old abandoned barn, a well, and some interesting old debris like what appears to be a tank from a hot water heater storage unit.

Old Barn on Goodnow

Old Well

Old Water Tank

You ascend a ledge, with some limited views to the south.

South East from Ledge

Then their is a thick planation of White Pines along the trail as you make one relatively short ascent to the firetower.

Thick White Pines

Eventually at the last possible moment, you break through the White Pines to see the Goodnow Firetower, and almost instantly want to start climbing it for the views, unless your suffering from heat exhaustion, then you might want to look for the relatively limited shaded but open sections on the mountain.

Goodnow Firetower

Open Window

SUNY ESF has restored to the Ranger’s cabin, and the porch is a farely popular place to sit, enjoy the view, beat the heat for a few moments.

SUNY ESF Ranger's Station

There are many interesting views from the firetower. Here are the High Peaks looking North, the Vanderwhacker Wild Forest to the east, Kempshall Mountain / Long Lake to the west, and Blue Mountain / Blue Ridge to the South.

High Peaks and Newcomb

Vanderwhacker Wild Forest

South from Tower

Here is a map of the hike.

Map: Christman Sanctuary
Terrain Map: Kings Road Dunes

State Should Require Companies to Remove Logging Trash from Trails

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One of my pet peeves is state lands is where there has been a recent clear-cut timber harvest and hiking trails are not cleared of logging trash. Logging is important part of managed forests, but it’s one of many uses.

Along the Long Path

Unsalable tree tops and other brush or so-called “logging trash” has an important role as wildlife habitat. The logging trash will rot away and leave valuable soil for trees and forest to grow up and around. Leaving logging trash on steep slopes will help prevent erosion.

Following the Long Path Thru a Clear Cut

If a hiking trail, a campsite, a road, or other public access-way exists in a forest, the DEC should preserve access to it. Hunters, hikers, campers, and outdoorsmen need access. Trees marked previous for trail crossings, camping, or other signs, and then timbered should be replaced with other signs or markers.

White Birch and White Pine Logged

… it’s just good practice for lands that are supposed to be multi-use lands.

March vs April

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Last year, I happened to hike Severance Hill above Schroon Lake on March 7th, and also on April 11th. Being roughly one month apart, I figured it would be an interesting study in how the seasons change between these months.

Paradox Lake, March.

Paradox Lake

Paradox Lake, April.

Paradox Lake

Southern Schroon Lake, March.

Mountains

Southern Schroon Lake, April.

Southern Schroon Lake

Deep Bay, March.

Ice Fishing on Schroon Lake

Steep Bay, April.

Steep Bay